With Mheris and Tennebris both coming to the realization that they had reached their destination, it was time to begin planning. Though, at this moment, they were lost in the abyss of their internal monologues. They had made it this far off tenacity alone.

  But would that be enough?

  It was a thought that coursed through both of their minds. The insects that attacked the city were only a symptom of this creature’s existence.

  It had made its way from its cave. It then proceeded to uproot and destroy everything it came across. Even now that the unlikely pair had found its place of rest, the surrounding areas were in complete disarray.

  Now facing the limits of their mortality, they were finding new problems. Scenarios played out in their mind as the outcome of their potential failures acted out like a play for their mental theatre.

  Tennebris was the first to brave through the shroud that was placed over their senses.“Okay. So. I’ve got some ideas.” Tennebris whispered to Mheris.

  “Yeah? Little shadow? Because I’m starting to feel like this was a mistake. We shouldn’t be here.” Whispering back, the sound of panic and trembling breath floated through the frigid air to Tennebris.

  “We both are. But we need to remember what we’re here for.”

  “An easy payday gone wrong?”

  “Sure, but I was more so thinking of the statues they’d make of us after we’re done with this beast.”

  With a dry chuckle, it seemed the two had managed to break the fear that they had brought on themselves.

  Examining the scene here, inspiration struck. Tennebris had an idea. Then, after some consideration, she spoke up. To Mheris, it seemed that Tennebris was just making it up as she went along and hoping it would work out.

  “So, we know for certain that this thing leaves behind that fire reactive ichor. What if that’s its blood? I suggest we take some of the wood that the beast was kind enough to chop for us. We’ll build a semi-circle, surrounding the cave. Once that’s done, I’ll coat an arrow with the ichor. If all goes well, I should be able to hit it with my arrow and use Pyromancy on it as it makes contact. While it’s reacting to that, I’ll then use Pyromancy to ignite the circle. If all goes as planned from there, it should be too stunned to react while we strike it. Hard and fast.”

  Nodding along as Tennebris presented her plan, Mheris could see it playing out in her mind. A glint of excitement and a mischievous smile,.

  “Sure thing. But-“ Mheris paused in thought “How are we going to lure it out here?”

  Tennebris had known the question would come.

  “Well. Unfortunately, I don’t have any good ideas about that. I only really know how to fight with a bow. The problem with that is we need to enrage the thing and then lure it into our trap to maximize its effect.”“Aye. So, your plan is to send me in alone to literally poke the bear.”“In fairness, we don’t know for sure it’s a bear.”

  With a chuckle Mheris rose to her feet.

  “Let’s just hope those statues are made of gold.” A wry smile crested Mheris’ visage.

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  Soon after, they got to work building, putting Tennebris’ plan into action. It wasn’t an easy task, but they knew it would be worth it.

  The first hurdle was not waking the creature as they gathered firewood from the area outside of its den. Construction of the semi-circle was easy enough for Mheris. Spending long nights alone in the wilderness was something she had become accustomed to. Building a fire that would last all night wasn’t a skill she picked up quickly, but through enough determination, she had eventually learned.

  As they began piecing together the key component of their plan, Tennebris was beginning to feel a twinge of excitement.

  Staying quiet and working efficiently was easy with her lifetime of experience. Placing the shavings of wood at the ground, then thin sticks, followed by a thicker branch. Mheris was assisting Tennebris with guidance on what type of woods to place. Together, they placed what would burn the longest on top and shaped it into a half-circle surrounding the cave’s entrance.

  Even if it was meant to trap, engage, and kill a monstrous creature they had little experience with, they were ready.

  Tennebris then climbed to the branch attached to a nearby tree just outside of the cave entrance. It was inside of the semi-circle, and high enough that, if it was the size of a bear, she would be outside of its reach. Outside of its reach, but well within hers. Mheris was known for her skill with her daggers. As she found herself working with people from time to time, the tales that would get spun about her became more fantastical as she rose in infamy.

  Mheris wasn’t famous by any means, but her blades were.

  “Hiding in the trees again? I suppose that means it’s time.”

  Nodding back and accepting the phial of ichor, Tennebris began coating an arrow with it.

  “If everything goes as planned, we should be back before the sun starts setting. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

  With a glare, Mheris quickly met Tennebris’ eyes. “Don’t say such things. It’s a pox on our hunt.”

  Raising an eyebrow in response, she uncorked the phial. “I didn’t take you for the superstitious type Mheris.”

  “I’ve seen the Grey Lady take more than a few. Once you’ve seen the ghost yourself, you heed its warning. There are certain things in this world that ain’t worth testing.”

  “Well, I’m not so sure about that, but I do think it’s time to get down to business.”

  Half expecting Tennebris to say ‘do or die’, she had already prepared herself to be angry. Only to find herself withdrawing those thoughts when the words never came.

  With a hitched sigh, Mheris drew her blades. They were wrapped in green lace, with a brass pommel. Curving upright, they were slightly longer than daggers, but not long enough to be considered shortswords. There was an ornamental filigree etched into the center of the blades, which glinted in the light.

  As Tennebris resumed coating her arrow with the fire-reactive ichor, Mheris left her sight as she disappeared into the cave. Finished with her first arrow-tip, she found that she would have enough left over for another arrow. This gave her pause. Did she have enough time to coat another arrow? Was it worth the risk?

  Shaking the uncertainty out of her mind, she re-corked the phial and set it down beside her, knocking the arrow to her bowstring. Taking aim, she waited. It felt like hours had passed before the first eruption of sound blasted out from the cave.

  There was the sound of Mheris’ guttural roar, followed by both of her blades making contact. In a frenzy, the Apex Predator let out a violent shriek. Not in pain, but in warning.

  Shink.

  Another slash rang out from the cave, as Mheris’ blades once again found purchase. With the follow-up blow making contact with its target, the Apex Predator was fully awake and ready for a fight.

  Mheris wasn’t about to face it head on there, however. Following the plan, she ran from its lair, the putrid smell of death and decay flowing off her. The Grim Reaper was ready to take her it seemed. Death, however, would have to wait. Tennebris had a job to do.

  Spinning on her heel, Mheris turned to fight. The thunderous sound of the colossal creature’s footfalls sending tremors through the earth below it.

  Lashing out in rage, it began swinging wildly. Striking anything it could get its claws on. It wanted blood, it wanted to kill, it wanted all life to come to an end. Coming to a talon’s point, they made a metallic scraping sound as they dragged along the cave’s walls.

  Drawing her bow back Tennebris took aim at its leg, hoping to miss the crystals on its back, or the plates covering its body.

  Twang.

  Launching itself from the bow, Tennebris let loose an arrow. Whistling through the air, the battle seemed to come to a stop as her focus tightened on her foe.

  Snap.

  Letting out a blood boiling roar, the Apex Predator began to turn around to face its new opponent. Sizzling, popping, and hardening, the pain from the ichor-tipped arrow was too much to ignore.

  On the tree branch, Tennebris wasn’t sure what was shaking more, her legs, or the tree. Emerging from the cave and standing tall, the creature was nothing like what either of them had imagined.

  It was stout , standing about twelve feet tall, with large arms that promised immense force behind its strikes. Brown fur covered its body from head to toe. In a lot of ways, their guess about it being a bear was correct. These few immediate observations, however, were where the similarities ended.

  There were large, black, crystalline growths on its back. Scattered across its hide were uneven, seemingly misshapen obsidian-colored plates. More pressing than the observations to its defenses though, were its offenses. Long, reaching claws stretched out far longer than they should from its paws.

  Shink. Shink.

  Following up on the distracted beast, Mheris wasted no time and struck out with both of her daggers.