As I rode outside the city, the view around me took my breath away. The path was lined with fields on both sides that seemed to stretch on endlessly, providing the march with an abundant supply of food. The lush green crops swayed in the gentle breeze, creating a beautiful sea of color that was truly mesmerizing.

The sun was high in the sky, shining down and making everything around me look so bright and vivid. Birds flew overhead, soaring through the air and adding to the peaceful serenity of the scene.

It took almost a full hour of riding before the scenery changed. We rode into a forest path, the sound of the rustling trees on both sides and the birds chirping sounded through the air. The path narrowed, the trees encroached left and right and threw a long shade that hid us from the heat of the sun. A smile spread on my face as I soaked in the calm of the beautiful forest surrounding me.

We kept riding for hours through the forest and inevitably, my hips started to hurt a lot. Thankfully Gwen didn’t withhold her mana and healed me. It certainly helped as the pain went away. I thanked her for it.

“No problem sweetheart, by the time we will arrive, I will have regenerated that small amount” she said, giving me a sweet smile.

An hour later, Reinhardt called for a stop. At this point the sun was making it’s way down and we didn’t have a lot of sunlight left. “This should be more or less close enough to where the caravan was hit,” he stated, “we should walk from this point onward, don’t want to get ambushed. The beast is apparently feline in nature after all.” His face turned serious. “Albrecht, you take point, see if you can track down the beast.”

Albrecht nodded at that. We got off the horses and everyone put their game faces on. From one moment to the next, Albrecht rushed off, his steps not making any sound. I looked dumbfounded at Reinhardt.

He notices my surprise, “I told you, he’s the scout, that means he has to be able to do this much.” He said, still looking around into the forest, alert.

Having the desire to learn such useful spells as well, I asked curiously, “But how did he do that? I’ve never read about a spell like that before!”

Glancing at me, “I believe he is using an air spell to quieten his footsteps and enhancement to be quicker on his feet,” he explained, “Now be quiet and let us concentrate, one mistake is all it takes for the beast to kill one of us!” He shushed me harshly.

Thoroughly chastised I slumped my shoulders. I just wanted to learn some spells. Though I guess he is right, father told me the same. I calmed myself and following the knights leads, I scanned my surroundings.

As I scanned my surroundings warily, twitching at the slightest sounds, I could see something shadowy moving towards us in the tree line. “Something’s coming!” I called out urgently, raising my hand to the treeline, ready to pull on my mana at moments notice.

“Hold!” Reinhardt grabbed my hand and lowered it forcefully. He glowered at me, as Albrecht jumped down from the tree, “You will not attack anything, anything at all without my express permission!” he whispered furiously. “You and your sister are here to watch, not fight!”

I flinched back at his tone, gulping, “S-Sorry, I just wanted to help.” I whispered quietly. Sister pat my back to console me, while I drowned in reproach at all my mistakes.

Albrecht looked at me in pity, then turned to Reinhardt, “I found it, down through the forest in a wide clearing, munching on it’s last kill,” he explained, “The clearing is big enough for a fight, and the tree line will cage the beast somewhat.”

Reinhardt nodded severely, “Very well, we’ll take the fight. We’ll bind the horses here,” he ordered, “The ladies will stay with me, hiding behind the trees.” He looked at me, “That is non negotiable.” He looked at me. I nodded at that, throughly embarrassed already.

He contemplated for a moment, “Let’s talk about strategy,” he looked at everyone, “Erenwald should take the first shot from the tree line, preferably aiming at the eye. Then Balmund will walk out into the clearing and grab it’s attention. Albrecht, you will support wherever you can, whether it’s to take the burden off Balmund or protecting Erenwald. Gwen will stay with me, casting spells when necessary,” he looked at Gwen, “but save your mana for after the fight if possible.” Gwen nodded at that.

“All right, let’s go!”

As we quietly stepped through the bushes, Albrecht signaled for us to stop, “Alright, the beast is just up ahead. Erenwald, go take up position in the treeline over there,” he pointed to east of the clearing, “I’ll circle around, taking the other side.” He said.

A few minutes later, Balmund took the lead. We slowly walked up on the clearing from behind the beast. Getting closer, the clearing finally came into view. What greeted my eyes was the sight of a massive beast, looking like a mixture between Lion and a Bear, jacked up with a bunch of steroids. That’s easily 5 meters, and it’s not even standing.

The muscles of the Beast were easily visible, even under the heavy fur, as it grabbed onto the stag. The legs were like thick pillars, looking like they were filled with incredible power. As it bit into the stag, it opened it’s bloody maw and showcased it’s huge saber teeth. They easily teared the stag apart as it munched on it’s meal, seemingly not having noticed us yet. They are supposed to kill this thing?

Starting to feel like the odds were stacked against us, I shifted further behind Reinhardt, hoping he would protect us if it came down to it. We got closer, hiding in the bushes at the edge of the clearing, just waiting for the signal for the fight to start.

We hid for what felt like eternity, and the Beast raised it’s head, seemingly not interested in it’s food anymore. It started sniffing the air, Oh Oh. At that moment, a bright arrow, glowing with white light flew from the treeline onto the Beast. Erenwald!

Having gotten the signal, Balmund rushed into the clearing with loud, thundering steps, “IM RIGHT HERE!” he bellowed, his deep voice resounding far and loud. The arrow missed it’s target, glancing the Beast above it’s right eye, as it moved it’s head at the last second.

It turned toward Balmund in what must have been confusion, turning into anger. It gave an extremely loud roar at the flesh wound it had suffered, the ground shook and I could feel the vibrations in my body.

It rushed with explosive strength, Jumping rather than running. The ground shook at it’s massive weight. Balmund waited at the ready, greatshield in his right hand, and spear in his left, like an unmovable boulder.

As the beast swiped at Balmund with it’s left paw, he took the hit like a champ, somehow only getting pushed back a few centimeters. At the same time, the beast got peppered by different colored arrows from the treeline. The arrows all seemed to have a different effect, some exploded on contact, others managed to pierce deeper, and some even curved towards it’s head.

The Beast shook itself at the annoyances and once more gave a loud roar. It closed the gap to Balmund, trying to bite a piece off of him with it’s huge mouth. Balmund used his superior range from the spear, to stab the beasts snout with all his power. The beast flinched back as the spear dug deep, quickly stopping it’s attempt at ripping apart Balmund.

The beast took an extremely bright arrow into it’s belly and roared in pain once more, quickly turning around to face the perpetrator from the tree lines. As it turned around, Balmunds speartip started glowing, the air pooling around it’s edge and taking on a whitish hue. He used the chance to stab another deep wound into the beasts abdomen.

With surprising speed, the Beast gave Balmund a critical hit with the back of it’s right paw while turning back around. Instead of taking the hit like earlier though, Balmund got swept far away by it, crashing hard on the ground with a loud thud. He grunted loudly as the breath left his body.

The beasts eyes glowed, as it prepared to pounce on Balmund, to finish off one of it’s attackers. Gwen, who was standing a few feet in front of me, saw the precarious situation and cast a spell. Her hand shot forward, as vines rose from the ground rushing towards the beast with extreme speed, binding him.

The beast thrashed and fought the vines, trying to get out of their grasp. Gwen was sweating and shaking as she fed her spell more mana, trying to bind the beast just one moment longer. The beast succeeded in the end, but not before Albrecht rushed in from behind the beast and severed both it’s achilles heels with his shining sword.

The beast mewled as it fell to the ground hard, the collision creating a dust cloud around the beast. Balmund stood up slowly, using his spear as a crutch. Screaming a battle cry “AAAAAAAAAAH!!” he rushed the beast, stabbing it with his spear.

The beast took the hit and stood back up with bad balance, most of it’s weight now on it’s front legs. It’s attention on Balmund, it clinged to life, trying to bite and claw from it’s bad position even while it was getting pelted by arrows.

In the meantime Albrecht weaved in and out of it’s range, using his superior speed to use every chance he got and gave the beast more wounds. Together, they whittled the beast down slowly but surely.

In the end, the beast lied on the ground, with tens of arrows sticking out of it’s body. Long and deep gashes accompanied the arrows on it’s sides, courtesy of Albrecht. The whole ground was painted in a sea of blood. The beast barely even breathed as it lied on the ground, waiting for it’s sweet release. Balmund ended the battle with a loud grunt, plunging his spear deep through it’s right eye and into the brain, killing the beast.

I let out the the breath that I had been holding, That was intense. I watched on as Balmund dropped his greatshield, falling on his back. “Balmund!” I rushed out towards him. We quickly pooled around him and took off his armor, to see where he is wounded.

I grimaced and feared for his life as I saw the situation of his body. His right forearm was slightly bent, seemingly broken. His whole upper body had blue swelling spots, worst of all his right ribs that had changed colors to purple. His eyes watched unfocused to the sky. He barely wheezed, the only sign he was still alive. This is from a single swipe?

“I’m out of mana from holding the beast!” Gwen urgently called out, her face twisted in worry. Fuck, I wish I had studied some healing magic! I’m so stupid!

Reinhardt quickly moved over Balmund, casting his healing magic over the bad looking ribs, “This is only a stopgap measure, my healing magic is extremely weak,” he disclosed, “but it should let him live. We will have to defend this spot from scavengers until Gwen recovers some mana, Balmund is in no position to be moved.” He looked grim at that.

Albrecht and Erenwald spread out at the indirect order, looking alert to defend the group if something were to attack us.

The Beast