The cold dusk air felt like an ice bath as they exited the forge. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust after staring at white hot metal and a raging fire for most of the day. The tears in his clothing let the breeze dance over his skin as they made their way towards the gate.

  “Alright, let’s talk strategy. It’s important that we know each other's limits before we get into a fight. I’ve got one health potion left from the stock Julian gave me before we fought the Stonetusks, so we’re prepared if anything goes wrong.” Harvey said. Talking through the facts had always helped him when nerves got in the way, and he wanted to try and get Elena into the same headspace.

  “Are you comfortable with the wand?” Harvey asked.

  “Not really. I only got to level 3 because Gary would have Amy and me shoot first if we caught something unaware. I usually miss, but as long as I get a shot in before he kills it, I get some essence.”

  “I basically did the same, but I usually was the one getting caught off guard. That’s how I got my shield skill.” Harvey said, a small fangbreaker appearing over his forearm. “Let’s do some target practice real quick.”

  He continued explaining his skills and experiences fighting the different beasts as he buried a few larger twigs in the ground. They made a smaller target than most things she’d be aiming at, but that just left some room for error when a real fight started. He was careful not to let her burn through too much essence, but with a few reminders to take a breath, focus, and shoot intentionally, she managed to snap the twig with her 6th shot.

  Not having any particular destination in mind, he turned to begin climbing the mountain above his mine. He wanted to see if the vast deposit of essence crystals was affecting anything above ground. He’d felt his essence reserves recovering faster when he fought in the crystal cave, and was intrigued to feel a similar, weaker effect on the mountain. As they climbed, he kept an eye on the tree crowns above to make sure no carrionwing ambushed them.

  The dichotomy of his forge and the forest around it was stark, and the sounds and smells bombarded him as soot and ash gave way to damp earth and dying plants. Each footfall brought the crunch of fallen leaves, and a scent like overripe fruit hung in the air even though none could be seen in the trees above.

  He’d never spent much time in the forest, growing up in Arizona and moving to Southern California, but he was learning to love the color all around him. Sure, the long shadows cast by unholy black and purple trees were nightmarish compared to an empty desert, but at least it wasn’t all beige.

  “So, what are we looking for? How are we supposed to find these things?” Elena asked, voice shaking as she scanned the trees.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. Beasts always seem to find me. We could start yelling and see what comes running?” Harvey asked.

  “Don’t you dare!” She yelped, hitting his arm. “I agreed to hunt with you. Walking into a den of hungry lions and letting them know you’re there isn’t hunting.”

  “Good point. I guess we walk around and look for clues, and if something finds us, we fight like hell. I’ll keep an eye on the ground for any bloodrunn or stonetusks, and you can look out for Carrionwing in the trees.”

  “Much better plan. God, you’d never make it home if you came out here by yourself,” she huffed.

  They walked in silence, keeping a vigilant watch as they crept up the mountain. Harvey saw smoke rising from Veil’s End and was intrigued to see people milling through the streets. They looked like ants in a farm from this distance, and it was cool to see the outpost start to look like a real town. The wall was springing up faster than he’d expected, nearly a third of the city now surrounded by sharpened black logs sunk into the earth, and more were being added every minute.

  “Stop,” Harvey whispered, grabbing Elena’s arm and pointing forward. “What is that?”

  Up ahead, a thin, red mist billowed out of the trees. It floated lazily, drifting on the breeze down towards them at a snail’s pace. He didn’t know if it was some strange poison or a natural phenomenon he’d yet to see, but it was slow enough that they could escape if it turned out to be harmful.

  Creeping forward, he poked a finger into the growing fog and waited. No sizzle of flesh corroding or stench of death met his touch. If anything, the only change he could feel was a slight increase in humidity, like walking out of an air-conditioned building into a muggy summer day.

  Elena stood behind, slowly backing away as Harvey let the fog wash over him.

  “Are you ok?” She hissed, trying to whisper, but louder than she usually spoke.

  “Yeah, I don’t really feel anything.” There was a taste in his mouth he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but he felt completely normal.

  “Let’s go around. I don’t like this.” Elena continued.

  “Come on, I know this is strange, but isn’t that what we’re out here looking for? You can do this!” Harvey replied.

  Reluctantly, she followed him in, scraping her tongue against her teeth as they crept closer. The fog grew denser as they walked, not enough to blind them but enough to make it harder to see the tangle of roots and underbrush below their feet. Peering around a tree trunk, they could barely make out the source.

  Deep within thick mist, blood floated out of the corpse of a massive Stonetusk Charger in ribbons that magically flowed into the mouth of a bloodrunn. It stood guard, watching the trees as two others feasted on the boar’s flesh. The usual rust colored skin covering its wiry frame had morphed into the deep crimson of wet blood, mist seeping from its pores in a dense cloud.

  This far away, the mist was only an annoyance, but it would be easy to lose track of the camouflaged creatures in a close-quarters fight. If high-level Stonetusks grew into hulking behemoths and Bloodrunn turned into sanguine fog machines, what could powerful Carrionwing do?

  Disgust plagued him as he realized that the taste he’d struggled to identify was the heavy iron of blood. He was bathed in it. Morbid curiosity overrode his desire to retch as he wondered if Gary’s skill would work just from standing in the mist.

  Before she could scream, Harvey yanked Elena behind a tree and covered her mouth. Shock and panic flooded her eyes as he stared down at her, doing his best to keep her quiet while urging her to catch her breath. When she stopped shaking, he slowly dropped his hand.

  “Oh my god, that’s so gross. We’re literally covered in blood.” She panicked.

  “I know, but we need to stay calm if we don’t want to be the next donor. I’ve never seen a bloodrunn do that before, but there are only 3 of them. I’m going to guess the one drinking is the strongest, so let’s each aim for the other ones first. I’ll go left and you go right. Hopefully, we can take them out quickly and have a two-on-one fight.” Harvey urged.

  She was nearly hyperventilating, but she finally nodded. Creeping closer, they watched as the bloodrunn shredded the corpse. He recoiled as the sound of tearing flesh filled the air, one of the feasting hounds yipping with delight before the blood drinker smacked it. It appeared the leader wanted them to eat quietly, even though the mist would already reveal their location.

  When they were close enough to get a clear shot, Harvey nodded and sent bolts flying. He hit like a truck, his growing pool of wisdom empowering it to the point the bloodrunn tumbled away. Elena’s was weaker, but still hit just above a hind leg. The pack leader growled, and the rivers floating towards its mouth fell to the ground as it bolted away. Harvey pulled Elena close, wrapping his left arm around her as they waited for the impending charge.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  None came.

  The forest was silent, only the rustling leaves above them ensuring some magical deafness didn’t afflict him. Every bloodrunn he’d fought til now had come running the second they’d spotted him. Even the stronger ones barely showed restraint, the only difference being fighting as a group instead of charging in one by one. This was different.

  “Ahh!” Elena screamed, Harvey turning to see deep gashes on her left leg. Rust flashed through the mist, and Harvey sent a bolt after the fleeing hound. As he fired, sharp teeth clamped around his own ankle, digging in until they met bone. He turned and fired two more bolts down into the head. Without a sound, it released its grip and fled into the forest.

  “They’re hiding in the mist and bleeding us out!” Harvey called. ”Get your back to a tree and watch our flanks!”

  Elena whimpered as she stumbled to a tree, leaning against it. Harvey stood close in front, turning his head like a turret as he strained to see through the mist. It was dissipating slowly, and a denser pocket to his left hinted at where the leader had gone.

  A flash to his right was met with a kick, his fangbreaker covered shin meeting the head of a bloodrunn. His improved dexterity and strength helped him react faster than ever, and the wave of force from his ruptured shield broke bones as the body tumbled past. A gentle ding confirmed the kick was enough.

  “Harvey!” Elena screamed as the second bloodrunn fell to his side. It had lunged for his shoulder, trying to take advantage of the distraction its dying brother had caused.

  Lucky for him, Elena had reacted in time and knocked it off course with a bolt of her own. Without thinking, he raised his foot and covered his boot with a fangbreaker before mercilessly stomping on its chest, burying it in the dirt. Its body absorbed most of the blow, and he was surprised to feel the impact nearly send him airborne. It writhed beneath him, teeth and claws flailing to find flesh to tear.

  Elena sobbed before blasting its head. When it finally died, he kicked it away, not wanting a body to trip over when the final beast showed up. He could hear Elena sobbing behind him, and his heart ached as he worried about her bleeding leg.

  “Are you ok? Do you need the health potion?” He asked, fumbling with his belt to remove the vial.

  “No, it’s not that.” She cried.

  Harvey wanted to console her, but the biggest threat was still out there. They’d succeeded in taking down the weaker Bloodrunn, but if the last one was anything like the Stonetusk Alpha, they were dealing with a much stronger foe.

  Nothing happened for a long moment, and Harvey worried he’d die from his heart beating out of his chest before the bloodrunn ever got to him. He felt confident in protecting himself, but the burden of protecting Elena brought him back to that first night in the forest. He was strong. She was not. He’d promised to protect her, and hearing her sob infuriated him.

  Unwilling to wait any longer, he channeled an unholy amount of essence into the wand, sending bolts in every direction.

  “It’s still here somewhere.” Harvey panted.

  “Do we run?” Elena asked.

  “No, it’s waiting for an opening. Can you climb this tree?” Harvey asked.

  “I don’t know, my leg is killing me.” She replied.

  Keeping his eyes ahead, he squatted down and wrapped his left arm around her. She yelped in pain as he lifted, but managed to clamber up with his help.

  “I’m going to give it a shot. Be ready to cover me once it shows up.” Harvey said, walking out into the clearing.

  “Are you crazy? Just climb up, and we can wait it out!” Elena screamed.

  “I’m not waiting for the rest of the pack to get here. Come on, you bastard!” Harvey yelled, turning with his right forearm buried under his chin to protect his throat while his left covered his heart. A searing pain in his back sent warm blood cascading down. He yelled in anguish as he spun around, throwing an awkward kick that failed to connect. It disappeared before he could land a shot.

  He could only see a few feet in any direction, and the empowered hound's skin blended almost perfectly. They were fighting on its home turf, and he couldn’t afford to let it maintain the guerrilla tactics that were bleeding him dry. He decided on a gambit that could end the fight in one fell swoop.

  Feigning injury, he dropped to his knees, exposing his cloth-laden chest and throat with his hands at his sides. He began coughing violently, his body shaking as he did his best to sell the act. Looking up to the sky, he presented a perfect target for the Bloodrunn to end him. Hearing a heavy footfall ahead, he channeled a tsunami of essence into fangbreaker, covering his throat and chest with the largest shield he’d ever created. A cascade of force exploded, knocking the bloodrunn back with jaws wide open.

  Harvey wasted no time, diving forward and bringing both arms down like hammers on the beast's back, punching it to the ground. With dexterity he didn’t know he had, he mounted its back and began shooting. Elena joined in with an angry war cry until her voice grew hoarse.

  Finally, it died. Harvey sat panting above it as he watched the crimson skin slowly fade back to rust red, its own blood pooling beneath it. He was a spent force, an arrow at the end of its flight. His gambit worked, but the cost of forcing essence through his weave left him hollow.

  You have slain Level 6 - Bloodrunn. Essence Gained. 411 Merit Earned

  You have slain Level 7 - Bloodrunn. Essence Gained. 492 Merit Earned

  You have slain Level 13 - Bloodrunn. Essence Gained. 1124 Merit Earned

  They both sat panting as light erupted from their bodies, the same pale blue of the Arcanist class radiating out from their weaves.

  Your class, Arcanist, has reached Level 8. +1 Vitality, +2 Endurance, +2 Wisdom, +1 Willpower, +2 Free Points.

  He put both free points into dexterity before pushing to his feet and helping Elena down from her perch. She was shaking violently, barely able to stand.

  “Here, drink this,” Harvey said, thrusting the potion towards her.

  “I…” she shook. “I don’t need it. I don’t want to waste the merit.”

  “Are you sure? You’re practically convulsing.” Harvey asked with concern.

  Without answering, she collapsed to the ground and began to sob. He helped lean her against the tree and knelt beside her. She buried her head in her arms as she wept, and Harvey felt knives digging into his soul.

  “Elena! Elena, are you ok?” He pleaded.

  “It’s horrible! I can’t take the violence. I can’t watch you stomp on a dog while I shoot it in the head. I just can’t do it!” She cried.

  Harvey sat stunned, realizing how horrible his actions must have looked. He loved dogs, and he had just crushed one beneath his feet.

  He moved to rest his own back on the trunk beside her and watched the blood mist disperse. Color returned to the forest as the sun fell behind the trees and the night grew dark. He sat quietly for a long time, thinking about the world he lived in. Was it making him a monster? He’d dragged Elena out here for the sole purpose of taking lives. For killing things. He hadn’t thought twice about doing it, and he’d barely considered the brutal method he’d used.

  But that didn’t make him a monster, right? These beasts were put here to test him. To kill him. Whether it was now or later, a Veilstrider would’ve fought these Bloodrunn or whatever beast grew stronger by killing them. He didn’t have the luxury of waiting around. Their path home would be built with bodies, whether they liked it or not.

  “Elena, I know it’s hard,” Harvey began, hesitating each time a sob shook through her. “But this is the world we live in. I’m not exactly proud of the person I need to become if I want to make it out alive, but I’m not willing to lie down and wait for the end.”

  “I know… It’s just.” She stopped, holding back sobs as she struggled to get the words out. “You looked like him... for a second there.”

  “Like who?” Harvey asked.

  “Gary. He gets this look in his eyes like he can’t wait to kill something. Like it’s all he lives for.” Elena choked out. “That and his stupid steak dinners.”

  “Really? That’s what you saw?” Harvey asked, dejected.

  “No… I don’t know.” She replied.

  “I never want to be anything like him. I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a bloodsucking Born Killer.” Harvey snapped.

  “And you’re not. You’ve been nothing but kind, and I know that leveling up is important. I really do. I just watched him kill over and over until Julian found us, and I don’t know how I’m supposed to be so brutal. I’m not built for this like you guys.” Elena whimpered.

  “You think I’m built for this? Hell no. But I’ve seen the good that power can bring. You watched Gary kill for fun. I watched Julian kill to protect people. I watched him hack and slash his way to the strength he needed to lead dozens of veilstriders to a place they could call home. There’s a war coming, and I want to fight to protect humanity. It may look the same as Gary fighting to protect himself, but I promise you the motivations are different. That matters.” Harvey explained.

  Elena’s breathing slowed as she finally met his gaze, tears carving lines down her cheeks.

  “It’s not going to be easy, and we’re going to have to do things we’re not proud of. We’re going to have to kill or be killed if we ever want to see our home again, but I will see my family again. I’m going to make sure you get to see yours. No matter what this trial sends my way.”