After escaping those giant worms, I made my way deeper into the forest.
It wasnt long until I came upon a sheer drop in the distance—a place where the forest seemed to end abruptly, like the world itself had been sliced away. I avoided the spot immediately, fearing that i might find myself at the bottom of this large cliff.
I moved carefully through the forest, my senses tingling with the constant awareness of danger. The night was thick around me, the shadows shifting with every gust of wind. The trees seemed to whisper threats, the dense canopy above casting deep shadows that felt alive. My heart pounded in my chest, but I kept my steps quiet, my eyes focused on the faint glow of the ring. Something about this place felt sentient, as if it wasn't just the animals lurking in the underbrush. I took slow steps as I took deep breaths, re gaining my strength.
The forest groaned as if adjusting its position, branches creaking above me. Shadows seemed to dance in the periphery of my vision, forming shapes I couldn't quite make out before vanishing. My pulse quickened, and the overwhelming feeling of being watched pressed down on me, making it feel as if the forest itself was alive and anticipating my next move.
I pressed forward, keeping my movements deliberate and as silent as possible. The ring's soft glow offered me some comfort, but the knot of fear in my stomach was impossible to ignore. Despite the overwhelming sense of danger, I managed to push through the thick forest without encountering anything directly. Still, I could feel eyes on me—just out of sight, hidden in the darkness of the night.
After what felt like an eternity, the trees finally began to thin. The moonlight barely pierced through the clouds, casting eerie glows on the ground as I reached the edge of the forest. There, ahead, was something that didn't belong in the middle of the wilderness: a small settlement, each footfall sinking into the thick carpet of moss that muffled my steps. Around me, remnants of treehouses clung to large old trees, beaten and weathered. Their wooden beams dangling, half-rotted and overtaken by vines that crept up like ghostly fingers.
Mist swirled through the branches, filtering beams of light that revealed splinters of broken planks, green moss clinging to walls that seemed on the verge of collapse.
But as I moved deeper, keeping to th edges of the settlement when something caught my eye—a colossal tree at the center of the clearing, rising above the others. Its base had been carved out, forming the entrance to what looked like a bar, and unlike the rest of the village, the wood here had held up, darkened but preserved, as if time itself had been kinder to this sacred space.
It felt alive, as though the tree itself had allowed this transformation with a quiet dignity. The base of the tree was dug out and, high up in the branches, a single structure still stood. It looked untouched, with solid walls and a roof that hadn't caved to decay. Everything else around it had given way to the relentless grip of nature, but this one place seemed to defy it, as though holding onto something forgotten and vital.
Blue flames danced on torche and the air smelled of wet earth and something metallic. Monsters gathered about, creatures of all shapes and sizes. Some were massive, covered in fur or scales, while others were humanoid, but with beast-like features. They seemed to cohabit, but the tension was palpable, like the air was charged with unease.
I crouched behind a boulder, observing from a distance. The village felt like a powder keg ready to explode, and I knew I had to be careful. That's when I noticed the commotion near the edge of the village. A humanoid creature, its skin slick and black like a reptile, was struggling to break free from the grasp of two much larger beasts. The reptile-man's eyes were wide with fear, glowing yellow in the dim moonlight.
He was trying to escape.
"No! Please, let me go! I can't stay here!" the reptile-man begged, his voice a mixture of desperation and panic. "There's something in the forest, something terrible. It's tearing everything apart. Please, let me leave!"
The two beasts holding him were massive. One had the face of a lion, his golden mane wild and thick, his eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. The other had the face of a bear, his fur coarse and dark, his massive arms bulging with muscle.
"You know the rules," the lion-faced man growled, his voice deep and rumbling. "No one leaves without the boss' say."
I watched closely, staying as still as I could. The reptile-man looked like he was ready to collapse from fear, but something else in the air changed. The lion-faced man suddenly stopped talking, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air. His eyes narrowed, and he turned his head slightly, as if he were picking up on something.
"I smell a human," the lion said, his lips curling into a snarl.
The bear-faced man sniffed the air and nodded. "Yeah, I smell it too."
My body tensed, and every muscle screamed at me to run. I clenched my fists, fighting the instinct to bolt, knowing it was useless. For a fleeting second, I considered climbing a nearby tree, but the thought vanished as quickly as it came—these beasts would rip me down before I even got halfway up.
Panic surged through me. I knew they were talking about me. I had no idea how they picked up my scent so quickly, but it didn't matter now. I had to move. I turned, trying to slip away quietly, but before I could take more than a few steps, the lion-faced man let the reptile-man go and started sniffing me out.
"Grizz, fetch the lizard," Lenny growled. "I'll deal with the human." "Lenny, Remember the Rulez" Grizz said before running off.
Grizz grunted in acknowledgment and lumbered after the reptile-man, who had taken the opportunity to bolt toward the forest. But Lenny was now focused on me. He moved with the precision of a predator, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. I tried to back away slowly, hoping to slip away unnoticed, but it was no use.
In an instant, Lenny was on me. His clawed hand gripped my shoulder tightly, spinning me around to face him. His sharp teeth glistened in the blue light as he grinned.
"Going somewhere, human?" Lenny growled.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep calm, though my heart was pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. "I don't want any trouble," I said, my voice barely steady.
Lenny's grin widened, and he leaned in closer, his hot breath brushing against my face. "You didn't do a good job of not finding it."
His grip tightened painfully, and I winced as his claws dug into my skin. My mind raced, trying to think of a way out, but nothing came. Instinctively, I pulled back, yanking myself free from his grasp. I stumbled a few steps backward and dropped into a defensive stance, though I had no idea what I was doing.
Lenny laughed, a low, rumbling sound that sent chills down my spine. "Oh, this is rich," he said, circling me slowly. "You really think you can stand against me? A human, trying to fight a beast?"
I knew I couldn't win, but I wasn't ready to give up just yet. Without thinking, I turned and ran, bolting for the forest. But I didn't make it far. Lenny moved like a blur, tackling me to the ground in an instant. I hit the dirt hard, the wind knocked out of me as his weight pinned me down.
"You should've known better," Lenny said with a mocking grin as he hauled me to my feet effortlessly. "Now, let's take you to the boss. Maybe he'll decide to have some fun with you."
Before I could respond, Grizz returned, dragging the reptile-man by his arm. The poor creature looked terrified, his eyes wide and pleading.
"Got him," Grizz said gruffly.
Lenny nodded, looking at me with that same predatory grin. "Good. Let's take them both to the boss."
They dragged us through the settlement, the eyes of the other Beast people following us as we passed. We were taken to the heart of the village, where a massive tree loomed above us, its gnarled roots twisted and interwoven to form the walls of a bar. Lanterns flickered around the base, casting long, eerie shadows across the clearing.
Inside the bar stood a figure I hadn't seen before. He was wiping down wooden cups behind the counter, his movements slow and methodical. He had the face of a dragon, his scales bright red, with a yellow streak running down the center of his head. He didn't look up as we entered, his focus entirely on his task.
"Boss," the reptile-man whimpered, his voice trembling. "Please, you have to let me go! There's something in the forest, something terrible. It's killing everything in its path, ripping through anyone who dares wander too close. I can't stay here. Please, let me leave!". Even the beast native to the forest are scared of it. They run keeping to the shadows, afraid to come out into the open.
The dragon-faced man—"boss," as the reptile-man had called him—placed the cup he was wiping down on the counter and finally turned to face us. His golden eyes glinted with a mixture of boredom and disdain as he looked down at the cowering reptile-man.
Without a word, the dragon-man swung his body over the counter with graceful ease, landing silently in front of us. The reptile-man looked up at him, his yellow eyes filled with desperate hope.
For a brief moment, I thought maybe the boss would show mercy. But that hope vanished as quickly as it had come. The dragon-man delivered a swift, brutal kick to the reptile-man's chest, sending him sprawling across the floor with a gasp of pain.
"You are pathetic," the dragon-man said, his voice smooth and polite, yet dripping with disdain. "We are both reptiles, yet you are nothing more than a coward. Weak. Inferior. A waste of potential."
The reptile-man whimpered, clutching his chest as he lay on the ground, unable to speak.
The boss sneered down at him, then glanced at Lenny. "Dispose of him," he said, his tone as casual as if he were ordering a drink.
Lenny nodded, his grin widening. "With pleasure, boss."
Lenny began to move toward the reptile-man, but before I could stop myself, the words tumbled out of my mouth.
"Wait!" I shouted.
The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to me. The boss's golden eyes narrowed as he slowly turned his head toward me, a look of mild curiosity crossing his face.
"What did you say, human?" he asked, his voice polite but sharp, like the edge of a blade.
My hands were shaking, my mouth dry with fear. Memories of not standing up to Kofi flashed through my mind—times when I'd felt just as helpless, when I hadn't forced myself to act. I clenched my jaw, swallowing down the terror, and took a deep breath. I remembered what i experienced in the caves and how even though the encounter with Kofi didn't go the way I wanted. I needed to change to change. "I'll get rid of the monster," I said, my voice betraying only a hint of the panic that threatened to overwhelm me.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "I'll get rid of the monster," I blurted out. "If I do that, there's no need to kill him, right?".
The boss's eyes flickered with amusement, and he let out a low chuckle. "You?" he asked, his voice filled with skepticism. "You think you can complete this task. I was considering sending Lenny or Grizz but why waste the man power, when I got a strong human to do the job for me?" the words floated from his mouth like a song filled with sarcasm.
I nodded, though my heart was racing. "Yes. I'll do it."
The dragon-man stared at me for a long moment, as if he were deciding whether I was worth his time. His golden eyes narrowed, studying me like I was some curious insect he wasn't sure whether to squash or observe. Finally, he smiled—a cold, calculating smile.
"Very well," he said slowly, his voice smooth yet dripping with condescension. "You have until morning to rid my forest of this so-called monster. If you succeed, the lizard may live. But if you fail…" He paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle in. "I will have both your heads."
I swallowed hard, my mouth dry. The reality of what I had just promised began to sink in. What was I doing? This wasn't some simple errand. I didn't know how to kill monsters, let alone one that had been terrorizing this place for who knows how long. But I couldn't take the words back now.
The dragon-man turned away from me, flicking his hand dismissively. "Lenny, Grizz, get these two out of my sight. I have no more time for their pathetic pleas."
Lenny sneered, his sharp teeth gleaming as he grabbed my arm with one hand and the lizard-man with the other. "Looks like you've got yourself a death sentence, human," he whispered, his voice filled with mockery. "Better start running now if you want even a chance."
Grizz followed silently behind us as we were dragged out of the bar and back into the open. The other creatures of the settlement watched us pass, their eyes filled with curiosity, and some even with pity. They knew the odds of me succeeding were slim to none.
Once we were far enough from the bar, Lenny tossed me to the ground, his grin never fading. "You've got guts, I'll give you that," he said, laughing. "But you're as good as dead. Ive not seen this so called monster yet and I already know you're dinner."
I sat up slowly, rubbing my sore shoulder where he had gripped me. My mind raced, trying to figure out what to do next. The lizard-man, still trembling from the encounter, managed to sit up beside me.
"Why did you do that?" the lizard-man rasped, his voice barely above a whisper. His yellow eyes were wide with disbelief. "You don't even know me."
The reptile-man's black, slick skin was marred with scratches and patches of dull, peeling scales. His limbs trembled, not just from fear but from exhaustion, as though he'd tried to escape many times before and failed. His yellow eyes were wide, desperate, and rimmed with fatigue.
I glanced at him, then back at Lenny and Grizz, who were watching us like wolves eyeing their prey.
"I don't know," I muttered, shaking my head.
"There I go again… doing unnecessary things," I muttered, but this time I clenched my fists, my knuckles white with resolve.