Anita had never seen anything like it before—the towering frozen beast loomed ahead of them, its icy blue spikes gleaming ominously under the faint light of the purple fire they had set earlier. Each breath the creature exhaled sent a shivering wave of cold into the air, and every movement it made caused sharp, frozen spikes to grow and bristle along its spine and mouth. It was massive, far larger than any creature she'd ever encountered. She clutched her sword tightly, feeling the sweat on her palms despite the freezing air around her.
"Stay focused, everyone," Mumu whispered, signaling with his hand for the group to spread out. "This isn't like the other beasts. This one is dangerous. Its ice spikes will freeze us solid if we're not careful."
Anita nodded, her heart racing. She was new to this—new to fighting creatures, new to surviving in this beast world—but with her new team beside her, she felt a strange sense of courage building up.
As they moved closer, Barry crouched low beside her. "We need to get rid of those spikes somehow. The fire we've set isn't strong enough to melt through the ice. If that thing charges at us, we won't have time to react."
Anita's mind raced. The spikes, the cold, the danger—it was all overwhelming. Then, she glanced at the small bag she carried on her side. The tree bark Barry had collected for her! She remembered it was from the living tree—highly flammable, but potentially dangerous if mishandled. Maybe it could burn hotter than their current fire.
"Wait!" Anita called softly, pulling out a piece of the tree bark. "I have an idea. What if we burn this?"
Barry's eyes widened in alarm. "No, Anita! That bark—if it burns in the wrong way, it turns into poison! It'll release toxins that could kill us all."
Anita hesitated, looking at the others. Camila, Tough-Breaker, and Mumu were watching her, waiting for her decision. They trusted her, but she couldn't risk poisoning them. Still, the beast was inching closer, its spikes growing longer, the temperature dropping even further.
"Cover your mouths! Quickly!" Anita shouted, tearing off a strip of cloth from her sleeve and wrapping it around her face. She handed more strips to the others. "I know it's dangerous, but we don't have a choice. This might be the only way to melt those spikes!"
Mumu glanced at Barry, then nodded. "We'll have to trust her. Do it."
Anita knelt down and tossed the tree bark into the fire. Instantly, the flames turned a sickly greenish-purple, crackling with intensity. A thick, pungent smoke began to rise, and Barry immediately covered his nose, his eyes watering.
"Told you it'd be bad," Barry muttered through his cloth mask, but he didn't argue further.
The smoke billowed out, slowly drifting toward the frozen beast. As soon as the smoke made contact with its icy spikes, a sizzling sound filled the air. The spikes began to melt, dripping water that evaporated almost as quickly as it hit the ground. The beast let out a roar, the cold breath freezing in clouds before its face as it staggered back, confused.
"It's working!" Camila shouted, her voice echoing with excitement. "The spikes are melting!"
Anita watched in awe as the smoke continued to eat away at the beast's armor-like ice spikes. But the creature wasn't done yet. It roared again, this time spewing frozen spikes from its mouth directly toward them.
"Tough-Breaker! Watch out!" Anita called, but Tough-Breaker was ready. With his massive frame, he blocked the spikes with a large boulder, shattering them before they could hit anyone.
"Keep going! We almost have it!" Mumu urged, charging toward the beast with his spear. He struck at its now-exposed, softer skin, piercing through the icy layer with precision.
Anita followed his lead, her sword gleaming in the eerie light of the fire. She slashed at the beast's legs, careful to avoid the spikes still forming. The creature shrieked, its body thrashing in pain as more of its icy armor melted away.
The battle seemed to last forever, with Anita and her team dodging the beast's icy attacks while the smoke from the tree bark did its work. But finally, with one last powerful strike from Mumu, the frozen beast collapsed to the ground with a deafening crash. Its icy spikes melted completely, leaving only a hulking, defeated form.
"We did it," Mumu breathed, lowering his weapon, his muscles aching from the effort.
Tough-Breaker walked over to the beast's body and knelt down, brushing away the remaining ice. "Look here," he said, motioning the others over. Embedded deep in the beast's chest was a glowing, crystalline object—an ice gem, shimmering in the dim light.
"That's worth a fortune," Barry said, his eyes gleaming. "Ice gems are rare. This could set us up for months."
Mumu nodded, carefully extracting the gem from the beast's chest. "Good work, everyone. This wasn't easy, but we handled it."
Anita wiped the sweat from her brow, feeling a mixture of relief and pride. This was her first real beast hunt, and she had survived. Not only that, but she had contributed to the victory.
"Thanks for trusting me," she said, looking at Barry. "I know it was risky."
Barry shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. "You were right. It worked. Just…let's not make a habit of burning poisonous tree bark, okay?"
Anita laughed, shaking her head. "Deal."
As they gathered their gear and prepared to head back, Anita took one last look at the fallen beast. She had never imagined herself in a world like this, fighting creatures from nightmares. But now, she was part of a team—her team—and together, they were stronger than anything the beast world could throw at them.
And as they set off, the precious ice gem in their possession, Anita couldn't help but feel a new sense of confidence growing inside her. She was no longer just a human lost in a strange land. She was a fighter, a survivor, and she was ready for whatever came next.
The sun hung low in the sky as Anita, Camila, Mumu, Tough-Breaker, and Barry made their way down the mountain, the ice gem securely stashed in a pouch slung over Camila's shoulder. The city ahead gleamed like a mirage, its towering stone walls casting shadows across the valley. The group walked in silence for a while, the thrill of the hunt now giving way to exhaustion and the gnawing realization that they were broke, hungry, and without a place to stay.
"We'll sell the gem, get enough to eat and sleep in a real bed tonight," Camila said, trying to sound upbeat as she held the pouch tightly. "The collector should give us a good price for this. It's not every day you come across an ice gem."
Tough-Breaker grunted, his stomach growling audibly. "Let's hope so. I can't even remember the last time I ate something other than a handful of dirt."
Barry shot him a look. "You know you're exaggerating."
"Am I?" Tough-Breaker's face was serious, though his eyes sparkled with humor. "Cause I feel like I could eat an entire cow right now, horns and all."
Anita chuckled, but the sound was hollow. Her own stomach had been growling for hours, and she knew that they didn't even have a single bronze coin between them to buy a scrap of food. Her eyes flicked to the small pack at her side. There were still a few pieces of tree bark left—the ones Barry had found for her. She knew it was better than nothing, at least for her.
"Well, I've got this," Anita said, pulling out a piece of bark. "It's not exactly a feast, but it's better than starving."
Camila wrinkled her nose at the sight of it. "You know we can't eat that stuff, right? Our digestive systems are different. You might be fine with chewing on a tree, but for us, it would be... well, a slow and painful way to die."
Anita blinked in surprise. "Seriously? You can't eat any of it?"
Mumu shook his head, grinning. "Nope. Might as well be poison for us. I'd rather take my chances with a wild beast than nibble on that bark."
Anita sighed, biting off a small piece and chewing thoughtfully. It wasn't the most appetizing meal, but it was better than nothing. She swallowed, feeling a pang of guilt as the others watched her, clearly starving but unwilling to eat what could kill them.
"I wish there was something else we could do," she said softly.
Camila patted her shoulder. "It's fine, Anita. Once we sell the gem, we'll feast like royalty."
They reached the gates of the city just as dusk was falling. The streets were busy, with merchants packing up their stalls and travelers hurrying to find shelter before night fell. The air was thick with the smell of roasted meats and freshly baked bread, making everyone's stomachs growl even louder.
"I'll take the gem to the collector," Camila said, pulling her hood up to hide her distinct tails. "He's just around the corner from here. You guys find somewhere to sit and wait. I'll be back with money soon."
"Don't take too long," Mumu muttered, rubbing his stomach. "I might start gnawing on Tough-Breaker's arm if you're gone too long."
Tough-Breaker shot him a mock glare. "Touch me and I'll throw you over the wall."
Camila smirked. "Be right back." She disappeared into the crowd, moving with a grace that made her almost invisible despite her unusual features.
Anita, Barry, Mumu, and Tough-Breaker found a spot near the city square, where a large fountain gurgled, its cool water reflecting the flickering lanterns overhead. They sat down on the edge of the fountain, the sound of water doing little to ease the rumbling in their stomachs.
Barry leaned back, his small frame almost disappearing behind Tough-Breaker's massive bulk. "You know, once we sell that gem, we should think about buying supplies. Food, potions, and maybe even better gear for the next hunt."
Mumu nodded. "Yeah, and maybe a real place to stay for once. I'm tired of sleeping on the ground."
Anita stared into the water, her mind wandering. It had been a whirlwind of events ever since she'd ended up in this strange world, meeting these even stranger companions. Despite the discomfort and hunger, she felt a strange sense of belonging with them. They had become her team, and for better or worse, they were in this together.
"How long do you think Camila will take?" Anita asked, her voice betraying her nerves. She wasn't used to dealing with collectors or selling rare treasures like this. What if the gem wasn't worth as much as they thought? What if the collector tried to cheat them?
Tough-Breaker shrugged. "As long as it takes to get a good deal. Don't worry, Camila knows what she's doing. That gem will set us up for a while."
But the minutes dragged on, and still, there was no sign of Camila. The streets began to empty as night fell, the once bustling market now eerily quiet. Lanterns flickered in the breeze, casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets.
Finally, just as Anita was about to voice her concern, Camila appeared, her hood still pulled low over her face. But she didn't look happy.
"Well?" Mumu asked, standing up. "Did you sell it?"
Camila let out a frustrated breath, shaking her head. "Not yet. The collector said he needs to appraise it overnight. Apparently, gems like this are rare, and he wants to make sure it's authentic."
Tough-Breaker groaned. "So, no money tonight?"
Camila nodded. "No money tonight."
Barry's shoulders slumped. "Great. We're still broke."
Anita bit her lip, glancing around. "What are we going to do now? We can't even book a room."
Camila sighed, sitting down beside them. "We'll have to sleep outside again. At least until we have the money."
Anita's stomach twisted at the thought of another night in the cold with no food. She looked at the others, all of them just as weary and hungry as she was.
"I'm sorry," Camila said, her voice soft. "I thought we'd have enough by now."
Mumu forced a smile. "It's not your fault. We'll make it through. We've dealt with worse."
Tough-Breaker crossed his arms, his stomach growling again. "Yeah, but I'd kill for a steak right now."
Anita chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, at least I still have some tree bark if anyone changes their mind."
They all laughed, despite the hunger gnawing at their insides. It wasn't much, but for now, they had each other. And as long as they stuck together, they could handle anything—even another night of empty stomachs and cold streets.