Kaine held back, breathing steady controlled breaths, he carefully kept his distance from the fight as the pack of bird-like creatures surrounded them.

Treanix [Level 7]

Their bodies were made of seemingly nothing else but vines, leaves and other plant life, moving unnaturally as a singular being. The size of a common hound, yet the wingspan of an eagle of equal size.

Each Treanix snarled ferociously as they formed a circle around them, wings of leaves held wide open, they bared their mouths hungrily. Beaks of bark and fangs of thorns even.

The very grass seemed to shift with them as they moved.

Their eyes, crimson roses with long trembling petals. Not actual eyes, yet they needed none, clearly able to sense the prey before them.

As said prey fended them off, Lara’s bursts of flame keeping them at bay as the rest tried to break out of the encircling. Farvo, Roy and Rey holding their fire, waiting for the opportune moment to attack, whilst Dark, Sin and Jedd waved their weapons aggressively.

Sin’s long range keeping two of the beasts from pouncing while Dark and Jedd held one each. And as eight of the creatures surrounded them in total, Lara’s flames held three more, but Kaine faced the last.

And unfortunately for him, it was the largest of the pack.

Alpha Treanix [Level 8]

And as the vines upon its back swiped at him, so did its massive beak, poking and prodding.

Searching for an opening, as Kaine used both his weapons to fend it off.

“Having some trouble there, newbies?” Clayton mused from afar, as the Covenant simply watched.

“Oh we’re just bloody fine!” Dark exclaimed, slashing his katana to the right and catching the creature’s beak from lunging at him, forcing it back once more.

“We need to break out of this.” Roy said, “Plans anybody?”

“Yeah, on my mark.” Kaine then said, as he noticed the beasts growing more and more agitated with each passing moment. “Half-Beasts charge the left in your beast forms, Roy will watch your backs.” He did see a weakness in their tactic though. “Farvo and Lara switch to the right and focus those four down, Rey watch their backs.”

“And the big fucker over there? I suppose you’re taking him on?” Farvo asked with a maniacal chuckle as he glanced at the alpha.

Kaine grimaced, “I’ll keep this one at bay, buy you some time. Ready? Go!” He then exclaimed, and each melee fighter but him turned to his left.

Jedd, Dark and Sin’s forms grew suddenly, a mixture of humanoid and the beasts they represented.

Dark pounced through first, soaring over and out of the encircling, he quickly turned and began his attack. Sending forth a rapid succession of slashes as he moved from left to right, he forced the two Treanix he was attacking to retreat away from him as they suffered severe damage to one of their wings.

Grouping the both of them closer to another.

Jedd and Sin charged right then, Jedd’s hulking bear-like form barreling through two of the birds, throwing them off-balance before her great hammer bashed into one’s body and sent it crashing into the other.

Sin lunged forward, her naginata piercing into the injured and distracted Treanix’s chest, ripping it wide open and revealing a bright greenish core within. But not for long, as the vines quickly closed up the hole, yet she had seen all she needed to see.

Stepping forth, Sin’s pole-arm dug into the Treanix’s chest once more, yet deeper than before.

The sound of cracking glass resounding through their surroundings, Sin turned her weapon as it lay embedded into the beast’s chest, causing a second crack.

Her target fell completely still then, each plant which made up its body going completely inanimate, even as she pulled out her weapon to fend off the second Treanix. “This one stopped moving!” Sin exclaimed, “They’ve got a core in their chests! Focus that!”

“Don’t gotta tell me twice!” Farvo mused, taking aim upon one of the Treanix on the other side, he released his weapon and both his arms pulsed back from the explosion. His barrel smoking as a projectile fired out, the stone shone like a molten ember as it soared, then pierced into the creature’s chest.

Sending it stumbling back, then freezing in place.

“Boom, bullseye!” Farvo exclaimed, his grin disappearing as quickly as it appeared when the other two Treanix pounced onto him. Farvo taking several steps back as they soared up, wings wide and talons prepared, they descended upon him.

“Watch out!” Lara shouted as six bouts of flame exploded into the two creatures, sending them crashing back down into the grass, several leaves and vines upon their bodies now charred or still burning. “I’ll keep them at bay! You get the kill shot!”

“Aye aye, let me reload!” Farvo added as he began refilling his weapon with powder, feeling relieved.

When a bellowing cry exited the alpha, as it too pounced.

Wings wide open, it blacked out the light as it soared over them.

Massive thorns forming each of its two sets of talons, it glided directly towards the twins.

“S-Shit!” Jedd swore as each saw the attack in progress, none able to block it, not even Lara as she kept her two at bay.

“No you don’t!” Kaine exclaimed, as a vine bound copper blade embedded itself into the beast’s left wing, Kaine soon following as he leapt up, aided by the vine’s rubberband-like properties. He flew after the creature, faster than it even, as the alpha spun mid-air to react to his attack.

Turning, its beak wide, it tried to bite at him as he soared past it. Slashing his weapon widely, Kaine grinned as his sabre stabbed into the beast’s right rosy eye. Pulling himself up as it fell, Kaine left his sabre inside the Treanix’s head.

And as it tumbled down to the ground, just barely missing from squashing the twins, Kaine saddled onto the back of its neck.

Holding on tightly, he gripped the branches which made up its body, as a hissing sound left the creature now beneath him…

As it slowly rose back up to its feet, Kaine swore it took a moment to glance back at him, as the right eye’s petals completely pointed towards him. “Uhh…” Suddenly the vines upon its back wrapped around him, the creature was trying to pull him off its back but he continued to hold on tightly.

Enraging it further.

“This was not a good idea, master.” Nova mused from his waist, as the Alpha Treanix then stomped down its right talon and bellowed out a screeching menace of a sound.

“Oh shi-” Kaine managed as he realized what he had gotten himself into…

As the Alpha then leapt, taking him with.

Then again…and again…

Trashing and soaring left and right, Kaine was taken on a ride as the Alpha entered a fit of rage. Trying to buckle him off, Kaine held on for dear life, tears dripping out of his eyes as the air was turned to wind by the speed he himself was moving at.

Health Risk Warning; [Nausea] in effect.

“Oh look at that!” Clayton exclaimed, “He’s bloody riding it!” Laughing alongside Kla’ris and Velnor, all but Tuck who simply shook his head.

“Our heroes…” Tuck mused in a whisper.

This…

But Kaine wasn’t laughing, not as he held onto the death-trap of a ride he got himself into.

Isn’t…

As once more his eyes flared green, and a dark shadow pulsed out of his palms, briefly forming at the Alpha Treanix’s surface before dissipating into it.

Funny!

Kaine thought in annoyance, as suddenly the vines holding him fell loose, and the beast he rode stopped frozen in its tracks.

“What?” Velnor thought out loud as they watched the beast pause.

Seemingly trembling for several moments as it lay unmoving.

Kaine took his chance, reaching out and retrieving his sabre from the creature’s eye which strangely did not regenerate, he then held it high with both hands.

“I’ll show you a ride!” Kaine exclaimed, stabbing down his weapon into the back of the creature’s head, he pierced through the creature’s thick branches and vines.

Feeling his weapon break into something even harder, he then held it there, as a jolt of shuddering then ran through the creature.

Recuperating from its momentary paralysis, another long pause followed, as the alpha hissed.

Before suddenly screeching out in further anger, as it stepped forth to continue its rampage.

Kaine chanted then, “The sound of me, chills you to the bone.” altering his chant, and as he did his very voice came out differently.

Having spoken in a low tone, only the beast heard the chilly whisper of death he produced.

Forcing it to pause in its steps once again, although now it struggled, pushing itself to snap out of the magically induced daze.

“The sound of my voice, sends chills through your body, mind and soul.” Kaine chanted once more, again altering his words, and again the Alpha faltered.

Kaine felt it, he felt the creature tremble beneath him.

He also sensed it, a feeling like no other, he sensed the fear fill it.

As a rush pulsated through him then, an electrifying sense of energy he hated, yet also oh so adored.

The challenge was before him, a power struggle between him and this monster, it excited Kaine.

Yet, this time around, he caught himself.

No…No calm down.

He told himself, restraining his mind from the thought.

To the rest, Kaine had frozen, just as he seemingly had several times before.

But within his mind, a battle was occurring.

A conflict between Kaine’s instincts, urging him on to dive into the rush.

Against his own conscious mind, as he pushed the feeling deep down, drowning the sensation of euphoria within.

Not again…Not again!

Kaine tried to calm himself.

As all the while, the beast beneath him snapped out of its own daze.

Screeching out loudly, the vines rose to entangle around Kaine’s body once again, yet this time Kaine was distracted with himself.

Caught off-guard, Kaine was pulled off the Alpha’s back and thrown aside, tumbling into the tall grass with a loud cracking sound.

Agony filled Kaine’s left arm as he rolled over, grimacing in pain, he was very sure it had at least been dislocated…at worst broken.

As he stumbled to his feet, stepping away from the creature as it opened its wings menacingly wide, then snarling ferociously before suddenly rushing at him.

Kaine tried to roll out of the way, but as a jolt of pain then surged from his arm and into his shoulder, he briefly lost control of his movements. Tripping over the grass which surrounded him, Kaine felt as if the world had slowed down, as he fell.

As he watched the Alpha Treanix rush at him, hungry and dead set on finishing him off.

In that moment Kaine knew there was nothing more he could do, not as he fell, not as his left arm lay useless whilst he fell onto it.

A single thought went through his mind then.

No way…is this going to be it?...This?

This one thought filled Kaine with both regret and anger.

Hah…Screw you-

He thought, meeting the beast’s waving maw with wide eyes.

Then noticing, the several notifications which had been awaiting his sighting at the corner of his screen, as if the game wanted nothing more than annoy him.

But as he read the first part of the first one…

Your party has killed {Treanix [Level 7]} Martial Experience gained 495/500 Your party has killed {Treanix [Level 7]} Martial Experience gained 500/500 Level up!

Martial Level 6 reached!

+1 to all Martial stats.

3 Neutral Martial Points available for distribution!

Your party has killed {Treanix [Level 7]} Martial Experience gained 5/600 Your party has killed {Treanix [Level 7]} Martial Experience gained 15/600

Then the rest as he hit the ground, he felt it shake and tremble beneath him.

As a boot appeared before him, stomping down into the grass ahead, Kaine glanced up as the figure then was pushed a few centimetres back.

Looming over him was Jedd’s beasted-out back, as she held the Alpha Treanix’s beak at bay with the staff of her hammer stuffed into its maw. Jedd grimaced as she pushed her body to its limits, eyes wide and teeth grinding, she felt the soft earth beneath her moving back as she was being pushed away.

“Get up! You moron!” Jedd exclaimed through the struggling, as she suddenly stopped forwards, pushing the Alpha back instead. “Get the fuck up!” She repeated, feeling as if her muscles were at the brink of tearing, still she held the beast at bay.

As a window then appeared before her.

Bravery is not fearlessness.

A strange feeling filled her chest, all the while another window appeared.

Bravery is facing everything in spite of petrifying fear.

Not understanding what these words were, she only understood what they meant.

Yet, they also distracted her, and the Alpha took this opportunity.

Bringing forth the entirety of its physical strength in one singular push, Jedd was thrown stumbling back, tripping over the fallen Kaine she too crashed into the grass.

The Alpha then loomed over them both.

“Oi ye ugly ass weed!” Farvo exclaimed, “Have a load of me mate!”, then the resonating sound of his cannon filled their surroundings as he fired.

Blasting a part of the Alpha’s lower beak off, it whined, then hissed angrily as it turned its attention to the rest. Its beak slowly regenerating back.

And in spite of petrifying fear, stand at your strongest, stand stronger even. Become strength.

“What the hell? This shit is getting in the way!” Jedd exclaimed as she and Kaine rose up.

“What? What is?” Kaine asked back, trying to move his injured arm then, the pain which followed told him it was no use.

“Words keep appearing on my UI!” Jedd whispered out in annoyance.

His eyes widening at her words, “It’s a chant, Jedd that’s either a magic spell or a physical skill! Speak the words how you want and cast it!” Kaine told her, as a barrage of bolts, flames and arrows assaulted the Alpha before them.

“Oh, right, I forgot.” Jedd mused, immediately calming down as she remembered the tutorial. Gripping her weapon with one hand, as her beast form faded away, having run out of time for it. She faced the Alpha as the rest kept its attention. “Let’s see then.”

“Bravery…is not fearlessness…” Jedd began to chant, energy seeming to fill her voice, as it suddenly rushed through her body.

“Bravery is facing everything in spite of petrifying fear.” She spoke each word as she remembered it.

“Put some energy into it!” Kaine then said, “It’s more than just saying the words.”

Nodding, Jedd continued, “And in spite of petrifying fear, stand at your strongest, stand stronger even! Become! Strength!”

Martial Skills Unlocked! [Martial Arts Scroll] window unlocked! Martial Art {Infuse Will}

Seeing the notifications barrage her UI then, Jedd also felt the energy which filled her suddenly surge into her arms, hands, then weapon.

Pulsing through and engulfing her hammer, the energy took the form of an erratic red aura.

Feeling the energy.

Feeling the power.

Feeling the strength now lying within her very hands, Jedd grinned widely, as seemingly the Alpha sensed that too.

As it turned to face her, “Here I come.” She said, as faster than before Jedd rushed forth.

The red aura engulfed her body too then.

As she stopped before the rising beast, stomping her right foot down and quaking the ground, Jedd clenched her hands around the hammer’s staff.

Leaping Strike

Her UI read as, and she repeated the words, as the motions appeared within her mind.

“Leaping Strike!” She exclaimed, swiping her weapon lower before moving up, continuing the attack into a rising smash.

Her hammer’s head colliding into the beast’s, sending the Alpha jumping back a few feet before stumbling to a stunned stop.

“Oh, Oh I like this!” Jedd mused, smiling wickedly, she continued her assault.

Earthquake

Stepping to the paralyzed beast, she bashed her hammer into its side, toppling it over. Jedd continued her motion even as it fell, spinning in place and bringing her weapon around, “Earthquake!” then down.

The Alpha screeched in agony as part of its body was smashed open, destroying its left wing entirely, and revealing its insides.

Revealing the brightly shining crystal core of green within.

Yet, snapping the monster out of its stunned daze, as it then retaliated.

Kicking its feet wildly, the Alpha caught Jedd off-guard, throwing her off from looming over it, she tumbled back.

Coming to a stop, her hammer was left behind mid-way through the fall, now lying in between herself and the rising monstrosity of regenerating plant-life. Jedd narrowed her eyes as it turned to her.

“Let’s quicken the pace a bit.” She mused, “Hit it!” She exclaimed, and the Alpha’s left eye exploded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PboczstRVXk

“Let’s show these show-offs what teamwork is like!” Jedd announced, Farvo now reloading once more, Rey and Roy barraged the creature’s legs, bringing it down to its knees as vines grew from its lower body to hold itself up.

More vines grew out of its side then, followed by branches and leaves, it regrew its wing fully. Snarling, it burst its wings wide open, deflecting off the twin’s assault of projectiles, it fully focused on Jedd before itself.

Screeching maddingly, it pulled itself back up.

“Coil and wrap, movement become alike the forest!” Lara then chanted, as greenish energy flowed out of her grimoire, diving down into the ground before her. “Grab thy enemy, and drown their sound below our mother the earth, entangle!”

As from the ground about the Alpha then rose different vines, thorn-ridden and a dark green compared to its own bright greenish-yellow, these were also far thicker as they entangled themselves around its right leg and wing.

Holding it in place as the twins continued their rain of projectiles, now aiming for the head, as another of Farvo’s high-speed stones blasted into the beast’s neck.

Breaking off a big chunk of it.

The Alpha tried to struggle out of the vines which held it, but it was all for nought, as its leg moved not an inch from where it lay.

“Let’s finish this,” Jedd then said, clenching her weapon she charged the preoccupied monster, “Leaping Strike!” Once more, holding her weapon behind her as she advanced.

“Holy flames, burn my enemies!” Lara then chanted once again from her new position, firing off a barrage of fire-balls into the beast’s wide-open chest, the creature burned in agony as each branch, leaf and vine which hid the core from its front now lay burnt away into ash.

Fully revealing it to Jedd once again as she continued her charge, her hammer now rising up into her target.

When suddenly a loud crack resonated out, as the Alpha moved down on Jedd when it shouldn’t have. Having thrown aside its own limbs, both the entangled leg and wing, its wide-open beak now befell onto Jedd, as her eyes widened with panic at the sight.

Continuing her attack, she met the beast’s maw with her hammer, crashing it through the monster’s lower beak and shattering it to pieces…

The Alpha though also continued on, catching Jedd over the shoulder with its fanged upper beak and tearing off enough flesh to make Jedd scream with agony. The very same attack also throwing her back, Jedd was sent tumbling out into the grass, coming to a bloody stop, she lay rolling on her side with pain.

As the Alpha now stood over her, regrowing both its leg, wing, beak and chest. It snarled, before freezing up where it stood.

“There’s a difference between being show-offs,” Dark mused as he stood in between the fallen Jedd and the now inanimate plant. “And knowing what we’re doing to a point beyond your own capability.” He seemingly mocked, yet as he glared down at Jedd, she only saw annoyance in his eyes. “Maybe next time, you’ll leave the strong monsters, to the strong.” Dark said as he turned away, pulling his blade out of the creature’s now cracked core, he walked away from her.

As the rest of her clan gathered around her, Lara rushing to heal her severe injury, Dark walked by Kaine as he stood to the side, watching the entire thing.

Unarmed, and still shaking, Kaine’s narrow-eyed glare met Dark’s as he briefly paused beside him.

“That was…” Dark mused with a wide smirk, only gone noticed by Sin nearby and Kaine himself, “Fucking pitiful.”