Lex swung his axe in a downward arc, landing in the spot I had just fallen to. I scrambled away on all fours before picking myself off the ground and looking over at Nev. Clea pressed her dagger firmly to their face as the two watched this one-sided fight.

"We're gonna kill him first and let you watch. Then it's your turn." Clea stated in a way that was trying to get my attention.

"What the hell Nev!?" I screamed out. "I thought you killed them!"

"No," Nev replied, looking as though she regretted that decision.

"Ha! Kill us?" Lex laughed. "All they did was drop a branch on us. Of course, it slowed us down, but they didn't finish the job."

He continued to swing, each strike growing harder to dodge.

"Stop moving so I can kill you!" Lex demanded.

"I'd rather not!"

Eventually, his swings grew slower but did my movements. I knew I couldn't keep this up forever. It was time to go on the offensive, at least as much of an offense as I'm capable of. He plummeted his axe into the ground by my feet, where it stuck only for a second. In that second, I put myself behind the brute and grasped firmly onto his leather cuirass.

"Stop squirming!"

Sigils displayed against his hide armor, and I accepted as I had dozens of times before. Lex's chest shined against the burning fire revealing a frame that was more hair than man.

"What did you?" He said, giving up on pulling out his axe and finishing his sentence.

Lex swung and tried to grab me. Instead, he pulled in an armful of his cuirass, deconstructed into a leather sheet. As he struggled to drop the deconstructed fabric, I ducked down, gripping onto a trouser leg.

"Lex, look out!" Clea shouted, but it was far too late.

I took a few steps back, confident that I had any involvement in the fight at all outside of being a pin cushion for his axe. Lex walked deliberately back to his weapon, effortlessly lifting it from the roots that once locked it. Turning toward me, I realized immediately that he had no shame over his sudden lack of clothing, not that there would be anything to be ashamed of. Unfortunately, I was suddenly reminded of one of my Gran's adult fantasy novels I accidentally read as a child.

He flourished his axe again, taking several practice swings as he closed the distance between us. His strikes seemed like a blur.

"Broke. Does being naked make this guy stronger?" I asked while trying to backstep this brute.

Such ability does not exist, plus he's still wearing boots.

"Not helpful, Broke! Then why does he seem much scarier all of a sudden?"

He's activated his Unique Feat: Fit of Pique.

"Okay, great. What does that mean?"

It dramatically increases his physical attributes while lowering his mental acuity.

"Got it, so he's stronger and faster but a little dumber."

I could use this to my advantage, I told myself. First, formulate a plan Lex wouldn't see coming and then spring it when he least expects it. Lex had different plans, however.

Before any genius strategy could come to mind, he was on me instantly with a kick planted squarely in my sternum. I hit the ground, buckling over as his foot knocked all the wind from my lungs.

"Yeah! Get him, Lex!" Clea shouted.

I looked over in response and saw Nev was still restrained but unharmed. They looked unconcerned about my current situation and locked eyes on the massive tree that continued to burn.

Lex pulled his axe back one last time while looking down at my stunned form.

"Any last words, wizard?" Clea shouted out from behind him.

I caught my breath, but only five words could come to mind.

"Fuck you! I'm a tailor." I shouted back as his axe swung down.

It stopped only a foot from my face, and I could hear Lex groaning with effort. A vine had wrapped itself squarely around the hilt of the axe. I looked over at Nev and saw they still had eyes locked onto the massive burning tree. Seeing it as my opportunity, I reached up and grabbed onto the braided leather around the axe handle. Even through Lex's thick sausage fingers, I could see the glyphs manifest and line the handle. I had never used my ability on weapons before, but surely it was the same concept. I focused on accepting as I had on thousands of clothes before, but instead, the glyphs disappeared, and nothing happened.

Your grade is too low to use Material Reclamation.

"Huh?"

The vine snapped, and his axe finally released. Fortunately, the vine gave me enough time to roll onto my side dodging his blow. As the axe impacted against the roots, the handle blew to smithereens in his hands. I was elated for a moment before I realized it wouldn't matter much. Lex was on me only a second later. His hands wrapped tightly around my throat. Choked to death by a naked savage, one that I helped disrobe, definitely not the way I thought I would go out.

"Stop it, please! You can't!" Nev shouted out from Clea's grasp.

"Why would he stop now? It's just getting fun!" Clea replied while laughing.

But she wasn't talking to Lex. Instead, I saw Nev staring at the verdant giant towering above us as I looked. Tears ran down their face as they pleaded with their invisible spirits. Then, the massive tree suddenly split with an ear-shattering blast, each half rapidly approaching the ground below.

Lex stopped choking me as he looked up, unable to process what was happening. I scrambled between his legs and ran to safety away from the path of the falling tree remnants. As Lex realized what was happening, he attempted to flee to safety, instead falling flat on his face. He looked down and realized I had returned his pants but wrapped them snugly around his ankles. He reached a hand out to Clea, beckoning for help.

"Lex!"

She pushed Nev aside, despite it being far too late to help her companion. Before suddenly stopping in her tracks, she put her hands to her chest and pulled back blood-covered palms. Nev was standing behind her, wearing their gnarled wooden mask. On their arm was a massive thorn larger than Clea's dagger, entering through her back and erupting out her chest.

"Lex was right, you know?" Nev said. "I should've killed you earlier."

Clea dropped to the ground, her body going limp. Nev stood behind her, looking at where the massive tree stood moments ago. Even with their mask on, I knew they were crying.

"Nev," I started before my legs went out beneath me, everything fading to black.

I awoke several hours later to the sound of a beautiful whistle, followed by another. This trend repeated until the entire forest echoed with a verdant orchestra. Nev sat against the remains of her former friend, listening to the music emanating from the surrounding forest.

"We have to stop meeting like this." I joked, forcing myself to sit upright despite the fatigue running through my body.

"They're gone."

"The Spirits?"

They nodded and looked away into the surrounding forest. I picked myself up and began inspecting the split mass of wood.

"There might be others out there."

"Maybe." They replied, seeming uninterested.

"Have you ever left this forest before?"

"No, I haven't had to. I've never wanted to."

"You could try to find more Spirits, make new friends."

"I don't want new friends!" They snapped. "I want them back, but they're dead and gone."

I bent over the tree remnants, a slight sheen catching my eye. Sifting through bits of chipped wood, I plucked a small shape from the debris.

"What are you doing?" They asked as if I was debasing a corpse.

"You might be right about them being dead, but maybe not gone."

I lifted a reflective shell in my hand—a seed, more iridescent than polished gold and about the size of my thumb.