Freya guided her people, the Valkyr, through the rough, red, shallow canyons of the region known as Northern Arizona. This wasn’t the preferred climate for her people and more than once she caught herself grimacing against warm breezes that foretold of even higher temperatures. Apparently this was a mild temperature to the native people of this land. Her people would often boast against the fires of Hel, though she didn’t doubt their boasts would fall silent when this place entered its summer season. Gods above, let us find adequate shelter before that happens.

And that was why they were currently marching across a monster infested waste. According to the native communications network their fairies had connected to, another settlement had sprung up a few days walk from that damnable Flagstaff. And unlike that power mad bitch of a Mayor this settlement had already given refuge, and even a dungeon to a group of refugees. She remembered discussing it with the stout short man, Gregor, whose people were also seeking refuge. He insisted he had an inside angle and would stay a bit longer to see how that panned out. I wonder if he succeeded? Doesn’t matter, the bitch Mayor went so far as declaring us outcast. Fuck her!

Freya was torn from her inner monologue when a male scout appeared before her, “Mistress Freya! I think we’ve found them, but…”

“What is it, Troels?” Freya’s cobalt glowing eyes flashed in excitement as she smelled the anticipation of the man, one of the few that survived to escape through the portal.

“A great battle, come see.” Troels motioned for her to follow excitedly. The Valkyr lived for battle, which is why they were currently refugees in a strange overly warm world. They, like all the other refugees, had continually defeated any dungeon that sprung up, and would destroy the cores then take them as Trophy. When the dungeons would reform, with greater difficulty than the last, they would charge into battle again and repeat the cycle until eventually their greatest warriors were either old, or dead, and the young had nothing to properly grow against.

Freya followed Troels over the wall of the shallow canyon they had been using to screen their advance and then they climbed to the top of a cluster of red flat rocks the locals referred to as flagstone. As soon as Freya gained her feet Troels pointed to the smoke that rose in the NorthEast just under ten kilometers distant.

With her system enhanced perception focused on the area indicated she gasped in surprise and a small amount of excitement. “Battle!” She hissed as her warrior blood began pumping quickly through her veins as her heart pounded in her chest at the glory she witnessed. For, as stated before, the Valkyr lived for battle. And she was disappointed that they were missing out on what seemed to be a great one.

A host of filthy gnolls had attempted to siege the fledgling settlement. From her vantage point, Freya could see the gnoll host had stalled and failed to encircle the defenders. The Northern flank had broken in a rout when a short man rammed a thin blade into the eye socket of his much larger opponent and, presumably, ended the enemy commander of that flank. Further West, she watched as the largest sample of humanity she had ever seen battled a behemoth alongside a massive coyote and a dryad. This must be the leader of the settlement. She absentmindedly nodded her approval at the man’s battle prowess as the three managed to wrest the beast to the ground and he leapt into its face and pulled a silver and black pistol from his holster. He then shoved the barrel of the weapon into the beast’s eye socket and emptied the magazine into the behemoth’s brains.

Her gaze drifted to the South as a pair of human girls, another coyote the color of shadow, and one spider daemon charged through the horde of gnoll troops making a beeline for the unit’s commander. Arrows pincushioned the enemies on their right, and lightning jumped amongst their left flank as the diminutive girl that led them carved a gory path through the middle of the horde. At this point the assembled gnolls determined that this was a fight they couldn’t win and parted as the trio surged forward.

When the girl reached the enemy commander a notification flashed in her vision.

Destiny’s Challenge has been initiated by Alyssa Nightraven against Captain Groma’kul, The Slayer, Limb Taker, Warband Leader, Level 25***

“Huu huu hu!” Freya chuckled in excitement and focused closer on the girl. Troels chuckled beside her as they watched the battle play out. With all her attention now on Alyssa she noticed the black arm she thought to be armored was in fact much more. And the title, Limb Taker, suggested that it was this Captain Groma’kul that had taken said limb in a previous battle. Watching carefully as the Challenge began she noted the way the girl moved and where she could make improvements. She has talent, and the inner fire needed to be a warrior, what she needs is guidance.

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Groma’kul struck the ground with even greater force than Alyssa remembered. Chunks of earth flew into the air and dust billowed from the impact. He rose slowly and seemed to smile as he looked her over. He eyed her black replacement limb with an air of satisfaction. Then to Alyssa’s surprise he spoke.

“I failed to taste your flesh the last time we met little manling, I won’t make the same mistake twice.” He menaced at her with an evil gleam in his eye. “If you beg, I may simply remove your legs and other arm and use you to mother me some pups!”

Rage twisted Alyssa’s face and she was about to respond when she decided on a different course of action. Shadow Charge! Alyssa disappeared into shadow instantly and then rocketed towards Groma’kul.

“I see- HURK!” Groma’kul was interrupted by the sudden advance, though quickly brought the massive battle axe down to deflect her attack on the flat of the blade. A loud clang echoed from the collision of the two weapons, a shockwave of air expanded languidly from the point of impact as if uninterested in the titanic clash that caused it.

“Such st-uRGH!” Alyssa dipped into the shadows and reappeared on his flank as he attempted to taunt her again. Her sword slash was once again blocked as she attempted to catch him while distracted. He took a large leap backwards and considered her as she glared up at him.

“Fine. Let’s fight then.” Groma’kul reached back with his axe in one hand and charged the diminutive human girl. His blade glowed an angry red and streaked down and only found the hot Arizona dirt waiting for his strike. Red clay and flagstone exploded out of the ground at the impact site.

Groma’kul spun to deflect another flurry of attacks and retaliated with his own wide swipe. A sonic boom echoed as the attack actually broke the sound barrier. Alyssa had already disappeared from sight again. The pair repeatedly clashed in a flurry of metal screeches and clangs. Sparks fountained through the air like the embodiment of Alyssa’s rage showering the gathered horde and her hastily assembled team. Explosions of unbridled power erupted across the field launching more chunks of flagstone across the morning sky. All fighting across the horde stopped as everyone, defender and attacker alike, stared in awe at the display of power.

Groma’kul stepped forward into a heavy overhead attack that cracked the air in it’s passage. Instead of connecting with the ground as his previous attacks had. His eyes widened when he saw the girl had actually caught the blade of the axe in the palm of her replacement limb. Pure hatred stared back at Groma’kul from beneath Alyssa’s hood. Before he could pull away the girl plunged her other weapon into his guts. She quickly twisted the blade as his eyes went wide in shock, then wrenched the weapon free and released the axe as she rolled to the side and slid into the shadows once again.

“I’m going to fucking end you, beast.” Alyssa spoke so quietly Groma’kul flinched as if she had landed on his shoulder and delivered the message in his ear. He spun around sensing a darkness approach from behind him and to his right and began slowly twirling the oversized axe in his hand as if it was a plastic toy.

“You think one lucky strike means you’ve won, girl?” He growled while watching the shadows that seed to have come to life around him. He heard movement behind him and he snapped his axe around in a wide sweep that was met with only air. His eyes widened again as she appeared inside his guard and swung for his neck. He leaned back in a gravity defying maneuver that left his already wounded guts completely exposed.

Rather than attempt to right himself he allowed the momentum to carry him into a backflip that brought his front leg up to make contact with Alyssa’s chest. She was lifted violently into the air and managed to gain control of the involuntary somersault to land gracefully on her feet 10 meters away.

The pair eyed each other cautiously, neither willing to be the first to resume hostilities. Impatience won over caution within Groma’kul and he roared a challenge and charged the girls position dragging his axe behind him. Alyssa conjured Swarming Shadows and smiled as the beast man’s charge slowed to a crawl as the shadows reached out and grasped his ankles and held him in place. He spun sideways expecting an attack from the rear as Alyssa melted out of view once again.

Normally she would have moved to his rear, instead, having trained him to keep an eye on his backside, she activated Shadow Charge and shot past his unguarded side with a vicious double swing of her falchions. The attack opened up his ribcage to plain view and began pouring blood freely onto the ground. He howled in pain and rage and stumbled back.

He spun his axe in one hand to swing at where the pain had come from but she was no longer there. Instead she had already slid between his wide spread legs while shrouded in shadow and was bringing her left sword up to cut through his groin while steadying her trajectory with her metal hand.

Groma’kul screamed with more pain than rage and tried to stomp on the girl between his legs as she scrambled to her feet. Instead of the satisfying crunch of bones underfoot, he screamed in more pain, fear now slowly tainting his voice. A black spike extended through the top of his foot and he fell over backwards to get away from the offending source of his newest pain.

Alyssa stood and turned sideways so that her swords were visible in her hands and the foot long spike that had just skewered his foot was visible as well. Groma’kul used the haft of his axe to help him regain his feet and winced as he tested the weight on his injured foot. Blood flowed from his ribs and groin and he knew he had lost. His blood would paint the ground faster than his natural healing could close the wound. He was, however, determined to at least take his opponent with him so he bellowed a final challenge to the girl.

Alyssa flashed a crooked smile and Groma’kul was certain he saw her eyes flash yellow the moment before she dropped into the shadows again. He raised his Battle Axe in a defensive posture and waited for her to appear below him. What happened next he hadn’t been expecting at all.

Alyssa did something in the shadows she never tried before. She launched herself into the air and managed to remain shrouded with no connection to the ground. Which worked out well for what she intended to do next. She appeared out of the shadow world as gravity reclaimed it’s hold on her person. She saw the confusion and fear in Groma’kul’s eyes as he looked up. Which raised his head at just the right angle for Alyssa to extend the claws in the fingers of her metal hand as her knees connected with his chest. Instead of dropping the big bastard with a flying knee, she snaked her real hand behind his neck so that she didn’t fall from his chest.

“It’s over.” She stared into his eyes and snarled as fear became panic and her hand latched onto his throat. She squeezed with the claws digging easily into the soft flesh of his neck then she released the hold she had on the back of his neck and kicked off his chest violently as her fingers closed around his windpipe. Blood sprayed through the air as she sailed upside down with Groma’kul’s throat in her hand. She dropped the offending organ when she landed and stared at the creature as it grasped at its neck in a feeble attempt to stem the flow of blood.

Groma’kul knew fear for the first time in his life. He knew he would die soon and that he would never come back. He dropped to his knees and the tiny human girl walked forwards with her weapon drawn and stared hard at him as the panic on his face grew by the second. Then she flicked her arm out and severed his head at the neck. Before his head could roll to the ground Alyssa snatched it off his shoulders, raised it over her head, and roared in triumph.

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Freya and Troels watched the battle in anticipation. Freya caught herself smiling as the girl clashed with the larger gnoll for several minutes then seemed to dismantle her foe in a matter of seconds. She noticed that others had taken to the rocks to gain similar vantage points and cheered as the girl removed the beast's head and raised her trophy in triumph. A moment later everyone assembled received the same message.

Destiny’s Challenge between Alyssa Nightraven and Captain Groma’kul, The Slayer, Limb Taker, Warband Leader, Level 25*** has concluded. Alyssa Nightraven is the victor!

Alyssa Nightraven, the First Challenger of Earth, has been recorded and entitled as such by the System!

“If all of this settlement’s people fight like that, maybe it was fortunate that the previous city leader turned us away.” Troels commented with arms crossed in front of him as he continued watching the rest battle play out.

“Indeed.” Freya responded simply, still riding high from the emotions of witnessing such a historic victory, the first successful Challenge of Destiny for this new planet.