Mirio’s eyes scanned the Irax.

Its chest was covered in thick matted fur, it hung off of thick muscle underneath. It was soaked through with blood and grime, its tangled locks even rattled as the beast roared.

RWOAR

Its powerful hind legs compressed and it burst toward him.

Mirio ticked his tongue as he noticed its hind legs move like that of a lizard, zig zagging with an s-curve along its spine.

Must be a Chimera of some sort - Mirio thought

Serpents are much better at sweeping attacks, so its scythes will have a wide range.

And with four upper limbs it could easily hold its weight which should allow it to turn and use its hind legs to buck.

Probably it will kick after the follow-through of a wide swing of its scythes

It wasn’t so much that time ran slow as Mirio calmly analyzed its capabilities, but rather his thoughts were as fast as a flicker of light in the woods.

Big damn horns too, bet it likes to charge and follow up with its scythes.

Mirio’s eye scanned quickly along its matted fur.

Mold spores, and whiproot nested into its mane, shouldn’t get too close if I can help it. Nah, it is probably worth it to step in and score the first blow.

The beast’s fevered breath blasted up against Mirio’s face, as he drove in close with one powerful step. Its two upper scythes sliced just above his head like a guillotine, as its right lower scythe, drove halfway through Mirio’s iron plated shield.

Shit, it’s that strong, huh?

With a twist of the back of his elbow, Mirio used the haft of his spear to leverage the last scythe just past his waist, before driving the speartip through the creature’s jaw, and slicing back down and out to ensure it would bleed out.

Nice, that ought to force it to fight out of its comfort zone and help keep it disoriented

He dashed backwards, dropping both shield and spear, and ran around the beast as it howled in pain.

It’ll come at me hard next, simple fight or flight reflex, get ready for it.

FWOOSH TING TING TING

The creature swarmed upon him, its scythes crashing down like an avalanche. Mirio dived towards the shadows the Irax had first appeared from, and rolled back to his feet. The scuffing sound of wood against stone was the only sign he had picked something up.

Chaining its movements together after the blow the Irax ran up the wall and flipped over top of him, coming down with all six limbs.

SHING THUNK SHING SHING THWACK

Dropping and twisting his left knee his body slipped to the right of the attack of two of its scythes, unsheathing his shortsword in a sweeping motion he sliced through the upper limb coming at his neck, hacking it clear of its bone and sinew but leaving it to swing over his head.

Whiproot from its fur lashed out gripping Mirio’s neck and shortsword, twisting his body into an exposed position for its last scythe.

SPLAT

Blood slapped across Mirio’s face as he screwed the javelin through the remaining forelimb, and held it back with the strength of his arm.

“Get off” he roared menacingly, eye glowing red.

He tossed the beast free of him, and twisted his sword to slice free of the whiproot.

Pulling free of it wasn’t without a price however as its barbs tore off flesh as he tossed it aside.

The Irax spun and kicked with its two massive hind legs.

SMASH

Stone scattered through the cavern as Mirio spun behind a pillar.

Shit, why are these demons always so freakishly strong, never a weak demon I guess… - Mirio mused to himself

He dashed free of cover toward his ditched shield and spear, juggled them up in his grip and positioned himself in the center of the cavern.

It’s pretty messed up, bleeding from its neck, missing a scythe on the right, its lower limb on the same side was shredded right through with the javelin. It only has two scythes on the left, should make it easier to predict. Though, it still hasn't used its charge attack.

Mirio could see the creature’s eyes growing paler by the second as the fight dragged on.

It tipped back its head in pride, and took in a calm breath, huffing and drawing upon its last strength to ready its two remaining blades.

Mirio switched his shield to his left side, and spun the spear into his right hand, his one eye staring up at the Irax with a magical flicker of red from his eagle eye spell.

“Come on, I’m right in front of you, do it…”

The Irax lowered its horns, and its legs pulsed with power, veins bulging and the stone of the cave cracking as it shot toward Mirio.

“Hrmm” Mirio grumbled and narrowed his eye.

He gripped tighter onto the spear and with a whirling half step, he peeled off to a five o’clock angle like a matador.

WHOOSH

Its horns swiped up through where he would have been standing with enough power to blast back his hair. Sensing it hadn’t connected, its serpent spine coiled and rapidly spun to wheel its scythes around at him.

Ducking low, Mirio angled the shield to deflect the scythes above him, and stepped forwards with a thrust of his spear.

The sturdy stance and strength in his thrust forced the spear through the creature’s tough matted fur. The tip scored a blow just a finger’s width below its ribcage and drove up into its chest cavity.

As the beast’s weight followed through with its spinning attack the spear first buckled and then broke at mid shaft. With a snap and a twist the back end of the spear was tossed free and Mirio danced back out of range.

With its last breath, its hind legs bucked, but met nothing but air.

SMACK

The beast settled to the ground in a heap, its muscles collapsing as its last breath escaped its mussel with a snort.

Mirio shook off the cloth bracings of the shield and tossed it aside.

“Well, that is that, now to cut off its horns and get back”

Taking a deep breath he calmed himself, and centered his mind with a burst of his oasis spell. His mind returned from the battle and shifted back to normal time.

The fight had only been a few seconds, but had he not been so familiar with abyssal creatures it might not have gone so smoothly.

I bet it’d easily take down most adventuring groups with those wheeling scythe attacks, probably good I took it out.

Mirio scanned the cavern one last time, and spotted the hanging carcasses of its nest.

GAG

Mirio spat and gargled as a wave of revulsion hit him. The two pieces of cloth wedged in his nose were his only armor against having to puke.

“Argh, you are one f#cked up piece of sh#t, you know that right”

He gripped up his shortsword and tugged at the beast’s scalp, sawing off its horns for proof.

“So long as you know. Well, rest up now I guess, peace be with you and all that stuff”

Mirio rolled his neck and cranked his shoulder as he exited into the moonlight.

Tossing the pieces of cloth from his nose he paused to touch the blood on his cheek caused by the whip root.

“What a dirty piece of trash, adventure life forever right?”

Spinning up a spell to clean his clothes of the splatters of blood and grime.

Between jangles of the monster’s horns hanging from his waist belt he turned toward a sound behind him.

Amidst the rays of moonlight a figure stood defiant and directed towards him.

A swing of shadows moved under foot with the figure’s trench coat. Strands of nearby grass blustered with the passing wind. The figure’s eyes locked onto Mirio, mouth gently parting in a subtle but exasperated sigh.

“Seems you made short work of it… It's a pity”

The man tossed down the quest stub that had been left on the quest board.

Mirio glanced down at the stub, before looking back up at the cloaked figure.

“If you are aiming to compete for the claim, it’s too late”

The man’s eyes drifted to the two curved horns hanging from Mirio’s belt.

“Didn’t take you long to take it down”

“And your point is?”

“I want the horns of course” the figure said before tilting his wide brimmed hat “And that is a mighty pretty gauntlet you have there. Give them to me”

“Playing the bandit then? Really?” Mirio sighed as he dusted off the last of a smudge on his shoulder, “That is unfortunate”

The man shrugged, raising his palms to the sky.

“I guess so”

Mirio’s eye scanned the man’s stance for weaknesses and tells.

From the live tension pressed onto the tips of his toes and the subtle bend in his knees I can tell he has a fast fighting style.

The cloaked figure’s finger twitched.

His hands are trained, so he’s skilled too.

Mirio couldn’t see any red markers on the man, which was unusual while the eagle eye spell was active, it either meant it couldn’t assess his weakness or the man didn’t have any.

Hrmm, with the weighted calm he has, I can tell he has fought intense battles and isn’t easily rattled. Doesn’t strike me as a bandit, more like an assassin, but I don’t see how anyone could know I’m even alive, let alone know how to find me on the other side of the twelve kingdoms.

Ladon wouldn’t send a man would she?

What about Akur? Nah not his style…

Who would care to track me down? I can’t think of anyone, maybe I’m just being paranoid.

Mirio’s thought process was faster than the flicker of a strand of grass, and as calm as the swaying treetops. Compared to the Abyss, the material plane moved slowly to his eye, and was filled with inefficiencies. Heck, the fact the man hadn’t even attacked yet was in itself a sign of weakness.

Guess, I’ll just keep gaining information on him until this fella gets up the courage to make his move.

His cloak is pretty light for armor, guess it is to conceal secondary weapons and attacks… He will need to reach my blind side, get in close, use blinding attacks, or use a combination of blows to set up hidden attacks from that cloak.

Explosives would make sense? Magic stones? Thrown weapons? A small crossbow perhaps?

What about his boots and wide brimmed hat? Enchanted?

Ah, there is a magical signature on the boots, “Scraffy”

Didn’t that girl at the guildhall say he was the most talented craftsmen Tier had to offer.

I suppose that adds in a wildcard, I don’t know much about what they are likely to do.

Mirio stepped back in his fighting stance. His opponent smirked as he looked at Mirio’s bare feet.

“What is with you fighting barefoot”

Mirio spun his fingers in a motion of his mage armor sigil, and brought up an ethereal scalemail overtop of his shirt and trousers.

“Haven’t found a pair I like yet” Mirio replied, glancing at the man’s shoes.

The man raised an eyebrow, “Guess that means you won’t be handing over your stuff… Good, this won’t take long”

“Don’t bullshit me asshole, I know you aren’t after the contract or my gear, who do you work for?”

SHING

The cloaked man moved like a projection on a wall as weapons unsheathed.

DIVINE LIGHT

A flash exploded between them so bright it cast even the moon into shadow.

Mirio sneered, it wasn’t him who cast it…

The shadowed figure dashed to the side, his hand raised, the faint trail of the glyph sigil hanging in the air for a moment before three knives shot from the man’s spread fingers.

Mirio spun and weaved between the blades.

Divine light?

A paladin?

A cleric?

No…

The inquisitor dug into the ground with a change of step and charged toward Mirio, both hands down at his side as items slid from his sleeves and into his grip. With a spiral of his hands the figure slashed backhanded at Mirio. As the divine blast faded from view the man’s venomous eyes were revealed for the first time.

It’s one of those spider f#ckers!

FWIT FWIT FWIT

“Whoa” Mirio dodged in a zig zag of directions as blades flurried a flick away from his skin.

Mirio spun his fingers in a quick sigil and strobed stuttering blasts of light as he stepped back.

A strand of Mirio’s hair floated between the men as moonlight glared in the trees behind the spider.

“Didn’t know they made spider inquisitors” Mirio said as he grit his teeth.

“They don’t”

“One of a kind eh? Then how come I fought one of you before”

“Don’t compare a servant of the gods to a servant of a kingdom”

“If you are so holy, why are you after my life?”

“You should know better than to ask me that,” the spider growled.

“Wide brimmed hat, cloak, I’m going to guess the watcher sent you after me”

“Hmph” the spider drew back its cloak to reveal a moonblade, a chakram or throwing disc with runic enchantments along its edges that could double as bladed knuckles.

“Yup, definitely the watcher… But why is he after me”

“It isn’t up to me to divine his will” the spider sneered, “Only to enact it”

The spider launched forwards, its movements as fast as its blades were sharp, a blur of motion that few eyes could ever track, only traced by the glimmer of moonlight reflecting off the creature’s blades.

CRUNCH

A powerful sidekick sent the creature stumbling through the gravel and dirt, only to pick itself up and throw itself upon Mirio again.

CRACK

The back end of Mirio’s shortsword drove up under the creature’s mandibles and sent it stumbling back to the ground.

Mirio whipped the tip of his blade to its throat and his scarred eye began to glow with silver light.

His voice darkened and echoed, as though the two of them were now standing in a room.

That was the first sign to the creature that something was different about his prey than he had expected.

“Yeah!” Mirio replied, “It’s about to get a whole lot worse for you”

The spider looked to the clouds as they rolled over the sky and shut out the moon. He sneered as they transformed into sheathes of dark stone. A maze of walls erupted around the two and locked into place leaving them in a room no larger than fifty paces.

As the last dark wall locked around them an oppressive aura filled the room.

“What have you done? What spell is this?!”

“Your god won’t be able to help you here”

“Godless heathen!”

SHING

A flash of divine light fought against the dark walls as the spider spun forth his magical chakrams on both fists.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH

The spider hacked and slashed at the air, and spun down to a knee to slice up at Mirio from another angle.

Hrmm, my shortsword is a poor matchup for his chakram, need to keep distance and not let him catch my blade - Mirio thought matter of factly between dodges

Mirio spun the shortsword behind him in a rear guard and positioned his feet with precision to keep the spider’s blows as close as possible.

Just waiting for the counter…

The spider glared up at him defiantly and sprung off its loaded legs, its boots glowing in a trail of blue as it leapt. Mirio sent out his ghost visions to see if there was a way to escape the creature’s whirling assault.

Tsk, no room to move

The spider’s chakrams slashed wildly through a field of blue as Mirio mist stepped behind it and slashed along the assassin’s cloak, stripping it in half to reveal the creature’s now bleeding back. As the cloak clattered to the ground so did half of the creature’s hidden weapons; bombs, poisons, darts of all sorts, and elemental stones.

Mirio spun on his lead foot, sweeping his back leg at the spider.

The spider slipped under the blow and staggered back.

As Mirio’s foot swung around it collected up the inquisitor's trinkets.

“These will be handy” he smiled as he wrapped the cloth around his back hand, leaving the tools exposed to his reach.

The two locked eyes onto each other as the spider considered its next move and mentally accounted for the weapons it had left.

The spider’s nerve broke first, leading him to charge in with fangs bared and moonblades at the ready.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHIZZZ

The blades sang as they sliced through the air.

WHOOSH SHING SHING SHING SHING BOOM

Launching forward with a blue haze streaming from his boots, the spider rallied with another combination assault, readying a surprise behind a final feint. The key ring clicked as a grenade loosed.

The fire whipped through the room like a nest of serpents as it exploded on impact with Mirio’s shortsword.

Raising his rear two fingers Mirio swept the fire around him in a coil and sent it back in a blast into the spider’s chest.

THWACK

The spider spat up blood as its back hit up against the jagged walls of Mirio’s dark castle.

“No…” he grumbled as he pulled himself back up to his feet, lifting off the ground with his glowing blue shoes, he traced the brim of his hat, “I can’t lose”.

Mirio sneered at the creature. Battle was battle after all, and he wasn’t going to give the assassin a chance to pull off something incredible. Gripping up three elemental stones he launched them in a triangle around the spider, forcing its attack to straighten towards him.

A blaze of blue streaked from the spider’s shoes as the broad rim of it’s cap shone brightly.

WHOOSH WHOOSH

Releasing its moonblades they shot ahead of it, and Mirio’s elemental stones blasted all around him. Blue, red, and yellow clouds of magic spun behind the creature as it shot towards Mirio.

Glyphs flickered in the air behind the brim of the creature’s cap as Mirio dodged out of the way of the blazing chakrams.

The spider snatched his hands forwards with the might of all his stored spells and the hat pooled extra reserves of mana into the creature’s core before it all exploded in a fiery beam of light.

“Rend His Flesh”

The spider’s eyes shone with might and vengeance as the last of his mana stores pulsed into the blast.

Mirio looked on calmly, his hair blustering in the magical wind. Claws of searing magic closing in all around him, he lowered his head and let out a quaint smile.

“You weren’t even close”

Flashing blue, Mirio vanished.

SHOOM FWOOSH SLASH

The spider shot forward through the air and then dropped, skipping like a stone before rolling to the corner of the dark room.

Mirio fluttered in place, an ethereal blue and gazed over his shoulder at the spider.

Walking up to the limp insect Mirio flicked the tip of his sword to its neck and rematerialised.

It wheezed as it struggled to open an eye, “How, is it possible…”

“Nevermind that, tell me what you know”

“Pfft”

“I saw him watching me with Calypso before I was cast into the abyss, why is he trying to kill me? I saved Darlan from the Guardian of the Step at the heart of the Red Mountain, so why would a god hunt me down knowing I’ve been to hell and back! Answer me!?”

“Because once she knows you are alive and back, she’ll come to the material realm to find you” the spider spluttered as blood oozed from a wound on its chest.

“Who?”

“The goddess… Calypso, she thinks you are someone she used to know, reborn or something. That you hold the key to her lost memories”

“Lost memories, what the hell are you talking about?”

Mirio kneeled in close, kicking away the last of the spider’s weapons.

“Don’t kill me” the creature gargled.

Lost memories, lost memories… Do I know anything about this?

Does it have to do with the tomb where I found Ezee?

There were bones of a Paladin, cursed by Akur.

Wait, that is right, Calypso conspired with Ladon to kill him. And it led to her dragon form being chained under the misty meadows.

Guess Akur couldn’t kill a goddess or didn’t want to, and cursed her Paladin instead?

Why the hell does she think I’m the Paladin reborn though…

She’s just reaching.

“Tell me something, why doesn’t Orion want Calypso to become an avatar, what does he care what she does?”

“Because he knows the mark you bear on your arm is evil, that the powers you have since coming back are of darkness. And that she will find no answer in you, only destruction”

“Tsk” Mirio held back a surge of frustration and searched through the creature’s weapon belts for a red vial.

POP

“I’ll save you on one condition” Mirio smirked.

“What?”

Mirio’s eyes flashed down at the boots marked with Scraffy’s signature.

“Oh come on! Do you know what I had to do to get these?”

“Well, you did just try to kill me”

“Fine” the spider said as it kicked off the boots.

The dark castle walls retreated to reveal the moonlit sky, as Mirio poured the potion across the spider’s chest. The liquid oozed and bubbled as it contacted the skin, puss and scarred skin formed at the surface of the wound, sealing it from the elements.

The inquisitor grumbled, and looked up at the sky where he saw a shadow shape of the watcher observing his defeat, “Shit…”

Mirio scooped up the shoes and measured the soles up against his muddy feet.

“Awesome, they fit,” he smiled.

He patted the spider’s shoulder and sighed, “Your god is an asshole, if it is Calypso’s choice to do something, then that is up to her, don’t go murdering people you don’t know because you are too fucked up to have a conversation about it”.

“Yeah yeah…”

“Ah, nice” he said as he stood up and brushed himself off, “Oh and if you try something like that again, I’ll take that hat”

Mirio turned and looked up at the silhouette in the sky.

“You think I’m a piece in your game?! Go fuck yourself!” he said with a flick of his finger.

“I can’t believe this shit” Mirio grumbled as he head off in the direction of Tier

…

THUNK THUNK

The two horns of the Irax clunked against the wood of the table. The receptionist's eyes widened in shock.

“All done” he smirked.

The girl’s cheeks sunk as she stared up at him in disbelief.

“You survived!”

“Of course”

“Are you a monster hunter or something?” she stammered as she slid him a pouch of gold.

“No… I’m just a kid from the country”

“Oh, yes, well that makes sense” she smiled politely, “Wait, how does that make sense?”

“Maybe it doesn’t, thanks for the gold” Mirio said as he snatched up the pouch and pushed his way out through the doors.

The girl gasped as she noticed him wearing boots with the magical signature “Scraffy” on the sides.

…

Mirio cracked his neck as he stepped out of the guildhall to the blinding morning sun, a friendly jingle coming from his waist belt. He happily wiggled his toes in his new bestest boots.

“Ahhh!” he sighed in relief

“Hey you!” Rose said

SLAP

“What?!” Mirio protested as he was knocked off balance.

“Iona told me what you got up to! You’ve been skulking around in the tavern with Taby haven’t you!”

“Easy, easy!” Mirio chuckled half amused until he saw Rose pouting with all her might, “Don’t freak out alright, it’s like you said, we don’t own each other, and I wasn’t skulking. I had business with her”

“What business!” she said, emphasizing the words.

“I’m trying to figure out more about my curse, seems she knows something”

“And it requires drinking and talking to strange women?”

“Well no… and yes… She said it was a test before she’d share the information with me, and besides I failed it anyway”

“Well… Good!”

“Good I failed?”

“Good she’s not interested anymore” she said opening one eye and looking back sheepishly.

“Well, I am thinking of seeing her next actually”

Rose’s expression dropped in horror.

“But don’t worry, you can come along, guard me from her advances” he nudged as starting to walk.

“Hmm, but I’m not sure I can,” she whimpered as trailing along beside Mirio.

“Sure ya can, chin up, chest out” he poked

“Stop it!”

Mirio winked at her, “Come on, if you dawdle I’ll get there before you”

“Wait up, I’m coming, I’m coming!”