Chapter 20

[ Slay the beast ]

He pulled up his mallet, he wanted to go for the head but something drew his eyes to the twisted tree by the bonfire as it went on. His eyes moved to the bonfire again and he sneaked down to the tree.

The Takhuna was not heedless to notice him and it's eyes picked up his heat signature and charged, it snorted hitting the tree, he held on as it shook and tossed the mallet to hit its head.

Either the mallet was defective or the few inches of bone protecting its skull was a convincing theory. He lunged over it to pick up the mallet swinging it skillfully.

It charged at him again as he stepped back and hit the deck while it trod through the flames.

It emerged fiery with its eyes still glowing and made a U-turn to attack him, he leaped about 8 feet but that wasn't enough to evade it's head, his stomach clenched at the hit and he fell against the tree and slid past the halves, in the snowpile.

"Come and get me you brute," He took the pickaxe and flipped it as it leaped toward him, he grimaced as it ripped its belly open and coughed at the unsavory yellow guts spilling out.

It walked lamely past him with its exposed organs dragging on the ice sheet and blood gushed from its nostrils. The villagers gaped in anticipation as it stopped, he stood up and flicked the blood off his clothes and face, the face paint went off.

Maybe (Bones) was something of a pachyderm but he did feel a small deal of contentment when the Ice Pack cheered, it was long-lived and he met the chief at his tent. An emblazon of seals were on the totem poles holding up the tent.

The torch over his head shadowed the chief's face where he sat on a high chair and Yupik had to look up.

He found the elders bowed on the cold hard ground to be cringeworthy and demeaning but he wanted the Icethyst.

Do I have to kill him?_He thought, the memory of degutting a chimera with seven stomachs was established, how bad could it be to kill just one man?

+6000

"Great timing,"

"Indeed gamma," He stepped down, he was a tall king, his face still shadowed by the light and he looked like he was wearing thick layers of fur like a thick blanket, he reached for his left shoulder, with his right hand and the other holding up the fur.

Yupik saw the badge of a wolf with long fangs and claws on his shoulder.

Level: 7

[...Retrace your steps Yupik ]

He brushed through the curtains and paled at the ghouls scouring the cold camp grounds, the smoke swished in the darkness and it was very quiet, he spun his pickaxe and ran past the tents with two people huddled with terror on their faces as the cloaked wraith spread its sleeves and overshadowed them. Leaving, their bodies as dust and he wheezed cold air in horror, he ran faster fighting the wraiths at every yard and rushed past the dying bonfire crumbling and from the faint lights, he saw the wraiths huddled over the carcass, like death's specters and scavengers, the flesh started to become rotten when one reached in.

The wraiths screeched facing him, their white eyes ogled and he hurried to fend them off, they vanished and he gagged dipping his hand into mesh of guts, the swarm dissipated at his interruption and his eyes watered from the stench. "Why does it have to be at the worst possible moment?,"

He yanked it out and coughed at the yellow bile tossing it away and dipped again and he found something harder, it slipped from his fingertips in its stomach, he reached till his shoulder was dipping in too, his face was almost close to the rotten flesh, he got the gem and as he pulled it out, a wraith gripped his arms, he screamed at the plague spreading from his shoulders down. He stiffened and the red light beeped.

"Subject 5 is showing signs of cardiac arrest,"

"Get him out," Sebastian pointed and scoffed at Yupik turning to dust.

The cradle filtered the gas and the guards took him out laying him down with the medic attending to him.

"There's only one left"

***

Kane munched on popcorn "Did you see that? Nachios just obliterated the guardian," He laughed watching the movie,

"Ugh," Eve rolled her eyes with her arms folded, he clearly felt good about himself.

The guards were on watch in the cafeteria with steel chairs, walls and reinforced TV screens and fluorescent lights.

This time they didn't hold guns to create a less suffocating atmosphere, Kane scoffed as Donnie walked in, his eyes rose to Kane, infuriated by the smile on his face.

"You son of a_"

"No violence,"

"Hey," Eve said holding him still, his head shuddered and the muscles in his cheeks twitched. "Stay calm,"

He growled and sat back clutching his hair.

"Did you fail?," Kane asked.

"Keep your mouth shut, alright?" He pointed and slammed the table. Monte knew he had some dirt on him.

A waitress with her hair in a tight bun, white get up and black apron came to him "Mister Gryphon, would you like to order? It's a free menu but I recommend the salad,"

"Oooh" Kane teased and Eve tapped his shoulder folding her arms.

"Come on,"

Donnie looked up "Sure, chicken would do," He mumbled flipping a coin.

"Right away," She nodded and walked smartly to the kitchen.

...

_Ah what? He didn't even last in the game.

_They did him dirty man.

_I wonder what Zenith's up to.

_Something's fishy about that Guy guy

_What guy?

_The green hair guy

_Never seen him in the interview.

_oof

...

Their heads turned at Bones walking through the doors with a blanket around himself, he looked like he just recovered from a bad fever dream. He coughed.

"What happened?" Kane said with concern and Bones glanced at Kane and his nose wrinkled.