The Precipice

He had no idea where he was on this planet, nor how far he had wandered from the village. Taking a deep breath, he scanned his surroundings, trying to get a sense of his location.

It seemed he was on a low mountain or a steep hill—elevated enough to overlook the vast forest stretching below. Small pebbles were scattered around his feet, patches of grass sprouting between them. To his right, a lone tree leaned slightly over the edge, its twisted form reaching toward the sky. It would make a beautiful painting, he thought.

There didn't seem to be a way down from here—only up.

To his right, just past the leaning tree, a narrow pathway stretched forward, patches of grass and embedded stones marking the trail.

With no other choice, Evryn started making his way upward, following the path to wherever it might lead. Step by step, he ascended, the air growing crisper as he climbed. When he finally reached the peak, the sight before him was nothing short of breathtaking.

If I were to die, I'd want it to be here, he thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he took in the vast, endless horizon.

But he couldn't stay forever. Before long, he began his descent, spotting a steep yet navigable path winding down the mountain—a deep slope, almost like the side of a massive hill. Carefully, he made his way down.

Before long, Evryn reached the bottom of the mountain.

The ground was covered in gravel, and he found himself in a dry arroyo that stretched as far as the eye could see. Large boulders and scattered rocks littered the path, and jagged hills rose sharply on either side, their edges unforgiving. This place wouldn't be ideal for hiding or escaping, especially if someone were hunting him or planning an ambush.

Evryn closed his eyes, his mind drifting back to his childhood.

The moon and the sun!

He remembered how the moon always rose in the east, and the sun had always risen from that direction, too. Turning toward the east, he saw the moon hanging low in the sky. If that was east… then the village must be to the north. He recalled where he had seen the sun rise back at the village and how it set in the west. With the moon to his east, it was clear he had to head north to get back.

"That's it!" he exclaimed, his mind snapping into focus.

He wasn't sure why he had bothered to learn this, especially on Sythar. The planet was always cloudy, and the sun or moon were rarely visible. But even as a child, and even now, Evryn had always loved collecting knowledge—he simply enjoyed knowing things.

With that resolved, Evryn turned north and continued forward.

Evryn walked through the arroyo, heading north, his footsteps muffled by the gravel beneath him.

Ahead, a boulder loomed on his right, precariously perched on the edge of a steep drop. It looked as if the slightest disturbance would send it tumbling down, crushing anything—or anyone—in its path.

Evryn swallowed hard, instinctively pulling away from it. He didn't want to be anywhere near that unstable rock.

But then something clicked. The silence—it was too perfect, too complete. There were no sounds of wind, no calls from distant creatures. Nothing.

A cold shiver ran down his spine.

He froze. His body tensed, instinct screaming that something was wrong.

He felt it. Something was watching him, lurking just beyond his peripheral vision. Slowly, he turned his head toward the left, and his breath caught in his throat.

There, standing on the edge of the arroyo, was the Behemoth Wolf.

Its massive form loomed in the shadows, its fur bristling in the moonlight. One glowing blue eye pierced through the darkness, fixed directly on him, its gaze unblinking and predatory. The bright moon behind it cast an eerie halo around its silhouette.

The predator had found its prey.

You've got to be kidding me… how did it find me?

The Behemoth Wolf sprang from the ledge, landing heavily in the arroyo below.

Its massive paws hit the ground with a heavy thud as it began to stalk toward him, its movements deliberate and slow, as if savoring the hunt.

Evryn stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't know what to do. His mind raced, scrambling to find a way out, a way to survive. He had to think fast, had to come up with something, anything.

Then, like a flash, the memory of the unstable boulder came to him. If he could somehow lure the wolf closer to it, maybe… just maybe… he could knock it over and crush the beast. But how?

His eyes darted around, searching for anything he could use. The boulder was large—huge even—but it would take a perfect strike, a perfect moment.

The wolf's glowing eye never left him, its steps growing nearer.

Evryn slowly backed up, his breath ragged as he pulled the sword from his coat. His grip was shaky, but he held it in both hands, awkwardly trying to steady it in a defensive stance.

The sword felt foreign in his hands—he'd never held one before, let alone used it in a fight. But there was no time to think about that.

Before he could brace himself, the Behemoth Wolf lunged at him with terrifying speed, its maw open wide, ready to clamp down on him.

Evryn's eyes locked on the gaping hole in the bottom of the wolf's mouth—the wound Garran had dealt it in their previous battle, a reminder of its vulnerability.

With a surge of panic-fueled adrenaline, Evryn swung the sword up, using it as a desperate shield. The wolf's teeth collided with the blade with a deafening crash. The force sent Evryn flying backward, his body slammed against the wall of the arroyo.

He winced in pain as the impact shook the earth beneath him, gravel and pebbles raining down from above. The collision left him dazed, his back aching from the brutal blow.

But then it hit him—a wild, reckless idea. What if he could use himself as bait? If he could get the wolf to send him crashing into the wall where the boulder teetered on the edge, maybe, just maybe, he could trigger it to fall.

His body screamed in protest, pain flaring through his back. But with the wolf closing in on him, there was no time to think—he had to act.

The wolf was furious. Before Evryn had a chance to brace himself, it slammed its head into his, barely giving him enough time to lift the sword to his side to shield himself. The impact sent him hurtling toward the boulder.

Evryn crashed onto the ground, his back hitting hard. He scrambled to get back up, using the sword as leverage. Coughing violently, saliva spilled from his mouth as he tried to shake off the pain.

The wolf charged again, but Evryn quickly darted away from the boulder, his legs burning with every step. The wolf, faster than ever, cut him off and rammed its head into him once more, sending him flying into the arroyo wall beneath the boulder.

The impact shook the ground beneath him, gravel tumbling down as the boulder wobbled dangerously above. Evryn coughed up blood, his chest and back screaming in agony from the blow. His heart hammered in his chest as the adrenaline flooded his veins. He couldn't let the wolf win.

With a scream of defiance, he shouted at the wolf, "Ahhh!" Trying to provoke the beast into one final charge.

The wolf, enraged not only by Evryn's survival but by the mockery of his scream, lunged forward. Its mouth gaped open, head tilted to the side, ready to tear him apart.

"Shit!" Evryn cursed, just before raising the sword sideways to block the impending strike.

The wolf collided with him, crashing into the arroyo wall with a bone-rattling impact. The ground trembled from the force. Evryn gritted his teeth, using every last ounce of strength to hold the wolf's jaw in place with his sword. His arms and shoulders screamed in protest as his muscles burned and tore under the strain.

The vibrations from the impact caused the boulder to shift precariously, its balance failing.

Evryn knew that if he didn't act quickly, the boulder would crush them both.

With a growl of frustration, the wolf began to pull back, but Evryn wasn't letting go. He braced himself, holding the wolf in place as the massive rock above them teetered dangerously.

This was his plan all along.

By running away from the boulder, he knew the wolf would follow—predictable, driven by instinct. All he had to do was bait it, hoping it to attack in a way that sent him exactly where he needed to be.

It was a gamble, and Evryn won it. 

The first strike, a brutal headbutt, had launched him toward the boulder—just as he had hoped. And now, with the wolf lunging at him with its jaws, the final piece fell into place.

Evryn locked eyes with the beast, a bloody grin stretching across his face. His gaze burned with a silent declaration—Checkmate.

With a thunderous crack, the massive rock came crashing down, sealing their fate.