The path to the Cliffside differed only somewhat from the Grotto. Although there was a fair portion of surrounding woodland, the sudden lack thereof is what differentiated its appearance from the Grotto. Only half an hour after traveling from the hamlet to the Cliffside, and the more Cyrene’s view of the area expands, the region's life diminishes. The number of trees dramatically decreased with some fallen and others procuring burn marks on its timber. At the center of the Cliffside was a crater expanding meters across the ground, slightly swaying the land’s elevation. A small wooden bridge had been built across it; the materials for the structure could be seen lying beside it. Cyrene could not help but feel captivated by the destruction that encompassed her. Her body shifted in all directions to view every piece of transformed land. 

Her footsteps ringing across the hardwood bridge, she continues to survey the area, only for her to spot something peculiar underneath the bridgework. She jumps down into the crater and kneels, inspecting a peculiar footprint with three digits cemented in the earth. She gently runs her fingers across the surface. It felt cold yet mushy.  

She stands up and looks in the direction of the footprints, the set of them leading to the border of the cliffside. The huntress advances, an overcast of clouds beginning to pour in. The pink-orange tinge of the sky found crevices to see through the darkness, spreading what little light it could onto the land below. 

She catches sight of a shadowy figure at the corner of her eye, barely losing track of it as it sidles behind the trees of the adjacent forest. She draws her blade and scans the area. 

“Whatever you are, get out here now," she demands calmly.   

She paces the ground, scanning the environment.  

CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH

The crinkling of dead leaves made her body sway to the right. She grips the hilt of her blade tighter, but upon seeing the being, her heart starts to race. The huntress felt herself growing breathless, her guard gradually lowering.  

Emerging from a blindspot of the bridge, was an entity lacking in all facial qualities; their nose, eyes, mouth, and ears, completely gone. Its body was ghastly, with peculiar, green, bulbous spots scattered across its exterior. The creature’s robotic-like movement helped inch itself closer toward the huntress. Despite the fallen bramble and varying altitudes assisted in its many crumples toward the ground, it continued to stand and reach out for her.  

The young woman steels herself, pulling her sword closer to her chest and refortifying her guard. The very presence of this new beast brought worry to her core. Despite the distance between the two being many meters apart, she could feel its presence, its body pouring an aura of malintent. Her eyes did not keep off the creature. The huntress was so disturbed by its appearance, she began to hear her heart accelerating and felt a cold sweat emerging. She trembles, urging her body to stand firm and ready for the monster to strike. Her fingers clenched the hilt of her sword, but she started taking several steps back. The creature fumbled forward, picking up a small amount of speed. When it finally reached arm’s length, it threw its entire body at the huntress. Its strike, however, was slow and clumsy. Confused, Cyrene steps to the side and watches as the monster fumbles to the ground. It now attempts to stand back up, while the young woman raises her brow.  

“What?!” 

The fiend stands again, this time with a burst of speed possessing it, lunging at her a second time. She clenches her teeth and holds up her sword to block its overhead strike. Its claws clang against her steel, shooting sparks across the material. The huntress felt her body’s stamina drain almost instantly as she held back the monster's hand. Cyrene raises her other hand and pushes it back against her blade’s edge, providing additional resistance, and driving the monster back. Though her opposition appeared partially effective, the creature did not appear to be struggling. Cyrene peers straight into its non-existent face, struggling to hold her ground.  

“Why’re you so damn strong…?!” 

The raging sparks of clashing armaments partially hinder her sight. The monster reels its other arm back during the struggle and forms a fist. By the time her eyes peered over to see the arm, the attack was too close to block. Instead, she braced for impact as the blow crashed into her stomach. 

Saliva flies out of her mouth, and her body tumbles a few meters back. She reels on the ground, groaning and coughing. The young woman sluggishly rises, snarling as she aims her head up to face the beast. Irate by the monster’s hidden strength, she suddenly sees it awkwardly sprinting in her direction. In the nick of time, she rolls out of the way, sending the fiend crashing into the tree. The force of its collision completely cracked the tree; a thunderous collapse of both timber and beast followed. The creature became partially impaled with wood, but it does not stop it from rising from the ground and pulling the debris out of its body. The monster continues after the huntress. 

Cyrene swiftly collects herself off of the ground and holds up her blade, ready to combat it once more. She can only trade a few slashes with it, dodging its other clumsy attacks before it lunges straight at her again, forcing her to block. The blow from the attack sends her sliding on her feet. Luckily, she manages to stop at the edge of the precipice. The huntress turns her head to see the edge of the cliff, then snaps back to face the monster, who was preparing to make another charge. Cyrene stumbles to her feet, holding her sword at her side. She furrows her brow and strengthens her poise. She goads the monster with a gesture of her hand.

“Come on!” 

The beast charges, flailing its body as it staggers towards the woman. Cyrene waits for the monster to get close enough, before dashing in its direction. At the right time, she shifts to the side. The young woman slides underneath its flailing arms and drives her blade across its leg, tearing slovenly through its ghastly flesh. The monster’s careening becomes wilder, and its speed could not be slowed down in time. The creature staggers, plummeting off the Cliffside and plunging into the waters far below. Cyrene's muscles ache as she shuffles over to the cliff, inspecting if the monster survived. Luckily, she did not find any signs of her enemy. Now engulfed in a bubble of silence, the huntress attempts to walk back to her village, but the pain from her body halts her, dropping her to one knee. The young woman's head droops to face the earth and she gasps for breath. Yet only seconds after her battle was done, her ears were greeted by the sounds of clapping. 

“What a way to leave me at the edge of my seat, lady! Great job!” 

Cyrene raised her head to search for the sound of the mysterious voice. She drives her weapon into the ground and pushes herself upward, dragging herself on her feet, trying to find the source of the noise. The huntress lifts her head higher and her sight falls upon a shadowy figure looming above the treetops. It was her beloved spectator from the bazaar, the merchant.