The creature stands on its feet and throws itself at the huntress, flailing its arms wildly once more. Having been hit by a similar attack, she evades the blow and launches a few punches into the creature's face. The monster tries to swipe at her, but she jumps back and performs a high kick straight to the side of the head. The creature nearly loses its balance, but it grabs the huntress by her ankle and hoists her into the air. Cyrene stomps into its head multiple times. While the blows proved to be momentarily effective, the monster was still able to toss her away. The huntress lands on her shoulder and looks up from the ground. She sees the creature stumbling toward her brother. The monster raised its arm and formed a fist. Cyrene leaped up from the ground and sprinted toward it. 

“NO!”

She slides in front of her brother and shoots her head upward, a shimmering glow encapsulating her crimson eyes. Her body begins to move on its own. She raises her arms as though she was defending herself with a blade of her own. A manifestation of energy forms within her hands and constructs a blade of her own. The monster brings down its arm, crashing it into her newly formed blade, sending her on one knee. She was shocked to see her new armament and quick to regain her composure. She steadily gets to her feet and slashes at the beast's claws.

SCHWING SCHWING SCHWING

Both huntress and beast trade three sparking blows, trading its claws against her sword. One final horizontal swing was dealt at the creature, pushing it far back with a massive gash embedded in its torso. When the short exchange concluded, the huntress recollected herself, her curiosity driving her to the appearance of the weapon.

The sword formed in her hands was a thick longsword dyed a deep black with a very slight curvature. The blade was covered in cuts and incisions of various lengths and widths that traveled from the base of the sword to the tip. Her sword's guard was jagged, as it was formed by the incisions protruding from the sword's frame. Her weapon's guard and handle were both dyed a deep red.

While inquisitiveness played a powerful beckoning force, she pulls herself back. Her eyes run through incisions that travel up to the blade’s peak. The huntress' examination was halted when she raised her head and saw the creature approaching. Cyrene grips her blade tightly and advances toward her adversary with a hardened scowl. She raises her mantle over her mouth while taking an offensive stance similar to her brother.     

"C'mon!" 

The meager vessel sprints forward in an unrestrained manner, stomping past corpses of diced beasts. Once again the beast grinds its claws into her sword, but it is to no avail as a newfound strength possesses her. She breaks the exchange with a swipe of her sword, cutting some of its fingers off and forcing it to jump back. Unwavering, the monster charges at her again while flailing its arms in frustration and pain. Cyrene huntress tried to attack it but could not find an opening among the plethora of feral strikes. The huntress was forced to dodge for the time being.  

“Hold still!”

Cyrene slid behind the creature and delivered slashes at the monster’s back. These attacks only proved to bolster the anger of the abomination. The two traded blow after blow until the huntress began to notice something peculiar. The bulbous areas of its body began to expand, more specifically, one spot to its right was expanding more than the others. When the smaller pimply areas began to shrink, its bodies began to slowly heal. Cyrene glares down the larger bulbous area and makes a beeline toward it. Instinctively, the beast knew of Cyrene’s plan and immediately began to guard its weakness, pushing against the woman.

“I’m so tired of you!” 

Clashing her sword against both of its arms, she uses all of her might to push forward and break through its defense, cutting through its large bulbous point. Green viscous liquid spews out and onto the ground. The monster groans in pain, hobbles forward, and falls to the ground; parts of its body dissipating into an ethereal vapor. Cyrene turns back and glares at her opponent, slew in front of the forest. She lets out a sigh and lowers her mantle.

“Finally..."  

Reluctantly, her eyes set back on the weapon in her head. She raises her blade to inspect it once more, but the conjured sword swiftly fades away from her grasp, leaving Cyrene dumbfounded. She opens, shuts, and looks at her hand, but the armament would not reappear. She tried to force the weapon to appear by tightening her muscles, but again, it would not spawn.

“What the..."

Seconds after the blade disappeared, a wave of exhaustion washed over the huntress. Her face contorted with pain and her body recoiled. She groans as her muscles spasm mildly, aching with great discomfort.  

Her head peers over to the forest which leads to the Silent Grotto. Her eyes also spot the unusual blade from before, resting several meters outside of the forest. With the initial thrash of pain subsiding, she bends over to pick up the weapon. Her thoughts are plagued with the mysterious antics performed by the merchant. Angered, she stomps her foot and beckons to him, shouting into the forest. 

"Hey, creep! I hope you were watchin' that! Get out here cause you're next!"

The huntress was met with silence as a response. Cyrene thought to call him out again.

“You dropped your sword while you were running away! Were you that scared of me?! C'mon! Show yourself!"

Again, no response. Her anger subsides and she sighs.

"Damn it...!"

A low-sounding groan echoed from the huntress’ previous location, causing her to snap her attention backward.

"Dad...?"

Cyrene sprints back to her downed brother. She kneels and hoists him on her lap. Cyrus awakened but was still heavily dazed. His face was coated with dirt, sweat, and blood. His vision revealed a hazy image of his sister.

“Cyrene? Is that you…?” He asks, nearly out of breath.

Cyrene softly weeps at his damaged state.

"Cyrus...!"

“Cyrene...! Oh... thank goodness you’re safe…!”

She holds his weak body closer to her own. Cyrus' blurry vision surveys what little it could around her.

"Wh-where is that man...?"

"Don't worry, he's gone. You're safe now."

His eyes slowly lock with her weeping gaze. Cyrus manages to smile softly, easing his sister’s heart. 

“You sound troubled... what seems to be worrying you...?" He asks, weakly.

"Are you kidding me?" She cried. "It's you! What were you thinking, fighting all of these monsters by yourself?! What would've happened if I didn't make it here in time?!"

Cyrus could feel tears falling from his sister's face and landing on his own. Her cries pierced through his heart. The soft smile faded from his face and Cyrus' vision began to dim considerably.

"I... apologize..."

The huntress stares at her dazed brother. She can see him gradually losing consciousness once more and his head drooping further into her grasp.

"Dad...!" She gasps.

Once again, the hunter passes out, blood dripping from his damaged body. Cyrene stands and lifts her brother's weighty body with ease. The young woman faces her home that lies in the distance. She looks down at him once more.

“I need to fix you up, quickly."