Talon’s POV 

In my muscles and my lungs burned a forest fire. Others might have collapsed, exhausted and pained, but not me. Instead the fire drove me to fight more ferociously, to strike back harder. 

I gripped the monster’s immense horn, as large as myself, and used all my strength to hold the beast down on the ground—perhaps even break its horn. For once, the muddy terrain of the Deep Woods played to my advantage, sucking in my feet and making it harder to move me, but the shiny black armor covering it was too tough by far. Smoke rose where my hands touched its armor, but it just wouldn’t die. It only grew more enraged. With an ear-shattering screech it whipped its head and tossed me through the air. Stars flickered in and out of my vision when I hit one of the ancient trees back-first. The behemoth rhinoceros beetle approached, clicking and hissing as though it were cursing me. 

I tried to get back up, but now the muck was holding me down. Too slow. All I could do was brace for its attack. 

A figure burst from the trees and grabbed the monster’s horn, slowing it down as it dragged him, leaving gashes in the mud. It gave me enough time to regain my footing—and then I realized just what was so wrong about this picture. 

“Wait, what the fuck!?” I blurted out. “What are you doing here?” 

“Saving your life,” the Greshan snorted. 

I reassumed my fighting stance. “Unnecessary. I don’t need your help and never did, Greshan dog.” 

“It’s Elian! Eh! Lie! In! If anyone should be givin’ nicknames, it’d be me, since I don’t even know yours ye—” 

“Shut. Up! Is now really the time for meaningless chatter!?” As the Greshan kept the bug slowed, I slammed my palm into its hard carapace again, just beside the eye. The Greshan gasped at the heat radiating from me. The monster bucked and shrieked as the meat within the carapace cooked, but the Greshan held on tightly. 

“Oi, watch where ya swing that! And a thank you would be nice!” 

“I didn’t ask you for your help. You will only get in the way. Cheap tricks do nothing here!” 

“Maybe ya didn’t ask, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need—wagh!!” 

The monster flicked up the shell covering its translucent wings. With a rumble I felt in my chest, its wings began to vibrate, and it slowly ripped itself from the much lifted off into the air—with Elian clinging to it. His hazel eyes widened and he looked to me. 

Fucking idiot. I didn’t ask for his help, and now this happens. Before the monster ascended too high from the ground, I reached out for the fool, until something knocked me out of the way. 

A blur in green and brown pushed me aside and leaped for the monster. “ELIAN!” it screamed, reaching…only to fall short, as the monster ascended several feet from the ground. She stopped and stood, trembling with emotion as she gazed up at the airborne beast climbing higher and higher, and her friend now clinging to it for dear life. 

She was thin, to the point I briefly mistook her for one of my own people, but her red hair, green eyes, and the freckles splashed across her pale white skin were all Greshan features—or maybe one of the foreigners who moved to Gresha, I couldn’t care which. She was clad in a dress in the Greshan style, the green and brown shades most seemed to wear, and that was enough. Upon seeing her, I could barely contain my rage. 

“Why were you two even here!?” I snapped. “Are you so daft as to play hero in the Deep Woods of all places? Do you realize how dangerous it is? Are you two completely without sense!?” 

She flinched, then returned my glare. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. The girl opened her mouth to speak, only to choke on her own words, finishing with an emotional groan. I rolled my eyes. Without another word, I took up my war bow and strung it. 

My newly-crafted bow, made with the phoenix’s feathers and bones. As I drew the bowstring, magical energy danced along my fingertips, causing them to tingle as though electrified. Contained within the feather and bone whispered echoes of the phoenix’s magic and soul. My soul murmured to them, and they chattered back, responding. I squinted at the shrinking silhouette of Elian and the monster, and aimed.

The girl grabbed my arm. “What are you doing!? What the fuck!” 

Elian, why did you need to bring your girlfriend here!? She’s going to get us all killed! “Don’t. Touch. Me.” I bared my teeth at her. 

“Do you know why so few from your city and my tribe are allowed in the Deep Woods? Why no one has ever seen the Land of the Gods?” I demanded as I leaned towards her, a predatory grin crossing my face. “It’s because if you venture too deep in, the landscape comes alive and moves. The curse of Hallow Zaya, they say. No one has ever managed to navigate it, and even skilled hunters can become lost and starve. If the monster gets too far away, you will never. See your friend. Again.” 

“So you’re going to kill him!? Are you insane!?” she shrieked. 

“He’s a warrior. If he’s strong, he’ll survive. And if he’s not…better than starving.” 

“No! No! No it’s not!” her weak fist slammed into my chest as the tears in her eyes flowed freely. “Th-that’s not how people work! He’ll die from that height! You’ll kill him, you heartless bastard! You’ll—you’ll kill him…” 

She hit my chest, again and again, sobbing and hiccuping. I ignored her and looked back up at the sky, where I saw my fears confirmed. The monster, and Elian, were now tiny in the sky. It was unlikely I’d be able to hit them from this distance. 

I pushed her off me. “Well then. What do you suggest we do?” I asked. 

“There must be another way,” she insisted. 

I rolled my eyes. “Wonderful! Our two first options are no longer feasible because of you, and your sobbing and screaming does nothing to help. So I’m all ears; show me this miraculous ‘other way’.” I planted my hands on my hips and waited, as she fidgeted beneath my cold gaze.