by Sam Ryder
I covered my ears as its bellow threatened to shatter my eardrums.
The alien, however, was calmly fitting another arrow to the bowstring.
That’s when everything went even more wrong.
The troll went berserk, lashing out with its fists, which smashed into the boulder with the force of an explosion, sending rock shrapnel flying. One chunk whizzed past my ear and I ducked anyway, though I was far too late. Only chance had prevented me from having my head caved in. Lying on my stomach, I peeked out from beneath the cocoon floating above me.
Oh. Crap.
A basketball-sized hunk of rock had broken off from the main boulder, propelled by the force of another trollish punch. I didn’t have time to do anything but cover my head with my arms and pray.
Bits of stone, slime, cocoon and other materials rained down upon me. When the worst of it seemed to be over, I peered between my wall of arms. Above me, the cocoon, which had seemed to take the worst of the blow, was sagging, ripped in half. What was left of the creature inside—he never had a chance, I thought—was spilling out. Like the lion, this creature had fur and claws, though it was much smaller and appeared to have more than four limbs. It bled orange, a waterfall of life pouring out of it. Two remarkably blue eyes settled on me. It blinked once and then it was gone.
I didn’t have time to ponder the meaning of life and death, because the hailstorm that was the troll’s rage continued as it tried to pound its way through the stone barrier blocking its path. The troll’s club lay on its side inside the boulder circle.
There was only one intact cocoon that remained. It was moving, the thing inside trying to get out like the rest of us had. Stay inside, I almost wanted to say. It’s easier that way.
Instead, I pushed to my feet and ran in a half-crouch around the edge toward the cocoon. It wasn’t bravery. It was selfishness. I didn’t want to be alone in this fucked up world any longer.
As I ran, I watched what was happening on the other half of the circle.
Another hunk of deadly stone rocketed toward the alien, who moved remarkably fast, using the bow as a bat to knock it away. Still, the force of the hit was enough to crack the bow in half. The alien said something in his strange tongue and tossed the useless weapon away, already grabbing for something else—a long spear.
Too late.
But not because of the troll’s tirade.
The attack came not from the shattering boulder or one of the troll’s fists, but from behind. Something leapt from the shadows, small and fierce. Its skin was the color of night, though the silvering rays of sun illuminated the spots of red on its hide. It was a flurry of claws and teeth, the latter of which sank into the back of the tall alien’s neck. The alien reacted as fast as he could, reaching back and wrenching the creature off him and slinging him to the ground.
The creature rolled over and righted itself, releasing a snake-like hiss. It stood on two back-bent legs and extended its two clawed forepaws. From behind, I could see the bony spikes that ran down its spine all the way to its tail, which snapped back and forth aggressively.
Like a godsdamn demon.
The Three Goddesses thank you for your service. I don’t know why Eve’s words came back to me thena, but they felt like a cosmic joke. Service? Service was when a cute waitress came by your table every five minutes to fill your water glass in order to gain an extra few percentage points on their tip. This was a killing field. How did dying serve anyone?
I obliterated all those thoughts in a second, because they weren’t helping. And my every gamer instinct was telling me the truth about this situation.
It was fruitless. Every gamer had experienced situations like this. When you thought you were ready, that your character had amassed the requisite weapons, level and skill to handle a certain scenario, only to arrive and realize you needed to go back to the easier levels and play a while longer to build yourself up. Usually I was stubborn in those scenarios, dying two or three times before biting the proverbial bullet and going back. Playing as a character had allowed me to take the risks I was never willing to take in real life.
But this was no game, even if it felt like one. Dying wouldn’t result in a restart back at the beginning, or at some checkpoint. Dying was final.
The Three Goddesses thank you for your service.
“Screw you, goddesses,” I muttered, ripping at the final cocoon. I needed to get out of here, and fast, but that didn’t mean I was willing to abandon whoever was still trapped.
Adjacent to my position, the injured troll continued to pound away at the boulder. Thankfully, the angle of his punches was such that the resulting shrapnel missed us.
Across the area, the tall alien leapt onto the demon, grabbed its small, angular head, and twisted. The creature collapsed in the dirt, twitching slightly.
This dude is a badass warrior, I thought. I hoped I’d get the chance to get to know him better. Perhaps we’d be able to help each other out.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. While I continued to rip at the final cocoon, his head twitched to the side, as if sensing something. He turned quickly, but not quick enough. This time it wasn’t one demon, but many. A dozen—a horde.
They clambered up his body with surprising agility given their small stature. They attacked from all sides, slashing at his ankles with razor-sharp claws, biting at his wrists and elbows as he howled and tried to dislodge them to no avail.
For one stupid second, I had the urge to rush over to the weapons rack and grab a sword and help him.
It was suicide, and I had whoever was in the cocoon to think about. Someone who I might actually be able to save.
My fingers, shaking now, broke through, and the someone was revealed. It looked to be a human. A woman. She was covered in slime, her eyes wide and fearful. I could only imagine how freaky it would’ve been hearing all the commotion without being able to see any of it.
Like me, she was hairless, even her scalp. Her arms bulged with muscles. Her legs too. She wore boy shorts and a sports bra that revealed her rock-hard abs. If I was a model on the cover of Men’s Fitness, she was on the cover of the women’s version.
I tried to help her out of the cocoon, but she screamed and lashed out at me, her fist connecting solidly with my jaw.
Damn, she could throw a punch.
My previous self would’ve gone down like a sack of potatoes, but my new self was full of hard bones and knew how to take a knockout punch. Instead, my head snapped to the side and I took a single step back.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—” I started to say but stopped when I realized her scream had drawn unwanted attention. Not from the half-blind troll, who continued to bash at the stone. But from a couple members of the demon horde. The rest continued to bite and claw at the male alien, whose legs gave way as he toppled to the ground, screaming.
Those two demons, however, cocked their heads to the side and aimed their beady, black eyes in our direction.
Oh. Shit.
They charged toward us, throwing their forepaws ahead and running on all fours to propel themselves forward. “We’ve got to go,” I said, but when I looked, the bodybuilder woman was already gone, having dropped from the cocoon and raced across the space toward the weapons rack. I watched as she snatched a spear and shield and ducked between two large boulders just before the next round of stone shrapnel tumbled from above. And then she was gone.
Let no good deed go unpunished.
I couldn’t go after her if I wanted to, because while I stood doing nothing, the demons had cut the distance between us in half, cutting off the space between me and the weapons.
Like I said before, there were times when retreat was necessary. This, I knew, was one of them.
I turned tail and ran, thankful for my new body and the added speed my sculpted calves and thighs gave me. I found my own crack between the boulders and slipped through, turning sideways even as the sides of each rock scraped against my bulk.
My heart
slammed inside my chest as the way forward narrowed even more. I squinted in the gloom, trying to see an outlet. Seeing nothing but darker shadows.
I’d picked the wrong crack in the boulders.
A dead-end.
Behind me, hisses and snuffling. I managed to turn my head to look, immediately wishing I hadn’t.
The demons entered the crevice easily. Their small bodies gave them plenty of room on each side. Still, they had to move single file, which was the only advantage I had. Weaponless and trapped, I would have no choice but to rely on brute force.
I’m a Warrior, I tried to remind myself. Level 2. Whatever the fuck that meant.
The first demon approached with greater caution than I expected. It’s small, bony head switched back and force, like it was thinking. Calculating. It made a small shriek and the one behind it responded.
Oh gods, they’re talking. Planning my demise. How best to kill and eat me.
The rest you’ll have to earn. Eve’s words to me.
Sorry, hot abductor lady, the only level-up I earned was the freebie you gave me. Nice knowing you. Thanks for the knockout kiss, it was the best of my short life.
I hadn’t really given up, but my own absurd thoughts helped to slow my heartrate slightly. I clenched my hand into a fist, ready to swing.
The attack didn’t come from the first demon, but from the second, which vaulted over its buddy, practically launching itself at me, claws extended.
It shrieked and I punched.
Its claws scraped across my forearms as it grabbed for me, but that didn’t stop the momentum of my powerful blow, which slipped between its outstretched arms and barreled into its face. There was an audible crunch, and its head snapped back viciously, sending it sprawling into its friend.
I might only have one chance at this, I knew. I shoved back the way I’d come, ignoring the scrape of pain from the jagged rocks tearing at my skin, stomping on the demon I’d punched, trampling it in my haste to flee. The second one, however, was quick to right itself, hissing at me as it bared a mouth full of needle-like teeth.
After my first demon encounter, I felt confident I could knock those rows of teeth right out of its head.
Until the reinforcements arrived.
They swarmed behind the first, filling the gap I was planning for my escape.
My heart sank.
The demons pressed forward, a line of dark flesh and glinting claws.
Something brushed past my ear, and at first I thought one of the demons had scaled the cliff for a sneak attack. It wasn’t a demon.
It was a rope.
I looked up. Though the silver sky was beginning to darken, the silhouette of the figure above me was immediately noticeable. “Climb!” a voice shouted.
The demons seemed to realize the situation had changed, and rushed forward, biting and scratching each other in their haste to grab me.
Although I had nightmarish memories of that exercise in gym class where everyone had to try to climb a rope, it had never been life and death before. And though in high school I’d never gotten more than a few feet off the ground before my arms began to shake and I lost my nerve, dropping to the padded mat, now I was brimming with muscles and strength.
Instead of just starting to climb, I leapt as high as I could, extending my arms upward and reaching for the rope. I felt claws brush past my bare feet, cutting into them like shards of broken glass, but I managed to kick them away.
My arms didn’t so much as quiver as I grabbed the rope and hauled myself up, hand over hand, instinctively knitting my feet around the rope to maintain balance. Even still, the rope swung, bashing me against either side of the narrow crevasse.
I glanced down, which I know you’re not supposed to do, but I needed to see whether my enemies were in pursuit. They were. Of course. Some were scurrying up the rope while others simply used the rough rock walls to climb.
They were good climbers, but not better than me, and I managed to gain on them using my longer arms. Sweat sheened my skin. My muscles tired, but not enough to stop me. I had something I’d never had before: stamina.
And then strong arms curled under my arms and dragged me the rest of the way up. Soft lips brushed my ear and hissed, “We have to go. Now.”
I didn’t have the time or need to inspect my savior as she—because it was clear it was a she now—shoved me forward and across the top of the boulder. As I ran, I felt her firm hand press against my bare lower back as she settled in beside me.
“Where are we—”
“To the other end of the boulder ring,” she said, guessing my question before I could finish it.
I didn’t like the answer.
Because at the other end of the boulder ring was the half-demolished stone structure that had become the enemy of the massive troll. Then again, there was a horde of murderous demons pursuing us, so…
I guess this was a situation where the rule about the lesser of two evils applied. Then again, was a furious one-eyed troll with fists the size of delivery vans really the lesser of anything?
With no other choice, I ran, propelled to even greater speeds by that firm hand on my back.
Ah, I thought, finally seeing the truth. The troll had apparently spent the last of its fury and was now slumped on the ground in a sitting position, staring at its knuckles, which were bruised and bloody. Sharp pieces of rock stuck out like shards of glass jammed into a street thug’s baseball bat.
Behind us, the demon phalanx chattered. Making plans. Perhaps exchanging recipes for eyeball stew or penis kabobs. Never overcook the cock or it will become overly chewy.
Even in my own warped mind, the joke fell flat. I felt nauseous.
I began to slow as we approached the drop off to the boulder that had become the troll’s punching bag. “Jump,” she said.
“It’s too fa—” I started to object, but before I could finish she gave me a monumental shove that took away any chance of skidding to a stop at the edge.
It was far. Like twenty feet. Enough to break both my legs if I landed wrong. Both arms if I landed right.
My body, however, seemed to have a mind of its own, knowing exactly what to do, like it had practiced thrill-seeking drops on a daily basis. My knees bent slightly and instead of trying to arrest my fall atop the chewed-up boulder, they crumpled forward naturally, sending me into a front somersault.
That’s not to say it didn’t hurt. Because it did. A lot. Rocks stabbed into my bare feet, knees and shoulder, but I didn’t break anything or die. That was a victory in and of itself.
And then, because she was completely out of her mind, that female voice said, “Jump again. To the ground.” Like it was a suggestion and not a command followed up by another powerful shove that sent me to the side and off the damaged boulder.
This drop was somewhat shorter—maybe ten feet—and I landed in a half-crouch, using one hand to steady myself. Blood and sweat flowed freely down my skin. My feet were torn up from the demon claws and rough terrain. There was a thump beside me and I finally got a glimpse at the woman who had saved me.
Rather, the creature. It was clearly a she based on the humanesque anatomy, but there was little else human about her. She had a mane of pink hair that curled around her chin, and eyes as red as the dying embers of a fire. Her skin was as black as ink, contrasted only by her white teeth.
Her hands and feet were both bare and clawed. Not like the demons, which were more animal than human, but like human fingernails filed to sharp points. She wore armor that was more form-fitting than the bulky medieval stuff one usually equipped their warriors with in fantasy games.
Her arms and legs, however, were bare, allowing herself the greatest mobility while also protecting her vitals. She looked, well, fricking awesome.
That was my three-second analysis, which was all the time I had, because the troll had released a grunt of surprise when it finally noticed our presence.
Round two, I thought, though it felt like round ten.
This time, I didn’t wait for the armored woman to shove me forward. I ran. By now, I’d figured out the plan. Because I’d played games like this. Games where, when faced with two enemies that could both end you, your best chance was to change the very nature of the fight.
So I didn’t run away from the troll, or parallel to where it was sitting. I ran right at it, my arms pumping at my sides, my legs firing like pistons.
It raised a meaty, blood-drenched fist. Its one good eye locked on me, narrowing slightly.
The instant before it brought the sledgehammer blow down, I dove to the side. The impact was like an earthquake, rattling my bones as I rolled away. The black-skinned woman had not been idle. She’d raced past the club and now grabbed the crook of my arm to haul me to my feet.
The troll bellowed as it tried to extricate its spiked club from the ground. Meanwhile, the sound of demon shrieks and screams came closer.
I didn’t look back.
The boulder field continued as far as the eye could see, an endless expanse of cracked earth and huge rocks. We weaved our way through seemingly at random, but somehow I knew this woman didn’t do anything at random. She’d plotted a course in her mind and was sticking to it, not hesitating once as she turned left or right at each new intersection.
Despite my stronger body, I was beginning to tire, my lungs burning in my chest. I gritted my teeth and followed as best as I could, taking in more of her form as I ran. The plate she wore was less like armor and more like a skirt and tank-top made of thin, molded metal. She was tall and fit-looking, but less muscled than the bodybuilder woman who’d abandoned me after I’d helped her escape from her cocoon.
The new woman’s legs went on for miles.
Her skin was so dark it was like the absence of light—a walking silhouette.
Shit. I’d lost her. I knew it as soon as I rounded the next boulder and had another choice to make—left or right—and didn’t see any sign of her.