Megan's heart pounded in her chest. Her muscles ached and sore, sweat covered her from head to toe as she dodged yet another blow from her seemingly tireless opponent. Feeling it coming Megan ducked, created a platform under her torso and shifted to the left just in time for a second ape to miss hitting her by the merest of margins. As Megan straightened a third ape's punch came at her again from an angle she could only sense and not see, Megan twisted yet again using a platform as leverage and managed to take the blow on her shoulder just as she dodged, minimising the damage.
It had been a few weeks since Megan had started training herself using the Golden-Haired Apes and she could now handle two at the same time quite easily. Unfortunately, in her current situation, she had managed to attract three apes at once. Megan suspected that the apes were getting suspicious of the number of apes going missing over the last month and were upping the number of apes on patrol and gathering resources as the missing apes were unable to be replenished in a timely manner.
Little wonder considering Megan had started with one a day for the first week, then upped that number to two a day for the next six days which now brought her to her current predicament where she had three apes to deal with. Megan's body flashed around, too fast to be seen most times. In addition, she was working on an illusion technique that caused an afterimage of herself to remain in place as she evaded attacks, confusing the apes and even sometimes causing them to land attacks on each other.
Megan was a whirlwind of motion and efficient momentum, every attack timed for maximum effect, her weapon a blur of white-hot core energy light as it shifted form from long blade to staff to club and all other weapons and improvised formations. Sometimes a Hook for grappling, or a Whip used to distract an ape, gaining time to dodge another. Megan's mind expanded to encompass her surroundings, calculate avenues of attack and instigate movement to produce results. Every action taken had dire consequences for her enemy as they attacked with overexaggerated and predictable motions. Megan ducked a fist to her left and slashed the wrist of that arm. She performed a platform assisted jump to avoid the leg trying to sweep her off her feet from behind, backwards somersaulting and landing behind the attacking ape and coming down to the ground while sweeping a conjured blade down their back, then dodging another shoulder barge attack from the third ape, giving the ape a slash from shoulder to hip to show for it as it passed. With those two apes temporarily out of the fight as they faltered in pain Megan focused on the first ape, first ducking back from a swinging fist then quickly dashing forward under the legs of the ape then had a platform not only lift her up behind the ape but at the same time spin her whole body while holding on to her staff with a sharp spear point so that the momentum of her spin tore apart the ape's back all the way up until with a final push and scream Megan shoved the point into the back of the apes skull.
Megan quickly dismissed the spearhead on the end of her staff and made an impossible form assisted dodge at an angle that looked completely unnatural as she shifted diagonally up and back, ending into a somersault that landed feet first on the shoulders of the ape behind the ape attacking her. Enhancing her strength she mercilessly stabbed down with another hastily conjured spearhead on the end of her staff. The last ape whipped around just in time to see Megan twist the staff embedded in the head of the other ape. As the deceased ape under her pitched forward, she used a combination of the momentum from the fall, and a form assisted leap to travel toward the remaining ape at speed so fast Megan became a streak of blurred motion that ended with her staring the ape directly in its beady little black eyes with her spear poking from the top of its head and the life drained from the beast as it slumped over, dead.
Megan was left trembling, breathing heavily and wincing in pain as she examined her injuries. Despite the increase in difficulty with three apes at once Megan had emerged victorious, no broken bones, no cuts, just bruises, sore muscles and exhaustion. These things Megan could cope with well enough and to a certain extend ignore them with willpower and pushing beyond her limits. Megan had found those limits a few times so far and each time the recovery was faster.
Megan was ready.
After resting for a few hours Megan felt ready to start the next part of her plan. She was about to learn a very important lesson. No plan survives contact with the enemy.
Megan emerged from her improvised training arena planning to get a good night of rest before starting her ultimate plan to win in the morning. Whether it was a move born from instinct or her subconscious she somehow was able at the last moment evade the blow from a rock thrown and it hit her shoulder instead of the back of her head.
Megan staggered and was just recovering when another rock smashed into her elbow. Megan quickly realised that she was being surrounded by apes and every single one of them had packs of rocks they were now using to throw at her as they closed the gaps in the circle of apes encroaching onto her current position. Thinking quickly Megan performed a platform enhanced leap directly up in order to grab the lowest viable branch then, dodging apes coming at her and rocks flying in all directions, some of which did connect with various places on her body.
Megan barely managed to get ahead, but when she turned to try to make it to the river a veritable wall of rocks would come flying at her from all directions and she would have to turn back, it only took another two tries to escape in other directions until Megan realised that the actions of the apes were not trying to harm her but seemed to be to direct her in a certain direction. Megan quickly also realised this direction was pointing straight to the main camp of apes.
Resigned to her fate and in the knowledge if she went all out, she should be able to escape even in the entrapment of the main camp Megan allowed the surrounding apes to herd her toward the largest cluster of apes in this section of the dungeon and one particular ape that was waiting impatiently.
As Megan emerged from the forest near the clearing around the main camp of the Golden-Haired Apes she blinked in astonishment. All the remaining Golden-Haired Apes were present and sitting passively on the ground in a huge circle surrounding the cave entrance, in front of her was a gap revealing a thin passage through the crowd that lead to a large, cleared space closely resembling the natural sandy arena she had recently been fighting in.
In the centre of this space, standing tall on both musclebound legs, his arms crossed in front of his massive chest was the Alpha Golden-Haired Ape. He made for an imposing sight, strong and indomitable, a leader that led from a position of power that it held over all he surveyed.
Megan cautiously entered the circle of apes, and they closed ranks behind her, making escape impossible. The Alpha ape looked at her with disdain in his eyes, believing her to be weak and defenceless. If she wasn't then why would she have been using all of these underhanded tactics to bring down his tribe, one by one, like a weakling!
Imperiously raising his hand, he pointed a clawed finger at her then bent to point at himself, he then pantomimed what was obviously someone fighting and one falling to the ground, then pointing at the cave entrance and kind of waving motion like he was suggesting when one of them lost the other would go into the cave for some reason.
Megan wasn't interested in a smelly ape cave but knew she was going to need to fight the Alpha to escape this situation. Megan squared her shoulders, took a fighting stance and indicated her acceptance by nodding her head once, keeping eye contact with the Alpha.
The Alpha nodded back with something almost resembling respect, but full honours would not be granted unless she could show her strength, and not the silly strength that comes from hiding in shadows and ambushing prey, no. This fight would pit Megan's strength against his own and he knew without a doubt that he was stronger than this weak little creature.
The Alpha stood straight upright from his crouched position on his hind legs, then in an effort to intimidate Megan quickly beat at his chest while roaring to the sky. Megan felt subtle form of core energy trying to manipulate her emotions, Megan assumed the roar carried a technique to create fear and lower her concentration. She allowed the technique to pass over her subconscious without acknowledging it and the Alpha looked a little peeved as it lowered itself and squared its shoulders as it decided to charge Megan and end this quickly.
Megan of course had anticipated this move a long time ago and calmly looked on as the Alpha bore down on her. sand flying out of small craters being formed from each heavy footfall as the Alpha approached faster than any beast had come at her before.
Staying calm and timing her next move perfectly Megan performed a form assisted jump up as the Alpha reached forward to grab her throat, then to the incredulity of the surrounding ape audience, Megan lightly touched down on the Alpha's wrist and proceeded to run forward up the Alpha's arms! Reaching far enough Megan performed another leap and this time used the Alpha's still extending arms as the platform, causing the arms to lower and the Alpha's head moved into the perfect position to crush it's nose when Megan's knee connected with it. Megan came to a standstill midair as all the massive amount of momentum managed to be absorbed into the Alpha's squishy face appendage.
CRACK!
The sharp sound rang out like a bell and the Alpha flipped backwards onto his back, bright red blood arcing and landing behind him as his back slammed to the ground. Silence reigned around the clearing containing the ape camp. All the apes looked on as the Alpha quickly regained his wits and flipped back to his feet. Rather than looking pained at the broken nose there was excitement in his eyes as he reached up and casually twisted the abused olfactory organ back into place, a large-fanged grin spreading across his face.
The Alpha did not look particularly hurt but definitely moved more cautiously as he decided to take this fight more seriously.
Megan studied the Alpha Golden-Haired Ape closely. The Alpha certainly was much larger than the rest of the apes but appeared relatively on par with the some of the strongest apes in their tribe. But there was something different and Megan didn't want to go all out until she identified what that difference was. To this end Megan allowed the Alpha to circle her looking for any weaknesses, but Megan was very careful to only allow her confidence and willpower to leak into the environment, making her seem arrogant and presumptuous.
Sensing this the Alpha roared as it surged forward towards Megan, insulted that its own arrogance and might was being put to question by such a puny little weak thing like this skinny hairless looking ape.
Megan leaped aside using a form assisted dodge which appeared to just make the Alpha angry and before Megan realised it she had the back of her head gripped not by any of the Alpha's hands but captured by one the Alpha's feet!
The grip on the back of her head tightened and Megan managed to grab onto the Alpha's wrist as he raised her whole body off the ground and brought Megan's face up level with its own. Megan's sense of smell was overwhelmed for a moment by the stench of decay. old meat and fruits all mixed with the copper tang of blood and ape saliva as the Alpha opened wide his mouth and proceeded to roar directly into Megan's face.
Regrettably Megan's mouth was slightly open as the Alpha's hot and fetid breath blasted over her face, disgusting ape spit getting into everything, into her mouth, blocking her nose, peeling back her eyelids and even getting deep into her ears all this causing her to go blind, deaf and mute and she choked and gagged, vomit reflex working overtime.
Suddenly Megan's world turned upside down, spun and then came crashing down as pain blossomed from her shoulder as the socket dislocated and she hit the ground so hard she bounced back in the air before landing on the unforgiving ground again.
Megan choked, coughed, gagged and wiped at the viscous stinky fluid with her one good arm, fearing the next blow that would end her life. She struggled until she managed to see through one eye and was taken back at the antics of the Alpha. He was posing for the audience! The alpha was more interested in strutting in front of his tribe of apes as they heaped praise of his fighting prowess, throwing fresh fruit and pretty flowers at his feet. He is not even taking this fight seriously, Megan thought furiously to herself. Summoning some core energy Megan scraped her face with a sharp construct, managing to get herself back into the fight. Megan's fighting spirit was triggered by this blatant disrespect her thoughts focused on a singular purpose. Win this fight and show this ape who was the boss. Megan straightened up and the ape turned to glare at the audacity of this puny creature getting back up after he put them in their place.
Megan narrowed her eyes and focused. Using two form constructs to hold her arm in place she violently twisted herself and *POP*, the arm returned to the correct position. Bruised, hurt and humiliated Megan switched tactics and threw herself back into the fight.
What next ensued was a battle of strength and endurance and unfortunately these were not strengths that Megan had much of at this point. Realising this fairly quickly Megan stuck to quick movements and dodging the attacks, whatever she did, she could not let the Alpha directly hit her or the fight would be quickly over. Megan ducked, dodged and evaded with all her being. She trusted her instincts and managed to avoid damage but could do little else as the Alpha, punched, kicked and generally beat down on her, putting her at a distinct disadvantage.
Despite not being directly hit it didn't mean Megan was able to avoid all damage altogether so she switched tactics yet again and increased the tempo, straining to go quicker, hit harder and dodge every attack flawlessly.
*THUMP*
Megan entire reality was focussed so tightly that the strange thumping sensation that vibrated violently through her very being almost caused her to stumble and take a deflected blow to her side that caused to fly backward. But Megan was not worried about this, there was something happening deep within her core, in the deepest recesses of her soul. something was emerging.
*Thump* *Thump*
What was that noise? The Alpha did not seem to be aware of it...
*THUMP*
*Thump* *Thump*
Megan's world seemed to be expanding beyond anything she had ever experienced. She fought on and on, each movement becoming more precise, more efficient.
*Da THUMP* *Da THUMP*
*THUMP* *THUMP*
The vibrations were becoming so intense, why was this happening now, what was going on...Megan lost all conscious thought, and darkness was all she could see. Everything went numb.