Stone Monkey stood at the edge of the pit into the hollow expanse of the mountain, and let out a sigh. It had been almost 3 hours since Aldr had entered the pit.
'Well, jokes on him. I wasn't kidding when I said there was no way out.'
He chuckled to himself and turned around. And then went back. He started to pace back and forth.
'Were my jokes really that bad? He didn't have to go and throw himself to his death...'
He grumbled.
'...and my foods gone too.'
He looked back to the empty nest, where the raven had fled in it's plagued state.
'Well, all meat is doomed to turn rotten anyway.'
He chuckled at his own joke. And then his stomach growled.
'Goddammit.'
He stared back down at the pit and grit his teeth slightly.
"What's the better choice...jumping into a pit faced with almost certain death, starving to death, or jumping into the mist faced with almost certain death. Geez, I miss when I used to be brave and strong and..."
He just let out a sigh.
The thick silence of the peak was rather overbearing. Though he had grown accustomed to it, he didn't exactly find solace in it either. Yet that silence was pierced. The clattering of metal. He swiftly turned around. Facing a pair of soldiers, covered head to toe in gleaming white armor.
'Guests…'
Suddenly, Stone Monkey smiled. Some of his teeth were like fangs. Baring themselves at the soldiers.
"Come to play?"
In the mossy caves, Hunter and Aldr found themselves at a stand still. A fork in the road, two tunnels going in different directions. As the ringing ominously grew louder. Aldr grit his teeth. Then hunter chirped up.
"They both lead to dead ends."
Aldr stared at him. Raising his eyebrow.
"How do you know that? For what we know, it could be…"
"You don't know what it is. I've been here for much longer. There is nothing else here. Nothing but a dead end.
"Then why did you—"
"I was hoping to hide. But it found us quicker than I thought."
The echoing of the bell only got louder, it's mysterious melody worming its way into Aldr's brain.
'How long could I even fight that thing?'
He turned back and gripped the bone sword.
"Fine. Then we fight."
Hunter let out a sigh as he turned back. Looking towards the dark expanse. No footsteps turned into a few. And the corner around the way started to illuminate slightly, as the bell drew close and it pierced through their minds, Hunter remained unphased, looking steadfast towards the corner before vermilion sparks burst from Aldr's body and he took a deep breath, regaining control over himself.
'A steadfast mind...'
He closed his eyes for a moment and channeled his will to create a small mental barrier. As he exhausted his mind and willpower more, Hunter picked up the giant club. And the monster that had been seeking them emerged from the shadows, now illuminated by the soft glow of a lantern, as the noiseless air was pierced by a ringing bell.
The creature was humanoid, though only in shape. It was hunched over, draped in black robes and cloaks, hiding it's disfigured figure. Disgusting pulsing hands dripping green blood clutched the lantern in one hand and the bell in another.
'Those robes...'
Although Aldr should have been focusing on it's horribly disfigured body. He instead found himself drawing his own attention to the robes on the creature. Those, were the robes he had worn when he came to this world. Though not identical, the creature's robes were torn and worn down.
He looked up from the robe's and focused on the grotesque form of the creature. It's skin was dark green and it's fingernails long. It's face was only slightly visible through the cloak, but he could tell, it's face was almost melting off.
Aldr took a step forward. But Hunter held his hand out.
"It's waiting for us to make a move."
"Yeah. I noticed. But if we wait, what exactly will change? A brainless monster doesn't know patience. It can just stay still forever."
Hunter sighed.
"Do as you wish."
Vermilion sparks dashed around the air, coalescing around Aldr's feet as he burst forward while Hunter just stared.
"Fool..."
He took a deep breath, and golden sparks started to crack across the air, before coalescing in a beautiful dance around his body. As they sparked and formed together, Hunter lifted the bone club and exerted his will onto it, covering the bone with the same sparks.
His body burst forward with eruptive strength, following behind as Aldr swung the bone blade at the beast.
'Come on...'
The blade almost reached the base of the beast's grotesque neck, but he was met with nothing, the blade hadn't reached a shield. It had simply stopped, and so had he.
'No...no, what is this...'
He grit his teeth and tried to tug his own body, but couldn't. He couldn't speak, couldn't scream. The ringing broke down his mental barrier and started barraging his mind. Ringing viciously from wall to wall. His ears almost burst, bleeding from the intense pressure of the sound.
[Your mind is succumbing under mental pressure.]
[Your mind is damaged]
[Your mind is...]
The sparks formed again and again into words. But Aldr could no longer read them properly, his vision was blurry, he couldn't think straight. And then everything just seemed blank.
'Who am I...exactly?'
[You have entered a state of madness.]
Hunter watched as Aldr's body slumped to the floor, the torrent of red sparks never dwindled despite Aldr's form, they only seemed to sharpen and grow.
'How is...'
Hunter's thought was interrupted by the beast letting out a low chuckle.
Yet the vermilion sparks did not let up, sharpening the air into a cold knife. As Aldr slowly rose, his entire body was covered by the sharpened intent, vermilion plated armor shaping around his form.
The bone sword was gripped tightly as he looked up to the ceiling. Before staring at Hunter.
'...shit. That isn't-'
His thoughts were cut into again as his neck was about to be cut into by yellow ivory.
'Hmph.'
Hunter swiftly shifted his weight, backstepping the bone sword and swinging his club forward. Only for the club to bounce off the vermilion plated intent.
'Just what happened? His intent is sharp...'
Hunter looked towards the beast for a moment. Who had stopped ringing the bell. And grinned.
'...bingo.'
Hunter tanked a few slashes from the bone sword, which seemed to be lacking the reinforced intent the armor had before he took off. Leaving the bone club on the ground.
Aldr shifted his feet and caught up to him in a mere moment, tearing across the air in a storm of red sparks.