[Scene: Quinster Shore]
The stars were fading.
But the tension was not.
The boat had docked, ropes secured, boots hit mud—but no one moved forward yet.
Seth Gohan stood stiff near the boat, staring at the capital ahead.
A straight path. Wide. Clear.
But his face said what the path didn't.
Fear.
Katrina, arms crossed, cocked her head.
Katrina (unbothered):
"So what? It's the main gate."
Seth shook his head hard.
Not in frustration.
In warning.
Seth (low):
"You don't get it."
"We just… can't go through that."
His voice wasn't trembling—but something behind it was.
Eron stepped beside him, hand light on Seth's shoulder, eyes steady.
Eron (gently):
"Is there something… there?"
Seth's jaw clenched.
He nodded.
Then raised his eyes toward the treeline near the capital gates—like the memory itself had teeth.
Seth (quiet):
"The guard there… it's no ordinary soldier." "It's a man-eating beast." "Taller than ten feet." "Flesh like iron. Speed like a shadow."
A silence followed.
Until—
Rhask, leaning on his sheathed greatsword, snorted.
Rhask (grinning):
"Ohhh. I've heard of those."
"Man-eating monkeys or something, right?"
"Big, hairy, ugly, all bark."
He tapped his sword's hilt.
Rhask (chuckling):
"I can take 'em." "One hand. Half-asleep."
Master Madhav smiled faintly.
Not mocking. Not amused.
Just… proud.
Ashen, standing beside Katrina, tilted his head. A ghost of a smirk danced across his face.
Ashen (internal):
"These people are monsters… in the best way possible."
Madhav turned back to Seth, his tone calm, but commanding now.
Madhav:
"How many?"
Seth:
"Just one."
That was all Rhask needed to hear.
The barbarian threw his head back and laughed.
Rhask (grinning wide):
"One? One?!" "Brother, I can take ten if they walk in a line." "It's settled then. We're going through the front."
Seth blinked.
Not out of disbelief.
But out of sheer awe.
He'd seen knights break ranks at the rumor of that beast.
He'd seen caravans reroute for weeks just to avoid its domain.
And these people…
They wanted to face it head-on.
Eron, still beside the old man, tightened his grip on his shoulder.
Not aggressively.
But like an anchor.
Eron (soft):
"It'll be okay." "You've guided us this far."
Seth's lips parted—then closed again.
His throat worked to swallow something.
Pride. Hope. Memory.
All tangled.
He nodded.
And ahead of them—
The capital gates loomed like titans.
[Scene: Quinster Capital – Main Gate Approach]
The air had changed.
From salt and wind to tension thick enough to chew.
Whisper's Light stood at the edge of the road—just hundred meters from the towering gates of the Quinster capital.
Their target.
And their test.
The gate itself was massive—towering three stories high, carved with runes and gilded in old gold.
Arjun narrowed his eyes, whistling.
Arjun (half-impressed):
"Looks like it's made of pure gold…"
"Or a really good fake."
Rhask, sword slung across his back,
Rhask:
"Forget the door."
"Where's the damn beast?"
Ashen, arms folded beside Katrina, tilted his head skyward.
Ashen (dryly):
"Maybe it's sleeping."
"Maybe we won't have to fight."
Wrong.
Very wrong.
WHAM.
A massive shape dropped down, shattering stone tiles with the impact.
Dust blew across the field.
The ground trembled.
The thing straightened slowly—massive, hunched, muscle-wrapped like it had swallowed thunder.
Jet-black fur matted in places, scarred in others.
Arms like bridge cables.
Clawed hands the size of war shields.
Its eyes—deep red.
And then—
It growled.
Low.
Vibrating the teeth in their jaws.
Eron stepped back on instinct.
Seth, behind them, was already pale.
Seth (barely whispering):
"It's still the same… after all these years…"
But Rhask?
Rhask grinned wider.
Like he'd just met an old friend.
He unslung his greatsword—a 4-foot slab of steel, thick down the spine.
Rhask (to no one):
"I was hoping it'd be ugly."
And the beast lunged.
So did Rhask.
No hesitation. No warning.
Just collision.
The monkey's claws came fast—one from the side, the other from above.
Rhask ducked the swipe, spun mid-sprint, and slammed his blade upward—
CLANG!
Steel met claw.
Sparks flew.
The force shook both of them—but Rhask held.
He dug his heels into the dirt, laughing under his breath.
Rhask:
"You've got some meat behind those swings…"
The beast roared.
Rhask roared back.
And round one had just begun.