"Do you remember me?" Varik's voice was cold, steady, almost reverent as he held the enormous greatsword across his body like a wall of steel. His breath curled into the night air in pale clouds, rising slowly in the fog-drowned snowfield.
The Pale Maw recoiled a step, its white-furred body twitching with animal confusion. For the first time Gray had ever seen, the monster flinched. Its pupil-less eyes narrowed, its lipless mouth twisting into what might have been recognition or disdain. It made a guttural noise, almost a laugh but strained, as though forcing memory through rotten lungs. The fact that Varik had blocked its strike seemed to disturb it as much as the words themselves.
A hand grabbed Gray by the shoulder, pulling him upright from the snow where he had fallen. Korr stood there, axe in one hand, face grim but determined. Snow clung to his beard and hair, but his grip was steady.
Gray panted and muttered, "Thanks."
Korr helped steady him, then glanced forward toward Varik and the towering beast. "What do we do?"
Gray's hand tightened on his katana. The lone tree in the middle of the white field swayed in the wind, its branches skeletal against the pale mist. "Varik said he could handle it himself."
"Yeah," Korr grunted, pulling the axe from his belt. "But I don't buy it. Not for a second."
Gray managed a tired laugh. "Me neither. We should help him."
Korr glanced at him sidelong. "Earlier, when you tried to use your Vyre… something happened. What was it?"
Gray glanced at him for a while before shaking his head, brushing snow from his arm. "It was...nothing."
But in his mind, the thought lingered like a wound. His darkness was weaker, far weaker, here in the open snow. Without shadow's, without places to pull from, all he had was what he could conjure in his hands. And with how much he had already wasted on Frozen Veins, his strain stability gnawed at him. He could feel it. This fight would be worse than any before.
He forced a breath, set his jaw, and together they dashed forward to help Varik.
Varik however, stood calmy before the Pale Maw. His greatsword gleamed in the torchlight, a slab of steel as tall as a man. The blade was battered, lined with faint scars, yet carried with it an oppressive weight. His armor was thick and dark, lined with fur at the shoulders, dulled not by neglect but by use. His expression was one of quiet rage, etched into every scar of his face.
The Pale Maw shifted back and forth on its two legs, claws dragging through the snow, its skeletal grin widening. Varik's hand touched the old scar at his neck, the mark the monster had left on him decades ago.
"This time," he whispered, eyes narrowing, "I am the one who will win."
He surged forward with surprising speed. The greatsword cut through the night with a heavy arc, and though clumsy in its swing, the sheer force of it made the Pale Maw retreat. Each swing was a hammer blow, clanging against the beast's claws as sparks burst in the cold air. The ground shuddered under his steps.
The Pale Maw slashed back, its claws darting like razors, but Varik's strikes kept pace. Every clash sounded like stone splitting under a chisel, and though his blade seemed too heavy for human hands, Varik moved it with unnatural surety, as though the weapon itself belonged to him and him alone.
Gray and Korr skidded to a stop near them, snow spraying under their boots.
"Why are you here?" Varik barked as his sword scraped against the monster's chest, pushing it back.
Korr spat in the snow, raising his axe. "Because you're not the only one who lost people to this thing." His voice cracked with old anger. "I want my revenge too."
Gray raised his blade, shadows licking faintly along the steel. "We fight together."
Varik's eyes widened slightly, his mouth opening but not saying a word. In the end, he didn't say anything. Denying people of revenge was a great punishment in his mind.
The three of them gathered before rushing the Pale Maw at once.
Gray and Korr flanked while Varik pressed the center. Their blades met fur, claw, and bone, sparks flashing, snow scattering under their feet. The Pale Maw was fast, far faster than something its size should be. Its claws darted like daggers, intercepting blows with mocking ease. Yet with all three pressing it, the tide began to shift.
Korr roared, swinging his axe in a brutal overhead chop while Gray lunged low, shadows sharpening his sword's edge. Their strikes landed together, cutting across the Pale Maw's torso. Purple blood sprayed into the snow, steaming where it landed.
The creature screeched, staggering back. Its claws lashed out wildly, catching Varik and hurling him aside. The Kaan crashed into the ground, his blade skidding across the ice.
"Varik!" Gray shouted, but the Pale Maw's focus was already on them.
Korr tightened his grip. "Then it's our turn."
The two fought in unison, Korr's raw strength complementing Gray's sharp, darting blows. Korr blocked heavy swings, his axe clanging against claws, while Gray slipped into the gaps, striking fast. Each cut drew more of that glowing purple blood.
But then the Pale Maw's leg lashed out, catching Korr in the chest. He flew back, smashing into the lone tree with a thundering crack, snow pouring down from its branches.
"Korr!"
Gray stood alone.
He forced darkness to swirl around his sword, weaving it tighter until the blade shimmered sharper, hungrier. He raised his other hand and spread Vyre into the snowfield. Darkness bloomed in the air, a veil of blindness around the Pale Maw. Its eyeless sockets darted left and right, confused for a moment.
"This is it," Gray hissed, charging forward. His blade cut through the haze, a finishing strike meant for its throat.
But the beast reacted. Its claw slammed into his stomach mid-charge. The impact ripped the breath from his lungs. He flew back, tumbling across the snow, vision blurring. The world spun. His chest screamed in pain as he tried and failed to rise. His sword lay just out of reach.
"Gray!" Korr's voice roared through the field.
He was already on his feet again, axe in hand. He met the Pale Maw head-on, his body stronger, tougher than Gray's. Each clash shook the snow, axe against claw, steel against bone. Unlike Gray, he did not falter with every strike. He pressed harder, his arms flexing with raw power.
He feinted left, then brought his axe down in a brutal vertical swing. It tore through the Pale Maw's shoulder, carving deep until the blade hit bone. The monster's shriek echoed through the fog, high-pitched and maddening.
Korr ripped his axe free and jumped back as purple blood poured.
But the beast's hand plunged into its own stomach. It dug deep, twisting until it yanked free a curved rib-bone, sharpened and slick with its blood. It raised it high, a sword of flesh and bone.
Gray's dizzy eyes widened at the scene. "What the hell…"
The Pale Maw lunged.
Korr barely dodged as the bone blade slashed past him, the air splitting from its force. He cursed, swinging his axe wildly, but was forced back toward the tree.
Snow crunched as he braced against the monster's strength. Its bone blade pressed against his axe, both of them snarling, the ground cracking beneath their feet.
Steam rose from Korr's body. His skin flushed deep red. His fingertips shimmered faintly silver, as though something unnatural lurked beneath his flesh.
With a guttural roar, he twisted aside, leaving his weapon buried in the clash. He grabbed the Pale Maw's rib-blade with his bare hand. Blood spilled from his palm, but he did not let go.
The monster chuckled, a wet rasp, before lifting Korr into the air and smashing him into the ground left and right. Snow exploded each time, Korr cursing between impacts. Finally it hurled him aside, sending him tumbling.
'Shit! I know it shouldn't have let them be involved!' Varik cursed quietly.
He stepped infront of the Pale Maw and wasted no time. He swung the greatsword up to meet the Pale Maw's attack, the steel ringing with a harsh, guttural clang that echoed through the ruined chamber. The impact rattled his arms, but he refused to give ground. His boots dug into the stone floor, dust spraying beneath his weight.
Varik shoved hard, wrenching the blade free and stepping to the side in the same motion. The Pale Maw slammed into the tree, wood cracking under its weight. He wasted no time, pivoting, he brought the sword around in a wide arc that carved across its flank. The strike bit deep, peeling away a layer of pale, leathery flesh. Purple ichor hissed as it spilled, coating the snow like tar.
But the beast barely faltered. It twisted with unnatural speed, weapon slicing through the air. Varik ducked, the sharp edge clipping strands of his hair. He rammed his shoulder into the creature's side, forcing space between them, then swung upward in a brutal two-handed cleave. The blow split through the arm it had raised to shield itself, bone snapping with a sharp crack.
A snarl tore from the Pale Maw's throat, more furious than wounded. It lashed out blindly, the force of the strike throwing Varik back several steps. He slid across the snow floor before steadying himself with a heave of his chest. His grip on the greatsword tightened until his knuckles blanched.
"Come at me you bastard." he muttered under his breath.
The beast lunged again, its body twisting unnaturally, serpentine yet massive. Varik met it head-on, both hands locked around the hilt, blade screaming as it caught against claws, bone, and teeth in a storm of sparks. For a moment, man and monster wrestled in the middle of nowhere, steel against flesh, willpower against hunger.
Varik's breath grew heavier, each swing slower than the last. But still, he pressed forward, carving new lines of black blood into the monster's hide, refusing to let his arms falter.
Varik swung once more, teeth gritted, but his arms quivered under the weight of the greatsword. The Pale Maw twisted mid-lunge, its claws raking across his forearm and throwing off his balance. His grip faltered, and the greatsword slipped slightly in his hands.
The momentum shifted instantly. The beast surged forward, overwhelming him, and Varik stumbled backward, crashing to his knees on the frozen ground. Snow and dust sprayed around him as he struggled to rise, the greatsword tilting uselessly at his side. For the first time in years, the Kaan tasted the sting of helplessness against the creature he had sworn to kill.
"Damn it...I'm still too weak to fight it." Varik muttered bitterly. His eyes closed, voice breaking. "Forgive me… for being weak."
The bone blade lifted high, ready to split him in two. Guards shouted from the distance, their cries useless against the storm of violence.
Then the weapon stopped.
A single hand gripped it.
Korr stood there, snow swirling around him. His entire arm gleamed silver now, steam rising in thick waves from his body. His grip tightened until the bone cracked under his hold.
Varik's eyes widened in shock. Even the Pale Maw paused, eyeless face contorting.
Korr smirked through bloodied lips. "Fuck you."