The beast snarled, a sound so deep it rumbled in my chest like a storm in the mountains.
It lunged.
The dwarf dove sideways, tumbling behind a fallen tree, while I rolled in the opposite direction, narrowly avoiding the snap of its monstrous jaws.
"Nice dodge, lad!" the dwarf barked, axe gripped in both hands. "For a twig, you've got some legs on ya!"
I didn't respond, I was too busy surviving.
The white beast spun mid-air, landing with shocking grace despite its bulk. Its tail lashed like a whip, claws carving up soil as it locked onto me again.
"Oh come on, I'm not even that chewy!"
It pounced.
I dodged left, then ducked under a paw the size of a small shield. It caught the edge of my tunic, tearing it, the force tossing me like a ragdoll against a tree trunk.
Pain exploded in my back.
Before I could recover, the beast was on me.
I barely managed to raise my sword to block its jaws, the teeth clamping down just inches from my face. Its breath reeked of blood and rot, and its weight crushed the air from my lungs.
I was pinned.
Trapped.
Then...
The letters on my arm began to glow. Brighter than ever before.
A heat surged through my veins. A pressure built in my chest, my vision fading into white cracks.
"No, not now..."
I gritted my teeth and shoved, the tattoo spiraling down my arm pulsing like a heartbeat.
A shockwave exploded from my body, rippling through the air like a thunderclap. The white beast was launched backward, smashing through a tree before skidding across the dirt.
The forest went still.
Even the birds stopped chirping.
"By my beard…" the dwarf whispered, stunned, mouth slightly agape.
The beast groaned, trying to rise.
The dwarf didn't give it the chance.
With a thunderous cry, he charged, his axe raised high.
"BACK TO NATURE WITH YA!"
Steel met flesh.
The axe embedded deep into the beast's neck. It let out one last gurgled growl… and collapsed.
Motionless.
Dead.
I lay on the ground, chest heaving, blinking at the sunlight streaming through the trees.
"That" I gasped, "was horrible."
The dwarf stood over me, wiping blood from his axe with a scrap of cloth.
"You're tellin' me. I thought I was about to be cat food. Then you go and explode like a bloody spell-bomb!"
He squinted at me.
"What are ya, lad?"
I sat up slowly, rubbing my ribs. "Still figuring that out."
He offered a hand. "Name's Borin. Borin Blackstone. Hunter, merchant, part-time axe enthusiast. And you are?"
"Kai." I said, shaking his hand.
"Nice to meet you."
"Nice to not be a red smear thanks to you." Borin replied with a grunt. "So, uh, you live around here?"
"I've got a camp not far from here. You can rest up, get some food."
His face brightened like a kid at a feast. "Food? You are a miracle worker."
The walk back was quiet but tense, none of us spoke much, all still shaken.
Kurokami emerged from the shadows at my side like nothing had happened.
"Oh great, now the mutt shows up." Borin muttered, eyeing him warily.
"Don't worry." I said, scratching Kurokami behind the ears, "he only eats the bones."
When we reached camp, the fire pit still smoked gently from earlier. I pulled down some smoked boar meat, wrapped in thick leaves, and handed Borin a generous strip.
He bit in with a grunt of approval.
"Hell, this is good! Tastes better than half the taverns I've been to."
"Years of watching survival shows pays off in the afterlife." I said with a shrug.
He blinked. "What?"
"Nothing." I replied quickly, chuckling.
"Born here. Grew up around the edges."
He gave me a long look. "Huh. You don't talk like someone from the provinces. But alright. Your secret."
I sat down beside the fire, tossing a scrap of meat to Kurokami, who snatched it mid-air and settled down to chew.
Borin leaned back against a log wall, satisfied.
The sun dipped behind the trees, painting the sky in hues of orange and violet.
"You should stay here for the night." I said. "We'll head back to the cart tomorrow, see if anything's salvageable."
He gave a lazy nod. "After the day I've had? Sounds like a damn fine plan."
The fire crackled between us, the scent of roasted meat lingering in the air.
And for the first time since I'd woken in this strange world…
I wasn't alone..