From the other side of the forest, a massive amount of fireworks were released into the sky. One after another, they shot up, red streaks against the gray clouds. Five. Ten. Twenty. So many of them that for a moment, the sky itself seemed to turn red.
Then they heard it. The piercing shriek of the giant eagle beast, a sound of alarm. They saw it flying at full speed towards the area of the fireworks.
Ivan stood up, his half-eaten fish forgotten. His eyes were wide with horror.
"Fuck," he whispered. "Something bad happened there."
The twelve of them stood in a tense silence. They looked at the sky in the distance. The trees were tall, so they could not see anything. But the eagle was fast. It would reach the other side of the forest quickly.
"Should we go check?" Ivan asked. His voice was quiet.
Every head turned toward him. They looked at him like he had just cursed. Actually, cursing was normal for them. This was much worse.
"...You finally lost your mind?" Marcus said. His voice was a low growl. "That's the other side of the forest."
"Yeah, I know," Ivan replied. He still looked at the sky.
"Listen," Marcus said. His tone was sharp. He took control of the group's fear. "Protecting everyone is not our job. Our job is to protect our own people here. The twelve of us. Saving the others is the eagle's job. You just saw it go there. It will handle it."
"So? We just sit here and wait for our doom?" Leonardo asked. His voice was shaky.
"No," Ivan said, finally turning away from the sky. He looked at Marcus, and to everyone's surprise, he nodded. "Actually, Marcus is right. If the bear beast is on the other side of the forest, and that's what caused this... if it's heading toward this side, we still have like thirty minutes to prepare." He paused, his mind already calculating. "We'd probably have more, since I don't think it's heading toward us like it knows where we are."
He looked at each of them. He looked at the ones with bows. "So, it is like that. Lyraena, Lucinda, and Orion. You are our archers. The rest of us will face it head-on."
The others nodded. Their panic was gone. Now they had a grim purpose.
"Alright," Marcus said. He agreed with the plan. "Go grab your equipment. I made some spears in my free time."
The others moved to get their weapons. They moved with a new, nervous energy. Ivan stayed seated by the fire. He watched Marcus for a moment.
"Did you sleep, Marcus?"
Marcus was checking his nail-bat. He paused. "Huh? What are you asking, Ivan?"
"You stayed up all night. You were awake before me. Did you get enough sleep?"
A small smirk appeared on Marcus's lips. "Funny. Are you worried about me? You are not my girlfriend, princess."
"No," Ivan said. His tone was serious. "I'm asking if you can fight properly with no sleep. If you even slept at all."
"Listen, princess," Marcus said back. His voice was a low growl. "If I stay awake for a whole week, get sick, and my left arm gets cut off... I am still stronger than you. Don't worry about me holding you back."
"We have at least thirty minutes," Ivan said. He ignored the insult. "You can sleep for that amount of time. Just in case."
"Do I have to prove I am in good shape by beating your ass?"
"...No," Ivan said after a moment. "If we fought, we would be short one member."
"I will kill you if you think that member is me," Marcus snarled. But there was something different in his eyes. It was not anger. It was a type of acknowledgment. "Now go prepare your gear. You can chat with me later if you survive the bear beast attack."
Ivan stood up. He went to the cave and chose a long spear. It had a sharp stone tip. He equipped himself in silence.
---
On the other side of the forest, the giant eagle beast landed. The ground shook. It stood between many scared students and the big shape of the bear beast.
The bear roared at the eagle. The challenge shook the trees. The eagle screamed back. It was a sound of protection. It looked back at the students. Their protector was here.
They started to climb onto its back. More than twenty students scrambled over its body. It was not big enough for all of them, but it held them. The bear beast watched. It did not attack. It seemed to know that a win would still be a loss. It might get injuries that could kill it later. When everyone was on, the eagle beast flew into the air. Its wings worked hard under the heavy weight.
It landed back at the main command post. The instructors and medical team ran to help the students. The eagle beast fell to the ground. Its large legs bent for a moment from the effort. It made a low sound from its throat. It was like a tired groan, not a happy cry. One of the instructors put a hand on its beak.
"Rest for now," he whispered. "You have done enough."
---
The army of twelve kids equipped themselves. They took their positions. The archers—Lyraena, Lucinda, and Orion—climbed into the high branches of trees around the clearing. Their bows were ready. The others were divided. They hid in the thick bushes and behind rocks. They held their spears tight.
They waited. The rain became a light drizzle. A strange quiet came over the forest. After a long time, the sun started to set. The sky turned orange and purple. Then they heard it.
Heavy footsteps. A sound like thump... thump... thump... that made the ground shake.
Then, a big figure appeared at the edge of the clearing. The light of the sunset showed its scary shape. It was the bear beast.
It was a monster of fur and muscle. Its head was low. It sniffed the air. It was larger than they remembered. It was more scary.
Marcus stepped out from behind a rock. He walked into the open. He held his nail-bat in one hand. He stood there. He looked at the beast with a challenging expression.
The bear beast lifted its huge head. It let out a loud roar. It was a sound of its power.
Marcus just smirked.
"Come here, you bastard."