Arthur woke to a sound that absolutely did NOT belong anywhere near a peaceful morning. It was a deep, dragging growl, mixed with the kind of shouting that usually meant someone had either (A) seen something horrible or (B) become something horrible. Neither option was great.
He shot upright in bed, immediately slammed his head on the wall, yelped like a confused goat, and rolled off the mattress entirely. His blanket wrapped around his legs like a curse. He struggled for a full six seconds before he ripped himself free, hair sticking everywhere like someone had electrocuted him.
Leon barged into his room, breathless. "My lord! Fields! Now!"
Arthur blinked. "F-fields? For what? Is breakfast there? Because I need—"
"No," Leon snapped. "Something is moving."
Arthur's stomach dropped. "Something like a peaceful cow… right?"
Leon did not answer.
Which was worse than answering.
Arthur shoved on his boots—wrong feet at first, of course—grabbed his coat, and followed Leon outside. The early morning air slapped him in the face like a bucket of cold water. Soldiers and villagers were already gathering, all staring toward the eastern fields where fog rolled thick and low across the grass.
The fog wasn't normal. It clung to the ground in heavy swirls, moving in ways fog absolutely SHOULD NOT move unless it was doing it on purpose.
Arthur muttered, "Fog doesn't… wiggle. Right?"
"No," Leon answered bluntly. "It doesn't."
Garran emerged from the rear with his sword already drawn, armor half-strapped like he'd gotten dressed while running. "Something's in there. Something big."
Arthur whimpered. "Why is something BIG always visiting us? Why can't we get something small? Like a bunny? A cute bunny that doesn't bite?"
Garran didn't even look at him. "This isn't a bunny."
A low, vibrating growl rolled out of the fog.
Villagers stepped back. A farmer crossed himself. One soldier muttered a curse that Arthur mentally noted to use later because it sounded satisfying.
The fog shifted—and something inside scraped against the ground like claws dragging through dirt.
Arthur forced himself to stand taller. "O-Okay… okay, we should… um… make a plan."
"That's the plan," Garran said. "Stand. Fight."
Arthur wanted to scream at him but now really wasn't the time.
A figure emerged from the fog, hunched, long-limbed, and breathing like a broken furnace. At first Arthur thought it was a wolf—another oversized one like before—but as it stepped further, his brain rejected that idea immediately.
It was wrong.
Its spine was too long. Its ribs showed beneath its skin like jagged hills. Patches of fur glowed faintly, almost like coals hidden beneath ash. Its mouth hung open, dripping something dark and sizzling when it touched the ground.
Arthur squeaked, "Nope."
Leon stepped forward, spear ready. "Stay behind me."
Garran added, "It's corrupted. Forest mana twisted. The relic must've stirred it awake."
Arthur threw his hands in the air helplessly. "WHY DOES EVERYTHING WAKE UP WHEN THAT STUPID RUIN HUMS?!"
The monster growled and took a step toward them.
Arthur instantly stepped behind Garran. "Okay, okay, I'm behind the big guy."
The creature's eyes flickered with faint blue light. Recognition? Hunger? Arthur didn't know and honestly didn't want to find out.
Leon crouched slightly and whispered, "My lord… it's testing us."
Arthur whispered back, "Tell it to stop testing and go home!"
The creature suddenly lunged.
Leon moved.
Arthur screamed.
Garran charged.
The soldiers panicked.
Everything became extremely loud very quickly.
Leon met the creature halfway with a burst of speed Arthur had never seen from a human. It was like someone snapped a rope and released a slingshot. His spear thrust forward, striking the creature in its shoulder. It shrieked—a horrible, broken-metal kind of sound—and recoiled.
Arthur slapped his hands to his ears, yelling, "NO NO NO NO I HATE THIS SOUND—"
Leon didn't flinch. He spun the spear, dodged a swipe of claws, and thrust again. The creature staggered backward, snarling.
Garran slammed into its side, pushing it further away from the villagers. "Hold the line!" he barked. "Don't let it near the houses!"
Arthur had no weapon. None. Zero. He grabbed a shovel off the ground because that was the only thing nearby. The shovel was rusty. Heavy. And absolutely not meant for killing monsters.
But he held it anyway.
He shouted at Leon, "If I die holding a shovel I want you to lie about it!"
Leon dodged another swipe. "You won't die!"
"PROMISE ME!"
"I PROMISE!"
The creature roared and lunged again—straight at Leon.
Leon twisted, narrowly avoiding its jaws. His spear clashed against teeth that looked far too sharp for anything that lived in a normal ecosystem. He pushed it off, but the force made him stumble.
"Leon!!" Arthur shrieked and ran forward without thinking.
It was a stupid idea. A very stupid idea. He tripped halfway, almost faceplanted, but momentum carried him forward anyway. He swung the shovel wildly, eyes squeezed shut, screaming the whole time.
The shovel hit something.
Hard.
The creature yelped, stumbled sideways, and Leon immediately seized the opening—driving his spear deep into its side.
The monster shrieked. Its glowing patches flickered violently. Then it collapsed to the ground with a thud that shook dirt loose from nearby fences.
Silence followed. Heavy breathing. A few coughs. One soldier threw up in a bush.
Arthur just stood there, shovel in hand, shaking so hard it rattled.
Leon turned, panting, and stared at him. "My lord."
Arthur whimpered, "I hit it… with a shovel…"
"You bought me an opening," Leon said. "That saved my life."
Arthur blinked. Tears stung his eyes. "I thought— I thought I was… I thought you were—"
Leon placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm here."
Arthur nodded quickly. Too quickly. He felt like a bobbing chicken.
Garran inspected the creature's corpse, jaw tight. "It's as I feared. The ruin's mana is disturbing beasts. More will come."
Arthur threw the shovel down and screamed at the sky, "CAN I HAVE ONE NORMAL DAY?! JUST ONE!"
The sky didn't answer. Rude.
A soldier ran up from the manor. "My lord! Someone is at the gate! A woman with white hair and pointed ears!"
Arthur froze. "Aeloria?"
"Yes, my lord!"
Arthur groaned, "What NOW—"
Aeloria walked briskly into the fields, her long white braid swaying behind her like a banner. Her teal eyes assessed the corpse immediately.
"This is bad," she said. "Corrupted beasts this close to your homes means the relic is calling out."
"I didn't CALL ANYTHING," Arthur protested. "I didn't poke anything today!"
Aeloria ignored that. "We need to investigate the relic again. Tonight."
Arthur shook his head violently. "NO. Absolutely not. No more poking glowing things! I'm still traumatized from yesterday!"
Aeloria gave him a long, patient, irritated stare. "The relic is unstable. If we do not inspect it, it could erupt."
Arthur blinked. "Erupt like… explode?"
"Yes."
Arthur fell to his knees. "Why is my life like this…"
Leon helped him stand. "We'll go with you."
"We?" Arthur squeaked. "Why do I have to go?!"
Garran answered, "Because it responded to you."
Arthur wished he could unplug himself from destiny like a faulty lamp.
Aeloria continued, "Before we leave today, I need to see the body more closely."
She crouched beside the dead monster, touching its glowing fur carefully. It sizzled under her glove.
"This is raw mana corruption," she said. "Not natural. Something below is leaking energy."
Arthur muttered, "Great. Amazing. Love that for me."
Ella suddenly appeared beside him, breathless and holding a jar of medicine. "My lord! I—I heard shouting—are you hurt? Is Leon okay?"
Leon cleared his throat quickly, straightening. "I'm fine."
Ella's eyes softened in relief. "Thank goodness…"
Aeloria glanced between them and raised an eyebrow, clearly noting something Arthur hadn't noticed yet.
Seraphine arrived next, elegantly stepping around the dead creature as if corpses were a minor inconvenience. "Well. That thing is hideous. You all look hideous too."
Arthur snapped, "Good morning to you too!"
She shrugged. "At least you're alive."
"Thanks, I guess?!"
Seraphine inspected Aeloria. "You must be the elf."
Aeloria responded coolly, "You must be the human."
"That's rude," Seraphine said, though she seemed amused.
Arthur felt a headache forming. "Please don't fight. I don't have the brain cells for it."
Seraphine smirked. "I don't fight without profit."
Ella huffed. "You shouldn't fight at all."
Aeloria bluntly added, "I will fight if I need to."
Arthur saw it—Ella glaring at Seraphine, Seraphine smirking, Aeloria observing both like a queen judging peasants. It was the beginning of something he absolutely did NOT want: romantic tension in front of a monster corpse.
He pointed wildly at all of them. "NO. Not now! We have a cursed ruin leaking magical garbage into our fields! We have Craymore sending raiders!! We have monster wolves turning into lava dogs!! Why are you all arguing?!"
Leon whispered to Garran, "He's snapping."
Garran nodded. "He's overdue."
Arthur inhaled deeply. "Everyone. Prepare. Because tonight… apparently we're going BACK to the glowing death cave."
Ella grabbed his sleeve. "Be careful."
Seraphine tapped her ledger. "Try not to die. It would ruin my investment."
Aeloria simply said, "Do not slow me down."
Leon slapped Arthur's back. "We'll keep you alive, my lord."
Arthur whimpered, eyes watering. "Someone please knock me out. I really don't want to be awake for this."
But he was awake.
And the ruin was calling.
And tonight… something inside it would answer.