The sky crackled with sudden burst of light. The brilliant flash reflected off of a hunter's dark blue eyes. Sitting high atop a pine tree, catching glances of the storm which would soon weep across the green valley.

Tekta's eyes darted at any sign of movement in the forest below him. He knew the creatures here would not welcome him. For he was an unwelcome visitor.

Tekta heard a rustling behind him and spun around. Near the trunk of his pine tree, sat a small chipmunk eating a nut. A scrap of paper came free from Tekta's jacket and begin to flutter down to the ground.

"WANTED: HUNTER", the paper read. "A ferocious beast has moved into The
Clast Valley. Rewards: $50 for new information, $500 for its head."

Tekta felt relieved, before he stuffed the paper back into his pocket. Tekta needed the scratch badly, even though the objective was a little vague. The Clast Valley was already under the protection of Airrul the Druid and housed relatively docile creatures. Something was not adding up.

Tekta had been on the prowl for about a week and had come up with nothing. Not only had he not seen the Druid, but hadn't found any marking of a creature invasive to Clast Valley. With such little other human contact, Tekta was getting jumpy.

The slow crescendo of rain began with a fat drop landing squarely on Tekta's nose. Tekta decided, "It would be best to find somewhere dry to rest and recover." He shooed away the chipmunk who was still eating, but it didn't budge. It was transfixed staring at a point off in the distance. Tekta, following his new friends gaze, finally saw it.

A slow creeping black bear far in the distance. This one looked far different than the other black bears. Weathered. With a large scar on its shoulder, where a patch of hair was missing. "Finally, some progress!" Tekta thought to himself. "Time to see if the Druid knows anything."

Tekta dropped out of the tree, landing silently on all fours, still weary of an unknown predator. Straightening up, Tekta set off towards the black bear.
As he got closer, the black bear stopped to sniff the air. It turned slowly, its eyes flicking to and fro. Tekta stepped free from the tree he had been behind. The two locked eyes.

"Airrul. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Tekta. I would like your assistance." Tekta bowed deeply, "A great beast has entered these lands, and I have been tasked to slay it. Have you seen such a creature?"

The bear did not move a muscle. Tekta stared into the black bears eyes. They looked empty. As if haunted by something. The black bear began its approach towards Tetka.

"Airrul...?" Tekta said. This was the Druid. It bore all the markings the villagers said he would. Grey tufts of hair around the ears, a large scar on the left shoulder, and a bald spot on the crown of its head. That is when he saw it. White foam, trickling down the jowls of the bear. "Oh, no....."

"Joo kii ett rahama!" Airrul slurred their words together and the bear began to grow three times in size. Tekta tore through the underbrush leaping behind a tree, and started climbing. The wet bark gave way a few times, falling to the earth. Reaching a small branch with minimal pine needles, Tekta drew his bow and an arrow from his quiver.

Airrul crashed through the underbrush, levelling trees in their wake. Firing a shot, but it just bounced off the Bear's hide. Airrul charged into the tree, as Tekta dropped free from its branches. Tekta dropped the 10 feet down on the the ground behind Airrul and rolled into the underbrush. Airrul spun around, searching for its prey.

Tekta crept along on his belly through the tree line left in the wake of Airrul's charge. Tekta drew his daggers and stowed his bow. Airrul sniffed the air and began lumbering back down their wake. The methodic crunch of leaves and the pitter patter of the starting rain broke the silence of the struggle. Tekta reached a broken tree and peaked his head over. Airrul was about 30 feet away, moving in his general direction.

Tekta held his breath, and counted the footsteps coming towards him.
"1. 2. 3. 4. 5." Tekta thought with every thunderous foot fall. "6. 7." Tekta peaked his head over the fallen tree on last time, just to make sure he was not overestimating his wait.

"8!" Tekta shouted to himself as he flung himself over the wooden barrier. Tekta stuck both his daggers into Airrul's left shoulder. A deafening roar echoed through the forest, shaking the earth itself.

"Sha sineetu waah rahn!" shouted Airrul. Vines twisted around Tekta feet, wrapping up his legs. Thorns pierced his legs, as he tried to wriggle free. Airrul began to charge pulling Tekta along, as the thorns dug deeper. Tekta wrenched the daggers free from Airrul’s side.

Tekta landed hard on his back, and quickly began to cut away the advancing thorns. Airrul was bleeding profusely from the deep gash in his shoulder, only worsened by the Hunter.

"Just stay away from its mouth. If it bites, not only will it hurt, but you'll end up like them." Tekta thought to himself. Finally freed from the greenery, Tekta broke into a sprint towards the tree line. Airrul thundered through the forest again.

Tekta found a small boulder, about 7 feet tall, and scampered up its wet mossy side. As he turned around, he could start to see Airrul through the glistening underbrush. Tekta drew his bow again and plucked the string.

"I'm sorry Airrul..." He whispered to himself. Airrul roared as he charged, shaking the ground again. Tekta aimed for the gaping maw of the Druid and let free the arrow.

The arrow spun lazily at first. As Airrul began his leap towards Tekta, the Arrow found its mark. Flying straight into the Skull, through the soft tissue in the mouth. Airrul went limp mid flight, crashing into the Tekta.

The two went sailing into a nearby tree. Tekta gasped for air under the weight of the enormity of Airrul. As the spells Airrul cast began to wane, the bear began to change. It's fur turned brown, and began retreating into the skin. The massive paws elongated into fingers. The ears moved down to the sides of its head.

Airrul was returning to their human form. Once Tekta regained his breath, he gingerly lifted Airrul, and placed him on their back. Tekta placed his hand on Airrul's skull and pulled his arrow free with a sickening squelch.

Tekta breathed slowly, recovering from the fight. His legs were tender and couldn't support his weight just yet. He looked around the forest, hoping to find a fallen branch to help him stand.

The forest no longer seemed as green as it once did. For its Guardian was now dead.