Snarling and quick, the beast darted forward and slashed its paw at the muse. The muse rolled beneath the strike to take cover behind a thick tree with specks of light drifting from it. A paw crashed into the tree, but the tree held strong.
The blow created a crack in the tree that spread around the trunk into a diamond shape. The muse pulled the broken chunk off the tree and ran into the forest. It shaped handles into the shield to hold it. Running behind another tree, it kept an eye on the beast while it worked.
A speck of light drifted by the muse, and its eyes were drawn up to the leaves of the tall tree. The trunk of this tree was not as thick, but the leaves were large and triangular. The muse checked on the beast and then leaped to pick a leaf from the tree, shaping it into a long blade.
When the muse looked up again, the beast was gone. It had kept its eyes down for too long. The world fell still and silent, with not even the rustle of a soft wind to stir it to life. Turning slowly, carefully, the muse’s eyes searched the forest. When the twigs on the back of its neck stood up, the muse leaped away, just in time to avoid being pounced on from behind.
Eyes on the beast, the muse stood with its legs bowed and held the shield between them. Sword in the air, it was ready to strike.
“Come on then, you cursed blight, I’ll not let you consume this human!”
The monster arched its back, then roared at the muse and charged. This time it snaked toward the muse, bouncing from side to side. It swiped with its massive paws, mangled with too many claws. The muse ducked and dodged, only once putting up the shield to block. A claw banged against it, and a loud gong throbbed through the forest. Backing away from the muse, the beast shook its head, yelping in pain.
The muse touched its forehead to the shield to see from where this tree had sprouted. It was a memory of the human’s father.
“You should always live like the world you want to see. If you don’t want people messing with you, don’t go around messing with other people,” he said.
“Oh, shield, you will serve me well.” The muse planted a kiss on the shield, then raised its weapon again. This time, the muse charged at the monster. Somehow, it did not seem so dangerous anymore.
The beast jumped and tried to slash at the muse, but the muse spun and bashed the shield against it. Another gong rang from it, and the monster fumbled around in pain. The muse charged and leaped high into the air. The beast’s tail had grown fluffy with massive hairs like sharp needles. The tail missed, but the beast’s paw bashed the muse and swatted it to the ground before it knew what was happening.
Like a meteor, the muse crashed with a loud bang. A cloud of dust billowed from where it landed. The muse emerged from the crater to a beast hot on its trail. The monster viciously snapped its jaws at the muse, who put the shield up to defend. Teeth hooking around the shield, the beast tried to pull it off, but couldn’t. It only managed to flail the muse around and then toss them both away.
The beast charged again, but the muse put up its shield and charged right back. The beast skidded to a stop. It lashed a tongue out to grab the muse’s leg, yanking it to the ground. The muse swiped at the tongue and sliced off the chunk wrapped around its leg. A wild shriek from the beast scratched at the muse’s eardrums.
Instead of letting the beast try to find an opening again, the muse charged and bashed the shield against its shoulder. Again, the monster backed away, shaking its head. The beast spun for another swipe of its tail, but the muse was ready. Leaping into the air, it dove into the beast with the sword, driving the blade through its chest.
A powerful shriek pierced the air, and the beast’s body flailed. Its arms and legs kicked and clawed at the ground, but it could not free itself from the blade through its heart. It died quickly, and the black ooze melted off its bones. The leftover muck slowly evaporated into ash. This was the first dangerous idea larger than itself that the muse had conquered. Soon, it was left standing before its skeleton with a sense of awe.