CHAPTER 146: ALONE TIME 2

{Scarlett}

The carriage stopped at the edge of a forest that looked like it had been designed specifically to murder overconfident adventurers.

Trees thick as houses stretched up toward a canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. Undergrowth tangled everywhere—thorny bushes, fallen logs covered in moss, suspicious rustling sounds coming from places Scarlett really didn’t want to investigate.

Kanna stepped out first, already scanning their surroundings with those calculating eyes.

Scarlett followed, trying to look confident and professional instead of like someone whose brain had spent the entire carriage ride screaming.

The driver tipped her hat.

"I’ll be waiting in Snowcille, if you wanna leave early. If not, I’ll be back tomorrow, like the lady said. Don’t get yourselves killed."

"We won’t," Kanna said, shouldering her pack.

The carriage rolled away, leaving them alone at the forest’s edge.

Scarlett adjusted her sword belt, cleared her throat, and tried to think of something cool to say.

"So....... Bears, huh?"

Nailed it.

Kanna pulled out the map Aegis had given them and oriented it with the landmarks around them.

"River valley should be northeast. About two hours’ walk."

"Cool. Cool cool cool. Let’s do that then."

They started walking.

The forest was humid and smelled like rotting leaves and wet earth. Birds called from somewhere in the canopy. Something small and furry scurried across their path.

Scarlett kept glancing at Kanna, trying to find an opening for conversation.

"Nice weather," she tried.

"It’s overcast."

"Right. But like, nice for hunting weather. Not too hot."

"Mm."

More walking.

"So you grew up in the mountains, right? Your family?"

"Yes."

"Must’ve been cool. Mountains. Fresh air. All that."

"It was cold."

"Ha. Yeah. Cold mountains. That makes sense."

Kanna stopped walking and held up a hand.

Scarlett froze.

"What?"

"Tracks." Kanna crouched, examining the ground. "Fresh. Large. Probably a male based on the size."

Scarlett looked down and saw what Kanna was pointing at—massive paw prints pressed into the soft earth, each one bigger than her head.

"That’s... big."

"Crystalbacks are big." Kanna stood, drawing her sword quietly. "Stay alert."

They moved forward more carefully now, weapons ready.

The forest seemed to get quieter. No more bird calls. Just the sound of their boots on dirt and leaves.

Then Scarlett heard it.

A low, rumbling growl that made her teeth vibrate.

"There," Kanna whispered, pointing.

Through the trees, Scarlett saw it.

The bear was massive—easily eight feet tall at the shoulder, with fur that seemed to shimmer with a faint blue-white glow. Crystal formations grew along its spine, catching what little light filtered through the canopy.

It was eating something. Scarlett didn’t want to look too closely at what.

"Remember what Aegis said," Kanna murmured. "Flank it. I’ll distract from the front."

"Got it."

Kanna moved left. Scarlett circled right, keeping low and quiet.

The bear’s head snapped up.

It had smelled them.

Kanna charged first, her blade already swinging. The bear roared and reared up on its hind legs, towering over her.

Scarlett ran in from the side, her sword aimed at the bear’s exposed flank.

She got maybe three steps before her boot caught on a root.

She went down hard, face-first into the dirt.

"Shit!"

The bear’s attention shifted. It dropped back to all fours and charged at Scarlett instead.

Scarlett rolled, barely avoiding a paw swipe that would’ve taken her head off. She scrambled backward, trying to get her feet under her.

The bear lunged.

Kanna slammed into it from the side like a gods-damned battering ram.

The impact sent both of them tumbling. Kanna lost her sword in the fall but didn’t even hesitate—she just grabbed onto the bear’s neck with both arms and locked her legs around its torso.

The bear thrashed, trying to shake her off.

Kanna held on, her muscles straining, her face set in grim determination.

She squeezed.

The bear’s roars turned into wheezing gasps. Its movements got weaker. More desperate.

Kanna squeezed harder.

Scarlett just stared, her mouth hanging open.

[Holy shit. Holy SHIT. She’s choking out a bear. With her bare hands. That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.]

The bear collapsed.

Kanna held on for another ten seconds to make sure, then released her grip and rolled away.

She stood up, barely winded, and picked up her sword.

"You alright?" she asked Scarlett.

"I—yeah. I’m good. That was—you just—"

"Get up. We need to keep moving before something else shows up."

Kanna was already pulling out a knife to start skinning the bear.

Scarlett got to her feet, brushing dirt off her clothes.

[Smooth, Scarlett. Real smooth. Trip over nothing and almost get mauled. Very impressive.]

She helped Kanna with the pelt, trying very hard to focus on the work and not on the way Kanna’s arms flexed when she pulled the hide free.

They rolled up the pelt and secured it to Scarlett’s pack.

"One down," Kanna said. "Let’s find more."

They spent the next few hours tracking and hunting.

Scarlett managed not to trip over anything else, which felt like a victory.

They took down two more bears—smaller ones, easier fights. Scarlett got to show off a bit on the second one, landing a perfect overhead strike that killed it clean.

Kanna nodded approvingly.

"Good form."

Those two words made Scarlett’s entire week.

By late afternoon, they had four pelts total and were tracking what looked like another promising target.

The tracks led them deeper into the forest, to a clearing near the river.

That’s where they saw it.

Another Crystalback Bear. But this one was different.

It was huge. Easily twice the size of the others they’d fought. Its crystal formations were larger, sharper, glowing with an intense blue-white light. Scars covered its body—old wounds from fights it had won.

"That’s not normal," Scarlett said quietly.

"No. It’s not." Kanna’s grip tightened on her sword. "Aegis didn’t mention anything about one this big."

"Should we avoid it?"

"The pelt will be worth more. Probably double."

"So that’s a yes to fighting it?"

"That’s a yes to being very careful."

They moved into position—Kanna front, Scarlett flanking.

The bear noticed them immediately. It rose up on its hind legs and roared loud enough to shake leaves from the trees.

Then it charged.

Kanna met it head-on, her blade deflecting a paw swipe that would’ve shattered bone. Scarlett came in from the side, her sword cutting into the bear’s shoulder.

The bear barely seemed to notice.

It spun faster than something that size should be able to move, its claws raking across Kanna’s chest.

Her armor caught most of it, but blood still bloomed through the tears in the leather.

Kanna stumbled back, her jaw tight.

"Kanna!"

The bear advanced on her, preparing for another strike.

Something clicked in Scarlett’s brain.

All the nervous energy, all the embarrassment, all the trying-too-hard bullshit—it just evaporated.

This thing had hurt Kanna.

Scarlett charged with a wordless yell, putting everything she had into her swing.

Her blade bit deep into the bear’s back leg. The creature roared and turned toward her.

Good.

Scarlett dodged left, forcing it to pivot. Away from Kanna. Toward the river.

The bear lunged. Scarlett sidestepped and struck again, this time cutting across its muzzle.

Blood sprayed.

The bear was furious now, all its attention on Scarlett.

She kept moving, kept dodging, kept drawing it away from Kanna and toward the water’s edge.

Almost there.

The bear charged one more time.

Scarlett waited until the last second, then dove to the side.

The bear’s momentum carried it forward, its injured leg giving out as it hit the muddy riverbank.

It went down hard, crashing into the shallow water.

Scarlett didn’t hesitate. She jumped onto its back, drove her sword down into the base of its skull, and pushed with everything she had.

The blade punched through.

The bear thrashed once, twice, then went still.

Scarlett pulled her sword free and stumbled backward, breathing hard.

"Holy shit. Holy shit that worked."

Kanna walked over, one hand pressed to her bleeding chest.

"Are you hurt?" Scarlett asked immediately.

"Scratches. I’ll live." Kanna looked at the dead bear, then at Scarlett. "That was good thinking. Using its momentum against it."

She smiled.

Actually smiled.

Not a smirk or a tiny lip twitch. A real, genuine smile that made Scarlett’s knees weak.

"Thanks. I, uh. Yeah. Just didn’t want it to—you were hurt and I—"

"You did well, Lionheart."

[YES! I looked good! I looked SO GOOD!]

Scarlett tried to keep her expression casual.

"Just doing my job."

"Still. Well done."

They stood there for a moment, both covered in blood and dirt, next to a dead bear the size of a small house.

Kanna moved first, sheathing her sword.

"Let’s get this pelt. It’ll take both of us to carry it."

"Right. Yeah. On it."

They worked together to skin the massive bear, the process taking twice as long as the others because of the creature’s size.

By the time they finished, the sun was starting to set.

"We should make camp," Kanna said, looking around the clearing. "This spot’s defensible. River for water. Clear sightlines."

"Sounds good."

They set up camp as the light faded—basic bedrolls, a small fire, rations heated over the flames.

Scarlett watched Kanna clean and bandage the cuts on her chest, trying not to stare too obviously.

"Need help?"

"I’m fine."

"You sure? Those look deep."

"They’re not. I’ve had worse."

"Still."

Kanna looked at her, something unreadable in her expression.

"If you want to help, you can take first watch. I need rest before these start hurting more."

"I can do that."

Kanna lay down on her bedroll, her sword within easy reach.

Scarlett sat by the fire, keeping watch.

The forest around them was full of sounds—insects, distant animal calls, the river gurgling nearby.

She looked over at Kanna, who had her eyes closed but probably wasn’t actually asleep yet.

[She smiled at me. A real smile. Because I protected her.]

Scarlett grinned at the fire.

[Best hunting trip ever.]