.:: Burnt Town; Rayola ::.

Today I saw a fluffy bear.

And then I died.

*AGAIN.*

{Yes, Again.}

It was a very strange bear if I say so myself. And when I say strange, things get really bonkers. Nael and I were at the town nearby, searching for clothes or any useful items or objects of relevance to investigation in his case, and maybe some food. He was oddly enthusiastic to get his jacket back too.

Well, anyways. There we were trying to pry open a broken door which was stuck when I hear a loud noise from around the corner. Both of us turned just to see a huge grey bear with a red patch of fur around its neck.

It was colossal. I’ve to think I’ve seen a bear or two in the region. Probably. I’m not sure, but What was in front of me was larger than any bear had a right to be. THAT, I’m sure of. Then the next thing that’s odd; It was walking upright. Bears don’t usually walk upright if I remember correctly. Do they?

It was already had a hulking figure, with added fluff.

Now it looked like a titan.

Then the thing that stood out the most;

It was carrying a sword.

A.

Freaking.

Sword.

Like… why???

Bears don’t do swords, right?

That’s why they have claws right?

But there it was, equipped with a double sided blade nearly a metre and a half in length with a silvery yellow shine to it.

If I were to tell this story to someone else,

'How does it even hold it', one may ask.

The sword has a long hilt, 'but do bears even have fingers', one may ask?

The answer is simple; the mouth

It was LITERALLY armed to the teeth. With a graceful twirl, it flung its head.

*We bear-ly saw anything*

{Your puns are horrible.}

*That applies to you too you know.*

{I know.}

I saw a silvery flash before I saw the sword get impaled onto the wall right next to James with a thunk. Splinters flew everywhere from the shattered wood and it rained down on us. James, by the way, seemed like he was about to pass out on a moment’s notice.

*He was already panicking BEFORE the bear threw the sword.*

{was he? huh, need to inspect that}

Now the poor sod just pissed himself.

*Maybe he was traumatized by a bear once in past perhaps.*

I admit that the bear was scary but not to the level to reduce an explorer to this state.

OR SO WE THOUGHT.

The bear was absolutely horrifying.

*Straight out of one's darkest nightmares.*

We ran through the wrecks of buildings, in and out of houses.

It plowed through everything with an earth-shaking roar as if those solid brick walls were nothing but dust. We split up and scaled buildings with a level of parkour skill that would put the legendary siege infiltrators of old to shame. BUT STILL, it managed to track our movements and force us both into dead ends and chokepoints.

Like WHAT the actual FUCK???

By the deities, It’s a BEAR!

Why the hell is a BEAR so freaking Intelligent?

And WHY is it so aggressive?

It’s not like I did anything to warrant such action.

Right?

Just as I was jumping off a roof, the very same blade flew at me with a speed matching an arrow and cleanly cut me in half. After which, it promptly grabbed what was left of me and threw me like a ragdoll at the wall. I don’t remember anything after that, but by the time I came back to my senses,

Night fell, and neither James nor the Bear was nowhere to be seen.

…

My stomach still hurt. I still feel pain just fine, huh. So why didn't I feel anything back when I jumped off the cliff? Maybe I broke my spine or something when I landed?

Ah, I'll try not to get hurt... Probably.

But one thing, I am sure of.

I never want anything to do with bears ever again.

EVER.

After lurking through the shadows for about an hour, I picked up faint noises from inside one of the houses. Turning the handle, I slowly opened the door and entered noiselessly. After searching the rooms, I eventually saw Nael in the kitchen. He was sprawled on the floor, deathly still.

I calmed myself down after I noticed that he was still breathing.

Just asleep.

*Not everyone dies as easily as you do, you know. Are you trying for a record or something?*

I Sighed.

Eventually, I also noticed that this was the last house we were in before the attack. Things were still being arranged for departure. I tapped him awake.

“ What happened?”

I asked.

He freaked out, scrambling away from me.

“huh?... why do you look like you’re seeing a ghost?”

Gulping, he eventually gathered his wits.

“I….ugh, saw you plastered on a wall, smoking, and everything.”

*Oooh, literally saw a ghost.*

{Shut up.}

I grimaced.

“Don’t remind me.”

Hmm... smoking? what did he mean by that? Was I set on fire or something?

Just as I was going to ask him, we heard a noise

I turned in alarm, only to see a raccoon rummaging through Nael’s pack, stretching it out to the max.

It was funny seeing half it's body disappear inside a pouch the size of a fist.

“Hey Nael, there’s a raccoo-...”

I stopped myself when I saw Nael’s face.

His eyes were glazed over and he almost seemed soul-less.

“what happened?”

He just gave a long, depressed sigh and walked out the door.

“But, your pack!”

No reply. Doesn’t he need it?

“Shoo”

I tried pushing it away just to get scratched wholesale.

The damn bugger was feral.

Should have just left it alone.

As I walked into the hallway, I saw Nael slouching on a chair that somehow survived the carnage.

“What happened to the bear?”

He shuddered and started to rub his arms as if to keep warm.

“ I holed myself up in a basement and had to wait till it got tired and left. I still think It’s watching us. Waiting.”

“You’re over-reacting” I told him, before adding,

"Right?"

He just shrugged.

“I’m not stepping a single foot outside this house till daybreak.” He finished.

“understandable.”

I let out a sigh. Then I sighed again at the thought of how it’s possible to sigh when I’m not even breathing. My heart isn't ready for any of this crap.

{Oh, wait, it’s already out of service.}

*Applause!*

*Give yourself some applause!*

I just leaned back against the wooden support, and when I glanced at Nael, he was already asleep. And that’s how day two ended up.

*We probably need to put up a revival count too.*

{Why?}

*Just so when someone is a tavern brags to you about danger, we can proudly say that we’ve already died twenty times or something like that.*

{So that we can invite an eradication?}

*GAH! you're no fun, just say that it's some sort of rare ability or something*

{That would be one hell of an ability to have. But then again... it is.}

I just shook my head in dejection, and stared out of the window into the blackness.