The place had become a tomb of cracking bones and pummeling fists. Tyna Janar’s desperation revealed itself the moment she nearly died, feeling the weight of darkness falling over the goals she had held so deeply for years. But she was up again. And every time she fell she got up once more. That was her way. If she was to attain a power beyond that of a simple human, then she would have to develop an endurance that surpassed that of her physical limitations. It was a willpower that burned bright, every time her body was exhausted, she saw that her mind could still think, her heart could still feel. Therefore, since those were not exhausted, she flooded her body with that energy, no matter how small. She didn’t know if the act was simple imagination or if it was truly happening. All she knew was that, despite the agony, it kept working. So she kept getting back up.

She delivered a powerful punch with as much magic behind it as she could muster to the head of the Bear, its neck swinging from the force. Each blow was a close call, the massive creature towering over her, every gnash of its teeth nearly slaying her before her knuckles knocked it back. It reeled back and charged once more. Tyna avoided slices and gnashes, just barely. But barely was enough. Her fists found their mark again and again — a pebble striking the boulder. Into its neck, its chest, its legs with the intention of shattering bone.

Tyna had to be quick on her feet. The Bear’s claws scraped and cut through stone as it ran. A dive sent its leap just over her body. A weave brought its monstrous paw, a paw the size of her entire torso, crashing into the floor with echoing force. Tyna found her mark quickly, delivering jab after jab to the massive beast. A person her size would normally be unable to affect such an enormous creature with punches alone. But this was Tyna Janar, Transmutionist Extraordinaire, and she did what she did best — she transmuted her normal punches into blows of a hundred fists. She transmuted her ordinary attacks into ones of magical prowess and deadly accuracy. She transmuted her mortal potential into that the Divine would tremble in the face of. Someday, at least.

Through the power of transmutation, one could spend their magic reserves on becoming something much more than themselves, or something entirely different. It wasn’t a skill she had completely mastered, however. And she could feel herself becoming exhausted and running weaker and weaker on how much strength she could muster.

The Redsmoke Dangerbear roared and burst into fiery smoke once more, spreading and surging forth. Tyna inhaled deeply before it did so, resisting its desire to enter her nostrils and tear her apart from the inside. Her lungs burned like hell from the earlier damage and now even more with her heavy movements as she refused herself air. Scraping the bottom of the barrel of her magical prowess, she unleashed inner bursts of magical explosions, pushing the smoke-form of the Bear back. Its ethereal screeching signaled that it could still be harmed in this form.

When it reformed into a body, Tyna allowed herself deep breaths and charged it. Its eyes met hers as she leapt and grabbed a tuft of its hair, swinging herself up, climbing its body. The beast shivered and roared, charging across the room. Tyna figured it would have changed form but, much like her, it must have been getting tired from utilizing its special skills. The rush of air made her eyes water, the Bear truly powerful and fast. A creature formed by Divine hands. She held on for dear life as the beast ran through the massive cavern and yanked herself up just in time before the Bear crashed its side into a wall, which would have certainly mashed her into a bloody mess.

She straddled the back of its neck and delivered blow after blow to the back of the Bear’s skull, the punches sending cracks reverberating across the walls from the powerful impacts. The Bear resisted and reeled back, shaking, running, doing all it could to make her stop. Finally it found the resolve to shift form and Tyna sucked in breath as she fell. She landed hard and the red smoke surrounded her.

The bloody storm surged. Her lungs hurt so damn bad. The smoke burned and ripped at her flesh. Tyna clenched her eyes shut and focused on holding breath... focused on gathering her strength... the strange ethereal storm was loud and violent. She felt herself falling within herself and caught herself quickly.

Her hands burst into light with crazed, wild magic. It was no longer refined or stable, being scraped and scratched up from the very base of her inner resources. Explosions popped from her hands, sending forceful blasts of sound outward, making holes in the red storm. The bursts were louder than its cries of pain and Tyna resolved herself to give it her all. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to finish this either by killing the beast or pummeling it into submission... anything else wasn't an option. With her remaining breath, which was not going to last much longer, she let out a scream, the adrenaline pushing herself more and more, the light from her hands becoming brighter. The light and magic turned into what looked like lightning surging all around the room, blasting into bright explosions, tearing apart portions of the stone wall and pummeling the ground into dust. Tyna screamed and pushed, tearing the room apart, just as she did the skin on the palms of her hands. The red smoke became lost in dust and falling debris, its screams drowned out in Tyna’s and the crashing of the room around her. A pillar fell onto the massive pile of treasure, sending gold and expensive artifacts tumbling through the air which signaled the final boom of violence, echoing away as all became still.

When Tyna collapsed, she was met with the cold floor, a welcome sensation for her sweaty body. The crumbling and remains of her attack settled, pieces of rock still falling, rubble settling. A slight whoosh of movement could be heard.

This felt like the final fall for Tyna. The last time she’d fall and this time she would allow herself rest.

She felt that for only a moment. That resolve still there even among her tired muscles and body swimming in a sea of hells. That drive to get up, a truly divine feeling that followed Tyna all her life. She had no idea where it came from. So, like always, Tyna placed a palm to the ground and pushed.

As she came to stand, she saw the red smoke coalescing and solidifying into the body of the Dangerbear. Blood caked its body as it wobbled and struggled to move. The anger and desire to continue fighting was in its eyes but it couldn’t bring itself to move beyond the corner it now huddled in.

Tyna gathered herself and limped toward it.

“You give up, then?” She breathed heavily between every other word. She slowly neared it, grinning and trying to put on a demeanor of dominance as best she could. But her vision was blurry. “Come on… I was just… getting started!”

She placed a hand on her hip and examined the beast closer. The Bear groaned and mumbled, shaking its head in irritation, glancing at her. She could see now that the blood that leaked from its body also drifted out into the air as if weightless.

“Oh… gross,” Tyna said, leaning to avoid the floating droplets. She sniffed and crossed her arms as the Bear continued to complain. “Alright, alright, enough of your whining. It looks like you recognize a superior fighter when you see one.” She paced. “Now then, we can make a deal. Never thought I'd ever make a deal with a creature of Divine spirit. But you're just as much a victim as the rest of the mortals under their thumb aren't you?"

Suddenly the Bear lunged and opened its mouth, roaring into her face. Tyna was bombarded with heat and noise, still standing with her arms crossed, its mouth filling her entire vision. Her hair blew back, becoming wet with saliva and she squinted in the presence of the depths of the Bear’s throat.

When it finished, her ears were ringing softly and she held still, shivering.

“Okay. Sorry. I shouldn’t add insult to injury.” She sighed and wiped away some slime from her face, shaking it out onto the floor. “I’m pretty spent. But don’t think I don’t have more in me,” she laughed, “Trust me, I’ve been in worse binds,” she lied. In fact, this is the closest she’s come to death in a while. “So I can either finish you right here and put you out of your misery. Or,” she reached out her hand, in some disbelief as to what she was about to say. For a human to make a pact with a creature of the Divine was not common and certainly not heard of in the current era. “Or, you can serve me. I can heal you. Help me with my quest. And when I’m finished, you may be free.” She shrugged. “It’s only fair. Since you attacked me first and all.”

Much to her dismay, the voice of the God Gargantuanatia returned, a whisper that sent a chill through the air.

Foolish beast… Do not serve the whims of a mortal…

She saw the Bear perk up at Gargantuanatia’s words.

Slay… that woman… And I shall heal your wounds…

Tyna scoffed. The Bear looked down at her. “You’re really going to listen to this voice of the wind?” She pointed up at nothing in particular. “No, listen to the voice right here before you! What has this fallen God done besides keep you cooped up in this empty cavern? Eternal servitude can go hang. Temporary servitude is right before you — and you’ll be able to see the world!”

The Bear huffed and stood taller.

Beast…

The Bear looked around once more.

You will serve your creator… You will fulfill your duties…

“Oh, cram it,” Tyna groaned. The Bear looked back to her. “This so-called God can’t do anything. It's been dormant for who-knows-how-long. Leave this place with me.” She held out her palm. “Place your head to my hand and I will bring you back to health with the remainder of my magic. And we can leave this place.”

The Bear looked up. Back to her. Up again. Looked down. And then it approached her, tilting its head down. Tyna smiled as it pressed the top of its head to her palm.

No… You… You... You mortal… Who are you…?

Tyna closed her eyes and felt her magic slip away as she sent a little to tell the Bear’s body to accelerate its natural healing. She transmuted it into a process much stronger than it ever had been before. The weightless blood sucked back into its body and its wounds closed. Much of it still looked battered and not every wound healed right away. But the Bear was mostly back to its functioning self, grunting and spinning about healthily.

Tyna looked up as the Bear huffed and shook about. “I’m Tyna Janar, Transmutionist Extraordinaire. Someday I’m going to kill you and all the Gods of this world. And I’ve now fought and tamed a Godbeast, a creature formed by the Divine, a feat not seen in hundreds of years.” She grinned. “I’d be shaking in your boots if I were you. If you wear such things, that is.”

The God said nothing further and she looked up at the Bear. “Now then,” she said. “There’s something I’ve come here to retrieve. An important book. Help me find that and we can get out of this literal God-forsaken place."