I scanned the ravine's metallic terrain. Loose shards of stone littered natural ledges. Perfect ambush spots. But also perfect for what we had set out to do.

  “It should come up through there,” I said, keeping my voice low and pointed to a natural path through the rocks. “That's the easiest and most direct way up from where it's resting.”

  Eryn shifted on her knees.

  “The range is about forty yards,” she whispered. “Wind's minimal. Should be a clean shot.”

  She drew back her new bow, the Viper's Arc. The bow barely creaking as she anchored the fletching against her cheek.

  One final breath in.

  The Shardfang sat still like a gargoyle, its rough, stone-like skin blending with the backdrop. The head was still as its eyes moved constantly, searching for prey. My sigil overlaid it with a yellow outline.

  “How quaint. A creature that fancies itself armored. As if mere crystalline formations could compare to my magnificence,” Roq rumbled in my mind. “The way it moves like living rock.? I can't wait to shatter it to pieces and then take a steaming dump—”

  “Whoa now, don't need to go into that much detail,” I said and relayed his words to Eryn. She chuckled at the hammer and then slowly breathed out, releasing the arrow.

  A sharp crack echoed through the ravine as the projectile hit the target, penetrating the creature's tough skin just behind its shoulder. The Shardfang stumbled forward and fell on its face as its leg collapsed, unable to hold its weight. It rose, swivelling its head back and forth, spotted us and charged. It made its way on three legs up the path we’d predicted, and I moved to stand between Eryn and the monster.

  “Time to eat, buddy. I hope you got an appetite.”

  “I am the DEVOURER of WORLDS, Ash. Trust me. I have an appetite for DESTRUCTION!”

  The wounded Shardfang lumbered forward, but it favored its other leg heavily, slowing it down so much that I didn't even need to block and simply sidestepped, bringing down the hammer on the back of its head. The impact cracked its crystalline skin and it crumpled to the ground with a whimper.

  “YES!” Roq's voice thundered in my skull. “Did you see that? DID you see how it SHATTERED? FEAR ME!”

  “Perfect hit,” I said and smiled, giving Roq a twirl.

  Eryn was already next to the fallen creature, carefully working her arrow free.

  “I'm so happy it pierced its tough armor. Just goes to show what a real arrow can do, huh?”

  The arrowhead remained intact, but the shaft had a crack. Due to how the storage worked with monster material, all she had to do was place it inside and pull it back out. And bam! It was whole again. Unless the shaft fully cracked, then we’d have to replace it.

  “Your father really did us a great favor with the trade. I don't think I can go back to ordinary arrows after this.”

  “Then we'll just need to get you some more,” I said and nudged her with my shoulder. “Now, Roq? Sensing any gems in this one?”

  “Hmph. Do you think I'm some sort of divining rod? I sense nothing but disappointment. Though crushing it was satisfying.”

  “He says no gem,” I said, translating his babble for Eryn. “And he's being dramatic about it.”

  “Could you sense there being no gem before we killed it?” Eryn asked, examining the creature's crystalline hide. “Maybe we could tell which ones have gems before engaging?”

  “What part of 'nothing but disappointment' did you not relay properly?” Roq growled. “I couldn't sense anything then, and I can't sense anything now. We'll have to find one with a gem to know. But who cares? Look what we did to it! We should find more. MANY more. I can feel myself getting stronger with each kill. And the monster parts...they're going to please the master smith very much. Maybe he can make more improvements on my body...ohh, yes! Do it baby one more time!”

  “He's... enthusiastic about continuing,” I said diplomatically. “Says he couldn't sense anything before the kill either, so we’ll have to keep hunting to know.”

  Eryn stood and swiped the corpse into her storage.

  “Should we walk along the ridge, work to spot a few more, and see if he can sense gems in them? Save our energy?”

  “ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Roq's protest made me wince. “I NEED BLOOD! And besides, I'm so close to leveling up. Just a few more kills. Don't you dare play chicken now!”

  “This went pretty smooth,” I said, ignoring Roq's continued ranting. “I say we keep killing. We need the training, and it's good experience for Roq. Besides, these monster corpses are pretty sweet, too.”

  “Agreed.” Eryn grinned and nocked another arrow. “Same plan? I spot and wound, you finish?” she asked.

  “Works for me.”

  It didn't take long for us to spot another Shardfang. Eryn's arrow found its mark, and I moved in for the kill. Simple. Efficient.

  With the battle so easy, I told Eryn to pull the next one while I swiped this one into my storage.

  “Yes, yes, yes! More BLOOD for the BLOOD GOD!”

  It sat perched on an outcropping below us, nearly perfectly hidden against the background, but not quite good enough.

  Eryn released, and the arrow found its mark, penetrating the Shardfang's flank. It growled and charged up toward us.

  “Monster Muck!” Eryn cursed, fumbling for another arrow as movement erupted from the rocks around it. Three additional Shardfangs stood from their prone positions, yellow outlines springing up around them.

  Shit. The sigil only shows what I consciously notice.

  “More!” Roq's voice exploded in my head. “Bring them all! Let the ravine run RED with their DESTRUCTION!”

  Eryn loosed another arrow, striking the nearest charging Shardfang in the shoulder, but it kept coming.

  I rushed ahead to meet it head-on, shield braced. The first Shardfang leaped, crashing against my shield. Its impact drove me back a step, my boots sliding along the loose gravel. The second beast darted low and to the side while I struck at the third one with an arrow in its shoulder. The hammer connected with its skull, crushing it.

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  “GLORIOUS! Did you see that? Like breaking a glass statue into a THOUSAND pieces!”

  The fourth Shardfang ignored me completely, heading straight for Eryn.

  “No!” I yelled, trying to go after it but the two remaining Shardfangs were on top of me. “Run!”

  Adrenaline pumped into my veins as I felt an intense pressure around my calf. I looked down just in time to see the second beast had locked its stone teeth around it, and I waited for the agony of fangs piercing flesh, but the Crabwalk Leggings held.

  The third Shardfang smashed into my shield and grabbed at the rim with its stony teeth, shaking it like a dog and pulling me off balance. Who knew a stone monster could go for a shield and try to wrench it from my grip?

  “Behind you!” Roq bellowed. “The girl! They're going to eat her!”

  “I know!”

  Eryn's surprised cry spurred me into action. I brought Roq down hard on the Shardfang snacking on my leg. Its head breaking with a satisfying crack.

  “Yes! MONSTER BRAINS! Hit it again, just for good measure!”

  With a roar, I heaved my shield around and spun toward Eryn. The Shardfang let go and whimpered as it sailed through the air. Eryn had her arm up, the Crawler Bracer wedged in the beast's jaws as it tried to get to her throat.

  The armor held, for now, keeping the beast's teeth away, but I could see the pain in her face as it tried to crush her arm. Even if the fangs didn't pierce her skin, the biting force was tremendous.

  Rage exploded in my chest, and I pushed through my own agony.

  “Get! Off!”

  I hurried towards her and threw myself forward, swinging the hammer sideways and catching it in the ribs. The monster yelped and went flying on its side, its hold on her bracer broken.

  “Ash!” Eryn cried as something crashed into me and all the air left my lungs as I was squashed between the ground and something heavy. Claws raked through my leather armor, and white-hot pain blazed across my lower back.

  “How DARE it mark our flesh? OBLITERATE IT!”

  In pure reflex, I swung Roq up and behind over my shoulder. It connected with the Shardfang's back and smashed the monster into my back.

  “Between a Roq and Ash!” Roq said, laughing maniacally as pain lanced through my shoulders and I fought to stand. Warm blood ran down my back.

  Get up! Get up now!

  My jaw locked against the hurt, I pushed myself to my feet and turned.

  She was safe.

  Like a discarded piece of leftover steel, I plopped down on the ground, sitting on my butt.

  “Ash!” Eryn was at my side an instant later. “Your back.”

  “I'm okay,” I lied, taking her hand in mine as the adrenaline pumped. I didn’t want to know the damage. Not yet. “You?”

  “Thanks to the bracer, I’m fine.” She held up her arm, showing deep scratches on the armor's surface. “Your father's work saved my bone and maybe my life.”

  “As did I!” Roq declared proudly. “Though I must say, that last one... its tough skin was particularly satisfying to crush. Can we find more? Please tell me there are more.”

  “Now, turn,” Eryn said, and this time I listened. Her hands trembled as she examined my back.

  “This is bad, Ash. The cuts are deep.”

  “How deep?”

  “Deep enough that we need help.” She touched my shoulder. “Roq? Could you please help him heal like you did last time? If you can't, we'll have to go back and find a healer.”

  “Naturally, I shall bestow my magnificence upon you, Ash. You didn't do too horribly, after all. So, you have my permission to store me. And—”

  I swiped Roq into my storage, cutting him off, and added two Shardfang corpses, not knowing how much material he'd need to work with. Warmth spread through my body like a heated stone moving underneath my skin. The sensation focused on my back, and it intensified where the claws had torn flesh, slowly knitting muscle and skin back together. It was almost like sinking into a too hot bath to relax.

  I winced and clamped my jaw shut as Eryn guided me to a nearby boulder.

  “Sit. Let me see what Roq's doing. I want to know how it works.”

  I complied, grimacing as she prodded at the healing skin.

  “This would have been bad, but Roq's healing is amazing. The skin is closing right in front of my eyes, Ash.” I hissed as she poked at it. “Oh, sorry.”

  “Enough poking,” I said, grumbling. “It hurts, babe.”

  “Fine. And if this keeps up, it'll be healed in maybe fifteen minutes? Half an hour? That's insane.” She moved around to face me and removed her bracer. “I got lucky.” She flexed her fingers. “Only bruises. No broken bones.”

  “That was too close.” I rubbed my face. “We need to be more careful when pulling. The pack was hidden and waiting for us. Either that, or we must have been damn lucky with the first pulls. I prefer the latter.”

  “Like wolves made of stone.” Eryn sat beside me and sighed. “We should have checked the surrounding area more carefully.”

  “Most low-level adventurers wouldn't even attempt what we just did.” A laugh bubbled up from my chest. “Two low-level scavengers, hunting Shardfangs for fun. Isn't that something, huh?”

  “Fun?” She snorted. “Is that what we're calling nearly getting eaten?”

  “Training exercise? Monster farming?”

  “Monster hunting.” She reached into her spatial storage and pulled out a cloth-wrapped package. “Your mother sent this with me. Said we'd need to keep our strength up.”

  The smell of Ma's spiced meat buns made my mouth water. We ate in silence, letting Roq's healing work its magic.

  “So,” Eryn said between bites, “if we are to continue training here, we need a better strategy for dealing with packs.”

  I nodded.

  “We need a way for me to hold their attention. The pants did well, protecting me from its jaws. As long as I don't need to turn my back on them, I can take care of the beasties just fine.”

  “What if I pull from higher ground? There are plenty of ledges they'd struggle to reach.” She pointed to several outcroppings. “That way you won't have to worry as much about protecting me.”

  “Should give you a decent angle on them, too, but it all depends where they are.” I leaned out and studied the terrain further down the ravine. “As long as I don't get surrounded it should be, maybe not easy, but doable.”

  Eryn leaned her head on my shoulder and we ate in companionable silence for a while, until it stopped feeling as if I was lying on sun-scorched rock.

  When done, she checked my back.

  “Magical,” she said. “If we could harness this into a real magical spell somehow? We could transform so many lives.”

  Goosebumps ran down my back as she gently kissed my neck.

  “Ready to get back to work?” I asked, and pulled Roq from storage.

  “Mid sentence? Really?”

  “I was hurting.”

  Roq seemed to huff.

  “What I WANTED to say before being so RUDELY interrupted is that one of those beasts had a lovely surprise inside.”

  “You detected a mind gem?” I asked out loud for Eryn's benefit.

  “Indeed! Though I couldn't sense it until after we killed it. Strange how that works.”

  I relayed his words to Eryn.

  She nodded thoughtfully.

  “Then there's no point trying to avoid fights. We simply kill as many as we can to find the gems.”

  “YES!” Roq's enthusiasm rattled my skull. “Now you're talking! And I'm so close to level four I can practically taste it!”

  “Will you get any new abilities when you level?” I asked.

  “How the hell should I know? Do I LOOK like some sort of instruction manual to you?”

  I chuckled and translated for Eryn.

  “Most likely you’ll get another ability at level five, if at all,” she said to Roq. “That's how it works for classed adventurers. Once we reach level ten and break through the level barrier with a class gem we'll get abilities at twelve, fifteen, and eighteen.”

  “Wait, only three abilities? Ever?” Roq bellowed, sounding offended on my behalf.

  “No, no,” I explained. “It's every second, fifth, and eighth level after breaking through. So thirty-two, thirty-five, thirty-eight, and so on. In addition, different classes get a different number of abilities upon breakthrough. Mages get the most, warriors the least, and support classes, like healers, something in between.”

  “Speaking of breaking through—when do YOU get stronger? I can't have a weak wielder forever.”

  “Every tenth level,” I said. “After gathering enough mind gems and using a class gem to break through to the next tier, we get a massive boost to our stats depending on which class gem we use.”

  “Fascinating. I wonder what will happen when I reach level ten. Perhaps I'll evolve into an even more magnificent form?”

  “No idea,” I said, standing. “But we'll never find out if we don't kill more monsters. And honestly, you've got it easy. Just kill things and get stronger without having to rely on them dropping gems? That's unfairly simple.”

  “I prefer to think of it as elegant.”

  Roq identified the mind-gem-containing monster, and Eryn stored it. We'd agreed to go every other one, with her starting, and I swiped in the other three Shardfangs.

  I helped Eryn scramble onto the tall rock formation, making sure she was stable before dropping back to the ground. She nocked an arrow, scanning the ravine below.

  “Got one,” she whispered. “Ready?”

  I moved into position, spinning Roq in my grip.

  “Let us SQUASH these rock sacks until they spurt BLOOD from every single ORIFICE!”

  “We're ready,” I translated. “Bring them.”