Thirty minutes later, the quiet murmuring of a Daedric plot being afoot is silenced as they find themselves standing before a raised rocky incline. Flora and trees grow next to and around it, almost making it impossible to see the entrance into a cave system.
Michael takes the lead and shifts some low hanging branches to the side and peers into it, his nose scrunching at the smell of death and decay coming from within. "Yeah, we're gonna need a torch for this..." he says, looking behind him at the nervous-looking guards. He could tell why they felt anxious as well... Spears and greatswords did not do too well inside confined spaces.
Not that he blamed them, he didn't want to get sandwiched between a huge bear and a thin passage... If the bear was so big, it was possible they wouldn't be able to dodge or manoeuvre at all if they fought it down there.
"Look, Valdr, I know you loved Lohir like family, but is it worth risking everyone here delving into that hole?" one of the guards asks, only to be cuffed in the back of the head by another.
"Coward, if you want to run with your tail between your legs, go ahead while the rest of us face it like true Nords!" Valdr growls.
The guard shakes his head and tightens his grip on his weapon, "Can we at least draw it first? Fighting that thing in there is a death sentence."
Ari snorts in derision, "And who will volunteer to go alone? Maybe we should toss you down there with a rope tied to you." she smirks, "We'll pull you out when you scream like a little girl."
"I have no wish to be the rope between you and the bear's rug of war!... Someone else will have to go, because I'm definitely not!"
Michael watches all of this with a raised brow, "Man, I thought Nords were supposed to be courageous... How do you expect to get into heaven-er, Sovngarde, if you're scared of a single bear? He shakes his head as Valdr looks to want to volunteer, "I'll go, I'll have a higher chance of surviving than the rest of you. Plus, it'll be fun to see your faces after the 'Milk-Drinker' shows you up." he says, taking a jab at Ari who'd called him exactly that when they first met.
"Michael, are you sure? I know I asked you to help but you've already done more than enough." Valdr says.
Michael nods, "It's fine. It's not the even in my top ten of most dangerous shit I've done." he sarcastically remarks while taking a prepared torch from a guard and beginning to climb down the cave system. It was steep, but not so steep that gravity would send you tumbling to its depths. It was also relatively wide, allowing him to stand up straight and hold his arms out comfortably.
While delving, he notices dark stains on the stone, which he quickly recognises to be the blood of the bear's victims... Perhaps even Lohir's, if he'd survived the journey to the cave. He was around eighty percent sure that Lohir was dead, but there wasn't any real reason to point this out to the group... Let them keep their hope, no need to draw their ire by personally breaking it.
*Crunch!*
...
*Crunch!*
Yeah, that definitely wasn't his footsteps... He was kicking himself right now as he couldn't even go invisible since he was carrying a torch... He and the torch might be invisible, but the light would make it incredibly obvious where he was, even for something as stupid as a bear.
Michael creeps forwards and peeks his head around a corner before taking a quiet breath and holding the torch out, allowing it to illuminate a dead-end where a huge brown bear was sitting and eating.
Lohir was in its paws, his face blood-soaked with most of the flesh having been chewed off. He'd been disembowelled and obviously wasn't among the living anymore. As for the bear?
*CRUNCH!*
It had Lohir's leg in its mouth and was chewing on it as if it were pocky. Each bite shattered the bone, allowing it to twist off and devour the flesh, bone and all.
It was huge, and his buddies seemed to have been mistaken, as the bear should be around 17ft if stood on its hind legs... Yeah, he may have faced dragons, but something about the blood-soaked beast of death before him put him on edge.
Unfortunately, the bear seems to have noticed him and turns its head from its meal. It bears its bloody teeth at Michael and slowly stands preparing to charge him. Michael was about to bolt, when the creature suddenly stiffens, its eyes gaining a glint of intelligence.
"Greetings to you, Traveller." the bear states, its moving mouth looking unnatural as it fluently speaks.
...
Fuck.
"Hircine, I'm guessing?" Michael calmly asks, concealing his anger at potentially being caught up in shit AGAIN!
"So you know of me? Good, it will save time explaining... From the first moment you arrived in this realm, I've been keeping an eye on you... But thus far, you have been an utter disappointment! I have waited long enough, and given you ample opportunity to entertain me! But if you will not come to the hunt, then the hunt will come to you!" the Daedric Prince announces, causing goosebumps to appear along Michael's arms.
"BUT! I am not an unfair game master! Should you come out victorious, I will grant you a gift... But first, to even the playing field..." Hircine states, causing the bear's eyes to flash a glowing white as a barrier made of roots blocks off the exit, leaving Michael stranded in this area with an angry bear as his only company. "Now show me! Are you a hunter, or the hunted!?"
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" Are you a hunter, or the hunted!?"
"Waaait!" Michael exclaims, stopping the Daedric Prince before he could sic the giant bear on him.
"... What is it mortal!? Few would still be standing if they interrupted me! You are lucky I want to see you hunt!" Hircine warns, his tone dire.
"Do the others know?" Michael simply asks, though, the importance of this question could not be understated.
"My brutish kin?" Hircine asks, referring to the other Daedric Princes that haunt Tamriel. "They are unaware of your entry into this realm. For how long that remains, I do not know. Now, cease your questions, your prey awaits!" the Daedric Prince announces, his presence disappearing as the bear recovers its senses.
Before it fully gathers itself however, Michael steps forwards and attempts to Blink next to it, wishing to end this as quickly as possible... Only for his Blink to falter, the magic dissipating as if something was interfering-... Ah.
"Play fair Hircine!? This isn't fair at all!" Michael angrily exclaims as he draws Derflinger, letting out a sigh of relief at the fact that his Gandalfr Runes were still working. "Derflinger, can you use magic at all?" he asks the sentient blade, only to frown at its silence. Seemed as if Hircine wished for this to be a solo hunt...
The bear unleashes a roar and charges towards Michael like a four-legged school bus. Its teeth 'beared' and ready to bite him in half.
Michael feints to one side before twisting to the other, causing the bear to slide past him and allowing Michael to 'bearly' dodge its claw swipe. With the side of its rump turned towards him, he lunges forward and buries Derflinger halfway into the suspiciously durable hide of the beast. He knew he hadn't hit anything vital, but he doubted the thing would give him the chance, so bleeding it out was his best strategy for now at least.
*Raaaaaargh!*
The thing roars, twisting around and sending two claw swipes at Michael, which he quickly backs away to avoid. Indeed, one of those would've taken his head clean off if he'd gotten hit directly.
He stumbles slightly as he backs away, however, his foot landing on Lohir's corpse. The bear seemed to take offence to this and slowly approaches him while letting out a deep guttural growl. At the drop of a dime, it springs forward and attempts to bite his leading leg, only to be met with a slash that almost takes out one of its eyes.
The attack doesn't stop it however, as it closes its eyes and stands on its hind legs before rapidly swiping its claws in his direction. In response, Michael sucks in a breath and soundlessly moves to the side, ducking under one claw and sending a heavy spinning slash towards one of the bear's back legs.
*Chaaht!*
The blade strikes true, burying itself a couple inches just under its knee, Michael knew he'd cut some ligaments since as soon as the attack hit, the bear's knee buckles and causes it to fall to its side.
With it on the ground and its back facing him, he raises his blade and chops down onto its neck... Only for the bear to turn its snout towards him to try and get a bite in. His sword chops into its face instead, cutting its nose in half and splitting the upper part of its mouth.
This would have been fairly tame, had the bear not still been alive and attempting to bite him... Its cut mouth looked like an Elite from Halo, or the Predator, fucking disgusting, especially with the amount of blood spurting out.
He wrenches his blade out and goes for another chop, only for the bear to roll over towards him, randomly throwing one of its large paws in his direction as it does. Michael continues his attack however, allowing him to cut the bear's foot clean off, the sword passing through the joint with surprising accuracy.
It was as if something had 'clicked' into place within his mind. The sword in his hand felt lighter and somehow more flexible, as if he'd been swinging this single blade for all his life. His posture straightens as his stance shifts subtly without Michael's knowledge. He shakes his head and continues his attack, his leg unconsciously pushing himself onto the as he turns and slides it into the bear's throat.
The animal's roar is cut off as the blade meets its windpipe... It attempts to knock him away with its remaining paw, but Michael just hops over its head with a skip and pulls the blade from its throat, leaving the now large gushing wound vacant.
The bear goes into a frenzy, attempting to bring Michael to hell with it... Only for it to fail to walk on its crippled back leg and missing front paw. It falls to the ground with a wheeze and quickly expires as blood coats most of the floor.
Michael goes to wipe the sweat from his face, but realises his mistake afterwards when he spots just how much blood was covering him... He lets out a tired huff and rests his back against the wall of the cave, awaiting Hircine's response... Hopefully, he wouldn't notice his Runes otherwise he might deem the fight 'unfair' and punish him further.
"Ahaha! Very good, Traveller! What exciting mortal combat you have shown! I knew you were a hunter the moment I laid eyes on you!" Hircine exclaims, the dead and mangled bear's mouth still moving to emit the voice.
"Am I free to go?" Michael asks, not wanting to get any more involved with the Daedric Prince than he had to.
"Indeed. You've come out on top and killed your prey. You are free to go... But first, allow me to grant you your reward."
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