Wayfarer

Omens part 7

Be warned that I lost communication with the facility long ago. It is likely that larger threats are centered around the mountain. Monsters claiming territory close to a food source.

-Ghiri

Enix felt like an idiot. His mind ran through his conversation with >&@#$%< and &#+$, trying to play it differently. Could he have been kinder to them? No, they were too persistent. Could he have just left without saying anything?

Enix stopped walking. Perhaps that idea would have been easier on him, but leaving

"They're so much more complicated than you, buddy." Enix patted his companion's head, and Ingot rumbled in response. "You listen better."

They had walked up a hill, the mountain only an hour's walk from their vantage point. The day was cloudy, and Enix smelled and heard monsters ahead of them, even from this distance. It smelled of rotten eggs and acrid smoke. His own body showed the wear and tear of just an afternoon of travel through a monster horde. Once more, he was missing an arm. It didn't matter to him anymore. He could grow a new one.

He had forgone stealth to make the trip faster. A stupid risk, but one that made itself more worthwhile.

"I think we should rest at the mountain's base and scout before the climb." He paused. "Or maybe... since we don't have &#+$, we should just keep going? I don't need to rest."

Ingot bumped its head against his leg.

"Right, I might not need to, but you definitely do."

Ingot plopped down with a huff, and Enix joined him, grabbing some rations from his pack. It was bread, something he had quickly become enamored with once &#+$ had introduced him to it. Ingot had begun to dig, searching for his favorite foods.

It was then that Enix's world flipped upside down. He wasn't sure what had happened until the pain registered, and he fell to the ground hard. He heard Ingot bellow, a loud hollow sound followed by a loud clang. Enix had landed face first and rolled over, spitting out dirt to see a hulking figure wrestling with Ingot, who was barely the size of its hand.

The figure looked close to a human, save for its blue skin and massive stature, to which Enix only reached up to its knee. It sported scaled feet, sharp ears, and a horn protruding from its head. It wore a fur toga tied by a belt, and when it turned, Enix saw it had one massive green eye centered on its face above a gaping maw. It looked about to eat Enix's companion when Ingot brought its iron jaws down on the monster's hands.

The monster roared something unintelligible to Enix, and it slammed Ingot onto the ground repeatedly, dragging it through the dirt in a panicked attempt to get Ingot to release him. Ingot held on, however, and Enix used that opportunity to charge, his body becoming stone and his speed building up slowly but steadily.

Before the monster noticed, Enix tackled its leg with his full body, trying to move the foot. It worked, but only for a second.

The giant's foot lifted and reared back.

"Oh no." Ingot groaned, tightening his grip as the foot swung forward, kicking Ingot away and throwing Enix around. Enix couldn't hang on, letting go when he saw Ingot get launched to follow it.

They hit the ground hard, Enix feeling the hit despite his stone skin and Ingot writhing on its back before managing to roll over.

"Dig, bud!" Enix stood up to run again, picking up a rock as he found his footing. The boy's hand reared back and launched the rock towards the giant's head. The giant held up a hand, letting it bounce off its forearm harmlessly. It would have hit the giant's eye had he not blocked it, but only the small stone nuisance stood before him when he lowered his hand. It had moved from in front of the giant to its side. It growled, turned, and reached out to grab it. Enix dodged once, twice, rolling in between the giant's legs and striking out with a few punches. Of course, this only angered the giant, who raised a leg to stomp at the boy. Enix barely had time to turn to stone before the leg came down. The force was enough to knock Enix out cold and bury him under the loose dirt beneath the giant's feet.