[Realm: Álfheimr]

[Location: ???]

The forest loomed ominously.

An endless tangle of blackened trunks rose from the earth, the trees were old, their bark flaking away in layers of grey, their leaves hanging limp and colorless. The air was heavy with a nauseating stench that clawed at the back of the throat, the smell would linger long even after you left.

Mist slithered between the roots, thin but persistent. It clung low to the ground, turning each step into guesswork. The little light there was barely touched the earth. It was not the place to wander in — and yet, two figures walked through it as though it were routine.

"Ugh… Gods above, I hate coming back here." The first voice broke the silence. "Smells like shit," he muttered, dragging a hand across his face.

"Less complaining, more navigating." The younger voice that followed had a more casual tone. "We find that Deseruit Beast or we go hungry. Simple as that."

Despite the tension in the forest, the two spoke as if they were used to danger.

The older of the pair walked in front, he was tall and sharply built, his posture composed but clearly weary. His neat chestnut-brown hair framed a face that might've been handsome if not for the exhaustion carved deep beneath his sharp eyes. The faint bags under them hinted at long nights and longer regrets. He wore a dark blue suit that seemed far too refined for a place like this — paired with a white shirt and a black tie, his attire screamed misplaced.

The younger one followed a few paces behind, cloak brushing lightly against the ground. His short blonde hair caught what little light there was. His violet eyes were bright and alert, scanning the path ahead with an energy his companion had long since lost. His attire was elegant in its own way: a deep purple shirt with gold-lined jewelry around the collar, and a large brooch the same hue as his cloak clasped beneath his throat.

Together, they looked entirely out of place.

The older of the two wrinkled his nose again, grimacing. "Easy for you to talk, Ivan. You're not the one forced to track using this stench." He took another breath — instantly regretting it — and gagged lightly. "By Iofiel… it's like the whole forest's rotting from the inside."

Ivan's lips turned in faint amusement. "You're the one who said your 'enhanced senses' make you indispensable, Alexander."

"They do," Alexander said curtly, brushing past a low branch. "Doesn't mean I have to enjoy it."

"Right, right," Ivan murmured, his tone caught somewhere between sarcasm and sympathy. "For someone older than me, you sure complain like a child."

Alexander shot him a glare over his shoulder. "And you talk like one."

"Only when I'm right," Ivan replied lightly.

Alexander exhaled through his nose, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "insufferable brat." He returned his attention to the terrain, stepping carefully over a gnarled root.

"Remind me again," he said after a moment, "what kind of Deseruit Beast we're dealing with this time?"

Ivan walked up beside him, cloak swaying. "Feral, from what the locals in Rumpelstadt said. Big one — as large as a horse, maybe more. Looks like an overgrown lion with no fur." He gestured loosely with his hand. "They said it's covered in scales instead. Sounded pretty shaken up about it."

Alexander's brow furrowed. "So… a mangy lion with scales. Wonderful." He scowled faintly, glancing around. "Sounds like a waste of time to me."

"It's been attacking livestock for weeks," Ivan said, tone pragmatic. "Even killed a few of the townsfolk trying to defend their pens. You'd think you'd have a little more sympathy."

Alexander shot him a flat look. "You mistake sympathy for usefulness. The thing's small time, Ivan. Hardly a challenge. Hardly worth our time."

Ivan arched a brow, smirking faintly. "Ah, so that's it." He nudged him with an elbow. "You're still sulking about the bigger bounty we skipped."

"I'm not sulking," Alexander snapped — far too quickly.

Ivan's grin widened. "You wanted that one. I could see it in your face."

"It paid more, and it would've actually been interesting," Alexander said defensively. "This? This is pest control."

Ivan chuckled softly, the sound strangely at odds with the gloom around them. "You're unbelievable. You do realize there's only the two of us taking these bounties, right? The town's practically a ghost one — the only fighters they had are either gone or dead. They can't afford to lose what's left. And besides I'm a Nil and you're... well you."

Alexander didn't respond immediately. His gaze stayed fixed on the mist curling through the forest ahead, his expression unreadable.

After a pause, Ivan continued. "We can't help everyone. But if we're here, we might as well try. It's not always about glory, Alex."

Alexander's jaw tightened at the nickname, but he didn't argue.

Instead, after a long silence, he said quietly, "I know." He brushed his gloved fingers along the bark of a tree — the surface crumbled instantly into dust beneath his touch. "Still doesn't mean I have to like doing the smaller jobs."

Ivan tilted his head, half-smiling. "You've always been like this. If it doesn't test you, it bores you. If it tests you too much, it irritates you."

"Hmph," Alexander grunted, pushing past another curtain of hanging moss. "You talk too much for someone who nearly got himself killed last job."

"That's called tactics," Ivan retorted. "I was bait."

"You were bleeding."

"Still alive, aren't I?"

Alexander exhaled sharply through his nose, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Barely."

They walked on, the silence between them stretched comfortably for a few minutes, filled only by the whisper of wind.

Finally, Ivan spoke again. "You know," he said softly, "for all your complaining, you never turn down these jobs."

Alexander didn't look back. "It's just something to pass the time."

"Right," Ivan said with a faint nod. "Because that's who you are. The man who complains the loudest but still shows up first, huh."

Alexander didn't respond — but his shoulders eased slightly. The mist thickened ahead, swallowing the path, and both slowed instinctively.

Ivan adjusted the clasp of his cloak. "Guess this is where the trail starts getting fun."

Alexander's eyes narrowed as his nose twitched again. "Stay sharp. The scent's stronger here."

Ivan exhaled, glancing around. "Lovely. Just what I needed before dinner."

"If we live that long."

Just as his words passed, the mist thickened until it felt almost solid. A sound drifted through; a low growl, rolling out of the fog.

Alexander froze first, head tilting a fraction. "There," he said quietly, voice low enough that it barely reached Ivan. "Left side."

"Which one of us is handling it?"

Alexander didn't move at first. The silence stretched, filled by that soft, rasping breath coming from beyond the mist. Then he said, "I'll do it." No bravado. "You keep eyes on the flank."

"Fine by me." Ivan shifted back a few steps, watching the line of mist ahead. "Try not to break another tree line this time. The lumbermen will start sending us bills."

Alexander didn't answer. His attention was fixed forward; his eyes caught it in the vapor for a heartbeat before the forest went silent again. The growl deepened. Something scraped across bark—a rough, dragging sound, followed by the crunch of a heavy paw sinking into the soil.

The beast came into view piece by piece: first the silhouette of a muzzle, long and scaled. Then the glow of its eyes—two yellow orbs that cut through the mist. It was larger than a horse, its shoulders ridged with plates, and when it stepped fully into the open. A Deseruit Beast, feral and sickly-looking, but powerful.

Ivan let out a low whistle. "That's uglier than I expected."

Alexander's mouth twitched. "They usually are."

The creature lowered its head, muscles flexing beneath the layered hide. A guttural hiss escaped its throat, followed by a deep bellow that made the ground tremble. Then it charged—fast, faster than something that size should have been able to move.

Alexander didn't flinch. His boots shifted, sliding smoothly across the dirt. His right leg snapped upward in a tight arc; his heel caught the creature clean across the jaw.

The impact boomed like a thunder strike. The Deseruit Beast's body lifted from the ground, momentum sending it crashing backward through the trees. Wood splintered and bark exploded outward as its bulk tore through two trunks before slamming into a third with a sickening crunch.

Ivan raised an eyebrow. "Well," he murmured, "so much for subtlety."

Before the words had fully left him, Alexander was already moving. He vanished into the mist, the next sound came from deeper within the forest: another crash, then the short, clipped rhythm of impacts as Alexander drove the beast backward again and again.

When Ivan finally caught sight of them through the thinning mist, Alexander had the creature pinned beneath his knee. One gloved hand pressed into the beast's throat, forcing it down. Its claws scraped weakly at the ground, tearing furrows into the earth.

"Pathetic," Alexander said under his breath. "Annoyingly easy." He tightened his grip. "What a waste of time."

The Deseruit Beast let out one last rasping snarl. Alexander's other hand twisted sharply. There was a single wet sound. The head tore free with a dull crack, rolling aside to land in the dirt with a thud.

Ivan stepped closer, careful not to look directly at the carcass for too long. "You know," he said quietly, "most people would just call that excessive."

Alexander rose to his feet, wiping his hand clean against his sleeve. "Most people couldn't stop it in one strike."

Ivan's eyes turned to the torn clearing, the scattered trunks, the mess of scales and blood darkening the soil. "Still," he said, tone mild, "you don't leave much for study."

"Nothing worth studying here," Alexander replied. "Just another dumb beast."

He glanced toward the mist where they'd come from. "We're done."

Ivan nodded once, tugging his cloak around himself again. "Then let's get back to town. Maybe this time they'll actually pay us without haggling."

Alexander gave a faint snort. "Doubtful."

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