Beastkin woman

   The sweet first rays of dawn spilled onto the leaves of the trees. As if the silence of the forest was broken — several crows flapped their wings and floated back into the sky. One of them descended from afar, lowering itself and causing a great black congestion. Standing on the back of the crow was a woman cloaked in shadow, wearing a black mantle and pulling her hood low. Her appearance was mysterious, and behind her trailed a legion of crows. The elves shuddered, trembling as they glanced at one another. Rocky growled from above, making a warning movement: his brow furrowed as he emerged from the rear in defense. 

 He spoke telepathically in a fierce voice, signaling caution. “Pleased to meet you,” the woman said slowly, her voice carrying the secret of the forest. Among the elves, Darion darted quickly to the front and spoke: “This woman is of the race of the wolf-eared ones. Master Moris, be careful!” Moris remained calm, for by his side stood Rocky – the Leviathan tiger. He looked at the woman and asked coldly: “Who are you, and how do you know my language and my name?” Lucas, Kail, Darion, and Talion did not understand the speech of the two, and exchanged confused glances. Darion muttered beside them: “They are speaking the Ostania tongue.” The hooded woman remained silent for a moment, then bowed her head slightly and spoke: “My name is Gurgaria. I know the Ostania language, and I know everything about you. I have been watching you for some time.” Her words reached the elves’ ears like a dark echo. Suddenly, the crows swarmed together, casting a black shadow over all of them as if to descend upon them. Their numbers multiplied, turning the air into a dense black cloud. Gurgaria easily stretched out her hand, and two or three crows perched upon her shoulders. The crows obeyed her command and fell silent. Moris answered: “What do you want from me?” Gurgaria, calm and severe: “Nothing. I only wish to know one truth about you. Now I will ask you questions — if you answer correctly, you live. If not, you will be fed to the crows.” Rocky’s brow furrowed deeper, and he growled louder. His silence cast a sharp tension through the forest. Moris calmed Rocky with a look and said to Gurgaria: “Speak, be calm. 

 Ask your questions.” Gurgaria drew a breath and asked the first: “Moris, tell me, if you had to choose between justice and profit, which would you choose?” Moris stared into her eyes, his voice clear and steady: “Justice, of course. If I sought profit, I would not be here in the elf forest.” Gurgaria slowly shook her head, a slight, almost satisfied smile forming: “Very well.” The second question, though simple, was metaphorical: “If you saw a broken branch in the forest, would you tear it away, or would you plant a new one?” Moris did not hesitate: “I have already planted a new one. Now I must wait for it to grow.” Gurgaria laughed lightly, her voice briefly adding sound to the forest: “Alright then…” she said, then her tone grew firm as she posed the final question. She summoned her crows, swarming them suddenly toward the elves like a thick storm cloud. The elves’ hearts pounded; they were frozen in silence. A great breath, a heavy stillness — it lasted three seconds. Gurgaria asked the last question, her voice cold as ice: “And man… you have one choice: either you die now, or your friends die. Are you loyal enough to sacrifice your life for your friends? Choose: will you live, or will they live?” Her words made the forest trees creak as if under pressure. The elves froze, their eyes trembling. 

 Rocky growled furiously, but Moris remained calm — his gaze was cold, but within him flashed a light of philosophy. Without hesitation, Moris replied in a sharp, clear voice: “Kill me.” Everyone standing gasped in shock, the crows in the air fell silent for a moment. Gurgaria’s face faltered — she had not expected such an answer. Her voice caught, as if her own thought had been “torn apart.” Moris continued, his eyes distant, his voice softening: “I already told you I planted a new branch. Even if the great tree dies, the important thing is that the small ones carry on its path. The elder must be willing to sacrifice for the younger. Now release them and kill me.” At that moment, Gurgaria stood unable to respond. Her once sharp voice weakened, trembling with astonishment and something like fear. Her violet eyes flickered as if she were rethinking something she could not grasp. She gathered her crows with a single motion and flew upward — for reasons even she did not know. Whether she left unprepared or shaken by the answer was unclear. The crows scattered into the sky like a black cloud, and silence returned to the forest. Rocky growled softly and approached Moris, speaking telepathically: “You chose not your life, but the path of others. There is greatness in your heart.

  ” Moris looked into the distance, smiling faintly: “My thought is not of a single tree. My thought is of the whole forest.” The elves glanced at one another, a new faith arising in their hearts. Lucas trembled inwardly as he looked at his master: he had just witnessed the true meaning of courage. The camera slowly pulled back into the sky: the flight of the crows, the forest leaves stirred by the wind, all breathed as one. As Gurgaria vanished into the heavens, her face lingered in shadow, leaving behind countless thoughts — a moment that showed how many choices lie before a person in the wilderness. The scene ended slowly: the forest was quiet once more, but now it breathed with a different feeling — trust between science and magic had changed. The group moved ahead and reached a great cave at the foot of the mountain. From the stone walls came a cold draft. Their steps echoed, and their breaths resounded in the thick darkness. Lucas (nervously): “Master, that wolf-eared woman… what did she say to you?” Moris (shortly): “Not important. Right now the crystal is what matters.” Lucas (stubbornly): “But master, just tell us. Don’t we have the right to know?” Moris (sighing): “Lucas… if you don’t stop now, I won’t say anything at all.” Lucas, though defiant, thought of his pride and nodded. 

  Lucas: “Alright… you’ll tell us later yourself.” The group reached the dark mouth of the cave. Drops trickled from the walls, and strange sounds echoed within. Kail (wide-eyed): “We can’t go in! Monsters swarm in dark caves!” Moris (firmly): “So we walked all this way for nothing? Should we just turn back?” Talion: “No, but we won’t see anything in the dark…” Moris used his storage magic and drew out glowing green spectacles, handing them one by one. Moris (calmly): “Put these on. No more questions.” The elves put them on, and their eyes lit up as they began to see clearly. A green-tinted world astonished them. Darion (in wonder): “This… it isn’t magic. But it’s even more marvelous!” The group moved deeper into the cave. Heavy hoofbeats echoed. The ground trembled like an earthquake. Talion (drawing his sword): “Ready yourselves! This is no light foe!” From the shadows emerged a massive horned beast, wielding a colossal axe — a Minotaur. It roared, shaking the walls. Rocky leapt like lightning, clawing the Minotaur’s leg. The giant beast stumbled to its knees. Lucas (holding his breath, loading his sniper): “Now…” He charged the bullet with magic. The shot, cloaked in yellow flame, sped forth and struck the Minotaur’s arm. The axe fell to the ground.

  Kail (shouting): “Our turn!” Kail and Talion leapt, slashing both of the Minotaur’s eyes at once. The beast roared, its mouth filling with blood. Moris (coldly): “Now my turn.” He pulled the pin of a grenade and hurled it into the Minotaur’s mouth. It exploded inside. The giant body collapsed, echoing through the cave. Kail (laughing): “Ha-ha! No monster can stand against this team!” As they pressed on, hundreds of glowing green eyes appeared in the cave’s depths. A swarm of gray cave goblins emerged. Darion (fearfully): “Too many… far too many!” Moris: “Don’t retreat!” Moris and Darion unleashed their SIG WCX rifles. Bullets rained like a storm. Goblins fell in droves, though they swarmed relentlessly. Kail and Talion pushed to the front, swinging their swords fiercely. Lucas picked them off from afar. Rocky tore through goblins like a thunderbolt, ripping some apart, devouring others whole. One goblin leapt at Kail’s back, but Rocky snatched it midair and devoured it without dropping it. Talion (breathing hard): “We… we actually survived!” 

 Moris (firmly): “Not finished yet. Forward!” After several kilometers, the cave opened into a massive chamber. From the ground and ceiling shone countless mana crystals, glowing blue like thousands of stars. All froze in awe. Lucas (mouth agape): “Look at this beauty…” Darion: “We… we’ve found it!” But suddenly, from among the crystals, a massive form stirred. A huge creature made entirely of blue crystal rose, its eyes burning like fire.

  Kail (raising his sword): “A golem… a mana golem!” The chamber shook. The golem awakened, its heavy steps thundering toward the group. Sparks of lightning flashed from its crystal body, illuminating the walls. Moris (coldly): “All of you, prepare yourselves. This is the true trial!”