Coye Vol 3 Ch 10

Traveling alone inside the Gnarled Woods was nothing Coye wasn't used to by now. It was only recently that he'd started breaking that habit because of Shayla, who pushed him out of his comfort zone more often by the day. Today, Coye had even gone so far as to gain a second companion. Byng was the first fellow adventurer to ever journey at his side- at least the first he planned on, anyway.

Because of the structure of the first round, it didn't really sink in that they were a party. That all changed during this second outing, and the boy couldn't ignore it. Here they were, together, and in the middle of hunting down an elusive monster that Coye knew very little about.

Byng didn't insist on holding his hand again, but that didn't mean the mood wasn't still upbeat and cheerful between them. It seemed almost as if when traveling with her, the darkness of the forest had no power against the warmth that Byng's bright personality brought along everywhere she went. Things felt so different that Coye was compelled to comment on it after a while.

"Um, Byng...?"

"Yes, short-stuff, that is indeed my name. Sup?"

Coye idled about and played with one of his bangs, twirling it around his gloved finger. He knew how this would sound, but he couldn't help himself. "I-I don't know... this might be a little weird, but I was just thinking about how nice it feels to not be alone in here, for once."

He picked the right words for one girl and the wrong words for another. Shayla took offense immediately, whacking him on the head as hard as she could. 'What, do I not count or something all of a sudden?! Hmph! I see how you are, you ungrateful little-'

"Ohoho? Is that so? Gahaha!" Byng was pleased as a peach, positively beaming. "Guess that means we're gonna have to do this more often, then! Who knows, maybe we can set ourselves up with one of those registered parties or whatever Dotty was rambling on and on and on about?

"Oh, uh, yeah. Maybe..." Coye looked away and blushed at the thought, causing the girl to laugh at him once again. A formal party with a cute girl like Byng? He never thought he'd see the day, let alone the day where he would actually consider the possibility instead of outright rejecting it.

"Still too soon, huh? I see how it is..." Byng clicked her tongue and shook her head. "And here I thought we were making progress!"

"N-No, it's not that... I'm just... I don't know. Surprised that you would even want to party up with me, I guess?" He slumped his shoulders, his self-confidence being as fickle as it ever was.

This ticked Byng off. She stopped walking and looked directly at the boy with a frazzled expression on her face. "And why the heck not? I thought I was pretty clear that I liked you all this time! Are you telling me that somehow didn't come across, or something?"

"Well, no... not really... you always tried to trap me, and you tested your arrows out on me. That's, uh, not quite how we do things around here."

"Pft," Byng shoved her elbow into Coye and rolled her eyes, trying to remain casual. "Back in Grurguhrohk, that weak-ass crap would count as flirting!" She proclaimed in a calm, dismissive demeanor.

"So all this time, you were just...?" Coye looked at her, his face flushed yet hopeful.

"Yes and no," Byng cocked her head, then cackled as she let out the honest truth. "I also just like fucking with you, gahaha!"

Coye sighed and hung his head in defeat. Something about him just attracted this sort of attention from girls, but at least he was starting to learn how to live with it. He found it didn't bother him as much as before, at least not with Byng. Every moment spent in her company reinforced that. Sure, they had some cultural issues to work through, but things were looking optimistic regarding their budding relationship.

Something was on Coye's mind, though. "I didn't see you eat anything before entering the forest again, Byng. Are you gonna be ok?" He asked.

"Huh? Ohhh, the hunger thingy, right. Yeah, this forest has nothing on me!" Byng dismissed the concern entirely. "I'm immune to all that psychological junk you guys suffer from here. It's no big deal."

'No big deal? Show off!' Shayla scoffed.

Coye simply looked at her in wonder, even a degree of jealousy. "Are you serious?"

"Yup! You really don't know a thing about my Homerealm, do you?" Byng chuckled.

"Uh, no. Basically nothing."

"It's alright, that's what I was expecting! Lemme double back for a sec and ask you something else, then. Have you ever met an Orc before, short-stuff?"

"Yeah, my dad had some Orc friends back home, and I'm pretty sure I've seen a few at the Guild before..."

"Good, good. So you know what they're like, then? Big, strong, more muscles than brains, the works! You see, the thing about Grurguhrohk is that it's a place where Orcs are at the very, very, very, very, very bottom of the food chain with like, a few exceptions, if any. Get my drift?"

"Holy crap," Coye exclaimed, gulping nervously.

'Yikes, and I thought I had it bad...' Shayla shivered.

"Yep, it's all that and worse! Gahaha! So, yeah. A spooky forest like this? It ain't nothing compared to the stuff I've seen back home- tainted Demon Lord energy or not."

"No wonder you emigrated..." Coye commented, still trying to wrap his head around how dangerous of a place Grurguhrohk could actually be.

"I mean, yeah, my Homerealm is undeniably a craphole, but it ain't the only reason I left..." Byng commented while giving the boy a strange, almost hungry look that lasted only a moment before it was gone.

Coye found it odd, but he couldn't parse its meaning, so he charged onward with his next question. "How did you even manage to get to Karnalle in the first place, anyway? Isn't traveling on a Voidship super expensive?"

His question seemed innocent enough, but it triggered something in Byng for whatever reason. Something that had been brewing under the surface for some time now and something she could no longer ignore. She stopped right there in the middle of the forest, refusing to answer.

There was a prolonged silence as she looked right into Coye's eyes, studying and scrutinizing. Coye felt a bead of sweat start to form on his forehead, and out of instinct, the boy shrunk back, all as she continued to glare for some unknown reason.

"...Byng?"

She advanced toward him and crossed her arms, continuing the silence for another few moments until, at last, she said, "Y'know, I've been trying not to question things too much. I thought maybe if I did, everything would come crashing down, or I'd wake up from some kinda cruel dream, you get me? But hey, I tried ignoring it. Didn't go so great. So now I'm just standing around wondering... what the heck is up with you all of a sudden? What brought this on, huh?"

"U-Um," Coye took a step away, unsure about what to say. "Byng, is this really the best place to have a serious talk like this? Something might show up at any moment, and..." as he spoke, he could tell from the look on her face that it wasn't going to cut it.

Byng narrowed her eyes even further, saying, "Don't care, now's as good a time as any. You never would've asked me personal questions before now- let alone ask me out. Part of me doesn't wanna know the answer, but the rest of me needs to hear the truth. What changed?"

'Little does she know a quick look under that hat of yours would tell her everything and more,' Shayla laughed to herself before advising him more seriously. 'For real, though. This is just like how it was with Suzette, baby. Tell her a version of the truth that you're comfortable with, and it should go just fine.'

Coye looked deep inside himself and tapped into a font of courage, enough to return Byng's inquisitive gaze with an honest one of his own. "A lot has changed, actually. A whole lot. Recently, um... I sort of... met someone special."

"Oh?" Byng showed signs of loosening up, so Coye was emboldened to continue speaking.

"Yeah... this person has been encouraging me to do my best and own up to parts of me that I struggle with. I know I'm a little stupid, slow, and far from the brightest... but... they've been pointing things out to me, making me pick up on things I never would've noticed before, all while making sure to push me out of my comfort zone."

'Aw, geez... did you have to go and say it like that...?' Shayla was weak to such glowing praise, and she covered her blushing cheeks in her tiny hands, clenching her eyes shut to recover from the momentary embarrassment.

"I... don't really think I've actually changed as much as you think I have, Byng. Not yet. But... I want to change, and that's why I'm here right now... with you."

Byng was silent as she took in Coye's statement, the sinister sounds of the creeping forest filling the dead air all around them. Insects chirped. In the distance, a wolf howled, and yet all was still.

"Damn, short-stuff. I don't think I've ever heard you talk so much all at once before, gahaha!" Byng broke the silence with a casual laugh, making Coye feel a fool for having taken the situation so seriously. He was a little mad at it, actually.

"I-Is that really the only takeaway you got from my speech?!" Coye asked, balling his fists and blushing profusely.

"Nah, but I told you I like fucking with you, didn't I?"

"Byng..."

She leaned in and placed a hand on Coye's shoulder to ease the tension, giving him a warm and friendly grin. "I'm joking. This person sounds like a really good influence on you, my friend. From the way you talk about them, though, I'm feeling you aren't going to let me meet them, are you?"

"Um..." Coye froze, stopping himself from glancing up at his hat.

The call wasn't up to him, though. Shayla had her reasons for remaining a secret, and despite how much she had grown to like Byng, all it would take to ruin her comfortable new life with Coye was for word to get out to the wrong person about her existence. Thus, the Pixie remained silent on the matter.

"It's all good," Byng conceded, nodding her head as she understood the situation. "I kinda figured that was the answer. Look- this Gengaggi knows better than to bite the hand that feeds, you get me? Whoever this mystery gal of yours is, I don't care... as long as you give them my thanks next time you see them, that is. Got it?"

"Yeah... sure..." Coye smiled with relief. "B-But wait a second. I didn't say that they were a girl."

Smirking, Byng looked over her shoulder as she started to walk away further down the dark forest path without him and said, "Oh, trust me... you really didn't have to. Thank you for being honest with me, Coye."

The way that Byng said his name while staring at him with those warm, wild, amber eyes of hers caused his heart to skip a beat. Coye idled around just watching Byng go for a moment, until his partner corrected his behavior once again.

'Don't just stand there and ruin the moment, dummy! Follow her!' Shayla bopped Coye again, urging him to move on and take the focus away from her and back onto Byng. She couldn't stand hearing Coye talk so... romantically about her any longer. Any more, and the little light-headed, blushing Pixie was liable to pass straight out.

She was also distracted by thoughts of what it might be like for her to come out and introduce herself to Byng, but those thoughts were dangerous and better left alone. That was easier said than done.

"S-So," Coye took the cue and started running after Byng, trying to catch up. "Anyway, I was asking how you ended up making it to Karnalle...?"

"Taking a chance to learn more about me, huh?" Byng snickered. "Well, too bad! We're coming up fast on Woodtreader territory, so you'll have to ask me later! I promise we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other later, ok?"

Coye did feel somewhat let down, but he nodded nonetheless. "You promise?"

Not expecting him to be sincerely disappointed, Byng blushed briefly, only to laugh it off and continue jogging off ahead of him. "Yeah, yeah. I'll tell you everything you want to know sooner or later, so come on and help me find one of these damn birds!"

Picking up his pace, Coye nodded and trekked after her. "You got it."

As they ran, Byng started focusing heavily on looking for any signs of Woodtreaders, whether it was tracks, feathers, dung, or what have you. Coye had never searched for this monster before, so he had to rely entirely on the huntress and her ample experience. Luckily, Byng knew precisely what to look for.

She tore into their surroundings for a long time until stopping abruptly and bending over in front of a dense patch of tall grass.

Coye didn't see anything hidden within, but Byng had a severe expression. She sniffed the air a few times, grumbled, shoved her hand into the grass, and pulled out a large black feather that only seemed to increase her frustration. Byng studied the feather, turning it over in her fingers, before pointing the way forward.

"This way. It won't be far now." She said, running off without concern for Coye following along.

Coye's respect for his companion's insight grew as he ran along behind her. He hadn't noticed the feather and likely wouldn't have if it weren't for Byng. Seeing her excel in her element reminded him that he still had so much to learn when it came to the hunting and tracking part of his job.

Before Coye knew what was happening, Byng ceased running, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him into a nearby bush. "Look," she whispered, pointing into the horizon with her claw. "There it is... a Woodtreader...!"

Coye was too distracted to look immediately on cue. He was smushed up close against Byng, who was so taken with her prey that she'd forgotten to space herself from him. Even if he wanted to, though, Coye found that he couldn't get aroused. Not with the intense aura of hatred that Byng was radiating with every fiber of her being.

'Eyes on the prize, baby,' Shayla reminded him. Coye focused and looked ahead, observing it in great detail.

What he saw was, to all appearances, an unassuming bird roughly six feet tall. The Woodtreader matched its poster to a tee. It had long legs, minuscule wings that were hard to spot, a thick coat of black feathers, and a flowing white set of bushy tail feathers. Its lengthy neck was covered in a much smaller coat of fuzzy white feathers that resembled fur. Perhaps its most noteworthy feature was its long yellow beak, as it was the only thing about the bird that had a hint of color to it.

All in all, Coye still didn't see what made this thing a monster and not an oversized bird. It just stood there doing nothing, craning its neck to look in different directions every so often.

Before contemplating it any further, Byng turned to him and tightened her fists. "Alright, short-stuff. Are you ready for this, or what?"

Coye nodded, "Yeah, I think so? I mean, I-" Byng jabbed him in his chest with her claw. "Ow!"

"Wrong! You think you're ready, but that's how it gets you! Take it from me. You're not. These things are bad news, man. Bad. News!" There was a fire in her eyes, her voice trembling with a quiet rage. Byng meant business.

"I thought you said they weren't dangerous...?"

"They're not!" Byng declared, stomping her foot into the dirt beneath her feet and scowling. "They're just... ugh, you'll see what I mean..."

'Ok, what the hell is going on here? Sure, they're fast... but Byng is acting like one of these birds killed her dog or something.' Shayla observed. She'd encountered a few Woodtreaders before, but they just so happened to be one of the rare monsters from her home forest that had never tried to eat her, so her experiences were limited.

"So, how are we doing this? First one to kill it wins?" Coye asked.

Byng was quiet until she forced her boiling resentment to calm down enough to nod her head. "That's the plan. Not that it'll be that easy, but yeah..."

"Alright, then," Coye unsheathed his sword and walked while crouching to the other side of the bush. He looked to Byng as she unslung her bow and notched one of the funny-looking arrows from her quiver.

"On three," she said.

Coye nodded in confirmation, their mutual prey none the wiser.

'Good luck, baby! We got this.' Shayla pumped her fist in determination, readying herself to help however she could without being noticed.

There was a palpable silence as the adventurer waited for the countdown. His fist clenched tighter around his blade's hilt, he began channeling his energy into the soles of his feet, and he took a deep breath. Coye didn't know what to expect, but he would face it with his all.

At last, Byng began.

"One..."

Coye leaned out of the bush.

"Two..."

He felt the anticipation surging through his boiling blood.

"Three!"

Coye darted out of cover, creating an impact crater in the dirt below his foot as he unleashed a potent Quick Step. He closed the distance in seconds and was well within striking distance of the Woodtreader. One quick slice to the neck would sever it, same as any other bird.

Rearing his sword, Coye performed a horizontal slash with a moderate amount of his power behind it.

Not only did the attack fail to land, but the Woodtreader reacted to Coye's hostile intent faster than even his most generous assumptions led him to believe was possible. It leaped into the air with the grace of a dancer, landing on his shoulders and kicking off of them for additional air. After touching the ground, it took several steps away from Coye and minded its own business, ignoring him as if it had forgotten it had just been attacked.

Coye looked behind him to witness the Woodtreader pecking at an acorn on the ground. The sight didn't process until a few moments later- it was just that surreal. Never before had he attacked a monster only for it to so casually brush his presence off.

This bewilderment led to a lapse in his guard, which would've been a costly mistake if it weren't for his backup.

'Look out!' Shayla cautioned him toward the new threat, which came not from any monster but from Byng herself. The arrow she readied was never meant for the bird but for Coye.

"Every adventurer for themselves!" Byng shouted as she let go of her bowstring and sent her projectile flying.

It was all Coye could do to raise his shield before it was too late.

A small explosion burst against his metal barrier- strong enough to stagger him momentarily but not enough to knock him back. Gray smoke billowed out from the minor blast. Coye inhaled a single lungful against his will before covering his mouth and moving away from the area.

'I just knew she was gonna try and get in our way...' Shayla grumbled.

Coye wasn't surprised. This was a competition, and Byng had already proved how badly she wanted to be the victor time and again. They were more or less on equal footing this round, so it made sense she planned to undermine him at every turn. It didn't matter. He would figure out a way to deal with Byng once the chance arose.

As soon as the smoke cleared, though, the girl was already gone.

Byng needed a better vantage point if she was to get any good shots in. All her experience with this infuriating birdie told her that taking the Woodtreader by surprise was the only way to even come close to bringing it down, so she dashed away, and her bare feet lit up with green energy.

She ran vertically up the trunk of a nearby tree and perched atop one of its mighty branches, looking down on the battle from above.

Once Coye finally tracked her down, Byng was drawing a standard-headed arrow from her quiver. When it was notched, the tip glowed brightly with her determined aura. She squinted her eyes, performing intense mental estimations before letting go of her shot.

'What the- she missed on purpose?!' Shayla watched with wide eyes as Byng's arrow traveled away from the Woodtreader by a wide margin.

Coye knew better.

"No, watch," he muttered to Shayla.

Byng's 'missed shot' was anything but. It flew into a tree a few paces to the monster's right, but rather than getting stuck into the trunk, the arrow made a springy sound as the energy centered on the tip activated.

It bounced.

The arrow took off in a rebounded direction, hitting a stone, then a fallen log, and yet another tree before the projectile was put on its intended course. It was aimed straight for the Woodtreader's heart.

Byng grinned as her attack- the Art known as Ricochet Shot- zoned in on the target. The Woodtreader hadn't followed along with the path of her arrow, believing in the misdirection and trusting that the shot was aimed somewhere else entirely. It was a clever trick that saved Byng's skin on many occasions...

But it didn't work. The bird performed a single sidestep as the arrow zoomed straight past it, finally ending up lodged in a group of bushes as its energy faded.

"Kwah?" It squawked, tilting its head.

"Gah! Fucking damn, damn, damn it...!" Byng's temper peaked as one would expect. In her anger, she stomped her foot against the branch where she stood atop, cursing and causing leaves to fall.

While Coye and Shayla were distracted by watching the Gengaggi's attack and its following outburst, both were unaware that the huntress took the opportunity to launch a second explosive shot near Coye's feet. He only picked up on it once it landed, which was too late.

"Crap!" Coye exclaimed, trying to get out of the way, only for the second burst to dislodge some earth beneath his feet and cause him to trip. Once again, the arrow filled the surrounding area in a thick cloud of smoke meant to obscure his vision and keep him from interfering.

'This is getting old,' Shayla clicked her tongue and snapped her fingers. 'Up and at 'em, baby!' She said, summoning a breeze to carry off all the smog. Once it was cleared, the Pixie smirked, proud of her work.

"Thanks," Coye whispered to her under his breath and hopped up, then looked around for the monster and Byng. The huntress was where he last left her, and surprisingly, so was the Woodtreader.

It really wasn't bothered by any of this, was it?

Byng looked down at Coye and raised an eyebrow. "Neat trick you got there," she whistled. "More of that magic you've been practicing?"

"Y-Yeah," he nodded but forced himself not to get sidetracked by Byng. "More importantly, you're going to have to try a lot harder than a couple of smoke bombs to take me out of the game..." Coye declared as he discarded his shield, throwing it to the grass.

If the Woodtreader wasn't dangerous and instead excelled at evading danger, then Coye decided he needed every extra bit of speed he could manage. He'd have to be more careful about Byng's arrows, but he figured it was a sacrifice worth making so long as he paid close attention.

He also desired the use of his left hand, and with it, he fished out a strange tool from one of the largest pouches on the back of his belt and ran toward the Woodtreader. Coye attacked with an overhead jumping slash, letting out a grunt as he swung downward.

The bird sidestepped at the last second, leading Coye's sword to get lodged firmly in the dirt. This suited him just fine as he thrust out the tool and aimed it at the Woodtreader's leg.

The tool was his trusty Shotgrab, and it was one of the few gadgets he packed with him on every quest, thanks to its surprising versatility. The device was made up of a blue, cylindrical metal barrel, a silver handlebar, and what looked like a metal human hand affixed to a long line of chains inside the chamber.

Coye squeezed the handle, and a puff of smoke flew out against his hand. The chains rattled, the magical propulsion system rocketing the hand toward its target. However, this propulsion was far from the only magical feature of the Shotgrab.

The hand reached the Woodtreader's ankle and came to life- snatching it and holding the unwilling creature as it finally showed signs of panic.

"Kwahk? Kwah?!" It pecked at the chains and shook its leg, curious and concerned.

'Nice! I guess some of that junk you bought has some use after all?' Shayla remarked at her first taste of Coye's unconventional arsenal of tools.

Coye smiled, proud of his quick thinking. As helpful as it was, he didn't break out the Shotgrab all that often during combat. He had to be strong enough to topple their weight out from under them to trip enemies with it, which was a rare occurrence given the foes he usually found himself going up against. But against an ordinary bird? All it took was a single firm yank for him to bring the distressed monster to the ground.

Looking down on the situation with great annoyance, Byng's heart sank as the Woodtreader collapsed. She gritted her teeth, acknowledging how good of a move that was just now and silently giving Coye props. Of course, the huntress wasn't happy about it.

"Yeah, right, short-stuff!" Byng called out, her temper inadvertently alerting him to the next of her attacks.

Before he knew it, another arrow was shot at him as he recalled his Shotgrab, dragging the bird along the forest floor as the chains receded. Coye stood his ground and twisted his body to deflect the projectile with his sword.

No explosion came out of this one, but it was a trick arrow all the same. The sac tied to the tip of the arrow burst and spread a lime green powder into the air. Coye's eyes opened wide, recalling it for what it was.

"Crap! Itching powder!" He exclaimed, backstepping just in time before it could reach his face. The memory this powder brought to mind was as nostalgic as it was painful- this was the first type of arrow Byng had ever hit him with after she began 'hunting' him.

'On it,' Shayla said, summoning another breeze to channel the power right back at Byng.

This caught her by surprise, but Byng had plenty of time to escape the redirected attack. She left her current tree and jumped to another one, sticking her tongue out as soon as she was safe. "A few new tricks won't be enough to stop me, gahaha!"

"Yeah? Well, it's too bad for you that I've already won!" Coye answered her taunt with surprising confidence, tugging the bird along with his strength. He slashed down at the trapped Woodtreader, ready to claim his victory.

His sword became lodged in the ground again.

Coye stared at the sight in confusion, only now noticing that his Shotgrab had nothing weighing it down. The Woodtreader somehow wiggled out of his tool's grasp during the few seconds he spent fending off Byng's attack, or maybe during her taunt? He didn't know for sure, but Shayla pointed out the new location of the oversized bird, and he turned to face it.

"Kwaaahk?" It asked from ten feet away, pruning its tail feathers with its beak.

"How... how in the...?!" Coye blinked and was taken aback.

Breaking off the competition long enough to express her sympathies, Byng groaned as her frustration reached another peak, "I know, right?! I've tried everything I could think of. Nets, pitfalls, bear traps, tripwires, and Kuhrkakk knows what the fuck else! Every damn time, no matter what I come up with, it's never any damn use! Argh! And if that weren't shitty enough, then there's the damn thing's personality! The fargarhk just fucking stands there like nothing happened every time! Never in all my years have I ever come across prey that doesn't even see a point in escaping from its hunters..."

"Kwah?" The Woodtreader looked up inquisitively.

"Yes, you! Gah!" Byng pointed her finger at the oblivious beast.

'Baby, I'm starting to believe this is more than just a challenge to her... hell, if it weren't for Byng attacking you every so often, I'd almost think she just wants to see one of these get killed no matter who does the job...' Shayla guessed, finding humor in the Gengaggi's irritation.

Coye understood what Byng was going through, considering he was starting to feel the same. He sighed and stashed away his Shotgrab while the Woodtreader began to roam around yet again. Just a moment later, Byng saw an opportunity and wasted no time capitalizing on it.

The huntress took a deep breath and armed her bow with one of her most potent arrows. Rather than a sharpened tip of metal or bone, this one had a small cylinder with what looked to be a metal coil wrapped around it.

'What the heck is this one gonna do?' Shayla wondered, having wizened to the fact that things were more than they appeared whenever it came to Byng's arsenal.

Coye hadn't seen this one before, either, and he wasn't about to go throw himself in its way just to test the effect.

Byng took aim.

Behind the Woodtreader was a large, overgrown boulder covered in moss and foliage. She shot straight at it, and as the arrow hit the stone, the spring-tip winded in on itself and started to vibrate like Byng after a hit of stamina potion.

Coye now knew why Byng had never used this arrow against him during her teasing. If she had, it would've killed him.

This attack created a massive kinetic explosion centered on its target. The rock buckled under the immense pressure, bursting into a thousand pieces of sharp, jagged debris that flew off in just as many directions. Coye was a safe distance away from the blast, but the Woodtreader wasn't.

Genius. Coye was convinced there was no getting out of this one. Byng's gambit covered too wide an area to just run away from, and he watched with great interest to see if this would be the decisive strike.

Alerted, the Woodtreader craned its long, fuzzy neck towards the oncoming attack.

"Kwah," it said, and then it began to dance.

With footwork surpassing that of a master martial artist, the Woodtreader weaved in and out of the path of every oncoming projectile. It twisted its body, avoiding one rock, then bowed its neck, avoiding two more. Sidestep. Hop. Pirouette. Another bow. Not a move was wasted. Every last twitch was filled with purpose and intent, and before Coye, Byng, or Shayla could even process what was happening, it was over.

"Kwahhk," the Woodtreader rose, blinked, and emptied its bowels.

Coye looked up to Byng and found that although she was still there up in the trees, no one was really home. Her eyes lost their glow, and her soul was bereft of passion. She was so done that she didn't even have it in her to sigh. Not anymore.

"I don't know what I expected," Byng said, slumping her shoulders and leaning against the tree trunk to take a quick time out.

"Geez..." Coye observed the humiliated huntress, wondering if she planned on giving up here and now. He was also more than a little dejected after witnessing the latest failed attempt.

'I can't say I really blame her,' Shayla shook her head in disbelief. 'But still! Now's not the time to give up, baby! You're better than her, so go on and prove it!' She pounded her fists on his head like a drum, motivating him and spurring the boy to action.

"Right," Coye muttered, sensing that now was an opportune moment to strike. He tried to put away all the thoughts of failure they'd experienced until now, telling Shayla, "Keep the wind on my back," as he rushed off.

'Whatever you want, partner!' Shayla complied, creating a large gust to speed him up just as Coye wished.

The wind, plus an added Quick Step, made for a simple but effective strategy. He reached the Woodtreader in no time as the forest parted around him. Coye took a swipe, and with it, he seized the first taste of progress.

He severed one of its long and bushy tail feathers before it could dodge.

'Hell yeah! Keep going!' Shayla cheered, the pure adrenaline keeping her stomach at bay from all the running and Quick Step-ing.

Coye was so close. If he followed up with another Quick Step, he would catch it. Coye was certain- yet something distracted him. A familiar, springy sound echoed from a nearby tree, and he turned just in time to catch one of Byng's energy-encased arrows headed straight toward his head.

He sidestepped before it was too late, but he underestimated Byng's true intentions. The projectile ricocheted off of a log just past him, and the new angle sent it hurtling toward his feet at an even greater speed. Only at that point did Coye notice that this was a trick arrow he'd seen never before.

The shaft split in half, morphing into a shape reminiscent of a bola as it wound both of his ankles together, sending Coye face-first into the dirt.

"Damn it, Byng...!" He cursed.

"Look," the Gengaggi sighed from on high. "I'm frustrated, sure. I want it dead just as much as you do, but I don't want you to win, either!" She said as she started a last-ditch effort to start pelting the Woodtreader with a rain of arrows.

If her tricks wouldn't work, all she had left was quantity.

Predictably, the Woodtreader started to prance about the place like it was having a good old-fashioned soiree. None of her arrows even got close.

Shayla, meanwhile, was growing sick of Byng's interference. Coye almost had the monster the last time he tried, and something had to give.

'Baby, we need to readjust our strats here for a sec. We can't look away from little miss Greenskin for even a second, or she'll launch some new headache for us to deal with. Somehow, we gotta stop her from taking potshots!' Shayla advised.

Coye brought his sword down on his bondage and hopped up, whispering, "I agree, but I don't wanna hurt her or anything...!"

'Not like that's my goal either, babe! I'm trying to help you score, not make you a murderer! Look, just thrust your hand at her like you're doing magic, and I'll take care of the rest. When she falls, get ready to go crazy on the bird!'

He nodded and did as he was told, interrupting Byng as she readied a glowing arrow.

Shayla's eyes swirled with the magic of the Fae, and she focused her powers on the branch Byng was perched atop. It wasn't as sturdy as it looked. Albeit small, there was a crack at the base. Byng must've been aware and balanced her weight to avoid overtaxing it, but all it would take is a little jinx to change things. It was time to perform the strongest skill she had.

Shayla altered Byng's luck itself with a snap of her fingers.

To Byng's surprise, the branch started to crack under her weight. She couldn't react in time before it gave out entirely, sending her to fall from ten feet into the air onto the cold, hard ground below.

"Gah!" Byng shouted, her head slamming into the dirt.

'Fuuuuck,' Shayla gasped for air, feeling a large portion of her mana burn up just like that. 'I'm a little tapped out now, so get to work, baby...'

"Damn, short-stuff! How cold-hearted of you, attacking your date like that!" She started rubbing her head amid pained groans, but Coye paid her no mind. He was too focused on following Shayla's command to allow anything else to take up his vital headspace.

Now, it was time to do or die.

Coye rushed in and elected to follow Byng's quantity over quality method. He rained a flurry of blows aimed at the Woodtreader, slashing his sword in every direction and performing whirls, twirls, and plenty of piercing thrusts. He pushed himself to his limits, gritting his teeth as he even started mixing in feints and false starts.

Although the Woodtreader danced and evaded everything he threw at it, Coye knew that he had to be making some sort of progress. It's not as if the bird had an infinite font of stamina. All he had to do was wear it out, and the finishing blow would be his to claim.

So why wasn't it slowing down? And for that matter, why was he?

Coye had a great deal of stamina, and he hadn't even been using many of his Arts, so he shouldn't have worn out as quickly as he did. Yet, he was becoming shorter and shorter of breath at every passing moment due to how infuriating his opponent proved.

The way that it was always one step ahead of him, reading his moves and his intentions, reminded Coye of when his training first began. Back then, his father seemed a monolithic giant of a man, ever out of his reach, and Coye's sword always felt miles away. Had nothing really changed since then?

Was she right?

Whatever the answer was, Coye's rising exhaustion caught up with him before he could discover the truth.

He stopped his flurry of attacks, breathing in heavy gasps as his head spun. Coye fell backward onto the ground and exhaled, dropping his sword and taking a deep drink from his canteen while the Woodtreader trotted off to inspect a nearby mushroom.

'Damn it...' Shayla sighed, sensing Coye's conflicted emotions. 'You were doing so good, baby. I'm sorry.'

Coye shrugged and nodded his head blankly. It wasn't until Byng spoke that he regained more of his thoughts.

Having gotten up during Coye's rush down and reoriented herself, Byng leaned casually against a tree and crossed her arms. Her bow was slung over her shoulder, showing that she took the brief opportunity to rest.

"Ah, I still remember my first time chasing after a Woodtreader..." she said wistfully. "I wish I could say it gets easier, but I don't have it in me to lie to you like that, short-stuff."

"How many times have you even tried this hunt...?" Coye asked, bringing himself to hobble over to where she was standing, only to plop down and lean against the tree, too. The competitive spirit between the two had died down significantly, and neither was in the mood for trash talk any longer.

"Not enough," Byng grumbled. "Fun fact- I'm always in a bad mood afterward, so I usually go into town and try and mess with you to perk me up. Works like a charm!"

Coye sighed and processed that surprising revelation as something to think about some other time. He slumped even further to the ground, unsure of what to do after his short break was over. "Do you have any tricks left, or are you ready to give up?"

"I always have more tricks," Byng smirked. "The question you're looking for is if I have any that I think will work."

"Well?"

"Not really. I got... maybe one, but it's a crapshoot."

"Might as well give it a go," Coye looked up and nodded at Byng, trying to be supportive.

"Oh, I will. Just watch me!" Feeling a surge of ambition, Byng stepped forward and readied her bow.

She'd been saving this trick since she hadn't mastered it yet, but if it worked, she would totally get to show off in front of her date. That was more than enough motivation to set her soul ablaze with passion as she notched a standard arrow and pulled back her bowstring.

The entire arrow, shaft, fletching, tip, and all burned bright with Byng's energy.

"Kuhrkakk, guide my arrow. Sherge, guide my heart." Byng muttered in Orcish, pleading to her strange, distant Gods for their help in this foreign land. She narrowed her eyes, brought her aim to the oblivious Woodtreader's body as it devoured its mushroom, and let go.

As it had with every attempt before, the monster dodged the arrow, but Byng didn't seem distraught. She remained focused as her projectile curved its trajectory, quickly adjusting until it was lined up to take another pass at the bird.

It was still going strong and hadn't lost any speed.

'Oh, nice...!' Shayla commented as Byng's arrow chased the fleeing Woodtreader around like an enraged hornet.

"That's Homing Shot, isn't it...?" Coye asked Byng, impressed with the usage of such an Art.

"Shh," Byng waved her hand at him, quieting Coye so she could focus. He saw that the skill was taking its toll on her mind. Controlling her energy in a weapon that wasn't in contact with her body for so long must have been taxing, and Coye couldn't imagine doing it himself.

Eventually, it proved to be too much for Byng as she gasped, the green glow leaving her arrow as it flopped out of the sky, limp and without momentum. As fancy as the attempt was, all it accomplished was ruffling the Woodtreader's feathers and getting it to run all over the place for a few minutes, just as Coye's rush down had.

"Kwah," the Woodtreader squawked as it raised its foot and lowered its neck, using its talons to scratch the tip of its head.

Byng dragged her body back to her companion in annoyance, collapsing against the tree a few feet away from him. "Y'know," she sighed. "I thought that the Gods would be kind since today is my Zurgarrah, but I guess I shouldn't push my luck..."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm already really close to capturing one target that I've been chasing after for ages, so asking for help on another was awfully cocky of me, gahaha!"

Coye smiled, and if his face weren't already red from exhaustion, it would've been flushed. He didn't bother asking what- or rather, who- her other high-value target happened to be.

'All of us seem pretty wiped out. Meanwhile, that feathery fuckhead hasn't broken a sweat...' Shayla commented. 'Wait... do birds sweat? Eh, whatever. All I wanna know is what happens now...?'

Coye was wondering the same thing.

"It's not safe to take a break for too long in the forest. Are we going to keep going, or..."

"What, do you think we should call this round a draw, too...?" Byng frowned.

"Um, there is one other option..." Coye said, giving it some thought. "We could try working together?"

"That'd be a weird competition," Byng cackled, then scratched her chin. She judged whether it was more important to her to preserve the integrity of her special day and call it a draw or to see her nemesis dead at long last, no matter the cost. "Still... do you think that might work? You've seen how slippery the damn bird can be, and we might end up tripping all over each other's toes. We've never fought together before, y'know."

Coye glanced at the Woodtreader, which now had its beak shoved into the dirt below, fishing for worms with a previously unseen vigor.

"Maybe, maybe not. It wouldn't hurt to try, though. We'll work together on this, and the winner will still be whoever lands the finishing blow. Sound good?"

At this point, Byng was convinced. Not that they would be successful, but that it was worth a shot. "Alright, I guess you got a point! It's not like nothing else was working, so we might as well, gahaha!"

Coye hopped up and helped Byng to her feet, and the two exchanged a brief nod of mutual respect to confirm that this was indeed happening, and then they smiled.

'I have a bad feeling about this,' Shayla groaned but forced herself to sit upright, eying down the Woodtreader.

"Kwah?" The bird squawked, tilting its head yet again as the two adventurers began their united assault.