While I did my best to avoid the monsters, I'd nevertheless had plenty of encounters with them over the recent weeks. After each one, I learned a little more. For instance, I picked up on the fact that the creepy leaf piles only blew up when they were close to their target. As long as I backed up fast enough after each swing, I could kill the creeper before it blew up. I knew how to make pillars, or to hide around corners to deal with skeletons. I knew that the spiders, zombies, and witches needed to be dealt with quickly and often head-on.

I thought I knew about all of the monsters of this world, but tonight, something new appeared. I had no idea what it was. All I could see were the two glowing spots of purple as they roamed across the field. I stared at them, and suddenly they were staring back as a broken and fragmented scream tore through the quiet night. The noise was awful and indescribable. It seemed to echo all around me and from within my mind too. A part of me thought that only I could hear it. However, as I looked away from the eyes, I saw Sigrid cowering on the ground, trying to cover her ears with her paws.

I looked up in time to see the eyes disappear and a second later they reappeared, along with the entire body, right in front of me. The strange creature towered over me with thin, black legs that stopped just before the top of my head. It had a small body with dark streaks in it and it emitted purple particles. Two arms of near-equal length of the legs hung on either side of its body. Sitting atop the tiny body was a dark head that had a giant mouth opened into a terrifying scream that seemed to tear its face apart.

I shrieked, but before I could do anything, the two lengthy arms swung and sent me flying back into my tunnel. I lay on the ground gasping. That single hit hurt almost as much as a creeper explosion. In one hit, my body felt bruised and broken. I assumed this would be the end of me. And if it could teleport, what could I do to stop it? With great effort, I peeled my head off the stone floor to look at the monster, expecting it to be looming over me any second. Turned out, stopping it was easier than I expected. The thing tried to chase after me, but couldn't fit inside. It was too tall. It yelled in frustration and then flinched when Sigrid bit at its leg. Immediately it turned on my pup and swung at her. She yelped and suddenly all of the pain I felt was forgotten.

Nobody hurts my dog!

I jumped to my feet and drew my sword. I swung fast and regained the monster's attention. Its long arms tried to swing at me, but couldn't reach. That was a relief. Even though they didn't look like much, those lanky arms could really pack a punch. At least in my tunnel, I was safe. With enough hits, I could surely take care of the monster without any more injuries.

The problem was, I wasn't the only one in this fight. Sigrid charged at the monster and nipped at its ankles again. The monster flinched, and almost immediately swatted at her. She flew back several blocks. Rage welled up in me.

How dare he do that a second time!

However, the rage quickly gave way to fear. Sigrid's tail practically touched the floor. She was hurt bad. I didn't know if she could take another hit. This thing hit hard. Despite the danger, Sigrid's eyes remained fiercely locked onto the monster that had hurt me. For the slight of harming me, she would kill this creature, or die trying.

Sigrid, no! Come here! Leave it alone!

I swung at the monster, regaining its attention, but it didn't go down.

How much can this thing take?

I swung again while begging my friend to listen.

Get inside, Girl! Don't bite it!

She didn't listen. She lunged for another bite as time slowed and my heart stopped. Her teeth met their mark. The monster roared in pain and swung its terrible arms at her. They connected and she flew across the yard. She landed on her side against the fence and didn't get back up.

Sigrid!

I screamed and flung myself at the monster. I hit it and it hit me. I fought through the pain and raised my bruised arm again. I brought it down with all of my might, aiming for that horrible screaming face. The blade connected and the monster fell to the ground. Its body disappeared into a puff of smoke, leaving behind three of the green and yellow orbs. I turned to the fence, but Sigrid was already gone. Her body had vanished like every other animal we'd killed. Only she didn't leave anything behind. It was like she'd never existed at all.

I fell to my knees and dropped the sword on the ground. Tears rolled down my cheeks as sobs wracked my body.

Sigrid! I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!

I collapsed forward onto my hands and pounded them against the grass.

Don't leave me! Please.

My chest felt tight. She couldn't be gone, she just couldn't be! What was I supposed to do without her? How could I go on? My body ached and felt too heavy to move. I stayed there for a long time until the pain in my chest gave way to numbness. I was alone again. But I wasn't. A spider shrieked in the distance. A zombie groaned. I wasn't alone. The monsters. They caused this. A growl built in my throat, and I rose to my feet. I picked my sword up off the ground and stared through burning eyes out into the field where the monsters roamed.

My fingers twitched and tightened around the hilt of my sword as my heartbeat pounded in my ears. The pain and tiredness in my limbs dissipated. Why did they get to live when Sigrid didn't? I'd fix that.

I walked out of the light of my yard and into the dark fields, immediately gaining the attention of the local monsters. Spiders raced forward as zombies shambled and skeletons drew their bows.

Come and get me.

I sliced across the spider's face, hitting several of its eyes. It shrieked and flew backward, but came rushing back angrier than ever. It bit at my leg, its fangs piercing through my pants. I roared and swung wildly until it fell to the ground dead, then I turned on the zombie. I slashed its side as an arrow pierced my own. I whipped around and charged the skeleton archer. It wasn't prepared for that and crumbled to dust. The zombie still wanted a piece of me, and I wasn't done with it. In just a few swings, it fell over, and I focused on the next monster to cross paths with me. Monster after monster came at me, and time and time again, I killed them. Some landed hits. Most never got the chance. That didn't deter them. They just kept coming. Every time one fell, I turned and found another. They were relentless.

But so was I.