Mara woke up fairly early and watched the sun rise for a few minutes. She often found solace in nature viewing during serious times. "I should enjoy this while I can," she mumbled to herself. "This next battle may be my last." She gathered her belongings and headed north.
Thoughts about the Minotaur ran through Mara's mind as she continued onward. All she could recall at this moment were all the stories about the many lives the behemoth had taken. He was just an incredibly powerful character.
Mara had left the forest when she noticed a large field with yellow grass as far as the eye could see. "This must be the Bronze Grasslands," she gasped. She then remembered reading about a mountain in this dry, grassy area. The Minotaur typically resided on the other side of this mountain. She had no choice but to scale this mountain and see for herself.
The water mage pushed forward despite her worries. She knew that by doing this, she was putting herself in a real life-or-death situation. She couldn't just convince the beast to change his ways because the life of crime was all he'd ever known.
Before long, Mara had reached the base of the mountain and looked up with a nervous expression. "Well, I've reached the point of no return," she gulped. "I'd better start climbing." She lunged herself upward and began climbing, and after a minute or two, she reached the peak.
"Wow, this is such a great view!" Mara exclaimed. She was taken aback by all the wonderful sights around her. She jumped off the mountain and landed safely on the ground. Just then, a loud and low grunt could be heard behind the water mage. She turned around and donned a shocked expression.
"What are you doing on my mountain?" the low voice growled. In front of Mara was a large, muscular figure with a long, fuzzy beard. He wore a shallow cap with long horns and wielded an axe the size of a regular person. As the water mage realized who it was, her face turned from surprised to horrified.
"Y-You must be the Minotaur," stammered Mara. "I-I was just p-passing through. N-N-No need to worry about m-m-me."
"I don't like do-gooders trespassing onto my domain," the Minotaur howled, "but since you're already here, I may as well kill you!"
The brute swung his axe, but Mara narrowly dodged the attack. "Come on, now!" shouted the Minotaur. "Don't make this harder for the both of us!" Mara climbed back up the mountain in search of a safe place to strategize.
