1 THE FALL OF THE GRUTT

Sarafina experienced the scorching fire and unrelenting heat against her chiseled face, with tiny droplets of sweat trickling from her chin. Huddled in a somber and gray crevice, she concealed her lean body beneath a tattered hood, leaving only a strand of curly hair visible, shining silver like daylight and darker, resembling ashes in the night.

The night was oppressively dark, yet not sufficiently so for their hiding place, and even less so for what they pursued. Sarafina furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes upon hearing another crackling noise, accompanied by a burst of heat and light. It emanated from below, where a persistent fire had fought against the hard rock for centuries, carving out a canal amidst the steep slopes of two mountains. This canal resembled a river-crossed canyon, devoid of water, known to humans and elves as muddyfire—a substance akin to magma but far more volatile.

Glancing to her left, Sarafina observed her companions and fellow hunters, Pegasus and Zagort, concealed behind a colossal rock resembling a small hut. Pegasus, the elder of the two, shook his head in response to her unspoken inquiry, as she anticipated he would. Her frown deepened. Her aversion to this plan surpassed her disdain for its architect, the Nightstalker. Sarafina had offered alternative suggestions, considering the danger and recklessness she believed it entailed. But why would the esteemed Nightstalker listen to a youngling who had barely experienced twenty winters?

And so, she found herself relegated to the rear of the group, a mere spectator to the impending events. As she contemplated reproaching the situation within her thoughts, a low whistle emanated from below, at the mountain's base where the slope was gentler. Casting her almond-shaped eyes downwards, she effortlessly pierced the darkness and the wispy steam hovering above the canal. The other hunters were dispersed in pairs or trios, blending seamlessly with the rocky terrain.

When Pegasus directed her attention to the middle of the canal, Sarafina discerned ripples on the orange surface of the muddyfire, akin to bubbles ascending from the depths. These undulations moved towards the left bank, where the Nightstalker and the others awaited. Observing the hunters below as they unfastened their bows, Sarafina noticed Zagort and Pegasus mirroring their actions. However, it would be of little use, as they were positioned too far away. When the bubbles drew close to the left bank—the domain of their target—their prey emerged. The Grutt, with its jagged, ferocious and unsightly head, emerged, expelling molten magma in all directions. Its small black eyes, resembling tiny holes in proportion to its massive body, lazily observed the area just below the Nightstalker and his men. 'It's enormous,' Sarafina thought. The creature possessed four legs, a rounded shell on its back, and thick gray skin as tough as stone. Resembling a turtle, yet with such a vast discrepancy in size that it was difficult to believe they belonged to the same species. The Grutt exceeded the dimensions of a horse, surpassing any dwelling Sarafina had ever witnessed, even dwarfing the mythical elephants of the east. The Grutt, stepping on a rock with its scaled and uneven foot, commenced its ascent up the slope. With each step, vibrations reverberated from one rock to another, and a putrid brimstone odor permeated the air, escaping from the creature's mouth like a dense mist.

Raising his arm with an open palm, the Nightstalker beckoned for the beast to take the bait and follow the path he had prepared. He lifted one finger, then two, pointing towards the Grutt's left side and back. The hunters replicated this signal to those behind them, converging like ants around the Grutt, maintaining complete silence. They utilized every crevice and crevice as cover, their gray cloaks seamlessly blending with the surrounding rocks.

Once every hunter had assumed their position, the formation adopted the shape of a prism, with men stationed at various angles, encircling the Grutt like a net. The creature almost reached the desired point before halting. It crouched down, sniffing the air, turning its head left and right before refocusing forward. The bait remained, inviting and unguarded—a feast for the Grutt, comprised of garnets, topaz, and rubies, delicacies the turtle relished. 'Just one step,' Sarafina repeated in her mind like a mantra, hoping she was mistaken. A human would have been suspicious, anticipating a trap, but the Grutt was merely an animal. Or was it?

Yet, her concerns seemed unwarranted. When the turtle finally advanced to claim its prize, what appeared to be sturdy rocks beneath its foot gave way. The Grutt tumbled downward, roaring and thrashing before vanishing into the pitfall. A cacophony of fractured rocks and tremors, akin to an earthquake, shook the mountain's foundation. The Grutt emitted another roar, but this time it sounded like a mournful whimper, its final cry before meeting its demise.

Sarafina, Pegasus, and Zagort exchanged glances, their eyes silently questioning the success of their plan. Sarafina watched as the Nightstalker, his bony figure, raised his hand and signaled them to wait. He approached the edge of the pitfall, squinting through the smoke and dust caused by the Grutt's fall. But instead of seeing the creature trapped, he encountered two gleaming black eyes staring back at him like obsidian. Before he could even scream, the Grutt lunged at him, devouring him in one swift motion.

The sight sent a wave of terror through Sarafina, and she shouted for the hunters to stop their attack. But it was too late. Arrows were released from their bows, some aimed at the beast's head, others striking its shell in a frenzy of fear. The flint heads proved futile against the Grutt's tough exoskeleton. Sarafina witnessed an arrow hit the creature's eye only to bounce back, its wooden shaft split in half upon impact.

The Grutt raised its head, unfazed by the futile assault. Tremors ran through its jaw, mouth, and chin, and thin lines of smoke rose from its nostrils. Sarafina knew what was coming next. They all did. She yelled for everyone to run, but some froze in terror, unable to escape the colossal beast's wrath.

The Grutt unleashed its muddyfire, spraying the area in a semicircle, turning everything in its path to ash. Sarafina agilely leaped from rock to rock, witnessing the horrifying fate of her companions. One hunter burned like a torch before disintegrating, while another writhed in agony as the flames consumed her eye and hands. The Grutt's muddyfire was merciless, capable of melting flesh and bone with a single drop.

The organized and disciplined group soon descended into chaos as everyone ran for their lives. Climbing the mountain with the Grutt in pursuit was madness, and jumping into the canal meant certain death. The only option was to flank the mountain through the canyon's middle, but panic clouded the hunters' minds. Some attempted to climb up but slipped, tumbling into the river below. Others stumbled and became the Grutt's prey.

Realizing the hunters were too close together, Sarafina shouted for them to scatter. Surprisingly, they obeyed her desperate command, a testament to their desperation. But it was too little, too late. The Grutt was too close. Sarafina had to divert its attention. She stopped, turned, and drew her bow.

"Sarafina!" Pegasus urgently called out, but she had no time to look at him. She quickly notched an arrow and released it without aiming. Then she resumed her desperate run, beckoning Pegasus and Zagort to follow.

The enraged roar behind her confirmed that she had hit the mark. The beast charged, smashing through obstacles in its path without hesitation. Sarafina realized she had drawn its attention, but she wondered what to do next. The rocks trembled as the Grutt closed in. She glanced back to check its movements, only to witness a gigantic leg rising over the last hunter, crushing him with bone-chilling force.

In the Grutt's small eyes, Sarafina saw a glimmer of cunning wisdom, as if it understood their speech and knew who the leader was. Instinctively, she felt that this creature was no ordinary beast. Taking cover behind a rock, she narrowly evaded the Grutt's fiery breath, which was less lethal but far more unpredictable than before.

Gritting her teeth, Sarafina realized their chances of survival were slim. Losing the Grutt amidst the treacherous terrain was impossible, and the end of the canyon still seemed impossibly distant. She shouted for everyone to turn left, pointing to a small pass nearby. Zagort and Pegasus understood her plan, though they clearly had reservations.

The Grutt continued its relentless pursuit, fixated on Sarafina. She leaped across a crevice, rolling painfully against a rock, but ignored the pain as she zigzagged along the mountainside, narrowly evading the Grutt's attacks each time. Whether it was luck or intuition, Sarafina seemed to anticipate the beast's moves.

With each passing moment, the Grutt grew angrier. Fiery spheres shot from its nostrils, darting like tiny fireballs before dispersing on the ground. Sarafina ducked, crawled, and hid behind rocks, evading the flames with remarkable agility. The beast roared in frustration and fury, abandoning all strategy as it charged relentlessly.

When Sarafina reached the small pass, the Grutt was hot on her heels. She and her companions swiftly anchored their grappling hooks on the rocky face and leaped into the ravine. Oblivious to its own momentum, the Grutt opened its mouth wide, ready to swallow her whole. It only realized the abyss below when it was too late, its mouth perilously close to Sarafina as it fell, letting out a final howl filled with bitterness and anger.

Suspended in the emptiness, Sarafina sighed as she observed the dust rising in the dark valley thousands of feet below. The encounter was over, but it had come at a great cost.