He felt nothing. No fear, no anger, no sorrow, nothing. He only knew one thing, he had been chosen by the entire village to confront what lived in this cave. The horrid beast known as the Narlfex.
No one knew what it was or where it came from. They just knew it was dangerous. It had already attacked and destroyed two nearby villages. Over one hundred men, women and children were dead, but no one dared to face the beast. His village was next in line and that meant someone would have to fight. Out of all the hunters in the village he was the strongest warrior. Knowing this he volunteered, and the village chose four others to go with him. Not wanting to risk their lives, he left the village in the dead of night to get to the cave by morning and face it alone.
Now standing in front of the great gaping hole, a smile crossed his face. It was the challenge he had been looking for, and it was a deadly one at that. If he won, then he would be haled the best hunter in the providence. If he were killed then he would inspire the other hunters to work together and destroy the monster. Ether way he would be remembered a hero. He didn't care though; to him all that mattered was the death that would come to pass this day. It would his or the beast's.
“Narlfex.” He yelled into the cave. “I have come to meet you, beast.”
It slowly came towards him as a growl escaped its mouth, then turned quickly into a booming voice. “What do you wish to meet me for, human? Do you not know I slaughter your kind for my meals?”
“That is why I'm here.” He stood proud and unwavering, his long spear held at the ready behind his back. “I have come on behalf the next village in your attack range to stop you from making its people you next meal. I am Velden, son of Trigell, and I have come to face you in combat.”
Velden saw the glint of a large eye in the shadows beyond the edge of the cave. “You're not what I expected,” Narlfex replied. “The last village sent ten such as you. They all wore hardened leather covered in metal studs and carried more weaponry then I had seen in quite some time. Perhaps you should return to your village and come back better prepared boy. I'm still very tired, but I could easily crush you with a twitch of my tail.”
“You may find killing me harder then you realize, beast.” Velden stood his ground smiling into the darkness. “I am more then I appear.”
“So I can not scare you away with a few threats,” Narlfex growled. “Then I have no choice but to kill you.”
With those words the beast's massive tail burst from the darkness, hurtling towards Velden. Seconds before the tail struck Velden produced a long curved knife and leaped into the air. Narlfex pulled back its tail back and waited for the dust too settle. When the air cleared the Narlfex saw Velden still standing in the same spot. Blood soaked his left arm.
“You move quick, boy,” the Narlfex hissed, “but not quick enough by the looks of things.”
Velden flicked the blood from his hand and spoke. “This blood is not mine, and now I know you can die.”
The Narlfex felt the pain seconds before he saw the wound. A five-foot long gash oozed blood on the part of his tail that should have crushed the young man. At the end of the wound the small handle of the knife still protruded.
Velden gave a laugh. “If your bones were not so hard you would have lost your tail.”
As Velden heard the beast roar the earth shook. He stood his ground as the tip of the beast's nose came into the light. The Narlfex pulled itself from the cave and stood, showing it's full fourteen feet.
Velden sized up his foe. The Narlfex was a massive creature. Around forty feet long with two arms that ended in four three-foot long clawed fingers on each hand. It's lower body had four incredibly muscular legs that ended in great cloven feet that had three knives like claws protruding out from them. Its body was covered in large yellowish scales that were as hard and strong as an ironwood shield. Velden smiled at the challenge that the beast represented.
