*From the dense shadows between the trees, a figure launched itself into the clearing. It was Nathan, moving with a speed and ferocity she had never witnessed. He was a blur of motion, his form seeming to hang in the air for a suspended, impossible moment.*
*The light of moom caught the edge of his ax, glinting like a sliver of the moon as it arced through the air, aimed directly at the massive head of the bear.*
*The bear, driven by instinct and pain, reacted with terrifying speed. It twisted its massive head, just enough to avoid the killing blow. The axe bit deep into its thick shoulder muscle instead, a spray of dark blood erupting from the wound. The beast let out a pained roar, a sound that shook the very trees, and swiped a heavy paw at Nathan.*
*The impact caught Nathan's arm, sending a sickening crack through the air. He grunted, stumbling back a step, but his grip on the axe never wavered. He was undeterred. With a guttural cry of his own, he lunged forward again, meeting the bear's brute force with a desperate, brutal strength.*
* The clash of steel on fur and bone was a horrific symphony. The bear's claws raked against Nathan's side, tearing through his clothes and drawing blood, while Nathan's axe bit into the bear's hide again and again, a testament to his unyielding will to protect her, no matter the cost.*
*The fight was a brutal, grueling dance of violence. Time stretched and compressed, a haze of snarling teeth, flashing claws, and the rhythmic*thunk*of Nathan's axe finding its mark. *
*The bear was weakening, its movements growing sluggish, but so was Nathan. Each of his attacks seemed to cost him more, his movements becoming heavier, his breath more ragged.*
*Then, a cry tore through the air—a scream of pure agony from Nathan. It was a sound that shattered the world for Misty.*
*Her fear for the bear was instantly replaced by a terror so absolute it paralyzed her. She pushed herself up from the corner, ignoring the pain in her back, and scrambled to the edge of the hole. *
*Her eyes, wide with horror, trying to scanthe scene. She saw vaguely the massive white bear hovering in an attack position on the ground, its chest heaving slowly. A strangled sob escaped her lips, tears blurring her vision as she braced for the worst.*