Hoping to gauge their overall teamwork and combat skills, Rinn had dragged Tatalia out of the tavern that they had met in and out towards the Hauntwood of Marsh Flats. It was here that they were the most likely to encounter the Rune Bear that they sought. Supposedly, from what he had heard from Tatalia, there had been a Rune Bear within the area that was terrorizing the villagers. Given that the creature wasn't currently within Lilicors Village, Rinn could only assume that it was currently within the one area that best suited its interests. Here in the Hauntwood.

Although the pair were currently searching for any sign of the creature, it wasn't exactly the easiest task for the Moon Elf himself. Thanks to his relative height, he wouldn't exactly drown if he were to make his rounds in the bog of Marsh, but he couldn't exactly say that it would be the same for Tatalia. She was, all things considered, considerably short. Granted, this was simply due to her having been a goblin, but Rinn didn't wish to take any risks. With that being the case, the elf had offered her two suggestions. Both of which left him feeling entirely too guilty afterwards. "If you don't feel like sinking beneath these muggy waters, feel free to ride astride my shoulders. Or, if you would prefer, we can aim for higher ground and simply remain amidst the treetops." Both suggestions were rather horrible, he felt, but he honestly didn't wish for her to struggle in vain.

If she had accepted either of his suggestions, he would quickly work to provide her with what he suggested. Whether this be by hoisting her onto his literally bony shoulders or by moving to the treetops. And if she hadn't been willing to work with either suggestion? Than the pair would likely find themselves trudging through the waters of the Marsh, Rinn's eye keeping an ever watchful eye out for any telltale signs of the Rune Bear. Anything would work, quite honestly. Fallen trees. Animal or monster carcasses. Even the sounds of splashing or flailing around within the waters. So long as he picked up on something.. This would all come to work out in the end. And if Rinn had found himself with any sort of object in the way? He would make use of his superior strength, granted to him by his years of Martial Arts and his Bull's Strength tattoo, to toss these obstacles aside.

As the going got tougher and the bone armed elf made his offer to help, Tatalia actually... laughed a little. A twinkled shined in her eye, and she rubbed her hands together to say:

"Oh, I won't need any help! In fact, I daresay you'll have trouble keeping up with me!"

And it was painfully true. Tatalia showed her agility matched her alacrity as she started bounding from tree to distant tree,¹ swinging long distances with spidery webs released from her wrists,² and even teleporting across bodies of water when she needed to, rare though that was.³ No, Tatalia didn't need help traversing the marshes. In fact, she seems perfectly at home in them, able to notice obstacles before she had any right to.⁴

Whatever she was, Tatalia was not new to the outdoors. She probably didn't need to show off so much, but she sheepishly explained why she chose to use the methods she did when the pair took a break at one point.

"Honestly, it just looks like it would very uncomfortable to sit on your shoulders," the goblin had said.

Eventually, the pair started to spot some signs of possible Rune Bear passage, much the sort of thing Rinn was looking for: broken branches, a couple downed trees, a carcass... There was a path of destruction that led to a particularly tangled part of the Hauntwood, and soon Tatalia had to ground herself. It wasn't too troublesome for her to do so, though; the ground became a bit more solid, and there were only occasional stretches of deep water blocking their way... which Tatalia was able to circumvent on her own, albeit very carefully. She seemed to stop every now and then to make a marks on the trees they passed with pieces of charcoal.

"It'll help us keep track of where we've been!" the explorer noted cheerily. "Just in case we get lost, we'll be able to find our way back!"

But it was becoming clearer and clearer that the pair was soon to find their prey lurking somewhere nearby. Tatalia hadn't spotted or heard it, but she was watching the terrain around her very carefully through the mist that hung in the air.

---

_{1. Hoppers; 2. Spider Silk Tattoo; 3. Blink; 4. Tracker Extraordinaire}

"Oho?~" A bright twinkle would reach his eye, similar to Tatalia's own, as she were to mention that he would have a hard time keeping up with her. What had wrought her with such confidence?! While the Moon Elf might not have known the answer to this at first, it would become rather quickly known to him as Tatalia leapt high into the air and shot across the area with various strings of webbing and instances of teleportation. Her movements were agile as all hell and quite frankly left the Moon Elf rather shocked. She most certainly wasn't lying!

His gaze now filled with an overwhelming sense of competitiveness, Rinn would attempt to follow after Tatalia. Although he wasn't capable of performing anything akin to the various feats that Tatalia had just performed, he was at least capable of trudging through the area on his own. And how would he do so exactly? Well it was rather simple really. He would simply throw himself at one of the nearby trees, making use of his superior strength ^{[Bull's Strength]} to launch himself into the air, digging his claws ^[Claws] into the bark of the tree itself, and then hefting himself up until he reached a branch. From there, he would joyfully chase after his goblin companion, leaping from tree branch to tree branch. In at least one instance, he would slip from the branches themselves but thankfully, he had been quick enough with his hands to grab ahold of the branch that he slipped on before continuing on. A sharp laugh would escape his lips as he traversed the land alongside his partner, his gaze turning towards them from time to time. "You've certainly got me there~"

Thankfully, after some time of the pair making their rounds through the treetops, they would eventually come across signs of the creature that they sought. Seeing that Tatalia had chosen to ground herself, Rinn would follow suit and join her in doing so. Unlike her graceful manner of descent, however, Rinn would simply throw himself from the treetop and land on his feet. This would send a sharp pain all throughout his legs but thankfully they wouldn't break. Perks of investing into a Durabone graft! "I'm real glad that I brought someone like you out here with me, Tatalia. It's always the smart ones that come out on top~ And girl, you've got all of the smarts! Not just that but skill and grace as well~ I'm honestly really impressed." A bright smile had rested upon his lips at this point, his gaze remaining firmly planted upon his companion. After a moment of this though, Rinn would turn his gaze away from the goblin and towards the surrounding area. Just where had this Rune Bear been?

"Given that we're closing in on our target, be sure to hang back and let me take the brunt of its attacks. If you can contribute in a manner that'll allow for me to not die, it would be appreciated." Another round of laughter would escape from his lips at this point as his eyes became a measure more serious. "If not though, it's all good. Just be sure to have my back in any way that you can. I trust you implicitly." And with that, Rinn would start to head off in the direction that he believed the Rune Bear to be.

Really, Tatalia didn't have a problem with letting someone else go in front and take the brunt of an offense. She really didn't! But it was probably a good time to make sure Rinn knew a few ground rules about working with her, such as...

"When I say 'Flash,' that means cover your eyes or look away from me," Tatalia told Rinn as she started mixing a few different powders into spherical bottles to make a few bombs.¹ "I may yell for you to scatter or run, and you should probably listen when I do? And it may so happen that I disappear out of sight now and then," Tatalia added idly. "It's nothing to worry about unless I start screaming for help! Just a warning, hmm?"

Really, Tatalia couldn't help but eat up the compliments dropped on her, but she knew she had to stay focused on the task at hand. Sure, she appreciated being appreciated; and sure, Tatalia had enjoyed the competition she'd had with Rinn! It had been fun to shoot across the Marsh and have someone keep up relatively well for once. Still, fighting a Rune Bear wasn't going to be easy, even with all the tricks and tools Tatalia had gathered over the years. She was good, but... Rune Bears were vicious and possessed of magical might.

"I'll have your back," Tatalia promised, cracking a smile across at Rinn. "Let's be off!"

The path seemed to flex before the pair the further they went into the Hauntwood. The trees were gnarled with grasping branches; the woods seemed to hum with dark secrets whenever the wind blew; and the path couldn't seem to decide if it should stay tight or grow wide. But the tracks of the enchanted beast the pair followed were too obvious to lose. Rune Bears were not creatures of stealth or subterfuge, however. They were just very, very strong and very, very tough.

It wasn't long before Tatalia's keen ears picked up a rumbling sound. She slowed down and held her hand up to gesture for Rinn to stop. Carefully, the goblin reached out to a nearby tree and climbed it softly² and nimbly,³ moving like a spider up to the treetop. From there, she peered through the darkness of the canopy and spotted the Rune Bear not too far away, its arcane markings glistening with scintillating lights.

Tatalia slid back down the tree and touched her feet silently against the ground. She crept back over to Rinn and explained the situation.

"Our target is sleeping," the goblin began slowly, "and it's eaten recently if the bones and carcasses near it are any indication. Now's as good a chance as we'll ever have to strike. I'll let you take the initial shot at it, then I'll strike it and blind it if I need to. Keep your feet moving; don't stand still for any reason and don't think you can outslug it. If it swings at you, get out of the way."

---

_{1. Improvisation Engineer; 2. Silent Step; 3. Surface Scaling}

A few nods of confirmation would be offered to the goblin in response to her initial words. "I appreciate the heads up before we find ourselves in battle. I can only imagine how poorly things would have gone if I were to find myself subject to the effects of your capabilities." While he might have spoken in a playful, sing-song tone, he had meant every word. Things would have gone down hill immediately if he had found himself blinded in battle. Especially against a creature such as a Rune Bear. "Wish that I could offer you the same but my attacks are far more straightforward. I'll simply pummel this thing into the ground." With that, he would slam his fist into the palm of his other hand, indicating that he meant business.

Once the pair had continued on their search, with Tatalia taking the lead, Rinn was sure to follow suit with everything that she requested or brought up. As such, in the moment that she had thrown up her hand for him to stop, he would do aptly do so. He had found himself to be rather surprised at how smoothly and silently the goblin had moved, as she climbed the tree to ascertain the Rune Bears location, but chose not to make any mention of it, lest he give away their position.

Given the information that she had gifted him, pertaining to the Rune Bears current state, Rinn could surmise that he should act quickly and as boldly as ever. Tatalia had recommended that he keep himself moving and as such, he would do exactly that. With a quick nod and a bright smile filled with battle lust overtaking him, Rinn would break into a full on sprint towards the sleeping Rune Bear. The pounding of his feet hitting the ground had certainly given away the fact that he was rushing towards said creature but thankfully the Rune Bear was too groggy to react in the way that it should. As the Rune Bears eyes had fluttered open and before it could properly respond, Rinn would thrust his silvered ^{[Bare Hands, Silvered Weapon]} skeletal fist directly towards the creatures snout! His muscles would flex in that instant, impacting the creature with a greater impact ^{[Bull's Strength]} than one might imagine, causing the Rune Bear to roll over in pain. Of course, in that instant in which the Rune Bear was about to flop over, Rinn would throw another punch ^{[Bare Hands, Double Strike]}! The combined effects of his silvered fists and his overwhelming might would leave the Rune Bear in a great amount of agony.

---

(The Silvered Weapon aspect of the fists would deal extra damage to the Rune Bear, given that it is a monster. And Bull's Strength would likely contribute to that pain from the Master Level pair of punches that were thrown)

And so the fight was on! But Tatalia wasn't really in sight.

While Rinn was engaging the Rune Bear head on, the goblin was silently darting across the treetops like a spider along its web.¹ The roguish adventurer trusted her companion to keep the bear busy for just a moment while she got into position to deliver a devastating blow.

Truthfully, Tatalia wasn't as naturally strong or as technically adept with a blade as others she knew. She was good, that was never in doubt, but she wasn't a martial arts master. She was, however, very knowledgeable about anatomy and physiology, mostly because she'd read an awful lot about it, and she knew exactly where to slip a blade and exactly how to get into an advantageous position to do so.

Rinn threw his vicious one-two punches, throwing the sleeping Rune Bear into an agonized rage. It reared up to swing down at ham with all its might... and then Tatalia fell from the trees down up its back and sliced into its neck once, twice!² The beast roared in shock, fear, and fury.

But that wasn't the only roar Tatalia heard.³ No, there was another one coming from nearby.

"Uh-oh! UH-OH!" Tatalia leapt off the back of the Rune Bear she and Rinn were fighting, barely avoiding a claw that was swiped at her (more out of luck than any real skill). She tumbled through a small, muddy pool of water and stood back up, staring with wild eyes back toward the bear and then toward the sounds of something thundering toward them in the darkness.

"He has a mate! He has a mate!" Tatalia shouted to Rinn in warning as a second Rune Bear charged out of the treeline, roaring and smashing her claws upon the nearest trees.

There wasn't time to fight. Tatalia and Rinn needed some breathing room before things got bad, because the first bear was still alive and the second bear was furious. Tatalia slipped her dagger out of her sleeve and raised the blade into the air.

"Flash!" the scholar-adventurer shouted, giving Rinn just that warning before she activated the dagger's enchantment.⁴

The sunlight colored gemstone embedded in the dagger's blade thrummed with arcane energies. It popped and fizzled at first, and then it released a blindingly bright light exploded from inside the gem, filling the entirety of the thicket with dazzling brilliance. As the bears were struck sightless, the bloodied one's charging mate stumbled over a tree root, crashing down upon the ground. But not a second passed before she was back up on her feet, swinging wildly around her with vicious swings that surely would have spelt the end for anything they touched.

Tatalia, thankfully, was not blinded. She had her goggles to protect her eyes. But she didn't have any special armor or anything to protect her from rampaging bears, so she vamoosed right the Hell out of the bears' reach. 

"New plan!" Tatalia shouted. "Hammer and anvil! You're the hammer! I'll make them both mad!"

---

_{1. Silent Step + Surface Scaling; 2. Backstab + Double Strike Enchantment (Short Sword); 3. Tracker Extraordinaire; 4. Blinding Enchantment (Dagger)}

Shortly after Rinn had gotten done dealing a couple of blows to the Rune Bear, the creature would stand tall and attempt to lash out at him wildly. Just before it could achieve such a feat however, Tatalia would come descending from the skies, stabbing the creature a couple of times with her dagger. From how things had been playing out thus far, Rinn could easily assume that the pair were going to wrap things up rather quickly. This was far from the truth however. Rather than allow for things to end here, the Rune Bears mate would come tearing through the area before taking a mean swipe at Tatalia. The goblin had thankfully avoided the attack and would follow up by blinding the Rune Bears!

Rinn might have found himself blinded as well, if it wasn't for the fact that the pair had previously discussed the possibility of Tatalia needing to act in such a manner. Exceedingly thankful for the fact that they had, Rinn would opt to play on the advantage that had been given to him. As the Rune Bear before him had been blinded, Rinn would take this moment to send a couple more blows towards the creatures snout. His silvered fists would come into contact with the bear, leaving it without any real manner of defending itself, but would cease after two blows. Once that was said and done, Rinn would start to leap backwards a couple of feet, hoping to get away from the wild swinging of the Rune Bears claws.

"Hammer and the Anvil! Got it!" Knowing that it would ultimately be up to him to deal the damage when it came to these creatures, Rinn could only hope that one of the Rune Bears would drop soon. They were horrifying creatures when left alone and quite honestly, Rinn wasn't sure if he could overcome a pair of them.. Just because he wasn't sure if he could accomplish such a feat though, that didn't mean that he wasn't willing to try! Even if it took everything within him, in time, Rinn would eventually bring these creatures down. He just had to hope that Tatalia could distract one of them long enough for him to deal with the other.

Tatalia was not the world's finest warrior, not by a longshot. She could hold her own in a scrap to be sure, but she simply wasn't built for direct confrontation. She was, however, well trained in about a hundred different ways to cause someone problems.

It was a really good time to cause some problems.

The bears were already blinded, but that effect was wearing off. Tatalia, of course, wasn't about a little thing like that stop her from doing it again. She'd pre-prepared a few bombs earlier, and so she put those to good use, throwing two glass bottles into the face of the nearest bear.

"Flash!" Tatalia shouted a second time as the bottles lit up, shattered against the bear's face, and gave it a healthy dose of powdered glass to boot.¹ In any other situation, Tatalia probably would've been accused of animal cruelty, but they were planning to kill the bears and Tatalia was very intent on not dying.

With one of the bears blinded and able to do little else than breathe, that left the wounded one for Rinn to deal with. It was definitely the worse off of the two bears, but it was still incredibly dangerous in its own right. Rinn could duck and weave and he was punching like nobody's business, but the bear's swipes were getting closer and closer to striking him. He couldn't dodge forever.

Or could he?

"Hey, you! Rinn!" Tatalia shouted to Rinn, yanking a potion with the symbol of a rabbit on it out of her belt.² "Catch!"

Without any further warning, the goblin tossed the potion toward Rinn. She figured he'd know what to do with it. It'd give him the burst of speed he needed to stay lightfooted in the face of his ursine opponents, something that he sorely needed in such a murky environment as the swamp.

There was time for one last trick. The clever adventurer rolled away from the nearest bear's swipe, yanked a pouch out from inside her jacket, then loosened the cord binding it and tossed it out onto the ground in front of her. Caltrops spilled forth, gleaming in the darkness like a thousand danger needles, clear as day to herself and Rinn... but not to the blind bears.

They didn't step on the caltrops yet, though. That was probably going to take some finessing. But they did add a feature to the environment the monster hunters could abuse!

---

_{1. See previous post - Flash Powder + Powdered Glass + Glass Spheres; 2. Quick Speed Potion; 3. Caltrops}

Shortly after Rinn had moved away from his ursine targets, Tatalia would throw yet another of her flash potions towards the more intact of the Rune Bears. Thanks to her heads up, Rinn would naturally close his eye for the moment that was necessary before opening them back up again in time to catch what the goblin had thrown his way. While he wasn't quite sure what kind of potion she had just thrown him, he had figured that it would help out one way or another. With that being the case, Rinn would pop the cork for the potion before downing it in a single large gulp.

As this magical liquid had traversed down his throat, it would immediately begin to take its effect. Every cell within the Moon Elf's body had begun to feel as though it was bursting with energy. So much energy in fact that it felt as though the world around him had begun to slow a bit in pace. A hearty laughter would escape from the elf's lips as this energy had overtaken him. Add on the fact that Tatalia had ended things by hurling some caltrops his way and Rinn had begun to enjoy himself a bit more.

Taking advantage of the Rune Bears' current predicament, Rinn would circle around the weaker of the Rune Bears before throwing two packed punches the creatures way. The first blow had been enough to offset the Rune Bears balance but the second one would knock it completely off of its feet, sending it back onto the caltrops that Tatalia had previously thrown.

As the Rune Bear had fallen onto the caltrops, it would let out a deathly scream of pain. Not only had it been getting pummeled time and time again by Rinn's silvered fists but now it had managed to get several caltrops trapped within its skin. The creature was simply not getting off easy. This would actually result in the Rune Bear flailing about in an attempt to put an end to the pain. One of its blows had just about got Rinn but thankfully the man had managed to throw his arm up in defense at that point. The Durabone limb would wrack with pain as the Rune Bears claw had come into contact with it but it wouldn't break. Rinn would simply end up biting at his lower lip with enough force to cause it to bleed. As for the other Rune Bear? Well it would continue on its rampage, tearing apart tree after tree. It had almost managed to take off Rinn's head with one of its blows but thanks to the effects of Tatalia's potion, Rinn had managed to more or less evade the attack.