Bear Battle

Autumn had come to Canada. Unable to support both themselves and their leaves in the growing cold, the trees had chosen to sacrifice their leaves, the falling plant pieces taking on a spectrum of yellow, orange and red colors. For such a sad fate in this part of the leaves' life cycle, their dying colors were a beautiful sight, painting the entire forest in a canvas of flaming hues that contrasted the blue skies above. When the winter would come and leave, the trees would grow new leaves and the cycle would repeat.

For some species, such as the Borskall of Colossus, the healthy cycles of nature were something they derived joy and peace from. They loved to watch how nature adapted and changed for the greater good, how everything intricately worked together.

What they did not like to watch was nature being corrupted, its perfect, precise cycles disturbed. The consequences, like ripples on water, reached far. So when their gaze was taken off from the forest and onto the long path of irradiated and destroyed trees and life, they were shocked. They were even more alarmed at the sight of the culprit; a massive, monstrous bear known as Ruzkar, or, as he was known then, Dirge. The irradiated bear, acting on his instincts, continued to forage for food and wander the forests. He did not even realize the sheer amount of destruction he caused on his path.

Like the living dead, the gruesome-looking giant lumbered forth in a bizarre gait. His long claws crushed all that was unfortunate enough to be found underneath them as he walked, their curved tips digging in the soil. His raspy, wheezing breath came out of him in difficult gasps. His bloodshot, eerily glowing eyes were fixed forward. His saliva drooled out of his yellow-fanged maw and sizzled dangerously against the plants and earth below.

Dirge had sensed power in this area. Like a beacon, it attracted him. He wanted it, for it was sustenance. What else was he to do but listen to his instincts, to feed when his primal mind told him to?

Mutated eyes glared up at the towering Feronius, their slimy green glow piercing the shade created by Dirge's brows. Snarling, Dirge reared up on his own hind legs, standing smaller than the black bear by only a tiny margin.

A warbled, monstrous roar came out of his slavering, open jaws. It was nearly everything a bear's roar should not sound like.

As Dirge emitted his warped bellow, displaying his protruding ribs, Feronius charged. The irradiated horror barely (bearely) had time to brace himself before the stampeding black behemoth swatted him with a massive clawed paw. The brutal blow swatted the side of Dirge's head, long vicious claws carving five long bloody trenches from the back of his jaw to his nose. The membrane of his nostril was cut open, an arc of irradiated blood drawn from it as Dirge staggered to the side. Had he been a weaker kaiju, he would have been sent ragdolling helplessly by the sheer strength behind the hit. However, as it was, the one once known as Ruzkar stood on equal terms as the Beast, and so he withstood the hit with surprising tenacity.

Shaking his head and growling, Dirge glared at his adversary with eerie eyes, the unsettling green meeting the blood red of Feronius' fierce gaze. The two bears slowly circled one another, growling and bunching their muscles beneath their fur - one coat ragged and torn in patches, the second pelt black and thick to intimidate and threaten the other. Once, twice, they drew a circle that slowly restrained its diameter, expressive lips curling over their savage fangs.

The sound of a falling tree acted like a signal to resume the tussling. With a kick of a hind paw that rang in a thunderous stomp, Feronius charged, barreling towards his irradiated foe.

But this time, Dirge was ready.

Catching the incoming swipe from Feronius with one of his own forelimbs, Dirge bit down with powerful jaws, forcing Feronius to be dragged to the side by the Radioactive Reaver as he clawed and chomped.

The mighty jaws and snaggly teeth mulched the tough, muscular flesh with ease that surprised even the stern black Beast. Whatever corrupting power coursing within Dirge gave him unnatural strength even for a bear of his size. But it was not only the teeth and pinching of the jaws that did the damage. An intense, burning sensation soon took hold of the limb as Dirge's blighted bite did its work. The pain, as well as the damage, intensified tenfold. Like termites digging through wood, the acid-like saliva carved through the burly limb, working on hollowing it out. Strands of melting flesh fell from the limb in a series of black waterfalls and rivers that mixed with the deep red of Feronius' blood as it pooled beneath him. The dark-colored bear tried to pull his arm free, but his tugging only made the teeth dig deeper holes that the deadly drool could slip into. Painful sores began to form on his flesh, the healthy meat quickly dying.

Staring at the hideous wound in horror that quickly turned into anger, Feronius felt personally offended. This deformed being was simply an enemy to life itself. It was unnatural. A malignant growth. A disease. It had to be dealt with as swiftly as possible, cut before it spread too far.

Finally freeing himself from Dirge's jaws by shoving and pushing the fellow bear to the side, Feronius shook his wounded paw. It bled heavily and stung as if a thousand bees had swarmed the limb. A little longer stuck in Dirge's mouth and the limb would have simply fallen off.

But the assault was only the first of many. Clacking his jaws loudly, the slavering monstrosity prepared to bite once more...