I shook myself and moved on, a wide sweep of my radiant blade hurling back the grounded birds and towering humanoid that lay before me, clearing the path to the mist laden gate. I knew not what lay beyond, only that I lacked choice; face the Darkness and destroy it, or avoid it and live forever snared by the eternal cycle. I hesitated not a moment more, passing through the curtain of mist and brandishing my weapon at the beast looming beyond.

The Cleric Beast -its name blazing through my mind as had the Werewolves before it- rose upon powerful legs, and tipped its entire body toward me, striking the earth with thunderous force; shaking the stones and nearly hurling me like a twig grasped in the mighty arms of a raging tempest. Seeing my opportunity, I lunged: my blade crunching against its jutting ribs and skittering aside as if it were steel not thinly clad bone that I had struck. Striding back, I avoided another blow from its titanic fist, and flicking my weapon back into its shorter form, I pivoted around the curled fingers, slashing first the broad wrist, then the bared throat beyond.

Now, it was pained, and with pain came anger. Even as it reeled, it swiped with a palm nearly rivaling my own size, striking me like a crumbling mountain, and grinding my fragile body across the far less frail stones. Agony flared, yet its fire sustained me. I leaped to my feet, and dashed past its kneeling frame, my keen blade biting into its flank. No sooner had it pivoted to pursue me than I had already circled it once more, striking its unprotected back and carving a dark gash across its ashen hide.

Its howl of frustration and rage seemed mighty enough to sunder stone if not the heavens themselves, rolling forth like a peal of thunder laden with divine power and primordial rage. Yet it was here that it erred on final time: I twisted beneath its chin, and drove my hand through flesh and bone, wresting its foul heart from its fouler mount, and crushing it with fingers of iron.

The Cleric Beast crumpled, and with a thin, puling wail breathed its last. I had triumphed here, struck the Darkness and gained its attention. There was no turning back now.