Chapter 28: Unstoppable

The ground beneath them shook, the rumbling growing louder every passing second. This was it, in a few minutes, the Gorgon would be on top of them and Nathan still wasn’t waking up.

Anais: “I know what I just said but forget it, I ripping the roots up.”

Iris: “NO, you were right, they might be important.

Anais: Then what are we going to do, if we don’t move right now, we’re done for.”

Iris: “We’ll slow it down.”

Iris familiar glow surrounded her, then she placed a hand to the ground. Wall after wall of rock rose from the ground, creating a defense grid, completely blocking the Gorgons path.  Iris hadn’t really tried anything like this before without a spell, but Nathan told her that with her abilities, spells would only hinder he power. She only needed to unleash everything she had.

Iris: “That should by us some time.”

Anais: “Since when could you do that?”

Iris: “I could always do it, per Master.”

The Gorgon, moments away from the blockade, didn’t slow down in the least, moreover it seemed to speed up.

*Smash*

Anais: “What was that?”

*SmashSmashSmashSmash*

Iris: “Impossible.”

As if they didn’t exist, wall after wall was demolished and the wake of the Gorgons vendetta, it’s was moments away from its revenge, nothing was going to stop it.

Anais: “It’s not working.”

Iris: “I noticed.”

While Iris was distracted with the Gorgon, Anais went against her better judgement in pulled at the roots. Iris delaying tactics wouldn’t last long and it couldn’t be any worse than the situation.

Anais: “You gotta be kidding me!?”

Two more roots replaced the one she pulled out, she tried it on more time and got the same results. This was bad what could she do to move, she turned back to Iris, who was not slowing the Gorgon at all.

Fire and wind did nothing, water instantly evaporated once it drew near, and wall after wall were plowed through.

Iris tried altering the terrain, but no matter what she did, the Gorgon was not stopping.

Iris: “I can’t stop it.”

Anais: “Rip it apart, like you did those plant things.”

Iris: “I’m trying, its moving too fast.”

It was close, too close to stop anymore. Iris quickly raised the barrier.

*Crash**SKkkkkkiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrr*

The Gorgon rammed into the barrier and for the first time was stopped, the force of the blow throwing Anais off her feet. The barrier was holding it back, but as it rotated, more and more of it was being peeled away. Every second, Iris had to focus on the barrier, if she stopped reinforcing it for a moment, the would all be crushed. Iris held her ground as best she could, as the Gorgons and its entirety was crashing down on her.

Iris: “S-So ………..h-heavy.”

Anais: “You have to hold it.”

Iris: “Can’t………… to……….. heavy!”

The ground beneath them started to crumble, the sheer weight of th Gorgons body was forcing them below the ground. Iris fought with everything she had but she was nearly at her limit. Anais cursed her inability at the moment and Nathan laying there, blissfully unaware of his impending doom.

Anais: “Hey, wake up, if you don’t wake up right now we’re dead.”

Iris: “Master…………..please.”

The Gorgons speed intensified, the cracks on the barrier were appearing faster than Iris could fix them.

*Crack*

Anais: “Wake up!”

*SLAP*

Anais slap Nathan slap Nathan several times.

Iris: “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”

Anais: *Slap*“WAKE UP!”

*Crack*Crack*Crack*

Anais: “Wake up!” *Slap*

*Crackcrackcrackcrackcrack*

Anais: “WAKE UP!”

*Shatter*

Time stood still, as if the world wanted them to live this moment forever. Moments away from death, neither girl took notice of Nathan’s condition. The roots tethering Nathan to the ground, retracted.

The Girls watched on as the gorgon tore into the ground, a cloud of dirt and dust filling the air. The Gorgon barreled deeper into the ground, making absolutely sure, everything beneath was reduced to mulch.

Anais: “W-Wait how are we watching this, we were just there?”

Clarity set in, as both girls realize that they had both been saved. Further clarity was made, as both had we’re being held up in someone’s arms.

Nathan: “Hollee shit……………. That was close.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Iris: “Master!”

Nathan: “Iris, did you see that, we almost died, oh and are you okay?”

Iris: “Yes, yes, I’m fine now.”

Nathan: “That’s, great, Anais………….you look angry, even when your crying.”

Anais: “SHUT THE HELL UP, GUESS WHO’S FAULT THAT IS, HAVING TO BABYSIT YOU ALL THIS TIME, WHAT TOOK YOU FUCKING SO LONG!?”

Nathan: “Well, I would have woken up sooner, but right at the end, someone broke my concentration, slapping me several times.”

Anais: “YOU DESERVE IT. DAMMIT, YOU HAD ME WORRIED.”

Iris: “Master, I didn’t arrive until moments ago, Anais was protecting you until then.”

Nathan: “I know, I heard her screaming.”

Anais: “If you heard me, then answer.”

Nathan: “Sorry, thanks for keeping me safe.”

Anais: “Whatever, let’s just go, Iris can you create more walls to hide our escape?”

Iris: “Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

Nathan: “No wait, it still hasn’t notice us, I’m going to try something.”

Anais&Iris: “What!?”

Nathan: “Look at it, it’s still in grinding in that hole, it really wanted us dead, but I can get a clean hit, if it stays like that.”

Iris: “Ridiculous.”

Anais: “Iris attacked it several times, she didn’t do any damage at all.”

Nathan: “Yeah with magic, it has armor on, you have to break it first.”

Nathan waved his hand and removed the Claymore from his inventory.

Nathan: “And with this, I’ll do just that, Iris, take Anais and cover me.”

Nathan walked away but had sudden realization and went back to the girls.

Nathan: “You two were calling each other by name, I’m so proud.”

Anais: “Nathan.”

Iris: “Master.”

Nathan picked up his sword, it felt lighter than before. He checked his status, he had gone up three levels. He could now use it in battle without holding back. They worked hard while he was out cold, now it was his turn. Just like last time, Nathan took off at full speed, Claymore in hand. His fatigue from earlier gone, from the Lillaby’s Refresh effect he could was at peak condition.

The Gorgons rotation had slowed, soon it would realize that no one was beneath it, it was now or never. Leaping high into the air, Nathan came down, blade ready to strike.”

*Snap*

Nathan: “What, no way!?”

The force of the blow, smashed the ground around the Gorgon, but for the gorgon itself, besides a few cracks, it’s body stayed intact. Nathan looked at his now useless blade, breaking from the impact with the Gorgon. He didn’t understand, with “Armor Break”, it’ body should be crumbling?

Nathan quickly jumped back, there was no way the Gorgon wouldn’t have noticed that. Just as he thought, the Gorgon shot up from the ground, turning around to the source of the attack.

It examined the hole, no mangled bodies, no blood, no justice.

Nathan: “Confused, don’t be, not to be arrogant but I’m damn fast.”

Upon Nathan’s words, its anger rose, its child murderer, still draws breath.

*Rooooooaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr*

The Gorgons eye split apart, revealing a gaping maul, aligned with jagged teeth, drool dripping down and coating its pupil.

Nathan: “Your eye is your mouth, it must hurt to eat.”

Nathan notice on the bottom part of its eye, a wound that had yet to heal. The elf from earlier left its mark in two places. Nathan brought out another sword, but the Gorgon immediately close its eye again, just like the child it won’t be course off guard. Each taken a battle stance, they stared each other down.

Nathan: “(If the first sword broke then no doubt the second would as well, as long as it has that armored body, magic won’t work, so as I see it, there’s only one thing to do.) ……Later.”

Nathan turned and took off running, scooping up Iris and Anais as he did. Full speed he jumped into the woods, leaving the Gorgon behind. The Gorgon ready itself, waiting for a surprise attack, that would never come.

_

_

Anais: “I told you, we should have run away in the first place.”

Nathan: “We’re running away now, how’s the prep going, did they finished?”

Iris: “I’m unsure, I left during the final stages, but it should have been completed by now.”

Nathan: “I hope so, it should be figuring out we’re not coming back.”

Anais: “You give that thing too much credit, how long do you think it’s going to take that thing to figure it out?”

Nathan: “Well-”

*RROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR*

Nathan: “Now.”

Anais: “This is ridiculous, how the hell can it see us anyway?”

Nathan: “It probably has a different way to see us besides sight, don’t just assume a giant eye only can see, you say the plants only attacked me?”

Anais: “For the most part, but in one instance they did attack me, right after my fire spell went out of control.”

Nathan: “That’s easy, they probably just saw your silhouette in the Smoke, we still have physical forms, they just so happen to see yours.

Anais: Oh Yeah, the how were they able to find you?”

Nathan: “I’m not sure yet, but it’s different then how they found you.”

Off in the distance, trees were being mowed down. The Gorgon had ceased waiting and was now in pursuit. Nathan began planting seeds, he knew they would do nothing to slow it down by themselves, but with that large body, in this dense forest and his plants, they might just lose it.

Anais: “What are we gonna do, if magic doesn’t hurt it and your sword snapped, it’s not gonna matter where we lead it.”

Iris: “There’s also the matter of Lynn.”

Anais: “All of this is her fault, wait until I find her.”

Nathan: “We’ll deal with her when the time comes right now, we need to focus on not dying, what’s Saria up to right now?”

Iris: “Ah, right, the Grassvalley Tribe arrive she went to greet them.”

Nathan: “Seriously, finally.”

Nathan leaped out of the deep forest, he turned and listened, it was still coming their way.

Nathan: “Alright, here’s what we’re going to do, Iris take Anais and head back and let them know, after a little while, I’ll be by to drop off this thing.”

Anais&Iris: “No way!”

Iris: I’m not leaving your side, have you learned nothing?”

Anais: “You always get into trouble the second we’re gone, why do you keep doing this.”

Nathan: “What, this is no time to argue, I’ll be fine.”

Iris&Anais: “No.”

Nathan and the girls stared one another down, but Nathan knew, neither of them were going to back down. He had to hit them with logic.

Nathan: “Anais, you don’t have any mana, your useless right now and Iris, I can take a blow or two and you can’t, maybe with a barrier up, but there’s a high chance the Gorgon will ignore you altogether. Knowing you, you’d jump in front of me whenever you see me about to get hurt and get yourself killed, I don’t want that.”

Iris: “Even still-”

Nathan: “And to be honest right now, neither you are thinking straight, your so focus on protecting me, you not even considering your own safety, what the point of staying here, if you can’t do anything? I don’t need babysitters, I need partners who will trust me, as I trust them.”

Persuasion +4

Nathan: “Plus……………. if I’m not there, how can I possibly stop either of you from being so violent?”

Anais&Iris: “Huh?”

Nathan gave them both a devious smile and they both knew exactly who was talking about.

Anais: “You’re okay with this?”

Nathan: “I have no feelings on the subject, besides no matter what you do, nothing will compare to what Saria’s gonna do or already did. Oh, how wish I can see the look on her face.  

Iris: “I-I understand, come as quickly as possible.”

Nathan: “Don’t worry I’ll be right behind you.”

Anais: “Not too fast, I need say goodbye to a couple of people.”

Iris levitated Anais up, they both taking one look back before taking off. Nathan knew that the grudge they had for Lynn would be good bait for them to leave, he watch them leave then turned back to the forest. The gorgon was nearly there. He had no reason to wait, he turned and sprinted away, he’d give them fifteen minutes, then rather they were ready or not, he was coming. With that door behind the waterfall open, he had no reason to stay. The second he catches it in the traps, he was taking Anais and Iris and leaving this place behind.