(Dylan)

The rest of them watched as Wedge faced off against the draconi gore-zilla, alone. One step back was all it needed for the goreasaur to lower its shoulder and charge into the challenger. In response, Wedge crouched low and raised a shield to block. The bethesdian horror slammed into him, clobbering his shield with its shoulder.

Wedge blocked the charge and hadn’t moved an inch, grunting with the clash. The Nightshade’s architect was a fucking badass. Dylan was amazed, but the monster wasn’t pleased; it stood up to its full height, throwing its head back to release a roar in protest.

Now it was Wedge’s turn. He pulled back with his right shielded arm and bashed the shield into the overgrown reptile’s jaw. A sharp crack rang out, followed by a yelp as the primal monster stepped back from the unexpected pain. When it raised its head to roar in anger, Wedge stepped in and bashed its nose this time. Another yelp followed, and a stream of green blood dripped down its nostril.

“Get him, Wedge,” Hay’len said, cheering him on.

W’itney dared to peek through their fingers, hiding their face just enough to catch the goreasaur shaking its head and swinging both arms at Wedge. The big guy was ready and hunkered down, blocking with a shield on each side.

“Yes…” Eury said, still latched onto both twins. A glint flickered in her eye—something Dylan couldn’t quite read. She held her breath, watching with sharp interest as Wedge and the goreasaur exchanged blows.

The beast growled, a low, rumbling sound that vibrated through the air, and rushed forward to close the gap. It brought both arms around Wedge in a deadly embrace, struggling to push him back, but Wedge stood unmovable. It strained to pick him up, muscles rippling with the effort, but he remained firmly on the ground. Dylan knew Wedge was heavy, but not that heavy. He had to assume it was one of his abilities or passives.

Wedge grew a couple of inches as his clothes tightened and his stony appearance grew rough and jagged. More defensive layers of stone appeared over his normally smooth skin.

The monster’s massive claws raked against his back with a sound like nails on slate, shredding his tunic and leather vest. Despite the ferocity of the attack, there were only minor scrapes and minimal damage to his actual back.

Another shield bash to the monster’s jaw caused it to stagger back two steps. It snorted and shook its head. That gave Wedge the room for his next ability.

“Why’s the ground shaking?” Dylan asked. Reflexively, he threw out a hand to steady himself, grabbing onto Hay’len’s arm.

The monster retreated further, away from the quaking ground. The earth split with a deep rumble, and a massive clawed hand of stone erupted between Wedge and the goreasaur. Dylan watched, wide-eyed, as an almost identical stone monster pulled itself from the land.

“Oh, fuck…”

The stone clone lacked the bravado of the first, standing still as the original beast roared a challenge, its cry echoing through the jungle as it beat its chest in fury. The duplicate monster didn’t react to the challenge and simply looked at Wedge, waiting.

“I think that one’s on our side,” Hay’len said.

“Attack,” Wedge said, gesturing toward the goreasaur. That’s when the stone-zilla sprang to life.

It spun to face its living counterpart and silently charged. The only sound was the pounding of heavy, splashing footfalls, each impact throwing up a spray of muddy water, before their bodies collided. Stone-zilla had more mass and the advantage in weight class, barreling into the primal monster and forcing it to skid backward.

Wedge kneeled to pick up a small stone and slipped it into his mouth. Dylan heard a crunch.

“Did he just… eat a rock?” Dylan pointed at Wedge, turning to Hay’len. “Is… Is that a thing lithkai do?”

Hay’len shrugged, unable to keep their eyes off the fight. Dylan watched as the scrapes on Wedge’s back filled in with a fresh layer of stone.

After his quick snack, Wedge tapped his chest and took off running. Dylan blinked, turning his head to confirm his hearing still worked. The big guy hadn’t made a sound—no crunch of stone, no stomping boots, nothing. Usually, Dylan could hear him a mile away.

The big guy silently snuck behind them as both monsters swiped and chewed on each other. The living version appeared to be regenerating its wounds, flesh knitting back together, while the replica wasn’t—its injuries were permanent. And while it didn’t bleed or require muscles to function, it grew structurally weaker as the fight went on.

Wedge appeared behind the monster and landed a solid shield bash to the spine. Unfortunately, it was a reinforced area and had little impact. The monster retorted with a tail swipe that Wedge wasn’t fast enough to block. The blow struck him square in the chest with a tremendous thud. Dylan heard Wedge wheeze out a grunt, but the big guy held his ground and remained unshaken.

“Grapple,” Wedge said, working his way around the goreasaur.

The replica grappled the monster, pinning it in place as Wedge searched for vulnerable spots to shield bash. He had no luck exploiting weaknesses or landing any lasting damage when there was a sharp, echoing crunch. The living monster’s toothy maw snapped together as it finished chewing through the statue’s elbow. The rest of the stony arm fell to the muddy jungle floor, splattering wet earth on impact.

A single arm wasn’t enough to contain the primal monster any longer. It slid out from under the stone-zilla, spinning around and reaching for the replica’s backside. The horned growth Wedge had broken off along its spine earlier was already regenerating, the jagged edges knitting together with unsettling speed. The only meaningful damage Wedge had done was from head on.

“Attack,” Wedge said.

The replica stabbed backwards with a sharp, broken elbow, puncturing the goreasaur. It roared in pain, cradling its bleeding stomach as it staggered back.

“The underside looks less armored!” Hay’len shouted their observation.

“Agreed,” Wedge said grimly, his grip tightening on his shield. The goreasaur’s wound healed quickly, but the smeared green blood, streaked across its scales, was enough for him to notice the weak spot.

W’itney turned to Eury with wide eyes, panic written across their face. “What if it kills him?” They tried tugging their arm back from her grip, their movements jittery with barely contained energy. “It’ll kill us next.”

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Eury didn’t let go. “He’ll be fine,” she said, her voice steady despite the tight line of her jaw. Her grip on W’itney’s arm was firm but careful, grounding both herself and the twins as she scanned the fight for any hint of danger coming their way.

Wedge was about to step within reach of teeth and claws again, but his body started vibrating, the faint hum almost audible to those nearby. He took a deep breath and then stepped between the two quarreling monsters, bracing himself behind his shields to weather the onslaught.

Dylan found it difficult to focus on Wedge, whose figure shimmered and blurred. ‘Another ability…’ he thought.

He watched as the big guy threw his shields at every attack that came his way. “Why doesn’t he dodge?” Dylan wondered out loud.

“I don’t think he can,” Hay’len said.

Either way, Wedge’s ability to tank and absorb the full force of the goreasaur’s attacks was impressive. The big guy focused on shield bashing the softer underside of the monster, each strike landing with a dull, bone-jarring thud, in between blocking hammering swipes and chomping bites.

The primal monster noticed their attacks weren’t getting through and attempted to sidestep his shields, but the replica body blocked it. Battle-torn and riddled with cracks, the stone-zilla was missing entire chunks from its frame. Faint grinding sounds accompanied its every movement, a testament to its failing structure. It wouldn’t be able to hold up much longer. The regenerative healing factor allowed the living monster to outlast the stone summon.

Wedge’s figure stopped vibrating, and the claws that slipped through his blocks carved deep, jagged gouges into his stone-like skin, each strike accompanied by a harsh scraping sound. He couldn’t block the attacks that reached over and behind him, but he relentlessly hammered the underbelly of the primal monster.

“Grapple,” Wedge said.

Dylan thought that was a mistake, since it was down to one arm, but the replica proved him wrong. It pivoted around the goreasaur, wrapping an arm around the neck and sinking its jagged teeth deep into the shoulder with a sickening crunch. The stone-zilla squeezed tight with its arm, using its mass to weigh the primal monster down. It also yanked back with its sunken teeth, threatening to tear out a vital chunk of flesh next to the neck.

The goreasaur relented, arching backward and exposing its underside. Wedge took advantage of the opening and unleashed a relentless barrage of shield bashes, each impact echoing with a resounding crack. The primal monster swiped ineffectively at Wedge, slower than before, the cost of regeneration catching up with it.

It reached back with both arms and grabbed onto the replica’s arm and head. Bellowing another roar, it ripped the statue apart; arms, head, and all. The remains of the summon crumpled with a heavy crash, collapsing into the mud in a heap of broken stone.

Now, it was just Wedge and the monster. Finally free from the grapple, the goreasaur spun toward Dylan and the other initiates, its eyes narrowing with feral intent. But Wedge was faster, lunging forward and grabbing hold of its massive tail with both arms, muscles straining as he locked it in place. The following scene was straight out of a cartoon.

The goreasaur’s feet ran in place as if it were on ice, its claws slipping and sliding frictionlessly. Another ability—it had to be.

Wedge grunted as he leaned back, pulled, and lifted with all his might. The thousand-pound monster went up and over his shoulder before slamming into the ground with a deafening crash, shaking the jungle floor. It was straight out of a pay-per-view wrestling match—he just suplexed the goddamned thing. Wasting no time, Wedge spun around and pounced on top of the overturned monster’s exposed underbelly.

“Did he just…?” Dylan pointed at Wedge with a gaping mouth.

It kicked and clawed against the ground, still unable to find any friction to right itself as Wedge went to work brutalizing the same spot over and over. Each shield strike landed with a dull, wet thud as the green bruise grew darker. Its massive claws slipped off Wedge as it tried to knock him away, but the big guy stayed focused, pressing the attack in their one-sided battle.

Dylan heard the grating sound of tearing flesh as Wedge’s last shield bash pierced the goreasaur’s scaled hide. Spurts of green blood arced into the air with every primal heartbeat, staining the muddy ground below.

Next there was a sharp sizzling sound, accompanied by a faint sulfuric smell, just before shrieks of pain and panic filled the air. Wedge rolled off the primal monster, quickly backing away. The still overturned goreasaur flailed helplessly, letting out desperate, shrill cries. Wedge kept up his shields as he slowly retreated toward the initiates.

The frictionless debuff wore off, and the goreasaur scrambled to its feet. Its wound had already closed. For the first time, it hesitated, its growls carrying an unfamiliar edge—whimpering. A faint orange sphere, glowing with an ominous pulse, appeared inside its stomach, about the size of a tennis ball.

Uncertainty tainted its actions, and Dylan watched as the pulsing sphere seemed to wrack the primal monster with pain. It crouched low, trembling slightly, trying to retreat from the burning sensation from within. Its eyes darted between Wedge and the break in the tree line from the entrance it had made. An unfamiliar emotion settled over the monster—fear.

Unsure whether to attack or retreat, the monster roared at Wedge, looking to have another go at him. The orange ball grew with each pulse as the sizzling sound grew louder. Dylan saw it reflexively shiver and wondered if it was from rage, pain, or both.

Not done with Wedge, it charged him again, attacking with a frenzy of swipes and bites. The metallic clang of the shield echoed through the air, each impact sending vibrations up Wedge’s arm as he fended off the push. The goreasaur spun, bringing its tail around to bat at him. Wedge stood his ground and blocked, buying time for the growing ball of death inside the monster to overwhelm its regeneration.

The primal monster bellowed another frustrated roar at the unmovable lithkai, but this one was thick with desperation. The pain had become too much, and it crashed through the undergrowth as it dove back into the jungle.

Dylan looked around, surprised none of them had shit themselves.

“Stay close, but remain behind me.” Wedge’s shoulders heaved as he tried to calm his labored breathing.

“You want us to go after it?” W’itney asked.

Wedge didn’t answer, deliberately stalking after the monster instead. It wasn’t hard to track; they just followed the path of broken trees, trampled undergrowth, and the lingering scent of sulfur and charred flesh.

Wedge carefully stepped over a fallen log without taking his eyes off the path ahead. “No opponent is more dangerous than when Death comes for them.”

Hay’len finished reciting the proverb. “For Death will gladly take you both.”

Without turning around, Wedge asked, “You are familiar with Proverbs of War?”

“I read… a lot.” Hay’len offered a sheepish smile, their gaze dropping to the ground as they fidgeted with the hem of their soaked tunic.

A few minutes later, they came across the sounds of labored breathing, rasping and uneven, accompanied by high-pitched whining and whimpering. Wedge held out a hand behind him, motioning them to stay back.

There it was, the primal monster, collapsed on its side. The molten core within had grown to the size of a basketball, its orange glow flickering like firelight as it continued to consume the creature from within. Despite its ragged breaths and dying state, it didn’t look any less terrifying.

Wedge didn’t hesitate and walked up to the heaving goreasaur, which seemed unaware of his presence. He took a knee and slammed his shield into the side of its head. He didn’t stop, even as the skull cracked with a wet, sickening crunch. The creature let out a guttural, wheezing noise, worse than its primal roars from before. Only after it took its final breath did Wedge stop slamming his shield into the pulpy mess.

He remained on his knee to catch his breath. His body visibly shrank, the jagged layers of stone retracting into smooth skin as he deactivated whatever defensive ability he’d been using. He returned his shields to his back, and Dylan couldn’t figure out how they were mounted, since there wasn’t much for them to hang on to. He chalked it up to just another mystery of magic.

“Good fight,” Wedge said to the dead monster.

Wedge reached out with his fingers and placed them gently against its shoulder. A ring of stone appeared where he touched it, spreading outward with a faint grinding sound. The petrification rapidly expanded, encasing the entire body in seconds. What remained was a perfect stone statue—minus the half missing skull.

After it finished turning to stone, Wedge made a fist and slammed it down against the petrified monster. It shattered with a decisive crack, fragments of stone skittering across the muddy ground. Inside, a lattice of glimmering crystal surrounded bricks of stone in varying colors. Wedge picked up one brick and took a bite, chewing, and then swallowing it.

After eating his fill, the big guy stood up and surveyed their new surroundings, the dense jungle around them alive with the occasional rustle of unseen creatures. The goreasaur had taken them deeper into the jungle, away from where they should’ve been. Wedge decided it was time to return to the low-lands. It took them ten minutes before they reached the tree line that revealed the open meadow.