The shacking of the earth told Aero the beast had made its move. He would have opened his eyes and raced out to see for himself if he hadn't felt several spikes of pain in his skull. Swearing, he brought up a shield and sent several attacks of his own. he could hear Inna and Gaillia talking but couldn't focus on what they were saying as he had to fend off the beast.

'you know, for something imprisoned, this thing can put up a fight.' the helper then added some bad news, one that the barrier depended a large part on the lord, though the companion had left a large amount of energy to give him time. Second, the beast could only display less than five percent of its full power.

The earth shooked again, and Aero suddenly had a lot more respect for the lord and the creator. 'that explains why it's been sending things to kill me.' to make up for the lack of power, it could display its manipulating things and why it constantly attacked his head. it couldn't kill me at once so it went for a drawn-out kill or incapacitation method.

The beast was smart; Aero was going to have to be just as smart. Even if things were at a stall mate for him. I have to trust my teammates.' that thought had his stomach twisted like a vortex, but he forced himself to ignore it and focused on defending and attacking.

'Okay, so I need a way to make it submit; I can't keep this up too long.' As if to remind him, the spiritual wound he received from the beast flared up. 'I ignored that too much.' Taking a measured breath, he focused on wrapping around it before forcing his energy into a bo staff.

'oh, this was and will be a bad idea,' but frankly, he didn't have another choice. If he didn't put the beast in place, they would find a way to kill them. He really couldn't see them backing down because he said so. Focusing hard, he sent the newly forged weapon into the beast cage. Immediately, it was stopped by the beast on defense power.

He pushed the weapon forward, but it was like trying to push a needle through a mountain. He pushed forward, adding more energy to the weapon, fortifying it, and pushing it forward. It was hard, but he got closer and closer to the physical manifestation of pride.

"you insignificant mortal, you dare!" the beast hissed, putting out more pressure. "YES!" aero hissed back, cutting down on the size and shape of his weapon, focusing all power towards momentum. Just for a moment, the change was enough to split through the beast's defense. A moment before, it changed its defense to match.

That one moment was enough time for the small energy weapon to reach and pierce into the beat's skin. "as I said, insignificant! Little more-AHH!" aero cut off the beast's insult but shifted the form of the weapon that was inside its body. Breaching out the weapon-like roots, oddly enough, through that root, he got a feel for the beast's body.

"weirdest biology by far," he stated, trying to calm himself. It was hard when he felt sweat on every inch of his body and his energy bandage degrading. The beast's body essentially felt like a single mass, with no veins, bone, or muscles, 'probably no organs for me to target,' so he had to come up with another idea.

With the beast trying to eject his weapons, aero dug it in deeper, causing the beast to howl despite its attempts to be quiet and save its pride. It confused Aero how it couldn't take this. But that didn't stop him from causing the beast more pain.' I might not be able to kill them, but I can make it hurt!'

As the root spread throughout the beast into the limbs, hooking into the ground of the beast cage, aero realized something. "they can't take the pain?!" a dark smile spread over his lips. "you've been trapped in your prison for the almost entirely of your existence. You'ven't bled or fought much!"

Aero's smile turned lighter as he realized one thing: he outclassed the beast in pain tolerance. He could cause so much pain the beast would submit. 'if my energy doesn't run out first." but that didn't dim his smile; at the very least, he was going to carve his name into the beast's mind and skin.

After a moment, he converged the roots to open a wound that spells out his name! "you darE! Mare my fleaesH!" there voices reaching hysterical levels of rage and pain. "i dare!" aero repsoned," and I'll do even more then that unless you submit!"

"fuck! You!" the beast responded heatedly, pushing all its power towards the limb to crush Aero's power. When the attack hit, aero knew he wouldn't win the clash, thinking with his battle plan and then his pride. Aero pulled away from the spot.

Driving his weapon into a new spot closer to the beast's face, the beast cursed him again as it yanked its head out of the way. Immeadlty it changed direction shooting down, stating the beast it in foot. spreading out the spikes. The beast roared ripping it foot off, tearing open a larger wound.

"die!" a wave up energy rushed towards Aero, slamming up a barrier. it was the rush of a river and threatened to drown him if it wasn't hurting so much. he clenched his jaw so hard it was making a sound similar to that of Grindnig stone.

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pushing through the pain he forced his weapon to grow, no longer stick to the small size as changed the imaged to spiked vines, with grew on and inside the beast, putting all the power he wasn't using for defense and his banages to this.

While it wasn't much compared to the massive size of the beast, it caused pain and aggravation in the beast. This was enough to encourage Aero to go on, "If it bleeds, it dies; if it hurt, it cried. Either way, it can be hunted!"

Pushing more of his presence into the prison aero continued his attack; it might have put him more at risk, but it meant less effort on aero. He could ingoer his body a bit more. 'i can't take to long on this, i don't know what Inna and Galia are dealing with! the earth had been shaking a lot.

"now," Inna shouted, moving with several other hunters, unleashing a melody that fortified the earth, making it harder for this giant creature to dig through the earth. At the same time, it would stop the town from shacking. Looking up, she could see a number of hunters on the back of winged-created landing attacks at the creature's head; one of them was her teammate.

"This isn't doing anything!" Gailia shouted at someone. Maybe she was just venting because not one thing seemed to be working. Everything she sent at the creature didn't seem to even get its attention. It just kept looking at the town, taking hesitant steps towards it. Like it didn't wish to be here, 'like it wants to turn back.'

If that was true, she didn't know what Aero was fighting that made it come here, but that didn't matter to her. What mattered was defending this town, Galia continued to fight. If you could call it a fight, they spent the better part of a half-flower trying to hurt this thing. Unleashing increasingly longer and more powerful melodies.

But the creature straight up ignored it, reaching the edge of the town. Which was still being vacated as they spoke, but there were still many people in it. It was taking so long because, in the event of an evacuation, people were supposed to take their shit; if these were really bad, they would have to spread to the nearby towns.

Towns that wouldn't have the resources to help them start their lives again, 'we can't let it get any further!' Galia thought, slightly panicking. She knew Aero was still in the inn, fighting to also stop this thing. She was sure he couldn't fight if he was dead.

Just as she was considering some very risky, a bad feeling hunting in her heart. Followed by someone dropping to the ground right before the creatures, slamming their weapon into the ground. She could feel the force of the unleashed melody from here. But what could one melody do, she watched ready to assist. The ground split open, winding and rising. But what would that do?

Only it kept rising. On the ground, Galia noticed the color spreading out from the hunter. They were bleeding to keep the melody up. as the wall kept rising. Up to the creature's knees and further. The blood growing larger. "she's not going to serve after this."

As the wall started to slow, she directed the beast downward. Behind the wall, it probably wasn't going to last long. But as if to contradict her thought, a group of hunters dropped on the even top of the wall. Striking it with their weapons, causing it to condense on itself.

Leaving them to that, Galia grabbed the injured hunter to take her into the village for a healer, there were bleeding along. Thankfully, Galia grabbed her supplies when he left the inn, which included some bandages and herbs to stop the bleeding. Though she wasn't sure if it would be enough, she was bleeding from every hole in her body, even a few opening up as Galia took her to a healer.

"by the zaltess!" the healer took one look at the downed hunter before calling everyone to help her, before they carted the women off, Galia told them of the herbs she gave her. "that was smart it brought her time, but were going to have to work on her now if she is to survive the night."

"she might be the first tonight," galia saidcausing the ehaler to pause." things can;t be that bad?"

Galia's face contorted, "What she did might slow this creature down, but it won't last long." then she turned around and took off; as she flew back to the battlefield, she passed several flying creatures that carried injured and bleeding hunters. her jaw locked, this were only getting worse.

arriving at the battlefield, she could see the wall was holding for now. but who knows how long it would last. they needed a plan to actually stop this thing. by the Zalts, they needed a plan to even injure it. 'whatever you're doing, Aero, it needs to finish up soon. Or there won't be a town.'

"she is bleeding too much!" Inna cried as she felt the life essence soak through the back of her clothes. But she didn't pay attention, carting her to the beast where a few other women were being treated." it's been two petals since they put up the wall, and things only seemed to be getting worse. More hunters risking their health to stall or stop this beast.

The massive wall has been reinforced several times, a gaping maw of a pit opened before it. Spikes and flames spread across the wall. They didn't know if it was working as the creatures seemed to be distracted. Paying less attention to them and the town as things went on.

'what are the chances that have something to do with Aero's fight.' as she thought of things, Inna wondered if it was a good idea for him to have the fight in the town. On one hand, it meant they had reinforcements, but they've put so many people in danger, so many people hurt because of his actions.

'When I return to the end, I'll be having words with him, very loud words.' Maybe after a nap, she has been moving for several flowers near, not stopping. It was starting to wear on her, but she couldn't stop. They needed all the hands they could at this moment.

She thought a lot about the words she would have with Aero over the next few petals, during which something definitely changed as the creature actually turned around. Heading back for the massive tunnel that dug its way up here. Part of her was happy about that, but she knew it meant something had happened with Aero. Galia had a similar thought as she dropped down on the find creatures. She was narrowing enough to grab Inna.

"you've got a bad feeling, too?" Inna nodded, remembering the faces the aero was making when they left. Somewhere between very focused and in a lot of pain. They landed on the roof of the inn and rushing through the curtain front entrace through the loby and upstairs, aero was still in meditating. but he looked much worse, "ah!" Inna gagged.

There were many things she could stand, and nature was gross yet amazing. But she could never stand vomit, so when she realized that there was a good amount on the ground before aero, she felt like adding her own to the mix. Galia was better with body fluids even though she recoiled at the smell.

She moved to get a closer look at Aero, finding him professedly sweating and honestly like he would hurl again. "aero, are you doing good?" he made a gagging noise in response. She wasn't sure if he was speaking, but she got the feeling it was a no.

'What can I even do? He didn't explain what was even happening that well.' noting how much he was sweating, she figured that he was probably dehydrated. She sent Inna for the water so the girl could gather herself and not hurl.

"I kind of want to go back to the battlefield," at least she would be more help. Should she get a healer and start praying to the Zaltess and Zalts? Do some superstition, banish some bad luck?! Even as Inna came back with a picture of water, aero barely noticed them beyond his first reaction to protect himself. But once he realized it was they and they had water, he greedily drank it.

"aero, what can we do?" he groaned, feeling the water settle, pulling back from the battle. Despite the beast clearly not having much experience with pain, there was incredible pride prevented them from giving in easily. Aero knew that even their pride had a limit.