Tiahla was just as surprised as everyone else when the source of the loud, rhythmic thumping sound turned out to be an enormous undead behemoth. Kymil was quick to give the order to fall back, and the frightened group began slowly retreating from the approaching monster. Tiahla moved with them, staring at the creature with horrified fascination. At first, she had no idea where the creature had come from. That changed once she examined it.
It's the stronghold boss?!
Had something horrible happened to Fenrin's group? Is that why the boss had left the dungeon, and why it looked damaged? She focused again, seeing that the system labeled it as 'incomplete'. As she watched, the indicator began to rise. The monster was harvesting remains from the undead they'd defeated to restore itself!
"Taeres, come on!" she urged, starting forward. "We can't let it recover!"
"Tiahla!" Her friend said, trying to pull her back. "We… We can't take that on."
"We have to try while it's still weak!"
He hesitated for a split second longer, and then nodded.
That was enough for her. Tiahla took off at a run, hoping to reach it before it finished whatever recovery ability it was channeling. Wherever it had come from, this boss was an unheard-of level 24. A creature like this could devastate their village, and Tiahla wasn't about to let it get to full strength. They had a chance to stop it now, before it could hurt anyone! If she and Taeres could distract it for long enough, the others could chip away at it with arrows and spells.
"Wait!" Kymil shouted from behind her.
"We'll distract it while you take it down!"
The elf's body trembled with suppressed fear, but determination overcame it. Heroes didn't hesitate. Together, she and Taeres tore across the open space in front of the stronghold's entrance, avoiding the clouds of dark mist the monster had summoned. They were already dissipating, and the two of them reached it before it finished assimilating the animated remains.
Tiahla got the first strike in, bashing the monster's leg with a two-handed blow from her hammer. Taeres followed suit a moment later, striking at the same spot. Cracks radiated from the impact, growing larger with each swing. Above, arrows began pelting the bone titan's head and chest, splintering against its hardened body. It wavered under the assault, falling back a step and raising its arms defensively.
"We can do this!" Tiahla said, backing away. She was still scared, but they were doing well. The monster was starting to move faster now, having finished channeling whatever restorative magic it had been using. Now it was time to back off, to keep its attention away from the others. "Keep moving!"
"One more!" Her friend's eyes were alight with purpose. The monster's leg was badly cracked, the woven network of bones starting to come apart. One more good hit there…
"Taraes, no!"
Her warning came too late. Before Taeres could swing again, the bone titan's foot came off the ground. Even so, if he had dodged then, he might have been fast enough. Instead, the elf tried to swing up with an awkward lunge that left him off balance and exposed.
The foot came down with all the force of an avalanche, and Taeres disappeared in an eruption of spraying blood.
No…
It didn't feel real. Tiahla just stood there, staring at where her friend had been standing a moment ago. That couldn't have just happened.
It couldn't have.
The enormous foot lifted back into the air and moved towards her. Tiahla didn't even notice, her attention fixated on the bloody smear that, moments ago, had been her friend. A shadow passed over her, and she was dimly aware of someone shouting nearby. Part of her knew she should care, but the young elf couldn't tear her gaze away from the grizzly scene.
The bone titan brought its foot down on her. Tiahla closed her eyes-
And was suddenly thrown to the side as something heavy slammed into her, knocking her to the ground.
WHAM
The ground heaved with the force of an impact so mighty, it threw her into the air. Tiahla landed hard, winded, and looked up to see a man, one of the human wayfarers who had joined them, standing under the bone titan's enormous foot. His arms were up, holding it at bay even as he was driven to one knee. Luis's muscles bulged, a conjured shield crackling and sparking as it fought to dampen the immense pressure bearing down on him.
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"Hraaaaaaah!"
Luis roared, pushing with all his strength. Maybe the monster was off-balance, caught in an unstable position. Or maybe, being comprised only of bone, it wasn't quite as heavy as it looked. All Tiahla knew was that somehow, in a contest of strength between a lone man and a giant monster born from her darkest nightmares, the man prevailed.
Inch by inch, Luis regained his feet. His legs trembled with the strain, until with one final, mighty shove, he pushed the undead giant back. It staggered away, hissing, taking two faltering steps before crashing to the forest floor with all the force of a collapsing building.
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Jade turned the corner of the stronghold just in time to see the giant's foot come down on top of Luis. She stumbled, breath catching in her throat, until she realized that he hadn't been crushed by the attack. Instead, he had caught it. She could hardly believe what she was seeing, a feeling that intensified when Luis threw the monster back, sending it toppling over. He collapsed a moment later, falling to the ground next to the elven woman he had saved.
Perhaps the smart thing to do would have been rush to the downed enemy, striking it while it was vulnerable. Indeed, Jade's demonic spirit urged her to do just that. The sight of a wounded, compromised foe was enough to send her blood pounding through her veins, drawing her like a shark to its prey. Her heart, however, beat to a different rhythm. Luis groaned, rolling onto his back and clutching at one leg, and she couldn't bring herself to ignore him. Making a snap decision, she skidded to a stop next to her friend, leaving the others to take advantage of the situation.
"Luis!" Jade dropped to her knees beside him. "Are you alright?!"
She already had a healing potion in hand, unstoppering it and offering it to him. Luis's armor was cracked, blue sparks emanating from the damage. One of his legs was bent at an odd angle, and he was cradling his left wrist to his chest. Even so, he managed a weak smile.
"I've been worse."
Jade relaxed slightly. If he could make jokes, he couldn't be too bad. Although, that was just who he was.
"Here. Drink."
In the background, arrows, spells, and other projectiles were being launched at the bone titan, which was struggling back to its feet under the increasing barrage. Jade itched to join the fight, but it could wait another moment. Beside them, the elven woman was staring at the puddle of gore that was all that remained of her friend. Silent tears spilled down her face, the only outward sign of her anguish.
Luis accepted the vial, quaffing it in a single gulp. Color began returning to his face, and he lowered his eyes.
"I couldn't…"
"Later." Jade cut him off. They didn’t have time for a discussion. He was okay. For now, that was all she could concern herself with. She stood, making to rejoin the battle with the stronghold boss, when a familiar hissing sound reached her ears. Violet light rose from the ground in the open area in front of the stronghold, coalescing into more spectral forms. It was the same as in the dungeon, each set of remains the bone titan assimilated left behind a monstrous apparition.
"I'll be fine." Luis managed to get to his knees, pointing to where the rest of their party was engaging the boss a short distance into the forest. "Go. Help them."
Jade hesitated. Several of the specters, translucent, ghostly beings with glowing eyes and wicked claws, had been summoned nearby. Most turned towards the larger group of the rear guard, which had just noticed the new threat, but a couple were moving in their direction.
"But-"
"Go!"
Jade spun to face the elf, noticing for the first time that she lacked the 'timeless' quality that most of the others had. Her face was young, her eyes bright rather than deep. Right now, they were filled with sorrow. She didn't know if that meant she was very young, or even what 'young' meant for an elf. Right now, she didn't care.
"You! Keep him safe!" She commanded the stranger. The girl just looked back at her with a blank expression, tears still streaming down her face.
"Keep him safe." She repeated, this time channeling the potent magic of her demonic heritage into the words.
The elf's eyes glazed over, her tears slowing.
"Y-yes. Okay."
That was good enough for Jade. She ignored the sharp look Luis gave her, taking off to rejoin her companions. It was then that she noticed the battle had stopped. Not because one side had emerged victorious, but because the bone titan had, once again, left. She easily caught up to Aylin and the others, all of them pursuing the enormous creature as it crashed through the forest like a giant bulldozer, blasting through trees and leaving a swathe of destruction in its wake.
"Where the hell is this thing going?" Jade demanded, slowing to keep pace with them. She flicked her tail back and forth as she ran, using it to stay balanced as they navigated the rugged terrain.
"I… don't… know…" Aylin panted, already starting to run out of breath. The mage wasn't the most athletic woman, and a sheen of perspiration coated her brow. "I think… it's trying… to finish… itself!"
"So, it's still looking for more bodies?" Fenrin asked. He was running alongside them, Mirella flapping over his head.
"I think… so!"
"It's headed towards Lysara!" Nythis called from right behind them.
Jade ducked under a low hanging branch, confused. That didn't make any sense to her. There were plenty of people for it to fight right here. Why would it go all the way to the village for it to complete itself? Unless… Unless whatever force animated it compelled it to complete itself with the dead before it engaged with the living.
"Is there a graveyard? A burial ground there?"
Nythis nodded, her brow furrowed in concern. Somewhere along the way, she had lost her enthusiasm for this venture. Jade knew the feeling.
"It must… be able to… sense it somehow." Aylin said, using as little air as possible.
"We have to stop it!" Naomi said from the rear of the group. The bard didn't look much better than Aylin. She launched a blast of fire into the fleeing monster's back. It hit home with a sizzle, but it would take more than that to bring it down.
Ahead, the bone titan continued to stampede through the forest. The thick underbrush posed little impediment to a creature of its size, unlike its pursuers. They weren't going to catch it.
Not like this.
"Stay on it." Jade said, putting on a burst of speed and pulling ahead of the others. "I'll slow it down."
"Jade, what are you-?" Naomi started, but Jade was too far away to hear the rest.
With the racial boost from her demon form, Jade's agility was a formidable '20', and her fortitude wasn't lacking either. Kicking her pace into high gear, she left the others in the dust. The monster before her drew nearer as her friends fell away, growing larger with each passing moment.
Now, she just had to get its attention.