I got my arms up in time.

I had to drop my sword, but I got both arms in front of my chest and face as thousands of tiny needles jabbed me.

I don’t think the attack would have been lethal, but it definitely could have put an eye out, which was something that I didn’t care to experience.

I was pulled forward as it yanked the needles out, which I realized were actually barbs, because it felt like most of the inside of my arms up to my elbows was being torn off.

Without my hands to catch myself, I went down to my knees. The boss turned, its giant maw open and hungering for my head. I tucked and rolled out of the way.

“DASH!” I jumped to my feet and moved out of range of the second bite.

I met back up in the middle of the pit.

“Do you see why learning all about the floor monsters is important?” Gesai taunted from the stands.

“We haven’t seen the needle fur!” I looked under the boss where my sword had fallen. "How are we supposed to know about that?”

She bobbed her head. "Fair enough. So how are you going to deal with it?”

“I thought coaching us was your job!”

I had my spells, but fire and earth weren’t going to do much judging by how little they had worked against the Giant Crabs. Electric Shot stunned them a little, but it wasn’t going to do any long term damage.

“How did you beat the doggos?” Gesai prompted.

“We stabbed them in the heart!” Oz looked at her sword. "But our weapons can’t pierce their sides.”

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“Okay, then how did you beat the Giant Crabs?”

“We stabbed them in the mouth…” I had an idea. “Rix, lock a little one down with your chain. Oz, stab it once it’s down. Ren, buff her weapon, she’s going to need it. I’ll keep the other two off of you, and Justia...” I rubbed my healed arms. "Thanks.”

The redheaded Shooter whipped her sword-chain at the canine on our right, wrapping the chain around its neck and pulling it off its feet. I trusted that they’d be able to pull off the rest of the fight and focused on the other two.

The boss saw our shift in personnel and began moving to intercept them. I pointed my fingers at the boss and the other little one. “Electric Shot!”

Their muscles tightened, keeping them from moving fast, but only slowing them down. But that was all I was trying to do. I moved both finger guns to the boss and aimed for its eyes. "Earth Shot! Fire Shot!” The boss moved its head as it turned its attention towards me instead.

At that point, I had managed to get in between the rest of the group and the boss, while the other little one had almost gotten around me.

“Got it!” Oz announced.

“Get the next one!” I thought about making a run for my sword, but the way things were shaking out, I wasn’t going to be the one going for the kill shot, so having something in my hands was just going to complicate my ability to irritate it.

“BIND!” I tethered it again. While I couldn’t have two of them up at once, it would keep the boss from using the pounce attack I had seen the mob canines use earlier.

The boss strained and tore through the bindings, but that gave me enough time to move so that by focusing on me, it would leave its side open to the others.

“Bind! Electric Shots!” This time after the bind, I clasped both hands together and didn't let go. It was a trick that Aelin had figured out, and I hadn’t had a chance to try it out with the Electric Shot yet.

Instead of two arcs, a continuous stream of electricity shot off of my double barreled finger gun. The boss cringed and howled as it tried to move, but it wasn’t able to shake off a constant stream.

“Drop it!” Oz was already charging as I released my hands.

I pointed at its back right leg. "Bind!”

The boss jerked as it tried to move, then Rix’s chain wrapped around its neck and she pulled it down. The canine had its mouth shut, but that wasn’t what Oz was aiming for. I realized what she was doing as she shoved her sword through its eye. I cringed as the boss vanished into smoke.

“Very good!” Gesai was clapping as I went to retrieve my weapon. "You adapted nicely.”

I smiled as I picked up my weapon. "What else you got?”