“Weapons out!” Cid ordered as he pushed Cillian off him.

The creature landed a short distance from them, standing on its feet and roaring at them. Benkin slashed at the creature, landing two strikes that cut into its fleshed. It let out a cry of pain as it swung wildly at the warrior. The others spread out and took their weapons out. Maeryn landed two arrows into the creature’s torso as Cid landed several hits before the creature lashed out at him.

Cid barely missed the attack as the creature turned its hateful gaze towards Maeryn. From its mouth it shot out a long tongue, forked and spiked towards the archer. Maeryn tried to dodge but was struck in the shoulder, yelling in pain as the creature began dragging her towards it. Silvius ran over and pulled out the organ from Maeryn. “What is this thing?” he asked.

“It’s a striga,” said Leonidas, “it’s undead, unfriendly, and hates fire.”

“I can do fire!” said Jeanne as she summoned a fireball. She threw the projectile towards the striga who dodged the attack, Cid having to roll out to avoid being hit.

“I’d like my fur singed, please,” he said to Jeanne.

“I am trying!” she replied.

Hypatia spun her blades beside her, causing the striga to shake and hiss before pressing its hands together and shrieking in pain. Gabriel lunged forward and sunk the tip of her spear into the striga’s stomach cause blood to begin seeping out of its mouth as it snapped at her. Kveldulf cleaved the striga from its shoulder and into its chest and struck its side with such force it knocked the creature down. Leonidas summoned a fireball himself and threw it towards the creature, setting it on fire, the feathers beginning to burn away as it swung wildly at anyone nearby.

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Benkin struck the striga along its back with his blade. Maeryn, struggling with her bow to steady her aim, landed two arrows into the creature’s neck and mouth. Before it could lash out, Cid struck its head with his blade. The striga slashed at his stomach and pierced his stomach with its tongue as a crossbolt struck the fiend in the middle of its forehead. It landed to the ground with a thud as the others raced to their leader.

“Cid!” Kveldulf yelled as he reached his friend.

“I think it’s not bad,” Cid said.

Leonidas quickly summoned a red transparent circle with a crimson stone and looked through it intently. “It doesn’t look bad, but I need to remove it now.”

Jeanne turned to find Cillian slowly trying to make his escape. “Get back here!” she shouted. She bolted after the man, who dodged her as she tried to tackle him. But before he could disappear into the woods a crossbolt struck his shoulder and he landed to the ground, grabbing his wound, and crying in pain.

Jeanne got to her feet, her blood racing and all thoughts were of what horrors she could put the man through. She walked over and rolled the elf over and grabbed the bleeding wound tightly, causing the man to scream. “What was that all about, you son of a whore!”

“Please, I didn’t know that thing was there,” Cillian pleaded.

Jeanne squeezed harder. “Bullshit, you didn’t know!”

Kveldulf came over, a knife out and holding it over to the elf’s eye. “You’d better talk talking before I start cutting.”

“I … I had to,” Cillian said to them.

“Why!” Jeanne demanded.

“He has my boy!” Cillian confessed.