Elara cursed silently, her heart pounding in her chest as she faced the imposing griffin. The creature's eyes gleamed with a predatory intensity, its powerful wings spread wide as it prepared to strike again. She knew that she and Boogie were in real trouble now, and she needed to think fast if they were going to make it out of this situation alive.
Backing away slowly, her mind raced as she tried to formulate a strategy. She could use her Voidwalk ability to teleport herself to safety, but that was not an option. She refused to leave Boogie behind, knowing that the faithful elemental had stood by her side through thick and thin. Her eyes darted around the clearing, searching for anything that could give them an advantage. The Griffin's gaze followed her every move, its muscles tensing as it prepared to pounce. She knew that she had to act quickly before the creature made its move.
She glanced at Boogie, the elemental's fiery form flickering with anticipation. She knew that Boogie was ready to fight alongside her, but she also knew that they were outmatched in terms of raw power. The Griffin was a formidable opponent, and she didn't want to risk Boogie getting hurt.
Her right hand tightened around the hilt of her dagger, the Solstice Shard. She had grown more skilled with the weapon, thanks to her skill leveling with Flamebeard, but she expected that it would take more than a few well-placed strikes to bring down the Griffin. As the Griffin took a menacing step forward, her mind raced with possibilities. She could try to distract the creature, using her Voidwalk to draw its attention away from Boogie. Or perhaps she could use the terrain to her advantage. But even as these thoughts crossed her mind, she knew that time was running out. The Griffin's eyes narrowed, its muscles coiling as it prepared to launch itself at her. She braced herself, ready to fight with everything she had to protect herself and Boogie.
She glanced at the elemental once more, a silent understanding passing between them. They had been through so much together, and she knew that she could count on Boogie to stand by her side, no matter what.
Her heart raced as she made a split-second decision. She turned to Boogie, her voice urgent but steady. "Boogie, leave now! Head for the tree line and hide. I'll handle this."
As the words left her lips, the Griffin charged, its powerful legs propelling it forward with incredible speed. She reacted instinctively, channeling her mana into a Void Bolt. The dark energy surged from her hand, striking the Griffin head-on and slowing its advance with the dexterity debuff.
Boogie hesitated for a moment, torn between the desire to protect their master and the need to obey her command. With a final, worried glance at her, the elemental darted towards the tree line, their fiery form flickering as they sought safety. She knew she had only one chance. As the Griffin closed in, she focused her mind and activated her voidwalk ability. In an instant, she vanished from her spot on the ground and reappeared on the back of the charging beast.
The Griffin let out a surprised screech as it felt the sudden weight on its back. She clung to the creature's feathers, her mind racing as she called upon her skill. Dragon's Precision guided her hand as she raised her dagger, the Solstice Shard glinting in the sunlight. She knew that a one-hit kill was too risky. With her limited strength, she doubted she could penetrate deep enough into the Griffin's head or neck to bring it down. Instead, she aimed for one of the creature's wing joints, hoping to cripple it and slow it down considerably.
With a swift, precise strike, she plunged the dagger into the Griffin's wing. The creature let out a pained cry, its momentum faltering as it stumbled to the side. Elara felt a surge of triumph, but it was short-lived.
As the Griffin fell, she lost her grip on its feathers. She tumbled to the ground; the impact knocking the wind from her lungs. Pain exploded through her body as she took damage.
Health: 50/70
She lay on the ground, her body wracked with pain unlike anything she had ever experienced before. The impact of the fall had knocked the wind out of her, leaving her gasping for air. She struggled to breathe, her lungs refusing to cooperate as she fought to fill them with precious oxygen.
Through the haze of pain, she felt the ground vibrate beneath her, the heavy footsteps of the Griffin drawing closer. Panic seized her heart as she realized the creature was coming for her, its intentions clear. She desperately tried to move her hands from under her body, but the pain made it difficult to coordinate her movements.
As the Griffin's beak descended upon her, she summoned the last of her strength and pressed her palms together, activating her Umbral Shift skill. In an instant, her body became incorporeal, and the Griffin's beak passed harmlessly through her.
She lay on her back, the angry griffin looming above her, its beak striking at her ethereal form. She fought back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes at the terrifying sight above her, knowing that she had to stay focused if she wanted to survive. Counting the seconds until her Umbral Shift would fade, she knew she had one more Voidwalk left in her. She turned her head, desperately searching for Boogie, hoping that her faithful companion had made it to the safety of the tree line.
Her heart nearly stopped when she saw Boogie, her loyal elemental, right above the Griffin. The creature had disobeyed its master and came back to fight by her side. She watched in horror as Boogie exploded into a purple inferno behind the Griffin, the elemental's fiery form engulfing the beast in flames.
The Griffin screeched in pain, its feathers singeing as Boogie's attack caught it off guard. Her plan had gone right out the window the moment she saw her faithful companion. She couldn't use her last Voidwalk and leave Boogie here. Not again. She quickly glanced at her status, taking stock of her current condition.
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Health: 50/70
Stamina: 23/43
Mana: 80/180
Unspent stat points: 20
She knew she had to act fast. With the Griffin distracted by Boogie's attack, she seized the opportunity to roll out from under the creature's grasp. Her body protested the movement, pain shooting through her limbs as she forced herself to her feet. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with a new plan. She couldn't leave Boogie to face the Griffin alone, but she also knew that her own strength was limited. She had to find a way to turn the tide of the battle in their favor.
Her eyes darted to the Solstice Shard, still embedded in the Griffin's wing joint. If she could retrieve the dagger, she might be able to use it to deal a critical blow to the creature. But getting close enough to the Griffin was a risk she wasn't sure she could take.
Boogie's flames continued to lick at the Griffin's feathers, the elemental's attack relentless. The Griffin thrashed and screeched, trying to shake off the fiery assault. She knew that Boogie couldn't keep up the attack forever, and she had to act quickly before the elemental's strength ran out.
With a deep breath, she summoned her courage and charged forward, her eyes locked on the Solstice Shard. Elara would trust in her Dragon's precision skill to let her strike. She had to get that dagger back. As she closed in on the Griffin, she prayed to whatever gods might be listening that she and Boogie would make it out of this alive. She quickly allocated her unspent stat points, putting 11 into strength and 9 into dexterity. She felt a surge of power coursing through her muscles as her body adapted to the sudden increase in physical prowess.
With her newfound agility, she darted towards the Griffin, keeping to its flanks to avoid being seen. Boogie's inferno continued to engulf the creature, providing the perfect distraction for her to make her move. As she approached the Griffin's side, her enhanced dexterity allowed her to move with a grace and precision she had not experienced before. She leaped onto the creature, her hands grasping onto its feathers for dear life.
Boogie, sensing her presence, maneuvered its flames to avoid engulfing its master in the inferno. The elemental's control over its power was impressive, and she silently thanked her loyal companion for its quick thinking. With a determined grip, she reached for the Solstice Shard, still embedded in the Griffin's wing joint. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of the dagger, and with a mighty tug, she wrenched it free from the creature's flesh.
The Griffin let out a deafening screech of pain, its body buckling beneath her weight. She held on tightly, her knuckles turning white as she clung to the dagger and the creature's feathers.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she realized the gravity of her situation. She was now armed with her trusty dagger, but she was also perched precariously on the back of a wounded and enraged griffin. The creature thrashed and writhed, trying to shake her off its back. She gritted her teeth, her muscles straining as she held on with all her might. Boogie continued its fiery assault, the elemental's flames licking at the Griffin's feathers and skin.
She clung to the Griffin's back, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to maintain her grip on the thrashing creature. The Solstice Shard was clenched tightly in her hand, the dagger's weight a reassuring presence amidst the chaos. With a deep breath, she began to climb higher up the Griffin's back, her fingers digging into the creature's feathers as she pulled herself upward. The Griffin's movements were erratic and violent, making the ascent a treacherous one.
As she neared the Griffin's neck, her Dragon's Precision skill kicked in, guiding her towards the optimal striking point. The skill whispered in her mind, urging her to aim for the junction where the creature's head met its neck. She knew that a well-placed strike there could sever the important neck muscles and bring the Griffin down. The feathers grew smaller and more tightly packed as she reached the Griffin's neck. She could feel the creature's powerful muscles rippling beneath her fingers, a reminder of the raw strength she was up against.
Her gaze darted to Boogie, the elemental still engulfed in its fiery inferno. She quickly accessed her Beast Panel, her eyes widening as she saw Boogie's stats.
Name: Boogie
Health: 214/846
Stamina: 640/1250
Mana: 45/215
The numbers sent a jolt of panic through her body. Boogie's health was getting dangerously low, having been hit by the thrashing Griffin, and its mana reserves were nearly depleted. She knew the elemental couldn't sustain its attack much longer. With renewed urgency, she clambered up the Griffin's neck, her fingers finding purchase in the creature's feathers. The Griffin's movements grew more frantic, as if it sensed the impending danger.
Her heart raced as she neared the critical point. The Solstice Shard gripped tightly in her hand. She could feel the Griffin's pulse beneath her fingers, the creature's life force thrumming through its veins. Taking a deep breath, she raised the dagger, her Dragon's Precision guiding her hand. She knew that she only had one chance to get this right. If she missed, the consequences could be dire.
Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the spot where the Griffin's head met its neck. She could see the vulnerable point, the place where a well-placed strike could end the battle in an instant. With a final burst of strength, she plunged the Solstice Shard downward, the dagger's blade slicing through feathers and flesh. She felt the Griffin's body shudder beneath her, a guttural cry of pain erupting from its beak.
Elara felt the Solstice Shard sink into the Griffin's flesh, the blade slicing through feathers and muscle with sickening ease. She expected the creature to crumple beneath her, its life force draining away with each passing second. But to her horror, the Griffin did not fall. Instead, the beast seemed to gain a sudden surge of strength, its body thrashing with renewed vigor. Her grip on the creature's feathers slipped, and before she could react, the Griffin threw her over its head with a powerful jerk of its neck.
She hit the ground hard; the impact knocking the wind from her lungs. She rolled across the earth, her body tumbling like a rag doll until she finally came to a stop, her face pressed against the dirt. Dazed and disoriented, she could only hear the Griffin's cries and a sudden, sickening crackling sound. She lay there, shocked and motionless, her mind struggling to process what had just happened.
And then a deafening silence fell over the clearing. She could no longer hear the roar of Boogie's inferno, the elemental's fiery assault extinguished like a candle in the wind. The Griffin cried out again, its voice filled with pain, rage and triumph. She heard the sound of its wings flapping. The creature's wingbeats were labored and uneven, a testament to the damage inflicted by the Solstice Shard. She lay on the ground, her body numb and unresponsive. She stared blankly at the words hovering before her eyes, the system's message a cruel twist of fate.
Your Companion Boogie [Level 27] has been defeated in battle.
The words burned into Elara's mind. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the dirt and grime that caked her skin. She wanted to scream, to cry out in anguish, but her voice refused to cooperate. All she could do was lie there, injured and defeated.