Onyx returned to his hand. Loch Activated Offensive Stance, setting his feet. With Breaker’s Banner still active, Loch didn’t feel tired from all the intense fighting. But that wouldn’t last. Even with the increased Spirit regeneration from the Banner, Loch was still running out of energy. He’d used too many Abilities and keeping Aura Of Attack, Offensive Stance and Breaker’s Banner active was a huge drain.

He slashed across with Onyx, cutting a deep cut into a Bugbear. The monster stumbled, letting Loch kick out, catching it in the chest. It fell back, tangling up with a Chipmunk Wendigo. Claws slashed at the Bugbear as the monster tried to get up. Loch finished both off with a single swing of Onyx.

Nothing else attacked him, all other monsters falling back as the Alpha Wendigo cleared the fighting. It stopped, standing ten feet away from Loch, looking down at him, long arms dangling at its side, almost touching the ground as its legs bent awkwardly. With the way it looked, Loch didn’t think the thing should be able to move.

But he’d seen it. It was fast and agile. He wouldn’t underestimate it.

The two stared at each other, waiting for the other to move. Time seemed to slow, the sounds of the fighting fading away. Just the two. The Wendigo made no noise as it leaned down, long claws dragging furrows in the dirt.

It raised one arm, fingers clenching.

Then it charged.

Loch threw Onyx, the Wendigo’s long arm sweeping across, sending the axe flying to the side. It disappeared in the air, reappearing in Loch’s hand as he raised Bulwark. Claws slashed across the energy shield. The strength pushed down on Loch. He grunted, sliding to the side, pulling the energy shield free. He swung Onyx, cutting a long line up the Wendigo’s arm. He felt bone beneath the axe head, barely any flesh and no muscle. No blood came from the wound, the white of the bone exposed.

The Wendigo swung its arm, slamming into Loch’s shoulder. He fell to the ground, sliding from the momentum. Loch pushed himself up, getting Bulwark in line to block a follow-up attack from the monster. It hadn’t used any Abilities yet, but maybe it didn’t have to. The monster was fast and strong. Loch stepped back, shaking his right arm. He’d landed on the shoulder, had felt something crack. He still had full mobility, even if it twinged with sharp pains.

Jumping to the side, Loch avoided the downswing of the Wendigo. Long claws dug up the dirt, flinging it at Loch as the monster tried grabbing him. Hopping out of his roll, Loch sent Onyx flying. The spinning blade cut into the Wendigo’s arm, the bone cracking with a loud snap. It disappeared, summoned back to Loch’s hand, leaving a gaping wound in the arm, which hung useless at the break.

The Wendigo lifted its arm, the lower part hanging. It lifted the hanging part, letting it go and watching it swing back and forth. Reaching out with its other arm, the Wendigo grasped the hanging part and yanked. More snapping of bone and the tearing of flesh.

It made no sound as it turned to face Loch, good arm holding up the broken half of its other. It charged at Loch, swinging its own arm like a club. Loch caught it on Bulwark, the lifeless fingers wrapping over the edge. They started moving, each bending to grab at the top of the energy shield. The shield started to crack as the fingers squeezed.

Loch shook off his amazement as the fingers moved. He dove to the side, dismissing Bulwark. Landing on his hurt shoulder, biting back a cry of pain, Loch sprang up, running around the twisting Wendigo. The arm club slammed into the ground just behind Loch. He kept running, making the Wendigo twist.

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Wind blew across the field, pushing at the grass. Loch could feel it pushing against him as he ran, darting in at the blindside of the Wendigo. Onyx cut deep into the monster’s thigh. It twisted, catching the axehead in bone, ripping it from Loch’s hand as the stump slammed into his shoulder. He fell to the ground, scrambling to get out of the way as the monster turned.

As soon as the axe returned to his hand, Loch threw it. A quick and unaimed shot, it barely missed the Wendigo, but close enough to make the monster take a step to the side, gaining Loch some breathing room.

He couldn’t see how the rest of the fight was going. The sounds seemed distant, muted, everything focused on the monster in front of him. Loch gave his status a quick check. His Health had taken a hit from the couple of blows, the Wendigo hit like a hammer. It wasn’t as high as he’d wanted it, but still decent. His Stamina was worrying. They hadn’t been fighting long but it had been intense. His Spirit was in even worse shape.

The Wendigo had multiple deep gashes across its body, had an entire arm chopped off. It showed no sign of feeling any pain or slowing down. In most fights, Loch knew he could outlast opponents. Not this one.

He threw Onyx, the hammerhead slamming into the Wendigo’s shoulder, lightning bolts crackling across the monster’s body. The force of the blow made it step back, body twisting, but it showed nothing else. No indication of pain or damage. The twisting moved it enough, Loch able to see past. The water was in the distance, the fields of green, the giant body of the triceratops, a couple of raptors ignoring the fighting and feasting.

Activating Windstep, Loch rushed past the Wendigo. Even at that speed, the arm club came down, only missing by a foot or two. He came to a stop, the Wendigo already turned to face him, taking a couple steps forward. He threw Onyx, the axe biting into the monster’s shoulder. It barely twisted, rushing forward and picking up speed.

Loch turned and ran, holding his hand out for Onyx to return. He used Windstep, closing the final distance. The raptors turned at his sudden appearance, the first getting cut in half by the axe. The second leapt at Loch, slamming into Bulwark, the spikes bursting through the creature. Loch jumped up onto the side of the Triceratops, dismissing the shield. The dying raptor fell to the ground, body twitching as it bled out. With his free hand Loch grabbed at the body, pulling himself up. He could hear the Wendigo running toward him.

Scrambling to the top, shifting his feet for balance, Loch Activated Offensive Stance, facing the Wendigo. He threw Onyx, the monster shifting to avoid the weapon. It sailed past, disappearing and returning back to Loch’s hand.

The arm club swung down, slamming into the scaly hide of the dead Triceratops. Loch swung Onyx, the Wendigo barely getting its good arm out of the way. Onyx cut into the club, deep into the flesh of the dinosaur. Loch pulled the weapon up, kicking a piece of the severed arm away. It fell to the ground, landing with a thump and startling a raptor. The small creature hissed and growled, trying to jump up to get at Loch, but unable. It gave up, sniffing at the piece of Wendigo arm on the ground, others coming closer.

Loch had the height advantage on the Wendigo but it wasn’t the benefit it appeared. Not that he had planned on it being one. Dropping the rest of the arm club, the Wendigo reached for Loch, pulling its arm back before he could cut into it with Onyx. Being higher, Loch had to swing down, almost bending to get at the Wendigo.

He kicked and swung, keeping the Wendigo at bay, hoping his plan would work. He couldn’t hear the raptors behind him anymore. He risked a glance to the front and back of the triceratops, making sure the raptors weren’t climbing up the easier ways. The smaller creatures weren’t. Loch couldn’t see them.

The Wendigo reared back, the long antlered head looking down. Snaps and growls came from the monster’s feet. The long arm reached down, pulling up a snarling and snapping raptor. The Wendigo’s head cocked to the side as it looked at the small dinosaur. The fingers creaked as they squeezed, the raptor’s body jerking, legs kicking and scrambling. Opening its hand, the Wendigo dropped the dead monsters, causing more snapping and growling. The Wendigo looked down.

Loch Activated Windstep.