As the final syllable escaped my lips, a sudden burst of ozone saturated the air around me. A bolt of thickly coiled lightning shot away from my palms, twisting sporadically in the air but always correcting to reach the intended target. Even though I attempted to rush my spell casting, I was not quick enough for the two leading Minotaurs. As the bolt of lightning struck the first airborne foe, it crashed out at his brethren in the air next to him. Zigzagging with each strike, the thunderbolt crashed into the third and fourth closest foes. The explosion caused by the superheated air cracked for miles around.
Before the brilliant flash of light blinded me, I witnessed the two leading bull’s grotesque bulk lock rigid. Like being hit by a stun gun, every muscle tensed as if they were holding a pose for a bodybuilding competition. The spell, albeit momentary, effectively transformed them into falling statues of their former selves. I couldn’t see anything further as I desperately blinked away the imposing afterimage the bolt had burned into my retinas.
When the spell cleared, two Minotaurs thrashed wildly in the flowing river. It looked as if they were frantically searching for dropped weapons which, with how large they were, had to have immediately hit the bottom of the river. Then my eyes focused on an immediate threat, one of the Minotaurs had miraculously kept his footing when he landed from his laborious leap. As I frantically ducked under a swing that would have torn my body asunder, I spied the other leading bull slowly picking himself up after crashing face-first into the compact earth.
Even though I dodged under the massive great axe, which whistled above my head, the rage-induced Minotaur’s forward momentum didn’t falter as he crashed through me. I was sent spinning, the tall grass quickly enveloping my sight. While no damage passed through the mana barrier afforded me by my empowered aegis, the raw brutality of the impact transferred into me without the slightest degradation.
As I poked my head up to catch sight of my foe, I witnessed Ripley bursting upwards from underneath the flowing river. Water blasted away as if a grenade had detonated under her. I caught a glimpse of her curved sword slicing into a befuddled Minotaur before I stole my attention back to my immediate danger.
Unseen by me, Lowki had taken the opportunity to come out of hiding directly behind the trailing Minotaur commander. The brute had been in the process of commanding his troops to forget their weapons and simply crush Ripley to a pulp. His words were cut off, however, as several hundred pounds of cat flesh suddenly crashed atop his back. Like an attacking Velociraptor, Lowki’s rear jutted towards the sky as his snapping tail could only be seen above the tall grass. Though, vicious downward slaps from his tentacle spikes rained down one after the other.
The ogre’s massive strength was not to be underestimated, however, and even as heavy as the cat was, the enemy would take more of a surprise attack to be thwarted. In a feat of athleticism that would put professional martial artists to shame, the command Minotaur shot straight back up to his feet all while Lowki scrabbled on his back with all his might. Unfortunately for the cat, his large canines could not penetrate the creature’s thick neck. Whether it was an innate resistance to piercing-type attacks or the simple fact his neck was as wide as a tree trunk, Lowki’s prime method of dispatching foes was proving ineffective.
With a brutal motion, the quick-witted antagonist slammed an elbow into Lowki’s ribs, eliciting a deep exhale as his breath was blown out of him. Momentarily stunned by the vicious strike, the Minotaur took full advantage of the reprieve from Lowki’s claws and showering tentacles. In a lightning-fast motion, the commander spun around and, with both massive hands, crushed down on Lowki’s ribcage before tossing him away like a rag doll.
Lowki’s efforts were not in vain, however. His distraction against the enemy leader had caused the two Minotaurs in the river to fail to abandon their fruitless attempts at locating their downed weapons. This afforded Ripley a few precious seconds of unabated ferocity against the closest monster. The simple-minded creature was so intent on his singular focus, that Ripley’s blade slashed the life right out of the fiend. No matter a monster’s tremendous health pool, a torn throat that gushed torrents of bright blood would lay low even the fiercest of foes. As the Minotaur finally stumbled upon his weapon, his arms no longer carried the strength necessary to lift it. He fell face-first beneath the raging water, never to move again.
All the while, Tallos has seen my plight and was quick to render me some much-needed aid. Seeing my foe towering so close by, he had to pick a different target. Tallos knew one errant missile could easily strike his friend, as much as his enemy. So, unwilling to risk it unless my need turned deadly serious, Tallos turned his bow at the other leading Minotaur who had regained his feet.
In the short time the chaotic battle had seen, only Tallos recognized that of the four Minotaurs who used their rage-inducing race ability, only one still had the cascading waves of heat emanating from his enormous body. It was the one closest to me and, Tallos quickly surmised must have been the only brute able to shake off the debilitating jolt caused as my spell passed through his body.
Arrows flew through the air, one after another. Each landed heavily into the Minotaur's chest, his arms, and his shoulder. Through it all, the beast barely flinched as if the arrows were nothing more serious than an insect bite. He oriented on Tallos’ position, no longer hidden as the stream of arrows was easy to follow even for such a dim-witted monster. With a downward swing of his great sword, the fletching of Tallos’ many arrows shattered as the weapon cleaved through them, leaving only tiny shards behind. He lowered his head, the crowns of his horns threatening a painful death, before charging the elf. Thankfully, it would be several long minutes before the creature could once more enact his rage ability.
Tallos, no novice to fighting such creatures, knew best how to react. As he backpedaled, all the while releasing arrow after arrow, he prepared himself to spring away as the fearsome Minotaur hammered close. Each time the beast’s massive feet crashed on the hard earth, Tallos could feel the heavy impact tremors radiate up his legs. Tallos aimed a shot directly at the beast’s skull, hoping to penetrate the tender gray matter beneath. Holding it for an instant to ensure the arrow's flight was on target, he released it. As quick as a diving falcon, the arrowhead struck the monster’s lowered head.
The arrow burst as if striking a steel tower shield. Splinters showered the monster’s head but to little effect. Tallos doubted the Minotaur even considered the feeble arrow. With no more time for another shot, Tallos dove to the side right as the beast barreled past. He misjudged the timing, however, having expected his last arrow to outright kill or at least slow the storming bull. As it passed, one of the monster’s jutting horns clipped across his leg, tearing a long furrow that quickly stained his leg red. As I had only moments earlier, Tallos was sent spinning away to crash heavily into the bending reeds of grass which did little to soften his landing.
As I breached tall grass, my eyes found the sizzling, red-hot, monstrosity who was even then turning back to locate his prey. Smoldering eyes reached mine and, without thinking, I dual cast my flamethrower directly at him. It was my only instant cast spell, and I was keenly aware I wouldn’t have time for a full second casting without being interrupted.
A fountain of flames washed over my enemy, completely immolating his upper torso and face. When the mob took a pair of steps forward, his sizable hands moving into the inferno, I knew I had misjudged the effectiveness of this particular spell. I was dimly aware damage was being inflicted, as the numbers flashed across the bottom of my vision, but the creature no more reacted than if I had thrown peddles his way.
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Daring not to end my spell, even as it dove headlong toward me, I again leaped sideways hoping the torrent would at least blind the burning beast in my desperate attempt to roll away. It must have worked as I didn’t feel the monster's feet crash like anvils on my body. Sadly, my roll was suddenly altered as I slammed my hip against a large rock. Thankfully, the expected flash of blinding pain didn’t cross my protective shield. Though, it did send me spilling away in an uncoordinated tangle of arms and legs.
Calling my axe to hand, I rose to a monstrous axe hammering into my chest. The blow chunked a huge portion of my remaining mana. The single attack had taken over a thousand mana points with it! Again, my aegis did nothing to protect me from the momentum of the attack and I was sent rolling anew. Thankfully, my body was quickly lost in the tall grass, a fact which may have been the only thing to save my life. Flat on my back, I threw Frostrend over my head as the Minotaur's eyes caught sight of me once more. I didn’t know what to expect but I hadn’t counted on the beast to push out his bulging peck muscles as if inviting the blow to land.
This was no ordinary weapon, however. This was a challenge the mighty Minotaur should have let pass by.
Like a meteor landing, the weapon sunk deeply into the savage’s chest, sinking one of the double-bladed beards to the hilt. A flash of azure magic marked the weapon’s special effect triggering, a blistering freeze. Like a shattering piece of glass, ice crackled outwards from the wound and flash froze everything it touched. A wince of extreme pain finally crossed the beast’s features as it stumbled back. It had not been expected such a debilitating blow could have struck him so ruthlessly.
Seeing my opportunity, I recalled the weapon to my hand and threw another overhead attack at my foe. The Minotaur’s hand slipped through the suddenly disappearing axe head as if he had been trying to confirm the weapon’s existence. His hand found nothing but glacially frozen flesh. When Frostrend landed a second time, it split the beast’s thick skull. The Minotaur crashed to the earth, every muscle of his body relaxing at the same instant.
Lowki, across the stream and facing off against who was likely the smartest foe on the field, was having a difficult time securing the kill. He was battered, bruised, and likely had several broken ribs. Thankfully, he returned each of those heavy attacks courtesy of the commander’s trunk-like club, in kind. Whereas the club only damaged the flesh and tightly corded muscles underneath, Lowki’s new tactic was far outpacing the damage dealt to his opponent’s body. Near the beginning of the frantic back and forth, Lowki had imparted his solidifying strike in one forceful attack. The magic of his former incarnation’s ability left behind partially petrified sinew and muscle.
The fact his rival was moving much slower, both his movement and attack speeds being hampered by the powerful ability, was likely the only thing keeping Lowki in the fight. Though he dared not pull his attention away, even for an instant, Lowki instinctually knew he was alone in this struggle. Multiple quills from his formidable, envenomed spines had poison pumping through the Minotaur's veins. With each new piercing spine he could muster, more of the compounding poison would be injected into his enemy’s body.
Lowki was keen to allow the poison to do its job for him, but the commander knew from the green ooze seeping around the wounds from the countless quills effectively put a countdown on his remaining lifespan. His eyes swelled with outrage and hate as he intended to take this damnable cat with him to the grave.
Lowki wasn’t fast enough to dodge aside a suddenly thrown bludgeon, the tall grass momentarily blinding him of his opponent’s visage as they circled one another. The Minotaur though, had been waiting for this precise moment. Even as the weapon landed heavily against Lowki’s neck, not his skull as intended, the cat’s blistering reflexes had given him enough time to turn his head aside. Following behind the exhausted missile, which was lost and entombed behind the bladed grassland, the command Minotaur crashed down atop the great cat. The monster’s bone-crushing hands work feverously to find purchase around Lowki’s vulnerable neck. Like twin adders, Lowki’s barbed tentacles slammed repeatedly against the monster’s sides and back. The appendages had barely enough room to maneuver as the breath-shattering Minotaur lay astride and on top of the supine Lowki.
Death was fast approaching both combatants as the commander finally found his target. Straining to squeeze the very life from Lowki’s neck, the murderous Minotaur felt his heart feebly struggle to keep on beating against the tremendous amount of poison flooding his muscle fibers.
Darkness descended within one set of eyes, the intense struggle having finally decided who was the victor and who was the conquered. Nothing agitated the tall grass for long moments. With a tumult of wind bellowed in, folding the green stalks down upon the combatant’s bodies, something stirred to break free.
Ripley hovered defensively towards her one remaining foe. Her shield was held firm in one hand, her blade balanced deftly in the other. She instinctively knew the formidable protection offered by her bulwark was doubled in magnitude as long as she remained stationary, courtesy of its magical properties. Ripley had come a long way since I had first summoned her. Before she was no better than an intimidating automaton, now she was a cunning and calculating warrior.
The brutish Minotaur, even now as he attempted to puzzle out the impressive shield wall arrayed against him, twitched in response to the shooting pain running across his body from Ripley’s aura of necrotic potency. Slowly but inevitably, it was eating away at the beast's tremendous health pool. The half-witted brute had made several attempts of his great sword to batter away his skeletal foe but to no avail as his previously unstoppable attacks failed to penetrate Ripley’s enhanced defenses. Though not as powerful as my empowered aegis, Ripley, in the right circumstances, was just as unyielding.
Several tactical options smoothly worked their way through her legionnaire mindset. With her foe staggering at regular intervals, and when the Minotaur was close enough, she finally pouched. As the monster’s eyes grimaced in pain, Ripley’s sword flashed out, cutting deeply into the beast's venerable orbs. He tattered backward in exquisite pain, nearly toppling into the freezing water. For Ripley, she knew his battle was over. It had become inevitable for her assailant. Her void-like eyes moved silently forward as she ended the Minotaur's struggles.
A stillness settled upon the battlefield. Little stirred as a strong breeze bent the endless field of grass over upon itself, as if long stalks were trying mightily to touch the ground with their bladed tips.
Tallos, who was flat on his back, allowed his head to fall gently to the earth beneath him. The final adversary’s life had been ended with an extremely well-aimed, and fortuitous, final gambit. As Tallos continued to breathe in ragged gasps from the tumultuous fray, blood ran uninterrupted to soak into the natural hue of his pants. His opponent rested uncomfortably in a similar position as Tallos several feet away. He was flat on his back, with an arrow’s fletching protruding from an eye socket.
The nearby stream ran red for several long minutes, as it parted around a skeletal figure. The rest of the enemy force was bleeding out to nourish the vibrant grasslands. My eyes quickly found Tallos, Ripley, and then, finally, Lowki. We had survived, though barely if the numerous wounds coating us had anything to say about it. Ripley’s top half was covered in sanguine fluid, though it would soon wash away as she trudged towards me.
Tallos limped up to me, and I quickly spotted the makeshift tourniquet his belt emulated. It was wrapped tightly above a ghastly wound that had soaked through nearly all of his pant leg. Seeing pain etched across his normally graceful face, I quickly intoned my regeneration spell upon him. In moments, the wound was covered over by a tremendous scab, which then faded into tender pink flesh.
“Thanks,” Tallos said as he plopped heavily next to me. We eyed up the approaching Ripley, who looked no worse for wear. Actually, she was the least injured of the group. “Looks like her new shield worked wonders against her fatuous attacker.”
“It means stupid,” Stella said after I turned an uncomprehending gaze at the elf.
“Lucky for her,” I replied as I propped myself up on my elbows. “Lucky for all of us by the look of it.” I motioned for Lowki to come near, “Are you okay? Here, let me help you with that limp. Glad you’re alright, too.”
After giving Lowki a taste of my restorative magic to speed up his recovery, I cast it again on the lounging Tallos, just to be sure he was topped off. The wound had looked horrendous when I first eyed it. I let out an exultant sigh of relief before turning back to my friends, “Ready for another round?”
Tallos returned my remark with a jubilant grunt of his own. “With pleasure,” he uttered behind a beaming smile. “But, let’s take a few minutes, yeah?”
“I can’t argue with that,” I said as I plopped back down atop nature’s comforter. Soon, Stella also helped herself with a hard-earned break as her familiar weight settled atop my chest. She didn’t say anything more, though she had probably been scared to death with how close the battle had been.
I would need to check in with her soon but as she snuggled into a tight ball above me, I was confident she was doing alright.