Silly.

I looked silly.

The frontlines and healers behind must have thought me mad as I swung back into battle wielding a piece of flesh and not a blade of iron.

What a captain I was.

I lost my wits and had reached for a slab of meat thinking it a MasterCraft Blade.

They must have thought.

As I approached the battlefield, the boss lurched to a stop

Ohh God, why do you hold Owen's slab of beef!?

Put it down boy.

Only Owen possesses a stomach strong enough to handle tainted flesh.

Put it down now!

My mind smiled and my eyes beamed.

A new dialogue had been triggered.

This tainted flesh was the key to defeating the second phase of the boss fught.

Now, as I stared down at the flies that encircled the mutton, what was next?

Focusing once again, the golden trail appeared from the tainted flesh and fluttered a trail on the ground and up to the boss's mouth.

Good Lord how was I supposed to manage that, I thought with as a frown began to spread across my newly acquired smile.

And before I could take another second to think, the mutton had been stripped from my hand.

Who?

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Why?

Shelly darted straight as an arrow.

Danger never blinded, never dragged her down.

She had understood without the golden trail, with simply her clever mind and sharp witt.

Glowing in a blue too bright, she triggered her [Waltz Cosmetica].

I was surprised she even still had the cooldown.

As the boss began to swing frantically, Shelly dodged each blow like a leaf in a spring breeze. Flowing and dancing with the force rather than against it.

As she dodged a massive blow, she deftly jumped onto the boss and used his arm as a ramp.

Once reaching the head, the boss roared a deafening howl.

Perfect, I thought.

For a second I thought I could see the inkling of a smile spread on Shelly's mouth, but I was much too far away- and besides- Shelly was not known to smile much.

Without wasting a breath…

She threw the tainted flesh down the hatch.

The air grew still

The boss began flailing, sending Shelly spiraling to the ground.

With my feet as wind, I dashed over and caught her before she met the ground.

With her in my hands, I smiled a smile that told of everything and more.

Of a story as old as man and woman.

Of a dance that burns within the heart.

Of a tempest that rages within my soul.

She met my stare with one of her own

Of a solemn look that reminded me of what must come first.

Looking back towards the boss, it began to flail wilding, then it stopped, lurched up a feast fit for a giant, and regained his composure on wobbling legs.

His whole stature shaken.

As I focused my eye to that other plain, I noticed that the once unmoving health bar had now gone from a fiery red to a noxious green.

A green that was slowly ticking down.

Crawling towards the direction of victory, of survival.

You'll pay, he screamed.

You'll all pay even if it costs me my life!

For my sons! I'll delete you from this realm!

He bellowed threats as Shelly and I ran back into a fight that seemed all but won.