“Why me?” Ehrwin murmured to himself. The desolate expanse was swept by gusts of wind, their mournful howls echoing across the desolate terrain. Only at the farthest reaches of each cardinal direction did the remnants of dead trees, mere skeletons of what once was, cling tenaciously to life.

Why do I always have the worst luck? Wasn’t it enough that he was the only noble in history to lack magical abilities? Wasn’t his life already difficult, having lived among hardened killers for so long that his heart became stone cold?

A wry smile crept across his face. Unbelievable. He was actually smiling in the face of death.

The air around was charged with ominous energy, as if an electrical storm were brewing on the horizon. The skies darkened, and the clouds grew heavier, as if they too were feeling the weight of the situation.

Crossed deserts, hiked forests, sailed seas only to die at the hands of this ostentatious, charcoal bastard.

“Tales told by mankind are often flawed, eh, Eternus?”

A deep furrow appeared on the serpent’s brow. “The proclivity of mankind to affix labels and make sense of things has always been beyond my understanding. Simply because I’ve had the misfortune of residing upon this earth for an inordinate amount of time, must I be burdened with a moniker derived from the term ‘Eternal’? Pardon me, you there, the bald man, would you take kindly to being referred to as ‘Hammer’, simply due to your choice of tool?”

Gaul stumbled for words. “Uhm,” he stammered, his voice trailing off.

“His name is Gaul Hammers,” Ehrwin said plainly.

A moment of awkward silence passed, interrupted only by the howling of the wind.

“Well, aren’t you imaginative! A bad example, perhaps, but my point stands! Damnation, just call me Bog! It’s a simple name, one that rolls off the tongue with ease, just as my creator intended. Would it be such a wound to your inflated egos to worship a deity referred to as Bog?”

Ehrwin was at a loss. He’d expected the creature to adopt a more threatening demeanor. Was this not the part where he’d be devoured by a giant serpent? Yet, Bog appeared to be in no hurry. Could it be that he was presuming a bit too much?

“Where’s the witch?” he asked.

“The witch?” Bog replied with a hint of sarcasm, feigning ignorance

“Yes, the one you begged us to save just moments before you feigned your own death.”

Bog’s lips curled as two sharp fangs became visible. “The witch,” he grinned a diabolical grin, “is already dead! Killed by her own kin! Serves her right, that bitch.” A cackle of laughter echoed across the desolate landscape.

The glimmer of hope that Bog might be friendly swiftly diminished. Who was he kidding? Bog wouldn’t have lied in the first place if he were a friend.

“Well, in that case, our journey has been for naught. Come with me, you lot. Let’s get out of here.” He has got to try talking his way out of this at least. If not for him, then for the others he was guilty of luring into this ill-fated plan.

“Oh dear, oh dear,” Bog chuckled, his tail swaying back and forth. “Surely, you don’t believe that I would simply release you without a fuss, do you?”

Ehrwin’s chest tightened. “I think you will because you owe us a debt. We were the ones who got you out.”

“Hmm,” Bog’s eyes narrowed, the tip of his tail twitched, caressing the bottom of his cheek as if deep in thought. A bizarre sight.

“You make a valid point,” Bog conceded, his tone turning gracious. “It is what my creator would have wished, to show gratitude. So, in his honor, I shall grant your release. Just this one time, mind you.”

A wave of relief washed over Ehrwin upon hearing those words. He relieved a third of his stress with a deep blink. He held back the sigh that threatened to escape his lips, though. They weren’t entirely out of danger. Not yet.

“We’ll take our leave now,” he said, forcing a smile. “Take care of yourself, Bog. I’ll make sure to inform the bards and scholars that you prefer to be called Bog.” He gave a respectful bow before turning to leave. “Come on, you lot! We’re done here.”

Heart pounding, he gulped as he strode towards the archway formed of gnarled branches of a twisted, dead willow tree, the entrance through which they had arrived. The others followed him without a word.

“Nice going, chief. We’ll come back later to take him on though, right?” Gaul whispered.

“Of course we will.”

Not even if defeating it would grant him powers. Ambitions be damned; nothing mattered if you were dead.

“Aye, retreat it is then. Goes against our mada. But I reckon we got no choice.”

“It’s motto,” Ehrwin corrected. “And no, we’re not retreating. Can’t surrender or retreat if you never engaged in battle in the first place,” he said, tilting his head to one side and tapping his temple twice with his index finger.

Gaul grinned a wide grin. “Right on you are, chief.”

“Quiet,” Dolly grumbled. “This is pathetic. All those sacrifices we made along the way, all for nothing.”

She had fully recovered, Ehrwin noted. The potion seemed far more effective and swift if you were not teetering on the brink of death.

He couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt at the mention of their dead comrades, Marsh and Yokel. But, better pathetic than suffer the same fate as them.

Despite the health phial, Ehrwin’s body ached. They healed physical wounds, sure. But not the mental fatigue.

Thankfully they were almost at the exit. Funny how he was calm the whole time he talked to the giant serpent, but now that they were striding away, his heart was racing like mad.

“Where do you all think you’re going?” a raspy voice called out from behind, sending a jolt of shock down Ehrwin’s spine.

“I said you could go, not the others.”

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With a sudden lunge, the serpent threw its massive body at them, causing the ground to shake. Its maw was wide open, ready to feast.

Ehrwin and Gaul leapt to the side, crashing to the ground. The serpent’s fangs easily splintered the thick trunks of the larger-than-normal dead trees in its path.

“Take cover!” Dolly yelled, running haggardly toward the grove of trees to the east.

When will I learn? The serpent had deceived him yet again.

The group huddled behind a tree, panting. Dolly suggested they keep running, but there was no place to run. Some strides ahead was a boggy ground, where their boots would sink into the mud, trapping them like insects in a spider’s web, waiting to be devoured.

“I haven’t had anything to eat for decades, you know? My mana isn’t going to replenish by itself.”

“You said you'd let us go!” Ehrwin protested.

“Indeed, I made a pledge, and I have no desire to renege upon it, unless, of course, you impede my goals. Come now, scurry along the northern route. I shall not sink my teeth into your flesh. But as for the others, they shall find themselves inside my stomach.”

“We played a role in your escape just as much as he did!” Dolly snarled.

“Silence, wench!” Bog bellowed, his voice booming. “Your contribution was limited to a mere frolicking about like a fawn. It was your bald associate who defeated the guardian single-handedly. But alas, he is far too plump and appetizing for letting go.”

Dolly glared at Ehrwin, “Why don’t you go, Chief?”

“Like hell I will. I am not leaving anyone behind.”

“Well, ain’t we lucky to have you as our leader!”

“Why are you two fighting?” Gaul asked

“Gaul’s right,” Ehrwin said.

He wasn’t sure why Dolly was being such an ass now of all times.

“This isn’t the time to be fighting among ourselves. We need a plan.”

And their best shot at getting out of this would undoubtedly be Flint’s Scorched Earth. Only once had Ehrwin seen it before. Its destructive power was so catastrophic that he forbade Flint from ever using it.

“We buy time for Flint to prepare his ultimate.”

Gaul nodded, “Aye, packs more’n a punch, that.”

Gaul was still struggling to catch his breath, his body covered in small cuts and bruises, and two deep wounds on his back were caked with dried blood. Despite the pain, he was holding on by tapping into his ability to release adrenaline and push through the discomfort. Regrettably, he may have dropped his health potion somewhere when earlier he'd leapt to dodge Bog’s attack.

“And takes a good deal of time. More than what we can afford,” Dolly said, gritting her teeth.

And a whole lot of mana. It would exhaust Flint’s entire reserve, and he had more mana than all of them combined. “You’re right about that, but we go no other option, do we now?”

“I shall patiently count to three” Bog announced, his voice taking on a warning tone. “Should you not present yourself, I shall be forced to retrieve you. And be assured, if you force my hand, the merciful, painless death I had in store for you all shall be rescinded.”

“Looks like I’ll need to frolic about like a fawn one last time, eh, chief?”

“One!”

“Don’t let ’im get to you, Doll. Y’know you are the only person we can count on right now.”

“Shut up,” Dolly hissed.

“Two!”

“Right here, you snake bastard!” Dolly shouted. She stood tall, her hand firmly clutching her Shotel, a curved sword with a sharp, narrow blade.

Bog flashed his razor-sharp smile. “Ah, at last surrendering to destiny? Excellent. This shall make things much simpler for all involved.”

“I ain’t going down without a fight.” Dolly hissed.

“Good! I prefer it that way,” Gaul said.

Five—the cast time for Flint’s ultimate. The countdown had already started.

“Wait!” Ehrwin said.

Bog let out a weary sigh. “And what is it now? I’ve grown tired of hearing your pleas.”

“I get you’re in a hurry to eat; after all, you haven’t eaten in ages!”

“Precisely!”

“But,” Ehrwin began, raising his hand, interlocking his thumb and index finger to form a circle, “consider the opportunities you’ll be giving up. If you devour us now, it will only appease your hunger temporarily. On the other hand, if you set us free, we’ll bring countless villagers from beyond the lake for you to feast upon. We’ll become your devoted followers and make offerings to you, just as it was done in the past.”

Bog snorted derisively. “For a commoner, you persuade like a noble. How intriguing!”

Ehrwin furrowed his brow. Why the creature would mistake him for a commoner?

“I am a noble.”

“You are?” Bog said in a puzzled tone. “But, I don’t sense any mana from you!”

Ehrwin sighed. “Well, that’s because I was born this way.”

Bog frowned. “A noble devoid of magic? My, what has the world come to? Pray tell, are you from some obscure branch of noble blood? I find it hard to fathom why one of noble birth would lack the gift of magic, if your claims are indeed true.”

Ehrwin clenched his fist.

Four.

“Not really. I’ll have you know that I’m Ehrwin of house Bargunri, third most powerful in the realm.”

Bog’s brow furrowed even further. “Bargunri, you say? Like that sly fox Olaf Bargunri? Hah! To imagine that fox’s family rising to become the third most powerful, I am truly astounded!”

Ehrwin wasn’t sure what Bog was talking about. How long had this creature lived? Was Olaf his ancestor? But, none of that mattered right now.

“And there you have it,” Ehrwin said. “You know I have the money and connections to bring you hundreds of sacrifices every day!”

Bog’s lips curled upward in a sinister smile. “But you see, Ehrwin, with the witch as you call her, deceased, I am now free from my shackles. I can roam beyond the confines of the Mire and engage in unbridled pillage! Incineration! And indulgence! To my heart’s desire.”

Ehrwin’s lips quivered. He couldn’t give up. Not yet.

“If that’s the case,” he said, his hand raised high in a display of power. “It’s a cause for celebration among the followers of the Cult of Bog. Perhaps you won’t require us to bring offerings. However, consider this: The continent is overflowing with nobles of great influence. The times have changed and they’re now as abundant as weeds in a meadow. You need allies, a cult that worships you.”

Bog threw back his head and let out a thunderous cackle. “Good heavens! Your proposal almost has me convinced. I must say, you’ve certainly honed your skill of persuasion in lieu of magic.”

Three.

Now that Ehrwin knew that this thing could get out of its confines and wreak havoc on the outside world, he felt a growing sense of urgency to prevent it. The thought of the vulnerable shell tribe being indiscriminately slaughtered weighed heavily on him…wait, was he really more concerned about some random tribe than his own life? Why was he being a fool again?

“Indeed, your offer is most enticing,” Bog spoke in a sly tone. “However, my craving must be sated first,” he added, before lunging toward Dolly.

Ehrwin clicked his tongue.

Gaul was poised to rush to her aid, but Ehrwin swiftly interceded, halting him with an outstretched hand. “You don’t stand a chance.” Not in your current state, at least. “It’s up to her now.”

“Chief, we have to do something!” Gaul exclaimed, his fists clenched tightly as his lips formed a thin line. “She’s all by herself!”

As much as it hurt to admit, there wasn’t much they could do, especially when the serpent’s fang was twice Gaul’s size. And there was no way Gaul would be able to fight this creature with just bare hands. Even if he still had his hammer, it wouldn’t be of much use.

“Your insides shall be the first to feel my hunger,” Bog hissed, saliva dripping from his razor-sharp fangs. “And once I’ve had my fill of you, I shall move on to the others.”

“Suck my clit, you lump of shit,” she hissed back.

Dolly’s figure was a blur as she dodged the serpent with all her might. Although the potion had indeed healed her, it had done little to enhance her stamina. As she grew more and more fatigued, the small boost from the mana potions she carried became insufficient. It was only a matter of time before she would completely run out of stamina and mana.

Two.

Bog launched a massive ball of black goo from its mouth, and Dolly nimbly dodged to the left. But the serpent countered by swiping its tail in the same direction, snaring Dolly and flinging her far away, until her body collided with a tree trunk with a resounding thud.

No!

Gaul was already racing towards Dolly, driven by desperation. But it appeared that he would be too late. Dolly screamed in agony as she clutched her ribs, while Bog loomed menacingly over her.

“Eat Shit!” a powerful voice cried out from behind as a massive, shimmering body of blue light bolted past them and struck the serpent’s head with a deafening impact, turning the serpent’s head into a mushy mess, sending black goo splattering in all directions as its body crumpled to the ground.

The air was heavy with stillness as they all gasped for breath.

Slowly, Dolly approached the motionless form of the serpent and tentatively poked at it with the tip of her Shotel. It hung lifeless, its body completely slack.

“Well, boys, looks like it’s finally over,” she declared with a triumphant grin spreading across her face.