The chimera, stunned momentarily, recovered, shook its horns to yank them free.
Valerin dropped low and slipped past the chimera's horns.He attacked its leg with his sword, landing a deep slash.
Blood poured out of the wound, and the chimera roared in agony.
Alyssa's earlier attack, combined with Valerin's strike, had left its front right leg nearly unusable.
Valerin pressed forward aiming for its other leg, but the chimera lashed its tail to attack Valerin.
He jumped out of the way, stumbling slightly on landing, still dizzy from the earlier impact
Kell launched an arrow that struck the chimera's back, while Alyssa turned the ground beneath the beast into marsh, causing it to start sinking again.
The wounds inflicted by the wolves, along with the three arrows lodged in its back and the relentless attacks by Alyssa and Valerin, were finally taking their toll on the chimera.
The chimera was now cornered.
" Hah! It's over for it now." said Kell, gloating.
The chimera pulled its front left leg out of the marsh and buried its claws in solid ground. Using this leverage, it propelled itself out of the marsh, charging toward Alyssa.
"Wha-" said Alyssa in panic.
Valerin rushed to intercept the chimera.
The chimera attacked Alyssa with the claws of its front left leg.
" INFERNAL BLADE!" Valerin shouted. His blade ignited with flames as he swung, severing the chimera's left leg completely.
The chimera roared and collapsed, but in a display of intense desperation, it lashed out with its whip-like tail, continuing its assault on Alyssa. Valerin turned to stop it, but the chimera suddenly twisted and attacked him with its horns.
Valerin couldn't avoid the attack in time, and chimera's horns pierced his armor and stabbed into his shoulder, but with a grimace of pain, he managed to sever the other horn with his burning blade.
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Valerin gasped in pain.
The chimera's tail, however, still hurtled toward Alyssa. She quickly conjured walls of stone to slow the attack. An arrow struck the chimera's eye, blinding it, but the beast broke through the barriers and struck Alyssa on her right shoulder.
The walls had bought her enough time, though, and she created a sharp shard of stone that sliced off the chimera's tail just as it hit her.
Alyssa was sent flying, her staff slipping from her grasp. She landed a few feet away, clutching her injured shoulder and groaning in pain.
The chimera let out a deafening roar of agony.
Suddenly, Durg charged into the fray, leaping high into the air.
The chimera tried to pull its remaining horn out of Valerin, but Valerin held it with both hands, refusing to let go.
The chimera looked helplessly upward as Durg descended, bringing his axe down with immense force. The hammer struck the chimera's head with a piercing him deep, killing it instantly.
Valerin fell to his knees as the beast collapsed. He cut off its horn and freed himself. Gripping the fragment of the horn that had pierced him, he pulled it out, letting out a cry of pain. Blood began to gush from the wound.
Durg freed his axe from the chimera's head with effort, and dropped to the ground next to Valerin, coughing blood.
"You alright?" asked Valerin.
"Yeah. Yeah. It's nothing. Just a few broken ribs," Durg replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Alys, are you alright?" Kell called out as he ran over to her.
"My shoulder... it's broken," Alyssa replied, grimacing.
Kell picked up her staff from the ground and handed it to her.
"Thanks," Alyssa said, casting a healing spell on her injured shoulder. The soft glow of the spell mended the worst of the damage.
She then moved to Durg and Valerin, casting her spells to tend to their injuries as well.
"Don't put too much strain on that side for now," Alyssa said as she finished healing Valerin. "I don't have enough mana to fully restore you."
"Understood. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Alys," Valerin said, rising to his feet.
"That was too close for comfort," said Durg.
"The chimera fought admirably," said Valerin, sheathing his sword.
"I really hoped it hadn't," said Alyssa, with a sigh. She sat down, tired.
"You okay?" asked Valerin.
"Yeah, I just need a minute. I used up a lot of my mana," said Alyssa.
"Aww. Want me to carry you?" said Kell, grinning.
Alyssa picked up a rock and threw it at Kell.
Kell barely managed to dodge and laughed. "Hey, that would have hurt!"
"I really wish it had," said Alyssa, "stupid," she whispered, and a thin smile appeared on her lips.
Durg got up, smiling and shaking his head at their interaction.
Thunder rumbled in the sky.
"It looks like it's going to rain today," said Durg, glancing up.
"Let's camp nearby," said Valerin.
That night,they camped under a cliff in the forest.It was raining heavily.
"It doesn't make sense." Durg said, biting off a peice of his cooked meat.
"First a warg, now a chimera. These beasts don't venture out this far south of the Darkwood," he added, shaking his head.
"First a warg, now a chimera. These beasts don't venture this far south of the Darkwood," he added, shaking his head.
"The hunters at Prol have also encountered beasts never seen near here. Many have died in the past few days trying to fight them," Alyssa said grimly.
"The hunters here are too inexperienced to handle threats like these," Valerin remarked, his tone heavy.
"Seriously, what a mess," Durg muttered, shaking his head again.
"What's wrong, Kell? You haven't even touched your food," Valerin asked, noticing his unease.
Kell looked around,his brows furrowed.
"It's just that..I sense something wrong" said Kell, cautiously.
"What, Kell? What do you me-" Durg's words were cut off as an arrow whistled through the air toward him. He reflexively turned his head, but the arrow grazed his cheek before hitting the rock wall behind him.
Valerin and the others leapt to their feet, grabbing their weapons.
All around them, pairs of glowing red eyes appeared in the shadows of the forest.
"Astalor's wrath! An
ambush!" Durg hissed, his axe at the ready.
"Goblins," Valerin muttered, his voice low but steady.