“RAAAR!” Bloodtooth let out a roar and charged forward. Faststrike was right behind him. I had to stay directly in front of this large rat, otherwise I would get double teamed. But that was the most dangerous place to remain against a brute like Bloodtooth.

The spiked mace swung out. I ducked underneath it, and twisted my head to the side as he spat a glob of venom past me. He stepped back in time as my paw went for one of his legs. He brought his mace back up and around. I quickly propelled myself backwards in a backflip. The mace, barely missing my legs.

Landing on the concrete floor, Bloodtooth was rushing right at me. The frustrating part was that my actions were constrained by Faststrike being behind him and Vilefang at the staircase entrance. If I moved around Bloodtooth, Faststrike would pounce at me. If I tried to get distance and make for the staircase, Vilefang would pin me down long enough that I would just be in a worse situation.

I needed to injure Bloodtooth, to force Faststike to commit and then take that chance while they were out of position to try and get past Vilefang. It was a tough situation, but not an impossible one. I just had to keep calm and find an opportunity or make one.

I moved in on Bloodtooth as I dodged another swipe and swung out with my claws. He stepped back as he brought his mace back around. My attack was a feint, and I used that paw to intercept the mace below the spiked part, absorbing the force behind the start of his swing with my left arm.

My right paw darted out towards his face. He was already opening his mouth to spit venom at me. Faststrike was quickly moving around Bloodtooth to my left. I pulled Bloodtooth with me to my right as the venom barely missed my head. My right paw hit the side of his head, and my claws dug into his flesh.

I could feel resistance, but I was a cat. My size gave me quite a bit of strength. The blow struck Bloodtooth and sent him stumbling back. I let go of his mace, and barely blocked Faststrike’s cat claw from skewering me as he darted in. Sparks shot up from his weapon and my claws.

“Nyaa!” Faststrike shouted as he twisted his right arm, the cat claw twisted as well, threatening to move between my claws and shred my paw. I ducked and twisted, moving with his attack, not giving an inch. I felt a spike of danger to my side, and my right paw deflected a thrown dagger as I swiped at Faststrike.

He retreated backwards, breaking our stalemate. I rushed forward at him, pressing the advantage. I dodged to the side as Bloodtooth slammed his mace down onto the ground where I would have been. Blood was dripping down his face from my earlier attack. Another spike of danger, and I blocked the thrown weapon with my claws as I Faststrike spun his right arm in front of himself, and three ethereal snakes shot out.

I cut down two, and dodged the last one, as I dived past Faststrike as he swiped in front of himself, thinking I would attack him. I rolled up to my hind paws and kept racing forward towards, Vilefang. The fox exhaled and a cloud of poison formed up at the base of the stairs. I could see the effects on the corpses of the ducks and their blood as the flesh began to decay and the blood turned black. “Hem her in!” Faststrike shouted from behind me.

Going through the poison of an Apostate was death. I dodged to the side as the three Aspostates spread out before me, staying between me and the exit. I could see the poison slowly descend and start to spread out in the room. It was slow moving, but time was not on my side any more.

BRRRRRRR!

Even deep underground, the sound of the HMG firing was unmistakable. “You didn’t think I would come alone,” I said as the Apostates hesitated in attacking me.

“The Master will deal with it,” Faststrike said. By the Warrior’s whiskers, I was hoping they would retreat or send someone up. But it was clear they weren’t willing to let me go.

“Then come if you dare. First blood is mine,” I replied.

“I will take point, each of you flank her. Focus-“ I rushed forward and forced Faststrike to block my attack and retreat slightly to avoid my follow up. Talking was not a free action in fights to the death! I couldn’t give them time to coordinate.

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The other two Apostates rushed for me and I was thankful for my very long sparring sessions with my father. Even now my breathing remained controlled, but all the Apostates were struggling slightly and their breathing was labored.

Channeling an Ancestral Spirit for attack and defense like they were doing would exhaust their stamina. I just had to hold on and eventually I would win. That was how fights between our groups tended to go from what I had learned. Apostates were hard to kill once they were prepared, but they would get worn down much more quickly. Even just standing around would drain their stamina.

Calling on the power of an Ancestral Spirit was not something they could easily switch on and off. The Snake Ancestral Spirit, even more so. That was why they had to win quickly, otherwise the fight would tilt in my favor.

I dodged backwards from a blow from Bloodtooth. Vilefang was circling around behind me, stabbing out with her daggers, as I twisted and blocked her. Faststrike came in as well swiping out with his metal cat claw.

Blocking his attack, I felt the strain of the blow, as the other two Apostates rushed in. I allowed myself to be pushed backwards by Faststrike, allowing my body to be pushed towards the wall of the ritual chamber and give me time before the other two apostates mobbed me. I couldn’t block three attacks at once, no matter how skilled I was.

I was almost to the wall and leapt into the air. Time to take a trick from my father and turn this fight three dimensional. My hind paws hit the wall, and I walked backwards, up the wall, using the interlock my claws on my right paw and Faststrike’s cat claws as a pivot point. The other two apostates were stunned as they tried to process what was happening.

I kicked off the wall and twisted. Faststrike’s arm was over extended, he twisted around, losing his balance as I went over his head. My left paw slashed out and ripped off one of his ears and dug into his skull.

“Meeeeoooow!” he screamed in pain as I landed on the floor behind him and leapt for Vile Fang. She breathed out another cloud of poison to force me back and threw two knives through the cloud. I could sense the danger from them and easily dodged one and blocked the other.

Bloodtooth rushed in and swung his mace again. I ducked under his blow, and left a large gash on his leg as I rushed past him. He collapsed to one knee with a cry of pain, as I quickly got a little bit of distance and turned around.

Blood was rushing down Faststrike’s face. His ear laying on the floor. Bloodtooth was savage on his face and leg. Vilefang was breathing heavily. That venom cloud attack drained massive amounts of stamina. So, while I hadn’t wounded her, she was struggling. The sound of the HMG still firing carried down into the chamber.

I couldn’t let up. I rushed in again. Bloodtooth tried to retreat into the expanding poison cloud, but he was too slow. He might be strong, but without Faststrike guarding his flanks, he was just a big target.

“Ahhh!” he screamed as he swung. I ducked the blow and shredded his chest. Blood ran down his apostate robes as I retreated from a desperate follow up attack. Vilefang glanced towards the staircase. Oh no, you aren’t escaping after all this. You were going to give me all the EXP you had.

“Both of you, get her no matter what!” Bloodtooth roared. “Jörmungandr! Consume my flesh to consume that cat!” He screamed in pain.

“No! Bloodtooth!” Vilefang shouted with fear. I lost sight of Bloodtooth as an overwhelming presence descended. This was no simple snake channeled by a sheep lashing out at the world. This was an Apostate channeling the full power of the Snake Ancestral Spirit with his very life.

“HISSSSS!” The snake that quickly appeared was massive. My danger sense was going off the charts. The slit eyes looked about the room, quickly assessing the situation.

“That cat serves the Covenant Church, great Jörmungandr,” Faststrike said while Vilefang wept. I could care less about her feelings. What was more concerning was the massive snake that had suddenly appeared in the ritual chamber. I needed to get out of here and was cursing myself for pressing the attack, when I should have escaped.

I could beat Apostates, but a formed Ancestral Spirit like the one in front of me was another matter. I was good, but fighting all three at once, would pressure me far too much and leave me open to being attacked.

“HISSSSS!” Its head and massive eyes focused on me. I quickly looked away and moved. The head of the snake spirit slammed into the ground, where I had just been. Clouds of venom spewing out, degrading the concrete.

The tail came in at me. I leapt up and over it, my claws only making shallow cuts into its scales. Some black smoke poured out, but the wound quickly healed itself. I landed on the floor and Vilefang rushed in, stabbing rapidly at me with a pair of daggers. I deflected one blow and then a second, and third as she didn’t commit to any single attack.

Faststrike rushed in as the Snake Spirit quickly maneuvered around to get behind me. For such a massive ancestral spirit, it could move incredibly quickly. I couldn’t break away from Vilefang as she kept pressuring me. She was going all out, after this she would be completely exhausted. But I would be dead.

This was it. Every direction was death. My enemies were to encircle me, and I was pinned down. I had to pick the best of the bad options in front of me. I blocked Vilefang’s next attack and pushed forward. My paws aching. Cats should not block with their claws. They were meant to attack, not block.

I slammed my shoulder into Vilefang and she want sprawling backwards. I flipped over her and slashed out, shredding two ethereal snakes that Faststrike had sent at me. The Snake Spirt darted in while I was in the air. Its massive fangs dripping venom.