The boss, it turned out, was not a spider skunk.

Level 1+

(Dire Turkey)

Health 100%

It stood taller than Levi, its body lithe and covered in glossy black feathers, long neck extended and a dark gleam in its eyes as it saw the intruders to its land. Its tail had an iridescent sheen to it, the brown patches gleaming almost golden and the white tips glinting like polished steel.

With a gobble like none other, the dire turkey flared its tail feathers and charged. Levi stumbled, momentarily taken aback by the feathered monstrosity screeching toward him at incredible speed, but recovered quickly.

He dove aside, catching an extended wing fully in the face as he barely evaded the lightning-fast strike of its beak. The impact knocked him flat on his back, ironically throwing him out of reach as the dire turkey’s tail swept around in an arc, blade-sharp feathers spread to slice but catching only air.

Levi had to rethink his plans very quickly. The regular dire turkeys were fragile, but fast. The boss version had dialed up the size and precision without sacrificing any of the speed - perhaps even increased it.

While a spider skunk would require great care taken in observing the terrain for web traps, a dire turkey had no such subtlety.

Levi flipped back to his feet, spinning to follow the boss’s charge across the plain. It swept its wings out again, catching Gremlin Two from where he crouched, throwing the gremlin into the air. Levi was pleased to see that the gremlin managed to swipe the wing with the dagger before he was sent flying.

Level 1+

(Dire Turkey)

Health 99%

Levi ran after the turkey. The turkey whirled on him in a flurry of feathers, flapping to gain altitude as it lunged for him with its claws extended.

Too fast. He got his sword up to block, but the turkey grabbed hold uncaring of the damage done to its talons. Before Levi could think to react, it stopped flapping and let its full weight fall on the blade. Levi staggered and released the blade, letting it fall to the ground. The dire turkey, in the same moment, extended its neck and twisted it around Levi’s, forcing him down and to the side.

The bird was strong. Levi couldn’t push back hard enough to prevent being pushed over, so instead he rolled with the movement, allowing himself to be shoved, then dropping to the ground to slip away from the turkey’s long, powerful neck before it could bring its claws to bear.

Gremlin Two arrived then, stabbing at the boss’s legs with his dagger. The turkey spun on him at once, flapping into the air to extend its claws in a swooping rush, snatching Gremlin Two into the air and throwing him away.

Levi glanced at Two in hasty assessment, even as he dove for his sword now the turkey no longer stood atop it.

Gremlin Two: Level 3

(Horned Gremlin)

Health 11/60

That could be a problem. The turkey was hitting hard, as expected of a boss, but its mobility was making things tricky.

“Head for the trees!” Levi shouted. The nearest stand of trees, now depopulated of their former turkey flock, would at least complicate the battlefield and make it harder for the giant bird to get at them. The open ground favored it far too much.

Levi sheathed his sword and ran for the trees, overtaking Gremlin Two. He slowed long enough to snatch up his minion, then continued to run. His instincts flared in warning and he dropped to the ground just in time. The dire turkey soared overhead, claws extended.

Levi jumped to his feet and took advantage of the momentary opening, leaping on the turkey’s back and stabbing down hard.

This distraction allowed Gremlin Two to make it to the trees. However, it also left Levi clinging to the back of an enraged dire turkey boss. It twisted its long, flexible neck to peck at him, tail flaring in anger.

He tugged his sword free and crouched to keep his balance as he wobbled precariously on its back. Gripping the sword in both hands, he swiped at the turkey’s neck. The sword bit in, but the swing wasn’t strong enough to do more than gouge out a chunk of skin and feathers.

Level 1+

(Dire Turkey)

Health 96%

The swing overbalanced him. Levi jumped free before he could fall, buffeted by one wing as the turkey slapped him away.

This would be a really good time to have some ranged fighters on his team.

Levi promised himself, as soon as he leveled he was going to tame himself something that could attack at range.

For now, he sprinted to the trees to get something between himself and the glossy fury of the dire turkey that really should not be this intimidating.

The boss slammed into the tree, claws extended, and splintered it apart. With its first strike the tree tilted crazily, cracks running up and down its trunk; with the second it thudded to the ground in a rustle of leaves and snapping of branches.

Gremlin Two squeaked in panic as the tree landed atop his hiding place. Thankfully it didn’t crush him, but he lay trapped within the branches and the scratches had further decreased his dwindling health.

Levi escaped the tree’s fall altogether, but that did leave him suddenly without cover, facing down the angry dire turkey once again.

His own health fell too fast. The turkey’s merest scratches still hurt him more than his best strikes hurt it.

Bosses. He really should not be taking them on solo.

His stamina was low, enough for one more sprint or acrobatic feat, but not much more than that. He did still have stamina potions he could use, but at this rate it would be barely enough to bring the turkey down to 80%.

The boss flew over the fallen tree with an angry gobble, neck extended as it rushed him. Levi braced himself and waited.

The turkey closed in. Levi lunged forward blade-first, accepting the raking claws tearing through his jackets and slicing into his arms as he thrust the shortsword into the turkey’s breast.

The boss screamed in fury as Levi twisted the blade free. A bladed wing came up, slashing across Levi’s face as he jumped back a moment too slow.

Level 1+

(Dire Turkey)

Health 91%

Getting there. Not fast enough, though. At this rate, he wouldn’t last long enough to finish it off.

Levi's eyes searched the area quickly, looking for anything he could use against his fowl foe. The turkey didn't let up, launching itself into the air once more and flapping toward him.

Levi dove into the tangle of branches of the fallen tree. The turkey clawed at the branches angrily, twisting its neck down in to peck at him, but Levi was smaller and this time its bulk worked against it.

"Toss me the dagger."

Gremlin Two squirmed toward him, then chucked the dagger to him. Levi grabbed it in his other hand, feeling a tiny bit more in control with blades in both hands, even if they were inert and unpowered at present.

Gremlin Two whimpered, shrinking back as the turkey dove its neck down again, trying to find them. Levi lunged, slicing both blades across its vulnerable throat. The boss withdrew at once, so the attack did less damage than he’d have preferred, but at least it was something.

They could hide down here, play reverse whack-a-turkey…

Then the turkey flew away. Levi couldn’t see it clearly with all the branches and leaves in the way, but he could hear the flurry of its wings as it moved away.

He waited a minute, straining to listen, but heard nothing.

Maybe it had decided they were inaccessible and too far from its territory to be worth continuing to attack?

Levi carefully shoved his way back to an open space he could peer out of. No sign of the turkey, the gentle rustle of nearby trees was the only sound.

Then he heard a splintering crack from behind him. He spun, looking up just in time to see another tree beginning to tip toward them, a smug-looking dire turkey boss shoving it straight at him.

“Not good.”

If it couldn’t get to them with its claws and beak, it was going to bury them instead.