Levi ran past Gremlin Two’s hiding place, the dire turkey boss hot on his heels. He dove into the half-demolished pile of fallen trees and crawled through the tunnel he’d prepared.

The dire turkey flew around the 'fortress', pecking at it with increased ire. It completed two full circles of the pile before deciding that it was safe. Branches shook and twigs snapped beneath its weight as it landed, but the fallen trees were stable enough structurally not to collapse.

Levi waited until the boss was directly overhead and stabbed sharply upward with his spear. The moment the blow connected the dire turkey jumped into the air and speared down with its head in the same moment, grabbing the sharpened branch in its beak as it flapped to keep itself hovering out of reach. With a quick twist of its powerful neck, it wrenched the weapon from Levi’s grip.

In the same moment, Gremlin Two jumped from his tree, his own spear gripped in both hands, and impaled the turkey right through its wing. The spear tore through, his weight on the other end dragging it in a long jagged tear that nearly split the wing in half.

Feathers scattered in a wide arc as the turkey screeched and lost control of its flight. It flopped awkwardly onto the pile of fallen trees with only one working wing, unable to stay aloft.

Levi grabbed another sharpened stick and started stabbing. The turkey, despite dragging its injured wing, was no less dangerous and resumed its attacks against the fortress, pecking and clawing through every gap to try and reach Levi. But his hiding place had been designed well. Protected by the branches from the fowl’s reprisals, he pierced it time and again before it finally stopped trying to retaliate and ran after Gremlin Two instead.

Like a good minion, Two squeaked in obvious panic and ran straight for the biggest, most obvious entrance to their fortress of spiky branches. He dove in, the dire turkey right behind him, and wriggled past the branches and out of reach.

Enraged, the turkey crouched low and thrust itself into the tunnel after him, gobbling manically, flapping its good wing to help push itself after its irritating prey.

Levi rolled away from the main tunnel, out beneath a half-broken branch, and into the open. Gremlin Two ran to their last stash of stakes, while Levi collected those he’d left here.

Some might say he'd over-prepared for this fight, but in his experience too many contingencies was better than not enough.

Levi ran up the outside of the tree pile until he was over the dark shape squeezing itself through the tunnel below in pursuit, then started stabbing his stakes and spears down through the gaps and into its bulky form.

Level 1+

(Dire Turkey)

Health 37%

Between the countless bleeding wounds they’d inflicted so far, and the scratches and scrapes it must be accruing as it forced its way through a tunnel meant for humans and gremlins, not giant turkeys, it wasn’t in great condition.

Still, they were only two thirds done. He couldn’t get complacent; it could still kill him easily if he gave it the chance.

Gremlin Two returned just as Levi used the last of his weapons. He directed his minion to work on continuing to stab the turkey while they had it relatively helpless, while he took the other half of the bundle and set them up over the exit. The tunnel went all the way around the pile in a long oval, with three entrances. One beside the trunk on either side, and another at the side where he’d ducked in.

If the turkey continued on its current path, it would reach the exit soon. Levi hastily filled in said exit with spiky sticks, then took a step back to prepare for the inevitable fury as it emerged.

They’d more or less grounded it, but it was also enraged. It may be susceptible to the remaining traps out in the field. It would definitely be much less likely to slow its enraged charge long enough for Levi to escape.

He took off running. It took him a moment to orient himself and remember where he’d left the remaining traps, but found his landmarks and sprinted toward them at top speed.

Behind him, in a great crunching and screeching, the turkey burst forth from the fortress and ran after him, flapping its one good wing to give it speed.

It had clearly decided that waiting for him to lure it into another trap would be unwise. All in on the ‘kill the nuisance’ plan.

Levi came up short, nearly stumbling into a rift in the ground that he’d missed. He jumped over it, hopping to regain his balance, then his heart nearly leapt into his throat as the turkey’s beak swiped right beside him. He dropped into a roll to escape the swiping neck, changing direction abruptly, and jumped up without slowing.

The boss tried to turn to catch him, but the mass of the turkey’s weight kept its bulk moving past him too fast for it to catch him. As it tried to turn too fast it lost its balance entirely and fell in a flailing heap.

Levi resisted the temptation to exploit its momentary vulnerability. Closing with it would be a death sentence. He kept running.

Almost there.

He pushed harder, draining his stamina even faster as the turkey recovered from its ungainly tumble and resumed the pursuit.

There. He dove to the ground, rolled into the lee of the spikes, and panted for breath as the turkey slammed full force into the trap.

It didn’t stop. Half the spikes snapped off, the other half tore from the ground where they’d been anchored. Its breast bristling with spears and stakes like an angry porcupine, the turkey ignored the damage and continued to rush at him madly.

Levi barely had time to get his shortsword out before the boss was upon him, its gobbles transformed into shrieking of an unearthly quality.

Level 1+

(Dire Turkey)

Health 11%

He deflected the beak just before it could bite into his shoulder, then riposted it away as he spun in the opposite direction.

His stamina was almost empty. He couldn’t make it to another of his traps, and this one had been so thoroughly demolished he couldn’t even hope to hide behind it.

But it did have a spear stashed, like they all did. He snatched it up and crouched, spear in one hand, shortsword in the other, waiting for the inevitable rush.

This was it. Man versus dire turkey. No more tricks left. He had to put it down here and now, or it would be over.

The turkey flared its feathers, then swiped at him with its good wing. The bladed feathers sliced into the spear, carving lines across its haft, but not cutting all the way through. Levi retaliated with his blade, slicing into the wing as it drew away, sending another flurry of black and silver-tipped feathers to the ground.

Level 1+

(Dire Turkey)

Health 10%

Levi backed away, the boss following and exchanging swipes. It puffed up its feathers as it stalked steadily forward, but its rampant fury had faded, replaced once again by wariness.

Levi retreated steadily, doing nothing to provoke it. At this point, the boss was done for. It had taken too many hits, many of which still dripped blood down the shafts of the stakes still sticking from its chest. Its remaining health wouldn’t be enough to save it. But it could still kill Levi in the minutes it had remaining.

Level 1+

(Dire Turkey)

Health 9%

It jumped at him, its injured wings pumping furiously as it swiped at him with its claws. He ducked, but the turkey was faster. The claws scored a thick gash across his chest, thankfully partially deflected by his jackets, but not enough to spare him a deep cut.

He retaliated without hesitation, jamming his spear into the turkey’s underbelly then grabbing onto the clustered stakes still sticking out from its chest. Moving too fast for it to follow, he used the stakes as a ladder to climb up to its neck, each step causing more damage as the makeshift weapons shifted and tore at the turkey’s insides.

It twisted its neck to grab him, and he slammed the pommel of his sword right into its eye.

Level 1+

(Dire Turkey)

Health 4%

Gremlin Two charged out of the grasses, breathing hard, and jumped on the boss’s back. He grabbed onto its tail and started stabbing and stabbing at it, even as it thrashed and twisted to dislodge Levi.

Level 1+

(Dire Turkey)

Health 2%

Levi grabbed its neck with one hand, clinging on desperately. With his other hand, he stabbed his sword into its other eye.

The accumulated injuries were finally too much. With one last feeble gobble, the dire turkey toppled to the ground.

Gremlin Two has reached level 4!

Gremlin Two has 1 stat point available.

Levi and Gremlin Two jumped free of the boss before it hit the ground, then grinned at each other in triumph.

“We did it.” Levi stood leaning on his half splintered spear, chest heaving for air. He couldn’t believe a fight against overgrown poultry could be as tense as a skirmish against a demon army, but… he’d genuinely thought he was going to die a few times there.

Two didn't seem inclined to believe their victory, poking the corpse with his spear and jumping back a few times before he was willing to accept it.

There was still one enemy left, but compared to the turkey boss it should be simple.

But first…

“First things first.” He pushed open the door the boss had been guarding, eyes lighting up at the sight of the treasure awaiting them.