The serpent opened her wide maw, revealing fangs as long as Liliana’s forearms as she hissed at Lelantos. She swung her body to block the tiger’s attack and as Lelantos’ claws struggled to find a grip on the tougher scales of the serpent, Liliana could see her coiling around the tiger, head rearing back to strike.

Liliana sent a warning down the bond as she sprang into action herself. A [Light Barrage] harassed the beast’s face, causing Nemesis to toss her head back and hiss as she was temporarily blinded by the exploding light. Liliana could see already that it did no damage to the beast, though it blinded her for precious seconds as her allies moved.

Emyr was melting into the shadows even as Liliana prepared [Leap] to take to the skies. As she rose into the air, she threw a [Gust] under her feet, using the spell unconventionally to aid her movement. She activated [Light Burst Coat] on her weapon, disregarding her Mana as she did so. This battle likely wouldn’t last long enough for her Mana use to be a concern, one way or another.

As Liliana approached the head of the serpent at a magically boosted speed, she swung her naginata to aim for Nemesis’ eyes. The serpent saw her just in time to turn her great head, so Liliana’s weapon scraped ineffectively against hardened scales. Liliana cursed as the serpent opened her mouth to consume Liliana and the girl felt panic at her unwise choice to throw herself right at the face of a giant serpent. A shadow snaked out and yanked Liliana out of the air, tossing her away from the serpent. [Gust] saved her from a painful landing as Liliana hit the ground, rolling to her feet and moving without looking for the serpent. A sound of something colliding with the ground where she had just been justified her choice as she reorientated herself.

“Thanks!” Liliana shouted into the night, knowing Emyr would hear her.

“Stop jumping in the damn air like this is a bard’s tale! It’s too easy to hit you there!” Emyr shouted back and Liliana pushed aside the feeling of shame. It had always looked so cool in the shows and movies when heroes did that! Why couldn’t she? Normal fighting just didn’t look as cool!

“Fuck you! I hope my next skill gives me wings!” Liliana shouted back, coming to an abrupt halt and spinning around as the serpent cut off her movement with her body. Her weapon dug into the ground as Liliana used it to aid her vault over the serpent’s body.

“See? Jumping is great!” Liliana shot at the shadows.

“To escape! Not to attack, you nitwit!” Emyr responded, his voice coming from her left.

If Liliana wasn’t half out of her mind with fear and adrenaline, she would be impressed at how outspoken Emyr was, but coming face to face with death could make people do crazy things. The serpent turned its body, seeming to track Emyr despite him being in the shadows. Earth spikes erupted from the ground in front of the serpent, quickly growing in the direction Liliana had heard Emyr’s voice from. Liliana heard panicked cursing seconds before Emyr appeared from the shadows, throwing his body out of the way of the deadly spike attack.

“Lel!” Liliana shouted, sending an impression over their bond for him to keep the serpent’s attention. If he could keep her distracted, Liliana and Emyr could escape, and Liliana could recall Lelantos to his summoning stone.

The tiger responded by activating [Bestial Roar] and [Enlargement]. Liliana knew he had most of his other skills and spells active, and his body looked like it held the sun itself inside of it as his stripes glowed with blazing light. He grew until he was twice his original size and seemed more on even footing with the serpent than before. The serpent directed her attention to the giant tiger before her and hissed. Liliana could see poison dripping from the serpent’s fangs as she regarded her opponent. Lelantos growled, a rumbling thing that sent fear zinging through Liliana, even though she was his Bond.

The serpent struck, Lelantos barely dodging her lightning quick movement to snap his jaws around the serpent’s neck. Liliana could see petals getting crushed under his jaws, yet no blood poured forth from the impenetrable scales. The serpent was simply too far above him in levels. Being a Rank up meant it had gone through one more evolution than Lelantos, an evolution that had undoubtedly strengthened the beast’s body.

Liliana could feel Lelantos’ health taking damage, even simple contact with the serpent’s body poisoning him, though it wasn’t more than his regeneration could handle. The serpent writhed, its body wrapping around Lelantos as it tried to remove the attacker on it. It no longer could focus on the humans.

“Run!” Liliana shouted at Emyr, who had regained his footing from his dodge of the earthen spikes.

The boy nodded and vanished into the shadows again as Liliana turned on her heel and ran. Her hand gripped the summoning stone in her hand, air rushing in and out of her lungs as she pushed herself to run faster than she ever had to escape the serpent. She stumbled to a halt as an agonized roar filled the air. Pain radiated through their bond, knocking the breath from Liliana’s lungs as she felt huge fangs sink deep into Lelantos. Liliana sent magic through the summoning stone, but Lelantos didn’t return to it. She tried again, panic filling her veins.

You cannot return a bond to a summoning stone when they are currently in contact with a non-bonded being.

The alert filled her vision, and Liliana felt her heart stop, blood rushing in her ears. She spun and pushed the fear she felt in her blood into her feet, praying she could get there in time. No other thought in her mind except saving Lelantos. She could feel the coils of the serpent tightening around him, bones creaking and giving way as poison coursed through him.

“Where are you going?!” Emyr shouted at her.

“I can’t recall Lelantos while he’s touching that serpent!” Liliana shouted, panic edging her voice as she reemerged from the trees. She saw Nemesis coiled around Lelantos, her entire body wrapped around him in a deadly embrace, her fangs still sunk deeply into his flesh. Blood pooled under the tightly bound pair, vivid red against the dull brown dirt. The tiger was struggling, trying to bite what he could, but his teeth just scraped against the serpent’s body ineffectually.

“Hey you ugly ass worm!” Liliana shouted, throwing a [Light Barrage] at the serpent as she did. The small orbs exploded in the beast’s eyes and she hissed, dragging her head back to look at what had interrupted her. Another wave of agony flowed down the bond as the fangs were viciously ripped from Lelantos’ body. Liliana glared at Nemesis as the serpent stared back at her, head tilting ever so much as she looked at the small human challenging her.

“Let. Him. Go,” Liliana snarled as she swung her weapon around. She downed a Mana potion as she summoned another [Light Barrage] to harass the serpent. Nemesis hissed, her coils loosening as she shook her head. Finally, Liliana seemed to be doing some small amount of damage.

Liliana burst forward, her Speed making closing the distance take no more than a blink. She held her naginata like a lance as she ran, activating [Pierce], [Light Burst Coat] and [Light Burst] at the same time. [Light Burst] hit the serpent’s scales first, splashing against the scales with little effect. A heartbeat later, her blade hit the scales and this time she felt them give a bit. Pushing with every scrap of Strength she had, Liliana shoved the blade through the scales. It didn’t go deep, but it was more than before. Light exploded under the serpent’s skin and Nemesis hissed in pain as Liliana yanked her blade back, almost losing the weapon when the serpent writhed.

The serpent released her hold on Lelantos; the tiger fell from her coils with a painful whimper. Liliana danced back from Nemesis as the serpent turned her fury on her. Liliana could feel Lelantos’ pain through their Bond, and his determination. He’d continue fighting this serpent to the death if Liliana didn’t stop him.

Liliana barely dodged a strike from the serpent, the wind of the attack blowing past her. Her augmented Speed was just enough to keep up with this creature. Speed had to be her highest stat, and based on her being a venomous serpent rather than a natural constrictor, she’d put Strength lower on the beast’s stats. Endurance she couldn’t place, as the beast wasn’t lagging, and it didn’t seem to use too many magical attacks.

Liliana revised her assumption as a wave of darkness tried to overtake her and she had to use [Leap] and [Gust] to get out of range, and just twisted away from a deadly fang filled strike. As soon as she landed, spikes erupted from the ground again and Liliana threw herself out of the way. Her body had to keep moving, pressing the limit of her physical abilities to avoid the fangs and coils of the angered serpent bent on her death. Liliana could see the serpent was trying to back her up to the cliff face, cutting off her avenues for escape since she was too fast for it to take out easily in one strike.

Liliana almost lost her footing as the ground beneath her shook. She heard more stones crumble and fall from the cliff-face. Her Dexterity and Speed kept her moving though as the very world shifted and groaned. She could see the ground moving like waves on the sea, but she maintained her distance from the serpent’s strikes and soon the shifting ground stilled.

Liliana sensed Lelantos readying another pounce, but she could also sense his ribs were broken and barely healing, the two holes in his side still freely weeping blood and poison. She could see his health under hers in her peripheral, something she’d added once they’d started fighting together. He had a bleeding and a poison debuff and was losing Health at a steady rate. Liliana sent back a refusal, ordering him to stand down and back out of the fight. She’d slip away from the serpent, but she couldn’t lose him in this fight. She wouldn’t.

Lelantos refused, and Liliana knew he’d attack no matter what she said. As long as she was in danger, he wouldn’t leave her. He’d die here. Liliana refused to let that happen. Determination and fear filled her as she grabbed her summoning stone. She knew he could escape the stone if he wanted to, though it would take him a few minutes to be able to. In stasis, he went into a sleeplike state and thought far slower. He’d take longer to remember to get out.

As Lelantos charged the serpent, Liliana recalled him, and his body disappeared into essence. Shock and hurt flowed through their bond before his thoughts slowed under stasis. As his essence warped into the stone, Liliana ripped it from her neck and threw it with all the Strength she could hoping it would land far enough away that when Lelantos returned, the fight would be over, or he’d be too far away to risk his life.

However, the second it took her to toss the stone away cost her dearly, and she saw spikes on her right, the cliff on her left and the serpent at her front as it struck at her in her moment of distraction. Liliana didn’t have time to move, and she watched death speeding at her.

Shadows surged, breaking through the spikes. A shadow cloaked figure darted in front of her, throwing itself between her and danger. Yet too slowly to grant them both escape as the serpent’s fangs sank into the body of her saviour. Emyr’s pained scream sliced through the night and Liliana’s heart as fangs pierced his arm and stomach. Quick as she had struck, the serpent pulled back, blood and venom dripping from her fangs. Emyr collapsed as the fangs were removed, another scream tearing from him. Despite his pain, shadows surged around him, shoving the great serpent away from them.

“Emyr!” Liliana shouted, throwing herself at the boy, activating [Healing Harmony] as she did. Already his body was shaking, and he was struggling to breathe. Liliana fumbled with a healing potion as she opened it, pouring the liquid over his wounds.

“Run,” Emyr gasped out as his skin turned ashen, his eyes filled with tears of pain. Liliana could feel his hot blood covering her from his injuries and she shook her head, not paying attention to the serpent that had paused. Nemesis drew back from the humans and watched, eyes swirling as she considered the scene.

“Run… idiot,” Emyr gasped out and lifted a hand. Shadows grabbed Liliana and dragged her away from Emyr, even as she fought against them. They pulled her towards the forest, towards escape.

“No! No! Emyr! I won’t go! I won’t leave you! I won’t lose you too!” Liliana screamed, her throat going ragged as she fought the shadows, grasping at her and yanking her away. As she turned her head, she saw the serpent looking at them.

“You,” Liliana snarled, anger filling her veins and burning the fear that lingered there.

“You don’t get to take him!” Liliana screeched as she activated [Light Burst Coat] and cut her way out of the shadows. She stalked towards the serpent, who was looking at her oddly, head turning to the side as if she was confused.

“You don’t get to rob me of one of the few people I care about!” Liliana growled at the serpent as she activated [Borrow] and took [Reinforcement]. She downed another Mana potion as her body filled with Strength and her Health shot up. She activated [Dancing Doubles] and shot off. Her blade sang as it swung through the air and she located the spot she’d hit before, [Pierce] forced her blade deeper than before and when she pulled her blade out, blood followed. Her clones followed her lead, their illusory blades barely scratching the beast.

Nemesis hissed and pulled back, head swinging as she tried to focus on the real version of the human who had charged her. Liliana cared not to give her the time to figure it out. She struck again, waiting out the cool down of her skill. She had a weak spot now to attack and she would saw this serpent in half if she had to. The serpent hissed and writhed, her coils trying to wrap around the girl.

Liliana vaulted over the beast once more and shot a [Light Barrage] at her eyes. Dancing around Nemesis’ shaking head and violently moving body, Liliana struck out, letting her anger fuel her hits. With [Light Burst Coat] and her enhanced Strength, she was finally beginning to see scratches. As she [Leap]ed away from another strike, Liliana saw indents around the serpent’s neck. Places where Lelantos had bitten into her scales. Not enough to break through, but enough to weaken the scales.

As [Pierce] came off cool down, Liliana propelled herself into the air again and shoved her weapon into the serpent’s neck. Her blade severed petals and flowers, bleeding hearts falling to the ground with blood as her blade tore through weakened scales.

Liliana held onto Nemesis with her thighs, digging her weapon deeper into the back of her thick neck, activating [Light Burst Coat] again and again. Every burst pushed her blade a little deeper. The serpent swung her head wildly, trying to dislodge the painful human digging into her neck, but Liliana held on through pure force of will and anger. Yet even that was not enough, and Nemesis finally threw Liliana free as the serpent bucked. Her naginata was ripped from her grasp as she was tossed through the air. She tried to use [Gust] to ease her fall, but her momentum was too great and her back connected painfully with the cliff face. Something cracked, shooting pain through her that was quickly dulled by adrenaline.

Liliana scrambled to her feet, ripping her daggers free from their sheaths. Nemesis stood before her, but she seemed far more tired now. She was panting, her head lowered until it was at eye level with Liliana. The naginata remained in her neck, like a flag left by a conqueror. Liliana glared at the beast even as blood dripped down her face and tinted her vision red. The serpent’s eyes met her own and Liliana felt like she’d been kicked in the chest.

She saw a mirror of her own emotions in those depths. No longer simple hate. Now she saw pain. Pain so stark and great, Liliana felt her own heart crack and bleed in response. She saw fear there too, fear of death, fear of being alone. The hate was still there, but so was confusion, the confusion of a child that didn’t understand the harsh world she had found herself in. But both were overshadowed by the pain.

Liliana remembered a grove full of death. Majestic, gentle giants butchered in their homes because of superstition. She remembered how alone she herself had felt coming into this world. She remembered the crushing loneliness, the anger, the hatred that had filled her the night of the first assassin attack.

Liliana dropped her daggers on the ground. She couldn’t kill this serpent. She couldn’t kill something that reflected herself so clearly. Couldn’t kill a scared child just trying to survive in a world far too cruel. She wouldn’t.

“I see you,” Liliana said softly, raising a hand at the serpent. She didn’t know what she hoped for, perhaps some empathy from the best. Perhaps she would let her leave with Emyr.

Nemesis watched her with her too sad eyes as Liliana shuffled to the side. It seemed it would let her free and Liliana took a deep breath of relief when a shimmer in her peripheral startled her and the serpent. Lelantos reformed from her summoning stone and roared.

The tentative moment of peace shattered. The serpent struck, startled by the intrusion, too fast for Liliana to dodge. She’d thought she’d felt pain before, but as the serpent’s fangs pierced her side and injected poison into her, she realized she didn’t know pain as well as she thought. Only a bonding could compare to this agony.

Somehow, the venom felt more than physical; it felt emotional. Pain ripped through her body and heart as one. Pain too great to bear alone broke her heart into a million pieces as she lost everyone who had ever mattered to her as she stood by, unable to do anything but run like a coward. She screamed, but her hands reached out and wrapped around the serpent’s head, holding it close to her. She fought through her pain and ordered Lelantos to stand down with every last shred of willpower she had.

“I understand. You're scared. You’re hurt. You’re lonely. I can promise you an end to your loneliness. I can promise you the vengeance you seek, but more than that I can promise you love and a place to belong once more,” Liliana gasped out around the pain, even as she tasted copper on her tongue. Somehow, she could feel feedback of Nemesis’ emotions through the connection. Liliana leveraged it as much as she could, trying to send back that she spoke the truth. As soon as she felt a bone deep need for what she promised, she activated [Bonding Contract].

Blue light flared to life around the interlocked pair, bathing the bloodied battle field in its ghostly illumination. She left it the same as her last, and her vision dimmed around the edges. She could feel her lungs constricting and her limbs shook as the poison coursed through her blood. Her fingers were going numb, and she felt cold. With what little of thought she had around the pain and focus necessary for [Bonding Contract], she activated [Regeneration].

Warmth filled her from where the fangs were still buried in her and Liliana felt the bands around her lungs loosen and the shaking cease. Her regeneration was working hard to counteract the active wounds on her body and her broken bones, but the darkness in her vision still hovered at the edge of her vision. Liliana held onto her consciousness with her fading strength as the serpent considered the contract. She sensed it quickly changing the food requirements, and adding one last condition.

You will aid me in seeing my vengeance fulfilled for those who murdered my garden.

Liliana accepted the changes hastily, the serpent doing so as well. The light surged and lit the area up like the midday sun. The serpent drew back, her fangs sliding out of Liliana’s body and leaving her to fall to the ground. A thick, scaled tail stopped her fall. Liliana barely had time to prepare herself for more agony when the light of the bonding circle grew until it reached the brightness of a supernova. Then it retreated, coating the two beings inside of it and pushing itself into their skin.

Liliana screamed herself hoarse as her body and soul burned.