033

--TheirWorld--

Picking her way through the vines, Guin put a whole speech together in her head about all the things that had just gone wrong — but decided to put her pent up anger aside when the Lore Master came back into view.

It was a sight filled with unpleasant memories. The creature was only about half the size of one of the Club Thugs, but Guin knew that it was far more formidable. Dressed in a robe of ragged, whimsically patchworked silks of deep, dark colors, it stood, looking around the brambles that surrounded it. It’s long thin nose and wide, bat-like ears bent as the touched the vines, causing the creature to shake its head in annoyance. It tapped the vines with it’s staff, and muttered something indiscernible before shifting itself in a position where it could move just little more freely.

. Guin crouched down as she watched it waved the tip of its staff — a sparkling purple gem focus — in the air and start to chant. The last time she had fought one of these kinds of creatures had been back in the tutorial — and it had been the boss of a dungeon. In fact, back then, the gobos had only appeared in the cavernous dungeon. Here, it seemed they had overrun the place. The fights that she had fought there still lingered in her mind; a mix of fear and awe as she remembered the pain she had suffered from in those early fights. She had even had the protection of the tutorial instance’s invulnerability state, and had only been able to overcome the creature by sheer willpower.

This time, there would be no such luxury.

Not only that, but there was no telling just how powerful the corruption had made it.

The Lore Master stopped chanting and lifted it’s staff up as it high as it could. The gem focus lifted up into the air and began to spin, gathering the air in the immediate area to it. So it is this spell, Guin tsk-ed, watching the gem turn into a violent burgundy color.

StarShine may have actually done an apt thing, even if it was a stupid move for the party.

As if the gem had become the center of gravity, all things in the area began to draw to it. Guin dug her claws into the ground, trying to hold herself, but it didn’t do much. A little frantic, she looked for a place where the roots and vines could be used as shelter, and started moving toward them. Every step was like fighting off the winds of a hurricane; like trying to swim upstream. Growing dizzy from the pressure and an apparent lack of oxygen, she anchored herself in her little shelter as best she could, hoping for the best.

Opening a party chat, she started, “Guys — find sh—”

But it was too late.

The air the gem had gathered lashed out to the surrounding area. Though she had cornered herself in the branches, Guin was knocked back, the force of the spell winding her and nearly breaking the branch behind her as she bounced off it. Everything around her was cracking and crunching. The wind was so strong it hurt her ears has it blew past her. She thought she might have heard screams from somewhere, but she couldn’t have been sure. Great moans of wind and wood added to the great chaos of sound as she was tossed about. Each time she hit a branch, she watched her health bar go down. Doing her best to keep herself from taking any more damage, she tried to use her claws to catch herself when she could - but it was so terribly strong, and she had been too close to the center of the attack.

It finally died down and allowed Guin to stagger back up to her feet. Shaking her head, she bounded back to where she had been standing — but her jaw dropped as she looked out over the destruction before her.

Everything in a twenty foot diameter of the gobo had been ripped to shreds.

When her eyes fell on Drakov’s bloodied body hanging on the vines across the way, something in her head snapped. It looked like he had been too close; he’d been tossed around by the wind and speared by one of the branches, dripping, still, with his blood. Guin looked up at his health bar on the side of her screen. He was still alive, but he was barely conscious at 10% health.

It’s my fault, she thought bitterly. The gobo in the center of it all let out a screeching laugh as it looked over at its caught prey.

Cursing, Guin bolted towards the Lore Master. She wouldn’t give it a chance to finish what it started. Not noticing her in her fox form, it started to chant again — but Guin caught the creature in the back of the legs with another [Trip], causing it to lose its balance just enough to interrupt it. Without hesitation, she human formed and drew her spear, giving a strong thrust into the creature’s back with a [Backstab].

It let out a bloodcurdling scream and looked back at her, hatred reflecting in it’s eyes.

That’s fine, Guin thought to it though she knew it could not read her mind, returning a spiteful glare as she twisted her spear out and activated her [Dance] ritual to help gain momentum. Spinning around to the front in a single, smooth motion, she stabbed it again, quickly withdrawing it and facing its front.

Glaring at it as it staggered back, Guin growled. “Die, you shit!” She shouted, running at it again, this time slashing at it’s gut. It whacked at her with its staff, sending her back a few feet. “Oh, now you are gonna fight back?” she spat. It took a step forward, growling at her her and swiping it’s staff in a wide arc. “Too slow!” she told it as she dodged, thrusting her spear in between it’s attacks as she dance around it, looking for and opening.

From the side, an arrow flew into the creature's shoulder, causing it to be distracted just enough for Guin to get in another good slice before backing off again. Guin looked up and saw Drakov reading another arrow, a look of determination in his eyes. Good boy, she thought, nodding at him with a smile and began to dance with the creature with more purpose and control. The Lore Master let out a loud cry of annoyance and challenge as it gripped its staff and started to charge back at Guin as she slashed at him. More arrows hit, some flashing with bright bursts of light, and some causing small explosions.

“Inc!” Guin heard from above, and looked up to see StarShine readying a magic circle. “[Magic Missile]! You freak!”

Three pale purple orbs fell down on the Lore Master, causing his eyes to bulge in pain and shock. It pointed its staff up at her in anger, beginning to chant, but Guin took advantage of the caster’s state and stabbed at it some more.

The roots and vines began to retract into the earth as the [Entangle] spell wore off. Drakov staggered back up, and drank a health potion, bringing in his health back up to 50%. Guin tried to trip the creature to interrupt it’ spell, but her ability failed.

“Jesus, how much health do you have?” StarShine shouted down to it, letting another set of magic missiles rain down on the creature’s head. The gobo shouted something, and a magic circle appeared, aiming at the witch’s location. A beam of light headed straight for her, skimming her leg before she could dodge. “I’m almost out of mana!”

Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, Guin jumped back as BronzePaw hurled herself at the gobo, grappling it into a pitiful state so that its body was exposed to more arrows and Guin’s spear.

Another set of magic missiles came, and BronzePaw threw it off, down onto the ground. Small sounds of gurgles and wheezing escaped its brown, wrinkled lips, but little else. Though it reached out its hand toward Guin as if it still had the strength left in it to fight, the attacks had obviously taken their toll.

Not having any mercy in her heart for such a creature, Guin stepped forward, her body, cold. Pointing her spear at its heart, she gave a small prayer to the forest gods, and thrust her spear into its heart. Wrenching it out, she watched its face as it’s eyes grew blank.

She dinged level 13, but she ignored it in favor of the familiar, thirsty hunger that struck her as she stood over it, triumphant. This time, it was a welcome feeling. A felled enemy. Strong, yes, but more: she could not forgive it for what it had done. The pain it had brought.

Emotionless, Guin stabbed her spear into the ground and walked around the Lore Master’s body. Eager, now, but not without ceremony for the dead creature’s dignity, Guin clapped her hands together and told it: “Thank you for the meal.”

With a clawed hand bared, Guin thrust her hand into the humanoid creature’s body and withdrew the liver she had desired. And let there be many more to come, she thought to herself as she bit down and savored the sweet, metallic taste her Gumiho body craved.