“ Run! ” Kaine said, and each of them did, rising up and dashing into the jungle.

Terror struck, none of them looked back as they ran.

All but Kaine, who stood his ground instead of joining them.

Rising to his feet, he clenched his weapons and took a stance.

His gaze meeting those pearly whites, now narrowing with confusion.

“Run…I should run right?” Kaine mused, as the Worgoll growled, now rising to its full height. “I’m shaking…” Kaine said, glancing down at his trembling feet and hands, “I’m shaking yet I can move!” He shouted out, willing himself to stand his ground.

“Because you’re a fool.” Nova chuckled with a hiss, “You’re going to die.”

Kaine chuckled too, “I thought I’d die twice before, fate has yet to make good on that. I’m alive, I’m fucking alive and as long as I have feet to move and hands to hold with…I’ll fight.” He told the serpent, as it coiled around his neck.

As suddenly, he charged forwards, as the beast’s massive fists crashed down where he once stood.

Water rose up in a column, splashing all about the Worgoll as excitedly it glanced around for the snack it had just crushed.

But that snack was nowhere to be seen, filling it with disappointment…As suddenly a sharp pain pulsed through its feet, then filling it with rage.

Kaine danced about its legs, slashing, slicing and stabbing, retreating back as it stepped about looking for him. Remaining in its blind spot, he continued to walk with it, as it growled and snarled.

Then as it leaned down, he rushed back, the beast suddenly leaping up high. Soaring several feet into the tree tops, smashing aside their branches as their leaves now fell around him.

Kaine glanced up, his eyes widening as he briefly watched the mass of muscle and fur descending back down towards him. A cold sweat crawling down his back as he rushed to move aside, the giant then crashing down into the river, sending large waves of water splashing all about.

It charged forth, crashing through the raised waters the moment it landed and chasing after Kaine, bellowing out another roar as it suddenly came to a stop in his path. Too large and too fast even for him to outrun.

Claws spread wide, the Worgoll slashed at him with one hand, the very wind whistling as it was shred through.

Nova rushed off his neck as Kaine turned to face the large claw, pushing himself back as he raised both weapons defensively. Unable to dodge, all he could do was block and mitigate the attack as the massive hand crashed into him.

Feeling the bones in his arms shudder, as he was sent flying back, tumbling through bushes and branches until he smashed into a tree. The air in his lungs alongside a splatter of blood then exiting his mouth.

Kaine took in a heavy breath as he dragged down the tree’s side, the shape of his body leaving a crater in its bark. Falling back to his feet, Kaine stumbled as his vision blurred from the pain.

Just barely able to see the looming beast of green fur approaching him.

Weapons still clenched in his hands, somehow having held onto them, he blinked twice. His vision clearing only to find the beast pushing aside two trees before him, its fanged maw ajar as it descended onto him.

Kaine evaded to the side just in time not to be devoured whole as the beast’s fangs crunched close, tearing asunder half of the tree’s width which lay behind him.

Again Kaine rose to his feet, stuck on the defensive as the monster’s salivating mouth turned to him once more.

A roar, and he was sent flying back, tumbling over the dirt and roots as vines entangled about his feet. Kaine struggled, trying to pick himself up and escape, but he was stuck. Unable to pull himself free from the sticky vines, Kaine could only watch from the ground as a tree was uprooted before him.

Revealing the Worgoll as its massive form stepped to loom over him, it snarled, as if in amusement of his struggle and predicament. As it leaned forward, its large claws opening as they approached him.

When a blitz of flame suddenly burst through the treetops, Nova descended down, her body afire as she landed between the monster and her master.

Hissing loudly as she opened her wings wide, trying to seem as menacing as possible before this goliath who’s very fingers lay larger than it.

The Worgoll made a rumbling sound, as if chuckling at the sight, its claws continued onward towards Kaine.

As its eyes widened, its mouth just barely open with excitement, enough to show its jagged teeth.

“Asshole!” Kaine heard a voice exclaim as two arrows embedded themselves into the Worgoll’s hand, the monster leaning back in surprise as Jedd suddenly leapt out of the brush.

Driving her longsword into the monster’s left foot, the bone-blade just barely cutting into the dense flesh before she pulled it back out.

As the Worgoll raised its foot up, bellowing in pain, it stumbled back.

Jedd turned to look at Kaine, “I expect you to fucking run when we all run, you suicidal son of b-!” She exclaimed, both fury and relief filling her eyes as she stepped to him, freezing in her steps then as the Worgoll’s massive foot stomped down in between them.

The beast growled as it turned, coming to stand between Jedd and Kaine, separating its prey as it faced the unconstrained snack first.

Jedd’s eyes widened as she looked up at the goliath, her hands trembling as she held her bloodied blade, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” She mused to herself, a quivering smile forming over her face as she watched the monster’s massive hands rise then fall.

She evaded, rolling to the side just in time not to be crushed. Rising back to her feet she continued to run still as the beast’s hands then swiped widely at the jungle around them, searching for her through the thick foliage, its clawed fists bashing through both foliage and trees as it looked for her.

Another set of arrows finding perch onto its chest, the Worgoll snarled in annoyance, rising to its full height before roaring out in fury. The jungle around it shuddering and flowing aside, as many a branch was torn off from the blasting sound alone.

It glanced about, its gaze first falling on the still struggling Kaine before ending on Jedd as she reached the river. Its long pointed ears perking up at the sight of a chase, it suddenly barrelled forth, growling and snarling it crashed through the jungle.

Trees were bashed aside as roots and vines were torn in its path, everything else being crushed beneath its stomping feet till it also reached the river once more. Growling as Jedd turned to face it, holding her long bone sword high as several more projectiles hit the monster.

Shrugging off the stones and even arrows, the Worgoll loomed over Jedd, a low continuous growl as it approached.

Watching as its maw opened, salivating, hungering…Jedd faltered back, shaking, trembling.

Stumbling backwards as the beast suddenly bit down onto her weapon, crushing the bone into splinters before her eyes, Jedd saw her future within the remains of it as she fell back into the water.

Shivering, frozen with terror she stared into its beady white eyes.

As it stomped forth, its maw opening once more.

Kaine watched from the jungle, pulling, struggling, thrashing against the vines which held him.

No, Not again.

He thought, pulling harder even though it filled his arms with pain.

Never again.

Kaine reminded himself of a promise he had made to himself, as cold dread filled his heart.

“I was weak then! But I’m not weak now! Not here, not in this world!” Kaine exclaimed, as his eyes focused, turning into slits.

His vision then filling with a dark fog as Nova turned to him, her own eyes going from crimson to pitch black as she hissed at him. “Then grab it.” The serpent said, “Grab hold of fate.”

Kaine continued to struggle, as slowly the vines which held him tore.

The Ssserpent watchesss.

The Ssserpent acknowledgesss.

You are ssstrong.

You can be ssstrong.

But early power, comesss at a priccce…

Are you, Drow, willing to pay it?

Dark words appeared before him once more, different than before.

Kaine’s eyes settled on something on the ground as the words faded from his sight.

As his dark murky vision focused upon it, he watched the object shudder and gleam.

“Take hold of it.” Nova’s echoing voice entered his ears as the serpent coiled around the dark green dagger which lay embedded into the dirt before him, her eyes now a pitch black. “Take hold of your fate.” She said with a hiss, her voice though sounding different.

Kaine’s eyes were locked upon the weapon, a grip of black leather around a hilt of crimson red, down into an armguard of brunt brown with a single oval emerald at the centre. The blade was the deepest dark green, shuddering as he stared at it, as if radiating power.

He stared into the emerald at its centre, seeing a reflection of his own eyes within.

He couldn’t explain it, but Kaine knew the weapon was…calling to him.

It was tempting him, he even felt his own hands fighting harder against the vines to grab hold of it.

Kaine lost himself to the feeling, wanting, craving for the dagger now as he reached out for it.

When suddenly a bout of flame burst out before him, clearing his sight of the darkness, the dagger disappearing with.

Kaine blinked his eyes twice, nausea now filling his head as he glanced at Nova, the serpent was hissing ferociously at the dissipating flames. “You…” Kaine growled, gaining the serpent's attention once more, it leaned away from him. His eyes, enraged, as he stared down at the demon…

“You’ll explain,” Kaine warned, then glancing at the river ahead his eyes widened, “Later, you’ll explain.”

At the same time

Lara stared through the brush as the mass of fur, fang and claw loomed over a fallen Jedd, her comrades barraging the beast with arrows and stones, yet nothing stopped it.

Nothing made it falter, instead the attacks seemed to only anger it further.

As the monster glanced at them, its beady eyes widening before looking back down at the terrified frozen Jedd.

It smiled, amused by the sight a monstrous grin formed over its snout.

As its maw slowly opened.

No…Oh god no.

Lara thought as she stood frozen too, clenching her spear tightly as she stared forth. Afraid, too afraid to move…

Why? Why am I so weak? Why can’t I…Why can’t I ever do something right!?

She chided herself, clenching her weapon tighter, hoping for something to happen.

Hoping, for anything to happen.

She glanced at her comrades, nothing they did worked.

She glanced around for Kaine, he was strong right? But he was nowhere to be seen.

Her gaze then falling back on Jedd, her beloved friend, facing death’s door.

No…No this can’t…This won’t…

The thought of Jedd dying before her as she stood by and did nothing, filled Lara with rage.

As suddenly she felt her spear’s shaft shatter beneath her grip, the piercing pain of splinters entering her palm waking her from the fury…She glanced at her spear, smoke now rising from where she gripped it, a warmth filling her entire hand.

Embers of life, you beseech.

Words, words began to appear into her view.

Words, which Lara recognised as a chant from the many others she had spoken before.

“E-Embers of life, I beseech you!” So, Lara chanted.

Before the ashes, you summon it.

“Before the a-ashes, I summon them!” She spoke the words, altering them just right to make them her own.

Holy flames, burn thy enemies.

“Holy flames, burn my enemies…” Lara spoke that last sentence, as suddenly an ember light shone out of her hands, piercing through the spear’s shaft as it flowed into it.

Lara felt a warmth fill her, power like she had never felt before, nothing like the games she had played before…

It fuelled her, the feeling of it flowing through her veins, gave her resolve.

As the spear in her hands exploded, balls of flame replacing the meagre weapon and harmlessly engulfing her arms.

Lara’s eyes, shone their differentiating colours of blue and red, as she raised her hands forwards.

Arcane Arts Unlocked!

Arcane level: 1

Intelligence +1

Spirit +1

Expertise +1

Sense +1

Aura +1

Spell {Fire Bolt} has been learned! Arcane experience gained 50/100

Lara stepped forth, as Farvo, Rey and Roy stepped out of her way.

Arms held forth as the Worgoll suddenly turned to her, the flames catching its attention.

It roared, the flames in her hands flickering, almost snuffing out at the powerful bellow.

But Lara held them lit, feeling the energy surge through her body and into her hands, she took hold of that energy and sent it forth. As suddenly small projectiles of flame shot out of her hands, three per palm into a total of six.

Seeing the flames approach, the Worgoll retreated back, snarling in surprise as four of the bolts clashed into its body while two missed and flew into the jungle behind it. The projectiles exploded on contact, bursting into a bout of flame each which caught the creature’s fur on fire.

Its eyes then closing as it bellowed once more, a pained roar as it slapped its own body, trying to blindly snuff the flames out. Enraged and confused, the monster entered a frenzy as it spun about, suddenly diving down into the flowing river as a cloud of steam burst out from beneath it.

Jedd took that moment to turn tail and run, rejoining her party with a matching expression to Farvo and the twin’s, as each stared at Lara with sheer amazement.

“H-How did you do that?” Jedd asked with a quivering laugh, still shaken.

“I-I don’t…” Lara shook her head, unsure how to answer, the words had simply came to her.

Then each of them turning to face the monster, as it rose out of the dissipating steam.

Eyes wide, growling as it stood to its full height, it was done playing around with its food.

As it watched them, cautiously it watched them, slowly it approached them before suddenly charging forwards with a burst of speed like nothing before it.

Stumbling then as its legs were caught in a bunch of vines, it fell, face first into the rocky riverside with a painful yelp.

The Worgoll growled and snarled, pulling itself free of the vines as a figure stepped out from behind it.

Kaine met the monster’s eyes, his own focused as slits as his entire expression lay empty and cold. “You done playing around? Good, so am I.” He said, glancing at the rest of them as the monster rose back to its feet. “Support me from afar, Lara, take timed shots…Your mana is far more finite.” He warned, then disappearing as the beast’s fist crashed down, raising a pillar of water where he once stood.

He then reappeared, rushing around the monster’s legs, unharmed as he danced about them. Second after second Kaine’s hands blurred with attacks, slicing and dicing his blades into the Worgoll’s flesh.

As it turned to stomp on him, arrows then embedding themselves into its wide open back, the beast faltered and returned to facing the rest.

Confused, as Kaine continued to tear away at its legs, it stumbled around. It may have been too large, but he, was just agile enough.

As the Worgoll kicked about, splashing water around as it tried to crush Kaine beneath its feet, yet he rolled, dodged and evaded each step. Too quick and too small for it to catch.

Enraged, it suddenly leapt back and out of his range, snarling as it landed with a crash. Blood now reddening the water around Kaine from what he had spilt, slowly washing away as the river flowed.

The beast roared, fangs bared as it suddenly charged at him. Every step, every stomp making the earth beneath him quake, as it approached.

“Now!” Jedd exclaimed from the side, as a barrage of projectiles then met the beast’s charge. Two arrows sticking into legs and a stone into its claws as it tried to slash it aside from hitting its mark too.

Leaving it completely defenceless as six bolts of flame exploded into its face, lighting its fur afire and making it stumble and falter, ending its charge.

The Worgoll dove into the water, splashing it onto itself frantically as flames burned away at its face.

Feeling then as something sharp slashed at its arm, catching the faintest gleam of metal and a blur of green before both suddenly pulled back and away. Snuffing out the flames from its face, it then caught sight of the attacker once more, as a vine-wrapped bone-axe bashed into its maw before suddenly slashing through on its way back to its wielder.

Kaine kept his distance, standing about thirty feet from the goliath now as he twirled and swung his weapons forth. Long vines coiled around his arms as he threw both sword and axe, the other end of each vine entangled tightly around the weapon’s grips.

Widely his weapons flew about, pulling at the almost elastic vines to retrieve them, letting the weapons fall into the water before he swung them forth once more. Never once touching the weapons himself, he fully used the vines to swing them about.

Attacks battered the monster now, as cuts riddled its legs and arms, burns covered its face and hands as blades and axes flew at it, as arrows and stones rained upon it, as bolts of flame exploded into it.

The Worgoll backed away, suddenly feeling overwhelmed, it turned to run.

“Oh no you fucking don’t!” Kaine exclaimed, rushing after it as he suddenly threw both weapons, one to either side he swung them wide and inwards.

Letting go of even more of the vine’s length they stretched to their fullest, the weapons used as weights to coil the vines around the beast’s legs. Kaine then suddenly feeling the air rush past him as the beast stepping forwards pulled him in, he was sent soaring forth, slamming into the creature’s back and grabbing hold of its fur as not to fall off.

Kaine watched as it continued to run, arrows, stones and bouts of flame having been barraging it still, they stopped now that he had grabbed onto it.

He climbed, grabbing onto the thick fur as the very thing he held onto leapt and quaked with every step it took, taking him further and further away from his comrades…Until suddenly, the sound of something stretch and tear sounded off from below, tripping the beast.

Kaine held on for dear life as the Worgoll’s massive frame fell forward, slamming into the river and splashing up a large column of water all around them. Now upright, he ran, dashing across the rising beast’s back till he reached its head.

Grabbing on as the Worgoll quickly rose back to its knees…

As a rumbling growl escaped its grimacing mouth, Kaine felt the entire monster tremble beneath him.

He watched from his perch up high, as the monster’s body suddenly began to expand, its muscles growing in size as a violet light shone through its flesh, energy flowing through its veins.

We hit the health threshold…

Kaine mused, having an inkling of what this thing was and what was happening to it, he knew he needed to act fast.

So, he climbed, as the Worgoll beneath him grew. As quickly as he could Kaine climbed, reaching the beast’s neck just as it began to turn around.

Its wide, now fiery red eyes, setting upon his party who lay watching downriver.

Kaine glanced at them from over the monster’s shoulder, unseen and unnoticed, or simply ignored. As the monster began to loom forward, taking quaking steps towards them.

Kaine’s heart sank, he needed to stop it.

But looking down at himself, he only had his bone hunting knife, barely a weapon against this goliath of fur and muscle.

“They’re going to die.” Then suddenly hissed a familiar voice from behind him, as Nova’s serpentine form coiled over his shoulders. But it wasn’t her voice, still though, Kaine recognised it. “Ssso why falter? When their preciousss livesss are at ssstake~ You wissshed for power, no? Well, here isss your chanccce~” The greater demon’s voice came out of the serpent familiar, as it held a dagger in its mouth, barely holding the weapon up by the grip.

“How low, are you willing to go, for ssstrength? I wonder, how dark isss your heart?” The demon whispered, as Kaine’s eyes locked with the dagger’s gem, a reflection of his own eyes appearing within once more.

“What will I lose?” Kaine asked, as he stared at the weapon.

“What isss left, of your morality. What remainsss, of your mortality. You will barely even noticcce that they’ve gone away~” The demon assured with a wicked chuckle.

Kaine pulled his gaze away, taking every bit of will he had to do so, then glancing down at the small bone knife clenched in his right hand.

He chuckled too, “Everyone has their demons…But that doesn’t mean I should listen to mine.” He mused, suddenly raising his hand back with the knife clenched tightly within. His eyes, focused on the back of the monster’s neck.

He had one shot, one chance to find the right spot.

For as he felt the monster’s steps grow into leaps, he knew it’d be upon them moments later.

Kaine’s hands which previously shook, now grew calm and steady, the terror in his eyes faltering into a calm coldness.

Kaine felt his heart rate slow, he felt the warmth which filled his body lower…Yet the sinking feeling in his chest never went away.

He was focused, but still afraid.

Afraid he’ll fail, afraid he’ll mess up again.

Afraid he was about to disappoint more lives.

That fear filled him, it engulfed his mind as it always did.

For a moment, Kaine faltered.

For he knew this would decide what he was, a question he could never get himself to answer.

What am I?

The thought came through just as he prepared to strike.

The warrior my father thinks me to be? The coward others see me as? Or the killer I see in the mirror? Who am I?

Kaine asked himself, glancing one last time at the ornate dagger.

An easy way out.

He thought, then thinking of his comrades standing before this monstrous opponent.

A desperate situation.

Then, glancing at the make-shift knife in his outstretched hand.

A desperate strike…But is it desperate? Is it really?

His gaze then returning to the monster’s neck, all of this occurring within mere moments.

His eyes, then narrowing.

He’d choose the dagger, just how he would have chosen the gun, just how I chose to use the gun. I’m not him, I don’t want to be him…I’ll never be him.

Resolve then filled Kaine, as he decided on who he was.

As he struck down with the knife, feeling a rush of energy fill his hand, as his very perception of what lay before him expanded.

Suddenly, information flowed into his mind, an understanding of flesh and bone he did not have before.

An understanding, of how to disable both.

As his striking blade swerved, then clenching tighter around the weapon’s grip, Kaine dealt his attack.

The bone knife stabbed through the fur and flesh, going several centimetres deep but nowhere close to reaching bone…Deep enough though, to do serious damage to the creature’s nerves, as its entire body suddenly went limp.

Your party has killed { {Elite} Worgoll [Level 7] } Martial experience gained 400/400 Level up!

Martial Level 5 reached!

+1 to all Martial stats.

3 Neutral Martial Points available for distribution!

Martial Skills Unlocked! [Martial Arts Scroll] window unlocked! Martial Art {Assassinate} has been learned! Martial experience gained 85/500

Kaine felt the monster’s corpse crash down into the river, the entire thing shuddering beneath him as he suddenly lost hold of its fur, being thrown forwards and tumbling down into the water himself.

Taking a deep breath of relief as he rose to his knees, Kaine felt his entire body shaking as he glanced up.

I…I did it…

He thought to himself, seeing his entire party rushing towards him, all alive and well.

Well…other than Lara’s hands were on fire.

One…One thing at a time…