“I think…I THINK…we bit off more than we can chew!” Farvo shouted out as the party stood in a circle, watching each other’s backs as the goliaths surrounded them.

“Think your snake can do that trick again Jor?!” Jedd asked, to which Nova hissed in annoyance.

“Demon, and no, I must recharge.” Nova hissed back.

“Well just great! This is just great!” Rey laughed out anxiously.

As the elite Dreadknight raised its massive sword forth towards them, to which the other four bellowed out ferociously.

“Uh-Uh, ar-are we going t-to die?” Lara squeaked out.

“Not if we have anything to do with it!” Jedd snapped back, “Farvo, Rey, Lara disruptive fire on the smaller four! Roy cover us!” She shouted out as her form grew into a half-beast. “Jor, with me!”

Seeing as she charged in towards the elite, Kaine had no qualms about following, rushing in after her and with Nova soaring behind them both.

“We may not be able to kill them! But we can break through!” Jedd exclaimed as they reached half-way to the Dreadknight. “Let’s lead it off!” She said.

And Kaine nodded back, catching on to her plan he quickly assigned his arcane points and poured mana into his right hand where Telaquitzl infested his blade with demonic winds.

“Nova blind it!” Kaine ordered and the serpent flapped its wings hard, soaring forth suddenly at thrice the speed and trailing a crimson blaze behind her, Nova appeared into the Dreadknight’s face out of nowhere.

Pausing and hovering before its eyes, Nova opened her wings wide and flashed them at maximum brightness, briefly blinding both Jedd and Kaine behind her but so close to the Dreadknight she was that the creature stumbled back from surprise.

Causing it to be unable to witness as Jedd’s hammer rose up towards it, bashing into its chin and stumbling back even further, where Kaine appeared with sword in hand. Dashing into the out of balance creature, he drove his blade deep into the monster’s back.

Both Jedd’s {Leaping Strike} and Kaine’s {Assassinate} hitting the Dreadknight all at once, yet still the monster regained its balance, stomping down its massive foot and quaking the ground about it, the Dreadknight huffed as it opened its eyes wide.

Staring straight into Jedd as she fell before it.

“Oh shi-” Jedd was cut off mid-swear as the Dreadknight’s free hand slammed into her from the side, sending her soaring off and rolling to a rough stop.

“Jedd!” Kaine exclaimed, holding on tight to the monster’s back, he watched as she lay unmoving. “Bastard…” He mused, turning to look up at the goliath he held onto…

As the Dreadknight’s head suddenly turned, 180 degrees it turned to look straight down at him.

“Well that can’t be healthy.” Nova mused from hovering nearby, evading as the Dreadknight’s great blade slashed up at it.

“I-I’m fine!” Jedd groaned right then, shakily pulling herself up, “But I don’t think I can take many more of those hits!”

“We’re way in over our heads!” Roy shouted out from the other side, as the rest lay grouped up and slowly retreating towards them, the other four lesser dreadknights continuing to advance and close in on them.

“Oh, not good.” Kaine then mused as the Dreadknight he hung onto leaned forward whilst wearing a wide wicked smirk.

Leaping off the creature’s back just in time, Kaine came to a rolling stop nearby to see the monster slam its own back into the floor, cracking the paving and stone below it also drove Kaine’s sword deeper into its back.

“Oh, master’s not getting that one back.” Nova pointed out as the creature turned its head back to normal, its eyes focusing on Nova now as it began to stand back up.

“Jeddd! We need a leasher!” Farvo exclaimed in shaky panic, as before them three of the lesser dreadknights where coming all too close whilst one lay single-legged and crawling way behind those.

Retrieving her hammer, Jedd rose to glance in between Kaine and her party, seemingly unsure as what to do.

“Go help them! I’ll keep this one at bay!” Kaine shouted, noticing her indecision.

“But…you can’t take it on alone!” Jedd shouted back.

“I’ll be fine!” Kaine added, evading to the side as the Dreadknight’s sword came crashing down onto his form, he came to standing by its foot where it rose to stomp down on him. Evading once again all too fast for the goliath, Kaine put some distance in between them now. “Weaponless only means I got nothing weighing me down!” He said, “Go!”

As he stared up at the looming monster, “Plus, look around.” He then mused, and Jedd glanced all about their surroundings. “We might as well be standing in an armoury of low rate equipment!” He announced at the piles of fallen undead minions and their old rusty weapons.

“Fine, don’t you die on us now!” She warned him back, taking a deep breath, “We’ll be right with you!” She added before suddenly taking off into a dash towards the rest of the party. Seeing as Lara’s vines hold the Dreadknights back, and just as the spell was broken through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKBstPFnyMY

“Twins! On me!” Jedd exclaimed, leaping into the fight and crashing onto the nearest lesser dreadknight, her strength and weight pushed the monster off-balance and forcing it to fall over. Crushing underneath itself two unsuspecting skeletons.

“Yes ma’am!” Rey answered her leader’s call, as she and her brother let out a barrage of projectiles onto the fallen lesser dreadknight, hitting the creature just as Jedd leaped out of the way.

“Aye! Krell focus those vines on the left-most two! I’ll pick em boys off!” Farvo exclaimed as he reloaded his cannon.

“Y-Yes!” Lara replied with a nod, raising her right palm ahead as she held her grimoire open within her left, “Entangle!” She chanted out, and the ground before her rumbled and crumbled as vines burrowed forth.

Rushing through the ground and suddenly exploding out from underneath the two lesser dreaknight’s feet, the vines entangled all the way up to their waist.

“Ohohoh, hold them still now! Been saving this shot and it packs a punch!” Farvo warned, chuckling with both anxiety and amusement, as he took aim right in between the two monsters’ feet.

Lighting up the back of his weapon, the short string quickly burned through and was followed by an explosion. Sending forth the projectile he had loaded up, it slammed down into the ground right in between the two lesser dreadknights.

Metal unlike his usual rocky projectiles, the short stubby cylinder sparked alit as it landed, a second string hanging off the side was quickly burning away.

“Duck!” Farvo shouted, as he, Lara, Rey and Roy quickly fell to the floor, Jedd took cover behind the slowly rising lesser dreadknight she had previously tipped over.

Moments later, the flame burned through to the end of the string, reaching into the smoking cylinder.

As the projectile suddenly exploded, bursting forth a flurry of fire, force and metal. The metal container and more blasting outwards into a scattering of metallic shards, trailing flames as it expanded and engulfed the two lesser dreadknights.

Your party has shredded { Lesser Dreadknight [Level 14] } Martial Experience gained 50/700 Your party has shredded { Lesser Dreadknight [Level 14] } Martial Experience gained 100/700

“Wooohoooo!~” Farvo shouted out with joy “Thank Tsarra for that one! Haha!”

“We’re not done yet!” Jedd exclaimed, stepping aside as the third goliath stumbled back from the explosion but stood its ground. “Lara!”

“H-Here!” Lara answered, turning to the monster and summoning forth another wave of vines, “That w-was my l-last! I’m out!” She exclaimed, seeing her now empty mana bar.

Just as the vines slithered up the creature’s lower body and tightened, restricting its movement, yet as it pulled and thrashed Jedd knew they wouldn’t last long.

“Twins get its arms!” Jedd ordered, and the two of them took aim.

“Count on it!” Rey answered back.

“What arms!?” Roy also replied, as the both of them grinned.

As a flurry of crossbow bolts began to barrage the monster’s arms, most deflecting off the plated armour, yet some stuck through the cracks and into its zombified body.

Following the white feathered bolts, Roy let loose his first arrow, aiming not just at the monster but at the bolts that had hit. As the arrow flew true and pierced through the bolt, digging deep into the rotten flesh.

Growling in annoyance, the lesser dreadknight continued to struggle, yet this time raised its sword two-handed before itself as a shield from the ranged assault.

Seeing her moment, Jedd grasped it. Taking the opportunity to rush at the monster and leap up into the air with her beastial athletic ability. She landed upon the lesser dreadknight’s right arm, hammer previously held back behind her it now slammed onwards and into the creature’s helm.

Sending it a ringing like a bell, the dreadknight’s eyes rolled back into its head, stunned and disoriented from the powerful slam.

It lowered its arms beside itself, its heavy sword crashing down onto the floor as well.

“Outta the way!” Farvo then exclaimed, loaded and ready, he lay kneeling on one leg as he aimed his cannon.

Heeding his warning, Jedd leapt out of the line of fire just as the lesser dreadknight’s eyes rolled back into place, just as it began to recover from being stunned.

The last thing it saw was a smoky explosion coming from a short stubby dwarf, and then darkness, as the rock bashed through the metal helm and dug itself inside its forehead.

“Boom! Headshot baby!” Farvo mused with glee.

Your party has sniped { Lesser Dreadknight [Level 14] } Martial Experience gained 150/700

“Nice shot!” Jedd cheered, watching the goliath fall dead with a ground shuddering crash.

“Watch it!” Rey then exclaimed.

Jedd saw the horrified expressions of all her companions just as a massive hand enclosed around her legs, raising her off the ground and up into the air. She glanced at what was now above her, as the last lesser dreadknight held her upside down with its right hand.

“Krell!” Farvo shouted out, immediately beginning to reload as the Twins wasted no time to shower the monster’s head and shoulders with projectiles either.

“Almost!” Lara exclaimed, watching anxiously as her mana bar very slowly regenerated, “J-Just a f-fe-few moments!”

“Lara!” Jedd shouted, as she swung her hammer back and forth, yet the monster was out of her reach and its strength all too much for her legs to overcome. “Anyone!” She exclaimed, and suddenly the lesser dreadknight slammed her down into the ground.

Pushing her into the cracking pavement and earth below, Jedd struggled against its hand as it slowly crushed her.

As it growled and roared out horridly, Jedd could only watch her own health points drop.

{ [Life]: 11/24} { [Life]: 9/24}

When a flash of flame then burst alive before her eyes, Jedd watched as Nova dive bombed down into the lesser dreadknight’s left eye. Burning through the flesh, the serpent seared through and dug deep.

Your party has wormed-out { Lesser Dreadknight [Level 14] } Martial Experience gained 200/700

Feeling the pressure upon her cease, Jedd quickly pushed the dead monster’s hand off herself. “That! Was close!” She exclaimed, feeling as Lara’s healing magic then filled her, Jedd turned to the serpent as she crawled out of the monster’s eye-socket drenched in brain-juices.

“Nice flying snak-” She was about to say but was cut off.

“Quickly pup! Master! Master is in trouble!” Nova exclaimed frantically, and each of them turned to where they had left Kaine.

Jedd following the serpent’s gaze to see the elite dreadknight looming over a frozen Jor, unmoving and staring off into the creature’s weapon.

As the Dreadknight lay covered in cuts and surrounded by many a shattered weapon, it stopped to stand before him, slowly raising its great sword higher.

Jedd watched as Kaine’s hands lay in fists, as his body shivered, as if struggling to move.

Many things went through Jedd’s mind then.

That maybe she could reach him before the monster dealt its blow.

Maybe, Lara had regained enough mana to quickly cast her entangle.

Or that maybe Farvo could reload quick enough to stop it.

But she knew none of those could work, they were too far for both her and the twins to reach in time. Lara was out of mana from healing her and Farvo took all too long to reload his weapon.

Realising then that, “There’s nothing we can do…” she said, her eyes widening with dread as she watched the monster’s blade stop from rising.

As the Dreadknight growled out, “Die!” in a rough and hoarse voice.

-

Moments Earlier

-

Kaine evaded left and right, picking up swords, daggers and spears before finding his way around the Dreadknight’s attacks and driving them into its body. Yet all failed, each weapon snapped or shattered, all too weak to even scratch the plate armour the monster wore.

Grimacing as the monster’s metal boot crashed into his body, sending him tumbling back several feet, Kaine groaned in agony as he pushed himself to stumble up into standing.

“Weak!” The elite growled, chuckling monstrously as it approached him once more, “Bug! Squash!” it hissed out, charging up to him as fast as its massive body allowed before smashing its fist down onto where he lay.

Kaine evaded with all his might, rolling to the side and just barely coming out from being punched into pulp.

“Intruder! Fool! Flee flea!” The monster growled out in annoyance, rising to loom over Kaine.

As his previously agitated breathing came to a calm, soft, sigh.

Kaine’s eyes changed from frantic to dead cold, as he stared up at the monster.

No…No I won’t…

He told himself, as briefly a greenish sword hilt flickered into his view, but just as quickly it disappeared.

Not here…Not in front of…

In its stead, his memory took over, the sight of a man’s eyes staring up at him.

Eyes full of desperation, eyes full of hate.

Not…not again…

Kaine swore to himself, over and over.

Not again!

As the sight of the mercenary changed to many he had seen before, game character after game character flashed before his eyes. Players he had defeated in both the old world of Aether Rifts and its arena.

Yet none matched the sight of that mercenary, none equalled the hatred Kaine had seen in those eyes. None of their demises matched the sound that bullet had made.

“Die!”

“Jor!”

“Hell!”

“Watch it!”

“No!”

Several voices blurred through his mind then, and he recognized each of them. He recognised the monster’s amused bellow, as he knew its blade was now descending onto him.

He recognised Jedd’s voice calling his character name.

I can’t…

He recognised Farvo swearing out.

You don’t understand…

He recognised Roy’s voice warning him.

I can’t let it out…

He recognised Lara’s horrified scream.

I’d rather…die-

“Kaine! Don’t die!”

Then he recognised Rey’s voice, calling out his name.

His name, his real name, not this persona he put up. Not Jor, not Jormungandr. Not any of the characters he played, not even Nidhogg.

He heard Kaine.

Ahah…Fine.

His vision then returned, Kaine watched as the Dreadknight’s sword descended on him.

You asked for it.

“Die? Good luck with that.” Kaine then hissed out, sidestepping the monster’s weapon. “I see what does not, in turn, see me!” He then chanted, disappearing from sight.

“Hah, you’re gonna have to try a lot harder than that!” Kaine announced as he now stood several feet away.

“Flea! You just flee!” The Dreadknight bellowed out in response, rising back up it began to charge at him.

“Flee? Maybe he did, but not me.” Kaine then said, wearing a smile as wide as his face could manage, Kaine wickedly grinned as he kneeled down to grasp the first lesser dreadknight’s sword.

As the elite came down upon him, bashing down his gauntlet into where Kaine stood, it growled out in surprise as Kaine raised the sword and deflected the attack to the side.

Backing off and away, Kaine dragged the great sword behind him, all too heavy for him to wield properly.

Still he smiled, as he rasied the blade to lay on his shoulder, he held it up only with his right hand as he raised his left forward. “You’ve met Jor, you’ve even met the scaredy-cat, so come on doofus.” Kaine mocked, waving the monster forth as it bellowed in ferocious fury.

Kaine's eyes were wide, his smile still just as, yet he shook.

Kaine trembled, but not with fear, and neither with struggling to restrain himself.

No, not this time.

“So come, and meet Nidhogg.”

He was shaking with excitement.