The gremlin jumped onto the monster’s leg before it noticed him and drove his dagger into its hide with all of his might. The dagger barely broke its skin, but it was enough to draw the creature’s attention.

The Vodrun spun, hurling Jasper into the snow. Ethan rushed toward it and attacked with a flurry of strikes that forced the Vodrun to turn and defend itself instead of pursuing Jasper.

Seeing that both of the horrific creatures were distracted, Linna darted out of the cave. Her foot slipped on the slick snow as she ran but the pirate turned the fall into a roll and hopped back to her feet, sprinting away without looking back.

“Left side!” Jasper barked as he scrambled back to his feet.

The swordsman rolled to his right as the first Vodrun’s claws rent through the snow where he had been standing. The mutated Vodrun spun back toward Jasper and roared. A spike launched from the tip of its tail, but Jasper was already moving.

The gremlin dove under the creature and cut at its hind legs with his dagger. The strike bounced harmlessly off its tough skin. Jasper rolled of the way just as a powerful foot slammed into the ground.

A roar of pain split the night sky. Jasper used the distraction to scramble out from under his opponent and gather himself. Ethan had managed to land a blow on the original Vodrun’s face, blinding it in one eye.

It lashed out blindly, forcing Ethan to raise both of his swords to block the strike. The Vodrun that Jasper was fighting flicked its tail toward Ethan, shooting a spike out of it toward him. A blur of silver intercepted it midair. The spike spun away harmlessly and landed in a puff of snow. The swordsman disengaged from the first Vodrun and took several steps back. He allowed his cloak to slip back, revealing a set of metallic arms that emerged from his back just below his original ones.

Ethan leapt on the Vodrun, pinning one paw into the ground with both of his swords before swinging himself onto its back with his extra arms. The Vodrun howled in pain and reared back, but it was unable to free its paw.

While Ethan fought, Jasper was losing ground against his opponent. With his only weapon lodged in the beast’s stomach, all he could do was desperately dodge back and forth in the snow.

Something shot through the air past Jasper’s ear. He instinctively rolled to the side and came up just in time to see the Vodrun roar in pain and stumble backwards. A jagged rock was lodged where its right eye had been. Dark blood trickled from the new wound and hissed as it dripped onto the snow. Jasper spun to see Linna standing several feet behind him, pale faced and breathing heavily.

“What are you doing here?” Jasper yelled. “I told you to run!”

“Saving your lives. And also my gold,” Linna replied.

The half blinded Vodrun’s muscles bunched up and it let out a howl.

“Ethan!” Jasper screamed, hurling himself out of the way as the huge beast launched itself through the air toward Linna.

Ethan seemed to blur as he catapulted himself from his own Vodrun’s back. He appeared before Linna; four arms raised to meet the creature’s paws as it slammed down on top of him.

Somebody screamed as the Vodrun crashed against Ethan, but Jasper wasn’t sure if it had been him or Linna. The swordsman had taken the strike with his mechanical arms, using his other two to grab the beast by the neck and keep its gnashing jaws away from his face.

The Vodrun growled and slowly started to push Ethan’s arms down. Jasper clambered to his feet and started toward them in a vain attempt to help.

The first Vodrun finally ripped itself free from Ethan’s swords with a scream of pain. It spun toward Jasper and bared its teeth, limping toward him as its blood and saliva sizzled against the snow.

Jasper glanced desperately toward Ethan and Linna. Ethan had dropped to his knees and the Vodrun’s mouth was practically at his neck. It reared back to strike the finishing blow.

The attack never came. The world vanished in a wave of golden light and a violent ringing. Linna stood behind Ethan, her arms thrust out desperately. She was completely enveloped in shining gold energy. A barrier of the same color hovered between the Vodrun and Ethan.

The Vodrun were as stunned as Jasper was. Unfortunately for them, Ethan was not. In a single swift movement, he rose to his feet, wrapped all four of his arms around the creature’s head, and twisted violently. The Vodrun’s neck broke with a sharp snap. It collapsed to the ground without another sound.

“My sword!” Ethan yelled.

Jasper snapped out of his stupor, scrambling across the snow and grabbing Ethan’s sword from the snow where the Vodrun had discarded it. With all his might, he spun and hurled the weapon toward Ethan, desperately hoping it would land close enough.

The weapon landed in the snow between Ethan and the Vodrun. The creature screamed and launched itself toward Ethan. The swordsman was faster. He flung himself forward, grabbing the sword from the ground and thrusting it upwards.

The sword punched through the bottom of the Vodrun’s neck. He swung himself out from under the creature, ripping the sword up through its neck and cleanly decapitating it. Its headless body crumpled to the ground behind him, sizzling against the snow.