Riana tugged backward in a futile attempt to break free, her face and arms both trapped in the web. One strand stuck across both the back of her hands and the front of her jeans, another binding across her lower arms and stomach, leaving her very little room for movement.

She felt light-headed, her gasping breath still not enough. The stench pouring off the trap combined with the drifting smog the spider-skunk had already surrounded itself with, almost overpowering.

Scampering footsteps closed in as the spider monster ran at them from behind. The inability to even turn to look was even more terrifying than watching the monster rush at them.

Peter grunted and pulled, trying to break his sword free of the entangling web. His arm hardly moved, the sword’s hilt stuck fast and unmovable. Riana could tell it wouldn't be enough. He couldn't possibly swing the edge over to connect--

Light flared as the weapon's spectral jaws snapped down. For a moment Riana imagined it would work, heart leaping with hope.

One thread of the web snapped, falling limp from its connection point, giving Peter just enough mobility to twist his wrist and shift the sword’s orientation.

Another chomp, and Peter’s arm gained a little more freedom.

Not soon enough. The rapid skitter-click of the spider-skunk’s approaching claws closed in. Faster, nearer…

Letting out an involuntary squeak of fear, she braced herself for the impact she knew was coming.

Instead she heard a swish slice sound, followed by a screech of pain. She strained to escape, to turn to look, but the web stuck tightly enough she feared it would tear the skin off her face if she tried to pull much harder.

What was happening behind her? Her heart raced with uncertain fear, her whole body tense with knowing she could die at any moment and couldn’t do anything to prevent it.

Sounds of crunching and the click of its clawed legs echoed around the room, Riana hyper-aware of every hint of movement. It sounded like the monster was backing up, moving slowly away from her.

As soon as his legs were free, Peter ducked his head into his shirt and slid out the bottom, the fabric tearing in his haste to pull his arms free, leaving the empty shirt hanging limply from the trap, the sword clanging to the ground.

Free to move, Peter snatched up the sword, then with a quick chomp of his sword’s jaws he broke the last cord connecting her on his side.

The moment she was able to move at least a little, Peter spun to face their enemy.

Riana twisted around, only connected by two strands on one side, allowing her to run in a part-circle tethered to the far wall.

Finally able to look at the fight, she saw what the slashing noises had been.

Two copies of Bladefin lay slowly evaporating on the floor by the spider-skunk’s legs, the monster itself looking much the worse for wear. Two of its legs were hanging limp and blood liberally streaked its fur.

Level 11

(Spider-Skunk)

Health 53%

Three remaining Bladefins dove in and out, not quite fast enough to evade the higher-level monster’s attacks. Before she could react another furry leg stabbed out, pinning a third copy down. The spider-skunk bit down with an audible crunch and that Bladefin’s thrashing fell still.

Riana hopped and twisted in place, careful not to let up tension on the web holding her - it was sticky enough, if she let any part of it hit the floor that would restrict her movements even further. She just had to orient her partly-trapped hands properly.

Air Blade was her focus spell for the moment, vastly more mana -efficient than Gust.

She started firing as fast as she could cast, her mana trickling down only a little faster than the monster’s health.

Her attacks left visible damage; one eye closed and leaking blood, slices across its face, but the creature ignored its impairments as it chomped a fourth Bladefin out of the air as the fish dove in for a quick pass.

Crap.

Only one Bladefin left, but they were making good progress. If they could just hold out a bit longer–

The monster didn’t appreciate her attacks. With a narrowing of its many remaining eyes, the monster skittered toward her.

Riana squeaked and backed away, her arc restricted by the web strand. She kept casting in the second she had before impact.

Level 11

(Spider-Skunk)

Health 34%

“No you don’t!”

Peter was still restricted by the webbing across his legs, but even if his gait was a bit restricted he ran forward with a shout.

He stabbed his sword into the monster’s shoulder. The sword’s spectral jaws snapped down, arresting the monster’s movement mere inches from Riana’s face. She backed desperately away, firing another Air Blade.

Then she ran solidly into the wall. She’d lost track of where she was in all the chaos. A bladed leg stabbed out, snatching the web across her chest and tugging her back toward the monster.

Peter yelled and threw his full weight against the monster, trying to shove it over. It skittered in place and whirled on him, its balance superb despite being down two legs. Before Peter could draw his sword back again, the spider-skunk blew a blast of vile brown vapor straight into his face.

“Wind Blade, Augmentation, Wind Blade!” Riana’s mana was almost out by now, and she couldn’t finish off the monster with what she had remaining.

Level 11

(Spider-Skunk)

Health 27%

But she wasn’t alone in this fight.

“Bladefin! Over here!” Then he immediately dissolved into a coughing fit as the vile miasma burned his lungs.

At Peter’s shout, the remaining fish swam through the air to his side. He put a hand on Bladefin’s back. Riana continued casting, augmenting whenever possible, but focusing on damage first and foremost.

"Empower!” Peter choked out. “Hasten!"

Bladefin briefly glowed, then trembled and split. Peter tapped the second copy and recast the two buffs between terrible hacking coughs. He stumbled back out of the stench cloud, doubling over as he rasped for breath.

It was worth it. The slicing dance increased in tempo as Bladefin went into overdrive with the help of Peter's buffs.

The flying fishes darted in and away, keeping barely ahead of the monster's increasingly angry swipes. If not for Hasten, they'd have quickly met the same fate as their earlier copies.

The monster futilely tried to smack Bladefin out of the air for another several seconds, buying Peter precious time to recover.

Riana cast her last few Air Blades, to continue bringing its health down, but it didn’t stay distracted for long.

Level 11

(Spider-Skunk)

Health 18%

“Look out!” Riana screamed as it spun to face Peter.

Bladefin threw both its copies directly into the monster’s face, slicing deep into its furry cheeks. Though it snapped its jaws at the attacking fish, it didn’t slow its charge.

Peter swung his sword up just in time, catching the swing of its foreclaw on the flat of the blade. With a twist and slash, brief surge of mana, he severed the limb entirely.

The monster screeched and lunged, bowling Peter over entirely as it bit at his face, uncaring of the blade pressed against its chest.

“Peter!” Riana lunged forward, but the webbing tangling her brought her up short. She couldn’t even get close.

In the instant before the toothy maw could connect with Peter’s exposed throat, Bladefin flashed into the gap, hurling himself directly into the monster’s mouth and forcing it back.

Peter twisted clear, sweeping half the monster’s many furry legs out from under it as he rolled free out from under it. The uncharged blade didn’t sever them entirely, but the cuts staggered the monster and toppled it to its knees.

Before it could recover, Peter swung his sword down in a two-handed stab, driving the sword deep into the furry body.

Level 11

(Spider-Skunk)

Health 8%

The monster crunched down on the Bladefins, then spat the lifeless bodies in Peter’s general direction as it awkwardly turned in place.

The injuries seemed to have finally slowed it, but it wasn’t going to lie down without a fight. It started depositing webbing in haphazard lines across the floor as it skittered after its assailant, forming a hazardous collection of obstacles. Peter backed away, content to stall for time as the monster steadily pursued.

Riana’s mana finally ticked up another point, leaving her with one more Air Blade.

She waited until she had a clear shot, then fired.

Level 11

(Spider-Skunk)

Health 6%

A hiss of pain, a momentary distraction as its eyes turned toward her, and Peter pounced. One final slash, and he raised his hand over the monster in command.

“TAME!”