YM778.TV Chapter 24: Rot monster
A chill went down Jael\'s spine and he shuddered. It\'s like he\'s looking at a mouth with hands. Half of that monster\'s body is mouth! Fear made his legs stiff.
He wasn\'t the only one, the others are feeling it as well. The simple act of the monster eating was enough to let them know they might have bitten more than they could chew.
\'I think this is the time to run, now,\' Jael thought. He moved backwards hurriedly and slammed into Litha who misplaced her foot and stepped on a dried twig.
In the small clearing, it sounded like a gunshot.
Everyone froze. The rot monster. The smaller monsters. Even the world seems to hold its breath. Jael didn\'t know if the rot monster had eyes, but he saw rolls of rotted flesh pulled back to reveal rolls of fangs. It looked like the mouth of a monster that could swallow the world whole.
The monster Shrikeshriekedar tore out of it in a shockwave.
They turned and bolted.
The trees passed by Jael in a blur as he dashed around the trees, doing his best not to get into others way. The ground shook as the monster followed; trees snapped and crunched behind them but they paid it no heed.
One of the smaller monsters caught up and pounced on Jael from the right, his hand turned to sword so fast he barely felt the usual shifting of flesh and bone. A swift slash and the monster fell into two.
Most of the smaller monsters also caught up with others and they were swiftly taken down. The big rot monster was slow but its long strides made it covered distance quickly.
Something passed over their head suddenly and the ground in front of them exploded, sending dust and debris into the air.
"Watch out!" Litha flunged herself forward towards Jael and Temur, instantly creating a shield around them, she quickly pumped it full of energy.
The monster\'s hand came down, it hit the shield and magic sparked as the force collided. She grunted as it drained more of her power. "We are so fucked. I can\'t hold this long." She managed to say, focusing all her attention on holding the shield together for as long as it would take.
"Then we use the time you buy us to plan quickly. Jael, you are the quickest among us, you will face it directly while I will deal damage from the side. Litha your long range attacks will go a long way." Temur said. He replaced his sword and brought out one with a broader blade.
Jael nodded, his heart pounding fast. Fight that thing close up? He knew he had been making progress but getting close to that abomination is a different matter entirely. He turned to the others and saw the way their face shuttered as if they had done this several times.
He remembered what Litha said, \'Danger is the only way we can grow stronger\' he straightened. "I\'m ready when you are."
"After you Litha. And may the green sky watch our victory today." Temur saidthe deathdeath in, and his aura followed, swirling around him in vivid red. He concentrated it on his sword, listening to the distance murmuring of his Codex.
Jael also got himself ready shifting his hand into a sword and putting as much power as he could into it, turning it into a thing of flesh and fangs.
He concentrated their connection and sent mental thoughts to Hermit. \'Be my eyes\' both of his eyes glowed red and the world was suddenly washed with a reddish taint.
The claws came down again and this time, Litha collapsed the shield with a cry. "Now!"
Temur raised his sword and he sliced up; his aura rose with the blade and was met the full weight of the monster. His sword met hard claws and sparked showered down but the force sent him to his knees. "I\'ll buy time, you foul thing!" He grunted and whirled, letting the claws strike the ground next to him then he cut into the monster\'s fingers, cutting one clean off.
The monster flinched and shrilled in pain.
Litha and Jael had already made use of the opportunity.
She ran backwards, quickly climbing the tallest tree she could find. She heated her mana and above her head, energy flickered and mana started to gather searing the air.
Meanwhile Jael ran beneath the monster trying to gain its attention while it was locked with Temur. He heard it\'s roar of pain and he knew he had to get its attention so Temur could deal damage. "Unholy magic!"
He set his sword ablaze with green fire, he got to where he thought its face might be and released the arc of green magic that leaped and smashed into its flesh. The result was a dramatic peeling of rotting flesh that made the monster jumped back, snapping trees like twig.
That certainly got its attention, even with no eyes, all its attention focused on Jael. "Ah ha ah. It isn\'t what you think." He said as the monster\'s aura weighted on him.
The monster certainly think what it thinks because it punched Jael, the punch created a wind pressure that turned where he was to a mini explosion. Jael crashed into two trees before he could stop.
Pain exploded inside his head, his back felt as if it was run over by a car and his chest was tight with it. Hermit sent spikes of alarm warning through their connection just moments before a shadow loomed over him. \'Fuck\'