Slaying the Beast

Aine lie in a heap against the far wall, blood slowly seeping from her wounds in a puddle on the ground around her. I ran over to her body; I propped her head in my lap. I dug through my belt for crystals to heal her, her health bar was rapidly depleting. The crystals stalled the depletion, and I left them on her. I reached for my blade and held it at my side.

I turned towards the beast. It was on its hind legs now. The barbed whip was spinning in the center of the room in a rapid motion. Soldiers were dodging and making thrusts at it with their weapons. Blood covered the floor of the chamber. Trudging through waves of blood, I stood before the beast. The whip had momentarily stopped rapidly waving, the beast was heaving in rapid breaths. Wounds littered its body, deep cuts bled slowly scattered across the beast.

Vane was standing across the room, in the midst of a group of fallen warriors, he stood tall. Raising his weapons, he parried the clawed swipes of the beast. Crossing his blades to stop the heavy descent of the hand. Erik approached from the side of Zane, his broadsword raised high, he hacked down and severed the large clawed hand from the wrist. And it fell to the ground in a great thud.

Vane leaned over, bracing his hands on his knees as he took in deep, shallow breaths. A large gash ran down his cheek from the corner of his eye to his chin. He looked over and I noticed Lan lying on the floor beside him, blood seeping from a wound in his chest. The wound was likely from one of the barbs of the whip. 

The beast was back on all fours, resting on the stump of its wrist, and its other battered arm. It raised its hackles, it launched to the side and snatched a mage in its jaws, tossing him across the room. The soldiers were on the ground, breathing heavily. Mages were looking pale, their energies waning from constant spell casting. The beast launched himself around the room, running in circles, bashing soldiers, mages, and archers out of his way. Jaws snapping, he tore through flesh and sinew. More little flames began to glow, our numbers were dwindling.

I ran toward Vane and Lan, the beast was circling the room and charging in the direction towards me. I cried out and raised my blade like a lance before me, bracing it with my body weight. I jumped toward the beast; my blade pointed at the central head. As we clashed together, I felt teeth rip into my shoulder. I thrust my arm upwards and forward, my blade sinking into muscle and tissue, and emerging from the back of the guardian's neck. 

The final head snapped at me, jaws extending to wrap around my body. When I felt the pulse in my blade, I summoned the power from within me and it welled up and overflowed. Black smoke flowed from the blade and surrounded the beast. Deep lacerations began to appear all over the final head, the eyes gauged themselves out. Blood poured over my hair and chest. Blisters sizzled where the smoke met flesh, the hound howled, tipping its snout back toward the sky. Blood trickled from the corner of its lips. The health bar above its head was nearly depleted, only a sliver remained. I twisted the blade.

The guardian crumpled in position. Falling to it nears with a loud crash that reverberated throughout the room. It slumped sideways across the toppled throne. Its hands stretched forward in a grabbing motion. The beast was still. A shrill chime echoed throughout the room, a victory chime. 

QUEST COMPLETED: SLAY THE GUARDIAN OF MIKADO

REWARDS AWARDED: RARE DROP (MYTHRIL CUIRASS), Str. +2, +40,000 Exp.

FINAL KILL BONUS: +30,000 Exp.

On the other side of the room, in the tunnel the beast had emerged from, torches flared to life. The depths of the tunnel were illuminated, in the far distance you could see a sliver of light. This was the way forward to the next city. The next level of the game. The level few had ever made it to, only the wealthiest of beta players.

The room was silent. Dazed, I took in the scene before me. The warriors slumped on the ground, the pools of blood and carnage. The floating flames of all those waiting to respawn after the battle. Lan groaned and moved slowly on the ground; Vane tended to him. I sighed in relief, knowing he wasn't a lost soul. I turned toward the side of the room where Aine lay and ran over to where she was. She was pale but breathing steadily. Her health bar was increasing at a glacial pace. As long as she avoided any hits, she would be okay.

Lan shakily dragged himself to his feet. He stood in the center of the room and turned around, taking in the scene before him. He gazed at the carcass of the beast lying across the throne, it was beginning to disintegrate into blue polygons, and a small smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. He turned to face the men.

"We have done it!" He cried out, pumping a fist into the air. The room was silent for a moment, then the men burst into cheers. Men clapped each other on the back, some fell to their knees in exhaustion. I stood amongst the chaos and placed my sword on my back. I felt dissociated from the joy, still amongst a thousand buzzing bees. 

A hand descended on my shoulder, I turned to see Vane standing next to me. He was covered in blood; the edges of his gear were frayed and damaged. His lips lifted in a small smile.

"You did it. Let's get her out of here. We can explore the new city later." I nodded in return and looked over at Aine. Lan stood still in the center of the people and raised his voice again.

"Tonight, we rest, and we celebrate! We will return to explore the new city." He boomed and the crowd nodded its assent. Men started helping each other stand and move toward the exit to the cavern. We had won this fight; it was time to recuperate.