27.4ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ.ᴄᴏᴍ/sᴛʀᴀᴛᴏᴛʜʀᴀx

Cairn bellowed and charged through the dwindling net of fire that still hung in the air, burning himself in the process. Furious, the minotaur rushed to the spider, his hatchets raised. Rain ducked behind her as he moved trying to get a clear strike, Rain didn't give him one and danced between her legs as the Minotaur circled Lazia in growing frustration.

Rain suddenly grabbed one of the Spider's legs and heaved, pulling her away from the Minotaur and towards the building. Cairn bellowed again and rushed around to strike at him, Rain used the time it took from him to circle him to place his teeth once more on one of the Spider's legs. The Minotaur snarled and in desperation threw one of his hatchets, the steel hurtled through the air like a meteor toward Rain's head. Rain flinched back, surprised by the force and accuracy of the throw, barely avoiding it. The hatchet missed Rain and smashed into Lazia's leg.

SNAP!

Lazia screamed as her leg broke and her legs went out from under her. She fell. Unfortunately for Rain he was ducking back underneath at the same time and the entire weight of the Spider-goblin came crashing down on him. He slammed into the ground flat with a whuff of breath, the weight of her resting on his back.

He struggled to get free but could do nothing as heavy Minotaur hooves stomped toward his head.

"Got you, you piece of shit."

A massive meaty hand came down on his neck and he found himself being forcefully dragged from beneath the Spider. He was hauled up into the air and a pair of arms wrapped around his chest straight jacketing him to Cairn's torso, the Minotaur's arms were long enough that he could still grip Rain's neck with one hand while keeping his arms pinned. Rain struggled but found that with leverage the Minotaur's strength far outstripped the Cavebear's. He was trapped as solidly as though he were wrapped in bands of steel.

Lazia climbed to her feet with difficulty, breathing hard.

"You okay Lazia?"

"No I'm not fucking okay! My legs! My beautiful legs!"

"You'll get over it. You got spares."

The Spider-goblin made a strangled scream.

"That thing, that hateful thing, that thing needs to die!"

She lifted up a hand and it was engulfed with violet fire.

"Now hold on. I've caught it see? Literally all we need are collars and chains from the breeding pens and we have a new breeding stud."

"Fuck your stupid plan to make kids with this fucking horror Cairn."

"It's not stupid! Don't you see the potential Lazia? just think of the potential! We could conquer the dungeon! Monsters could rule the surface!"

The Spider took a step forward and her other hand ignited as well.

"Do I look like I'm thinking about goddamned potential?"

"No, but c'mon Laz, I jumped through your own fire for you."

The Spider stepped forward and Rain snarled as the fire came nearer, struggling with all his might.

"And then you broke one of my legs!"

"That was an accident!"

Rain growled and snapped at the air, pushing himself to the limit, but Cairn's grip was unwavering.

"I'm going to kill it Cairn. Hold it still."

Cairn backed away as Lazia came on.

"NO! It's mine! I caught it!"

"Let me kill it!"

Lazia lunged forward and Rain saw only Myra's fire.

He let out a snarling furious roar unlike any before. It rose up deep from within himself, deeper, as though it came from his very soul, a throbbing bass rumble that surged up like distant thunder. Rain's muscles strained against his binds, his head drew back and then thrust forward, maw yawning wide, and the sound physically collided with the air as it was unleashed, the bone-vibrating shock reverberation causing the air to shimmer outward in a shockwave, strings of blood and drool flung from his teeth as his jaws shuddered wider.

The roar built on itself, growing and booming. All grass in every direction was blown flat as waves of limitless bass flooded forth. The ground trembled and quaked beneath Cairn's hooves as though the very earth was afraid. But it didn't stop, no, it just became louder. Trees shifted in the distance, the fire in Lazia's hands was blown away, stones and dust began to drop from the cavern ceiling far above, the buildings they stood by shifted and creaked, wooden tiles crashing to the ground as they were shaken loose. And then it became even louder.

Cairn could see Lazia's lips moving but no voice reached him, it was all he could do to hold onto the wolf as it released a staggering ear numbing ripsnarl roar. Lazia was screaming silently at him now but his sight was starting to go dark around the edges. He blinked and felt fluid run from his eyes, no, not just his eyes, his ears were running too and his nose and mouth. He licked his lips, the iron taste of blood. The vibrations were so strong now that he could barely breathe, he could feel his heart struggling to beat under the pressure waves. Oh, was it the wolf? Everything was going dark. His fingers slipped from around the beast. Why did he do that? Why did he fall to his knees? Why was the dark ground rushing up toward him?

Cairn slumped to the ground with blood pouring from every orifice as the roar came to an end.