Poison and Wind

The fight began in a blur.

Cass charged the beast like a battering ram, slamming her shield into its midsection with a clang that echoed through the stone chamber. The impact barely moved it. The monster reared up with a roar, its clawed arms coming down like twin hammers.

She raised her shield again just in time—BOOM!—sparks flew as her boots dug into the floor, holding ground.

"Now, Theo!" she yelled.

"Vestra Galeum—Severing Wind!"

Theo's magic circle flared to life. Slicing winds howled across the chamber, carving lines across the creature's moss-covered body. The monster howled, flinching back—but not retreating. Its attention shifted.

That was Chosa's cue.

Speed boosted, he sprinted in from the side, darting between the creature's massive legs. He ducked a swing of its tail and slashed with his dagger, leaving a shallow cut on its thigh. Barely visible poison seeped in.

He rolled back out, breathing hard. That's one.

Again. Another slice, another poisoned wound. It wasn't enough to slow it down—not yet—but Chosa knew the damage was ticking beneath the surface. He just had to keep it up.

Cass took another hit, skidding back several feet. Her armor clanged loudly as she grit her teeth and pressed forward, raising her shield again.

Theo's spells kept coming, but the monster was adapting. It started leaping into the air, slamming down hard enough to create shockwaves. Stones cracked. Vines lashed out from the walls. One nearly caught Chosa by the leg, but he rolled just in time.

"This thing isn't going down easy!" Theo shouted, his robes flaring from the wind of his magic. "Poison any slower and we'll be fertilizer!"

"Keep going!" Cass shouted back. "We just need one clean opening!"

But the opening never came.

Instead, the creature roared again—this time louder than before—and lunged straight for Cass.

She braced her shield, but the beast didn't just strike. It grabbed her.

With one massive clawed hand, it pinned her to the ground. Her shield arm shook violently as she struggled beneath its strength. The pressure increased—bones began to creak. Her armor started to crack.

"Cass!" Theo cried.

"Move!" she shouted, straining against the force. "Get out of—!"

She couldn't finish.

The monster raised its other claw, ready to bring it down and crush her completely.

Chosa didn't think.

He moved.

His legs blurred—Speed Boost activated to its limit—as he darted across the chamber in a flash of motion.

"Get down!" he shouted.

Cass looked up, eyes wide, as Chosa shoved her aside with both hands—just as the claw came crashing down.

CRACK!

Chosa took the full brunt of the hit.

He flew through the air like a ragdoll, slamming into the wall with a sickening BOOM!

Dust exploded outward. The chamber went quiet for a moment.

"CHOSA!!" Theo and Cass screamed in unison.

Smoke and dust hung thick in the air, obscuring the far side of the room.

No response.

"Damn it—Luctus Aeris!" Theo's voice rose with fury as he chanted, his eyes glowing. A storm of magic gathered around him. "Release: Wind Storm Barrage!"

A wall of wind surged out, the sheer pressure of it knocking the monster off balance. The beast howled as it was blasted off its feet, tumbling backward and slamming into the floor with a loud crash. Stones shook, and roots ripped from the walls as the beast struggled to rise.

Cass didn't wait.

She ran.

Across the broken stone, past the debris and vines, until she knelt beside the motionless form of Chosa—bloodied, cracked armor, his body slumped against the wall.

"Chosa! Hey!" she shouted, shaking him. "Talk to me, dammit!"

He coughed weakly, blood at the corner of his mouth, but then… he grinned.

"Guess I really can't take a punch," he muttered.

Cass blinked, somewhere between relief and exasperation. "Why would you… why would you take that hit for me?"

He met her gaze, still grinning through the pain. "None of your business."

For the first time, Cass hesitated. There was something in her voice—something unsure. "You're healing… slowly. How?"

Chosa glanced at his arm. The bruises were fading. The blood was already clotting, the wounds closing.

He smiled faintly.

"It's a secret."

Cass stared at him, but said nothing. Just watched, as if seeing him for the first time.

Behind them, the creature began to stir again—groaning, battered but still alive.

Theo's voice echoed from the side, tense. "That bought us a minute. Maybe two. Let's end this."

Chosa stood—wobbling slightly but standing nonetheless—dagger in hand.

His poison was working.

And this fight wasn't over yet.