Chapter 8

  Leaving the relative safety of Stone Ear’s Bluff, Graham and his party made their way into the Northeastern Sunfields, where the investigation would take place. As they exited the Northern gate, many stopped and regarded them with a touch of worry and interest, as they headed to an area the townsfolk were forbidden to enter. A farmer, coming into the town from the direction they traveled, bowed in their direction, muttering a quick prayer to the Gods on their behalf. The party exchanged worried looks before continuing down the road.

  As they walked through the Sunfields once again, the idle sound of bugs buzzing and chittering filled the silence, the party members on high alert for any sound indicating they weren’t alone. It wasn’t until almost an hour into their walk that they saw the first sign that things were worse than they could’ve imagined.

  “Gods.” Hould stopped in his tracks, looking at the mass of black that had appeared onto the horizon.

  The rest of the party joined where he was standing in order to see for themselves. Stevie gasped, Fleur covered her mouth with her paw, and Graham let out a heavy breath. Cruz bit his tongue and looked at Hould with uncertainty. For what lay before them was a horizon of blackened stalks and ashen ground, as if the Sunfields ended in oblivion. Graham felt his vision be drawn into the field of black as if it was a void, drinking in the light like it was made for nothing else.

  Hould was the first to clench his fists and continue along their path, a new determination rekindled in his eyes.

  Cruz swiftly followed, invigorated by Hould’s resolve, followed by the rest of the party shortly after. Graham glanced at Fleur–who was still looking a little shaken–and put a paw on her shoulder, trying his best to reassure her. At his touch, she glanced up at him and saw the look he had in his eyes and nodded at him, once again fully confident in their group.

  As they drew closer, the field of black began to envelop more of their vision. The blue sky even took on a more pale gray sheen as the party began to walk amongst the petrified crops. All sounds of nature that they had once heard on the way ceased entirely, bringing an eerie silence that allowed Graham to hear his own heartbeat. Not even the wind would brave this area of the Sunfields now, and all things that made the Valley the wonderful place they all called home were no longer welcome here. The air had no scent. Gone were the gentle scents of Spring and the crops that populated the Sunfields, replaced with a stagnation that could only stuff the nose.

  Walking amongst the statues of crops, the party jumped when a crunch echoed from their right side. They turned to see that a plant crumbled and cracked before breaking apart into chunks that scattered on the ground. Sighing in relief, the party continued down the road to what they could see as some sort of clearing ahead of them. Several more plants broke down and shattered as they walked, no longer able to bear their own weights.

  “We react to each one, got it? We don’t get complacent. That’s how you wind up dead.” Hould’s voice echoed to the group after the sound of the 4th planted filled their ears.

  Each time, the members of the group stopped and went on full alert, not letting the isolated sounds draw them into a sense of comfort. Before long, the party reached the clearing and began looking around for any sign of the previous groups that had traveled here.

  “Guys, it looks like there’s some bootprints headed this way.” Cruz followed the tracks and pointed into the crop fields, where it seemed a path through the crops had been carved.

  “It looks like these plants can injure you if you aren’t careful.” Stevie noted as he inspected one of the plants near the edge that had a dash of red on it, likely from where it cut someone.

  “Ok, we take it slow through here so we can be safe. Cruz, do you mind taking the lead since you can follow the tracks?” Graham announced to the group after they had regrouped.

  “I don’t take orders from you. But I was already going to do that before you asked.” Cruz grumbled before he took point. He unstrapped his spear from his back in order to better maneuver through the stone plants. Graham followed directly behind him, shield readied and shortsword drawn. Fleur and Stevie followed subsequently, with Hould at the rear, his large stature able to give him a decent view over the rest of the party and the surrounding area.

  Several minutes of navigating the plants passed before Cruz called the column to a stop to inspect something that he had found on the ground.

  “It looks like a bag maybe? It’s pretty torn up but it looks like we’re on the right track.”

  Twisting and turning through the stone fields, the party arrived at another clearing. In its entirety the clearing was about 60 feet across, twice the size of the last one, though this one housed a small pond. Scattered on the banks were various pieces of fabric, bags, and even a couple of weapons.

  “What in the–” Graham started. Not having the words necessary to finish his own question.

  “It looks like maybe some kind of battle.” Hould knelt down and inspected some of the clothing fragments.

  “There’s a lot of magical energy coming from this pond.” Fleur noted as she tossed a piece of fabric from the banks into the pond. Before their eyes, the fabric started to bubble, and soon turned into a flat sheet of rock, which broke apart and sank further into the water, the pond looking as if it had never been disturbed.

  “Strange. I don’t know this magic. But I’m betting this is our source. If it’s infected the groundwater, it makes sense the crops would start to petrify.” Fleur concluded.

  “So now we can get out of here right? This place feels gross in so many ways.” Stevie tried to dust himself off as if he was infected by the very air.

  “Well, we should try and find those groups who came before us. If even to just confirm their fates.” Graham pointed out to the party.

  “Graham, as far as I’m concerned, this is all the proof we need.” Fleur gestured to the strewn about fragments of fabric and gear. “Let’s just get out of here. That pond’s magic is creeping me out.”

  “Perhapssssss I can assist you?” A cold voice rang out from somewhere behind them.

  Turning as one, the party faced the path they had come from and saw a large pair of yellow eyes attached to an elongated black scaled head, whose tongue was flicking out, its tip split into two.

  “It-it-it-it’s a–” Stevie stumbled.

  “It’s a Predator.” Graham said, almost in disbelief.

  “Ah yesssssss well technically I am a Snake. You Valley vermin just love lumping us all together. It makes me sssssick.”

  The Snake raised its head, bringing its body forward into a coil. By estimates, Graham guessed that this thing had to be at least 30 feet long and its body as wide as a tree trunk.

  Hould clenched his teeth as he slowly reached over his shoulder and grasped the handle of his axe.

  “I can see you’re all a little on edge. Ssssso, how about we ease the tension by playing a game?”

  “What kind of game?” Graham asked, his paws shaking.

  The Snake slowly circled them, slithering around the length of the clearing, its head pointing at them the entire time it moved.

  “The rules are quite ssssimple. You just have to make it back to the road. If you don’t, then I win.”

  “Screw that! You’re just trying to get us to run away so that you can pick us off one by one!” Hould yelled at the Snake. Now brandishing his axe in front of him.

  “Awwww. You’re no fun. The others tried to play my game, you know. It’s a shame they lost. But you all don’t even want to play! Ssssssuch a travesty.” The Snake shook his head slightly in mock sadness. “But I do have to give it to you, Mouse. You’ve got spirit. It’s been far too long since I’ve tasted such delicious Prey.”

  Hearing the Predator’s referral to them as Prey made Stevie collapse backwards onto his butt, his chest heaving as he stared with wide eyes at the Predator slinking around across the pond from them.

  “Ahhhhh. Do you ssssssmell that? It’s lovely. I just love the sssssmell of fear.” The Snake’s eyes met Stevie’s, who couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down his face.

  “Get it together, Stevie. We’re all scared. But if we work together we can get away.” Fleur said, not taking her eyes off the Snake, but reaching for Stevie who was still blubbering on the ground.

  “What an interesting meal you've become. Boy am I glad I was sent on this mission. I’d have never been able to meet you if I hadn’t. It’ssssss the little things in life, am I right?” The Snake almost seemed to smile. “Who would’ve thought that poisoning crops would lead to such excitement?”

  Graham's breathing was ragged but he took several deep breaths, allowing himself to steady and the adrenaline to keep him in control of his body. “Are you just going to sit there and monologue or are you going to do something already?” Graham practically yelled at the Snake, mustering all of his courage.

  “You’re right, little Mouse. I am getting a bit famished.” The Snake’s eyes drifted from Graham’s ready stance to Stevie’s still semi-prone form. Noticing the change in glance, Graham jumped in front of Stevie just as the Snake seemed to appear in front of him, his mouth wide open, displaying a pair of sharp fangs on both the top and bottom of his mouth. Graham’s eyes opened wide in shock as he brought his shield into a bash to the side of the Snake’s mouth, deflecting its head to the side, causing it to narrowly miss its mark. I thought I moved preemptively but…Gods…I’ve never seen something that fast. My arm moved on instinct.

  Shaking its head at the blow, the Snake looked mildly surprised as it eyed Graham with a new respect. Though only for a moment as Hould barreled into the side of the Snake, bringing his axe around in a diagonal upward slash aimed at part of the Snake’s body. Adjusting its body slightly, the Snake’s scales made a loud schlink sound as sparks flew from where the axe met its body, the scales not having been scratched at all. Seeing the Snake’s momentary distraction, Graham tried a quick stab into part of the Snake’s neck, and quickly found the point of his sword unable to find purchase, simply sliding along the side of the Snake’s scales.

  “All that bravery, and for what? A little polishing for my sssscales? Not that I don’t appreciate the effort.”

  Graham saw a Sigil out of the corner of his eye, and saw Cruz illustrating the symbol of Air. The air around Cruz began to move and change as wind settled into his body, giving his fur the image that it was constantly being blown by an absent wind. The Snake looked over to Cruz, and Graham could swear that it raised an eyebrow despite having none. With a flash, Cruz bolted forward, the wind whistling with his approach. Stabbing his spear forward at the Snake, the Snake tried to deflect the stab, but the wind-infused spear still managed to leave a shallow cut on the scales, drawing the first blood.

  Angling its head to look at where it was cut, the Snake looked to be slightly surprised, having clearly underestimated its Prey. The end of its tail lashed out and hit Cruz in the side, sending his form bouncing before crashing into several stone plants that outlined the pond clearing. Graham lunged forward again, this time aiming to hit the Snake in the face or the eye. The Snake narrowly and gracefully moved its head out of the stab’s trajectory before swinging its head around and battering Graham, sending him skidding backward despite using his shield to block.

  Fleur was hustling over to where Cruz was slowly getting to his feet, blood dripping from his mouth. Stevie was watching the exchange from behind Graham, still trembling like a leaf. Hould backed off from the Snake seeing the strike on Cruz, and began looking for an opening to exploit.

  “Is this all your courage has given you?”

  Graham could see Hould grit his teeth and glance in his direction. They locked eyes for a moment and Graham nodded, somehow understanding Hould’s intentions.

  “Do you always play with your food, or is this just a one-time thing?” Graham called out to the Snake, seeing that Hould was making room for himself and trying to focus.

  The Snake turned its attention to Graham and chuckled coldly. “Oh I always do this. You have no idea how exciting it is to see fear turn into despair. Not only that, but it makes you taste ssssssso much better. Oh dear. I’m getting excited just thinking about it.”

  The Snake seemed to be enjoying the moment a little too much, as it missed Hould forming Fire Sigils in its blind spot, who was now charging at the Snake’s body wielding an axe of fire, his every step leaving a burnt footprint on the already ruined soil. Feeling the sudden heat, the Snake turned sharply and suddenly to face Hould’s onslaught.

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  The Snake quickly launched itself at Hould’s sprinting form, but widely missed as Hould leapt into the air, a trail of fire following his trajectory. Hould brought his axe down in a two-handed smash that cleaved and cracked a portion of the scales on the Snake’s back. Hissing in pain, the Snake whipped around from where Hould was recovering from his attack, getting some distance from the fiery Mouse.

  Hould wasn’t deterred. In a flash of fire, he launched himself at the Snake once more, landing a spectacular horizontal slash that cauterized the gash it left in the Snake’s side. Grabbing his leg with its mouth, the Snake flung Hould away from him, the anger in its eyes plain to see.

  “Enough of this pathetic magic.” The Snake said disdainfully as a Sigil appeared before him. Graham gasped as the image of an eye appeared, and the activation of the magic seemed to make the Snake’s eyes glow even more menacingly. Hould walked out of the crater that had formed from his impact, the flames on his body having died down a bit. Once again, he charged at the Snake, determined to see it fall. Just then, Hould’s gaze met that of the menacing Snake’s, causing Hould to freeze in his tracks. The flames surrounding his weapon and body extinguished and his body locked up. A grey pale color took over his reddish fur and he began to turn to stone.

  Graham watched, wide-eyed, as he witnessed one of his party members get incapacitated like it was nothing. Hould, the most powerful fighter he knew, barely stood a chance against something like this Predator. What would he be able to do? Was there even a point?

  “Damnit, no!” Cruz shouted from across the clearing, back on his feet after Fleur healed all of his injuries. Fleur looked upon the sight of Hould being petrified with a shocked expression. She and Graham locked eyes for a moment before he felt the mutual despair flow between them for a second. No. Not today. I’ll make sure that they get away. They must.

  Graham looked toward Cruz, who was positively raging, but still raring to go, and Stevie, who had gotten up and actually looked equally pissed seeing Hould’s fate. Stevie had his bow drawn and an arrow nocked, though looked unsure as to how he could help the situation.

  “What a ssssshame. The largest of you is now inedible. No matter.” The Snake turned its head once more to Graham and Stevie’s direction.

  “So what’s it going to be little Mouse? Is this the part where you run away? What about you, Rabbit? Oh I sssso hope you do run away. I do love chasing Rabbits.”

  The Snake reared its head backwards a bit, and Graham called out its strike moments before the Snake launched its head at Stevie, intending to swallow him whole it seems. Ducking to the ground at Graham’s voice, the Snake passed harmlessly over his head. Graham followed up and brought down his sword in a stab using all of his might, and he managed to sink his sword tip very shallowly into the Snake’s scales right in between them, drawing blood.

  Hissing, the Snake drew his head back quick as lightning and went for another strike, this time aimed at Graham. He only had a moment to consider the speed before he was blasted backwards, all of the air leaving his lungs as he was flung across the ground. He managed to avoid the fangs, but the sheer force of the strike still sent him smashing into the surrounding stone crops. Picking himself up out of the dust, he saw Fleur’s look of worry directed at him before giving her a reassuring shake of his head, denying that he needed her help and simultaneously requesting she stay there.

  Graham saw Cruz narrowly avoid another strike from the Snake and deliver a solid thrust into its side, drawing more blood. In a rapid contortion, the Snake’s body suddenly wrapped around Cruz’s body, lifting him off of the ground before launching him at Stevie, who had just drawn his bow, aiming at the Snake’s head. Trying to dodge the flying body of Cruz, Stevie dove out of the way, his arrow missing wide in his rush. Cruz tumbled and rolled before crashing into yet another crop, coughing up blood, but still alive. The Snake once again coiled itself, briefly regarding its minor injuries before returning its attention to the remaining two party members. Graham was trying to pull himself to his feet, but he seemed like he was pretty beat up, and something was definitely broken in his ribs.

  He just needed to be faster. But that wasn’t really an option right now. Damnit. Hould and Cruz have only been able to damage it using magic. I have to try using it too. It’s the only way. We’ll all die if I don’t. No pressure, right?

  Graham felt the energies within him. Drawing on his Vital energy, he felt the familiar burn of the energy flow through him before summoning his Spirit energy. A feeling which Fleur liked to equate to ‘a breeze that feels like it's beneath your skin’, Graham forced the two energies together, his mind focused on only one thing: speed. He needed to be faster to have any chance at fighting the Snake. Or at least keeping it busy while the others escaped.

  The energies spiraled together within his body, burning with a will of its own, begging to be unleashed. Graham focused his intent, he saw a clear mental image of himself moving like the Snake, with speed equivalent to the creature. Using his sword to horizontally slash the air, a Sigil formed. Not one of any specific element, but still laced with the intent of Air. Pushing the energies into the Sigil felt right to him, and the spell came to life as he noticed the Snake preparing its next strike.

  With a blast of Air, Graham arrived in front of the poised Snake’s head, both Graham and the Snake mirroring expressions of surprise at the sudden appearance of the other. Graham composed himself quickly and brought his sword around in a spinning slash aimed at the Snake’s head. The Snake was unable to dodge in time, and the sword cut with such force as the wind cut through the rocky valleys of the Northern mountains. A deep gash was laid across the Snake’s snout, causing the Snake to recoil and hiss in pain at the sudden injury. Graham, though triumphant in his strike, could not stop his forward momentum, extending himself way past the Snake, landing almost 20 feet away. He had covered almost 50 feet in the blink of an eye!

  So this was magic. The intent and will of a spell went far deeper than Graham had initially surmised. All he could think about was how fast the Snake was, how fast he needed to be, and protecting Fleur from the Snake. No images of making himself lighter, or his muscles stronger, no. This was intent in its purest form. The true desire to see the ones he loved protected and the means by which to accomplish that goal.

  Landing on his feet, Graham turned and tried to control his advance this time, nearly slowing himself by half of his speed. Still moving like the wind, Graham weaved through rows of stone plants, and soon arrived back to where the Snake was still reeling. Fleur had stood in front of Stevie protectively, but was now moving to where Cruz was laid up against a stone plant, still struggling to stand. Stevie, seeing Graham’s advance, picked up his bow with a renewed determination, and began firing arrows at the Snake, attempting to land a critical hit into its eyes.

  Recovering slightly from the strike, the Snake eyed Stevie for a moment before looking about the clearing, its new target clear. Locking eyes with Graham, the Snake no longer seemed to feel the need for gloating or monologuing, instead resolving to kill Graham where he stood. Graham saw the Snake begin to gather its energy and focus, a Sigil of an eye already forming, and Graham knew what was coming. Pushing himself to full speed, Graham sprinted towards the Snake, and hoped his theory was true. Leaping into a forward thrust, Graham closed his eyes. The Snake’s spell completed, and Graham felt a foreign Spirit Energy wash over him, but didn’t feel what he guessed that Hould felt in that moment, his sword instead staying true on its path towards the Snake, impaling its left eye.

  The cry of pain that left the Snake was enough to shake the surrounding crops, some of them immediately crumbling from the weight of the wailing. Graham’s sword was abandoned in the still wriggling Snake as he thrashed about, further smashing the surrounding stone. The water of the pond vibrated and shook as the Snake rampaged. Throwing the sword out of its now ruined eye socket, Graham watched as the sword fell into the pond, slowly turning first into stone, then into dust. The Snake continued wailing as it shook its head back and forth, struggling to use its remaining eye to get its bearings. Graham barely had time to mourn the loss of his sword before the Snake’s voice rang out.

  “I. Will. Kill. You!” The Snake proclaimed in a voice far more gritty and evil sounding than its previously icy and smooth tone.

  Graham ran over to where Stevie was standing, having moved in front of Fleur while she was working on Cruz. Graham stood in front of them, shield facing the Snake, trying to figure out their next move. This was still really bad. Now the Snake was truly and utterly pissed and there would definitely be no running. No. It had to be either them or it. Here and now. Graham clenched his teeth as he strengthened his resolve. He could feel the magic he casted waning, he couldn’t afford to keep supplying the spell. Small bursts were far more effective than long lasting enhancements. He just wasn’t sure he could get the intent as clear as he did before. Anything less than the speed he had attained wouldn’t be enough, if Cruz’s condition was any indication.

  The Snake focused for a moment before two Sigils appeared before it. One, Graham instantly recognized as Air, and the other seemed to be shaped like some sort of triangle, though it was made up of multiple triangles. Graham didn’t have time to ruminate on the Sigil, as the Snake activated the Sigils and slowly faded from existence right before their eyes.

  “What? Where did it go?” Stevie announced, his eyes darting back and forth.

  “Maybe…It…ran…” Cruz huffed out from behind the party, Fleur’s healing magic still working its way into his system.

  “Not likely. Did you hear how mad it was? It’s planning something.” Fleur said urgently.

  “I agree. Stay on your toes.” Graham’s eyes were scanning the clearing. Strange. Was that patch of ground that flat before? I wonder if–Graham’s eyes widened as he brought his shield around to his right as he felt the mouth close around his right arm. Lifted out of the air, Graham was flung directly into the ground 10 feet away by an unseen force. That spell. It made it invisible. Damnit. Graham groaned, coughing up blood and not being able to move his right arm, which was broken and laid limply on the ground. His shield was dented from the impact, and he was sure that even more ribs were broken now. The spell he casted had worn off, the Vital Energy threatening to knock him unconscious if he continued drawing from it.

  “Graham! Damn. How do we see it?” Fleur cried out before watching the area in front of them with a focused gaze.

  “I think I see it! You can see the ground where it’s at is still indented!” Stevie called out, shooting an arrow into the space he thought the Snake occupied. The arrow glanced off of thin air, the shape of the Snake shimmering and rippling as its barrier had been disturbed.

  Graham watched as what he guessed was the Snake’s invisible tail hit Stevie in the side, sending him tumbling towards the crops. From the angle he was lying prone, looking up at where he thought the Snake might be, he could see a faintly glimmering shape in the rays of sunlight. So its just reflecting light then.

  Graham crawled out of the small crater his body had made, and stumbled as he tried to stand, desperate to try and reach Fleur before the Snake could recover and launch an additional strike.

  Throwing his shield in a desperate gamble at the spot he deduced the Snake was, the shield soared and hit the Snake in the side of its head, causing its camouflage to shimmer and crack. The Snake looked over at Graham with annoyance, and coiled backwards to strike at him. Graham remembered his lessons on magic. There was no way he had enough Vital Energy to sustain another spell like the last one, but he remembered that Spirit Energy was meant to manipulate the world around him. He felt he had plenty left, but what could he do? A fireball wasn’t going to do anything. Damnit. I just need it to be slower. Wait. Graham’s idea took root in his mind. He didn’t have to make himself faster, he just needed to make the Snake slower. But was that even possible? What kind of magic did that? Water? Maybe. There’s no time to try and figure it out as the Snake’s next strike would surely kill Graham. There was only time to do, not think. The Snake reared back to strike, and Graham drew whatever Sigil felt right in that moment, a spiral appeared before him as he pushed his Spirit and Vital energy mix into the Sigil. The Snake’s head shot forward, but seemed to stop not 10 feet from Graham as he kept running.

  Actually, stop was the wrong word. It was still moving, but so slowly that you had to be almost next to it to tell. Graham dodged the Snake’s incoming head by merely walking out of the head’s trajectory. Graham looked over to where Fleur was healing Cruz, and she also appeared to be affected by the spell. Feeling the spell nearing the edge of its limitations, Graham released the flow of energy, and time resumed at normal speed. The Snake’s head crashed into the ground, creating another crater. It lifted its head, confused at where Graham went, before turning its good eye to where he was standing not 10 feet away, clearly not where he was previously.

  “How?” The Snake hissed. All traces of its previous air of superiority had disappeared. The Snake looked to be slightly shaken up and dazed from the impact of hitting the ground directly.

  Graham ran over to where Fleur had stopped healing Cruz, who despite being physically ok, was drained of energy from the healing process. Cruz coughed again and held out a dagger that he kept sheathed at his waist to Graham. With a nod, Graham accepted the dagger. Holding the small dagger in his shield hand, a slight sense of security returned to Graham.

  “Graham, there’s no way you can continue. Let me help you before you try and fight again.”

  Graham glanced over at Fleur, who looked as if her eyes were glassy and like she was in a daydream.

  “No, Fleur. You’ve already used too much Spirit Energy. You can’t risk using any more.”

  “But…you’ll die…” Tears began to flow down Fleur’s cheeks as she pushed herself out of the Spirit Energy-induced daze she was in.

  “If I do. I’m taking this bastard with me. Get Stevie and Cruz out of here. Promise me.”

  “I won’t leave you.” Fleur looked pleadingly at Graham.

  “Damnit, Fleur. I can’t fight it right now knowing it could come after you. I won’t be able to protect you if it decides to take its focus off of me.”

  Fleur nodded through her tears before dragging Cruz away and towards where Stevie was still prone, likely unconscious as well.

  The Snake seemed to gain some of its senses back just as Fleur left, leaving Graham directly in its path between it and the rest of his party. Brandishing the dagger in his left hand, Graham glared up at the Snake with a devilish grin. I might still be too weak for this. But I’ll be damned if I don’t try. Not looking to waste anymore time, the Snake immediately went for a quick strike in order to catch Graham off guard. But he had already been prepping the spell he used before. A spiral appeared behind him as his tail illustrated the Sigil, slowing time in a far more subdued manner than last time. The Snake was now moving at about half speed, which was still fast, but also slow enough for Graham to easily react to. Dodging strike after strike, the Snake grew more and more frustrated with its Prey. In a moment of anger, the Snake twisted and launched the entire back half of its body in a wide sweeping arc, attempting to swipe Graham. Seeing the wide attack, Graham upped the Spirit energy intensity, slowing time by a greater magnitude but also causing his mind to waver briefly. For a moment as he ran towards the Snake’s upper half and towards safety, he wondered why he was trying so hard. Wouldn’t it just be easier to not worry so much? I mean Fleur was already getting the two others out of there, so what’s the problem? He did his job. He can just rest now. Shaking his head clean of the Spirit energy deficit-induced thoughts, Graham continued his sprint through the heavily slowed time to where the Snake wouldn’t hit him before releasing the spell, allowing the Snake’s tail to carve a wide arc through the surrounding plants. Sensing the Mouse directly below him, the Snake turned its head at a downward angle and struck. Graham narrowly dodged as he pressed himself against the Snake’s scales. Graham plunged the dagger deep into an existing stab wound from Cruz’s earlier attempt, eliciting a jerk from the Snake.

  It flung its body and Graham away. Graham slid and fell to his knees, coughing up more blood as his injuries worsened from the use of magic. The Snake regarded him thoughtfully for a moment before commenting.

  “You were a worthy foe. Tell me, what are you called?”

  “Northtail, Graham Northtail.”

  “I see. Well, Graham Northtail. I deeply apologize for underestimating you. But the day’s victory is not yours. You have lost.”

  “Yea…maybe…but what a loss it was.” Graham smiled sadly to himself, blood freely flowing out of his mouth as the Snake prepared its final strike. It was alright. There was nothing else he could do. So it was ok to die knowing that was everything he had. Damn these low Spirit Energy thoughts. Are they always this depressing?. Graham closed his eyes and lifted his head towards the sky with a sad smile. If only he had been a little stronger. Graham heard the Snake’s head flash forward followed by a whoosh of steel and the sliding of something on the ground.

  Opening his eyes, Graham saw the head of the Snake. The Snake that had caused so much suffering and nearly killed him and his entire party, lay decapitated before him, its one good eye staring back at him in equal confusion. Graham looked up to where the body was and saw a creature of black and white stripes wielding a massive curved greatsword, painted red with the blood of the Snake it had just dispatched. Armor made of scales a lot like the ones of the Snake adorned its body. The creature turned towards Graham and he could only make out a triangle shaped face and an eyepatch before darkness took his mind, forcing him to fall over and into beckoning sleep.