"...I got a plan."
The unoccupied members of the team gathered around Whistle while Ave, Bounty, and Reggie continued the fight.
"This better be something good..." Dian said harshly as she huddled in. "Cause if you something like 'we need to hit him harder', I'm throwing you at him myself."
"No no. Nothing like that. Listen, I've been watching and can pretty well tell he's immune or resistant to most forms of magic, and any slash, bruise, or hole you put on him gets mended in seconds. We need to take him down in one fell swoop."
"Yoona doesn't know how to swoop..." The gnoll sheepishly admitted.
"Oh it's easy; all in the wings." Gala said fluttering her flightless appendages.
"Yoona doesn't have wings though."
"Girls..." Vanity interrupted. "...Listen to Whistle please."
"Thank you, V. Anyway, I need to know a few things before I say anything else. Mordeki, can you put him to sleep?"
"In his current state of alertness..., and my mana supply... near impossible."
"What if we stunned him and gave you some mana? Could you do so then."
"I can most certainly try." Mordeki finished with a nod.
"Who still has mana left?"
Ag chimed in. "I've barely used any since we started. I always save it as a last resort in fights like these."
"Good. Dian, how heavy are you?"
"Did you just ask me my weight?" Dian replied with obvious offense.
"Shit... I mean... How heavy can you make yourself? With your blood magic, I mean."
"Oh, quite, but I'd need some more robust blood than what I have. Actually Ag would be perfect."
"I suppose the Flame has destined for me to be a blood AND mana donor today."
"Good, good. V, can that suit give another one of those rock punches?"
"Absolutely, but I'll be immobile again afterwards."
"Shouldn't matter but good to know. Yoona, Gala, how are you two on mana?"
"Yoona has a bunch!"
"Same here, I can keep going."
"Okay. Then here's what we do..."
While the plan was laid out and set up, Bounty and Reggie were fighting on empty. Fighting being a loose term, as they were more running in circles than actually fighting.
"Fuck -- Fuck -- Fuck --" Reggie continually huffed as the initial terror and adrenaline of the fight had worn off. At this point it was just a light sprint after light sprint as Ave would take too large of an easily avoidable attack and take a few second to move for another one.
"Mate, I'm so bloody tired..." Bounty wheezed next to him.
"Screw you dude, you're a cat. You're built for this."
"Screw you back, I'm an ambush predator, you're an endurance hunter. You're better built for this. -- Here he comes."
One short sprint later.
"Oh gods I'm going to cough up a hairball."
"You guys actually do that? I thought it was a myth."
"You ever lick extra food off your fingers?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Now trying to do that when your hands are basically carpet."
"Huh. Makes sense -- here he comes."
Another short sprint later.
"Gods I'm exhausted, even Lady's tired."
"Lady -- You're dead girlfriend right? Ghosts get tired?"
"Yeah, you'd be surprised what ghosts go through. They exist in the exact state they died. Imagine being a woman and dying on your period."
"Oh shit... did she?..."
"No -- no not at all. Thankfully."
"...Crikey -- here we go again."
Just as the two were getting ready for their run, an arrow pierced the side of Ave's head; drawing his attention. Whistle nocked another arrow and let it fly right into Ave's chest. "Alright everyone, you know your roles! Charge!"
Everyone rushed forward with Yoona taking the lead. She skidded into position drawing a large green rune into the ground in front of her. It shattered with a flash causing the ground below Ave to soften into quicksand.
Ave sunk a few feet to his knees. He slashed and dug at the ground trying to free himself, but Gala was close behind. Her talons were resharpened into her own scythe like claws. With expert maneuvering she dodged under his swipes and got both of his under arms, tearing the muscles that kept them aloft.
Unable to move and unable to swipe, Ave was now a massive sitting duck. The team wasn't going to give him a moment of reprieve and lose this chance.
"You ready?" Whistle quickly asked Dian as he readied a tungsten arrow.
"Always." She replied confidently. The rune she made of Ag's blood activated. Her face sharpened into an angular draconic snout , and heavy white scales grew across her whole body.
Whistle launched the arrow and quickly jumped into Dian's back. He pulled them both towards the arrow, right to Ave's torso. He jumped off last second as Dian slammed into the lizard with enough force to shatter a castle wall. He fell back onto the ground with a heavy living weight on his chest.
Now that he was down, can't move, nor can attack, Vanity, Mordeki, and Ag followed with the final part. The demon queen rushed for his head, planting a solid right hook with a concussive blast of rock.
Ave was barely conscious, his roars of pain and frustration had dwindled down into a mild mumble.
"Take everything you need." Ag said falling down next to Ave's head. Mordeki fell in next to him already constructing a purple rune. He slowly siphoned mana from Ag as he worked on it. Before long the rune activated, and Ave fell limp.
"Ho - ly - shit. That was awesome!" Reggie cheered.
"Did we win?" Bounty, exasperated, asked behind him.
"Yes. He shouldn't be moving for long." Mordeki confirmed, giving the whole team a cathartic sense of relief...
Until Ave started moving again.
This time however his eyes darted beneath their lids, and his body flinch around as if he was having a bad dream. Everyone watched as he slowly shrunk down to his original size and stopped moving.
Another sigh of relief. Guards were dropped until Reggie noticed something; white wisps of spiritual energy radiating from Ave's body.
"Guys hold up. I think I see something."
"What is it? Is he getting up again?" Gala, exhausted, asked.
"No, no. Nothing like that. Give me a second..." Reggie stepped ever to Ave inspecting the wisps. He knelt down and whispered to Lady.
"...What do you think, Lady?
Well I don't know either.
I'll just go for it."
He grabbed at the wisps only for them to grab back. White cloth like tentacles wrapped around his wrists pulling his hands towards Ave's chest. He could barely resist nor call for help as his palms planted against Ave's ruined chest. Bright light shown from Reggie's eyes and Lady was kicked out of her possession.
She floated freely for a moment, unaware that she was now fully visible to the party, and beside her stood the large figure of a giant spectral wolf. The party took up arms ready for another exhausting fight, but instead of attack the wolf opened it's mouth, it's voice coming straight from Reggie's lips.
"Lower your weapons. I mean you no harm."
"Then tell us who or what you are, and what you are doing with Ave and Reggie!" Ag commanded, his swords ready to strike.
The spectral wolf seemed to let out an unenthusiastic sigh. "For my name, I am Dezik, The White Wolf. For what I am, a Tulpa. A spirit formed from Ave's anger and wish for vengeance. For my purpose, to aid Ave in his quest, and keep him safe from the Black Blood, so that we may both find peace at the end of our journey. For your friend, he reached out to me, and now I reach out to you, but..." He takes a somber look to Lady. "...I apologize that I had to forcibly make room."
"It's no problem... -- Ahhh!" Lady made startled yelp as this was her first time hearing her voice escape her ghostly lips rather than having it broadcast to Reggie's mind. "I can speak!...I can speak?...I can speak! Oh my gods, can you all hear me?" She turned with a giddy expression to the team. Her torn white dress twirling around her bare feet, and dripping water underneath her.
Though most of the party was speechless, Gala was immediately all for this new ghost waifu. "O-M-G girl you are so CUTE!" Gala took a full run to take her into a hug, but instead phased straight through her and face planted on the ground covered in water.
With the tension of the situation suddenly dropping harder than a certain horny wet owl, everyone couldn't help but chuckle or laugh out loud.
Once the ruckus had died down Vanity took the lead on questioning the wolf. "So... Dezik, was it? You mentioned this 'Black Blood'. Could you elaborate for us?"
"That I can..." Dezik solemnly replied. "This is Ave's second chance at life, but it is not his life alone. With his resurrection came the Black Blood. A malevolent entity that acts as a symbiotic parasite. It keeps him alive and walking, while he unknowing feeds it during the transformations; the one you quelled."
"Is there a way to stop it?" Ag questioned.
"No, removing it would bring his death, and I cannot allow that, but it can be kept in check. I actively take a part in preventing it's control, but there are certain stimuli that I cannot prevent the transformation through."
"We know of sound. What else?" Bounty added.
"His wounds. If they are of too great of volume the Black Blood with begin defending itself. We are lucky he is not a creature of emotion, as that is another trigger. His anger can unleash it."
"So we just need to keep him quiet, safe, and happy, and we never have to fight that monster again." Dian concluded.
"Were is so easy..." Dezik shook his head. "He feels the most contempt for undeath, things that should have been long dead, but now roam the worlds of the living. He is sometimes reminded that he himself is one such creature."
"...Why are you telling us this, like, it all seems too easy and simple?" Gala hesitantly asked.
Whistle joined in. "I agree with Gala, this actually does all sound too simple. There has to be a catch."
Dezik seemed to make a sigh but no noise was made. "Because it is just that; simple. I exist to aid Ave, and his goal is to return home. Much like many of you. Our goals aline. There is no reason for me to not inform you of his dangers." Dezik looked more closely at Whistle "But if you need a catch, I ask that you keep him to the end of this journey."
"Yoona thought that that was the plan already..." Yoona said with some confusion. Ag followed with confirmation. "Yoona's right. We are a team. All of us are making it to our respective homes. Together."
"Do we really need..." Bounty slyly started.
"To-ge-ther." Ag said again with a more commanding voice.
With the team's comrodery getting a little boost, Ave stirred slightly, putting Dezik into a state of urgency. "I must go now. Look for the purple glint in his eyes, that is how you know I'm at work keeping him and everyone safe."
With a sudden flash both Dezik and Lady vanished, and Reggie fell back dazed but conscious. "Ahh, what just happened." He muttered rubbing his head. "Did we win?"
"Yep, you did it. You saved the day." Dian said condescendingly while still offering a hand to pick him up.
"I could do with the tone." He said taking her hand and standing.
"Rather it was intentional or not you did just do us all a big favor."
"I-- How so?"
Dian turn her head to Ave, who was getting picked up by Ag and Whistle, and spoke. "I now know how to stop him."