Chapter Three
The Fight
Frey and Lucerin awaken, and in the fading light of the shelter spell they work quickly and quietly to pack up their belongings. The spells dissolves just after they finish, swathed in the darkness once more they light the fire in their hands again and continue on through the forest. As they move through the deeply rooted ground, a familiar presence from before is now far closer, yet still not close enough for them to know why. They press on hoping they never find out the answer to that particular issue. Hours into the days march and they can feel the familiar presence creeping closer and closer. The presence also begins to feel larger and more overwhelming with every minute they wade through the murky darkness. Their firelight spell in their hands barely lighting the ground they walk upon.
The chimera raises his bloodied muzzle to the air sniffing deeply, he has the sent he intends to follow. The chimera's rage at the intruders has dimmed allowing him to control himself more accurately, had he not been so angry before he never would have lost those pesky intruders that trespassed against him so deeply. He walks an easy pace knowing he is still faster than the two humans he is following, even with his other heads dead and hanging limp about his body. The once powerful caster goat lying dead, rotted, and heavy on his back, while the snake drags muddy and torn behind him. The chimera lowers his nose and focuses on the task of healing as much as possible before he meets his prey once again. Walking through the maze of vines and roots on the forest floor the chimera, a beastly predator, can feel a terrible blood lust following his beaten and bloody body. As if to say that he has in turn become the prey. The chimera turns and lets out a lordly roar causing his followers to pause and back away. Sensing that his roar gave away his presence to his own prey he leaps into action leaping and running across the large protruding roots jutting from the muddy forest floor. As leaps and bounds from root to root his lame snake tail snags between a boulder and tree base, ripping the tail from his body as the force from his weight meeting the sudden stop throwing him to forest floor with a loud thud and violent roar. Before the chimera can stand again a shadow daemon lunges for the injured beast. The still mighty chimera turns towards the daemon and releases a beastly forceful roar, that sends the daemon flying backwards. Knowing he is even shorter on time now the chimera lunges forward with a greater force and more speed than before. The chimera jumps forward onto a large boulder at the edge of a decent sized clearing spying his prey standing in the center, facing him, posing for battle.
Frey and Lucerin suddenly hear a massive roaring call coming from the direction of the presence that they have been every so wary of. Looking to Lucerin for confirmation, Frey asks "could that really be the same one from before?" Lucerin simply nods and motions for her to follow and run as fast as possible. Lucerin leaps forward using wind magic to help propel him forward, as Frey follows close behind using a levitation spell from the book. After a few seemingly long moments they hear a loud crash combined with a violent roar. "The beast is gaining on us! But he must be even more injured than before!" Lucerin exclaimed to Frey as they bolted between the trees. Almost right after he finished saying that they heard another more beastly and commanding roar follow, sending a cold shiver down their spines. "Or maybe he is more fearsome and desperate now!" Frey shouted to Lucerin "We cannot out run him we must fight!" She added. Lucerin nodded and they leapt into a clearing, turned around halfway through, preparing for a battle. The chimera came into view, perching himself on a massive boulder.
The air was calm and motionless, the forest sounds died away before the scene unfolding. The massive chimera perched on the boulder staring angrily at his prey. Lucerin stands in front of Frey clutching his magic shield in both hands, unsteady and shaking. Frey still levitating behind Lucerin focusing on the beast, oddly calm, and somewhat excited. The chimera begins to move preparing to leap at his prey standing in the open. Seeing the chimera preparing to move Lucerin tightens his grip and begins chanting a spell. The chimera leaps towards his prey. With no time to spare Lucerin engages his newest shielding spell, and a great red spell wall springs out from his shield completely stopping the chimera's advance. The chimera slams his claws into the shield, creating claws sized holes in the shield. Frey floats back slightly further, her grimoire floating out in front of her spinning through the pages. The grimoire finally stops on a page for a powerful ice spell. Frey quickly recites the spell holding her hand out towards the chimera. As soon as she finishes reciting the words of power, a spire of ice jets out of the ground between Lucerins' shield and the chimera. The ice spire sends the chimera flying backwards, slamming it into the boulder it leapt from before. The chimera lets out a pained roar as it pounds into the boulder, sending bits of flesh and stone from the crash. Frey notices that the attack affected the beast. She glances towards Lucerin who didn't notice the effect of the attack since he could not see past the ice spire. Lucerin quickly jumps to the side so he can see the chimera, which is already on its feet looking to attack once more. He quickly recites the shield spell again funneling more power into it this time around. The chimera positions itself for another pounce, Frey quickly recites the ice spire spell once more hoping for the same effect as before. Another spire of ice jets out of the ground, but the chimera quickly hops to the side and leaps towards the unguarded Frey. Lucerins face distorts as his eyes widen with realization that Frey was no longer behind him. The chimera already moving past Lucerin, he screams in horror as his thoughts race ahead of reality. The pages of Frey's grimoire turn wildly, stopping abruptly on a page with only two words. Frey calls the words aloud, at the last moment promptly teleporting her directly behind the chimera. Lucerin reacts before his mind can comprehend what happened, and in the next moments he realized what happened and where everyone was. The grimoire turns pages once more landing on another ice spell, Frey recites the words, and a boulder of pure ice forms in the sky above the chimera. The boulder plummets toward the chimera, but it jumps to the side then slams into Lucerin's shield again. Lucerin recites a spell he sees etched into the back of the shield; it begins to vibrate then emits a powerful force launching the chimera off his shield. The chimera slams into a large tree at the edge of the clearing and roars in pain once more. Frey sees it again, the effect of the attack as the tree shatters and the chimera sheds blood. At that moment Frey realized, it was not their magic that had hurt the beast, but in fact was the physical impact with the environment that was causing damage.
Frey looks to Lucerin and calls out, "look there, it damages with impacts!" Lucerin looks and responds, "yes I see! Now let's finish it off!" The chimera stands shaking off the impact from smashing into the large tree. Filled now with blind rage the chimera charges at its' prey. Frey creates walls of flame to funnel the directly at Lucerin's shield, as Lucerin braces it and recharges the spell. Lucerin digs his heel into to the dirt in anticipation the strength of the chimeras next attack, preparing to recite the force spell once more to send the beast flying. The chimera in a haze of pure rage launched himself directly at Lucerins shield, its claws outstretched, sharp and piercing. The chimeras still powerful claws and front legs make contact with the red glowing magical shield. The shield pulses and shatters sending Lucerin flying backwards past Frey. The chimera launches itself upwards towards Frey, not fast enough to recite the spell from before she tries flying away. Alas the beasts' claws catch her leg, cutting deep into the calf. The force of the chimeras' attack sends her body spinning out of control, she crashes into the ground a few yards from the beast. With both of his prey on the ground the chimera walks slowly toward Frey, ready to devour her. Lucerin struggles to his feet and screams at the beast trying to draw his attention. The chimera ignores him and continues toward the injured girl on the ground. Lucerin filled with fear of losing his only friend, begins chanting. His eyes turn green and a thick smoke fills the air surrounding him and the chimera obscuring all else from their sight. Losing sight of his intended meal the chimera turns toward Lucerin and growls deep and angry. Lucerin picks up his shield, and begins to blend the force spell into his necromantic spell. The shield in Lucerins hand begins to vibrate, he roars at the beast and charges forward challenging the chimera. The chimera roars loud and deep accepting the challenge, and it charges toward Lucerin as fast as it can. The chimera leaps at Lucerin, but he slides under the beast releasing his spells. The necromantic force spell blasts into the chimera's stomach sending it flying high into the sky, as the momentum fades the chimera begins to fall. Spinning through the air the chimera has no control over how or where it will land, the beast comes crashing down onto the broken tree it had been slammed against earlier. The remains of the tree, now a pointed stump, sit impaling the mighty chimera through its chest. The chimera whimpers and struggles, letting out its last breath dies on the pointed tree stump. Lucerin immediately runs to Frey to check on her shewing away the small critters that rushed to try and eat her after the battle. He kneels beside her and starts tending to the wound on her leg, and waking her up. Frey comes to, and her first sight is the dead chimera already beset upon by small scavengers. She panics and looks to find Lucerin trying to mend to her leg, she places a hand on his arm to stop him. Frey speaks "hold friend I will take care of it." She holds up hand and chants a few words, a golden-green light full of warmth flows from her hand to her leg. The soft spell mends the wound closed leaving only scars behind. Lucerin helps Frey off the ground, and the two run as fast as they can from the clearing heading south to the border of the woods. Behind them they can hear the larger beast moving into the clearing to devour the dead chimera. Scared they only try to run through the dark woods a little faster.
A fire light spell in his hand, Lucerin runs as fast as he can guiding himself and Frey south towards the border. The two have been running for what feels like hours with no rest. Frey reaches forward touching Lucerins' shoulder. Looking back on Frey, Lucerin slows his pace to a brisk walk.
"Lucerin, the day is ending. We have run such a long way, perhaps we should find a place to rest before the night hours?" Frey asked exhaustedly.
"Of course, you are right. In the dark of this forest, I lose track of time so easily." Lucerin responded.
"If you can clear away some these trees like you did before we can set up here." He added.
Frey incited the spells from before that allowed her to push the forest away to make a small clearing, and pull up the safe clearing ward. As soon as they had enough space Lucerin began setting up a campfire that burn through the entire night. With the fire ready Frey started getting food out of her pack to make for dinner, as Lucerin set up the tent. With everything set up and ready for the night the mages collapse on log by the fire and quietly eat the food that Frey had prepared for dinner. The final bit of day passes by without a word spoken between them. As night falls and they finish their foo the two slink back into the tent and fall fast asleep. The edge of the forest is only half a day's walk at this point and they only one full day remaining before they forest would claim a piece of their souls forever.