Alphonse swallowed hard as he observed the monster feasting at the center of the cavern.
The lizard creature was larger than the pictures depicted in the books he used for research which described its size at a length around fifteen to twenty feet, with an average weight of close to five hundred pounds after eating.
Alphonse found that he'd been terribly misinformed. The books were either wrong at the time of publication or out-of-date. A third possibility was that nobody had encountered a Migunne of this size, and it was a stroke of bad luck that the catgirls had stumbled upon this particular monstrosity.
The Migunne was a mass of pure muscle mounted on legs that propelled it at deceptive speeds. The books suggested waiting until the beast finished devouring its latest meal for this reason.
It didn't waste any time as it pounced on some goblins that wandered into its hunting ground. It swallowed them whole and deposited the intact flesh to its belly which gradually started to bloat until it dragged along the ground. The extra ten feet of its tail slapped the ground contentedly as it ate, and signs of thin cracks that widened with every hit crawled along the stone floor.
Its throat bulged as it consumed the slimy goblin flesh. The flaps of skin on its neck reminded Alphonse of another reptile similar in appearance -- a komodo dragon. A wide tongue lolled from the lizard's spiked mouth and dropped whatever remains didn't agree with its stomach.
"So, that's a Migunne," Asa whispered. She hunched down behind the stalagmite and started preparing a delayed protection spell on her staff.
"What's the plan?" Kirie asked.
They frowned at Alphonse when they received no answer. The scout stared with his mouth hanging open as the leg of an ogre was ripped off its torso and disappeared into the giant lizard's curled tongue.
"Alphonse?"
He tore his eyes away from the monster in favor of the ground. His original intent was to craft a pouch with a special part of scaled skin for carrying liquid poisons, and then sell whatever remained of his portion for some coin. It didn't seem worth the risk after seeing the monster in person.
"I'm thinking we should leave this thing alone," Alphonse said. The lizard let out a belch that shook the cavern walls, as if affirming his suggestion.
Kirie observed the Migunne and failed to suppress a wince as another bulky limb went down its throat. Asa tapped the end of her staff against her chin thoughtfully.
"Nah, we can handle it," Kirie said. She punched a fist into her palm for emphasis.
Alphonse wasn't convinced, but he was even more certain that there was no going back once Kirie pumped herself up. Asa preferred to go with the flow, even if it was against her own admonition.
He took a deep breath. He'd formed a plan of attack for his previous party, before they elected to leave him for dead, but it needed a few tweaks since they were short an archer. Furthermore, being down an extra person meant there were less targets to distract the giant lizard. Basic hit and run techniques wouldn't be enough.
'Screw it,' he thought. It was an opportunity to really test their party's coordination and patience.
He motioned for the catgirls to gather around. They crouched down in front of him and waited expectantly.
"Okay, here's the deal," Alphonse said. "Its weak point is at the back of the neck where the scales taper off, but the flesh is thick. A slice from my sword won't be enough, but a stab will sever one of its three arteries." He looked to Kirie. "I will attack first to get my critical damage. My attack also needs to be precise. You will strike from the opposite side and pierce the other two vitals. They are pretty obvious. Think you can do it with one swing?"
Kirie punched her chest. "Not a problem."
Alphonse nodded to Asa. "The blood loss won't be enough. It has a sort of backup that carries blood in large pockets if something happens to its circulation. And the arteries will regenerate after fifteen minutes."
Kirie choked as she processed the last bit. "That's fucking absurd."
Asa ignored her sister's outburst and focused on the Migunne as it continued eating. "You're talking about the two bulges on the sides of its body," she said.
Alphonse nodded. "Yup. You have fire spells. If you hit those areas with fireballs while we distract it, it will melt the mucous membrane covering the sacks' surface."
"And the sacks will eventually implode," Asa concluded.
"Right." Alphonse figured that Asa had already done the research, but it didn't hurt to review the steps.
Kirie scratched the back of her head awkwardly as she watched the Migunne finish its meal. "Well, I'm glad you guys did some reading."
"You should try it sometime," Asa said.
"Maybe."
Alphonse put a finger to his lips and shook his head as a low rumble coursed through the ground. The giant lizard was now pacing about in a circle like a dog preparing its bed. It settled down at the center of a cluster of stalagmites and let out a visible breath of air from its snout.
They waited a few minutes until the monster's breaths evened out, and then Alphonse muttered, "Alright, time to go."
He directed Kirie towards the path she'd be taking through the stalagmites. Asa was already pointing at where she would place a protection spell if things went south. All it took was one of them to signal that an artery hadn't been severed. Alphonse insisted that they retreat if they botched the first step. The Migunne was classified as a high-level threat when in perfect health, and he doubted they'd be able to handle more monsters after a head-on engagement that lasted too long. Luckily, goblins and ogres would avoid this area of the dungeon for a time after witnessing their brethren become the beast's dinner.
Alphonse slipped between the obstacles along his path with typical silent fashion. He'd placed more stat points into 'sneak' after his other expeditions around the Submerged Oasis. The main damage for the party after the initial attacks would be dealt by Kirie. At some point, he planned to push himself to a decent range where he could use his bow and slip away when the enemy was distracted. Rinse and repeat. It had worked well enough so far.
It only took two minutes to reach the sleeping monster.
The Migunne's body rippled with each breath as a slight bubble of skin expanded under its mouth. The expelled air was strong enough to blow stray rocks away that clattered on the uneven stone floor. Alphonse nearly jumped when the creature's eyelids started pulsing sporadically. After a full minute's pause, he was convinced that it was just part of the monster's sleeping habit.
He readied his short sword as he observed Kirie appear from behind a squat, stone plateau. Her double-edged axe was already partially raised above her head. She waited impatiently for Alphonse to plunge his blade in first.
Alphonse carefully readjusted his grip on the sword's handle and hovered the point a generous distance from the exposed flesh of the lizard. He suppressed any misgivings he had about striking the monster and the messy business that would inevitably follow with the killing.
He focused on the throbbing area of the artery and brought his weapon down. It pierced the skin and met a bit of resistance as it drove through the thick artery.
The Migunne reared up and let out a pained roar. Its tail rose and slammed against the ground as it struggled to steady its massive legs underneath its generous belly. Alphonse had already withdrawn from the monster as a spray of blood indicated that his strike was true. Kirie's axe swung down and cleaved the remaining arteries in more of a geyser than a spray. The strength of the catgirl was enough that the bottom curve of the blade scraped against the outlying scales. The screech of steel against scale rivaled the roar of the monster.
Alphonse skirted behind the Migunne and ducked beneath its thrashing tail as Kirie planted a foot against the creature and wrenched her axe free. He dove towards her as the tail swung in his direction in a second vain attempt to crush him and tore a large chunk of rock from a stalagmite. A shower of debris clattered around him and obscured his form for a few precious seconds. He regrouped with Kirie just in time as a wall of melded, illuminated hexagons formed from Asa's protection spell. The shimmering wall appeared from thin air and expanded outwards to touch any rock formations that might help stabilize it.
The Migunne slammed its head into the protection wall and brought forth a shower of sparks from the impact. It raised one of its legs and clawed at the wall's surface, forming three jagged black lines.
Alphonse heard Asa shout from somewhere nearby, "It won't hold long!"
It seemed the Migunne had something to prove after the declaration. The monster heaved its body to the side with the aid of its rear legs and tore off the top portion of the wall with its tail.
Alphonse and Kirie dove in opposite directions as the full weight of the creature came down and shattered what remained of the spell. Sharp pieces, like glass from a burst window, showered around them and dissipated into useless mana particles.
Alphonse managed to gather his wits as a force pushed against his back through the protruding rock he took shelter behind. The crazed creature was trying to destroy whatever cover was available.
Kirie shouted from a short distance in front of him, "Circle around! I'll distract it on my side!"
A fireball from Asa slammed into the lizard's side as Alphonse broke from cover. Kirie took advantage of the monster's disorientation and swung her axe into the side of its jaw. The monster barely moved as the weight of its full belly held it fast to the ground, but the resulting cut near its sharp teeth evidenced that the strike had done more than agitate it. A flap of skin and broken scales hung from the mouth and tore off as the Migunne whipped its head in a frenzy.
Alphonse didn't stop to admire Kirie's strength. His bow was already nocked with an arrow and aimed at the target. He loosed the arrow and observed the faint blue streak that trailed behind it from a delayed enhancement spell cast by Asa. He allowed himself a satisfied smirk as it struck the open wound made by Kirie. All the practice and hunting he'd sunk his time into back on Earth was starting to pay off.
It was as if the force of the arrow punched the lizard's head aside. The monster slammed into a tall stalagmite as more pain flooded its upper body. The rock formation split at its base and slowly teetered to the side until it collapsed in a cloud of dirt and debris.
"Asa!" Alphonse shouted.
He realized the command wasn't necessary as a blur of white rushed past him. The catgirl moved close enough and found an appropriate angle to ensure her attack would not miss.
She pointed her staff at the bulge in the Migunne's exposed side. "Fire orb!"
The flames swirling around her staff formed a sphere and launched at the prone monster. Fire trailed along the lizard's body as the blood caking its side ignited after the impact. It flailed about like a turtle stuck on its back. It seemed impossible that it managed to roll over with so much meat filling its stomach.
After a full minute of burning and thrashing, the Migunne went still, its entire side blackened and charred. Traces of stray embers remained with black trails leading to the exposed flesh on the back of its neck.
Alphonse hunched forward and took a few heaving breaths when he was sure the monster was dead. Kirie stood next to him with the handle of her axe propped casually on one shoulder. Asa was already in the quiet midst of a healing spell.
"It's dead, right?" Kirie asked. She didn't make one of her usual snide remarks as she observed the monster.
Alphonse straightened himself and slung his bow. A part of him felt remorse for killing the creature, but he reminded himself that he would use parts of it for survival and food. "Has to be. The pocket looks flattened, so there should be a whole lot of internal bleeding-"
A flame suddenly burst from the Migunne's neck before he could finish. A muffled crack echoed from somewhere. Parts of the giant lizard started to bubble and bulge. Trickles of blood seeped between scales that cracked or shattered completely, forming a sound like pins clattering on a marble floor.
"That...doesn't seem right," Asa said. She hastily cancelled her healing magic in favor of another protection spell.
Alphonse glanced at her and noticed her mouth visibly tighten. She lowered her arms and gave him an unreadable look.
The sound from the Migunne escalated to something more like a marble floor splitting apart. More scales bent outward and ruptured, as if its skin was actually a shirt that was too tight.
"Don't tell me..." Alphonse said.
Asa nodded. "I may have put too much mana into that fireball."
"Shit..." Kirie muttered.
It was the only word she managed to get out before the Migunne exploded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alphonse shifted on his feet awkwardly as he watched the beautiful catgirl mother close her book and let out an exasperated sigh.
Rinka closed her eyes, propped an elbow on the throne and rested a cheek in her palm. The rippling light from the partially obscured sun in the Submerged Oasis formed dancing shadows on her pretty face, making it difficult to read her expression. Judging from her body language, Alphonse had expected a reaction more along the lines of irritation and disbelief.
As the light shifted, he saw that her reaction was quite the opposite. She observed him with what appeared to be more of a knowing smile and traces of amusement.
The trio standing at the base of the dais stared at the floor under her gaze, and Asa had raised her hood to hide her embarrassment. Slimy gore and muck covered their bodies and trailed behind them on the once-immaculate floors. Behind them at the oasis entrance was a wooden sled they'd constructed of tree limbs tied with vines, which carried what remained of the lizard creature.
Rinka let the silence linger for a full minute before speaking, "Let me guess...you went after the Migunne."
The sorry lot standing below her nodded in unison.
"You used fire," she said.
Another nod.
"But you failed to recall that Migunne blood is highly flammable when exposed to the air for too long."
More nods. Kirie failed to suppress a cough and straightened herself as Rinka's eyes narrowed. The smile was a frightening contrast.
After a few more choice words and playful prodding at their expense, Rinka finally let out the chuckle she'd been holding. She rested a hand over her face and leaned forward as the mirth took over. It escalated to uncontrollable laughter when she saw Alphonse and her daughters look at each other in plain confusion.
She wiped a tear from her eye when she managed to calm herself. "W-well..." She stifled a snicker and almost doubled over again. "You killed a Migunne, so at least we know you work well together."
Alphonse looked at his companions uncertainly. He noticed Kirie's shoulders heave as a few stuttering giggles escaped her. Asa maintained a neutral expression and lowered her hood even further.
Rinka rose from the throne and patted the front of her dress to compose herself. "Alphonse is an outworlder who has only been on Hovestile for a few months. I can forgive such an oversight on his part."
She descended the stairs and rested a hand on Alphonse's shoulder. An involuntary shiver crawled through his body at her touch.
The catgirl mother seemed to notice and made sure to linger next to him until their shoulders were touching. A mischievous grin formed on her face when she saw how uncomfortable he was, and she gave each of her daughters a calculated look. "You two, however, have access to a plethora of books on monsters, with plenty of years to peruse them."
She motioned for Alphonse to follow her. He made a quick bow on pure impulse and matched her strides as they walked beside the residue marring the white pathway.
Rinka frowned at the floor as she passed her daughters. "I want this place spotless when I return. If I see even a single drop of blood, there will be no dinner for you two."
Kirie let out a sputtering gasp and immediately rushed off to find some cleaning supplies. Asa trailed behind her, head still lowered and staff clutched to her chest.
A growl erupted from Alphonse's stomach at the mention of food. He'd forgotten that they'd delayed dinner in favor of hunting the Migunne in the first place, and it would be a while before the catgirls finished cleaning up the mess in the oasis. Rinka's threat held plenty of weight since her daughters couldn't cook worth a damn.
He was sure Rinka had a stack of books prepared for him in the meantime.