"W-we'll be alright won't we?" Marley asked at the edge of the carriage. It was the late morning and we were about to leave Greytree. "We won't be seeing that Monster right?"
"Even if we see it, we'll just pass through," Ronalt's voice was as stern as usual. It did little to calm Marley down.
"But if Rain's right then we can't use magic." Seeing her so panicked I couldn't help feel guilty even as well deserved as it was.
Lara placed her hands on her shoulders, "We'll be fine. If anything happens we can work together and deal with it." Even without her words, Lara's smile was more than enough to calm her down.
Marley's expression turned and she nodded seriously, "Right! Let's go."
I waited for everyone to board the carriage and like last time we headed north before turning west towards the forest. There wasn't anything of note on the way other than my chest beating painfully with anxiety. When we arrived at the forest's edge I pulled over and for what would be the last time everyone exited the carriage.
We had a small lunch and Ronalt gave me the forest's map to study. The path was something I had memorised long ago. As I gave the map back Ronalt took my shoulder and held it firmly. I really did think he was going to threaten me but instead his face loosened, or at least as much as it could.
"Rain your bravery will not go unnoticed," he lifted his hand and brought it back down for a solid tap. Before I could say anything he turned away and entered the carriage leaving me very confused. If I wasn't wrong he had actually just said something nice to me. It was a rare moment that left me stunned.
I watched as everyone else boarded. Lara smiled encouragingly, Marley was praying with hands held tight, Earnest was lax as usual and Taylor winked at me. Ardent however closed the door and instead stood beside me.
"Shall we?" he gestured to the driver's seat. "I'm our insurance. While we travel I'll be casting my own magic to keep us hidden. As much as I am interested in this Monster you spoke of, from your description I'd rather stay alive."
I felt my heart tighten, "Thank you."
"It's nothing Rain," he smiled and I helped him into the seat beside me.
I took a deep breath and patted Pina's feathers enjoying the soft texture. She turned her head back to me and chirped. I nodded and took the reins. Without a second delay she began to hurry down the path.
Just like last time the forest was eerily quiet. The trees were thick and practically blocked off all light. Ardent beside me frowned as we made our way further into the depths. The quality of the road became steadily worse and as the carriage bumped up and down Ardent had to hold on for security. Still the atmosphere gave me a sense of odd peace. Maybe it was the calm before the storm, my mind giving up and accepting what was bound to happen. I couldn't change the path now with Ardent here and despite his magic I felt that fate had a higher hand to play.
It happened almost anticlimactically. Ardent sat beside me with his eyes glued to the road as a soft glow permeated through his hands. Then his eyes widened.
"Oh dear," he half laughed.
"Is it…?" I left my question open as he slowly nodded.
"It seems the Monster is quiet sensitive to magic. My actions have only brought us trouble. I am truly sorry."
I sighed in exasperation. Strangely my nerves were fine. "Pina go!" I tightened my grip on the reins as she built up speed. The earth began to rumble.
"I must say… it's larger than I believed," Ardent started to sweat coldly. Mana visibly gathered around him as faint light as he stood. No sooner than he did, the ground behind the carriage erupted, dirt and trees flinging into the air. I looked into the side mirrors and saw the familiar fear inducing mouth. It gaped open and closed chewing through the earth and foliage like it was nothing. Eight eyes like a spider spread across its flat head and pimple like spores split its moss covered skin. More than anything the screech it let out pierced our ears and for a moment Pina almost faltered. I steadied her as best I could and clenched my teeth through the pain. A single mistake here meant our deaths.
"It's time," Ardent said grimly and climbed onto the carriage's roof. I heard the sound of the hatch open. It connected directly below to where the others were waiting.
"By the Goddess what sort of monster is that?" Ronalt exclaimed as he climbed onto the roof. He was wearing his full armour and carried his shield ready.
"It is as Rain described. Unfortunately now is not the time to study," Ardent proclaimed and I felt a wave of heat on my back. "Lara let us bring it down."
"On it," she replied with determination.
My eyes were focused to the front. All I could see was the small view from the side mirrors. Fire, ice, earth, light, colours sprang towards the Monster and pounded against its skin. It screeched as the magic dug into its flesh, only to make it angry as it pushed closer. I ushered Pina to move faster.
"Stand back it's doing something!" Ronalt commanded. Unfortunately I knew what it was. The pores lining its skin inflated and cracked open spilling a musky brown gas all across the forest. Even as we were moving it blew straight past covering the carriage. I grimaced as I heard Lara and Ardent wretch.
"My mana it's…," Lara said in panic.
"This is much worse than I expected," Ardent choked on the gas.
"Rain get us out of here!" Ronalt yelled from above me.
"Do you think I haven't been trying?!" I turned to face him angrily. My eyes told him what I was feeling. This was his fault. If he had just listened to me none of this would have happened.
"Tch," he grimaced and moved from my sight.
"Watch out!" Lara screamed and a lance made of rock flew past the carriage narrowly missing. A cold sweat crossed my brow. Honestly I had kind of forget it could do that.
"Umm I'll be heading back down," Earnest who I hadn't realised was up there said. "I can't hit it from here and I don't plan to jump."
"Without magic we can't hit it either," Ardent coughed. "It's gaining on us."
"Damn it!" I cursed loudly. The carriage shook dangerously as Ronalt and Lara tried to block the incoming rocks as best they could. The shards dug into the ground around us and some even bit into the wood. I made my decision, "Taylor get over here."
"What is it?" she appeared much quicker than I expected and landed next to me with her eyes behind us.
"Drive," I handed her the reins.
"What!?" her composure fell as I passed them onto her forcibly. "But I barely know how."
"Pina will do most the work just guide her." I climbed onto the roof to see the full fright of what was happening. Looking at the Monster dead on almost brought me to my knees in fear. My instincts were screaming at me to run, that it was impossible to hurt that Monster, to give up, die and just try again. I refused that feeling.
"Marley my bow," I reached down into the hatch. Marley flinched when she saw me but did as asked with shaking hands.
"I-I can't use magic…," her eyes were wide and scared.
"Open the cupboard, there are plenty of potions." I tried to smile encouragingly, though it may have looked grim instead. "You'll be fine."
I closed the hatch and held my bow ready. I had just over two dozen arrows. The rest were in the storage at the back of the carriage. Every shot had to count.
"Move over," I aimed my bow as the carriage bounced around dangerously beneath me. It was taking everything I had to stay standing.
"Rain what are you doing up here?" Lara asked distressed.
"Trying not to die," I replied bluntly and as soon as there was space, fired. The arrow flew straight. It was an honest to the Goddess one of the best shots of my life. Even past the debris being thrown in the air and the rocks being launched towards us, the arrow as small as it was, pierced one of the Monster's eyes. Its mouth clamped shut as the single eye closed only for it to screech moments later releasing more of its noxious gas.
"Good we got some ground," Ronalt nodded to me. "Keep it up."
"Yes sir!" It was an order I could get behind.
"Wait, it's doing something again," Lara held her sword ready. I frowned with my bow ready to fire. The Monster had slowed down and closed its mouth. Instead of eating through the earth it streaked above it. Had it given up? The last few times I had faced it we had never got this far. My hopes however were thrown away as a gargling noise echoed from its throat.
"Get back!" Ronalt jumped in front of us with his shield firmly set. No sooner than he did the Monster opened its mouth and a stream of thick green glop flew towards us. Pina sensing the oncoming liquid darted across to dodge much to Taylor's panic. Bits and pieces landed against the carriage and let out a painful hiss. The most of it however covered the man protecting us.
"Argh!" Ronalt screamed in pain and determination. His thick armour was melting against his skin and his shield was now no more than a puddle of wasted steel.
"Ronalt!" Lara screamed and lunged for him as he tittered dangerously at the edge of the carriage. She gripped his falling body, grimacing through the acid burning her own skin.
"Get his armour off," Ardent bent down to help and together we pulled off as much as we could. What was left was a disfigured man barely able to move as the acid had melded his skin and clothes together. At this rate he would die.
I opened the hatch, "Marley use as many potions as you need to."
She looked up in shock just as I pushed Ronalt's large frame in. Her scream was blocked off as I closed the hatch. We could only hope for the best for him. The problem now was the Monster being closer than ever before. It's boulder like teeth crunched up and down chewing through the dirt and anything else it found, eager to make us next. Ah man I really did not want to be between those again.
A lance of earth fired from the ground aiming straight towards me. Shit. With the carriage bouncing up and down I could barely stay upright let alone dodge, but just before it could hit me Lara knocked it away in a puff of dirt.
"We need to get out of here," there was a strain in her voice that I hadn't heard from her before. Fear and desperation.
"This Monster will follow us where ever we go," Ardent shook his head. "We need to kill it."
"And just how do you think we can do that!?" Lara yelled.
"If I could just use my magic-."
Lara interrupted him, "But we can't! It killed Ronalt." She was losing herself, fraying under the pressure. If this were my first time I'd be the same, luckily it wasn't.
I stepped forward and slapped her. The sound rang clear even over the chaos around us. She looked at me with wide eyes and I matched them with my own.
"Ronalt isn't dead but he will be if you don't pull yourself together." I firmed my gaze, "Understand?"
"Y-yes," she wiped her head and took a deep breath. "Sorry."
"Good," I took a breath of my own. What we needed to was get higher. The gas around us was thick but heavy. If we could just reach higher ground then Ardent might be able to use his magic. "Lara protect the carriage."
She nodded.
I continued, "Ardent do whatever you need to do to get ready."
"Do you have a plan?" he asked with a grim smile.
"We'll see." I pulled at all the memories I could remember. Just how many times had I been through here? Think. There had to be something somewhere that could help me. It came to me as if a gear had finally fallen into place connecting something I never knew existed. "Taylor take the next right and then the first left when the path splits. After that just follow the path straight!"
"W-why?" she asked with clear hesitation. I wouldn't have trusted myself either but right now I had nothing else.
"Just do it and quickly! Drive as fast as you can." My memory was vague but if I was right there should be a hill nearby. The problem was the memory was also incredibly obscure and I wasn't sure if I was recalling something true or if wishful thinking had me going crazy.
I turned back to see Lara fending off the earthen spears the Monster threw at us. Each one she knocked aside shook the carriage dangerously but it was better than being hit. The Monster was only a dozen metres away from us and the view of its open mouth shook my core. Past the rows of teeth it was like an endless void of darkness. I readied my bow and fired at the Monsters eyes again but between the flying earth and the sudden movements of the carriage I could barely shoot straight let alone land a proper shot.
With each passing second the Monster was drawing closer and my arrows were running low. The carriage made a sudden right turn skidding across the ground and pulling up on two wheels. Ardent who was sitting down easily grabbed the roof and Lara shifted her balance perfectly. I on the other hand flew straight off towards the Monster's open mouth. At that moment I realised something. I really didn't want to die. I mean I really really didn't want to. If I died now everything, this entire past week, would have been gone. No matter how many times I repeated it, the people here with me now would be gone. Taylor opening up, getting closer to Lara, heck even Ronalt was starting to come around. I didn't want to lose that. It was a shame then that I could do nothing and once more I resigned myself for death. In the end all I could do was try and try again.
"Got you!" her voice brought me back.
The jaws of the Monster slammed shut. My body was pulled back and slammed into the back of the carriage. I looked up to see Lara grasping my leg.
"Th-thanks," I gasped as she pulled me up. That had been way too close for comfort. Just how many second chances would I be getting this time? Surely my luck was running out.
"Rain…," Lara stared behind me towards the Monster.
I turned around, "Well screw this." The Monster had its mouth closed and was beginning to slow down. We both could tell what was going to happen next. I really had enough of this now. Almost dying over and over again was stressful enough but now I had to deal with this bullshit?
"Get behind me," Lara tried to push me back but I stayed firm.
"No," I faced the Monster. "Protect Ardent."
"What are you-."
"Just do it!" I yelled and pulled a vial and bottle from my pockets. If Lara or Ardent were hurt even if we made it out of the gas we'd die. Right now was really my last chance. I steadied myself and bit off the lids of the potions in my hands. A hiss released from them. What I was about to do was stupid but it was all I had left. I mixed the two liquids and shoved the stopper back on feeling the glass heat up in my hand burning through my skin.
The Monster opened its mouth. I roared releasing all the tension in my body. The acid sprayed from its mouth. At this distance even if Ronalt were here the carriage would be covered. My arm swung releasing the pent up mixture and a split second later it exploded into a burst of flame and force. I spread my body and turned away covering Lara and Ardent as much as I could. The bomb had worked… at least somewhat.
"Argh!" I howled in pain as the remaining acid flung itself across my back. I could feel it burning through my clothes and searing through my skin. My muscles spasmed in shock and without realising it I was on my knees. I could barely think past the pain.
"Rain!" Lara screamed.
Well… looks like I'd be trying again at least one more time. It hurt so much. It hurt more than anything I had felt before. I couldn't believe it. Like someone had taken a fire and decided to sculpt it permanently into my body. Honestly I wanted to die, anything to end it one second sooner but I couldn't. I was trapped alive and waiting for the eventual release.
My eyes glossed over and the sound of the world faded. I could barely make out what was happening. Light streamed through the brown gas and I could see the grey clouds above. It would seem Taylor made it. And then like a final ray of hope the clouds split apart as stars fell from the sky. I closed my eyes. It was over.