The monster finished regenerating and screamed. The high pitch squeal penetrated my ears threatening to burst them. Ardent grit his teeth and stepped forward. Rings of light began to spin around his arms and as the monster jumped towards us they sprang forward. The first two rings were smashed apart but the third, fourth and fifth bound around its body locking it to the ground.
"Dear me it really is a handful," Ardent grunted. "Get back. I'm not sure if I have enough fire power to kill it." Taylor lifted me up once more and dashed to the edge of the villager centre. Any further and we'd be pressed up against the barrier. In front of us Ardent stood calmly as circuits of magic rapidly drew themselves around him. Fire, explosions, beams of light, mounds of earth and pillars of ice assaulted the once human monstrosity. Each time it took a hit it wailed in pain only for it to quickly regenerate whatever it lost.
"Haha…," I laughed tiredly. Next time I'd have kill the damn women before she could even react. I couldn't walk and the potions I had on me had been crushed when I fell. "Taylor put me down."
"But-,"
"I'm not asking you to leave me behind. I've put too much effort in this to die now." I took out several pouches from my belt pocket. "These are explosives." I tied them to the end of an arrow and readied my bow while sitting on the ground awkwardly. "When I say, I need you to light it. Can you do that?"
"Of course," she smirked. "Just don't miss."
"Would be awkward if I did," I laughed darkly. Ardent wasn't going to be able to kill that monster. He was talented in many fields of magic and a top researcher but to my knowledge he didn't have a spell that could finish her at once or he would have used it already. No matter how fast he cast his magic the monster was healing faster and even from here I could see his stress and strain building up.
A powerful force expelled from the monster and its bindings broke apart. Ardent flinched as the monster jumped towards him.
"Now!" I yelled and Taylor lit the pouch. The arrow flew straight stabbing into the monsters flesh. What would normally kill a person outright hardly caused it notice. Then it exploded. A wave of pressurized air spread outwards lifting up the dirt and dust obscuring the area around us. Bits of decaying flesh were thrown all around the village centre. The force buffeted Ardent back but left him mostly unharmed.
He coughed and retreated towards us, "Next time tell me before you do that. I appreciate the effort but it shocked me to no end."
"Unfortunately there won't be another," I replied.
"A shame because it's not dead yet," Ardent sighed and dusted off his robe.
"I thought as much," I frowned as the dust settled. A deformed hunk of meat laid in the centre of the village. An arm and leg covered in slime burst from it as if being birthed. The head came next screaming like a newborn. The entire process was mentally scarring.
"Rain… you wouldn't happen to have anything else would you?" Taylor asked me hopefully.
I shook my head, "I'm out." I never expected that the Imperium would be capable of creating such a thing. Well it was a learning experience for me and even if I did die I just had to try again. There was just one thing, "Taylor take Ardent and get out of here. The barrier will go down regardless. I can't move and I don't want to slow you down."
"You're joking right?" she looked at me angrily.
"I really don't want to see either of you die," I smiled. It was one thing for me but for them, each time I saw them die, the memories never left. I had somehow avoided it most the time but that first time in the border forest when the Monster bit down on Taylor, crushed Marley… at the time I didn't care but now the memory haunted me.
"No!" Taylor said firmly. "I don't want to."
"Don't be stupid. I'm basically dead. The smart thing to do is leave."
"I don't want to live like that anymore!" she screamed and slapped me.
I was stunned. Maybe it was because I was taking this a little lightly, my death that is. I had forgotten that I meant something to her or at least it looked like I did. She was on the verge of tears, it was an expression that didn't suit her usual beautiful visage but one that I found quite amusing.
"I am to agree with Taylor," Ardent laughed. "I would prefer if no one died and I simply cannot leave the villages to their deaths. Not many demons are so welcoming to humans."
"Heh," I shook my head and looked up. The human monster, the abomination of meat and flesh, it was back up standing as if nothing had changed. "I guess we'll just wait for a miracle." Then I remembered. She still hadn't arrived which meant there was still a chance. "Ardent your barrier is hiding us isn't it?"
"Well as a by-product yes," he nodded.
"Lower it now!" I yelled. "Taylor slow that thing down. Do anything you can to distract it."
"On it!" she nodded firmly and as she left I could swear she was smiling.
"Ardent anytime please!"
"Okay," his eyes met mine. There was no time to explain and in that brief glance I saw his trust in me. He clapped his hands and the shimmer covering the village centre collapsed.
"Help Taylor!" I took out my bow and aimed. Ardent began to cast his magic firing his bindings towards the monster. Unlike last time the monster didn't thrash at them blindly and with a more grace than was comfortable avoided and cut through the rest. It was enough time however for Taylor to reach it and like the first step of a dance her knife dragged across its thick skin spilling black blood. The wound healed just as quick but as it raised its fist Taylor vanished only to stab against its side. Her fluid motions were clearly more than the monster could handle as it seethed in rage swinging its meaty claws at shadows.
Suddenly it roared and Taylor flinched. It was all the time needed to end her and she could only widen her eyes as the deformed arm went to crush her. I released the tension in my body and with it my bow flexed unleashing a powerful groan as the wood was pushed to its limits. Ordinarily I'd never be able to pull it back so far but as my heart clenched and blood dripped from my mouth so did my muscles strengthen. My arrow fell into place at the exact right moment knocking the monster off centre and as its arm swung Taylor managed to step back lessening the blow to a graze. A graze however was more than she could handle. In an instant she was flung away crashing into the window of one of the village houses.
"Taylor!" I screamed after her and tried to stand only to fall back down.
"Rain!" Ardent warned me as ahead of us the monster charged. It batted away Ardent's attempts to stop it and finally did the same to Ardent himself. He flew away into the forest leaving me with a broken leg staring at the hulking mess. The overbearing smell of rotting meat and within it two eyes open wide in delirium. Surprisingly they were still the same as the women's. Maybe somewhere inside she was still alive, not that it would help me at all.
"Well I fucked up," I sighed and drew my sword. Despite my internal bravado my hands shook and a hesitant fear gripped my heart. I activated my mana only to let go immediately. Anymore and my heart would burst. Though I doubted it would even work as the monster's attention was squarely plastered on me. I pointed my sword towards its chest, "Do me a favour and end it quickly."
Its fist came crashing down but never hit me. I could only breathe in relief as the tension within my muscles faded. Why did heroes always leave it to the last possible second? Was it a special trait they had or was it some twist of fate? Regardless she appeared, her white hair flowing free behind her as her sword held back the monster's fist.
"Looks like I made it just in time," Lara said through gritted teeth.
"Honestly like ten seconds earlier would have been really nice," I responded bluntly.
The monster screamed blowing back my hair and sending an unpleasant smell into my nose. I almost fainted just from being so close but Lara wasn't fazed. She held her ground and releasing a yell of her own pushing the abomination back with a powerful swing.
"It's not my fault," she huffed. "If you had sent us a message I would have come sooner!"
"Yeah… I'll explain later but could you just kill the damn thing first," I sighed tiredly. The tension in my body had collapsed. "You also need to check if Taylor and Ardent are still alive."
"What?" Lara blanched.
"I'm not dead yet," Taylor coughed suddenly beside us. I was too weak to be surprised.
"Just Ardent then," I leaned back on to the ground. "Off you go now. Ah, also there's a bunch of villagers in the houses around here so don't break them."
"You-," Lara began to complain but the monster screeched first. It was filled with even more rage than before and charged forward. I closed my eyes as the sound of a fierce fight broke out. There were thuds that sounded like thunder. Grunts of pain and shrieks that tore through the sky. At one point Ardent limped out of the forest and in the end a powerful ray of light descended from the heavens ending everything. It would have been an amazing sight for anyone watching, but I wasn't, not fully at least. My part was over so excuse me for not seeing the end. It was okay though, because I had complete faith that Lara would win. There was no way she wouldn't.
When I opened my eyes again it was over. The village centre was filled with craters but the houses were unharmed, well aside from the window Taylor had crashed through. As for the abomination, it was gone. It was unfortunate but the Imperium members Ardent had taken care of had been killed when the monster first rampaged leaving no one for questioning. For me however I could finally rest easy knowing that they were gone. Now Axel would be safe.
"Hey," Lara poked me in the shoulder.
"Hello Lara," I smiled barely awake. "It's been awhile. How are you?"
"I could be better," she brushed off the lingering dust on her clothes. "So care to explain what just happened?"
I looked at Taylor and then Ardent. The two of them turned away. "A bunch of things happened…."
"Is it just me or are you being a lot less polite?" Lara folded her arms.
"Until Ronalt gets back I'm a free man," I replied. "But you're right. After all you did to save us so I guess I owe you an explanation. Just keep it a secret." I gazed at the village. She hadn't seen them but they were demons. I had to wonder how she would react. And so I told her everything that happened, or at least everything that happened this cycle of my life. From the time we left till now.
In the end Lara just looked at me the same as always, with those pure innocent eyes untainted by the worst of this world.
"You've been through a lot," she said with sympathetic care. "You did well."
I laughed, "It could have been worse."
A presence spiked behind me and someone barged into the village. Dressed in a travellers robe and carrying a heavy hammer, Marley huffed, "I finally found you! Lara why did you leave me back there?"
"Ah!" Lara screamed. "I'm so sorry I forgot."
Marley stomped her feet, "You drag me into this damn forest and then just forget about me?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Lara bowed. "Look I found them. I'm sure Rain can make it up to you somehow."
"Hmph, fine," Marley begrudgingly accepted. I'll just ignore the part where I had just been used as a bargaining chip.
"Marley could you heal them? Taylor and Ardent are a bit bruised but Rain's leg is broken."
Her eyes locked on to me. I shivered, "Umm I have some potions hidden away. It's fine, if I can just get them I can fix myself."
"No!" Lara stood in front of me as if to stop me. Really it was a moot thing to do. I wasn't going to move myself. "Marley will heal you right now."
Taylor yawned, "Just do it so I can get so sleep. I've been up all night."
"Rain what about the village?" Ardent asked as he looked at the destruction sadly.
"We'll have to explain and fix it later," I replied. "We're in no shape to start now."
"That's right, you all need rest. Come on Marley," Lara ushered us and like that the night came to an end. I didn't know what to expect for tomorrow and a part of me really wasn't looking forward to it but on the bright side, at least I was alive.