As the battle continued. Bral and Idin coordinated their attacks, taking turns to engage the landwyrm, creating openings for the other to strike. Bao, having found her rhythm, loosed arrows with deadly accuracy, each shot aimed to exploit the weaknesses exposed by her comrades' maneuvers. Pao, though still recovering from her earlier exertions, managed to summon smaller spells, timing them perfectly to ensure she didn't inadvertently harm her friends. The landwyrms, formidable as they were, began to show signs of fatigue under the relentless assault.
Hidden in the shadows, the group of cloaked figures watched the unfolding scene with growing concern. The leader, a scarred man with a cold glint in his eye, grunted in frustration. "It looks like they're about to win. What do we do?" one of his underlings whispered urgently.
"Are you so stupid to ask this question? Interfere!" the boss snapped harshly. His subordinate hesitated, recalling earlier orders to remain unseen. "But... but you said to not let us be spotted," he stammered.
"And what the fuck do you specialize in, huh?" the boss retorted, his voice dripping with disdain. Realization dawned on the cloaked man; stealth was his forte. Without another word, he pulled a dagger from his belt and threw it towards the group, aiming for Pao.
The dagger missed its intended target, clinking harmlessly against a rock near Pao. She turned towards the noise, puzzled. Before she could process the situation, she felt a sharp pain in her back. "Ahhh..!" she screamed, stumbling forward.
The sudden scream shattered the focus of the battlefield. Amukelo, Bral, Idin, and Bao whipped their heads around in alarm. "Pao!!" Amukelo yelled, his heart sinking as he saw her kneeling, clutching her back.
Seizing the moment of distraction, the landwyrm Amukelo had been fighting before lashed out with its tail, striking Idin and sending him flying into the cave wall. The impact was brutal; Idin crumpled to the ground, coughing up blood.
The landwyrm then turned its attention to Pao, sensing an easy target in her weakened state. It charged towards her, its eyes filled with a murderous gleam.
"Amukelo, what are you waiting for!!" Bral shouted, snapping Amukelo out of his initial shock. "Hold it for a moment!" he ordered, charging at the beast that aimed for Pao.
"Go!" Bral roared, his voice filled with desperation as he held back the landwyrm, buying Amukelo a fleeting moment to act.
Amukelo didn't hesitate. He sprinted toward Pao, his heart pounding with fear and determination. The cave blurred around him as his focus narrowed to her trembling form. Pao raised her staff weakly, a shimmering barrier forming between her and the creature, but the landwyrm's claws ripped through it as if it were nothing.
The creature's strike came fast. Too fast. Amukelo pushed himself harder, leaping into the air with everything he had, his sword aimed at the landwyrm's claws. His blade intercepted the blow, forcing it back, but not before the creature's claw grazed Pao's cheek. A sharp, crimson line appeared on her pale skin, blood running down as her eyes widened in shock and pain.
Time seemed to freeze for Amukelo as he landed. He saw her trembling, clutching her cheek. His mind locked on the sight of her blood. Something inside him snapped, and a surge of emotion flooded his chest: anger, fear, and an overwhelming sense of failure.
"You will pay for this!!" Amukelo roared with rage at the landwyrm.
Then his sword began to glow, faintly at first, but growing brighter with every passing second. The light spread from the hilt, covering the blade and extending beyond its edge into a radiant, shimmering projection. The air around Amukelo grew warm, charged with energy.
Pao's eyes widened as she looked up at him momentarily forgetting about her pain. "Amu…" she whispered, her voice filled with awe and confusion.
Amukelo stepped forward. The landwyrm let out a guttural roar, its massive form pulling back instinctively from the searing glow, but Amukelo didn't let it retreat. Gritting his teeth, he surged forward with a furious yell.
He landed his strike on the landwyrm's chest, cutting deeply into its flesh. The creature staggered, its massive claws scrabbling for balance against the uneven ground. Amukelo pressed, stepping into his next swing with all the force he could muster. The radiant blade slashed into the landwyrm's shoulder, sending a burst of golden energy crackling across its scales.
The landwyrm snarled, anger replacing its initial hesitation. It lashed out with its claws aiming toward Amukelo. He sidestepped the first swipe. As the second claw came down, he brought his sword up to meet it. The blade's light flared as it connected, cutting through the beast's claw with a sickening crack.
Amukelo didn't stop. He pivoted and swung again, the glowing projection of his blade catching the beast across its flank. Another burst of light erupted, and the landwyrm's roar turned into a screech of pain. The impact forced the creature to stumble sideways.
But despite his advantage, the landwyrm wasn't defeated yet. Its eyes glinted with desperate fury as it launched itself forward, snapping its jaws at him. Amukelo stepped back just in time to avoid the creature's teeth that closed inches from his face. He responded with an upward slash, the golden blade carving a deep gash along the beast's jawline. The light flared again, and the creature reeled, crashing into the cave wall with a deafening thud.
But then as Amukelo was about to advance he heard Idin's roar, "Bral!" her knees buckling under the weight of her grief. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed, her bow slipping from limp fingers.
Amukelo's head snapped toward the source of the sound. Bral's body lay crumpled on the ground, a dagger lodged in the back of his skull. The landwyrm above him, sensing its moment, clamped its jaws around his lifeless form, tearing his head from his body with a sickening crunch.
"NOOO!" Bao cried out. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed to her knees and her bow slipped from her grip.
The sight froze Amukelo in place. His grip on the sword faltered slightly as the horror of the moment consumed him. He had been too focused on Pao, on his own fight, to see what was happening to the others.
And in that moment, the landwyrm he'd been fighting lunged forward swinging its massive claws toward him. Amukelo tried to raise his sword, but his reaction was too slow. The creature's claws slammed into him, sending him flying backward. He hit the ground hard near Pao, as the light in his sword dimmed slightly.
"Amu!" Pao's voice was frantic, filled with despair. Her eyes flitted desperately between Amukelo and the scene of devastation where her friends struggled. In her heart, a fierce resolve ignited, a desperate plan forming amidst the chaos. With trembling hands, she raised her staff as tears streamed down her face.
The landwyrm charged at Amukelo as he struggled to get back up to his feet. He noticed Pao's movement. "Good, help them! I will take care of this one. They need help more than I do!" he shouted, believing she was preparing a spell to help Bao and Idin. However, Pao's intentions were far different.
But before he could regain his footing, he felt a powerful gust of wind surround him as his body lifted off the ground. He twisted in midair, confusion, and panic setting in as he realized what was happening.
"Pao, what are you doing?!" he shouted, his voice hoarse.
Her eyes met his, filled with sorrow and determination. "Amu… you have to live," she said, her voice trembling. "You have to tell the world about your mother. You have to keep going."
"Pao, stop this!" Amukelo yelled, reaching toward her as the wind carried him higher. "We can still fight! We can still—"
"Don't live in grief, and... Don't forget about us… Please..." Pao cried, tears streaming down her face. Her staff glowed brightly as she poured the last of her energy into the spell.
Amukelo's heart shattered as he watched the landwyrm close in on her. "No! Pao, no!"
Her voice broke one final time. "I love you, Amu!"
Amukelo's heart shattered as he watched as the landwyrms claws swung down, cleaving her in two. Her body crumpled to the ground, lifeless, as the spell propelled Amukelo through the opening in the cave's roof.
"PAO!" he screamed as he was thrust into the blinding light of the outside world. The last thing he saw was her eyes—filled with love and sacrifice—before they faded into the darkness.