The creature was occupied with the golems, and Amukelo used that moment to drink a healing potion, then he sprinted forward. The creature, now focused on demolishing the second golem, barely registered his approach. Its bladed limb swung downward, ready to cleave through the stone guardian, but just as it struck, Amukelo appeared beside it.
The creature's head snapped toward him. With a sharp, hissing screech, it swung one of its bladed limbs at Amukelo, who barely managed to deflect it with his sword. The impact sent a shockwave up his arm, but he gritted his teeth and held his ground.
Before the creature could follow up, a brilliant stream of mana surged across the battlefield, a white beam slamming into its limb. The creature reeled back slightly, confused as the beam left only a faint burn. It wasn't enough to do any meaningful damage, but the sudden distraction gave Amukelo the opening he needed.
With a roar, he swung his sword, striking the same weak point he had targeted earlier. But even though his blade sunk deeper, the limb still wasn't severed.
The creature leapt backward, retreating several yards to put distance between itself and Amukelo. Fury burned in its glowing eyes as it raised its head and spat a stream of acid directly at Amukelo.
Amukelo tried to sidestep the attack, but exhaustion had slowed his reflexes. His footing faltered, and the acid streaked toward him with terrifying speed. Just as it was about to hit, a burst of mana enveloped him, and he vanished from the spot. In an instant, he reappeared beside Eliss, stumbling slightly from the abrupt teleportation.
"Thanks," Amukelo managed to say, panting heavily.
"Let's finish it quickly, I'm running out of mana," Eliss said with worry.
The creature let out a guttural growl and charged at them with terrifying speed. Amukelo tightened his grip on his sword, while Eliss's fingers twitched, ready to cast another spell.
But as the creature closed the distance, its wounded limb buckled under the strain. It stumbled, its massive body tilting to one side as the injured leg gave way.
Amukelo surged forward, closing the gap between them in moments. The creature saw him coming and lashed out with its remaining limbs, but its movements were clumsy and off-balance. Amukelo ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding the sweeping blades as he aimed for the exposed weak point.
Just as he was about to strike, the creature gathered its strength and jumped back again, narrowly evading Amukelo's attack. It landed several yards away, but the impact caused its injured limb to collapse completely. The creature fell to the ground with a thud, letting out another screech of frustration and pain.
Eliss extended her staff and cast wind blades that sliced through the air toward the weak point. But the creature thrashed wildly, and the attacks missed their mark, carving deep gouges into the sand instead.
The creature struggled to stand. Its glowing eyes darted between Amukelo and Eliss, calculating its next move. With a final roar, it spat another stream of acid at Amukelo.
Eliss was ready. A shimmering magic shield appeared in front of him, absorbing the corrosive liquid and dissipating it harmlessly into the air. The creature glared at them with visible irritation.
Amukelo raised his sword again, ready to finish the fight, but the creature had other plans. With a defiant screech, it turned away from them and began to flee, dragging its injured limb as it retreated into the desert.
Amukelo exhaled deeply, his breath visible in the freezing air, and collapsed to his knees. His sword hung loosely in his hand. He tried to calm his racing heart and catch his breath, each inhalation feeling like fire in his lungs.
"Somehow, we survived, Eliss," he said between labored breaths.
But there was no reply. Amukelo furrowed his brow and turned his head toward her. Instead of standing or even responding, Eliss had dropped to her knees and then collapsed onto her side with a dull thud. Panic surged through him as he scrambled to his feet, pain shooting up his side where the creature had struck him.
"Eliss!" he shouted, stumbling toward her.
She lay still on the sand, her face was pale and her eyes closed. For a horrifying moment, he thought she might be dead, but as he crouched beside her and pressed his fingers to her neck, he felt a steady pulse. Her breathing was slow and even, as though she had simply fallen asleep.
He scanned her for injuries, but aside from the slight burn on her arm where the acid had grazed her, she appeared unharmed.
Amukelo sighed heavily and looked around. The frost-covered desert stretched endlessly in all directions. Exhaustion clawed at him from every angle—his muscles ached from the battle, his side throbbed from the blow he had taken, and the fatigue of missed sleep made every movement feel like dragging himself through quicksand. Still, he couldn't stop now.
He adjusted her unconscious form, lifting her onto his back. Her weight pressed down on his already strained body.
Amukelo began trudging forward. The landscape offered no solace—just endless dunes of sand and jagged rocks. Hours passed, the sun slowly rising and casting a pale, cold light over the desert. Amukelo's feet dragged, his breath came in short gasps, and his vision blurred at the edges. Still, he pressed on, the thought of rest and safety driving him forward.
Finally, as the sun climbed higher into the sky, the outline of a town appeared on the horizon. Relief flooded Amukelo's chest, though it was tempered by his exhaustion.
The town was much larger than the last one they had visited. Instead of crude buildings made of bones, many of the structures here were built from wood, though they were still covered with the thick, stretched skins of animals. Orcs walked the streets as expected, but there were also humans among them—merchants flanked by guards. The streets were lined with stalls selling everything from weapons to food to strange trinkets.
Amukelo staggered into the town, his legs trembling with each step. He looked around for someone who could help and spotted a merchant sitting by a stall filled with various wares. Carefully, he lowered Eliss to the ground beside him and approached the man.
"Excuse me," Amukelo said. "Do you know any place where she could heal?"
The merchant glanced at Eliss. He leaned over and studied her for a moment before looking back at Amukelo. "What happened to her?"
"We were attacked by some kind of monster," Amukelo explained. "We managed to drive it away, but she collapsed. I don't know why—she doesn't seem badly injured, but she's unconscious."
The merchant's expression softened slightly. "She probably overused her mana," he said. "That can knock someone out cold. A simple room to rest in should be enough. Once her mana reserves replenish, she'll wake up."
Amukelo nodded, but the merchant's eyes lingered on him. "What about you?" the man asked with concern. "You look like you're in worse shape than she is. Do you want to find a healer, for yourself?"
Amukelo shook his head. "I'll be fine. I have healing potions."
The merchant frowned slightly. "Healing potions are good but don't rely on them too much. Over time, they can have side effects. They're no replacement for proper recovery."
"I'll keep that in mind," Amukelo said, though the warning barely registered in his mind. He thanked the merchant and hoisted Eliss onto his back once more.
The merchant pointed him toward an inn, and Amukelo followed the directions. The inn came into view, a sturdier building compared to those around it, with a faintly glowing symbol etched above the door. As he approached, Amukelo muttered under his breath, "We're almost there."