I scrambled back as the first line of the danburki rumbled up the steep slope. "Kora, what are you doing here?!" Cavya screamed as he flipped onto one of the beasts' hide, parrying a wayward trunk aiming to wrap itself around him.
The beasts attempted to climb up the walls of the crevice but kept sliding down. Rabid shrieks erupted from their mouths, giving me an unobstructed view past their squid-like noses and into rows upon rows of flat teeth and fangs. I forced the fear blocking my throat down. There's no time for that.
I checked my stats. After firing one of Ahrian's attacks, they dwindled to at least half. Should be enough for another minor spell. I scanned my skills list, looking for whatever has the most destructive power. I cursed. Valdyrsi aren't known for their explosive magical output, mostly because their main skill relied on stealth and disguise.
Wait. Disguise.
I craned my neck down at the danburki clamoring for a way up. An idea popped into my head. But, to do that, I'd need to get them out of here first. "When I cast my spell, I'll draw the rest of them while you run for the forest!" I screamed into the fray. "I'll hold them off until you reach the town!"
Ahrian stopped firing, pressing herself against the trunk of her tree. "Leeds! What's this fool saying?" she muttered something under her breath as she whirled back and started firing again. Her bullets grazed the danburki's thick skin but didn't do any noticeable damage. Some did manage to take out the baboon-like creatures darting from between the thick stomping legs. When did the mission details ever involve those apes?
"What's the order, Cav?" Valren was back in the air, torching the danburki hides below him. The smell of burning fur wafted across the crevice and would probably stay there. "I don't think I could hold on any longer."
"Nazran, still good?" Cavya sliced a trunk and drove his sword into the beast he latched on. Instead of exploding in a shower of dust and blood, the blade stayed stuck on its neck. With a weak grunt, he pulled it out. The danburki continued thrashing despite the gaping and bleeding hole on its back.
" 'fraid not, Cav," the summoner's voice was breathy when he answered. He was on the edge of the crevice, holding back two danburkis which weren't fixated on climbing up the walls with his own sword and two tiger-like beasts lunging and tearing considerable spots off the enemies' furs. "Don't know how long the summons could last. Don't have it in me to make a new one."
Cavya turned to me, our eyes meeting through the sea of tentacles and stomping feet. "Do it," he said. Then, in a much louder voice, he called, "Knights, retreat!"
I gave him a brief nod, watching my ex-comrades start their withdrawal. Just as the danburki began to notice, I jumped into the crevice, hands outstretched. My fingers slapped against one of the tentacle-like noses speeding for me. Rubber. It felt like rubber.
That's all I need. "Shift!" I shouted, my voice ringing across the chaos.
The first thing that registered was the pain. My vision tunneled and stretched, my skin and bones tearing and knocking against each other as they tried to take the shape of a netherbeast. A veil of red and gray blinded me. A roar tore through my lips, but through my fading hearing, I could only make out the same cries of the beasts around me.
My legs thumped against the ground, driving another cloud of dust and debris. Across the field, I could see Cavya and the others freeze in shock, their faces crumpling in both fear and awe. Before they decided to kill me, I turned my hazy gaze towards the beasts of my kind.
With a scream, I attacked.
The world blurred and sharpened as I felt the revolting squelch of flesh against the tusks growing from the corner of my lips. I sent all of my trunks straight into the heads, piercing through the skull and crushing the mass of shadows from the inside. Some wrapped around their feet, pulling them from under before ramming them against the wall or another creature.
Their eyes flitted around, lids opening wide like they couldn't believe one of their own had suddenly gone crazy. Well, joke's on them. I wasn't their kind.
From the corner of my tunneled periphery, I watched Ahrian slide down the crevice just enough to reach Valren and Nazran who climbed up like they've lost all the strength to do so. A danburki saw through the plan and charged at them. Not on my watch.
I rampaged through the fray, knocking confused beasts out of the way. My tusks punched into the beast's side. It roared in pain. I matched it with a defiant one, using the strength afforded me to throw its flailing body aside. Just as I turned to check if the others were fine, another stab of pain sped down my spine. Crap. That's the spell running out.
A blurry image of Ahrian's beak was the last thing I registered before the red and gray consumed me.
"...pid forest. How much farther to town? It doesn't look like he would make it," her voice bled into my ears as my senses struggled to come back. My ears rang and it seemed like the tips of my boots skidded against the forest floor. Footsteps and metal clinking occupied the rest of the noise landscape. Where were we? What happened?
"He's awake," came Nazran's familiar voice. They're talking about me, then. I blinked, forcing my vision to sharpen back into focus. "Set him down for a bit, Ahri. It's going to come knocking any time soon."
What would?
I felt myself getting lowered to the ground just as my stomach churned and bile climbed up my throat. Something rancid went out, scratching my gut and gullet enough to wake me. My chest heaved, trying to catch the breath knocked out of my lungs as I retched. A wave of nausea rolled over me, and I gagged once more, my fingers closing around a bunch from the shrub nearest me.
That would.
"Are you done?" Ahrian's impatience bled through the static in my ears. I raised my head and wiped at my mouth. My palms came up slicked with dark goo. Did I...?
"That's a risky and foolish move," Nazran was suddenly beside me, his pink hair camouflaging well with the splotches of color in the undergrowth around us. "To think you'd actually use your magic to replicate a netherbeast. It's...never been done before, at least one that succeeded."
Oh.
"How's your head?" he asked.
I groaned. "Like it's splitting in half."
"What's your name?"
I frowned. What's that got to do with anything? "Kora," I answered just to get it out of the way.
"Where were you from?"
"Nippon."
"What?"
My insides churned at the sudden realization of what I just uttered. "Never mind that," I attempted to stand up but my legs knocked together, causing me to stumble straight into the bush. A strong grip around my arm prevented me from sinking deeper into it.
"You're obviously not fine," Nazran concluded. "We'll get you to a healing spiria in town and then we'll let you go on your own way."
"Where's Cavya?" I asked. I wasn't hearing his voice lecturing me in his e-mail voice.
Valren cursed. "He stayed behind."
My eyes widened as I pushed off Nazran who supported me upright until now. "What?"
The dragonkin's eyes hardened into slits, smoke curling of his nostrils as he jerked his chin towards the direction we came from. "He has to buy us enough time to make it to town," he started walking. "Let's not waste it."
"No," I found myself saying. They all paused, whirling to me like they've just heard me say something offensive. "I'm going back."
Ahrian blew a breath and fixed the sling of her gun against her shoulders. "Cavya stayed behind so he could save us," she said. "Including you. Don't act so high and mighty and just accept it."
I shook my head. "I came to help you," my voice started breaking, for whatever reason there was. There's just...too many deaths than I could count now. I didn't need any more. "Cavya included. I can't—"
"I already failed Mirani," I noticed the bristles passing through their bodies as I mentioned her name. "I can't fail you or Cavya too."
Nazran stepped forward. "Kora, I—" he sighed. "You've already sacrificed enough by giving yourself over to the netherside. That's enough. We get your point."
My feet skidded backwards. "I'll go back," I breathed against the lump lodging itself in my throat. My stats probably looked bad, but I couldn't be another person they would blame if Cavya perished. I got them this far. Let me go all the way. "I'll bring Cavya back. I promise."
Without waiting for their answer, I turned and dashed towards where the netherside's creatures were the strongest. Maybe it was the adrenaline pumping through my veins or the sheer fear of seeing another life lost, but I tore through the distance in a few minutes. When I came to the ledge, I jumped straight through.
"Cavya!" I screamed, getting his attention as he slashed and parried in futility. Surprise colored his face when his eyes landed on me. "Lend me your skills! Maybe we could finish this off with your strongest strike."
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, blocking an incoming trunk meant to send him flying. "Why have you come back?"
I summoned my sword and went to curb my way towards the langkoor who took me in when I had nowhere to go in this strange world. "I've got a lot to atone for," I rolled out of the way just as a tusk sped in my periphery. I drove my blade into the ankle that followed, eliciting nothing more than an annoyed grunt from the danburki involved. "And I won't be able to do that if you're dead."
Cavya opened his mouth to reply but a trunk sped from behind. I lunged, throwing my sword. The metal clanged against the rubber. Instead of sinking into it, the blade merely bounced with a clang. It disappeared back into my inventory before it hit the ground. When I whirled, a back pressed against mine.
"You've got a lot of spunk," Cavya said, his hand tightening around the hilt of his rapier. "I don't think it's because you're young."
I chuckled—an ill-fitting sound within our current situation. "Let's finish this," I said. "They're waiting for you."
Cavya hummed. "Rhanteira," he said not long after driving another flurry of attacks and pressing his back against me once more. "That's my ace."
I bobbed my head and dug my shoulder against his. "Let's raise hell," I said. "Borrow!"
Immediately, a flash of warmth flooded into me. I passed a hand over my face, and my skills list had bloated to include all of Cavya's. Now, that's a Grand Veteran. At the end of the list sat the single word that'd end all of this.
"Divines of the Heavenly realm, send your fire of judgment down this pit of darkness," Cavya started to chant. Together, we tore apart from each other and started our offensive against the danburki.
I leaped over sweeping trunks, slashing my sword at every appendage coming my way. "Save us from the great void, deliver us from the evil of the shadows, shine your light to bless the land of Life," I said as loud as I could.
"To Wanghua, the Divine protector of all, the spear of resistance, and the wise warrior of light, I offer you my undying ardor," he continued as he slid under the beasts to gut them from below. "To Yania, the Divine will of the stars and sky, who hold all of the heavens in her hands, I offer my soul. Guide my sword to the heart of this battle. Steer my course towards my fate."
"To Kwansek, the Divine breath of might and mortal skill, I offer you my all. Use my heart and my sight. Strike the enemy and sprinkle the ashes to bring forth new life," I gritted my teeth as I caught another trunk against the flat edge of my blade.
Cavya found my back once more, his shoulder blades digging against mine. "Excise those who dare rise against the judgment of heaven," he said.
"Rhanteira," we both said, stabbing our swords to the ground. "Sever!"
The forest drowned in a blast of light and magic, searing through my eyes. My magic bled out of my like it's being sipped in by a vacuum. I gripped the hilt of my sword, the one given to me by the person who saved me in ways more than what I could articulate.
All this was for her. If I die right this instant, at least I was able to save what was the most important for her. Maybe it wouldn't ever amount to the price of her life, but if it meant seeing the people who did more for me than I could ever repay alive and well, then it's enough.
This was the fate of adventurers. A sacrifice for a sacrifice. A life lived for a life given. Right as I was diving towards Death's jaws, it's the first time I felt truly alive.