The ground beneath Kernal's massive feet trembled as the guardian came to a halt at the edge of the clearing. The group, perched on Kernal's broad shoulders, exchanged uneasy glances, their hands tightening on the roots sprouting from his frame. The dire wolf, its hulking form nearly matching Kernal's in size, let out a low, guttural growl that seemed to ripple through the air. Beside it stood the monstrous goat, its grotesque form glistening with raw corruption as jagged arcs of yellow-green lightning danced across its wickedly curved horns, a storm of malice in its stance.
"Time to get our boots dirty," Robert said grimly, gripping the roots on Kernal's shoulders as the guardian crouched low, offering them an easy descent, his stone limbs creaking like ancient trees in a storm.
Hamish swung his legs over and slid down first, landing heavily but steadying himself with practiced ease, his boots kicking up a small cloud of dust. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword as he muttered something in Gaelic, his eyes fixed on the Hell-Goat with a mixture of disgust and determination, a warrior ready for battle.
Chaucer followed, his twin wakizashi drawn and held loosely in his hands, the blades catching the eerie light of the rift. He cast a glance at Hamish and grinned, a spark of mischief in his eyes. "You're not really planning to ride that thing, are you?"
"Watch me," Hamish replied, his voice dark but laced with a trace of his usual humor, a challenge in his tone.
Lillia was the last to descend, her movements light and graceful, her black curls bouncing as she landed softly. Her emerald eyes scanned the battlefield, narrowing as she took in the corrupted beasts, a quiet intensity in her gaze. She raised her hand toward Kernal, a shimmering glow surrounding her fingers as she reinforced his magical defenses with a wave of life energy, a protective light that sank into his stone frame. The guardian rumbled softly in response, his glowing eyes flicking toward her in acknowledgment, a silent thanks.
Robert landed beside her, his Insightful Vision activating with a subtle glow in his left eye as he surveyed the two corrupted monstrosities. The wolf's aura was a swirling mass of darkness, tinged with veins of sickly green and yellow that shimmered like diseased arteries, a blight on the world. The goat, meanwhile, radiated chaotic energy, its mutations still crackling with unstable magic from the rift, a storm of corruption barely contained. Robert's jaw tightened, his mind racing with the stakes.
"They're both feeding off that portal," he said, pointing toward the glowing rift behind the creatures, its jagged edges a tear in reality. "As long as that thing stays open, they'll just keep getting stronger."
Lillia stepped forward, her expression calm but resolute, a quiet strength in her stance. She placed a glowing hand on Robert's shoulder, infusing him with a surge of healing energy and bolstering his strength, a warm light that steadied him. Her actions spoke for her resolve, a silent promise of support.
Hamish stepped forward, his twin short swords, one red and one blue, glinting in the eerie light of the portal, a stark contrast to the darkness. "One problem at a time. Let's deal with these bastards first."
The dire wolf snarled, its glowing red eyes locking onto the group, a predator's focus. It crouched low, muscles rippling as it prepared to charge, a coiled spring of fury. Beside it, the Hell-Goat pawed at the ground, its massive hooves cracking the earth with each movement, a living battering ram ready to strike.
"Here they come!" Robert shouted, drawing his staff and channeling a defensive spell around the group. A shimmering barrier of light flared to life, a dome of protection, just as the wolf launched itself toward them with terrifying speed, a blur of corrupted fury.
Kernal moved first, stepping between the group and the oncoming beast, a titan of stone and wood. With a bellowing roar, he swung a massive fist toward the wolf, meeting it mid-air, the impact sending shockwaves through the clearing, a thunderclap of force. The wolf snarled as it was knocked back several yards, but it landed on its feet, its claws digging deep into the ground to halt its momentum, a predator undeterred.
The goat didn't hesitate, charging straight for the group, its horns glowing with crackling energy. It lowered its head as it barreled forward like a living battering ram, a force of destruction aimed at them.
Hamish didn't wait. With a roar of his own, he sprinted toward the beast, his sword raised high, a warrior charging into the fray. Chaucer was right behind him, his wakizashi flashing as he darted to the side, looking for an opening, his movements fluid as a dancer. Lillia remained behind, her hands glowing as she prepared to shield the group from the goat's corrupted magic, her focus unwavering.
"Hamish, look out!" Robert shouted, his crystalline shillelagh glowing as he unleashed a beam of light magic toward the goat. The spell struck its side, causing the beast to stumble slightly, a flicker of disruption, but it didn't slow, its momentum unbroken. Hamish ducked under its sweeping horns at the last second, slashing at its ankles as it thundered past, his blade biting deep. The goat roared in pain, black ichor spilling from the wound, but it wheeled around with unnatural speed, its glowing eyes locked on Hamish. Taunted, Hamish thought to himself grimly, recognizing the beast's focus.
The dire wolf recovered quickly, leaping toward Kernal with fangs bared, a predator's strike. Kernal caught the wolf mid-lunge, his massive hands gripping its torso as the two titans grappled, a clash of giants. The wolf snarled and clawed at Kernal's arms, its teeth snapping inches from his face, but Kernal held firm, his stone muscles unyielding, a mountain against a storm.
Their strength appeared evenly matched, pushing against one another with incredible force, a battle of titans. Just as the powerful wolf would get the upper hand, Kernal would land a blow against its ribs with enough force to topple a building, a strike that echoed through the clearing. This would cause the wolf to retreat briefly but redouble its attack a second later, a relentless foe.
"Chaucer, flank it!" Hamish shouted, his voice barely audible over the chaos, a command in the storm. Chaucer darted toward the goat's side, his blades slashing at its legs, a whirlwind of steel. The beast bellowed, kicking out with one massive hoof, but Chaucer was too quick, rolling out of the way and coming up with a grin, his fur ruffled but unharmed. "You're slowing down, Hamish!" he called, laughing in spite of the danger, a spark of levity in the fray.
Robert took a moment to fashion a solid stone embankment to hide behind if he needed to take cover, like machine gunners used to make out of sandbags in the great wars of Earth. Reaching down as if miming heaving up great handfuls of earth, he shaped it in front of Lillia and himself, his hands glowing with earthen magic.
Made of earth and rock, the waist-high wall stood as a sturdy barrier, a shield against the chaos. Robert stood behind it with Lillia, his mind racing with options: target the wolf or the goat with offensive beams of magical firepower and act as artillery? Lean into his powers of item crafting, like his own shillelagh created out of pure magic and crystals in his first dungeon?
A weapon just for Kernal, he thought, a spark of inspiration.
Ultimately though, Robert knew he had to get that rift closed, the true source of the corruption. Beside him, Lillia sent waves of stamina-boosting magic toward Hamish, Chaucer, or Kernal, ready to cast healing spells the moment anyone took a hit, her expression calm but intense, a healer in the storm.
The goat, which Chaucer randomly decided to call "Satan," made a particularly dangerous charge at him, its massive form a juggernaut of corruption. His slender frame crouched down as Satan barreled closer and closer, a wall of horns and fury. Lillia's eyes widened in alarm, and she pointed him out to Robert, her gesture urgent.
They were sure that Chaucer wasn't going to get clear this time, but as the goat's head lowered to slam Chaucer with a ridiculous amount of force, he leapt, a daring move.
He leapt forward, springing into the air just as Satan's horned head ducked in to bury Chaucer into the ground under horn and hoof, a deadly strike. Satan struck nothing, however, and jerked his head upright as if flicking his target into the air, a confused rage in its movements. The size comparison between the two was absurd, yet this vile beast was going all out as if he fought a dragon itself.
As its head careened upward, Chaucer lightly touched down from his leap onto Satan's forehead, a feather-light landing. Using that momentum, he launched himself upward again, tucking into a somersault, a graceful arc through the air. He flew up and over the goat, landing deftly on its back, his boots finding purchase on its corrupted hide.
Satan glanced left and right, searching for the annoying foe, but could not locate him, its glowing eyes wild with frustration.
Chaucer, realizing he was successful, cheered victoriously at Hamish, his voice bright with triumph. "Ha! You owe me dinner!"
Hamish, though begrudgingly impressed by Chaucer's maneuver, narrowed his eyes as he scanned for an opening to climb up himself, his competitive spirit ignited. Satan wheeled around and locked eyes on him, just as Hamish began to cast a golden defensive aura, a shimmering light that spread across his form. The glow intensified until it infused his blades, causing them to radiate in vivid crimson and azure hues, a striking contrast to the darkness. With a quick channel of his limited light magic, he sharpened their edges to a dangerous brilliance, a warrior's preparation.
"IM COMIN' FOR YOU, SATAN!!" Hamish bellowed, sprinting forward, his shield aura trailing behind him like a streak of sunlight, a beacon in the gloom. For a moment, Satan froze, clearly thrown by the audacity of the tiny mortal charging him head-on, a flicker of confusion in its red eyes. Then, with a guttural roar, the beast responded in kind, lowering its horns and thundering toward Hamish, a clash of wills.
The two forces closed the gap rapidly, the ground trembling under their combined momentum, a collision imminent. At the last possible moment, Hamish lunged to the side, tumbling through the withered grass and rolling smoothly into a crouch, his movements fluid despite his size.
As Satan's massive frame barreled past, Hamish seized the opening and leapt upward in a charge attack, a surge of power. Mana surged into his blades, propelling him toward the goat's hind leg with precision and force, a strike of vengeance.
His swords struck home, both burying deep into the beast's haunch, nearly to the hilt, a devastating blow. Satan bellowed in agony as the leg gave out beneath it, collapsing momentarily, a giant brought low. Wasting no time, Hamish yanked himself upward, using the embedded blades as leverage, his muscles straining. As he climbed, he twisted the swords for good measure, eliciting another furious roar from Satan, a sound of pure rage.
"HA! I made it too!" Hamish yelled triumphantly, glancing toward Chaucer with a competitive grin, his beard twitching with pride.
From his perch, Chaucer smirked down at Hamish, his tone teasing but impressed. "It's about time, old man!"
Hamish sprinted up the goat's spine as the creature recovered, its rear leg dragging slightly but regaining enough strength to keep moving, a wounded beast's resilience. Satan, absolutely outraged that these two beings were now riding him, began to buck and kick wildly, trying to shake them free, a storm of fury. They laughed, enjoying this far more than they should given the danger they were in, their laughter only serving to infuriate Satan even further, a taunt in the chaos.
As all of this chaos ensued, gorilla versus wolf, goat versus man, Robert decided upon his course of action, his focus sharpening. To him, it seemed as if the guardians of the rift were suitably distracted, an opportunity to strike at the source. He softly spoke to Lillia, his voice steady despite the violence around them. "Alright. Let's see what I can do with these abilities that Moira has granted me."
He gazed at Lillia momentarily, and despite the violence on display, his gaze softened seeing her determined eyes watching over her friends and him, a quiet strength in her presence. Her hair had a habit of fluttering behind her, caught in the magical winds emanating from her as she cast her spells, a cascade of midnight that gave her an otherworldly aura that never failed to enchant Robert. She felt his gaze and glanced at him briefly, offering a dazzling smile and a playful wink before pointing toward the rift to redirect his attention, a gentle nudge.
Robert shifted his focus to the portal, his expression hardening as he raised both hands, a mage ready to reshape reality. Elemental energy surged through him, a cascade of raw power that crackled and shimmered, a storm within him. From one hand, he summoned fire and water, alternating their beams in rapid succession, a dance of opposites.
The opposing elements collided and rebounded off each other, their combined force amplifying as they spiraled toward the rift's chaotic edges, a whirlwind of destruction. From his other hand, earth and air joined the assault, their contrasting natures creating a grinding, churning vortex of power as they tore through the corrupted magic, a force of nature unleashed. Each beam was infused with light, a steady golden radiance that reinforced the natural order, guiding the universe to begin mending itself, a beacon of hope.
The beams struck the edges of the portal, the light flaring as the rift recoiled against the assault, a wounded beast. Robert gritted his teeth, his hands trembling under the strain as he pushed the elements to their limits, his mana reserves straining. Fire met water in an explosive hiss of steam, while air and earth collided with a shuddering roar, carving into the jagged, corrupted magic, a relentless assault. The portal flickered violently, its once-stable edges beginning to crack and collapse inward, a sign of progress.
"Keep going, Robert!" Chaucer shouted from atop the goat, his voice barely audible over the chaos, a cheer in the storm.
Kernal let out a bellowing roar, slamming the wolf into the ground as if rallying to Robert's cause, a titan's support. Lillia, her face set with determination, sent a wave of life energy toward him, easing the toll of the immense magic, a warm light that steadied him. Robert felt the relief, the healing touch giving him the strength to maintain his attack, a lifeline in the battle.
The rift's flickering intensified, arcs of yellow, green, and red lightning lashing out as if in desperation, a dying beast's final struggle. Robert's focus narrowed, his hands steady as he directed the beams with precision, a mage at work. Each strike chipped away at the portal's hold on reality, the elements combining in a harmony of destruction and restoration, a symphony of power. The universe itself seemed to respond, the corrupted magic faltering as the natural order asserted its dominance, a tide turning.
As the portal began to close, Robert was startled so badly he nearly lost control of his magic, a jolt of fear. Through the portal, a figure stood, watching, observing, a dark presence. Masculine in shape, he held his arms crossed over his chest, clad in full plate black armor, a knight of shadow. With Robert's left eye, he focused his Insightful Vision on the being with an intense desire to know who it was, a burning need for answers.
In his eye, zoomed up close, he saw shockingly bright blue eyes that glowed with an inner fire, a blaze of malice. The fire leapt out through the visor in a terrible helmet that bore the visage of a tortured human, a mask of suffering. Auburn hair billowed out behind him, each strand possessed of the shine of new copper and smooth, a stark contrast to the darkness of his armor. Robert felt curiosity in his gaze, but more than that, he felt hatred, the worst kind, calm, cold, and patient. The kind of hatred that endures through time, never burns out, never fades, and never changes, an eternal malice. Slowly, the figure turned to look at Robert's vision, into his eye, and said one word, a name that chilled him to the core. "Lamont."
As soon as the word was spoken, the name of his ancient lineage, Robert's left eye's power was broken, and he plummeted back into himself with a jolt, a sudden return to reality.
A deep fear and panic rose within Robert's heart, and adrenaline began to fuel his urgency to close that rift, a desperate need. Bringing his hands together on instinct, fire and water, earth and air, and throughout all, light, were mingled, a fusion of power. Robert could hear himself screaming in effort, a desperate need engulfing his mind to save the world from that figure, a primal drive. Though his hands were clenched together, the four elements did not mix entirely, but began to swirl around one another instead, a dance of power. Fire and water, earth and air, two separate spiraling beams, shot forth from him, a torrent of elemental fury.
Blasting directly at the monstrosity on the other side, the beams struck with force. The portal itself denied his magic entry to strike the black-armored man, but it also could not resist the magic either, a barrier weakening.
It shrank, rapidly now, closing smaller and smaller, a wound sealing shut. Eventually, there was just a hole left, and the hateful entity that regarded him stepped closer to look through, a predator's gaze. Gesturing with one hand, the armored man laughed a spiteful, hateful sound beyond the portal, a chilling declaration. "I KNOW YOU NOW, LAMONT."
With those final words, he uncurled his fingers lazily toward the hole, and bright bolts of red lightning shot forth, a storm of malice. They arced around Robert's desperate and furious beams of elemental magic to strike him at the source, a targeted assault. Lillia tried to throw up a barrier to protect him, but the lightning shattered it as if it were nothing more than light smoke, a futile defense.
Just as the portal sealed itself, leaving only a steaming crack in the air, Robert was blasted off his feet and thrown into empty unconsciousness, a void of darkness.
As he fell, the last registered image in his mind was that of Kernal, wielding a dead goat by its hind legs and beating a dire wolf to death with its jagged horns, a surreal and brutal final sight.