What faced it was far worse.
Pachi screamed in my head, Shestoni scum! Cave trolls are wicked beasts! Let us kill this one, sister.
The venom that dripped from Pachi’s mouth seemed justified. The monster that we faced was around eight feet tall, but only because its body was hunched over, curled around a massive, spiky spine. Its hind legs were long and almost froglike. Its arms were powerfully built, and it held a crude whip in its hand. As we approached it, the creature growled a few words in an evil tongue and lashed its victim again.
I inspected the smaller of the creatures first.
Sirrushi Wyvern
Level 16
HP: 1510/1510
Abilities: Bleed, Evade, Tail Lash
We’ve found one, I said to Pachi. The Sirrushi. We must save the poor thing.
Yes, we have, and just in time, by the look of it. I will kill this foul creature, even if I must taste its rotten blood to do so. Pachi began to slow down and sidle closer to the hulking troll.
Hoping to find some advantage to cling to as we fought the brute, I inspected the troll as well.
Blighted Cave Troll
Level 33
HP: 17388/28150
Abilities: Torment, Crushing Blow, Poisonous Bite
Pachi, slow down. We need to be careful. It’s poisonous! I tried to warn her, but the enfield was determined. I wasn’t even sure if she heard me. As I scrambled to nock an arrow, Pachi darted forward and used her Flamewalking ability twice to close the distance.
I watched as Pachi leapt at the troll, who had yet to see her approaching. She slashed it with her claws and clamped her mouth on the arm that was holding the whip.
She succeeded in forcing the monster to drop its weapon, but it was as fast as it was powerful. In a blink, it had grabbed onto Pachi by the scruff of her neck and pulled her to its massive head. Goosebumps ran over my body as the troll sunk black fangs into Pachi’s shoulder, causing her to shriek in pain.
Pachi had enough presence of mind to activate her Wing Storm ability. She broke free from the troll’s grip, buffeting the cave wildly. It backed away but resisted the Daze effect. Then it began stalking towards her again, so I drew and loosed an arrow. Distantly, I marveled at the fifteen percent increase in speed I’d been given from Ranger’s Reflex. As the arrow sunk into the creature’s neck, I had another on my string in record time.
The troll growled and turned to face me. I nearly dropped my arrow in shock. What I stared at was the ugliest thing I’d ever dreamed of. Its face was partially rotten, the huge fangs that lined its mouth visible through the limp shreds of its lips and cheek.
Two massive white eyes stared at me in outrage, and then it was running at me. I released my second arrow, but the beast barely flinched.
I activated Vital Aim and Lunar Flare at the same time, waiting for the ten-second countdown as the huge beast charged me with increasing speed.
I was about to dive out of the way and abandon the attack when Pachi bit its hind leg and slowed it down. Oddly, it didn’t seem to care about her attack. It continued dragging itself closer to me, rage twisting its features.
When it was only ten feet away, Vital Aim’s countdown finished, and I released the arrow. It sprang from my bow and sunk into one of the troll’s eyes. As it did so, a pale light flashed. A spark condensed, raced down the shaft of the arrow, and plunged into the troll’s skull.
It screamed in pain as the Lunar Flare filled its head. Its other eye emanated the same light, as if its head were filled with star fire.
I backpedaled and fired another arrow, this one to its chest, then I dropped my bow and drew my katana.
The troll tore at its face with its claws, gouging out its own eyes. Using both hands, it ripped into the architecture of its skull and pulled in opposite directions. And before I had the chance to activate another skill or swing my sword a single time, the monster ended its own life in an attempt to remove the holy light.
I stared at it, panting with fear, and whispered, “Scorching sands of the Endless Desert. That wasn’t pretty.”
I sheathed my sword and watched the troll fall slowly to the ground. It looked like a massive stone statue toppling.
Then I heard another whimper, one that was too familiar. Pachi was on the ground, her body twitching in pain. As I ran closer, I saw the two massive puncture wounds in her shoulder.
Her body managed to suppress the effects of the poison temporarily, allowing her to stand. Even so, the muscles of her shoulder continued to spasm and a dark blue fluid leaked from the wound. I ran to her, angry and scared at the same time.
She said, with shame coating her words, I am sorry. I was enraged. These beasts are vile, but I should have waited for you until I attacked.
I didn’t reply, only helped her limp over to the quivering wyvern in the corner.
And as we neared, the most shocking thing happened: It spoke.
In a grating voice, like granite crumbling in one’s hand, it said, “Thank you. The shestoni are strong but are not usually seen so high up in the caves. I was just exploring when it surprised me.”
Then it limbed forward and bowed its head. Compared to the troll, the wyvern had looked small, but up close, it was nearly as tall as Pachi, though it had a thicker and wider frame. Ribbons of muscle danced below its scales as it moved, and I noted that the red stripes I’d seen before were lacerations from the troll’s
