Bin.
Gone.
Eaten.
Mondir flung whatever objects he had on his person with deadly precision at the Terradrake. Poisons, knives, hooks, bottles, stones, anything.
Amos steeled his heart. He wrenched the Dreadclaw talon from the foot of the beast and began to climb, following the furrows in the scales Bin had left. His mind went to the day he followed Bin up to Mondir's treehouse, in much the same manner. His eyes were wet. He didn't realise he was screaming, raging, pounding as he climbed. There wasn't enough of the Terradrake's blood on him and there wouldn't be until it was dead, maybe not even then.
The Terradrake plucked Amos from its back as well. Instead of crushing him, it threw him through the air. Fire danced around the forest, filling his vision as he flew. Amos came to a stop beside Ink. He was skeletal. Images of zombified flesh holding his arms flashed through Amos' mind.
Ink reached a feeble hand out and gripped onto Amos with all his strength. He was wheezing, trying to say something.
"Lake..." he said breathlessly. Amos met his eyes and knew what he meant.
The Infinite Lake...
"But-" Amos began to protest. Amos still remembered Ink's reaction to visiting the Infinite Lake last time. That was the place he first met Darian. Aquila was sitting in the Lake, alone in his anger.
"Only... choice..." Ink gasped. "Get Mondir."
Mondir was making his death march. He had run out of projectiles and was simply walking towards the waiting Terradrake. His countenance displayed a mixture of fury and grief, lit by the growing fire around them.
The Terradrake decided to end the games. It lifted a massive forearm and slammed it down on Mondir, knocking him to the ground. The Wildman was trapped underneath the claws of his quarry.
"Go..." Ink pushed Amos with the tiny bit of strength left within him.
Amos realised the severity of the situation and ran to help Mondir. He wouldn't be too late this time.
The Terradrake lifted Mondir in one hand and moved a single claw to pierce his heart from behind. Amos thrust his hand out and projected the golden energy again.
It's doing the same move. If I block it will just breathe fire...
Despite Amos' catastrophising, the golden shield spread out, flowing from a central point on Mondir's back and protecting him from the razor sharp claw. The Terradrake's claw scraped noisily along the mana substance. Mondir hung limply, making no effort to fight or escape.
"Fastheart!" Amos bellowed. "We need to run!"
Mondir's eyes slid across the horizon to find Amos. He knew what he was thinking.
He loved that Mutabeast...
"Bin would kill you if she saw you like this!" Amos yelled.
There was a beat of silence. Mondir smiled wistfully.
Then the Terradrake ripped his arm off.
It tore swiftly. Smoothly. The beast's strength was no match for the ligaments in the Wildman's shoulder, splitting them and ripping the bone from its socket effortlessly. It was like ripping a chicken wing off the bone.
The Mutabeast tossed it into its mouth and swallowed whole, then dropped Mondir to the ground, screaming. He was bleeding profusely.
Amos acted quickly, darting forward and shouldering the rolling, screaming Mondir. He dragged him quickly away from danger while the Terradrake savoured its pre-meal snack. Amos was covered in red - Mutabeast and human blood combined.
He burned his hand once more channelling the power of Aries. A quick burst of flame to cauterise the wound and stop the blood flowing. Mondir screamed and rolled in the dirt, "Kill me! Kill me, Amos!"
Amos grabbed Mondir by the face, forcing him to look at him. "No," he said. "We're getting out of here."
"Death is the business of the Wildmen," Mondir responded. "I have nothing left to live for."
"Not the time, Mondir," Amos said. "We need to move. Get up."
Mondir stood on shaky legs. He was tougher than anyone Amos knew, except maybe Ink. Amos helped Ink to stand as he was too weak on his own. They started to shuffle away.
They were followed by a growing light and that same low growl. The Terradrake wasn't done. Amos looked back to see it charging up for another burst of firey breath. He checked his mana.
Almost gone.
The Terradrake was too lazy to chase them itself. Instead, it sent its hellfire from the satanic stomach it held within. The fire billowed out - half gas, half liquid, filling the air with red.
The forest burned.
The trio ran from the Terradrake.
They weren't fast enough.
Amos turned as the inferno nipped at their heels. He drew in a deep breath and used the very last dregs of his mana for a golden bubble-shield. The fire met it like a raging wave crashing against a stone, throwing spray into the sky. The froth of its energy enveloped the bubble, and the fire kept coming.
The Terradrake was still spewing its barrage of flame. Amos' hand was wavering. He was sweating. Hard to keep it up.
Have to...
Protect...
My friends!
The edges of the shield bubble were melting under the intense heat. Patches of it were exposed to air, allowing flame and burning air through. Amos held on the best he could, but he had no mana left. That thin shield was all he had, and it was fading.
Mondir came from behind and shoved something into Amos' mouth. It was cold and smooth - spherical. He gagged in surprise, but Mondir had his hand clamped over Amos' mouth, preventing him from spitting it out.
"Swallow it," the Wildman said. "I have nothing, but you have your family."
Amos' tongue ran over the surface of the thing in his mouth, exploring it. Everywhere it met his papillae, it shot electric buzzes into his entire body. The promise of power. All he had to do was swallow the...
The Mutagem!
Amos gulped greedily and felt a surge of mana: Power flowed through his veins. The Terradrake wasn't letting up, but his shield was bolstered with the new reserves. It held for a second, two, three longer, but the breath kept coming.
The shield was starting to fade again - not enough power, it seemed. Holes appeared in its outer edges. Flame seeped in, dripping and melting the very air. Mondir sat down, dejected, and hung his head.
"Keep going," Ink whispered in Amos' ear, leaning on him for support. He reached up to the holes and plugged them with his bare hands, taking the pain with a silent grimace. His skin shifted slightly, the black tattoos snaking under blackened skin. Ink's muscle mass shifted with the tattoos, taking from his lower half and bolstering his hands and wrists. "Water," Ink said through gritted teeth.
Amos turned to Mondir, fire assaulting his senses on all sides. "Take us to water," he said.
The fire subsided in a flash, over as suddenly as it began. Amos dropped his shield, mana reserves empty. The only protection he had left was the Dreadclaw knife that he held in a sweaty grip, but that wouldn't protect against the Terradrake's fire breath.
Ink slumped slightly, leaning on Amos once again. "Run now," he said. "Lake."
"No lakes, but there's a river," Mondir said, his mind distracted from grief by the directions he was given.
The Terradrake roared behind them. It started a shambling gait, moving slowly at first but winding up to a run.
"Let's go!" Amos said.
Mondir led the boys in a scampering run towards the riverbank he knew to be nearby. The Terradrake was hot on their heels, catching up. The boys had to dodge around bonfires, burning twigs and leaves, and trees as flaming effigies.
The trees fell away. The Terradrake tried another clawing swipe, but the Amos lurched forward, away from the thing's grip. There was the river. Salvation.
"In the water!" Amos shouted. He grabbed Mondir by the wrist of his arm, pulling him along with Ink.
The Terradrake tried one last desperate strike. Amos leaped backwards, watching the Mutabeast as he fell into the water from a short height, moving as if in slow motion. The claw was inches from his face, but caught him in the chest. It split his skin and raked his ribs, sending specks of blood flying into the air.
They hit the water all at once, holding onto each other. The last thing Amos saw was the confusion in the Terradrake's eyes as he fell through the water, crossing the boundary between worlds and entering the realm of death.
Ink and Mondir both stumbled, falling to the ground and turning to look at the blue sky dotted with wispy clouds. Amos stood alone, panting.
Success.
I saved them.
His chest was dripping blood slowly into the water, and the crystal liquid around the boys was quickly dirtying with filth, ash, and blood.
"Fucking hell," said a familiar voice from behind Amos. "Can't keep a Gods damned secret can you?"