Rowan's sword was faster, and it cut down in front of the beast, splitting its shoulder open. And yet the sharp blade did nothing to halt its momentum, and it crashed into Rowan as it snarled. They tumbled to the ground with a heavy thud, and Rowan felt his head slam against the ground.
Vision swimming, he fought to remove the beast from atop of him, yet its clawed hands gripped him tightly, digging into the leather pauldrons. Cursing, he attempted to stab into the creature, but found his shoulder locked in place by the beast's claws, unable to swing the sword anywhere towards it.
Hot breath caressed his face as the hybrid's jaws opened, ready to bite Rowan's exposed neck. Nadia interjected in time, coming to her senses, jabbing at the beast with her spear, causing it to flinch backwards. However, it still clung to Rowan fiercely, and he could feel the sharpened claws in his shoulders despite the piece of armour separating them.
As his vision returned and the ringing in his head abated slightly, Rowan forced his good leg between him and the hybrid, and used his foot to shove the creature upwards. The opening Nadia had created was just enough for Rowan to kick it off, and the hybrid now snarled on all fours just a few steps away.
The clanging of metal resounded in the air, signalling the clash between Aoife and the other hybrid beginning. Deciding to ignore the sounds, he focused on his target, knowing it would do no good to worry about the outcome of her battle when he still had his to fight.
Rowan used his good leg to stand up, ignoring the burn as he held his sword outstretched towards the beast, not letting his eyes leave it. The hybrid seemed warier, apparently frustrated that its first attack hadn't taken out one of the two attackers it now faced. It moved along the walls, passing the kitchen where the group had once eaten together, and Rowan felt his grip on his sword tightening instinctively. It grew in brightness as well, and Rowan realised with shock that it was swiftly becoming the only source of light within the base.
He couldn't spare a glance outside, but he knew that the last of the stalactites were likely falling down, their light extinguished as they broke against the rocky ground.
The rumbling now seeped into his bones as well, or at least he hoped it did. It would be a bit embarrassing if he were the only one shaking like a leaf in the wind, and the others were standing still.
'I didn't think I was that afraid.'
The hybrid made the first move, darting forward before its claws outstretched against Rowan, at a startling speed. He dodged backwards, almost losing his ground on the debris that had broken free of the door when it initially fell.
He grimaced as the hybrid followed up to counterattack, its other arm swinging in a wide arc towards his uninjured leg. The fear of losing another leg in this perilous fight surged within Rowan, and it was followed by a burst of adrenaline as he acted without thinking, stepping forward with his injured leg, swinging in a swift arc at the beast's arm.
By some miracle, his reflexive action saved him, the beast failing to dodge the blade entirely, after devoting itself to that attack. Rowan's blade cut into its upper arm, which it now cradled with its good arm.
Despite the rapid pounding of his heart, Rowan smirked, noticing Nadia, who had waited for a moment such as this. She stepped forward with a scared yet determined expression, and stabbed downwards with both hands, penetrating through the beast's back, coming straight out of its gut on the other side.
Snarls escaped the beast as a panicked expression overtook its uncannily human face. Rowan felt his smirk fade at the hybrid's pain, uncomfortable with how he felt staring at the surely dying beast. Yet the bloodstained mouth did a lot to ease his pains. He stepped forward, resolved to kill the creature of the Hell, when Aoife's voice cut through his determination.
"Rowan dodge!"
Her voice was quickly followed by a flash of pain on his left side as he failed to do so in time, exhausted and injured in his current state. Briefly ignoring the pain, he whirled around and saw the mocking face of the hybrid that had opened the door for him.
He quickly readied his stance, realising the beasts hadn't intended for the fight to be as simple as two separate combats. He heard the sounds of Nadia repeatedly stabbing the beast behind him and focused on holding his blade steady in front of him.
Yet as his blade shook in the air in front of him, Rowan's gaze dropped to his hands as he noticed something off. He was only holding the sword with one hand. And while the sword was light enough to do so, he had only practised with wielding swords with two hands, and so the feeling was foreign.
'Why...'
His brief thought trailed off as the sight of his arm on the floor flashed through his mind, failing to accept the reality of the situation.
'What's it doing down there? I can't use it down there. Why is it bleeding?'
His mind stilled as the unavoidable truth clouded out the rest of his thoughts, a soft groan escaping his lips as the pain surged anew. Blood leaked from his stump as he watched, in a daze. The distant sound of clanging resounded in the base, but he couldn't pay attention to it, dizzy on his feet from the accumulating blood loss.
Amidst this, pieces of the base began to collapse, as the walls were pressed inwards by the crushing cavern, and the roof fell down upon the floor in pieces of large rock. Rowan laid down with his head facing the ceiling, and watches the light emitted from his still tightly gripped sword began to dim.