Fay readied himself. He had already employed this trick once before.

The only difference now was the size and the hope that this creature didn't use magic.

If it did, it would set their plan back slightly.

But that was fine.

It might even be better. Aether-enriched meat was, after all, tastier.

Horin had long since set the trap.

Now it was Fay's turn to lead the creature toward it.

He began with a simple slash of wind that struck it from behind, causing it to run forward.

It charged ahead, forgetting the pain entirely since it was being attacked from behind.

The creature wasn't the type to fight back, which made things easier.

Horin fired a few arrows to keep it on course.

As it veered left, she shot one into its left arm.

When it turned right, she followed suit.

Both Grin and Jolt played their parts as well, keeping it centered while it inched closer to the trap.

The trap itself was simple: a hidden, uneven surface designed to trip the beast at high speed.

The one standing before it would force it to stumble, and sharp sticks would take care of the rest, no special tools needed.

"Horin, now!" Fay yelled.

At the same time, Somni moved into position.

Her task was to place the creature to sleep at the perfect moment, just as it tried to stop.

Within seconds, the beast passed the ideal spot.

Horin launched arrows directly at its face, forcing it to halt almost immediately.

Fay waited just long enough for Somni to act, letting her lull the creature to sleep before waking it again with impact.

All that remained was for it to tumble forward into the pit where they would strike from all sides.

But the cleanest hit, removing its head, would be his task.

He was preparing for exactly that.

The creature was falling forward slowly, and he had a narrow window to strike before its head hit the ground and woke it up again.

Everyone held their position, watching to see what Fay would do.

Grin and Jolt stood ready to follow up if he missed.

Horin, on the other hand, already had her bow drawn, waiting to release another shot if needed.

Fay empowered his sword again, this time prepared to cleave the head off cleanly.

He had done this countless times before to soldiers clad in heavy armor during the castle raid.

Now, he would do the same to the creature before him.

As soon as the creature's head was mere seconds from hitting the ground, Fay moved to the closest point of impact and swung.

With one strike, he created a flurry of wind blades that gave his weapon the momentum it needed to slice through.

In a matter of moments, the head was severed, putting the creature out of its misery and providing Fay and the others with large amounts of food.

Horin, both amazed and a little frightened by the weapon Fay wielded, rushed forward to check if the creature was truly dead.

Fay, on the other hand, offered a silent prayer before he began slicing off the best parts.

Jolt and Grin waited nearby, ready to feed on whatever he left behind.

They had already eaten a good portion of the previous creature, so they didn't need much from this new kill, especially since it lacked an aether core.

"Grin, bring back Mirage… I'm sure she'll want a piece of this as a reward for helping us bring it down."

Both Fay and Horin worked hard until Fay paused and looked at her.

"You know what, let's see if she can take it back whole. She's already surprised us with everything she's done so far."

Grin hesitated at first but ran off. Not long after, he returned with the girl.

Mirage had chosen to sleep atop the large hyena during the ride back.

Grin, however, mentally whimpered at Fay, signaling to be returned to the other realm.

"Thank you, Grin… I'll save some meat for you, I promise."

Fay didn't fully understand why his ally seemed to fear Mirage so much, but he decided to recall Jolt and Somni as well.

No danger had shown itself, not even after the fall of such a massive beast.

"Well? What do you think, Mirage? Think you can… You know, take it?"

The girl looked annoyed at being woken, but sighed before shifting into her large dragon form.

She bit into the severed head as if to claim it as her reward.

"Get on the dead beast and hold on. You know I won't let anyone ride me like a mount, so hurry."

Fay and Horin climbed onto the Trunktail's back just as it began to lift from the ground, gripped tightly by the dragon's jaws at the base of its severed neck.

It was probably the most dangerous move yet, rushing through the sky while dangling from a dead creature, with the wind dangerously pushing them around.

Fay held on tightly, not just to the beast but to Horin as well.

He had tied himself to the leg using an electric whip he'd formed before sending Jolt away.

The smell of burnt flesh lingered at times, but they had no way to stabilize themselves beyond this.

The ride was rough.

More than once, they felt as if they might fall, as Mirage accidentally rocked the creature mid-flight.

But after a few exhausting hours, they finally returned.

People had seen them from a distance and began gathering in an open area where the training fields used to be.

The rubble had been cleared, pushed beyond the outer edge of the castle grounds.

"We made it, Horin… though this is probably the last time we travel without proper ropes," Fay called out, his voice shaky. He could feel his aether draining rapidly, a bad sign, since he needed to keep Mirage out.

"Let go of that whip and let me hold you better. My arms are rested enough, and we're almost there."

Horin reached out and grabbed his hand, probably the first time she had ever done so.

And maybe… it was the first time for Fay too.

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