Matthew coughed a dry cough as the venomous cloud invaded his throat and burned him from inside. His armor was tightened fast around him, he couldn't use his clothes as a mask. It stung his eyes, so he could not keep his eyes open. He got dizzy and could not tell to which way he should run out of the gas.

It was Ffyr that saved them from the peril. She conjured a powerful gust of wind around herself blowing the venomous gas away from all of them. However, shortly after she did that, she fell to the ground making an ugly sound when she hit it.

"Ffyr! Go back into your ethereal form or the poison will kill you!" Faynn screamed while charging the Bashmu to keep it away from the others who were all feeling the effects of the venomous cloud.

Matthew knelt beside Ffyr picking her up from the ground with care.

"Come on Ffyr. Get inside the necklace." He said to her shaking her gently.

Faralynn tried to put another arrow on the string, but was now too weak to pull the string. She was dizzy and could not even aim properly. The poison was running in her veins now, she needed to cleanse herself. Her hand scrambled on her belt and took effort for her to take out an antidote potion and drink.

Faynn was thrown back while trading blows with the Bashmu. She got another hit in, but was hit by a tail whip that sent her back several paces.

"How's Ffyr?!" She screamed without taking her eyes from the big snake.

"She's not responding!" Matthew screamed back.

"Give her an Antidote!" Faynn ordered and dodged an attack the Bashmu mage with its horn.

"I don't have one!" Matthew screamed again getting more desperate.

"I have one!" Faralynn screamed running towards the fairy feeling her body getting better while the potion she drank took effect.

"Thank you." Matthew said breathing heavily as he felt the poison weaken his body.

"It's my last one." Faralynn said while Matthew fed the potion to Ffyr very slowly so she wouldn't drown with the liquid. "Are you going to be alright?" Faralynn asked Matthew concerned about the effects of the poison on him.

"I will."

It took a few seconds for Ffyr to open her eyes. Still very weak, she didn't say a word and only entered Matthew's necklace. Matthew then drank what was left of the potion. Not enough to make make him well, but enough to make him stop feeling worse.

When Matthew got up back into his feet, Faynn screamed loudly. The Bashmu slashed her belly tearing her black leather armor open and drawing a thick stream of blood from her.

The monster's left eye was now just a big ball of blue fire. The unholy flames were slowly creeping up its head. This made it more desperate, the pain making it take irrational actions. But it also made it more dangerous. More aggressive.

It jumped against Faynn who was trying to gain distance to have time to pour a healing potion on her open wound. It tried to bite her, but Faralynn protected her with a mana shield that shattered between the beast's teeth.

Matthew charged in with both swords in hands. His slashes combusting with unholy fire making no real harm to the Bashmu other than sap its Vital Shield. But Matthew's plan was to get close enough for his Healing Totem skill to close Faynn's wound.

The big snake then turned to Matthew and tried to slash him in two with its claws. He dodged the first, but the second landed on him with an upward motion taking blood and tearing his armor open.

Matthew's wound was soon closing up but the effect of his healing, but his armor and shirt were now hanging from him revealing half of his torso. The Bashmu was now focused on him, which proved to be a mistake.

Thanks to Matthew's Healing Totem skill, Faynn was already back in action. And attacking from the shadows was what she did best. Taking the snake by surprise, guided by her ability to sense weak spots, similar to the Sneak Attack skill, Faynn stabbed the Bashmu where its Vital Shield was thinnest on its back.

The big snake didn't have vocal cords to scream. But it opened its mouth wide and a hiss of air escaped from it. That was a deep wound. And Faynn had the experience to take full advantage of that attack.

Her blade was made entirely of shadows she gave shape with her mana. From inside the beast, she made her blade expand as a crown of thorns and tear everything she could before the beast turned around and slapped her away.

Faynn's face was marked by two lines of blood from the Bashmu's claw. Her face was now uncovered as the claw teared her mask. She got up ready for combat. But, this time, her luck ran out.

The giant snake slithered in in full speed fluttering its wings to gain more speed. Before Faynn could react, it pierced her body with its horn right through her chest. The elf didn't even have time to scream. Her last action was to look at Faralynn with tears in her eyes.

And now the woman Faralynn saw as a sister. Who was there for her since her birth. Who was a protector and a confidant. That woman was now lifeless hanging on the Bashmu's head by its horn.

Faralynn cried in horror as the Bashmu took Faynn out of its horn and discarded it aside like it was nothing. The elf's blood was still dripping from its bladed horn and face. The monster moved its claws like that was a victory, it was clearly happy.

Faralynn screamed in anger shooting her last arrow than just bounced harmlessly from the creature's Vital Shield. She then drew her sword grinding her teeth at her enemy. She got into position ready to fight that clearly stronger enemy that not even Faynn, who would be more than 30 levels above Faralynn, could defeat.

"Lynn!" Matthew screamed as the demonic mana stirred in him. "Don't be stupid! Collect some good arrows from the ground and keep shooting! I'll take the fucker myself." He ordered with a wide smile after those last words.

This was the biggest and most powerful monster he's ever faced. And this time there were no one else there to fight for him. All the help he could get was from Faralynn, and he knew she wouldn't be able to do much.

It was certain death.

Yet. He was happy. He was curious. He was excited.

"Come you bastard!" Matthew screamed as he charged in. The death of Faynn completely sending him into a berserking state.

Faynn's fight wasn't in vain. The beasts wounds were great and deep. It was slower now. Weaker now. Matthew could defend, he could parry. His attacks were now drawing blood. The Bashmu's Vital Shield was weak.

He got a slash on his cheek from a claw that quickly closed as he was still using his Healing Totem. A whip from its tail on his uncovered chest which he didn't feel because of his Anesthesia. The miasma he was releasing was also affecting the monster, the wound on its back was putrefying. The blue flames on its head were spreading.

The fight raged on.

Faralynn found only 5 arrows that were still usable to be shot. She would made the best of it.

She aimed true. Her head played back to her the time Faynn and her mother taught her how to draw. How to aim. Faynn's laughter from the arrow flew too high still ringed in Faralynn's head to that day. But that day was different.

That day she wasn't going to miss.

With precision she never showed before, Faralynn shot. In the middle of the dance of claws and blades and teeth that Matthew and the Bashmu were doing, the elf's arrow flew straight and landed deep on the beasts other eye. Its Vital Shield too weak now to stop it.

It hissed and Faralynn shot the other 4 arrows in sequence all hitting the beasts head.

But it was still not dead.

It was still dangerous.

Its tongue darted out tasting the air. Feeling the warmth of its prey.

The Bashmu took Matthew by surprise attacking him even blind of both eyes. Its claws sank deep on his body making him stumble back. Not a moment after, it sprung to attack Faralynn. Matthew took notice as did the elf.

Faralynn took out her sword again. She readied herself for the pounce.

But Matthew wasn't going to let it attack his girlfriend like that.

He jumped on it before it sprung in. His chest still bleeding from the claws, but the wound was closing slowly. He held it by its wings fast.

This was his last resort. He was betting that since it was an animal monster, that its Mind stat was low enough for his Witchcraft skill to work. He conjured deep emotions that laid inside of him. The visions of hell that he suppressed deep in his heart.

The song of the imps.

The smell of the Drentch.

The horror and the gore he witnessed.

The fear.

The terror.

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