บท 29: Chapter 28 - A Monster Rage

It's in pain, my attacks are working! I don't know how but my claws feel stronger, is it from that healing potion before?

The ripped-out feathers darted through the air with erratic movements, cutting back and forth around me with swift motions.

A sharp cut brushed over my shoulder as one of the feathers flew past me. The Rhaskan cried out, commanding all of its feathers together to attack me.

I glanced over my shoulder at the oncoming wave and activated the Rush skill. My body raced across the room, I closed in on the Rhaskan in a matter of seconds. There was no question about it, I was moving faster and dealing more damage.

I burst out the other end of the feathers and dug into the boss's wing, tearing out whatever my hands could reach.

Liv hung back, keeping her sword ready at her side.

The boss cried out with eerie shrieks and forced out its wings. The sudden force threw me off and I collided with the wreckage of stone and dust left behind from the wall. The last of the feathers scattered throughout the room rose in a harmonious levitation.

Suddenly the green light which filled them with its emerald colour, lit up and illuminated the room with its bright glow. Every feather retracted back to the Rhaskan's body, glueing them to its body like a suit of armour.

The feathers remained in their stiff elongated form which gave the bird a sleek figure. Its wings were sharp and its body looked to be solid.

The Rhaskan spread out its wings and remained still.

A forceful breeze followed and burst out from around the Boss, like an explosion of air.

Both Liv and I were forced back and we went flying into the shallow body of water at the centre of the room. The pressure was even stronger than last time, I felt slightly dizzy just from that hit alone. I checked to see if Liv was alright, luckily she didn't seem too hurt.

She slowly picked herself up, gripping hold of her knee for support as she rose.

"What's with that glow, it's even stronger than before?"

"Did you notice? It's controlling the wind with more precision than before, all of this happened after the feathers went back to its body." Liv replied as she gestured towards the currents of winds blowing around us.

"Getting in close might not be possible when it's throwing gusts of wind at us, any ideas?"

Liv hesitated, she looked ready to say something but then stopped herself at the last second.

"I—"

Swish

Suddenly a large beak crashed into the ground, Liv pushed me out of the way before it could reach me. We both fell to the side as the ground crumbled beneath its beak. It continued flying and circled back to us.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…I just didn't see it coming."

"It's faster, I wouldn't be able to keep up with it as it is now." Liv replied.

The Rhaskan extended its wing, slicing over us with a sharp swipe through the air. We ducked beneath it and rolled out of the way.

Liv jumped back onto her feet and slashed at the back of the Rhaskan's body. Her blade slammed into the hard surface of its feathers and froze in place, unable to break the solid defence.

"It won't budge." She said in awe.

The Rhaskan tail feathers brushed to the side and sent her rolling back.

Its eyes raced across the room and settled on me. It tucked its wings at its side and charged through the air like an arrow.

I dashed out of the way but wasn't fast enough to avoid the damage. The Rhaskan's body broke past me, and the heavy impact of a mountainous body crashed into my right side. My body rushed through the air as the white aura around my legs disappeared.

With the Rhaskan passing me, my eyes glanced up at the feathers of its body. They shook violently in place, shifting back and forth with a restless vigour. The bright emerald glow of its body filled my eyes.

That's it! It's using the speed of its feathers to move its body, that's why it's moving so fast.

I can't fight and dodge at the same time, not while it's this fast. Wait didn't she use magic before?

I glanced back to Liv who was still lying face up at the centre of the room, floating back halfway covered by water.

Her eyes were open but just barely. If she was conscious then what was keeping her like that, why wouldn't she get up?

"Liv!"

She didn't respond.

If she doesn't get up there's no chance of us surviving, I can't hold out for much longer—

"You can stay down, but nothing will change— I'll keep fighting though, that's what it means to be an adventurer!"

After a brief pause, Liv shot up onto her feet. She grabbed her sword and in a single lunge she shot across the water and reached the outer ring.

The Rhaskan waved its wing sending a stream of wind at her but she managed to endure it. Liv planted her sword into the ground and kept herself locked to the ground. She leaned forward, her hood just barely remained on as her feet trembled from the force.

With the Rhaskan facing elsewhere, I took my opportunity and activated my skill,

"Strike Kick!" I commanded a powerful surge of aura that circled my foot as I kicked the Rhaskan into the wall.

With the Boss pinned to the wall, I shouted back to Liv. "Fire!"

Her eyes widened as she caught my words, she nodded in agreement and ran along the outer ring towards it.

Suddenly a burst of wind erupted from the wall and the Rhaskan shot forward, it flew to Liv with its wings out and its beak open. A terrifying shriek followed as it charged through the air.

Its bony talons crashed into the ground where she stood, Liv dodged out of the way but the Rhaskan was too fast.

Her cloak was torn under the Rhaskan's claw, she managed to slip out without it but her hood was forced off her head as the cloak fell to pieces. Liv came out the other side with her sword drawn and her figure unmasked.

Shiny white hair flowed freely over her shoulders and arms. An elegant face and slim body came into view as she landed nimbly back onto the ground. Her armour looked extremely light, no more than an elbow guard and chest plate with a thin white tunic beneath it.

Liv battled uninterrupted, she didn't seem to notice that it was gone.

"Beautiful…" I muttered.

The Rhaskan rose into the air, flapping its wings with a desperate flutter. The wind produced was enough to shake me from quite a distance away but Liv didn't flinch. She broke past it and drove her palm into the bird's chest, forcing it back to the ground.

What's with that power, a few minutes ago it was beating us. Now she's overwhelming it completely!

"Here's your chance, it's now or never!" Her determined scream snapped me out of my daze.

I grit my teeth and charged ahead with the Rush skill active.

"Spirit of Wrath, heed my call and tear away my enemy's defences—Roaring Cinder!"

A powerful ball of flames shot out of her hand and collided with the wedged Rhaskan, causing its feathers to burn up to a crisp and writhe in pain.

It broke free from the crater in the ground and fell over on itself as the feathers on its body turned black. Its sleek steel body had been reduced to flimsy black feathers, half burnt and not nearly as solid as before.

{Shadow Claw activated}

"Gyaah!!"