“How do you want to do this?” I asked Rulan as we sped down the incline, through the thin tendrils waving lazily in the air, trying to gather what mana they could before slowly easing back into whatever plant had extended them. They almost looked like skinny hands as they shot back to hide as we made our way past, leaving the area around us very still.

“I could try to call nature to help slow the crab thing down, but we will still need to deal with the goblin. It looks like Nala and our sisters are having a hard time, look,” Rulan said and pointed to the approaching scene. I looked to where she was directing me and caught the end of Nala’s coordinated volley. As the shafts neared the goblin, energy shimmered in the air to deflect them. Our sisters were doing well, none of them seem to have been killed so far. They couldn’t last forever though, not with the crab monsters thick shell, and the goblin deflecting the arrows aimed at it with magical barriers.

“Let’s try it, maybe we can take care of the crab first,” I said, and Rulan nodded as we approached Nala and her group. There were looks of recognition on their faces as they saw us, but they focused on the monster attacking us, Nala approached us.

“First hunter, and Rulan, it is good to see you both,” Nala said, she had a few new scars, but otherwise looked the same as I remembered. “We can talk later,” she continued, giving me a curious look, “your help will be most welcome, we haven’t been able to do much damage to the monster, whatever it is.” I had many questions, they probably did too, but Nala was right we could talk more when the elder was safe.

“I’ll hold the monster, be ready to shoot the goblin when I have it still,” Rulan said, but Nala had no time to answer as one of the archers yelled a warning, and we all jumped in different directions to avoid the enormous claw that was crashing down into the ground where we had been standing. Dirt shot up in the air, but I met Nala’s eyes on the other side of the big appendage, and we nodded at each other.

“Do it,” I said to Rulan next to me, and in the next moment's roots shot out of the ground to wrap around the big claw, trapping it on the ground. Vines came from the trees all around us to trap the monster from all angles. The thing struggled mightily to get free, and I could see some of the vines holding it in place snap under its strength, more of the plants were gathered, and soon the monster was held still. The vines were looking like a thick hastily assembled spiderweb connecting the crab to the thick trunks of the trees. Everyone quickly knocked their arrows, including me, and aimed at the goblin. It screeched in anger on its perch as our volley of arrows shattered against its shield. Another barrage followed with the same result, but we continued as the distracted goblin didn’t notice the tendrils of plants and vines creeping up the crab towards it.

In a moment between volleys, a root quickly ensnared the goblins foot. It screeched again, this time in surprise, as the root flung it into the air to crash against a tree. Its shield shimmered and flared at the impact but seemed to be holding as the goblin fell limply to the ground. Just before it hit, the goblin slowed in mid-air to land safely on its feet beneath the tree it had crashed against. It had a furious look on its face as we continued to pepper it with arrows, but only succeeding in distracting it. A wind seemed to pick up as the goblin raised its hands above its head and blue energy gathered there, forming a big ball of ice.

“Oh no you don’t,” I said and dropped my bow, starting to form my own ball of magic, mine made of fire. The goblin was done before me, but I was not far behind, as it launched the condensed ball of ice it had grown bigger than its caster. It hurtled towards us, and I could hear the goblins mad cackles as it, no doubt, expected its spell to crush us. The laughter was cut short as I launched my fireball at the ice, both of the spheres of conjured elements met in the air and exploded in a mixture of steam, cold water and chunks of ice that fell to the ground. The goblin stared slackjawed at what remained of its spell, its eyes traveled quickly between me and the ice left on the ground between us.

Its surprise didn’t last long however, as it made a gesture and four perfectly formed ice shards rose from the ground between us. I watched as they took shape before me, detaching themselves from the chunks left on the ground to become incredibly thin. They looked sharp as they came hurtling towards my sisters and me, and I quickly formed my own shield in front of us, making sure everyone was protected.

I realized my mistake too late as I watched the ice fly past my shield, it was not aimed at us, but at the crab monster still ensnared behind us. The ice easily cut into the vines holding the monster down, and soon enough it ripped itself free. Everyone was too stunned to react before the crab managed to snatch one of our archers in its claw and rose up to its full hight.

Lubus, I said in my mind, directing the thoughts to him. We need to get her out of there, we could use your help.

Yes Eshanai, I can hear you, I’ve been talking to Lilian, and I think we have a way of dealing with the crab monster, Lubus answered, and I felt relief flood over me. Just distract the goblin for a moment, and we’ll do the rest. I answered my agreement and looked back to the goblin to see it raise the jagged gem towards me, it pulsed once, twice, and then it was in my head.

Give up now and submit, or the girl dies, it was the goblin, its thoughts being accompanied by its cackling laughter coming from its mouth and echoing from its thoughts into my head.

And what will stop us from killing you when you no longer have a hostage? I didn’t really want that to happen, but I was stalling for time.

Why, my little pet, of course, it cackled, you haven’t been able to hurt me once this entire time, I doubt you could do so even after I kill your little sister, as if the words had summoned it, there was a loud pop and a flash of light. Everyone turned to see Lubus hovering in the air next to the crab, close enough to touch, he was holding Lilian in his arms. She was reaching out to lay a hand on the monster, a look of determination on her face. The goblin screeched in outrage, and to my relief, I lost the connection to its thoughts.

“Everyone,” I shouted, “focus on the goblin, don’t let it interrupt them,” My sisters looked at Lubus flying unsupported with fascination, but quickly obeyed my orders and began launching arrows at the goblin again. “Rulan,” I said to my friend, and she looked at me, “can you hold the monster again so they can do whatever they have planned, and try to help Shisha get lose,” Rulan nodded and as I turned to the goblin roots once again rose from the ground to ensnare the crab.

We were at least succeeding in distracting the little goblin, I could see the strain on its face as it struggled to keep its shield up under the barrage of arrows. I approached it slowly and readied my magic, it glared at me as it saw me, seeming incensed that I wasn’t threatened by it it began launching bolts of ice at me. My own shield sprang up around me, it was tinted and orangy red color. I saw the ice shatter against it and quickly turn to steam with a hiss, it was a sunny day, so even though the assault took a big chunk out of my reserves they constantly refilled at a steady pace.

The goblin hesitated, and I saw fear enter its eyes, it doubled its efforts to stop me, the ice started falling like hail on my shield. I was a bit worried that my regeneration wouldn’t be able to keep up at this rate. But surely the goblin was in the same situation? It didn’t have a way to regain mana like I did, Unless. My eyes were drawn to the crystal clutched tightly in its hands, it was possible it was pulling mana from that, by the way, it was flinging spells at me in desperation it seemed likely. If only there were a way I could create an opening, there was a sudden crash from behind I didn’t turn to look, but by the way the goblins face paled it was likely Lilian had managed to take down the crab. The storm of ice had stopped, and my instincts took over as I sent a beam of sunlight in from the sky to blind the goblin for a moment. It screeched and covered its eyes as the brightness hit, and I rushed towards it with all the speed I could muster. My tail wrapped around the goblin, but to my surprise, its shield was still up. I squeezed as hard as I could, and I felt the barrier give way to my strength.

The goblin soon regained its senses and began sending streams of ice out at me, it gained no purchase on my scales, hissing loudly and sloughing off to splash the earth. I gave the shield a final push and cracks appeared in it before it shattered into a thousand pieces. The full strength of my coils came to bear on the goblin, its skin ruptured, lungs collapsed, and its spine snapped, it died in a mess making it hard to find the crystal among all the red blood. I managed it though, and it was crushed between two rocks.

When I returned to the others I found most of them staring at me, except Lilian, she was looking at everything but me. “What,” I said as I looked down at myself, I was covered in blood sure, that might explain why Lilian was avoiding looking at me, but not how my sisters were acting. “I confess I might need a bath, but I didn’t expect a little blood to fluster you.” Rulan was the first to shake herself out of her stupor.

“You… you were amazing,” her words broke the tension on the others, and they came forward to congratulate me and ask me all sorts of questions. My eyes were drawn to the big monster laying still on the ground, and I asked Lubus in my mind.

What happened, what did she do? Lubus grinned at me, he was feeling rather proud from what I could sense.

She put it to sleep, of course, he answered, and I looked at the girl standing beside him, studying the ground intensely. She probably saved us today, we might have managed to take that thing down eventually, but it would have cost us many lives.