I rush into the creature's face, dodging both pincers, Ramona and Victoria are a half-step behind me. Two purple bolts strike it's tail sending it back. I don't get a chance for a single slash before it reaches in for me with both pincers. A spear thrust distracts one, but Ramona's sword strike isn't enough to slice through the chitin and it lifts me into the air.

"Ssshit!" I hear Ramona shout as I grit my teeth and tear into my captor before it squeezes me any harder.

It releases me and I hit the ground feet first. I dart back in and the beast tries to grab me again. A roundhouse kick from a scaly foot sends the pincer up into the air and I achieve our first small victory of dealing a good chunk of damage to its face with two slashes and an Echo Strike. The Shadow Tria, however, seems more annoyed than hurt and shrugs off my attacks.

Stepping and turning, I dodge a couple of stinger attempts and the third one gets pinned with Victoria's spear. She strains to hold it down so I can slash the damned thing off, but it's whole body pulls back. It creates a bit of distance, enough for it to lift its powerful pincers and slam them into the ground. The three melee combatants were too close and unprepared for such a move and we are knocked down by a wave of energy. Two more bolts fly by and are blocked by the massive black boulders. From the ground I watch in horror as it lines its tail with me and sends it hurtling down at me.

An arrow hits the creature first, piercing the small target of bulbous flesh attatching the stinger to the rest of the tail. I roll, look behind, and see Elsbeth, who was able to make her one and only shot before falling to her hands and knees, retching uncontrollably. From a kneeling position I activate Assassinate, appearing just past its eyes clawing down into the Tria's head with one hand and Echo Striking with the other. I know it felt that!

Before I could rain down continuous strikes, it's whole body starts a slow shimmy that turns into a violent shake. I fall and hit the ground, this time on my back, dealing damage that just piles on as the battle progresses.

[The ground deals 10 bludgeoning damage!]

(45/74HP)

I jump back on my feet and sail backwards through the air, body wracked with pain. I land not so gracefully and slide into view of Dawn, who is able to shake off her debuff somehow. My broken body is stabilized at 5HP, less than ten percent, and I give a weak thumbs up to the Infernus.

She heals me twice, and I can almost feel my bones snap back into place and my muscles knit back together. I'm at over half health (39/74HP) and I struggle back to my feet. I look at Dawn and she nods her head. We both rush the giant terror. Up close again, the stinger seeks me out, but I manage to parry it with my claws while Dawn swings her glowing mace at an incoming pincer. She connects and blows the thing to smithereens in a spray of ichor and carapace bits. The radiant damage from her Smite skill causing even more damage to the already weakened pincer.

"Ha!" she couldn't help herself.

Of course she would feel triumphant for smashing something so massive to bits, who wouldn't? But the small window of distraction is enough for the Trias to exact revenge. Dawn reacts fast enough, bringing her shield up for the stinger, but it pierces the wood and the poisoned tip digs into her arm.

"No!" I scream, a fearful rage welling up inside me. If it weren't for the fact that it got stuck in the shield, the tail would normally be fast enough to dodge my claws. As it so happens, I hit it's lightly armored tail and send black goo flying everywhere, dislodging it from the shield completely. I rip off her shield, throwing it at the creature out of spite and lifting Dawn to a safer position.

I lay her down her several yards away from the battle, Elsbeth finally well enough to pepper the creature with well placed arrows. Kneeling beside her, I use my survival heal non-stop, almost passing out from how light headed I became from draining so much MP and SP so quickly. I check Dawn's HP bar. Its slowly draining, but high enough (roughly 75%) that the poison shouldn't kill her before it dilutes itself.

But it doesn't stop when I thought it should and I get a crazy idea.

"If you can hear me, nod or say something."

Eyes still shut, she lets out a groan and turns her head towards my voice.

"Alright, you interested in a little chew and spew or something not as effective?"

Her face scrunches into a weak grimace and I take it as a "Hell no."

I withdraw 10 Red Herbs and my waterskin. I roll the herbs between the palms of my hands until they emit a soft red glow, "Open your mouth."

She almost refuses, only remembering half of what I said earlier, so I squeeze her cheeks like a toddler refusing their medicine. I push the rolled up plants past her lips and plug it with the waterskin, tilting it ever so slightly so I don't drown her. Able to drink the leaves down, her health bar skyrockets to 100% and only dips slightly, the poison finally running its course. Her eyes flutter open and dart around the room.

With a sigh of relief I stand beside her, grasping her extended forearm and make sure she's good to go with a question, "Wanna do something crazy?"

A battered and bruised Ramona and Victoria are breathing heavy and with their shoulders. They did their best to protect the less armored mage and archer, but the heavily punctered, arcane scarred, one-armed, giant scorpion refuses to hit the dirt. Even down to three eyes and five legs doesn't seem to stop it, maybe even make it more pissed off.

"Girls! Regroup to Dawn! Now!"

Without a second's hesitation, all five jog backwards, keeping their eyes on the creature as my lone figure leaps over them and runs toward it. I hear all sorts of things regarding my sanity and livestock, but I maintain my focus. Within it's reach I nimbly dodge the remaining pincer and parry the stinger. I'm nearly blinded by the sweat dripping from my brow as I count each second by, giving my task more attention than anything I've ever done.

Almost out of breath from exhaustion, I count in my head. 23… 24… 25!

I feignt a big jump and watch it's eyes and claw start to go up, waiting a footstep closer before I activate Assassinate into the air where I should be. From up here I swipe at the stinger which the creature instinctively pulls back. A spear and kick sends its last claw flying back. Two arcane bolts and an arrow hit it's remaining eyes. The Shadow Tria tries to rear up in pain, but I manage to knock it back down with regular Critcal Stab and Echo Strike. The creature is now completely oblivious to the radiant mace hurtling towards its face and it takes the full force of it with a disgusting CRUNCH!

I land deftly on top of the creature's body, and as I turn around my footing is shaken as another Smite forces its way into the Tria's brain cavity. I almost fall off, managing to flip and land safely.

[You defeated Shadow Tria!]

[600+20%XP

[720XP will be shared amongst the party]

[720XP/6 members]

[Received: 120XP]

[Adaptibility Activated. Acquired: Spell]

[Shadow Toxin (35MP) self/ your next successful attack also inflicts up to three of three possible effects:

[80%: arcane_total poison/2sec for 16 sec

[50%: blind/deaf/silent for 2 minutes

[20%: paralysis for 30 sec]

No wonder Dawn's health kept going down! The first effect is almost twice as long as the Green Cobra's venom. The creature relied heavily on physical attacks, meaning it probably lacked in the Arcane department. If it had as much as someone like myself it would be like getting hit by a unblockable poisonous arcane bolt eight times. The MP cost is a little high, but I consider myself flexible enough to work around that for now. I can always raise the maximum MP later. Still, this is already my fourth Monster Ability: one spell, one skill, and two feats. I haven't told anyone about it and the others just seem to go with what they see me do. Then again, an immortal being doing unpredictable things in a world of sword and sorcery shouldn't make anyone so much as bat an eyelash. When we get back we should share stats so that we can fight together more effectively.

Whatever effects the lights caused, don't seem to bother the others so I reactivate my senses. The room keeps it an acceptable purple.

"Dawn, its all yours." Victoria motions to the Tria's loot bag on the ground. Dawn shakes her head, not even looking up from the screen she's staring at above her bracelet.

"I'm good. I got a huge bonus for killing the bug and I'm wondering if I should use it now or later."

With hands on her hips, Kona tilts her head to the side, "What is it?"

Dawn withdraws a red and white treasure chest, bigger than her hand yet small enough to fit in it. It looks ordinary but there are two faces above latches for a lock on opposite sides.

"Its a… Jester's Box?"

The only one who doesn't remain confused is Kona and she looks around at all of us incredulously, "Really guys? You don't know what that is?"

We collectively shake our heads and throw blanks looks at her.

"Ugh! It's a rare item that does one of two things. If you open the happy face, you get something you want. If you open the sad face, you get something you need. The real catch, is sometimes the thing you want might end up being useless in the long run. And the thing you need might be needed sometime in the future."

Dawn is alternating between both faces, turning it back and forth with her wrist, "That doesn't make this any easier, Kona."

"I was just explaining what it does," she shrugs and snatches the loot bag from Victoria. I in turn grab it from her and teleport away.

"Hey!"

The box has her full attention, but her concentration is light, probably already having made her choice and just admiring the box.

"I really like the design on this thing. When I think jester these are not the color's I would imagine. Probably all those comics I read."

She lifts the side with the sad face letting a tiny creaking sound and then a pop, like the box was made from a magic bubble. In it's place is another box. This new box is roughly the same size, but made of metal. There is a design etched into it, covering it with angles and straight lines. There isn't a single curve or circle on it. In the middle of one panel is a single dark red gem set flush into it.

"It lookss dwarven. I spent some time with group once. Hard workers. One even became attatched to me, but alas. Our cultures were too different at the time."

Wow. That raised an eyebrow or two among the group.

"Please, why do you think I find comfort sleeping on stone?"

Kona and I both look up from the loot contents screen and blush before quickly looking back at the list one more time.

[Received 6*Shadow Carapace, 1*Shadow Poison Sac, 1*Shadow Tria Stinger, 4*Shadow Claw Piece]

We both rejoin the rest of the group with big smiles on our faces, mine still not visable due to my mask. "We got a lot of great stuff for crafting. Although, there's something about the carapace that doesn't let me use it yet. Maybe… What ya got there, Dawn?"

She holds her prize up reverently and whispers, "Its a travel blacksmith building…"

The magical torches make it look like her abyssal eyes are twinkling disco balls. A tear almost forms in her eyes and she puts it back into storage. "I think I know one of the reasons I got it. Maybe, the carapace is more akin to metal than anything else now and I'm a blacksmith who needs to practice her skills."

"Yes!" I whisper shout, not wanting to attract anything else's attention. "All black armor and weapons is going to be awesome."

I take a quick glance at my meager coverings, remembering the vest I found and how the wolf tore it to shreds. The memory of the event is faded, almost gauzed over with something in my mind. It's probably so we don't suffer from extreme psychological trauma for being dismembered or drowned or set on fire or disembo--

Elsbeth nudges me out of my daze, looking down into my face with her sad smile. I reciprocate with a similar one with a bit of teeth. She motions with her head and eyes that the rest of the party is ready to move out and I nod.

"Say, Ardy," Kona starts with curious look on her face, "What was that thing you did with the red herbs and water? It looked like you improvised a potion."

I take a leaf out of storage and roll it between my palms until it glows, "I used to do this with mint leaves for mojitos so I didn't have to muddle them into oblivion."

Shes slaps my arm and giggles, "There you go using funny words again."

Oh, how can I put this?

"We used similar plants where I'm from?" I check to see if she's following me. "In drinks. The old school way of mixing the leaves was to grind them like a mortar and pestle."

She's nodding her head, understanding my connection to alchemy.

”Well, most people are too agressive, leaving a ripped up mess in the glass or floating all up in the drink. By rolling the leaves in my hands..." I reveal the glowing herb and she stares in wonder. "I still release the good stuff inside without losing bits and pieces everywhere."

Dawn looks into my hands, and then back at me, "Gonna have to get a drink from you next time."

"Sorry, we only serve adults at my bar."

CLONK, goes the mace off my tender skull.

"Very funny, you know I'm probably older than you!"

Victoria double checks her stats and mumbles to herself about doing something later. "Okay, everyone ready to go? I think this might be the last chamber."

There's nothing I can do with the pieces of shadow loot we have now, so I consent to moving forward. With less enemies in the cave and my Wolf Sense active, I stumble across a trail in my vision. Where the Tria last stood lay a disapating pool of bold red mist. Leading away from it towards our destination, the red trail is almost black.