The place looked as though it had once been a tavern. It was why Serena had been drawn to it in the first place.

The roof had been caved in almost completely, sunlight flooding through into the main serving area. Shattered tables and ruined chairs lay in heaps on the still intact wooden floor, bits of wood and other debris littering the areas between. The only surviving furniture was the bar at the back of the room, a wall of broken bottles behind it, along with the shadowy mouth of a doorway beside them. A fine layer of dust, or maybe dirt, covered every inch of the place, coating the walls in a dull, dirty grey, along with leaving a trail where Werond walked.

She had strode right into the ruined building and hopped over the bar, ducking from view as she began rummaging under it. Serena, however, had remained frozen in the ruined doorway, her heart suddenly pounding, as the all-too-familiar sight brought with it a flood of memories that she hadn’t expected to stomp her in her tracks.

So consumed was she by those memories of a brighter time that Serena failed to notice the troll until it burst through the doorway behind the bar, shattering the already ruined door frame, and shaking the building with an ear-piercing roar.

Werond screamed as the beast, towering over her, grabbed her torso with one hideous hand, claws curling around her chest like witch nails, and hoisted her towards its mouth. She screamed again as she struggled in its grasp, the beast’s maw opening to reveal rows of glistening fangs that raced for her throat, drool pouring down in streams.

It ate a bolt of fire instead.

The beast screamed as flames erupted in its mouth, almost covering its face completely. It flung Werond away, who disappeared behind the bar, only to reappear as she leapt over it and dove behind the remnants of a table. The troll moved to follow her, only for a second bolt to explode against its chest, forcing its attention towards Serena with a snarl.

Flames rippled to life across the beast’s chest, burning its sickening green skin, snapping at the air like ravenous dogs. Though hunched, it stood far taller than even Doriyah, its face like that of a hideous dog, jutting out with a mouth of snapping teeth. It’s long, thickly matted hair burned at the tips, the tiny fires creeping up its locks at a snail’s pace. Muscles rippled across its arms as it held its claws up and bellowed a challenge, shaking the walls of the broken tavern, and sending a spike of fear through Serena’s heart.

Serena pulled her hands back, flames rippling to life across her palms, racing up her arms and over her chest. She hoped the others had heard that.

With a swipe of its claws, the troll smashed through the bar and thundered towards her, still screaming, claws raised at her head.

Serena stepped back, pulled from the burning well within her chest, and flung her hands out.

Twin streams of flame roared from her palms like dragon’s breath, burning wider and wider as it raced towards the troll and splashed against its chest, coalescing with the flames already burning across it.

The troll’s screams grew louder as it continued its charge, utterly oblivious to the inferno.

Serena cursed and cut off the stream as she dropped to the floor, the door frame behind her exploding into splinters as the beast swiped where her head had once been.

As she thudded onto her back, she threw her hands up and continued the stream, sending another bout of flame into the beast’s face. It only seemed to anger it more.

Still screaming, the troll raised its arms over its burning body and brought them down into the stream, igniting its claws as they raced towards her.

Serena dropped her hands to her chest, flames dying out, and twisted her fingers – the world blurred, spun, then cleared as she landed on her feet amidst the shattered bar, a puff of silver mist where she’d once been.

The mist disappeared as the floor caved in under the troll’s claws, bits of wood flying through the air, the CRACK of the wood causing Serena to flinch.

The troll stared at the ground for a moment, looked up, then whipped around, flames twirling off its body, roaring as it caught sight of her.

Serena thrust out a hand, middle and ring finger curled in, as an orange bead blazed to life between her pinky and index. It launched just as the troll lurched forward, beady eyes glowing orange from the flames.

The bead smashed into the beast’s chest and erupted into a massive wave of flame, utterly consuming the troll, detonating outward, and shaking the building as it blasted through the front.

Serena couldn’t help but laugh at the curtain of flames that now burned across the front of the tavern, blocking her view of the outside. The well within burned pleasantly inside her chest, and she couldn’t help but feel an immense satisfaction knowing that the beast hadn’t a clue what –

The troll burst out of the flames, every inch of it engulfed in fire, like a walking hurricane of flame. It reared back and screamed, before thundering towards her, fire streaming from its body.

Serena flinched and threw up her arms, fingers barely twisting in time to teleport to the side of the room, landing awkwardly on the remains of a wooden crossbeam.

The beast roared again as its flaming claws sliced through silver mist, rounding on her as she caught her balance. Before she could react, the troll swiped through what remained of the bar, wood and splinters tearing through the air.

Serena yelled and threw up her arms, covering her face from the debris, blinding her for a single moment.

The floor shook as a white-hot pain erupted across her arms, the beast’s claws ripping through her flesh like paper. Blood splashed across her chest as she screamed, the force of the blow smashing her into the wall and bouncing off to the floor; wood exploded behind her as the troll swiped where she’d been, narrowly missing her head.

Her arms hit the ground first, sending a jolt of searing pain through them, yanking the breath from her lungs. The troll’s claws raked across her back a heartbeat later, her body arching as it was sliced open, blood spraying the wall beside her, fresh pain ripping through her back.

Grinding her teeth, Serena forced herself to roll towards the beast, back spasming in pain as dirt and Bahamut knew what else got into the open wounds.

The wood where she’d been exploded under the troll’s claws, the beast screaming in fury; it reached down towards her, claws extended, as Serena, back seizing, twisted her fingers once more and teleported back to the middle of the room.

She stuck the land but collapsed immediately to her knees as stars exploded into her vision, body thudding with pain as the beast roared in confusion. The world went blurry soon after, the burning of the flames growing quiet as Serena fought the urge to pass out. She wouldn’t be able to handle much more of this – Bahamut’s Teeth, she was furious with herself that she’d been hit in the first place. When was everyone else going to come in and –

Werond screamed.

Serena tore her head up, wobbling backwards as she tried to find her, only to instead find a pair of claws rocketing towards her chest.

She blinked and found herself flying.

The curtain of flames barely touched her as she soared through and smashed into the road outside, gasping as the breath was ripped from her lungs, fresh pain exploding across her chest and back.

The troll leapt out of the flames and charged at her, still – Bahamut’s Teeth, why was it still screaming?!

Chest heaving, body throbbing, Serena threw up her hands, flames curling around her palms as bolts of fire screamed towards the beast.

Each smashed into its chest, a brilliant eruption of red surging with the flames already raging across it, yet the troll crossed the distance all the same, utterly unphased, still screaming.

Serena yelled in turn as the beast loomed over her, a towering wall of flame, claws raised over head, air thick with the smell of burning flesh. She threw up her hands as the claws came down, pain overwhelming her signs –

A third scream ripped through the air – a blur from the side –

Like a hammer from the gods, Doriyah smashed his shoulder into the troll, the beast’s claws barely missing her as it was thrown off balance, its roars dying to a surprised yelp.

Doriyah leapt forward and – Bahamut’s Teeth, tried to tackle the beast, arms like tree trunks wrapping around its torso, seemingly oblivious to the flames.

The troll roared as its arms flailed about, barely keeping its balance as Doriyah drove his feet into the dirt and shoved, keeping the beast reeling.

“Put it out!” Doriyah screamed. “Fucking put – it – out!”

Serena flinched but threw up a hand and closed it to a fist; most of the flames snuffed out across the beast’s body, though a few streams still burned up from its matted hair.

“Hit it!” Doriyah yelled.

Another scream ripped through the air.

Serena blinked and Pavel was suddenly on the beast’s back, golden locks a mess as he wrapped on arm around its thick neck, raising a rock overhead with the other.

Face wild, he smashed the rock into the troll’s skull, earning him a roar of pain, and a gout of blood that spurted from its head.

“Kill it!” Doriyah bellowed.

Pavel brought the rock down again and again and again, blood like syrup splattering across his arms and over the front of Doriyah, now smashing his fist into the troll’s jaw in rhythm with Pavel’s blows.

The beast screamed in shrill panic, deadly claws now useless as it flailed about, unable to process what was happening. Serena scrambled to her feet as the trio began stumbling away, a crimson cacophony of screaming.

Though she stood on unsteady feet, vision fuzzy from the pounding pain, Serena raised her hands up, flames licking to life across her palms. There wasn’t a clear shot she could take, she couldn’t risk hitting –

With a sickening CRACK, a bit of the troll’s head caved in under a blow from Pavel’s rock. He flinched as the beast screamed and, with a massive heave, threw him to the ground.

Doriyah yelled in turn and leapt back, falling to the dirt as the beast’s maw snapped at where his head had been just a heartbeat before.

“Fuck it!” Doriyah yelled.

Serena snapped her hands forward, bolts of fire streaking towards the beast. Each burst against its mouth, igniting its head in a maelstrom of flame, screams of rage falling away to ones of agonizing pain.

The troll staggered back, almost trampling Pavel underfoot, as Serena fired again and again, bolt after bolt exploding against its chest and head, each building upon the other until the troll was once again a screaming, flailing inferno.

She pulled her hands back as she lost sight of any recognizable features, the sizzling of its skin audible even from a distance. Her stomach lurked as she heard something pop, the troll’s screams growing worse by the second as it burned before their very eyes.

She pressed her palms together, ready to unleash another torrent of flame, only for the burning beast to turn and sprint down the road, a howling figure of flame, flailing frantically as it fled out of town and into the boggy outskirts.

Pavel scrambled to his feet, thoroughly coated in thick troll blood, watching the beast as it disappeared into the bog. Serena dropped her hands, panting, body aching, as Doriyah let loose a long whistle.

“Very humane.” He said. “You really put that thing out of its misery, huh?”

“I tried…” Serena could barely sign, so heavy were her hands. “I tried to. Tougher…tougher than it…gods, that was the second…second time I lit it up…why didn’t it…die?”

“Got me. I don’t think you were trying hard enough, unlike Pavel.”

“How…how is beating it to death any better?!”

“I dunno, go ask it.”

Eyes still on the bog, Pavel began walking backwards towards them, shaking his head.

“You know,” He said. “I feel a little bad. Maybe we should…”

He looked over his shoulder, froze, then spun around, sending a jolt through Serena’s chest as he yelled.

“Serena! Nine Hells, what the fuck did it do to you?!”

She blinked and looked down for the first time; her shirt had been shredded, blood soaking into the dirty white fabric, dripping down into her skirt that was now as dirty as the floor of the tavern. Her back still felt wet, but most of the pain had begun to subside…which probably meant that she was going into shock, if she remembered everything correctly, which wasn’t –

Serena flinched, hard enough to scare Pavel and Doriyah.

She spun on one heel – easy when it was slick with blood – towards the ruined tavern, gasping as the world became fuzzy and bright, head going light. The blowing of the wind, the squelching of Doriyah’s hand on her shoulder, the yelling from Cruck’aa and Jo from down the road – all began to fade as she fought to stay upright and conscience.

“Fuck, that’s a lot of blood, what’d you do? Try to fist fight it?”

“– Hells happened, is she –”

“– stupid can you be –”

“– off, she’s hurt Cruck’aa –”

“–s stop moving!”

Serena blinked rapidly as the world kept going in and out of focus; she tried to wobble forward, towards the tavern, but Doriyah held her back. She couldn’t shake him, couldn’t sign to tell him off, couldn’t see at first the figure that came sprinting out of the tavern –

Werond came into focus, crystal clear in her fuzzy vision, as she almost barreled Serena over. She grabbed her shoulders, somehow shoving Doriyah off, and looked her over, dark face stretching out in horror. She made some noise with her throat as her head jerked back, staring at Serena’s chest, and it was within that motion did Serena notice the burn to the side of her neck and shoulder, the skin yellow and blistering.

She’d hit Werond.

The world dimmed further as Serena fought against the horror in her chest, pulling from the well within, palms glowing with a warm light, barely visible in the darkness.

She reached out towards Werond’s neck, only for the other woman to grasp her hands and shove them back, aiming for Serena’s chest. Heart hammering, Serena fought against her, neither gaining any ground as her hands stayed between them, the light fading somewhat.

“– her inside –”

Werond leapt back as Serena suddenly rose into the air and float towards the tavern, the light vanishing from her palms, her conscience along with it.