Bloodflowers Bloom (The Astral Wanderer Book 2), D'Artagnan Rey [essential reading .txt] 📗

The beast finally freed itself from the ice. Jazai tried to counter with another cantrip but the flayer looked at him and uttered a high-pitched screech that forced him to cover his ears lest his eardrums burst. It swung both cutters down onto the magi, who extended his arms and called his shield. A large barrier appeared a second later and the alpha’s arms struck it forcibly. The boy watched in shock as the shield only slowed the limbs and didn’t stop them. He gaped as the boney blades of the flayer slid into and down the barrier. In a moment, though, he regained his senses and blinked to where Devol stood as the shield was destroyed.

He helped the swordsman up. “We’re gonna need to try something different,” he said bluntly as the flayer sharpened its blades with a determination that was somewhat disconcerting. “Or find a way to inflict real injury. Flayers are known for their ambush and speedy tactics, but this one fights like a likan.”

“Both Asla and I were able to inflict some injury,” Devol muttered and shouldered his sword while he observed the wound in its chest beginning to heal. “But it regenerates so fast. How is it able to shrug blows from majestics off?”

“Like I said, I assume it consumed a magi with an anima,” Jazai reminded him. “From what I can see, it doesn’t have an anima like we do, though. It’s more like a magical coat around its carapace so it can take far more abuse and deliver it in equal measure, even against cantrips and majestics.”

“It looks like Asla might have the right idea.” The swordsman gestured to where the wildkin was able to dart between the legs of the creature and slash at its ankles. “It looks like she’s trying to topple it.”

“That will at least give us an edge,” the other boy agreed and held a hand out as his mana flared. “You guys will have to force it down. I’ll distract it.”

Devol nodded and tightened his grasp on his sword in readiness. “Got it.” He raced forward to join Asla while Jazai fired several missiles at the flayer, all focused on the arms and eyes. The creature began to thrash wildly. Asla rolled under the blows and Devol either leapt away or countered them. Although they were able to inflict numerous wounds on its feet and legs, they began to heal almost immediately. Both fighters eventually gave in to their frustration and used more mana than they normally would to each slice into the ankle of a leg and sever the feet.

The flayer fell and a burst of yellow blood spewed from the stumps. It thrust its blades down to steady itself as it peered at them and uttered another deafening cry.

“Would you shut up?” Jazai growled and waved a hand. “Pulse!” He blasted a wave of magical force that hurtled into the flayer’s head and shut its jaw. His companions both lunged at its head to finish it, but the alpha spun with surprising deftness, swung its bleeding legs into them, and flung them away before it began to burrow into the ground.

“Dammit!” Devol cursed as he forced himself to stand as their quarry disappeared rapidly. He sighed. “We need to get out of the den before it comes back for us.”

“Agreed,” Asla said as she rubbed the bump on her head. “We’ll have more space outside.”

“To the hells with it,” Jazai said in disgust as he marched past them. “I’ll burn this den to ashes.”

The young swordsman raised an eyebrow as the diviner blinked away. “It’s honestly not a bad idea,” he admitted to Asla as they raced forward. He took the rear and kept a watchful eye on the area behind them. They soon approached the entrance, where Jazai waited to set it alight, but the well-packed surface rumbled ominously beneath them.

“The flayer!” the girl shouted. Devol turned as something protruded from the soil and extended to reveal one of the alpha’s blades. The beast seemed to slice through the earth toward them and the ground became unstable.

He managed to stop himself from sliding and held his sword out to prevent the creature’s advance, but the blade simply sank into the soil without achieving anything. The flayer made no effort to engage him and the wild contortions of the dirt as it powered toward the entrance passed him without allowing him the opportunity to try to stop it.

“Jazai! It’s coming for you!”

The diviner grimaced and jumped away a second before the flayer broke through the surface and the long limb carved at the air. The immolation cantrip he had prepared to burn the den was redirected toward the alpha instead. It defended itself with a deft spin on the now healed stumps and the fire struck the shell on its back. The creature made an odd keening sound and swung at Jazai, who leaned back as he blinked away, but the blade sliced into his chest before he disappeared. He appeared next to a tree, holding his bleeding wound.

“Damn it!” He grimaced in pain and leaned against the trunk as his mana snaked around him and began to close the wound.

Asla darted out of the mouth of the cave as Devol caught up. The tiger-like shadow of mana formed around her as she attempted a killing strike. Rather than move to dodge or block it as she’d expected, it spat at her and covered her in some of the sticky liquid that dotted the cavern. The glob struck with sufficient force to hurl her into a tree. In seconds, it had attached her to the trunk. She immediately began to fight to cut herself free, but that left only the swordsman to distract their adversary.

Even without its feet, the flayer had adapted quickly. It used its arms to fling itself at him as he sprinted out of the den and barreled its entire weight toward him.