Once the creature now out of the ground, Lyssara got to witness the monstrosity in it's full glory. It's teeth baring at her as the saliva dripped from it's maw. It's eyes in pairs, one of jade and the other pure obsidian as they never left her figure. It's body was coated in a mixture of leather and skin that seemed charred together at the back.
As for the front, bony protrusions could be seen sticking out masking it's face and ears that twitched with each beat of her heart. It's front legs smaller than the hind, with flaps of wings sown with it's claws digging into the ground. As for the hind, they were bigger and far more potent in terms of design.
However what really revolted her was the pulsating sac on it's back. Smaller creatures could be seen writhe and convulse ready to be hatched. Bile flashed in her mouth before she forced it back down. 'Just what do you have me facing Jarren?!' She cursed inwardly as the Broodgnaw Matriarch locked eyes with her.
The air was stiff , neither side willing to make the first move. She slowly reached for her glaive, the two sets of eyes still locked onto her.
*Thud*
The beast rested it's body as it's back began to froth and fizzle.
*Shriek*
Such cries filled Lyssara's ears that made her blood curl as she finally showed her glaive to the beast. Still the Broodgnaw didn't attack as as it let it's newly birth gnawlings face Lyssara. The first wave of the damned beasts was easy for her as the little spawns had limited movement and an inept sense of their surroundings.
With an arc of her blade, she turned the first tide of the horde into a charred mess,their blood eating at the ground below. Aware that she had to end the fight fast, she made her way to the Broodgnaw , her eyes locked with it's target.
*Tang*
A clash with it's head resorted with a shock wave that sent her flying back. 'Looks like I'll have to try something else.' Gritting her teeth,she looked at the unfazed Broodgnaw that kept on creating more hell spawns.
[{Echo Step}]
In a flash she crossed the distance and with her glaive in hand aimed for the back of the beast hoping to bring it's breeding spree to an end.
*Shriek*
It's ear piercing howl enough to make her heart falter as she leapt into the air. The Broodgnaw began to dive back into the ground leaving her spawns with Lyssara.
*Thud*
Landing from her leap, she sent a wave of fire that was more than enough to deal with the pests that bothered her.
[{Your health is 17 out of 20}]
Thanks to her trinket, her health pool was slowly rising back to it's peak.
*Grumble*
The ground beneath her began to rumble as if the entire room was on the verge of collapse. Small abhorrent creatures began to sprout out of the ground that once an easy feat for her to deal with grew more problematic due to their high numbers. 'Persistent pests!' She cursed inwardly as her frame would dart around vanquishing the little hell spawns.
Locked within the moment, she failed to notice the stream of acid shot at her that sent her crashing to the ground.
[{Your health is 3 out of 20}]
The notification felt like an insult to her once full health now made her teeter and the brink of death. Still she had no other choice but to preserve through it with flames of determination lighting her eyes. Sighting one of the hell spawns crawling out of the ground, she immediately brought it to it's demise and with a grunt lit up the burrows below with her flames.
Another resounding shriek followed as she had calculated. Now the beast emerging shot a detested glance at her, it's rage seething as it let out a battle cry and birthed more of it's kin.
This time she didn't dally going for the Broodgnaw, her motions swift yet gracefully as she danced through the air with grace and with a stab managed to land a deathly blow to the Broodgnaw. The beast whipped it's tail around however quick on her feet she managed to block the blow sending her flying.
*Whoosh*
With it's powerful hind legs, the Broodgnaw hurled itself towards Lyssara who was still recovering from the throw.
*Bang*
It's skeletal skull crashing with her glaive sending sparks all over driving her deeper into the wall. The beast flashed it's teeth threatening to eat her while however with her estoc she drove it deep into the beast's mouth cutting off it's epiglottis.
Before giving the beast another chance to scream, she took the time and made another slash on the Broodgnaw's back lighting the beast into black fiery flames. As for the gnawlings all over, they tried to rush over to aid their mother however with a wave of her glaive, they met their demise.
'Damned pests!' She muttered inwardly as she glanced back at the Broodgnaw that was still in it's pitiful moans. Before she could make another move, the beast now enraged began it's second phase which made Lyssara's brows furrow. 'Isn't it a bit too soon for it to go into such a state?' She couldn't help but wonder as she backed away from the Broodgnaw.
The frame of the monster began to convulse unnaturally that made her stomach churn.
*Whoosh*
Patches of acid began to fly out of it's back shot aimlessly all over. However thanks to her Echo Step, she managed to dodge most of the patches and with the gnawlings still left over, she managed to regain some of her health.
[{Your health is 10 out of 20}]
She didn't focus on this fact as the Broodgnaw's second pair of obsidian eyes began to light up with rage. Faint green pupils could be seen shine through as it's first pair now turned into obsidian. The beast began to increase it's rate of birth falling the room with it's gnawlings. Rather than take out the Broodgnaw, she chose to recuperate some of her health first.
[{Your health is 16 out of 20}]
For her this was enough as she made her move however so did the Broodgnaw, it's massive frame towering over it's kin and killing some in the process. Using it's head as a battering ram, Lyssara was sent flying back once more, her glaive digging into the floor to slow her frame from crashing once more.
The Broodgnaw didn't give her any time to breathe as it lunged for her once more. Reaching for her estoc and with a leap she dodged the beast and carved a deep gnash on the monster's back that lit it ablaze once more. 'Come here!' Her grunts growing more aggressive closing the distance.
This time she threw her glaive at the beast's back rupturing the womb ending it's hellish spawn. Now outraged, the Broodgnaw reached for one of it's kin and swallowing it whole without a second thought.
'A beast that eats it's own for it's survival.' It felt comical however she didn't doodle on the fact as she made her next move.
*Thud*
She drove her estoc deep into one of the hind legs and with the lesser amount of gnawlings for the Broodgnaw to feast on, it began it's burrow once more. As for Lyssara, she bathed the entire room in flames bringing all the gnawlings to meet their demise. 'Let's see what other tricks you have!'. A faint scoff escaped her lips as she anticipated the next move.
*Whoosh*
The doors opened which took her by surprise however her guard remained up. Realizing the silence, a thought that terrified her crawled into her mind as she made for the exit. What met her made her scalp tingle as she saw the Broodgnaw feast on one of sacs of it's own. The entire room seemed to serve as a spawn point for more abominations like the Broodgnaw and here the mother feasted without a care.
Holding out her hand, her glaive flashed right back and with a grunt she hurled it towards the Broodgnaw to halt it from it's recovery. 'Clever bastard!' Her click met with a roar of defiance from the Broodgnaw.
Her glaive began to mow the sacs that housed hundreds if not thousands of smaller gnawlings that drove the Broodgnaw Matriarch into a frenzy. Now both of it's eyes glowed jade rushing at her figure.
It's speed now increased to which she failed to dodge sending her flying back to the room before. Leaping towards the ceiling, the Broodgnaw Matriarch crashed the doors sealing Lyssara off. 'Damn it!' She couldn't help but mutter as she knew what the matriarch was up to.
'If I let it be alone in that room then I'll go right back to full health once more.' The fight would slowly start to grow at her disadvantage given that her weariness had began to settle. She wasn't as crisp as she was prior when entering the cave and it would only get worse. 'I have to end this fight fast.' Her path blocked with rubble.
Summoning her glaive, she sent a pillar of hellfire at the debris however it failed to move. Looking around, she managed to find an opening however it wasn't as big as she wished it to be. 'I won't be able to fit in that small hole. And if I try to make it any bigger I'm sure that bastard will try to seal that hole as well.'
Flames writhed on her glaive, her eyes darting around to find a solution. "A mere overgrown rat is this much of a bother?!" The voice came from her lips and yet it didn't sound like hers. Her lashes fluttered with shock as once more her body moved without her consent as a chilling silence swallowed her.
She aimed her hand at the debris as a small ball formed at the tip of her index. With a sigh she let go.
*Boom*
The entire first floor shook from the explosion, the air cracking and humming with energy as her path was now cleared. She made her entrance, slow and casual as the Broodgnaw Matriarch cast hateful glares with it's two pairs of eyes. Baring it's teeth, it lunged at her and yet she didn't bother to dodge as her grip on the glaive tightened.
*Whoosh*
In a single blow, the Broodgnaw Matriarch was sent bursting into flames, it's body split into two which now gave a faint revolting stench on the floor. She didn't give another look at the beast as she glanced around in the nest before a small ball of flame writhed in her hand.
*Whoosh*
As well as the sacs, her body was bathed in flames and yet she stood in the sea of flames untouched making her way to the exit.
...
"Hah!" At once her body collapsed to the floor as she tried to take off the mask. "There's no need for you to do that." A voice echoed in her mind which further drove her to take off the mask. The voice ceased as the mask fell to the ground, it's black marks now giving a faint glow in the barely lit halls.
'Just what is this.' Her concern met with silence. The air felt stiff, her path ahead filled with darkness that she couldn't see through. Before she could have a moment with her thoughts, reality itself began to peel like a veil and the cause nearly drove her blind forcing her to shield her eyes.
A tear through space came to be, she didn't need to be told to step through as she grabbed the mask and left the game world. What met her was a never expanding space of white oblivion. However into the distance something to stick out of the white bleakness.
A figure seated on the throne however it remained unmoving and to it's side a massive crow could be seen feast on the skull. Looking closer another figure could be seen at the bottom of the throne, it was none other than Jarren who seemed busy with something faintly glowing in his hands.
Making her way closer to him, the crow halted it's feast and shot a deadly glance at her akin to a predator sighting it's prey. The two locked eyes and a shiver ran down her spine however before she could breathe,the crow resume with it's meal.