The following day, Eris had gone to the guild house alone. The others decided to take the day off again. Lili promised to take Pell to the bathhouse and Straf made plans to go with Pino to the armorer and buy him a shield.
Eager to practice with her new dagger and explore the area, Eris walked over to the mission board and looked at some quests.
Ten Mandragoras for twenty coppers
Five Driller Bees for fifteen silvers
One Scythe Mantis for twenty silvers
The forest beside Bridgetown, aptly named the Crawling Woods, was infamous for spawning giant insect-type monsters. The Scythe Mantis, particularly, was a notable one. It was a towering insectoid predator, standing nearly as tall as a grown man. Its body is covered in emerald-green chitin that served as lightweight armor. Its most terrifying feature, perhaps, were its forelimbs - two enormous, curved blades resembling wicked harvest scythes. Its serrated edges, along with the ability to infuse Wind magic to its strikes, allow it to slice through armor, flesh and bone, making it a chilling sight for even adventurers.
A worthy opponent
Before Eris could go to the receptionist desk with the mission poster, she was met with a faintly familar face. Walking over to the guild board was a boy she'd met yesterday. The one she saw being harassed by their leader.
"Uhm, Karan, was it?" she asked.
The boy waved his hand and let out a cautious smile. "Yes, it's Karan. You were the girl from yesterday, right? Thanks for standing up for me. I've been meaning to thank you."
Eris noticed that Karan, too, was alone. "No problem. Have you made peace with your leader?"
"No, I left actually. Those guys were toxic, anyways. I guess it's back to hunting and gathering for me," he replied, Eris catching a slight disappointment in his tone. "Oh, you're going to hunt a Scythe Mantis? Where's your party?"
"No party for today, they all wanted to rest and enjoy the town. It's our first time here," an idea suddenly struck Eris. "Hey, if you don't mind, do you want to take this quest with me?"
"Well, a Scythe Mantis is a pretty hard thing to beat alone, even for experienced adventurers here," Karan contemplated for some time before making his decision. "Ok! I'll be your guide. I know where to find some," he said gleefully, forming a 'V' sign with his index and middle fingers. A symbol of goodwill and victory among the youth in Bridgetown.
Walking in the forest, Karan reached into his bag and pulled out a fist-sized stone, faint blue light glowing from it.
"Come out, Luna."
A stream of light rushed from the stone to an empty space in the air, congealing into a blob of glowing Mana. The outlines of an avian creature slowly formed. Eris noticed the sweep of its wings, its clawing talons and two peculiar horns on its head, shaped like the waxing and waning crescent moons.
She gasped softly, awe widening her eyes. "Spawning?"
"It's actually Summoning. This here is Luna. A Moonhorn Owl," Karan cheerfully replied.
In Sha'aya, certain monsters, generally the more docile ones, can be tamed by humans and put into Summoning Stones. Through the stone and their tamer's will, they can shift between their ethereal Mana form and their physical 'flesh and blood' body.
Once tamed, the summoned monsters can be as useful as any tool or weapon depending on its abilities - a torch in the dark, a shield in danger, or a blade to cut down foes. For a Moonhorn Own, its usefulness came from its keen eyes, flying above to survey the land as a watchful scout.
"Go, Luna. Find a Scythe Mantis," Karan commanded.
With a powerful beat of its wings, Luna soared into the sky. The two followed the owl around until it stopped and made its descent. Tamers shared a special bond with their beasts, allowing them to understand each other's feelings and convey messages mind to mind.
"Luna says its just ahead." Karan prepared for the upcoming battle and summoned another one. "Cindy, come out."
Cindy, the Cinder Fox, looked very similar to a 'normal' fox but had two fiery tales, each shedding sparks and embers as it moved. Its main ability was to cast a fire ball comparable to that of a beginner mage.
"Wow! How many more summons do you have?"
"I just have one more but I don't think it'll be much help here," Karan answered in a hesitant tone, scratching the back of his head.
With their preparations out of the way, the two moved in to attack the mantis.
Cindy, Fire Ball!
Flames gathered in front of the Cinder Fox's mouth, swirling into a blazing sphere before it hurled forward. It left a trail of hot air in its path, mixing with the cool air and distorting light.
With its enormous compound eyes, the Scythe Mantis caught sight of the attack in an instant, allowing it to intercept with its own. It raised its two forelimbs and swung fiercely, sending an 'X' slash of wind that collided with the fire ball. The clash of fire and wind erupted violently, flames scattering in all directions while a furious gale howled from the impact.
Its reaction time is incredible.
Eris approached the giant insect from its back hoping to land a decisive blow to the head. She lunged forward and raised her right hand, holding her dagger in an icepick grip.
"Raven's Beak!"
She struck down with her blade in an overhand stab but was stopped mid-swing by the monster's right scythe-like limb.
It can even see behind itself!
In a swift counterattack, the beast turned, and slashed with its left limb seeking to tear open her belly. Eris pressed with her right, metal against chitin, pushing herself back to a safe distance.
That was close.
Sneak attacks were ineffective against an opponent that can see in every direction. Adding to that its insanely quick reflexes, Eris found herself in a difficult match-up.
The Scythe Mantis charged toward her with terrifying speed, its limbs arcing like reapers in harvest. Eris sprang back with a quick flip, narrowly avoiding the sweeping blades.
"Fire ball!"
Cindy launched another fire ball toward the beast's unguarded back. Unable to counter the attack this time, the mantis folded its legs and leaped high into the air to dodge.
The fire ball continued its trajectory. It was now headed toward Eris, who was caught off guard. With a desperate swing of her dagger, she carved the air. A crescent wind slash collided with the fire ball, causing a violent explosion at point-blank range. The shockwave blasted her off her feet, slamming her into a tree.
"Agh!"
"Eris! I'm sorry!"
Gritting her teeth, she staggered to her feet, ears ringing from the shockwave. Pain flared across her back, every breath ached. Luckily she had just stocked up on healing pills. With each pill, her breath steadied and vitality surged back into her frame.
"Don't worry.. about me.. I'm fine." Even with her condition, Eris let out a smirk, as though she had figured something out.
She realized that, twice, the giant insect had avoided direct contact with the fire. Its natural armor was resistant to blade attacks but not to heat, especially the magically enhanced kind. Also, in forcing the mantis to dodge, Karan had revealed its weakness. She intended to exploit this flaw.
"Karan! Make that thing jump in the air again!"
Eris took out the dagger she got from the Wraith dungeon. It had a strange appearance. The hilt bore an intricate design and its blade was made from an ivory-like material. Perhaps it had been the standard dagger before the rise of metal ones, she thought.
With a blade in each hand, Eris proceeded to attack the beast again. The two parried each other's blows, a flurry of rapid strikes flashing throughout the battlefield. They moved in a lethal dance, every motion a step in the rhythm of death, fatality with one misstep.
Eris moved back. "Karan! Now!"
"Cindy! Fire ball! Give it everything you've got!"
The large mantis leaped into the air once more, evading the fire ball.
There. Its underbelly.
Eris crouched low, her legs coiling like tightly wound springs, muscles tensing beneath her skin. Then, with a sudden release, she launched herself toward the beast, legs straightening and propelling her through the air like a loose arrow.
In that moment, Eris recalled what the Bridgetown blacksmith had said about her newly found dagger, a gravelly voice echoing in her mind, "You've got a mighty fine dagger here, young lady. It seems it's laced with the Poison element."
Poison. This was her new secret weapon. She channelled Mana into the dagger. A swirling haze of purple miasma surrounded the blade radiating an aura of decay and corruption.
"Take this, you overgrown insect!" Raising her left hand, Eris drove the poisoned blade into the underbelly of the beast. The momentum from her jump allowing her to pierce through.
Deep blue blood welled from its wound. Despite the cut being shallow, Eris had successfully delivered the poison. It fell to the ground, writhing in pain, limbs flailing as the poison coursed through its body.
For a creature that had no antidote, no healing potions, death was inevitable. Even if it survived the poison, it would be too weak to defend itself for some time.
"Karan, Cindy, one last time," Eris said, panting for breath.
Fire ball
This time, it did not dodge. Flames roared across its body, searing and cracking the tough chitin armor. Poison and fire made for a vicious combination. After thrashing about for a while, it dropped into a lifeless mass on the forest floor.
"So, how much do you think a toasted mantis is worth?"