(Embalming- CaronzBekaluz🎵)
As the serpent entered the area the awakened dashed forwards and lunged towards the serpent's eye aiming to skewer it through the brain. His sudden counter attack took the serpent off guard for a moment but its muscles coiled and it avoided having its brain skewered. However it did not escape from harm. In a sick squelch his spear tore through the eye of the serpent leaving it blind on one eye.
'Yes!'
If he was lucky these awakenings would beat this nightmare for him! Sure he would have to settle for a low ranked aspect but that beat dying.
The snake's blades had been sucked into its body to better traverse the small path. It was now in the process of emerging these blades. It lashed out all around it barely missing the two awakened.
Its jagged blades slid off the bark leaving small grooves. The chief barely managed to sidestep being decapitated by these gruesome blades. Luckily it hadn't used its petrifying eyes yet, Gwin guessed that maybe it couldn't use that powerful move too much.
The cluster of vines Gwin was in weaved around each other forming a small burrow. He laid the girl down and looked around. He was weighing his options.
Option 1 was to hide and pray the others killed the snake and then finish it off while it was injured. He wasn't confident in this plan though. He knew the two awakened were literally dancing with death right now and one of them didn't even have a weapon. He had to pray that her aspect could attack too.
The battle with the serpent outside was fierce and utterly deadly. Its maw crashed into the ground aiming to devour the woman. She barely managed to avoid it. She raised one hand to the snake and…nothing happened. The snake's tail swung around from behind, aiming to wrap around her and shred her to pieces. The chief was desperately trying not to get caught in its deadly coils. If he was caught he would be torn to bloody shreds.
Gwin started thinking faster. Option 2 was he would help them fight. He had some knowledge on how to fight from his father but lacked any real experience. All he had was book knowledge. He was DEFINITELY not keen on helping for these reasons. He noticed the floor of this little cave was covered in large and thick leaves which gave him an idea.
A minute later and the fight was not going well for the awakened. In combat with such a fierce creature each second felt like an eternity so lasting this long was impressive. The man's spear had been snapped in two by now and he was now holding it by the small part of the shaft like a makeshift sword. The awakened woman bleeding and panting, her essence was likely running out. She had many scrapes and cuts all over her from close calls. The man didn't look much better. Each of the snakes blades was as long as a shortsword. At the speed the Mother was traveling, if even the tips of these blades made contact with you they would shred deep into you.
They had avoided any fatal wounds up till now but exhaustion was setting in. The serpent was starting to slow down. It seemed the woman's second aspect ability was causing The Mother to tire and exhaust. Its body was lined with lesions and cuts that leaked green blood. Its orange eyes glinted full of calculating malice. It hissed thunderously and lunged for the woman. Exhaustion finally got the better of her.
Gwin had already left the secrecy of the vines and was now awkwardly climbing up the hanging vines. He held the sword in his mouth as he climbed. Climbing with only one arm was not easy, in fact he was close to death with every move he made. Should he fall he would land in the simmering liquid below and even the Mother was avoiding them so he most definitely did not want to find out what they really had in them. He didn't think he would survive to share the secret.
His jaw was aching. The spell's attention to detail was not all encompassing apparently because his new body did not have his sharpened incisors. Holding a heavy steel sword was not good for one's teeth. Below a vicious battle shook the ground and above vines had grown and formed a vast net. Gwin knew his plan was entirely stupid but he wasn't good at those to begin with so who could blame him.
He knew the serpent was going to win the fight, sure the awakened were alive for now but their luck was soon to run out. A strangled cry cut off below him. He didn't dare look down yet but he already knew the fate of the woman. He felt strangely satisfied.
'That's what you get for thinking about leaving me! I still feel kinda bad though…'
Gwin finally reached the net of vines so he relaxed for just a moment, after all he had to wait for the right timing. The serpent was going to notice the girl eventually and when it approached Gwin planned to jump down and use gravity and the sword to impale the thing right through the head. He was pretty certain from all the studying he did with his dad that he would be able to kill it cleanly like that. He was going to use gravity to make up for his very normal and human strength.
Down below the serpent was coiled its head was raised high looking down on the ragged man. Its gaze was malicious and cold. It was enjoying the man's pitiful state. It wanted to bask in his despair. Demons were intelligent, most more intelligent than humans. Devils were even more wickedly cunning and held insidious powers. The snake's eyes glinted with malicious glee, its body was a myriad of cuts and holes. Many had been placed between the blades expertly by the chief to hopefully stop the serpent from using its petrifying gaze.
His skill had not been rewarded.
The serpent scales parted revealing glossy red eyes and the snake bagn circling him. He darted away but it was pointless. His legs grayed then crumbled. In a desperate and pointless last stand he threw the head of his spear at the snake. It whistled through the air as the serpent lunged. The blade disappeared into the snake's maw along with the chief.
Gwin felt solemn. He had been convincing himself that he did not need to feel bad for them but he couldn't help but feel grateful to him. He might have been left behind if not for his fake father.
'His love wasn't meant for me anyways'
He had to be realistic, the awakened only saved him because he thought he was his son, no other reason. At least the girl was still safe…
A thunderous hiss erupted shaking him from his somber thoughts. He froze believing he had been spotted, however once he realized he wasn't plummeting to his death alongside brittle vines he was still in the clear. [Sly] was preventing him from being noticed. He breathed a sigh of relief before he felt something was wrong. He frantically looked down to see the serpent's pale body making its way below him…to the cluster of tangled vines the girl was hiding in