The island was so large that it would take ti to fall.
Yet even with the height that Noble and her companion had, they were still only halfway up the Terror. They were unlikely to reach the top of the landmass before it collapsed on their heads.
Not that they wanted to reach it. They still had work to do.
Four of the cores were gone, but two remained. As long as the monster was still alive, there was a chance for it to heal and attack them and the surrounding area. The Terrestrial Giant needed to be stopped.
To her left, Noble heard a pop like a balloon breaking.
'They must have gotten another one...'
That left only the final core near the base of the creature. Well, near was a relative term. Flint had needed to climb the height of a small mountain to reach it. And he was already climbing again despite the imminent death waiting to sandwich him between the layers of earth.
"We have to help him." The woman echoed Noble's thoughts.
The two won dropped, using gravity to speed their descent. The world passed in a blur, but Noble never lost sight of their goal: the final patch of dark grass.
Were the blades of grass being fed directly from the core to be so green? There was no ti to ponder the strange phenona.
The stranger drew her bow and pelted the area with arrows as she had done once before. This ti, the ground was already frozen by Flint, and it broke apart in a muddy snow.
"There!" Noble spotted the final core.
Having to sustain the entire Terror, it was burning more brightly and pulsing. Like a heart that was having to pump too much blood, the core was slowly failing.
The humans would have to help it along with the final push.
Reaching it from below, Flint hit it with his diamond mace. Cracks appeared at the impact.
'So close!'
The Terror rumbled, shaking violently and dislodging Flint from the wall. He slipped on his ice shelf and tumbled from the manmade ledge.
Noble caught him with her Ability, but before she could help him reposition, the stranger beside her summoned the largest arrow that Noble had ever seen. Sweat ford on the brunette's brow as she strained to wield it.
Released, the bolt sailed through the air, hissing on its destructive path. Noble's eyes swirled montarily as she added speed and weight to the tal tip.
She could not delay to see where it would land. Using her remaining essence, Noble pulled Flint and the stranger toward herself and fled. Not away from the tumbling mountain of earth, but toward it instead.
'How is it I always end up running toward ground and not away from it...' Noble lanted.
Silt and debris rained down from above as the distance between the Terror and the earth shrank. Fighting the pain, Noble grabbed the stranger and shut her eyes.
'Flint isn't going to make it to ...'
Using her second sight, Noble pushed Flint in the opposite direction, changing his course.
"Are you trying to kill ?!" The angry Master yelled over the thunderous quaking.
Ignoring him, Noble used two of her Attributes to augnt her thinking. Clarity helped her push aside the pain and focus while Quick Study sped her mathematical calculations.
The distance between herself and the Terror. The angle at which the giant was falling. The speed at which everything was happening and the span that the humans needed to cover.
Her mind moved so rapidly that ti seed to crawl. Then, all at once, it seed to start and travel at double speed.
Thankfully, Noble was ready.
"Hold on tight!"
The hole they aid for was snug, having been partially blocked by debris after Helios dug it out.
Still, it was their best option.
Noble and the stranger clung to each other.
The stones scraped against their armor, threatening to rip it from their bodies. Noble felt herself scream uncontrollably as pain tore through her soul.
The rocks gave way as a new coat of sli coated Noble's battered body.
The light of the sun ward her face, and she soared toward it above the forest.
Her muscles tensed. A shockwave from below slamd against her as the Terror finally finished its fall.
The two won were flung apart.
Weakened, Noble was barely able to keep them all in the air.
'Ah, it hurts!'
"Blondie! Hey! Blondie, put down! Stop treating like yesterday's laundry!" A gruff voice broke through her consciousness.
Opening her eyes, Noble saw Flint floating upside down a short way off. The hole she had sent him through was not exactly straight, and he seed to have gotten turned around in the process.
Seeing the man holding his helt to his head, Noble flushed.
"Sorry!"
The attention of the three warriors was drawn to the ground. The worms were taking advantage, feasting on the strange flesh of the Giant.
Rubbing the goop from his armor, Flint frowned. "Is that monster even dead? I didn't get a ssage from the Spell."
"It's dead." The stranger's cheek tinged pink. "Trust , I'm sure of it."
"Why you little…" Flint balled his fist.
"Look! It's Aether and Roan." Noble floated the others forward. "We have to help them!"
The griffin had found its way to the surface with both riders unhard. Now, the Echo and the two warriors were dealing with the scourge of the worms before they could escape.
Hitting the ground. The remaining humans joined the fray. The stench was sickening, and the sli made the terrain extra slick.
Noble recalled Helios. She was glad to see he was not as hurt as she initially feared. He looked at her as if frustrated by her lack of faith.
"I know, I worry too much." She scratched under his chin. "But we did it! And it's ti for you to eat!"
The Symncus didn't need to be told twice. It joined the griffin in gorging himself.
With the combination of starlight, lightning, ice, arrows, and Noble's deadly sword, the overwhelming number of worms was eventually cut down.
[You have slain an Awakened Monster: Profane Maggot.]
Dismissing her helt, Noble wiped her brow. Clearing out the horde had been done without the use of her essence. While not particularly hard. It was grueling, slly work.
Goop dripped from her armor, filling the air with its stench.
The other Awakened had cleared their portion, making this part of the forest safer for those who would co in the future.
That was little solace just now.
Dismissing Helios with a nod of thanks, Noble's nose then curled in revulsion.
'Ugh, I need a shower.'
"You done, Blondie?" Flint wandered over with the two other n a few steps behind.
The griffin was nowhere to be seen, having also been sent back to heal from the battle.
Noble was too tired to argue about the nickna. "Everything is clear over here," she answered wearily.
"Where's the troublemaker?" Flint cut his eyes around. "Did she take off to get another chance to stab us in the back?"
"She's over there!" Noble floated toward the edge of the carnage as the beautiful young stranger was chasing down a rogue worm.
A long, thin arrow pierced the monster's skull. The worm hissed, deflating as it fell to one side, dead.
The woman flashed a smile at her floating companion.
"That's the last one, I think!"
Her grin faded quickly as the n approached.
While Aether looked perplexed, Roan and Flint were clearly unhappy.
"Uh, sorry, Master Roan," she began, placing her palms behind her back, "for, uh, waking that thing up."
Looking at the cohort leader, Noble's eyes widened. "Wait, you know her?"
Roan nodded slightly as he frowned. "I do. Everyone, this is Master Helie. And she is about to explain why she is following us, or things are about to get very awkward."
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