Staff-block jam, Corvus back-flip branch-high land, tree-sway body-rock.
Roric Marsh re-pop, mitt-staff clamp. Up-peep.
Sky-drop fig hush-land front. Rat Hag.
Black Cloud throat-heart jam. Move-dare no.
Hag wound-beast glance no-shock, cold-eyes duo-turn. "Well, well," cackle-grate. "Quit-call no-me-tag?"
"You thousand peep-eyes forest-watch," Roric sneer. "Tell-need real?"
Staff-yank grip-snap, insect-carve neck-crack vibe. Black Cloud back-glance, high-mock laugh. "Friends all. Why doom-mugs?"
"Those Fiends," Corvus perch-spit, "greed-blind no-scout enemy-wall. Our crew sac-meat!"
"No-pred!" Black Cloud snap-back. "Traitor your rank-sniff!"
"Excuses still?" Roric roar.
Corvus hag-down. "This what, old bag? Defend 'em? Remind: message ping. Earth Mother own-move. Twilight Queen toast."
"What?" Blow-phys hit. Hood-eyes shock-pop wide. Black Cloud stun-sync.
Hollow-tree hide, Willem confu-mash, Elias freeze. Earth Mother tag-know. Twilight Queen ear. Guild-head beast-boss smoke? This all? Full-scoop no, but change-everything lock.
"Two-day back," Corvus crumple-message flick.
Hag snag-read, weary-sigh head-wag. "Let be. Let him dip. Blood-no-point."
Words stun-all. Black Cloud ear-no-believe.
Corvus rage-boil. "Dip him? Sky-Thralls thirty sac their flop? Brother Marsh, kin-burn how-many? Flock-thirty mine! Let-go how?"
"No!" Roric snarl. "Rat Hag, brain-melt? Road-block? You too smoke."
Hag grate-laugh two. "Fog near-gone. Eagles pull. White Orchid back-roll. Kaelus hound-pack crash-time death-lock vibe?"
Bony-finger Black Cloud jab. "Live him. Love-fool. Wife-dip no-leave. Fight-cover buy-time escape. Guild hunt 'em. Our beef two settle later. Now," low-hiss end, "Guild-survive fret."
Staff air-toss. Carve-insect eyes—polish-black gem-duo—spring-open. Back-split, dark-membrane wing-unfurl.
Hag body-shrink light-flash, grey-rat mega-form. Leap-insect back, claw-one dir-point, sky-shot tree-over vanish.
Corvus-Roric long-stare. Final disgust-snort sync, air-leap ghost-dip, Black Cloud solo-leave.
Elias silent-relief drag. Good. Peel, wound-dog.
Black Cloud leaf-whirl settle. Slow-pain walk, three-drop coach-back.
What play? Elias muse. Fog-thin. Beast-boss clear-peep, grain-coach dir. Mage-master guard two-k silver fortune. Despair-trem.
Sudden, Black Cloud stumble.
Cough-blast, mouth-blood spray. Knee-drop, chest-clutch, breath-rag gasp.
Real-hurt? No Corvus talon. Roric tongue-boom hidden. Black Cloud bluff-strong surv-play. Solo-now? Mask-crack.
Bleed? Stand-no?
Elias brain-rev. Gaze wound-beast to coach. Mitt hilt-auto.
Should? Can?
Opp-drop. Risk-mega, opp-mega. Wound-Mage? No cake.
But two-k silver. His two-k. Risk-worth?
Thought-lock: Stand-no man.
Time-crunch. Act-now.
Shadowcaster un-sling. Front-rush suicide. This? Leveler. Legend no, range-this? No-need.
Arrow-draw. Hesit, duo-more. Three-shot. One-nail, two-luck.
Hollow-edge step-pre, thought-halt. Beast-cult. Vital-spot human-no. Perfect-peep? No-kill.
Willem hollow-peep, alarm-wide. What play?
Elias jaw-grind. Bow-arrow floor-chuck, tunic-dive. Metal-flask yank.
Mage Reveal Potion.
Wax-bite cap-pop, three-silver viscous-drop arrow-head. Energy-flick spread, tip-shim film faint.
Fortune-spend fortune-make. Math? Win-side.
Willem play-clock, sleeve-grab. Elias fierce-glare lip-finger. Hush.
Cap-re-tuck, three-nock. Bark-crack peep, target-down confirm.
Slow-silent hollow-edge creep, out-peep.
Elias sure-clear zone, hollow-tree slip, Shadowcaster mitt-lock. Commit-deep, no-back. Reveal-spend no-regret.
String-pull taut, three-arrow back-square. Hollow-Willem ticker rib-thump. Scream-itch, mad-stop.
Black Cloud feet-grind struggle, Elias pred-light eye-glint. String-loose.
TWANG!
Rainbow Silk song-snap, three-arrow vanish. Silver-web light-flash, Reveal odd-kick path-trail.
Black Cloud shudder-duo, arrow chest-abdomen tear-clean pass. Stagger knee-re, head-whip fury-blaze, attacker-hunt.
Elias spot. Roar-lunge try, face-agony twist. Chest-clutch, dark-coarse fur wound-sprout, torso-spread rapid. Body-contort convulse, potion-force human-mask rip true-form.
"Reveal Potion!" Snarl-gutt growl.
Work-bang. Adren-wave Elias surge. Charge-nock run. Black Cloud half-man half-beast twist-freak, Elias point-blank draw-fire.
Arrow morph-dome thud-sick.
No-stop. Elias air-leap, bow-chuck, sword-mitt. Two-hand arc-down power.
"ROOOAAARRR!"
Black Cloud dome full-leopard mega. Head-throw, final desperate heart-rip defiance-roar.
Sound-slice short, leopard-noggin shoulder-spray black-blood fly.
Elias land, sword-drip. Sure-seal, torso-hack dozen-till heap-collapse.
Willem hollow-peep shake. "Brother Blackwood"? Bold-plus; savage cold-kill. What Royal Trials road-rat this?
Sheath-pre, Elias move-flick clock. Sub knock-out stir.
No loose. Three-bound cross, clean-stroke head-take.
Another smoke? Willem fresh-terror flood. No-kill; exec-mode.
Main-road, fog-lift. White Orchid Kaelus desperate-clash lock. Sky-Thrall ghost, Rat Tide pull? Plan-bust all. Escape-need. Try-time? Fog-thin too-much.
Legend Archers? Real-threat now. Trap-tight.
Then hear.
"ROOOAAARRR!"
Fam-sound despair-thick, ice-dagger heart-stab. Know-roar. Know-mean.
Distract-tick, Kaelus fist chest-slam. Blood-cough stagger-back. Palm-ground dust-debris cloud-boom, chaos-leap bail. Mid-air form-melt, snow-white sleek leopard. Tree-vanish.
TWANG!
Jiang fight-watch, Wyrmwood loose inst-gut dust-cloud shot.
Arrow duo-tree tear, leopard-abdomen rip.
Tumble-ground roll-volley dodge, scramble-hill over, blood-trail mark.
Leader-dip, remain-warrior break-flee, arrow-hail cut-down relentless.
"No chase!" Jiang Kaelus-chase-pre yell.
"Nah, let-dip!" Favian pale-fear cry.
Elias three-coach sprint. Eagle-drop rip, Midge quilt-wrap red-face terror-find.
Kid scare-deep, no-peek ever. Elias blood-mask grim-lock spot, relief-adore wave flood. Dead-think. "Lord Arthur" rescue-dip.
"M-my lord," stam.
"No-time," Elias snap. "Lug-spot. Now."
Midge obey-scramble. Bag-right quick-nab.
Elias crave-sack rip, twenty-grain yank. Rest-chuck.
Willem catch-sync mute-watch. Knew. This all-why.
Elias grain-sack body-strap tight. Sight-no-leave this-time. Shadowcaster un-sling. Keep-no. Convoy-re with this? Explain-nightmare. Pain-sting, bush-chuck bow-quiver.
But string... diff-beast.
Ground-brace, strength-bend un-string. Rainbow Silk cord? Fortune-ten-k easy. Hide-small. Quick-coil tunic-stuff.
Spire Master gig. Provide-duty. Guilt-flick, push-down.
Now real-haul. Mage-master corpse... value-carry sure. Gamble-half why.
One-step corpse, freeze.
Hear. Rustle-chitter swell. Rat Tide pull, this-way roll.
Foresight quick-check fear-confirm. Overrun-near. Looter-time no.
"Run!" Yell-blast.
Willem already bolt.
But Midge panic-duty fit, tossed-lug gather-try. Master-road kit essential his-mind.