The snake obeyed, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. Sheena circled behind the serpent, launching a series of swift attacks. She mounted the snake’s scaly back and began stabbing with her daggers. Each strike glanced off its armored scales. Whenever Sheena aimed for a weak spot between the scales, the serpent’s writhing shook her loose. From below, Milla slashed and bit at the serpent’s underbelly, but her attacks couldn’t find purchase. The serpent slammed onto the fox with bone-crushing force. Milla whimpered before her entire body was engulfed in flame. The fire leapt at the snake, scorching its scales and underbelly. A quick flick of its tail sent Milla soaring into the forest.

  Despite its gargantuan size, the serpent darted forward with surprising speed. Its huge head lunged repeatedly at Regal, each strike whipping up gusts of wind. Regal parried several of the serpent’s swift strikes before one of its fangs grazed his shoulder. The serpent recoiled, and though Regal showed no blood, Lloyd could see fatigue setting in. The serpent lunged again, bypassing Regal’s defense and hurling him into a towering cedar. The impact splintered the tree, leaving a deep mark where his body struck before he collapsed to the ground.

  The image of Cassius suffering the same fate flashed across Lloyd’s mind. A tight knot formed in his throat at the thought of his brother being gravely injured—or worse.

  As Regal struggled to rise, the shattered cedar began to topple. Lloyd hurled his telekinetic power toward the falling cedar. He seized the fragmented trunk, stopping it just before it could crush his brother. The tree was enormous, but Lloyd felt the surge of strength from his new gear. He swung the makeshift tree club upward, smashing it into the serpent’s jaw. The tree splintered on impact, its force lifting the massive serpent briefly off the ground. The serpent crashed back down, momentarily stunned as it struggled to regain its bearings. With Regal still recovering, the serpent turned its focus to Sheena, who relentlessly stabbed at its back.

  Lloyd noticed Colette rushing to Regal’s side. He couldn’t gauge Regal’s injuries, but he knew his brother wouldn’t fall from just a few strikes. He grabbed a few more usable parts of the broken tree with his mind, preparing for another strike. But now, Lloyd’s focus—and fear—was on the serpent’s new target: Sheena.

  Sheena had moved near the serpent’s head just as it decided to attack her. The Corrupted serpent slithered wildly, shaking its head in fury. The sudden, violent motion flung Sheena from the serpent’s back. It spun around swiftly, striking at the Beastmaster with deadly precision. Sheena moved with agility, dodging the serpent’s strikes rather than deflecting them like Regal. The serpent struck twice before Lloyd shattered the fragmented tree onto its back. Lloyd noticed several scales shifted sideways from the attack. A loud hiss erupted from the snake as it arched its head into the air, its tongue rapidly tasting the air. Sheena seized the moment, driving her daggers into the exposed underbelly repeatedly. Her daggers struck true, drawing thin trickles of blood from the serpent’s vulnerable spots. Progress.

  The snake, however, seemed to grow bored of Sheena. It slithered low and darted toward Lloyd, panic rising in his chest. He had little in the way of weapons to fight with. It had been hit twice now with a large tree, stabbed, bitten, and slashed with swords—but it didn’t seem to slow at all. If only I still had my swords.

  The snake halted just feet from Lloyd, its gaze fixed on the staff—specifically, the Manarite crystal at its tip. It let out a piercing hiss before lunging at Lloyd.

  Just before impact, Lloyd raised his arms and staff defensively. He sent a desperate plea for his powers to cushion the blow. The serpent struck, but a cushion of telekinesis enveloped Lloyd at the last moment. He catapulted through the air, crashing to the ground and tumbling dozens of feet away. He skidded to a stop, bruised but otherwise unscathed.

  Sheena’s scream tore through the chaos. Her scream jolted adrenaline through Lloyd’s veins. Lloyd scrambled to his feet, eyes fixed on the serpent. The serpent coiled tightly around Sheena’s midsection and legs, its scales constricting visibly even from a distance. The crack of bones pierced through the serpent’s hissing and the distant hum of the waterfall. Defiant shouts punctuated Sheena’s cries of pain. Trapped in the snake’s embrace, Sheena clung to her daggers, stabbing fiercely at the constricting scales.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Regal rose and charged toward the serpent, Colette close behind. Lloyd sprinted toward the fray, Sheena’s desperate cries spurring him on. By the time Lloyd arrived, the serpent’s eyes were locked on Sheena. Regal hacked at the serpent’s back, but his strikes couldn’t distract it from its prey. The serpent’s head snapped back, then shot forward toward Sheena—a split-second motion that stretched into eternity in Lloyd’s mind. Its jaws gaped wide as it struck.

  In a heartbeat, Lloyd halted and thrust out his hand. He flooded his power forward, telekinetic tendrils surging like a tsunami to ensnare the serpent’s massive head, his mind brushing over each scale. The intimate nature of his mind on the creature’s body anchored his focus. He felt water dripping from its scales and sensed the hollows of its nostrils. His power swept over the serpent’s body, tracing the coils that attempted to crush Sheena. The tendrils snaked around the protruding fangs and touched upon the death that was held within the poison. He absorbed it all and willed his power to halt the beast.

  The feedback hit Lloyd like a tidal wave, immense and overwhelming. His Mana surged out, like a torrent unleashed from a broken dam. The mental strain seared through him, manifesting as physical agony. For a fleeting moment, the beast froze under Lloyd’s grip. He felt the serpent attempt to thrash as it strained against Lloyd’s constrictive hold. Clearly not thrilled with having the roles reversed. His control grew more tenuous with each passing second. For the moment, Lloyd held the snake in place— he knew it wouldn’t last.

  Lloyd sensed movement at the edge of his vision. His focus on Sheena and the snake was so intense that he didn’t notice Colette standing in front of him. She gestured to the blue vial in her hand. It was one of the Mana potions.

  Lloyd hesitated, eyes locked on Sheena and the snake, unwilling to shift his focus even for a moment. Colette, undeterred, tapped Lloyd’s chin. When he opened his mouth, she poured the potion down his throat. The effect was immediate. Vitality swelled through him, washing away the exhaustion of battle. Colette nodded at Lloyd before she sprinted toward Regal, who was still chipping away at the serpent’s scaly exterior.

  Lloyd drew a deep breath, refocusing. His body ached, but his mind felt clearer. Keeping the beast restrained strained Lloyd’s movements. With the snake locked in his telekinetic grip, he pushed forward. Each step felt like wading through knee-deep mud. Sheena continued to stab the snake, her strikes slowing, growing shakier with each thrust. Paleness crept into her typically tanned face. Her fierce battle cries had faded to mere whispers.

  Every inch he advanced drained him. His grip on the snake weakened, while the beast showed no weariness from the struggle. Sensing his faltering grip, the serpent closed its jaws, its fangs nearing Sheena’s back. Sheena began to disappear within the mouth of the Corrupted. He strained to hold the snake still, feeling the battle slipping away. His mind raced, grasping for any solution.

  Then, his gaze locked onto the serpent’s vulnerable underside. Small pinpricks from Sheena’s previous attack still dripped blood. A plan formed, but he doubted he had the strength to execute it. The potion’s effects had already worn off. His Mana reserves were nearly drained. His eyes pierced into the snake as he trudged forward. His chest became heavy, each breath a monumental undertaking.

  Just as he readied his plan, a yell shattered his focus. The unmistakable sound was Sheena’s scream. Lloyd’s focus snapped to Sheena, his heart hammering. He realized the snake’s mouth had closed further than he thought. A fang had pierced just below Sheena’s left shoulder blade. He saw the poison spreading, dark tendrils wrapping around her shoulder. His stomach turned as he remembered the poison that had nearly killed him in Breakwater. I can't let Sheena suffer the same fate.

  Her cries grew faint as the poison spread, quickly ceasing entirely. Sheena slumped forward, her body limp against the serpent’s scales. Her daggers slipped from her hands, clanking at Lloyd’s feet.

  Lloyd’s gaze fixed on Sheena, and a primal fury exploded within him. This wasn’t the irritation he’d felt as a child when his brother had taken his toys. This wasn’t the helpless frustration of realizing, year after year, that he was powerless to change his circumstances. Not even the searing grief of losing Cassius compared to this. This… this was something else entirely.

  Raw and intense, it surged through him, every fiber of his being crackling with uncontrollable energy. Chaotic and volatile, it coursed through him like an uncontainable storm. His body tensed, every nerve electric.

  Time was slipping away. Save her.

  Lloyd’s hand clenched the staff, the wood biting into his skin. His left fist closed so hard his nails drew blood.

  With strained focus, Lloyd’s telekinesis gripped Sheena’s daggers. The effort was like dragging a mountain, his mind searing under the weight of his own power. Without a second thought, he let go of the snake. The change of focus was automatic, almost instinctual. He locked onto the daggers, forcing them upward with all his might, aiming for the serpent’s skull.

  The dam that held his Mana was no longer cracked. It was obliterated. Nothing held back the deluge of his powers as the world blurred. He envisioned the daggers plunging into the creature’s skull—but before impact, everything went black.