All Good Novel
Ch 2.24: Close
Ch 2.24: Close
“Temmie, I don’t think getting closer is a good idea.”
“The only other option is to retreat. If you believe that necessary then you may do so, but I believe you have the ability to win this fight.”
Damnit, why’d she have to say that. Elaina appreciated the vote of confidence to some extent obviously, but it came with a pressure to perform that she didn’t exactly want right now.
But want wasn’t really a factor. She glanced around, at Flora barely dodging the large golem while keeping the small ones at bay, Tira trying to make it onto her feet, Carline desperately trying to tell her to stay down. They could flee at this point, but it was obvious no one else was interested in that. It didn’t matter if Elaina wanted to leave; her friends needed her to stay.
“Tell me what I need to do.”
By the time Temmie had finished the explanation Flora had actually managed to dismantle one of the smaller golems entirely, it’s crystal core rolling around on the ground, picking up pieces of gravel, but not able to form them into a body for itself. It had taken way too much effort even for just that, so Elaina knew that there wasn’t going to a way out other than Temmie’s plan. I just hope she’s right about this.
“Tira, you’re still hurt!” Elaina heard Carline saying from the edge of the chamber.
“I can fight now, and you can heal later. Just keep the pain from being so bad I pass out.” It hurt Elaina to see Tira the way she was. Her bodysuit was covered in blood at the bottom, and even though she wasn’t actively bleeding Elaina knew that the damage wouldn’t have been entirely fixed yet. Still, there was a determination in Tira’s eyes that Elaina knew wouldn’t be quenched. “Actually, forget the pain the pain for now; I can deal with it. Fix Flora’s arms instead. Hey, Streaker, back off and give me a chance!”
Tira darted off, arm sliding through Carline’s grip as she tried to hold her back. The Striker stumbled in her movements, but she moved forward regardless, wheeling her arm back and lashing out at one of the smaller creatures with her whip. The thunderous crack echoed through the room, announcing her return to the fight at the same instant one of the smaller golems was removed from its legs.
“Elaina, you must go now,” Temmie said.
Elaina nodded, darting forth on her own. One golem downed by Flora, another temporarily disabled by Tira. It was just the big one now, and then the two Elaina still had tangled with her crystal chain. I’ll be needing that though. She was about to explain the plan to Tira, but Temmie’s voice spoke up first.
“Elaina, tie the largest one’s arm back with your crystal chain. Miss Strask, you must keep the other two busy while she takes care of the main one.”
“You got it.” Tira turned from the main one, launching an attack at the duo Elaina had tied up. It did next to nothing after cracking against the crystal chains themselves, so Elaina had to let them go and put her trust in Tira. It wasn’t easy to force herself to do it though, especially since the one Tira had already cleaved in two was reforming already. The clean cuts Tira made were apparently too easy to reform from, but Elaina really only needed the distraction for a few moments. Hopefully.
The crystal chain wound through the air, expanding in length as Elaina stretched the chain links thinner. It was still crystal, so she was pretty sure it would still hold, but she needed length. The restraint wrapped around the golem’s giant arm, catching it in between its fingers and then coiling down to tie to the creature’s leg just as it was attempting to swipe at Tira.
Elaina froze herself, activating [Personal Restraint] and pulling on the chain with all the power she could muster. It was barely enough, but she was able to halt the monster’s attack as it was winding up, pulling the chain tight and attaching the stone fist to its front right leg.
That groan erupted from the golem again, the deep rumbling bouncing through the cave as it struggled to pull at the chains. Elaina was able to bind them together with their natural malleability before releasing her skill, thankfully not having to actively restrain the monster as it pulled. They seem tight enough to hold, at the least. But a blur was heading for her, the small golem Tira had cut down now fully put together again and skittering across the stone floor on its four legs. Elaina pulled up her hands to guard herself, still holding Temmie in her left hand as she braced for impact.
Before she was hit tough she saw another blur out the corner of her eye, a flesh fist catching the stone monster in the side and sending it flying away. Flora stood there, looking like a statue of some ancient warrior, sculpted artfully naked with her fist outstretched and a smile on her face. The only thing out of place was the one arm that still dangled helpless at her side. “Flora, you—”
“Don’t worry, one arm’s enough for these small fries.”
Before Elaina could protest more, Temmie was speaking again. “Flora, please take down the large one, to its back. Temporarily is all we need.”
“Can do! Tira, slice its back kneecaps for me first.”
They both moved in unison, Tira circling round the back of the golem as Flora changed to focus on the smaller ones Tira had just been fighting. The large one was limping towards Elaina now, but it stumbled forward at the sound of two successive cracks from Tira’s whip, skidding to its front knee. Flora and Tira were already changing positions again, wordlessly shifting around the battlefield as Elaina watched.
Elaina felt a little bad for not contributing in the timeframe, but in reality she’d only been standing there a couple of seconds, not having enough time to think of how to help her friends they didn’t need her help anymore. Tira and Flora were too good, so experienced that any problem that was heading there way wasn’t a problem by the time Elaina could react.
It was the same as Tira cut up those two smaller golems again, dropping them to pieces as Flora flipped herself into the air and crashed her foot into the back of the larger one’s left knee, landing on her one good hand and then kicking off to the other leg, slamming into it as the golem let out another hideous cry into the chamber. Elaina was finally able to recognize her place in the fight, bounding forward as the hulking monstrosity started to fall onto it’s back, only just realizing that a third smaller golem was coming after her, the one Flora had knocked away, but not knocked out.
Elaina was almost completely fucked, the golem’s fist mere inches from her face as a long wooden spear came in between them. Elaina stumbled to the side, watching as Carline ran her crystal-tipped weapon into the wedge of the sparkled stone and crystal heart, driving it back. “Elaina, go!”
It was all she needed to hear. Regaining her footing, Elaina continued towards her target. It was already trying to get up again, its thick legs not completely crushed from Flora and Tira’s joint attack, but it wasn’t going to get up fast enough; Elaina couldn’t let it. Dropping Temmie to the ground, Elaina leaped into the air as hard as she could, flying onto the golem’s upturned chest, placing both hands directly on the crystal core.
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