Depthless Hunger

As Tusquo stared over his bleeding comrades, he reflected that it had all seemed like a good idea at first. Their assignment in Goralia had been such a disappointment, he had jumped at the chance to accomplish something. Dreamed of returning to Irun with another fountain of metal that would make a difference for their home nation.

Somehow, all of his comrades had escaped the pond alive, but at the cost of several of their Goralian allies. It would be dishonorable to leave behind Curaina Granfian and the others, yet he could not see how he could make any difference. Even sending his most powerful cuts into the creature's body, he was barely slowing it down, and his mana would soon run dry.

Then, before Tusquo could do anything to stop him, Kai Granfian hurled himself into the maw of the beast.

He was bitten by several of the jaws before he arrived, yet he plunged on. Somehow he had gotten a second wind, but there was no new power equal to this foe. Yet it was too late to do anything, because he somehow managed to get inside the main jaws before they could close on him.

And then his ally was nothing but a struggling body within the Aquagorgon.

Tusquo automatically thrust out, running mana along his sword to pierce as deep into the beast as he could. It roared out in pain and thrashed, but the wound was already closing over. He had so very little left.

"Anoqa." He turned to his comrade and saw the same grim understanding in her eyes. "Could you freeze the monster's body?"

"I'm sorry, but these Goralian powers... the ice I create does not lower the temperature enough."

"Still, we have to try." Tusquo turned from her to the Goralian survivors, who stared in horror. He reached up and grabbed the man named Yangil Granfian by his heavily armored shoulders. "You there! Collect yourself or there is no hope for us!"

The man's only answer was to push him away, and Tusquo staggered back under the Goralian's superior strength. His mana was still strong, and his wounds not so deep under his armor, but his eyes... Tusquo recognized a man whose will was broken. Their best chance was gone.

"Tusquo!" Anoqa called out desperately and he turned back to see her fending off more of the tentacles. They had pushed their way through the sand around the pond to attack them at a distance, and though several were pinned to the ground with shards of ice, more leapt upward.

When Tusquo swung his sword to decapitate the group, he simply swung his steel through the air. Too late, he realized that his Goralian Class had finally failed him. That new source of mana had been so promising, yet now it was spent, and their hope with it.

He still charged, using simple steel to sever one of the jaws about to attack his comrades. If he had walked further along the Path of Steel, perhaps they all might have lived. As it was, he saw nothing but an honorable death for them. At least he would die fighting alongside his comrades, as well as a worthy ally from another land who had given his life for theirs.

The second head, he severed. The third, his cut was ragged. As he struck down the fourth, the third regenerated and bit into his leg. Tusquo struggled to raise his sword, one more time, but the jaws were rising over him...

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And then they slumped.

All around the shore, the Aquagorgon's savage heads collapsed. The purple sheen of their skin seemed to fade as the mana within spluttered and died. Tusquo could only stare in shock until his gaze was slowly drawn back to the center of the beast.

A monstrosity clawed its way out of the maw of the Aquagorgon. Kai Granfian bled from hundreds of wounds, and he cut his hands further as he pushed open the hooked teeth. His pike, piercing through a fleshy purple core, rose to prop up the mouth, and he clung to it.

The man was victorious, yet he didn't look like an honorable warrior, but a beast. Every inch of his body was covered in blood, slime, and the viscera of the monster's organs. His head and beard were ragged, more like tentacles themselves than hair. Above all, his eyes were filled with an unnatural savagery as he forced his way out.

How had he done the impossible? Everyone had dismissed him as weak, cursed by the national spirit of his own home country, and yet he had accomplished what the others could not. At that moment, Kai Granfian looked as though he could take on the world with nothing but bloody-minded determination.

Then, all at once, his strength disappeared and he fell into the water.

"Help him!" Tusquo called out to the others, but he was the first to move. He managed to grab Kai Granfian before he could drown in the wake of his victory and dragged him up to the artificial circle of stone.

Pumping his chest expelled some water from his lungs, and Tusquo replaced it with a healing potion. He had no idea if it would be enough. Aside from all his wounds, Kai Granfian had been absolutely covered in the monster's slime. Tusquo lacked the knowledge to cure such poisons, and the only person who might know...

Curaina Granfian lay still in the center of the stone, her eyes dull. Tusquo gave her body a bow of the deepest respect, then closed her eyes. She had been an honorable warrior to the end, and if she had not been betrayed by the cowardice of her allies, she might have lived.

Now that it was obvious that the Aquagorgon was truly dead, the others began to act as well. They began to treat their wounds, and some who were better off went to retrieve the corpses. Goralian customs might be strange, but they still wanted to honor the bodies of their dead. Anoqa began going through their pockets, which seemed improper, but when he saw her retrieve a healing vial, he understood.

They were going to need everything they had. Even though they had nearly reached their destination, they had lost most of their guard and none of them were in shape for a fight. Some were beginning to mill around or argue with one another, and Tusquo recognized that this was a critical moment.

"We camp here!" Tusquo called out loud enough to gather their attention as he rose with his arms spread. "The threat of this place should keep away the monsters for a time. Make sure to clean your injuries before you seek too much magical healing, as the beast may have been venomous. You two, we will need to filter the water of the pond."

Of course his comrades listened to him, and the remaining Goralians started to shuffle after them. Yangil Granfian stood alone for a time, then hurled his helmet to the ground with a curse. He turned back toward the pond, eyes filled with unfocused anger.

"You should have told us this was so dangerous!" His fingers trembled as he tried to draw his sword. "If you had-"

"Thank you for your assistance." Tusquo drew his sword and pointed it toward the Goralian's chest while keeping his expression completely neutral. "Now that the battle is over, we need to work together."

"But you... we had no idea..."

"Your people were the ones who decided how many hunters to send. Now, help the others or even more of your comrades will die."

That insult finally broke his anger and the Goralian turned away. Tusquo frowned after him, wondering if that could become a new problem soon. When alliances were weak, loyalty could become a poison all its own. Everything would become easier once they reached the fountain, but it could all still fall apart. Unless they could hold on, all their struggle would be in vain.

The same was true for Kai Granfian. Tusquo turned back and stared down at him where he lay, as still as the dead. He had accomplished a great deed, but whether or not it claimed him was up to the whims of fate. All Tusquo could do was pray that it finally took mercy on him.