"
Lillian's vision hazed as she was being pushed and shaken by the children around her. She wrestled to pick herself up, but the immense pain and draining strength were too overwhelming. Desperate, she gazed at the sky. "Lucius. I have to signal Lucius!"
Mustering what little strength remained, she attempted to raise her hand to the air. However, it proved too much to handle. "Argh! It's no good, I-I'm-"
A Sudden pain shot out from inside her body, and like a splinter being pulled, a quick relief surged through, confusing her. She glanced at her hand, feeling her strength return, and to her surprise, even the swelling was receding. "I'm...Cured?"
Slowly, the voices of the children grew louder as they pushed and pulled at her, with their pleading eyes fixed on her.
"W-wait. What's going on?" Lillian stumbled to her feet.
"
Lillian pushed aside her rising questions and peered down to discover a horde of beasts climbing their way up. The cat-like mug and fangs growled as they continued their ascent.
"Tch!" Lillian raised her hand and conjured balls of fire around her and above the pillar. And like rain, she hailed it over the monster without mercy. One after another, the monsters were struck, but to Lillian's shock, each fireball washed over the beast like water. "It's like what Lucius said!'
"Fine!" Lillian waved and gestured her hands, converting the balls of fire into spears of earth, all aimed at the monster. "Go the hell!"
Lillian unleashed a wave of spears. This time, a few were penetrated and injured others as they aborted their mission of the hunt. Before she knew it, they had all fled back down.
"That was too close," Lillian quickly scanned their surroundings. "Clearly, we're in the middle of a jungle somewhere. Th-theres a forest to the north, a lake to the east. So the mountain we came to should be northwest."
Sure enough, Lillian spotted the mountain in seconds.
"Alright. Now I know where we are." Lillian aimed her hand at the sky. But ceased before releasing any magic.
"If I send a signal now..... that'll probably draw in more of those monsters to us, and this pillar won't last for an hour."
With a growing concern, Lillian turned her attention to the kids who huddled together, terrified. She clutched her hands, entirely at a loss. "Damn it! This is horrible! What do I do!"
Looking at the only girl, an epiphany struck. "That's right! I almost forgot." Lillian glanced down the pillar. "Lucius can still track down with his undead. If we can travel north we can potentially rejoin them at a midpoint."
"The plan isn't solid, but it's better than nothing." Lillian scoped out the entire landscape. On closer inspection, the only thing that stood in their way was a massive hill that separated the jungle from the forest, serving as a natural barrier.
"We'll find a way through. Perhaps I could fly us there…?" She muttered to herself. "I can't do nothing. I need to head down now and get that undead mother."
Lillian approached the ledge of the pillar, then turned to the worried children who were watching. "
To the children's shock and awe, wings emerged from Lillian's back, spanning broadly from side to side. Without hesitation, she jumped from the ledge and stretched her wings. Catching air, she hovered and circled the tall tower she created, gliding down calmly.
"Keh!" Spotting a few stragglers still climbing, Lillian shot the monsters with more of the spears.
Suddenly, swarms of winged, furred monsters swooped in, attacking Lillian. She was pulled and scratched on her arms, legs, and wings.
"Gah! Get off me!" Lillian rangled her arms away.
She aimed and launched a flurry of air slashes that brushed off the creatures. "Grr!" She clenched her teeth and switched to another element.
She conjured a flat disc of water that spun like a saw, and with a wave of her arm, the saw-like water disc struck the heads and bodies of the wretched beasts. Their blood painted the sky red, and now freed, Lillian flailed around, eventually regaining control. But upon noticing a new flock of the same beasts, Lillian turned back to the massive Tower and brushed her hands upon it. "Sorry, Kids,"
With the channeling of her magic, a dome was erected over the children, leaving Lillian as the only target for the monsters.
One by one, wretched monsters rushed at her like a bunch of starved animals. They scratched and clawed at Lillian's wings in a calculated attempt to render her wings useless. Not relenting, Lillian manifested several discs of water and lugged at the winged beasts.
The wings of the monsters flew as others were beheaded —the flock of winged monsters that remained scattered and scurried like rats in a trap.
Taking advantage of their confusion, Lillian dove through the leaves, re-entering the pit's jungle. She dodged and weaved through the tangles of vines and branches of the large trees. Eventually, she managed to land back on solid ground right beside the giant dead worm.
Her wings buried themselves back into her body, and she stood tall, gaining a good view of the monsters lying before her.
Unsurprisingly, Lillian found herself surrounded by more of the same monsters that attacked much earlier. They growled and hissed at her, unsure what to make of Lillian themselves. She glared at each one with a fierce intensity. A glare so potent that it terrified even the bravest among their group. She then conjured Earth Spear after Earth Spear, preparing to use them at a moment's notice.
Unexpectedly, the sound of monstrous stomping of a large group rumbled throughout the trees and bushes. Not wanting to linger, the remainin monsters fled, leaving Lillian to wonder.
She turned to the source of the sound. The sound became louder, with even the rustling of branches becoming audible.
The bushes around rustle with a deep intensity as if the monsters were repositioning themselves. Then came silence.
A cry of war sounded off from a monster with a deep, gurgling voice.
Large green-skinned monsters with pointed ears, misshapen noses, and gnarly teeth erupted from the bushes of the jungle.
Lillian reeled back in surprise. "Goblins!?"
They carried refined stone swords and spears and lunged at Lillian with a simple purpose in mind.
Kill.
With her hands forced, Lillian set upon a barrage of spears at the monsters.
A roar erupted.
A sense of danger kicked in for Lillian. She peeked up, realizing that the monster carried archers on the branches.
"Crap!!"
Lillian erected a barrier of water, ceasing most of the arrows with one striking her shoulder. "Damn it. They're much more organized than those other goblins we've faced."
One after another, the green monstrosities attack Lillian from all angles.
Sword, axe, bow. It didn't matter. The monsters attacked with everything they had, as Lillian barely managed to keep them at bay with her magic.
Spears and spikes of earth riddled the bloodied ground like a battlefield. And a smoldering dust filled the air.
"I can't see anything!" Lillian waved her hand, blowing the dust away and revealing the green monsters beneath.
She aimed her hand, but was too late, as she was pinned to the tree. They pinned her hand to the tree, preventing any hand gestures from her.
The monster spoke up in a deep raspy voice, talking in mostly grunts and bellows.
Left with no choice, Lillian dug deep into herself. Pulling a magic she refrained from using. In an instant, a barrier of pmonsterht erupted from her being, burning the monster asunder. Panicked, the other green monsters retreated a safe distance from the barrier.
"So your kind carries that will of darkness too." Lillina manifested a ball of light within her hand. "I didn't want to have to use this, but you leave me no choice."
Lillian launched a ball of light that stuck to the closest tree, then another and another, all completely missing the monsters.
However, with a snap of her finger, the balls of light exploded into a beautiful radiance and burned through the monster around it.
Cries of pain and screams ignited the jungle ground,
Another, different roar sounded off. In an instant, those who escaped Lillian's attack fled.
Exhausted, Lillian took her time, catching her breath. "What were those things? They were too organized to be typical monsters. I have to warn Lucius and the rest, but I can't leave those children behind."
Lillian glanced back at the undead women who squirmed around. Eventually, half of the undead woman's body fell from the worm's gut and moved to pull herself to the large pillar.
Despite the disturbing sight, Lillian couldn't help but admire the level of dedication this undead woman put forth.
"What do I do? If I take to the sky, those garsil's will attack, but if I take to the land, there's no doubt those cat beasts and those big goblins will attack." Lillian turned her attention to her hand and clutched it. "Looks like I still have no choice. But to use my magic."
She glanced back at the undead, now trying to climb the pillar. "But first…" Lillian cut out a large branch and, with the use of her earth and water magic, created a large, crude container made from a single sturdy jungle branch.
With the container secured, Lillian picked up the undead woman from the pillar and secured her in place within the crude vessel. And with the use of earth magic, she strapped the vessel on her back.
"There we go.". She then placed her hands on the pillar and shrank the tower of earth until only a dome of earth was left.
She felt the small dome, and despite some lingering reluctance, she manifested a golden barrier of light around them, slowly expanding it.
Finished, they released the children who glanced around in confusion. Spotting the undead woman on Lillian's back, the girl darted to the undead, reaching out. "
"
"
Lillian flashed a cheerful smile. "
Mustering up the courage, the most silent of the boys finally came out from the herd, followed by the others.
"
********
Lucius looked out into the distance, scrutinizing the view of the jungle beyond the forest tree.
"She's on the move…" Lucius noted.
"
Lucius kept silent, keeping his eyes on the slowly dimming landscape. "We have to move fast."
Lucius turned and pointed his hands at a group of his undead. Through his unheard order, he grabbed supply after supply, confusing the men, women, and children on the carts.
"
"
"
"
Without hesitation, Jala created a small launch pad made of ice. He then encased the first iceead woman in a cylinder of ice and laid her on the platform. Slowly, he placed his palm on the end of the cylinder. " Fren nodded and watched as pressure built from an ever-expanding disc of water. He released it, and in an instant, the encased zombie shot through the air like a bullet.
"Impressive." Lucius noted. "So who exactly is the human that taught you this?"
"From the same human you had the privilege of killing. A sage woman."
"Is that so? You'll have to teach me and Lillian some other time. But for now, we send the others. I can't allow Lillian to die!"
********
Deep in the jungle, the survivors of the green monsters gather to their ruler. Snorts and grunts, bellows and wheeze are delivered to the largest of them, who only glares down with rage. Without a second thought, it took its stone spear and stabbed the throat of its general.
The chief pulled the spear, painting the dirt ground with red.
Angry grunts and snorts are delivered to terrify the surviving members. The chief stabbed the handle of his spear into the ground and roared a cry of war.
His kin rose one after another, with some joining in with their declaration of war. All of them, armed to the teeth and ready for battle.