Aldric's initial strike had created a crucial breach in the Elder's defenses, and now the full weight of the raid's assault poured through that narrow opening.
Explosive-tipped arrows detonated in rapid succession, each blast chipping away at the thick, bark-like plates shielding the core.
Mages channeled their most potent skills, their effects rising above the battle as fireballs, ice lances, and jagged bolts of lightning converged on the same fractured point.
Reidar directed his remaining bears to intercept a cluster of lashing branches, buying precious seconds for the spellcasters to unleash their salvos.
Every coordinated strike widened the wound, the greenish fluid now gushing like sap from a felled tree, sizzling where it struck the ground.
