I lost track of how many times the Yeti managed to slam me around before being able to take action. Curling up to my knees allowed for a direct line of sight with the beast, giving me a chance to activate my fear skill. It was enough to loosen the grip on my leg and shake free. It did more than momentarily shock the Yeti as it stood frozen in what appeared to be a tumultuous internal struggle with itself.
I pushed beyond the mind-splitting headache and made a simple punch directly into its chest, penetrating my entire fist through shattered ribs. Pulling my hand out was all it took for the Yeti to lose its balance, falling over onto its newly formed opening. I leaned over out of breath resting both hands on my thighs with not a single care for all of the blood soaking into my clothes.
I lost track of time altogether, unable to focus on anything other than Yeti blood pooling around my shoes. It wasn’t until a spectacular view of the audience reeled me back to reality. I was sent flying by the charging Fire Boar that was let loose promptly after the Yeti’s demise.
Landing without breaking my neck was my top priority as I realized my right arm that punctured the Yeti was entirely unresponsive. I spun in mid-air using my left hand to catch myself on the ground, allowing my legs to find a stable footing. A quick glance at the bone jutting out from my elbow explained the reason for my right arm's unwillingness to respond.
I was in a weird state of numbness like the migraine trumped all of my pain with a blood-boiling sensation attempting to overwhelm it. I knew exactly now the cause of this agony. The only way to escape the incoming coma was with Eris’s blood and that only seemed to provide a few days of relief at best.
Luckily instead of charging at me again, a bolt of fire crashed against my back, scorching my shirt into embers and leaving a darkened burn mark. My magic resistance nullified most of the damage but the impact alone sent me tumbling forwards. I wasn’t sure how much more of a beating I could endure before a possible shadow outburst occurred. Part of me didn’t even know if one would happen due to the conflicting seals going at it on my body.
I rolled over to find the Fire Boar charging straight at me a second time. The first and only tactic to rely on was using my fear ability to grant enough time for a follow-up attack. Unlike the Yeti, there was no trace of terror from the boar and no signs of slowing down. My last hope was to dodge out of the way and somehow injure it in the process. Lunging out of the way worked as I channeled a ki blast through the fingertips of my left hand.
Using a ki blast released a flood gate of torment into my skull as the throbbing headache increased from twelve to twenty-five. My blast missed its target from the sudden recoil and dissipated in the distant air. I was already positioned on my ass, hunched over suffering on the floor with my legs spread eagle. Opening my eyes wasn’t an option and the only way I knew of the boar's approach was through the vibrations from the ground and the loud crackling sound its fiery aura constantly emanated.
I lifted up my good arm, aiming to kill it with another ki blast and hoping there was no possible way to miss this time around. The odd thing though was the sound of a shattering crackle as the pressure from the anti-magic bracers vanished.
It was the last vivid memory as bits and pieces came to me from the aftermath. I had no idea through all the commotion but the reassuring voice of Eris managed to fill my thoughts.
“He’s waking up!” I heard Jade’s voice before squinting my eyes open to see Lyra getting up from her seat and Selka waking up from sleeping with her head resting on a table. “Easy...” I felt Jade’s hands assisting my motion to sit up.
“What happened…, where's Eris?” My second question was answered fairly quickly with her entering through the room’s doorway.
“You’ve been asleep for the past two days, ever since your battle.” Jade’s hand ran along my back for support as I tried my best to digest her words.
I massaged my head with immediate comfort, no longer feeling like it wanted to split in two. Then noticing the right arm that I used didn’t have a protruding bone on display, along with the rest of my wounds being fully healed. I knew Eris had saved me again and watched as she approached the bed.
“So, what happened?” I’d rather hear it from her than guess my way to possible conclusions.
“Where do you want me to start?” Eris pulled up a chair to the edge of the bed. “There’s good, bad, and both. Which would you, first like to hear?” I squinted, trying to read her poker face to see if she was messing with me.
“Let’s go with good news.”
“The only thing that managed to stabilize your condition was my blood, just like last time.” I could see how not dying might be considered a good thing, but being forced to rely on her blood didn’t seem like a reliable long-term plan.
“Does that mean I’ll have to be forever reliant on your blood to avoid those migraines?” I knew the answer to that question as well as she did and thought about the length of time from the last incident. Her blood roughly granted four days of grace from the seals wanting to tear my mind apart.
“Here...” Eris answered with the setting of several items next to me on the bed. My two rings and watch that she was holding onto and three transparent vials filled with blood. “Back-up in the event of another emergency. Just in case I’m not available.” I remained silent, holding back the urge to refuse, and chose to ignore them altogether for the moment. I sighed at the thought of this being the good news, unsure if I wanted to hear the rest that she had prepared for me.
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