CHAPTER 30: 30: AMBUSH PT 2

As Drake fought the monster in front of him, he could feel the power of his new attribute points change his body. The glow of his sword grew brighter as it felt lighter in his hand. He could feel the added power flowing through his veins. With new vigor, Drake slashed his sword. It collided with the massive sword in the gargoyle’s hand. Green and yellow sparks flew, bursting like fireworks as the blades made contact.

He dodged and parried as the swords clashed. An evil glint shone brightly in the gargoyle’s glowing red eyes as they fought. Drake grinned. His own eyes were glowing brightly. Two green orbs in the darkness of the night. He could tell that this gargoyle was strong. Much stronger than the others he fought. Even those who attacked Draco Town were not as strong as this one.

The massive gargoyle pulled a dagger out of its belt and threw it. It was heading toward him at lightning speed. Drake knew he couldn’t move out of the way; there was no time, the blade was too fast. Shifting to the side, he flung his whip at the dagger. The ethereal whip pushed the dagger out of Drake’s path, but the metallic whip missed it completely. Moving back, he parried the sword that followed the dagger. Their blades clashed once again, the sparks bursting as the blades collided. The clank of the dagger echoed through the night as it fell to the ground, bouncing across the hard dirt road.

Kicking out with his foot, he pushed the gargoyle back with his heel, stepping back himself. He carried his whip in his left hand, the sword in his right, each glowing with its soft emerald light. They stared each other down, neither backing down.

The sound of the clash with the other gargoyle was heard nearby. Drake could tell that both of his friends were still doing fine. He couldn’t help but worry, especially with Chad not having a melee weapon. He only had his bow.

The gargoyle in front of him lunged forward, his large sword gripped tightly as he swung it at Drake. Drake spun to the side, then parried the blow. The blades clashed. The power of the gargoyles’ swing pushed him back so hard that he fell to the packed dirt. Rolling to the side, the giant sword barely missed his heart as the monster tried to pierce it. the massive blade smashed into the dirt. It was stuck in the ground several inches deep, forcing its wielder to stop to yank it out, giving Drake time to stand up.

Drake rolled back onto his feet, standing tall, his weapons grasped, his sword in one hand, the whip in the other, as he waited to defend himself. His mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. The monster was too strong. He feared that it was only a matter of time before he lost and was sent to his death. As plan after plan entered his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder if he would turn into light particles when he died, like those of this dimension. Would he be sent home, or would he lie dead in a pile of flesh and bone? The thought scared him.

Freeing his sword, the gargoyle lunged again. Drake swung his sword, aiming for the arm that held the other’s massive sword. The gargoyle twisted, causing Drake’s sword to hit only air. As he fought, he poured energy into his weapons, their glow increasing each second. His weapons were a blinding green that shone through the darkness of the night. It was nearly impossible to become brighter.

The battle was paused once more, two foes facing each other. A growl left the gargoyle’s fanged mouth. His fangs were so large they looked like Saber teeth. Spit coating the long fangs. Drake sneered; his eyes glowing with a fierce green light. He refused to give up.

A plan flashed through his mind. Drake grinned. It could work. He had to act fast, though. He could leave no pause in his attack and give the gargoyle no time to react. Drake cleared his mind, focusing on his plan. As the gargoyle swung his large sword, Drake blocked it, the metal of the two swords colliding. He stepped back quickly so he could use his whip.

With his other hand, Drake slashed his whip. As it flew through the air, he filled his sword with his green power and stabbed it forward. The ethereal whip hit first, slicing half of the gargoyle’s arm; its metallic counterpart followed less than a second later, and it cut through its wing. The fleshy appendage fell to the dirt with a thud, blood pouring from its stump. The gargoyle turned, trying to lessen the blow. It didn’t save it from the sword’s blade. An ethereal blade had shot out of the sword and slammed into the gargoyle a millisecond before the real blade. The bladed energy entered its soft flesh like butter, exiting through its wide back. The runed metal followed after, making the wound larger. A large hole appeared in the gargoyle’s center, blood pouring from the wound, yet the gargoyle was still alive.

"Fuck!" Drake cursed as he filled his sword again, and the runes glowed brightly as an ethereal blade formed.

As the gargoyle stumbled backward, there was shock on its sinister face. Swaying briefly, trying to regain his balance. He was dizzy from the loss of blood. Drake stabbed forward, the glowing energy exited his blade and flew through the air, smashing into the gargoyle’s face. The energy exploded. The gargoyle burst into a cloud of light particles.

Drake fell to his knees in exhaustion. It was a tough fight. He had used an immense amount of mana. Using that amount drained him, leaving him weak and exhausted.

The soft voice floated through Drake’s mind.

{You have slain a gargoyle warrior}

{You have received a reward}

{You have received Lantern of truth}

Drake slowly stood up, having to use his sword to help him. He stumbled to where the little lantern glowed on the ground, barely being able to stay upright. Bending down, he picked up the small lantern. The small item was only three inches tall and two inches wide. It produced a soft white glow, lighting the area with ease. He was surprised the light it produced wasn’t green.

He groaned in pain and exhaustion. He could barely move, but he knew his friends were still fighting. He had to help. He knew there was one more gargoyle they were fighting; he started to turn around to help his friends. He remembered the system said there was a reward, and he hoped the sword was Chad’s. Since he was an archer, a wind sword would be perfect for him.

Before he could turn around fully and help his friends, the soft voice sounded.

{A member of your cohort has slain a gargoyle; your cohort grows stronger}

{mana+1}

He looked at his friends, and a small smile played on his lips as he dropped to one knee, not being able to keep himself up any longer. "There should be a bag of gold and a sword around here," he told them. His voice was strained from exhaustion. His gaze turned to Chad. "I believe the sword is yours."

Chad looked shocked, giving a short pause before responding. "How did you know that? I saw it fall when that first gargoyle exploded. I killed it, so I already knew that it was mine, but how did you know?" Chad asked, flabbergasted.

Drake’s smile grew. "It’s called Wind Sword. You’re an archer, so it makes sense. As for the gold, I don’t really know; I was distracted. You two know who killed what, so I guess you two can distribute it accordingly. As I said, if you kill it, you keep its loot," he laughed. "Or give it away. It’s yours, so do what you want with it. Keep that sword, though. You need a melee weapon, and that one was obviously meant for you."

As Chad picked up the sword, Mike picked up the gold. He seemed to be collecting a lot of it. Chad’s sword was beautiful. White runes were etched along its thin blade. The handle was made for one hand. It was a short sword. As he studied it, a soft white glow formed around the blade. Chad smiled. He could feel its power. He knew what it could do; he could feel it. As he held the sword, he felt a calming, refreshing feeling. "That is so cool!" he said aloud, more to himself than anyone else.

Drake collapsed without warning onto the packed dirt. He wheezed as he breathed in and out. His friends rushed to him, worried. Blood spilled from his mouth, pooling onto the ground. He had fallen forward. When Mike and Chad reached him, there was a thin dagger sticking out of Drake’s back.

Chad stood frozen, looking at his friend in shock. Mike looked up in the direction the dagger had come from. A man stood in the trees, a sinister grin on his face as his laugh echoed through the trees.