The creature reared.
Seized a fistful of his chains and sent them lashing toward her.
Forced to dive sideways to avoid them, she snarled as acrid magic filled her lungs. The chains themselves carried enough weight that she could feel the air blast in their wake.
She grimaced as she felt the miss her head by a hair.
Could hear Chukshene chanting behind her. The sound gave her a little hope, but she wouldn't count on him entirely. Not glancing towards the spellslinger, she swept under more chains swooping over her head like a knot of armored snakes.
Grunted a curse.
And took a chance to spring at the creature. Twisting in the air to avoid his arms, her foot thudded hard into his belly and she used the leverage to kick herself higher.
A Flaw in the Glass slashed across his face.
Left a thick green streak from his ear to his mouth as she spun herself over his massive shoulder again, hoping to keep out of reach of his thick limbs.
Snatching at writhing lengths of chain, the elf hung from his back and jammed A Flaw in the Glass hard into his shoulder blade for more stability.
And realised she wasn't sure what to do next.
This time, he thrashed his torso to try and fling her off. She held tight, not daring to try pulling the blade out of his body to try stabbing him again.
A heavy pulse chewed through the chamber, and she glimpsed the warlock as he released energy from his hand. A green ball of light smashed into the thrashing creature's belly. It blew past skin to chew through the fatty layers and exploded inside, lighting up his intestines with sickly incandescence.
The shriek from the creature left her ears ringing.
She shifted her weight, trying to grab one of the slimmer chains. It darted away as though sensing her intention.
The elf's eyes narrowed.
Another bolt of energy fizzed through the air and splashed into the creature's chest. It had less power, but it still ate into his bones.
"Enough! Puny rats!" Snarling in frustration, the creature steadied himself.
Then lowered his massive head and charged the startled warlock like a stampeding bull.
Chukshene turned and ran with a frantic squeal.
Each step jostled the elf more, and her hand almost lost its grip of A Flaw in the Glass. "Stop running!" she shouted. "Chukshene! Stop fucking running away!"
Heard the warlock call back; "Yeah? Fuck that!"
She rolled her eyes.
Bounced against the creature's back.
Dug her heels into the meat above his hip and tried again to grab the slimmer chain again. This time managed to wrap her fist around it. Looked up at the back of the creature's head and the grin which spread across her face was hard in its cruelty.
"If it breathes," she murmured. "You can kill it!"
And, with her heart beating savagely in her chest, she lunged up towards his head.
Felt A Flaw in the Glass slide about half an inch further down the creature's back as it took all her weight. Only the chains coiled tightly around the hulking creature's bones under his flesh prevented the enchanted blade from cutting any deeper.
But the sudden rush of fresh blood made her hand slip.
Feeling the kick of desperation in her guts, the elf's arm was a blur, sending the slim length of chain looping over its head just as her hand slid off the hilt. Grimly, she dropped hard, frantically grabbing hold of the chain with two hands.
The creature took two more steps before the chain snapped tight around his throat.
Using her legs, she wrapped herself around the mess of chains hanging from his back. Yanking hard, she held tight.
Closed her eyes and waited.
The creature came to a stumbling halt.
Shook his head.
Frothed at the mouth and struggled to heave breath into his lungs.
His fingers fumbled at the chain constricting his airway.
But his fingers were too thick to get a good grip on it, and it only began to cut deeper into his bulging neck.
He whirled on his heels, slapping at his back, trying to reach the elf. She felt a rush of air as the enormous hands came increasingly close to flattening her like a bug.
Choking, he gave a frenzied shake, desperate to dislodge her.
"Let… go…" His voice was a dry click as the last of his breath squeezed these words free.
Then he let out a shallow gasp of pain as the warlock lifted a weary hand to deliver another burst of energy into his guts. The elf flinched from the stink of magic, but held on with all her might, straining to keep the chain tight around the creature's neck.
Confused and struggling to breathe, the hulking mass stumbled sideways and dropped to his knees.
Sensing the sharp breath of death encircling the creature's trembling body, she pulled harder. Felt his tortured ribcage heave beneath her.
Felt the muscles in her arms scream in protest as she hauled on the chain with every last ounce of strength she possessed.
And demanded more.
More power from arms already at breaking point.
Then the creature slumped.
Without a word. Without a moan.
It just seemed to give in.
And started to topple like a felled tree.
Realising she was about to be crushed, the elf used her weight to swing with the chain. Squirreling across his massive shoulder, she wrapped the chain tighter around his neck.
As he crashed onto his back, she stood unsteadily on his chest, the chain in her fists stretched tight as she felt the fiery burn of triumph flare within her chest.
Brutal waves of joy crashed through her as she strangled every inch of life she could take from the suddenly unresisting creature.
Though her hands were numb, she willed herself to wrench harder on the chain.
Just keep pulling, she told herself.
Pull until the bones in his neck cracked.
She roared through clenched teeth and could taste the bile of hate in the back of her throat. The sound of her cry like a wail of defiance. Her eyes wide, she reveled in the last moments of a thing which she had no right to defeat.
Yet she'd defeated it.
She'd broken it.
She stared down at the creature's deformed face. Heat in her eyes and hate in her breath.
Stared at tears filling his icy blue eyes.
The green skin quickly turning black.
Tongue swelling in his mouth.
What made her freeze was the realization that she saw no fear in the gaze he returned to her.
No terror. No hatred. No rage.
Only weary acceptance.
As though he knew his dream of resurrecting his dead master was just a fantasy. And in the face of his own death, he finally understood how alone he was in the world.
Her heart nearly stopped as time was measured not in seconds, but in breaths. And she heard his words.
Each syllable raking coldly across the armor she'd built around her heart.
"Master," he croaked. "I'm sorry. I have failed."
As the last word left his rubbery lips, the elf let out a cry and dropped the chains onto his heaving chest. Her own tears burning in the corners of her eyes as she took a step back.
Fell to the ground with a burst of emotion she struggled to contain.
The thing frowned. Its puzzled face turning slightly as it tried to understand what was happening. "What?"
Her shoulders slumped.
She felt tired. So tired.
"Figured we were going too fast, feller," she sighed. "Thought I'd take the throttle off for a turn."