The Quashti lunged at Vars. Every step shook the earth and knocked the snow off the trees. The once-silent forest shifted its atmosphere.
Vars quickly traced runes before launching an attack.
"The Hole!"
He slammed his hands against the ground, and a pit opened up. It was the same technique he'd used earlier against the attackers.
Seeing this, the beast kept charging and leaped right over the pit.
Not a dumb Quashti, huh.
"Alright, if that's how you wanna play it..."
He rapidly traced two runes, and a faint light appeared in front of him. He snatched it nimbly and crushed it in his left hand while leaping back.
"Flash!"
The small light source produced a massive flash, amplified even further by the snow.
The Quashti threw its hands over its eyes. The light blinded it so badly that it botched its landing and stumbled.
Now's my chance!
Wasting no time, Vars launched his attack at the Quashti.
"Double Mega Vine!"
Two thick vines erupted from Vars's palms and whipped toward the grounded Quashti. The two vegetal ropes wrapped around the beast, binding it in a crushing embrace.
The beast howled.
WOOOOORRGGHH!
It sounded like a cry of pain, but the vines kept squeezing.
Got him! I think I won!
The Quashti flew into a blinding rage, howling frantically.
WAARGGHOOHH!!!
The tips of its fur took on a reddish hue. It doubled in size, its muscular arms bulging even larger. It violently ripped free from the vines by puffing up its chest as it inhaled.
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"Fuck! This thing isn't a normal Quashti! I need to cast fast!"
Vars rapidly traced several runes to prep a more complex spell.
The Quashti bounced back to its feet. It pounded its chest like an enraged primate. Its red eyes locked onto Vars for a second, then it charged again.
What speed! This is nothing like the Quashti from a few minutes ago.
I won't make it in time. Shit, whatever.
"The Vine Wall!"
Vars cast his famous vine wall again! He slammed his hands against the ground to summon the vines from the earth.
But the Quashti was already closing in: barely a dozen meters separated them. Given the beast's massive wingspan, that was practically nothing.
The vines erupted from the ground, but the winter guardian had spotted them. It leaped again to clear the new obstacle.
Against all odds, Vars was waiting. He stared the beast right in the eyes, driven by an unyielding will. He jumped back two meters to buy himself a few seconds, then traced the final rune.
"This is for Mom."
"Triple Light Barrier!"
Three domes of light materialized instantly.
The Quashti performed a front flip mid-air, swinging its arms, before abruptly cutting its momentum to dive headfirst toward the ground. It thrust its right arm forward, like a superhero... or a supervillain.
Vars flashed a wicked smirk.
"Heh, give it a try!"
The moment the beast's fist struck the first layer of the barrier, Vars yelled:
"Shatter!"
The first barrier—already on the verge of breaking under the sheer force of the blow—dissipated microseconds before impact. This absorbed the Quashti's momentum and dealt damage at the same time.
The beast roared in pain but kept falling. Its fist grazed the second layer, and again Vars yelled:
"Shatter!"
The barrier blew apart. The beast faltered but pressed on. It reached the final layer, and Vars screamed once more:
"Shatter!"
He's going to reach me. I'm either gonna die or take a massive hit. And if I take a hit here, I'm screwed...
The final barrier, which seemed to hold the most energy, detonated with such violence that every tree within a five-hundred-meter radius was blown sideways by the shockwave.
And yet, the beast kept falling. Its fist hovered a foot away from Vars's face.
"Fuck!" Vars screamed, crossing his arms in front of him to brace for the brutal impact.
But the beast's fist lost its momentum, and it simply slumped to the ground as its fall ended. Its massive hand barely grazed Vars's arms.
The animal lost the reddish tint in its fur, and its gaze seemed to soften. Vars hadn't killed the beast, having sensed something was off.
"Huh? He's out cold? Phew! Thank God!" Vars said, relieved, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Then he lost himself in his usual analytical thoughts, trying to piece it all together:
A Quashti can't normally get this big. It's incredibly rare, but let's assume this one is the alpha of its pack, since they usually live in families of six. Why were its eyes so red? And why was it so aggressive? Normally, these beasts form a large circle to mark their territory, and they love hoarding big rocks or tree trunks. Here, there's nothing.
"Nothing personal, Quashti, but I'm still gonna tie you up here!"
Vars cast a spell:
"Gentle Vines!"
These vines looked different from the others: softer and more flexible. Vars took care not to squeeze the beast too tightly, allowing it to break free once it woke up.
"Alright! Time to find my two brothers. Uh, which way did they go, again?" he said, scratching his head.
"I'll go this way," Vars decided, turning around.
He suddenly felt a gaze lock onto him.
"Ah, shit..."