A spear of fire blazed into existence, its tip white-hot and quivering with power. He thrust it forward, aiming for the ogre's gut. The lance struck true, piercing deep into its flesh with a sizzle of burning meat.
The creature staggered, a howl tearing from its throat, but it didn't collapse. With a snarl, it ripped the spear free, the wound closing with a grotesque squelch.
"Magic… not enough," it rumbled, its gaze locking onto Kaelith with murderous intent.
Lirien circled the ogre, her sword flashing as she struck again, aiming for its knee. The blade bounced off, splintering at the tip, and the ogre's patience snapped. It swung a massive fist, the air whistling with the force. Lirien dove aside, the blow missing her by a hair's breadth, but the impact cratered the ground, hurling her backward. She hit the grass hard, rolling to a stop with a gasp, her sword skittering away.
"Lirien!" Kaelith shouted, rushing to her side. He hauled her up, her arm trembling under his grip. "You hurt?"
She shook her head, wincing as she rubbed her side. "Just bruised. That thing's too fast."
The ogre lumbered toward them, its footsteps shaking the earth. Kaelith shoved Lirien behind him and raised his hands again, mana pooling in his palms. "Ignis spherus!" Another fireball launched, striking the ogre's shoulder. It snarled, shrugging off the hit, and kept coming. Kaelith's heart pounded—his spells weren't working, not enough to stop it. He needed time, a plan, something.
"Lirien, get your sword!" he yelled, stepping forward to draw the ogre's focus. She scrambled for the weapon, snatching it up as the creature closed in. Kaelith dodged a swinging fist, the wind of it ruffling his hair, and fired another Fireball. It splashed against the ogre's chest, doing little more than angering it further.
Lirien rejoined him, her stance shaky but resolute. "I'll hit it from the side," she said, darting left. She swung her sword, aiming for its ribs, and this time a faint flicker of fire trailed the strike. The blade grazed the ogre's hide, leaving a shallow scorch, but it barely noticed. With a roar, it backhanded her, its jagged nails slashing across her cheek. She cried out, stumbling back, blood streaming from a deep gash that stretched from her jaw to her temple.
Kaelith's vision tunneled, rage boiling over. "Bastard!" He hurled another Blazing Lance, the spell draining more of his mana than he could spare. It sank into the ogre's thigh, forcing it to its knees with a bellow of pain. But it wasn't enough—it clawed its way up, its wound already knitting shut.
Lirien clutched her face, blood dripping between her fingers, her sword dangling uselessly. "Kaelith… it's too strong," she gasped, her voice cracking. "We can't—"
"We have to!" he snapped, though doubt gnawed at him. His mana was thinning, a hollow ache spreading through his chest. The ogre charged again, its fists raised, and Kaelith pushed Lirien out of the way. The blow caught him instead, slamming him into a tree with a sickening crunch. Pain exploded in his ribs, his breath stolen, stars bursting behind his eyes.
He slid to the ground, gasping, as the ogre loomed over him. Lirien screamed his name, charging with her broken sword raised, but the creature swatted her aside like a fly. She landed in a heap, motionless, blood pooling beneath her cheek.
Kaelith's world narrowed to the ogre's snarling face, its rancid breath washing over him. His body screamed in protest, but he forced himself to his knees, one hand pressed to his side where he felt the wet warmth of blood. Lirien wasn't moving—alive, he prayed, but hurt—and he was out of options. His mana flickered, a dying ember, but he couldn't stop. Not now.
"Ignis lancea!" he croaked, pouring everything into the spell. The lance flared weaker than before, its tip unsteady, but it flew true, striking the ogre's chest. The creature staggered, a shallow burn spreading across its hide, but it didn't fall. It laughed—a low, guttural sound—and grabbed Kaelith by the shoulder, hoisting him off the ground.
Bones creaked under its grip, pain lancing through him. Then the ogre's jaws opened, and it bit down, teeth sinking into his shoulder. Agony seared through him, a white-hot scream trapped in his throat. Blood gushed, soaking his tunic, his vision swimming. But beneath the pain, something else stirred—the vampiric hunger he'd buried since waking in this body. His fangs lengthened, sharp and insistent, and the scent of the ogre's blood—bitter, thick—flooded his senses.
Instinct took over. He twisted, sinking his fangs into the ogre's arm, piercing its tough hide. The taste was vile, like rot and iron, but power surged into him, warm and electric. He drank deeper, feeling his strength return, the wound in his shoulder knitting shut with unnatural speed. The ogre roared, thrashing to dislodge him, but Kaelith held on, draining more, his mind a haze of hunger and fury.
Through the fog, he heard Lirien's voice—faint, desperate. "Kaelith, stop!" She was awake, staggering to her feet, her blood-streaked face twisted in horror. "Don't… don't lose yourself!"
The ogre flung him off, its arm weakening, and Kaelith hit the ground hard, rolling to a stop. His head spun, the hunger still clawing at him, but Lirien's plea cut through. He spat out the ogre's blood, wiping his mouth, and forced the urge down. The creature turned to her, its eyes blazing. "Little girl… next."
She raised her sword, trembling, the splintered wood useless against its bulk. The ogre lumbered forward, its fist cocked back, and Kaelith's heart seized. He struggled to rise, his body heavy, his mana gone. "Lirien, run!" he shouted, but she stood her ground, defiance in her eyes.
The ogre's fist descended, a killing blow—and a flash of steel intercepted it. Talren exploded from the trees, his longsword arcing through the air with a furious cry.
The blade sliced clean through the ogre's arm, severing it at the elbow in a spray of dark blood. The creature shrieked, clutching the stump, its balance faltering.
Talren didn't hesitate—he drove forward, plunging his sword into its chest with a twist of the hilt.
The ogre convulsed, its eyes rolling back, and collapsed in a heap, the ground trembling one last time.
Silence crashed in, heavy and absolute. Talren stood over the corpse, chest heaving, his sword dripping black ichor. His gray eyes flicked to Kaelith and Lirien, sharp with a mix of relief and reproach. "You're damn fools," he said, his voice rough but steady. "Taking that thing on alone."
Kaelith slumped against the tree, exhaustion crashing over him. "You're late," he managed, a weak grin tugging at his lips.
Lirien didn't respond, her eyes fixed on the ogre's body, her breath ragged. Kaelith pushed himself up, wincing, and crawled to her side. "Lirien, you okay?"
She nodded faintly, her fingers tracing the gash. "It hurts… but I'll live."
Talren pulled a cloth from his pack, pressing it to her wound. "Hold that there. We'll get you patched up back in town."
The twin suns dipped toward the horizon, casting the clearing in a twilight glow. The ogre's corpse lay still, a grotesque monument to their survival.
Kaelith sat with his back to the tree, his shoulder throbbing despite the healing, his mind racing. Why was it here? Ogres didn't wander this far south—something was off, a thread he couldn't yet pull.
He glanced at Talren, who cleaned his blade with methodical precision, and then at Lirien, who stared at her broken sword, its tip shattered beyond repair.
"I was useless," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "All that training, and I couldn't even scratch it."
Kaelith frowned. "That's not true. You kept it busy—gave me openings."
She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "You almost died, Kaelith. And I just… I just stood there, bleeding, while Talren finished it. What good am I if I can't protect anyone?"
Talren looked up, his expression unreadable. "You're alive, girl. That's more than most could manage against an ogre."
But Lirien clenched her fists, the cloth slipping from her cheek as fresh blood trickled down. "No. I'm done being weak." Her voice hardened, a fire igniting behind her tears. "I'm going to get stronger—stronger than anyone. I'll become the greatest swordswoman this kingdom's ever seen, so I can protect you, Kaelith, and everyone I care about. No one's dying because I'm not good enough."
Kaelith met her gaze, seeing the raw determination there, and nodded. "I believe you will."
She managed a shaky smile, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Talren stood, offering her a hand. "Come on, then. Let's get back before something else finds us."
As they gathered their things and limped from the clearing, the weight of the fight settled over them—bruised, bloodied, but unbroken. The ogre's presence lingered in Kaelith's thoughts, a question mark in a world already full of unknowns. But for now, they'd survived. And that was enough.