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Illustration drawn for the 11th chapter of "Colossal Protector, Sophia" written in collaboration with LordWolx .

Colossal Protector, Sophia (chapter eleven),By Fang and ClawSophia charged toward her monstrous foe with every ounce of strength and determination she had. There was after all no other option. Fleeing was out of the question. Sophia had seen Duskfang move and, even before he gained his more humanoid appearance, the black wolf obviously had the edge when it came to speed. Retreating would only get Sophia a claw to the back, and leave her unconscious father and Gunther exposed to her foe’s wrath. No. She had to defeat Duskfang here and now. Not just to protect the people she loved, but also to finally let Sigrund’s friend rest in peace. Both were good enough reasons to stand and fight, and both fueled Sophia’s resolve. Sigrund could sense this, and silently thanked her chosen champion as she watched the duel from within Sophia’s mind., Sending her entire fifty-foot tall body soaring into the air with a mighty leap, Sophia swung her hammer down toward Duskfang’s head. It was a blow strong enough to shatter castle walls, and yet it hit nothing but air as Duskfang sidestepped the hammer with relative ease and readied one of his claws. Undeterred, Sophia tightened the muscles in her right arm as she brought her weapon up in a diagonal swing. With a tremendous whoosh the hammer tore through the air, and while it failed to connect once again, the powerful strike did force Duskfang to abandon his counter attack and jump away.Using the momentum of her swing, Sophia spun to face Duskfang head on. Her expression beamed with determination as she immediately jolted after Duskfang, each stomp causing the flora that filled the box canyon to tremble in anticipation for first blood. When she reached Duskfang, Sophia unleashed heaving swing after heaving swing with her hammer. While she failed to land a solid hit with any of them, it was clear to those observing that Sophia’s attacks were getting closer and closer to striking their target with every swing. Duskfang had few openings in Sophia’s barrage to exploit. And the few that he found his claws slashed nothing but Sophia’s sturdy shield.Were she facing an ordinary foe, Sophia’s sheer and unwavering brute force alone might’ve pushed her to victory. But this was no ordinary foe. This was a monster, crafted and controlled by a madman. There was no fear in Duskfang’s crimson eyes. No joy. No hesitation. There was only the blind obedience of a soulless puppet, and that puppet would not be intimidated by, or back down from, anything. It was that blind obedience that allowed Duskfang to slowly start to turn the tables, transforming Sophia almost solo flurry into a pair of devastating barrages. Claw and hammer swiped and swung out, but neither achieved nothing beyond a few near misses or glancing blows across Sophia’s shield or shoulder plate.That is, until an upward swipe from Duskfang’s left claw inevitably managed to outpace Sophia’s shield arm, leaving three shallow cuts across Sophia’s right shoulder. Sophia winced in pain, and that single instant of hesitation gave Duskfang the opening he needed to swing his right leg up and under Sophia’s shield to drag his clawed toes across Sophia’s left thigh. Four tears in Sophia’s dress and flesh began to leak blood, and the once harmless girl turned giantess stumbled back several vast steps.“Sophia!” is what Sigrund wanted to cry out. But instead she remained calm as she spoke. “Sophia, you’re doing well. But you have to focus. If this fight drags on too long, you’ll be defeated by your fatigue.”“Right” was the only word Sophia had time to reply with, as Duskfang was already back in melee range with his claws out. The first blow came for Sophia’s face, but thankfully met the front her shield instead. The second swung in low to try and disembowel Sophia, but was swiftly knocked down when Sophia slammed the bottom of her shield down on Duskfang’s arm. With the third of Duskfang’s blows already on its way, this time in the form of a lunging bite, Sophia did the only thing she could think of in that instant; She threw herself forward, slamming into Duskfang’s bare torso shield-first in a mighty shoulder charge.Both towering combatants were sent reeling in the same direction, though neither lost their balance completely. Catching himself by digging his clawed toes into the ground, Duskfang thrust one claw forward with the intent of piercing Sophia’s chest, only for his furry arm to be knocked aside by his foe’s shield.In the same motion she backhanded away Duskfang’s arm with her shield, Sophia brought her hammer arm up to smash her weapon into the wolf-monster’s side. Bones audibly crunched beneath Sophia’s hammer, and a faint flicker of pain flashed in Duskfang’s lifeless eyes. However, even as he was lifted off the ground by the strike, Duskfang kicked out his right leg, leaving several visible scratches through the side of Sophia’s dress.While silently cursing herself for letting her new dress be cut up, Sophia continued to press her advantage, landing another devastating blow with her hammer, this time to the center of Duskfang’s chest. Once again there was a terrible crunching sound as Duskfang reeled back, almost collapsing as blood exploded from his maw. Sophia would’ve followed up with a third hit, but an overwhelming sense of guilt and sadness suddenly pulsed through her. “Sigrund, I’m so sorry” she thought, a single tear returning to her left eye. “But just as you said before, I have to do this to save Duskfang.”Sigrund had to hold back the pain of seeing her former friend be hurt like this, reminding herself that the Duskfang standing before her was no longer the beast she loved, but instead a defiled shell that needed to be destroyed. “Don’t let your emotions affect Sophia” she told herself, barely able to block out the hundreds of fond memories of the many years she and Duskfang shared. “That’s what Susurrus wants. Go Sophia. Put Duskfang out of his misery.”Sophia nodded as the powerful sorrow she was sharing with Sigrund faded away, though not entirely. Shield at the ready, Sophia rushed straight at Duskfang.------------------------------------------------------------Meanwhile, just over a mile away, Gunther continued to levitate himself back to Goldshores, an unconscious Gerald still slumped over his now aching shoulder. Heavy lifting had never been his strong suit, and he cursed himself for struggling when it was Sophia who had the much harder job. He thought back to when he and Sophia were kids, she’d seemed so harmless and small then, and all the times he’d been the leader while Sophia had been the follower. But not today. Sophia had told Gunther to whisk her father to safety. Actually told, and not asked as Sophia usually did.He’d been listening to Sophia’s titanic duel, even at this distance, with ease, and Gunther wished he could be there fighting alongside his dear friend. But he had a job to do, and there was no way Gunther was going to let Sophia down now. “Hold on Sophia” he thought. “I’ll be right back just as soon as your father is safe.”Gritting his teeth, Gunther ignored the ache in his shoulder and forced himself to fly faster, not noticing the gaunt humanoid creatures stalking him from the surrounding treetops until they leapt from the branches to attack him.------------------------------------------------------------Susurrus watched the tremendous battle from his elevated position with unblinking eyes. His pawn unleashed a flurry of claw swipes, and barely three made it past Sophia’s shield to leave minor cuts across the giant girl’s limbs. Sophia swung back with her hammer, but Duskfang managed to avoid the blow by throwing his upper body to the side. The earlier damage Sophia’s hammer inflicted wasn’t hindering Duskfang’s movements… yet. But Susurrus knew that even his most mindless of creations slowed after their bodies had been injured enough. “Damn that Sigrund...” he wheezed to himself, clenching his fist so tight it began to tremble. “Damn her for… hiding behind that young… lady.”He’d tried to do this through a simple exchange. Sophia would get her father back, and Susurrus would acquire the power he needed. But that selfish Sigrund had stepped in and denied the civilized way, forcing Susurrus to unleash Duskfang once again. Typical for that goddess, only caring about herself and martial combat. Now Susurrus had to do this the hard way, and that could only end with Sophia’s death. If Sigrund refused to come out from behind her shield, then Susurrus would simply shatter it to reach her. “Not a shield...” he muttered, his head twitching slightly. “A victim...”Susurrus’ gaze fell to his feet, which were half a dozen feet from the cliff’s edge. He tried to take a step forward, but his body refused to advance forward even a single inch. Sigrund’s seal, while tremendously weakened, was still keeping him from moving far from his prison. Still, at least he could finally leave the capital ruins, and it would only be a matter of time until the shackles that tugged at him were shattered completely. And then nothing would stop him from achieving his goal, if he hadn’t already.A battle cry from Sophia snapped Susurrus’ attention back to the battle, just in time to see the gigantic girl push Duskfang back with a mighty shove of her shield. “This has gone on… long enough” he wheezed as he mentally sent new commands to the swarm of worms currently manipulating Duskfang’s transformed corpse.With her foe still in mid stumble, Sophia threw herself at Duskfang, hammer swinging downward with the intent of crushing the wolf-monster’s head in a single blow. “Come on” she thought, teeth clenched tight as she watched her hammer come down toward Duskfang’s head like a meteor.There was a sudden blur of motion, and Duskfang was gone in the blink of an eye. Sophia had put so much momentum into her downward swing that she couldn’t stop it until her hammer smashed into the ground, causing the entire canyon to shake. Tearing her weapon from a small crater in the ground, Sophia rapidly scanned the canyon for Duskfang. Her ears caught the occasional light scraping of clawed toes on stone, but her eyes were too slow to follow suite.Panic started to rise inside Sophia as she continued to frantically survey her surroundings. But no matter how fast she turned her head, Duskfang’s steps sounded like they were coming from behind her. “Where is he?” she thought, keeping her shield close.Sophia got an answer when a black and white blur suddenly zipped past her from behind so fast she stumbled forward, and the deep cuts from a claw suddenly tore open on her right arm. As a painful grunt forced itself out of her clenched teeth, Sophia caught herself with a stomp and focused her vision ahead, just in time to see a dashing Duskfang leap out of her peripheral vision. She tried to follow her impossibly fast foe, but it wasn’t long before Sophia was back to looking around fruitlessly.A huge blur shot past Sophia once again, and a second claw mark ripped open on her flesh, this time on her lower back. This time it was a cry of pain that forced itself out of her mouth, and Sophia felt a white hot pain jolt through her entire body. “How can he move that fast?” she thought, eyes widening as her ears caught the sound of Duskfang’s rapid but light footsteps encircling her for a third time. “No time to figure that out. What do I do to stop him?”Despite rattling her brain for ideas, Sophia wasn’t able to come up with anything before the blur that was Duskfang dashed past her again, this time leaving deep cuts across her right hip. Sweat now pouring down her face, Sophia desperately scanned the box canyon, eyes agape like a frightened animal. Sigrund could see it. Fear was starting to take hold of Sophia, and it was proving far more crippling than the shared despair she was getting earlier. Sigrund knew she had contribute somehow, and fortunately she knew exactly what to say. There was a moment of hesitation when Sigrund realized this information could potentially lead to the destruction of Duskfang’s body, but the alternative was just as unbearable. “Sophia!” she said sternly, snapping her protector out of her panic. “Remain calm and focus.You have this.”“Sure doesn’t feel that way” Sophia replied in a shallow grunt, mere moments before she was almost bowled over when Duskfang zipped past her for a fourth time, leaving deep slashes across Sophia’s right shoulder. “What do I do?”“When I give the signal, spin around and swing your hammer” Sigrund instructed. “Until then, stand still and calm down.”“Okay” Sophia thought, giving up on trying to spot Duskfang and standing her ground. “I trust you Sigrund.” It was a struggle not to move, especially as Duskfang’s encircling footsteps got closer and closer. But Sophia managed to push down her instincts to find her foe and stand firm, slowing her breathing to try and calm down. “Now!” Sigrund suddenly shouted, and Sophia instantly spun around, swinging her hammer in a wide circle arc. The weapon actually connected with Duskfang’s right shoulder joint, much to the shock of Susurrus and Sophia, and the black wolf was knocked off his feet, crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom a second later. “I actually hit him?” Sophia thought, eyes wide with amazement as she stared at her fallen foe. “How did you know Sigrund?”“Because he was attacking at a set pace” Sigrund explained. “Every five seconds to be exact. Now stop gawking and finish this.”“R-right” Sophia thought, a flicker of embarrassment on her face as she moved to finish the fight.Duskfang wasn’t about to just lay there and let himself be finished off though. With nothing by the strength in his back and feet, Duskfang launched himself upright, jaws open to unleash a furious howl.Startled, Sophia tried to knock Duskfang back to the ground with a downward diagonal hammer strike, only for her weapon to be caught by a claw in mid-swing before it could build up much momentum. Sophia then raised her shield to defend herself, but Duskfang quickly grabbed it with his free claw and pushed it out of the way.With nothing now in between his fangs and Sophia’s throat, Duskfang’s upper body sprang forward, maw ready to clamp down on his foe’s neck. And those razor sharp fangs would’ve sunk into Sophia’s throat were it not for one thing. Releasing her hammer from her grasp, Sophia threw her right arm up to shield herself, letting Duskfang clamp his maw down on her arm. Duskfang’s teeth did not meet the flesh of Sophia’s forearm, instead being stomped by the metal sheets of the arm brace Gerald had made for his daughter.,Not only did the forearm guard keep the wolf’s teeth from piercing Sophia’s skin, it also broke three of Duskfang’s fangs. Before Duskfang could release his hold on her forearm, Sophia pressed her shield against her foe’s bare chest and, after conjuring up every ounce of strength she could muster, heaved Duskfang up and over her head. Letting out a mighty battle cry, Sophia slammed Duskfang into the ground with such force that the people in Goldshores heard the boom. The impact also weakened Duskfang’s hold on Sophia, allowing Sophia to yank her forearm free from her foe’s jaws. Reaching over, Sophia retrieved her hammer and held it up above Duskfang’s head, keeping herself planted firmly on her opponent’s chest to keep them pinned.For the briefest of moments, Sophia swore she saw a faint drop of hope within Duskfang’s soulless red eyes, hardening her resolve. “Rest” she said, before bringing her hammer down to shatter Duskfang’s head in a splash of fur, bone, gore and, most unnervingly, a stream of tiny black worms that immediately scattered in all directions. None of the little creatures made it far though, dying after getting barely a few yards from their now worthless puppet.“Duskfang...” Sigrund’s voice was weak with grief, but also relief. Her friend was now beyond Susurrus’ machinations. At peace. “Sophia. Thank you.”Sophia nodded, a grateful smile curling up on her face as she rose back to her feet. That smile faded the instant Sophia turned back to Susurrus, the giant girl’s expression now a fierce scowl.The sound that bubbled out from underneath Susurrus’ mask was unlike anything Sophia had ever heard before. A moist grumble that quickly burst into the wild howl of an ancient evil beyond the comprehension of mortal men and women. It sent a chill down Sophia’s spine, and made every hair on the back of her neck stand up. Even so, Sophia’s scowl did not fade, it merely faltered for an instant.Grasping the sides of his head with his long, thin fingers, Susurrus started to sway from side to side as his horrifying, rage-filled cry died in his rotted throat.Sophia then tore her gaze away from Susurrus, not out of fear but because of a familiar voice of her friend. “Sophia!” Gunther called out, and Sophia looked to the sky to see her magically gifted friend swooping down toward her like a bird of prey.“Gunther?” Sophia questioned. “Where’s my Dad? Is he-”“He’s back in Goldshores.” Gunther stopped a few dozen feet from Sophia’s face, using his magic to keep himself hovering at the eye level of the giantess. His voice was a strained wheeze, and a torrent of sweat now flowed from his face. The mage had clearly pushed himself to his limits to get back here, and Sophia briefly wondered if expending too much magic could strain one’s body as much as physical excursion. “I handed him... over to your captain and... flew back here as quickly as I could. Had a bit of… trouble. But I dealt with it...” Gunther’s gaze fell upon the fallen Duskfang. “Just like you’ve dealt with…this here.” Gunther then noticed Susurrus, the masked fiend now on his knees as if having the worst headache imaginable. “Almost...”Taking a deep breath through his nose, Gunther shot over Sophia’s shoulder and aimed his staff directly at Susurrus. “Dragon Hellfire!” he roared, and a powerful blast of fire exploded from the tip of his staff. Susurrus did not even acknowledge Gunther, or his magic, even as the flames twisted and morphed into the shape of a monstrous serpent-like dragon. All Susurrus did, even as the fiery dragon collided with him to erupt into a blinding explosion of white light, was mutter incomprehensibly to himself.Sophia and Gunther had to shield their eyes from the light, and Gunther was blown back by the force of the explosion he created. Fortunately Sophia caught the mage with one hand before he could be sent flying back into a tree, saving her friend from the consequences of his eager but hasty actions. Gunther tipped his pointed hat in appreciation, and Sophia smiled back just as the intense light of the explosion gave way to a towering plume of smoke. When that too started to fade, Sophia and Gunther were greeted with a sight that would linger in the back of their minds for the rest of their days.,There, standing calmly in the center of a small circular ditch, was a completely unharmed Susurrus. In fact, even most of the flora around him was unscathed, save for the donut shaped ditch. There wasn’t so much as a scorch mark across the man’s white, owl-like mask or pale red robes. It was like he’d shown up after the explosion and simply stepped into the aftermath. That alone would be alarming enough to Sophia and Gunther, but there was something else that unnerved the pair far more. It was those eyes. Those unblinking eyes that just stared directly at them. White pupils that sat in the center of two dark voids, burning with rage as they remained fixed on Sophia and Gunther. Susurrus did not make a sound. He did not move. He only continued to stare, while the occasional disgusting worm oozed out from his sleeves or from underneath his mask.Neither Sophia nor Gunther could muster the courage to speak, as if doing so would somehow unleash something ungodly horrible upon them. Sophia clutched Gunther protectively in one hand as she started to back away, her hammer and shield held in the other. Slowly at first, but as soon as she reached the box canyon’s exit, Sophia spun around and took off into the forest. Susurrus had still not stopped staring.Sophia did not stop running, not until she left the jungle to be greeted by Goldshores’ high walls. Now, with no immediate threat, Sophia felt the full weight on her injuries and fatigue, and collapsed onto her knees. Her fellow guards atop the battlements were calling out to her, cheering at her return, but Sophia could not hear them as she gently placed Gunther on the ground. “Home… We made it home...” she gasped, now on her hands as well as her knees. “We did” Gunther said as he flopped onto his back, exhausted.“Sophia, you’re hurt” Sigrund’s voice echoed in Sophia’s mind. “Please go and fix up your injuries.”“I’m fine” is what Sophia wanted to say, but the sight of the cuts down scattered across her outfit and flesh stayed her tongue. Instead, she simply nodded and forced herself to stand. “Come on Gunther...” she huffed, scooping up her mage friend in one hand as she stood.The gate was already open for her, so Sophia simply walked back into Goldshores. “Your father is being attended to at the hospital” the familiar voice of Zeig explained from atop the gatehouse. “I didn’t see any major injuries while I took him there, so he should be fine.”Sophia glanced up to her captain and smiled graciously. “Thank you, Captain” she said, resuming her march.Captain Zeig watched his gigantic trainee slowly shrink down to her smallest size of twenty-five feet as she walked into Goldshores, his gaze moving from one injury to another. “She must’ve had a really tough fight” he thought, before smirking. “And yet she made it back in one piece, while also rescuing her father. Impressive.” Zeig then noticed the amused smiles on the faces of all his nearby guards. “What are you all staring at?!” he snapped. “Get back to your posts!”Reaching the hospital less than a minute later, Sophia put Gunther down by the front door before carefully dropping to her knees. Gunther opened the door to enter, only to pause to allow Iris to exit first. “Sophia!” the woman cried out, her mouth opening into an overjoyed smiled.“Mom!” Sophia’s eyes started to fill with tears as she reached out and scooped up her mother, hugging her like she were a beloved doll.Iris spread her arms across her daughter’s torso, the motherly hug still just as warm as it was before Sophia gained her dramatic increase in stature. “I’m so proud of you” she said, tears now pouring from her eyes as well. “And your father is too.”“Dad, is he okay?” Sophia asked. “See for yourself, Sweetie” the gruff voice of Gerald chuckled, and Sophia glanced back to the door to find her father emerging into the sunlight, Gunther standing behind him. “I hear you rescued me. A little embarrassing, a father being saved by his daughter, but-”Gerald was suddenly scooped up into the same hug that had captured his wife, and the Brightforge family shared a wonderful and joyous moment together. Gunther watched, unable to keep himself from smiling at the heartwarming scene.“Are you alright Dad?” Sophia asked.“A little sore, but I’m fine” Gerald assured, grunting a little from the pressure of the loving hug. “Nothing I can’t sleep off.”“Dad...” Sophia sobbed, large tears splashing down upon the heads of her parents. “You saved me.”“How so?” Gerald asked, raising an eyebrow.Sophia tightened her hug for a moment, before gently releasing her parents and letting them slide to the ground. “This” she said, holding up her right forearm to show off the wrist guard Gerald had crafted for her. “I was able to win because of this.” That was when Sophia noticed that her new wrist guard had shrunk to remain fixed to her arm, and she smiled as she admired her newest piece of equipment.“Your father’s armor has proven itself well worth my blessing” Sigrund’s voice echoed in Sophia’s mind. “He’s quite the craftsman.”“He is” Sophia thought.“Sophia!” Iris gasped, startling Sophia back to reality. With a worried look on her face, Iris gently placed a hand upon one of the many gashes given to her daughter by Duskfang. They’d thankfully stopped bleeding at this point, but that didn’t give Iris even a little relief. “You’re hurt.”“It’s not that bad” Sophia assured, though she winced from the pain that flared up every time her wounds were disturbed. “Oww.”“The doctor is looking at you next” Iris insisted, in that tone her family knew would tolerate no argument. Before anyone could suggest otherwise, Iris turned and marched back into the hospital to find a cleric and a physician.Sophia shared a chuckle with her father and Gunther, Sigrund even joining in despite only her guardian being able to hear her. “I’m fine Dad” Sophia said, noticing her father eyeing her wounds. “Really.” “I know” Gerald said, scratching the back of his neck to relieve a biting itch. “But it’s my and your mother’s job to worry about you at all times. Especially now that you put yourself in danger, far more times than I would like, to protect all of us. Every time those alarm bells sound, I fret you’re going to come back badly injured… or worse.” A smile soon returned to Gerald’s face. “But I will admit that when you do inevitably return home, my soul beams with pride. Goldshores has gotten itself one heck of a protector. That fact is undeniable.”“Thanks Dad” Sophia sobbed, quickly scooping her father up into another, far tighter, hug.Gerald ceased his scratching so he could attempt to return his gigantic daughter’s hug with one of his own, his hand moving away from a faint, cross-shaped scar on the back of his neck that wasn’t there this morning.------------------------------------------------------------Meanwhile, Susurrus had finally broken out of his rage-induced trance and returned to the ruined capital of the Hiero Empire. His anger was still present, though it wasn’t directed at the fact that his target had escaped his clutches once again. Because the truth of the matter was that Sigrund and the human girl she used as a shield were still well within his reach, they just didn’t know it yet. No, Susurrus’ anger was directed at the fact that he may be forced to use a more diabolical method to take Sigrund’s powers for his own. But that would only be necessary if he hadn’t taken Sigrund’s powers from Sophia before the goddess’ seal completely faded. Susurrus looked down at his hands, those horrid, shriveled hands, and watched as half a dozen worms slithered across his thin fingers. He thought about what he was. What he had become, and what he had done since. For a single moment, an honest thought forced itself to the brink of his mind.“I hate this.”The weakness lasted only a few seconds, before Susurrus clenched his rotted hands into tight fists, crushing two of the worms into pulp. He steeled himself, and his determination allowed him to suppress any lingering doubts and hesitation. He knew what he needed to achieve his goal, and nothing was going to stop him from getting it. Especially not something as trivial as guilt.

Description

Illustration drawn for the 11th chapter of "Colossal Protector, Sophia" written in collaboration with LordWolx .

Colossal Protector, Sophia (chapter eleven),By Fang and ClawSophia charged toward her monstrous foe with every ounce of strength and determination she had. There was after all no other option. Fleeing was out of the question. Sophia had seen Duskfang move and, even before he gained his more humanoid appearance, the black wolf obviously had the edge when it came to speed. Retreating would only get Sophia a claw to the back, and leave her unconscious father and Gunther exposed to her foe’s wrath. No. She had to defeat Duskfang here and now. Not just to protect the people she loved, but also to finally let Sigrund’s friend rest in peace. Both were good enough reasons to stand and fight, and both fueled Sophia’s resolve. Sigrund could sense this, and silently thanked her chosen champion as she watched the duel from within Sophia’s mind., Sending her entire fifty-foot tall body soaring into the air with a mighty leap, Sophia swung her hammer down toward Duskfang’s head. It was a blow strong enough to shatter castle walls, and yet it hit nothing but air as Duskfang sidestepped the hammer with relative ease and readied one of his claws. Undeterred, Sophia tightened the muscles in her right arm as she brought her weapon up in a diagonal swing. With a tremendous whoosh the hammer tore through the air, and while it failed to connect once again, the powerful strike did force Duskfang to abandon his counter attack and jump away.Using the momentum of her swing, Sophia spun to face Duskfang head on. Her expression beamed with determination as she immediately jolted after Duskfang, each stomp causing the flora that filled the box canyon to tremble in anticipation for first blood. When she reached Duskfang, Sophia unleashed heaving swing after heaving swing with her hammer. While she failed to land a solid hit with any of them, it was clear to those observing that Sophia’s attacks were getting closer and closer to striking their target with every swing. Duskfang had few openings in Sophia’s barrage to exploit. And the few that he found his claws slashed nothing but Sophia’s sturdy shield.Were she facing an ordinary foe, Sophia’s sheer and unwavering brute force alone might’ve pushed her to victory. But this was no ordinary foe. This was a monster, crafted and controlled by a madman. There was no fear in Duskfang’s crimson eyes. No joy. No hesitation. There was only the blind obedience of a soulless puppet, and that puppet would not be intimidated by, or back down from, anything. It was that blind obedience that allowed Duskfang to slowly start to turn the tables, transforming Sophia almost solo flurry into a pair of devastating barrages. Claw and hammer swiped and swung out, but neither achieved nothing beyond a few near misses or glancing blows across Sophia’s shield or shoulder plate.That is, until an upward swipe from Duskfang’s left claw inevitably managed to outpace Sophia’s shield arm, leaving three shallow cuts across Sophia’s right shoulder. Sophia winced in pain, and that single instant of hesitation gave Duskfang the opening he needed to swing his right leg up and under Sophia’s shield to drag his clawed toes across Sophia’s left thigh. Four tears in Sophia’s dress and flesh began to leak blood, and the once harmless girl turned giantess stumbled back several vast steps.“Sophia!” is what Sigrund wanted to cry out. But instead she remained calm as she spoke. “Sophia, you’re doing well. But you have to focus. If this fight drags on too long, you’ll be defeated by your fatigue.”“Right” was the only word Sophia had time to reply with, as Duskfang was already back in melee range with his claws out. The first blow came for Sophia’s face, but thankfully met the front her shield instead. The second swung in low to try and disembowel Sophia, but was swiftly knocked down when Sophia slammed the bottom of her shield down on Duskfang’s arm. With the third of Duskfang’s blows already on its way, this time in the form of a lunging bite, Sophia did the only thing she could think of in that instant; She threw herself forward, slamming into Duskfang’s bare torso shield-first in a mighty shoulder charge.Both towering combatants were sent reeling in the same direction, though neither lost their balance completely. Catching himself by digging his clawed toes into the ground, Duskfang thrust one claw forward with the intent of piercing Sophia’s chest, only for his furry arm to be knocked aside by his foe’s shield.In the same motion she backhanded away Duskfang’s arm with her shield, Sophia brought her hammer arm up to smash her weapon into the wolf-monster’s side. Bones audibly crunched beneath Sophia’s hammer, and a faint flicker of pain flashed in Duskfang’s lifeless eyes. However, even as he was lifted off the ground by the strike, Duskfang kicked out his right leg, leaving several visible scratches through the side of Sophia’s dress.While silently cursing herself for letting her new dress be cut up, Sophia continued to press her advantage, landing another devastating blow with her hammer, this time to the center of Duskfang’s chest. Once again there was a terrible crunching sound as Duskfang reeled back, almost collapsing as blood exploded from his maw. Sophia would’ve followed up with a third hit, but an overwhelming sense of guilt and sadness suddenly pulsed through her. “Sigrund, I’m so sorry” she thought, a single tear returning to her left eye. “But just as you said before, I have to do this to save Duskfang.”Sigrund had to hold back the pain of seeing her former friend be hurt like this, reminding herself that the Duskfang standing before her was no longer the beast she loved, but instead a defiled shell that needed to be destroyed. “Don’t let your emotions affect Sophia” she told herself, barely able to block out the hundreds of fond memories of the many years she and Duskfang shared. “That’s what Susurrus wants. Go Sophia. Put Duskfang out of his misery.”Sophia nodded as the powerful sorrow she was sharing with Sigrund faded away, though not entirely. Shield at the ready, Sophia rushed straight at Duskfang.------------------------------------------------------------Meanwhile, just over a mile away, Gunther continued to levitate himself back to Goldshores, an unconscious Gerald still slumped over his now aching shoulder. Heavy lifting had never been his strong suit, and he cursed himself for struggling when it was Sophia who had the much harder job. He thought back to when he and Sophia were kids, she’d seemed so harmless and small then, and all the times he’d been the leader while Sophia had been the follower. But not today. Sophia had told Gunther to whisk her father to safety. Actually told, and not asked as Sophia usually did.He’d been listening to Sophia’s titanic duel, even at this distance, with ease, and Gunther wished he could be there fighting alongside his dear friend. But he had a job to do, and there was no way Gunther was going to let Sophia down now. “Hold on Sophia” he thought. “I’ll be right back just as soon as your father is safe.”Gritting his teeth, Gunther ignored the ache in his shoulder and forced himself to fly faster, not noticing the gaunt humanoid creatures stalking him from the surrounding treetops until they leapt from the branches to attack him.------------------------------------------------------------Susurrus watched the tremendous battle from his elevated position with unblinking eyes. His pawn unleashed a flurry of claw swipes, and barely three made it past Sophia’s shield to leave minor cuts across the giant girl’s limbs. Sophia swung back with her hammer, but Duskfang managed to avoid the blow by throwing his upper body to the side. The earlier damage Sophia’s hammer inflicted wasn’t hindering Duskfang’s movements… yet. But Susurrus knew that even his most mindless of creations slowed after their bodies had been injured enough. “Damn that Sigrund...” he wheezed to himself, clenching his fist so tight it began to tremble. “Damn her for… hiding behind that young… lady.”He’d tried to do this through a simple exchange. Sophia would get her father back, and Susurrus would acquire the power he needed. But that selfish Sigrund had stepped in and denied the civilized way, forcing Susurrus to unleash Duskfang once again. Typical for that goddess, only caring about herself and martial combat. Now Susurrus had to do this the hard way, and that could only end with Sophia’s death. If Sigrund refused to come out from behind her shield, then Susurrus would simply shatter it to reach her. “Not a shield...” he muttered, his head twitching slightly. “A victim...”Susurrus’ gaze fell to his feet, which were half a dozen feet from the cliff’s edge. He tried to take a step forward, but his body refused to advance forward even a single inch. Sigrund’s seal, while tremendously weakened, was still keeping him from moving far from his prison. Still, at least he could finally leave the capital ruins, and it would only be a matter of time until the shackles that tugged at him were shattered completely. And then nothing would stop him from achieving his goal, if he hadn’t already.A battle cry from Sophia snapped Susurrus’ attention back to the battle, just in time to see the gigantic girl push Duskfang back with a mighty shove of her shield. “This has gone on… long enough” he wheezed as he mentally sent new commands to the swarm of worms currently manipulating Duskfang’s transformed corpse.With her foe still in mid stumble, Sophia threw herself at Duskfang, hammer swinging downward with the intent of crushing the wolf-monster’s head in a single blow. “Come on” she thought, teeth clenched tight as she watched her hammer come down toward Duskfang’s head like a meteor.There was a sudden blur of motion, and Duskfang was gone in the blink of an eye. Sophia had put so much momentum into her downward swing that she couldn’t stop it until her hammer smashed into the ground, causing the entire canyon to shake. Tearing her weapon from a small crater in the ground, Sophia rapidly scanned the canyon for Duskfang. Her ears caught the occasional light scraping of clawed toes on stone, but her eyes were too slow to follow suite.Panic started to rise inside Sophia as she continued to frantically survey her surroundings. But no matter how fast she turned her head, Duskfang’s steps sounded like they were coming from behind her. “Where is he?” she thought, keeping her shield close.Sophia got an answer when a black and white blur suddenly zipped past her from behind so fast she stumbled forward, and the deep cuts from a claw suddenly tore open on her right arm. As a painful grunt forced itself out of her clenched teeth, Sophia caught herself with a stomp and focused her vision ahead, just in time to see a dashing Duskfang leap out of her peripheral vision. She tried to follow her impossibly fast foe, but it wasn’t long before Sophia was back to looking around fruitlessly.A huge blur shot past Sophia once again, and a second claw mark ripped open on her flesh, this time on her lower back. This time it was a cry of pain that forced itself out of her mouth, and Sophia felt a white hot pain jolt through her entire body. “How can he move that fast?” she thought, eyes widening as her ears caught the sound of Duskfang’s rapid but light footsteps encircling her for a third time. “No time to figure that out. What do I do to stop him?”Despite rattling her brain for ideas, Sophia wasn’t able to come up with anything before the blur that was Duskfang dashed past her again, this time leaving deep cuts across her right hip. Sweat now pouring down her face, Sophia desperately scanned the box canyon, eyes agape like a frightened animal. Sigrund could see it. Fear was starting to take hold of Sophia, and it was proving far more crippling than the shared despair she was getting earlier. Sigrund knew she had contribute somehow, and fortunately she knew exactly what to say. There was a moment of hesitation when Sigrund realized this information could potentially lead to the destruction of Duskfang’s body, but the alternative was just as unbearable. “Sophia!” she said sternly, snapping her protector out of her panic. “Remain calm and focus.You have this.”“Sure doesn’t feel that way” Sophia replied in a shallow grunt, mere moments before she was almost bowled over when Duskfang zipped past her for a fourth time, leaving deep slashes across Sophia’s right shoulder. “What do I do?”“When I give the signal, spin around and swing your hammer” Sigrund instructed. “Until then, stand still and calm down.”“Okay” Sophia thought, giving up on trying to spot Duskfang and standing her ground. “I trust you Sigrund.” It was a struggle not to move, especially as Duskfang’s encircling footsteps got closer and closer. But Sophia managed to push down her instincts to find her foe and stand firm, slowing her breathing to try and calm down. “Now!” Sigrund suddenly shouted, and Sophia instantly spun around, swinging her hammer in a wide circle arc. The weapon actually connected with Duskfang’s right shoulder joint, much to the shock of Susurrus and Sophia, and the black wolf was knocked off his feet, crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom a second later. “I actually hit him?” Sophia thought, eyes wide with amazement as she stared at her fallen foe. “How did you know Sigrund?”“Because he was attacking at a set pace” Sigrund explained. “Every five seconds to be exact. Now stop gawking and finish this.”“R-right” Sophia thought, a flicker of embarrassment on her face as she moved to finish the fight.Duskfang wasn’t about to just lay there and let himself be finished off though. With nothing by the strength in his back and feet, Duskfang launched himself upright, jaws open to unleash a furious howl.Startled, Sophia tried to knock Duskfang back to the ground with a downward diagonal hammer strike, only for her weapon to be caught by a claw in mid-swing before it could build up much momentum. Sophia then raised her shield to defend herself, but Duskfang quickly grabbed it with his free claw and pushed it out of the way.With nothing now in between his fangs and Sophia’s throat, Duskfang’s upper body sprang forward, maw ready to clamp down on his foe’s neck. And those razor sharp fangs would’ve sunk into Sophia’s throat were it not for one thing. Releasing her hammer from her grasp, Sophia threw her right arm up to shield herself, letting Duskfang clamp his maw down on her arm. Duskfang’s teeth did not meet the flesh of Sophia’s forearm, instead being stomped by the metal sheets of the arm brace Gerald had made for his daughter.,Not only did the forearm guard keep the wolf’s teeth from piercing Sophia’s skin, it also broke three of Duskfang’s fangs. Before Duskfang could release his hold on her forearm, Sophia pressed her shield against her foe’s bare chest and, after conjuring up every ounce of strength she could muster, heaved Duskfang up and over her head. Letting out a mighty battle cry, Sophia slammed Duskfang into the ground with such force that the people in Goldshores heard the boom. The impact also weakened Duskfang’s hold on Sophia, allowing Sophia to yank her forearm free from her foe’s jaws. Reaching over, Sophia retrieved her hammer and held it up above Duskfang’s head, keeping herself planted firmly on her opponent’s chest to keep them pinned.For the briefest of moments, Sophia swore she saw a faint drop of hope within Duskfang’s soulless red eyes, hardening her resolve. “Rest” she said, before bringing her hammer down to shatter Duskfang’s head in a splash of fur, bone, gore and, most unnervingly, a stream of tiny black worms that immediately scattered in all directions. None of the little creatures made it far though, dying after getting barely a few yards from their now worthless puppet.“Duskfang...” Sigrund’s voice was weak with grief, but also relief. Her friend was now beyond Susurrus’ machinations. At peace. “Sophia. Thank you.”Sophia nodded, a grateful smile curling up on her face as she rose back to her feet. That smile faded the instant Sophia turned back to Susurrus, the giant girl’s expression now a fierce scowl.The sound that bubbled out from underneath Susurrus’ mask was unlike anything Sophia had ever heard before. A moist grumble that quickly burst into the wild howl of an ancient evil beyond the comprehension of mortal men and women. It sent a chill down Sophia’s spine, and made every hair on the back of her neck stand up. Even so, Sophia’s scowl did not fade, it merely faltered for an instant.Grasping the sides of his head with his long, thin fingers, Susurrus started to sway from side to side as his horrifying, rage-filled cry died in his rotted throat.Sophia then tore her gaze away from Susurrus, not out of fear but because of a familiar voice of her friend. “Sophia!” Gunther called out, and Sophia looked to the sky to see her magically gifted friend swooping down toward her like a bird of prey.“Gunther?” Sophia questioned. “Where’s my Dad? Is he-”“He’s back in Goldshores.” Gunther stopped a few dozen feet from Sophia’s face, using his magic to keep himself hovering at the eye level of the giantess. His voice was a strained wheeze, and a torrent of sweat now flowed from his face. The mage had clearly pushed himself to his limits to get back here, and Sophia briefly wondered if expending too much magic could strain one’s body as much as physical excursion. “I handed him... over to your captain and... flew back here as quickly as I could. Had a bit of… trouble. But I dealt with it...” Gunther’s gaze fell upon the fallen Duskfang. “Just like you’ve dealt with…this here.” Gunther then noticed Susurrus, the masked fiend now on his knees as if having the worst headache imaginable. “Almost...”Taking a deep breath through his nose, Gunther shot over Sophia’s shoulder and aimed his staff directly at Susurrus. “Dragon Hellfire!” he roared, and a powerful blast of fire exploded from the tip of his staff. Susurrus did not even acknowledge Gunther, or his magic, even as the flames twisted and morphed into the shape of a monstrous serpent-like dragon. All Susurrus did, even as the fiery dragon collided with him to erupt into a blinding explosion of white light, was mutter incomprehensibly to himself.Sophia and Gunther had to shield their eyes from the light, and Gunther was blown back by the force of the explosion he created. Fortunately Sophia caught the mage with one hand before he could be sent flying back into a tree, saving her friend from the consequences of his eager but hasty actions. Gunther tipped his pointed hat in appreciation, and Sophia smiled back just as the intense light of the explosion gave way to a towering plume of smoke. When that too started to fade, Sophia and Gunther were greeted with a sight that would linger in the back of their minds for the rest of their days.,There, standing calmly in the center of a small circular ditch, was a completely unharmed Susurrus. In fact, even most of the flora around him was unscathed, save for the donut shaped ditch. There wasn’t so much as a scorch mark across the man’s white, owl-like mask or pale red robes. It was like he’d shown up after the explosion and simply stepped into the aftermath. That alone would be alarming enough to Sophia and Gunther, but there was something else that unnerved the pair far more. It was those eyes. Those unblinking eyes that just stared directly at them. White pupils that sat in the center of two dark voids, burning with rage as they remained fixed on Sophia and Gunther. Susurrus did not make a sound. He did not move. He only continued to stare, while the occasional disgusting worm oozed out from his sleeves or from underneath his mask.Neither Sophia nor Gunther could muster the courage to speak, as if doing so would somehow unleash something ungodly horrible upon them. Sophia clutched Gunther protectively in one hand as she started to back away, her hammer and shield held in the other. Slowly at first, but as soon as she reached the box canyon’s exit, Sophia spun around and took off into the forest. Susurrus had still not stopped staring.Sophia did not stop running, not until she left the jungle to be greeted by Goldshores’ high walls. Now, with no immediate threat, Sophia felt the full weight on her injuries and fatigue, and collapsed onto her knees. Her fellow guards atop the battlements were calling out to her, cheering at her return, but Sophia could not hear them as she gently placed Gunther on the ground. “Home… We made it home...” she gasped, now on her hands as well as her knees. “We did” Gunther said as he flopped onto his back, exhausted.“Sophia, you’re hurt” Sigrund’s voice echoed in Sophia’s mind. “Please go and fix up your injuries.”“I’m fine” is what Sophia wanted to say, but the sight of the cuts down scattered across her outfit and flesh stayed her tongue. Instead, she simply nodded and forced herself to stand. “Come on Gunther...” she huffed, scooping up her mage friend in one hand as she stood.The gate was already open for her, so Sophia simply walked back into Goldshores. “Your father is being attended to at the hospital” the familiar voice of Zeig explained from atop the gatehouse. “I didn’t see any major injuries while I took him there, so he should be fine.”Sophia glanced up to her captain and smiled graciously. “Thank you, Captain” she said, resuming her march.Captain Zeig watched his gigantic trainee slowly shrink down to her smallest size of twenty-five feet as she walked into Goldshores, his gaze moving from one injury to another. “She must’ve had a really tough fight” he thought, before smirking. “And yet she made it back in one piece, while also rescuing her father. Impressive.” Zeig then noticed the amused smiles on the faces of all his nearby guards. “What are you all staring at?!” he snapped. “Get back to your posts!”Reaching the hospital less than a minute later, Sophia put Gunther down by the front door before carefully dropping to her knees. Gunther opened the door to enter, only to pause to allow Iris to exit first. “Sophia!” the woman cried out, her mouth opening into an overjoyed smiled.“Mom!” Sophia’s eyes started to fill with tears as she reached out and scooped up her mother, hugging her like she were a beloved doll.Iris spread her arms across her daughter’s torso, the motherly hug still just as warm as it was before Sophia gained her dramatic increase in stature. “I’m so proud of you” she said, tears now pouring from her eyes as well. “And your father is too.”“Dad, is he okay?” Sophia asked. “See for yourself, Sweetie” the gruff voice of Gerald chuckled, and Sophia glanced back to the door to find her father emerging into the sunlight, Gunther standing behind him. “I hear you rescued me. A little embarrassing, a father being saved by his daughter, but-”Gerald was suddenly scooped up into the same hug that had captured his wife, and the Brightforge family shared a wonderful and joyous moment together. Gunther watched, unable to keep himself from smiling at the heartwarming scene.“Are you alright Dad?” Sophia asked.“A little sore, but I’m fine” Gerald assured, grunting a little from the pressure of the loving hug. “Nothing I can’t sleep off.”“Dad...” Sophia sobbed, large tears splashing down upon the heads of her parents. “You saved me.”“How so?” Gerald asked, raising an eyebrow.Sophia tightened her hug for a moment, before gently releasing her parents and letting them slide to the ground. “This” she said, holding up her right forearm to show off the wrist guard Gerald had crafted for her. “I was able to win because of this.” That was when Sophia noticed that her new wrist guard had shrunk to remain fixed to her arm, and she smiled as she admired her newest piece of equipment.“Your father’s armor has proven itself well worth my blessing” Sigrund’s voice echoed in Sophia’s mind. “He’s quite the craftsman.”“He is” Sophia thought.“Sophia!” Iris gasped, startling Sophia back to reality. With a worried look on her face, Iris gently placed a hand upon one of the many gashes given to her daughter by Duskfang. They’d thankfully stopped bleeding at this point, but that didn’t give Iris even a little relief. “You’re hurt.”“It’s not that bad” Sophia assured, though she winced from the pain that flared up every time her wounds were disturbed. “Oww.”“The doctor is looking at you next” Iris insisted, in that tone her family knew would tolerate no argument. Before anyone could suggest otherwise, Iris turned and marched back into the hospital to find a cleric and a physician.Sophia shared a chuckle with her father and Gunther, Sigrund even joining in despite only her guardian being able to hear her. “I’m fine Dad” Sophia said, noticing her father eyeing her wounds. “Really.” “I know” Gerald said, scratching the back of his neck to relieve a biting itch. “But it’s my and your mother’s job to worry about you at all times. Especially now that you put yourself in danger, far more times than I would like, to protect all of us. Every time those alarm bells sound, I fret you’re going to come back badly injured… or worse.” A smile soon returned to Gerald’s face. “But I will admit that when you do inevitably return home, my soul beams with pride. Goldshores has gotten itself one heck of a protector. That fact is undeniable.”“Thanks Dad” Sophia sobbed, quickly scooping her father up into another, far tighter, hug.Gerald ceased his scratching so he could attempt to return his gigantic daughter’s hug with one of his own, his hand moving away from a faint, cross-shaped scar on the back of his neck that wasn’t there this morning.------------------------------------------------------------Meanwhile, Susurrus had finally broken out of his rage-induced trance and returned to the ruined capital of the Hiero Empire. His anger was still present, though it wasn’t directed at the fact that his target had escaped his clutches once again. Because the truth of the matter was that Sigrund and the human girl she used as a shield were still well within his reach, they just didn’t know it yet. No, Susurrus’ anger was directed at the fact that he may be forced to use a more diabolical method to take Sigrund’s powers for his own. But that would only be necessary if he hadn’t taken Sigrund’s powers from Sophia before the goddess’ seal completely faded. Susurrus looked down at his hands, those horrid, shriveled hands, and watched as half a dozen worms slithered across his thin fingers. He thought about what he was. What he had become, and what he had done since. For a single moment, an honest thought forced itself to the brink of his mind.“I hate this.”The weakness lasted only a few seconds, before Susurrus clenched his rotted hands into tight fists, crushing two of the worms into pulp. He steeled himself, and his determination allowed him to suppress any lingering doubts and hesitation. He knew what he needed to achieve his goal, and nothing was going to stop him from getting it. Especially not something as trivial as guilt.