It has been only 2 minutes, but for Sara and Maya, these two minutes have been stretched into an eternity. They have been fighting these creatures non-stop for these two minutes, killing one after another, as if there was no end to them.
Sara casts another Earth Spike. The ground in front of her cracked open, and sharp stones shot upward. One of the creatures stumbled as the spike hit its leg, but it kept moving forward. She pointed her wand at it once again right away.
"Earth Bind!"
The dirt under two more creatures turned soft and grabbed their feet. But that could only hold these creatures for a little while. They struggled and pulled free faster than before.
Her hands shook on the wand. Sweat ran down her face and into her eyes. She had lost count of how many spells she had cast since the big one, as her mana felt very thin now, like it was running out. Every new cast took more effort now. And her arms felt heavy, and her legs wanted to give up.
Still, she stayed on her feet anyway, knowing the evacuees were still behind them on the road. She could hear their footsteps and cries as they ran toward the village walls. So, for her, stopping now was never an option.
Maya, on the other side, fought right in front of her. The hunter moved between the creatures with terrifying speed, slashing with her enchanted knives. Blood covered her arms from several cuts she got. A deep gash on her left leg had made her steps slower, so she activated her strengthening enchantment again, but it did not hide how tired she looked.
With exhaustion and fatigue, her breathing came hard and fast.
When one of the creatures swiped its claw at her, she ducked under it and stabbed it in the side. It screamed and swung back at her. This time, she blocked with her sword, but the force pushed her back a step.
Before she could take a deep breath, another creature tried to go around her toward Sara. Seeing this, Maya kicked it in the knee and forced it back.
"Not today," She growled, and spun and cut across its chest. Dark blood sprayed out from the creature, indicating how deeply corrupted these creatures had become.
Sara watched her for a second while she prepared the next bind of spells. From what she saw till now, she could guess that Maya was not a soldier trained for long fights like this. She was probably a hunter who just protected her tribe. So, of course, battling with creatures from a great dungeon was taking a great toll on her body and stamina.
Even Sara herself had spent most of her time in the village handling council work and trade for the past couple of years.
So, that basically meant neither of them had faced monsters this strong before in all their lives. Sara had some experience battling monsters captured by the academy, for training students like her. But that was way different from this.
These creatures felt different. They did not tire easily. They did not fear pain. They just kept coming, wave after wave.
Sara cast another spike. It hit one creature in the shoulder. The monster slowed but did not stop. But with this spell, she suddenly felt her vision blur for a moment. She blinked hard and kept going. The moment she stopped could potentially mean she would already be dead.
Even though Sara and Maya were giving their all, the worst part of this was that they were not even trying to win this fight. They only needed to buy a little more time so the last groups of people behind them could reach the walls.
Suddenly, a creature broke past Maya's left side. It rushed straight at Sara. She raised her wand fast. "Earth Wall!" A small barrier of dirt rose in front of her. The creature slammed into it, but still broke through.
But the delay gave Maya enough time to jump back in. She stabbed it from behind and pulled it away.
"Hff…Hfff… Than…ks," Sara said, breathing hard.
"Don't thank me yet. There are too many." Maya replied while taking her knife back from a dead creature's neck. Her voice sounded rough from exhaustion.
The two women came close, staying side by side now. Maya took the hits and kept the creatures busy. Sara controlled the ground and slowed them down. Every time one got too close, they covered for each other.
However, whatever tactics they used, the monsters kept pushing, as their numbers were huge.
Cuts appeared on Maya's arms and legs. Even Sara's spells came slower now, even though she was casting at the same speed as before.
It was clear that both of them were at their last stand now.
And just as they were losing their edge, one creature suddenly slipped past Maya's guard. It grabbed her left arm with its claws. The sharp points dug deep into her arm.
Maya gasped in pain. The creature pulled hard and dragged her forward, making her lose her balance and fall to one knee.
Sara was busy with two other creatures a few feet away. She did not see it happen. She was casting another bind and tried to turn, but more monsters moved in front of her, blocking her view.
Maya tried to pull her arm free, but the claws held tight. Blood ran down her arm. The creature opened its beak and moved closer to finish her.
For a second, everything slowed down. Maya looked at the monster, then at the knife in her right hand. Her face hardened instantly with realisation.
Suddenly, she flipped the knife around, pointing it toward her own chest. Her thoughts were now: if she had to go, she would do it on her own terms, not letting the thing tear her apart.
So, she raised the knife to end her life before the creature could.
But just as she was about to drive the knife into her own chest, a long spear flew through the air from behind them. It punched straight through the creature's body with a heavy swish.
The monster's grip on Maya was still on, but it jerked once and went still.
Then all of a sudden, its claws released Maya's arm, and it fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Maya stared at the spear shaft still quivering in the creature's body. She looked down at her own bleeding arm, then turned her head slowly, trying to look where the spear came from.
Drosha ran toward them from the road. The tall Fiora tribe member held another spear ready in her hand. And just behind her, more tribe members were also following close behind, their weapons drawn.
Seeing the scene, Maya finally realised that they were saved, as the Reinforcements had finally arrived.
The whole Fiora tribe had come to her rescue.