[Vol.3] Ch.8 Mercy Killing (Patreon)

As I follow the sounds of the eagle in the night, I check my status.

<EPIC LESSER EARTH DEMON>
Level: 86
HP: 2335/2597
MP: 982/1229
Traits: Mana Affinity, Earth Manipulation, Improved Dexterity
Magic: Improved Stone Shaping, Tectonic Sense, Improved Earth Spike

I'm still injured a little from the minor burns from cauterizing Zaka's wounds, and also likely from the steam cannon blast that temporarily deafened me.  Plus I'm missing some mana still from when I activated the steam cannon, and from making the mortar and pestle while treating Zaka.  I'm definitely not in perfect condition, but I'm also not particularly injured.  I'm heading into this battle with the intent to kill this eagle, but failing that, I hope that in its injured state, I can at least run away.

As I get closer to the eagle, the sounds it is making are getting so loud that I can barely focus.  I'm not losing any HP to the volume, but I'm starting to hear ringing in my ears when the eagle isn't screeching.  Not long after having this issue, I arrive at the location of the eagle.

The moon is bright within the sky giving me a decent view of the whole scene.  The eagle is lying on the ground surrounded by broken branches both large and small.  The nearby trees clearly took quite a hit as the eagle fell through them.  The eagle itself has multiple injuries across its body.  Its breast, which normally appears to be white with small black triangles appears stained a blood red.  The source of the blood is clearly multiple large holes peppered across its chest.  One of the eagle's wings appears relatively fine, while its other wing is bent unnaturally, and is missing many feathers.

I'm still a good twenty yards away from the eagle, but even from here, I can see just how large it is.  The trees here stand between sixty and one hundred feet tall, and the eagle on the ground is about ten feet tall.  If it was standing up, I'd bet that it would easily stand at thirty feet from head to toe.  As I try to sneak closer, the eagle tilts its head towards me, and after a few seconds, it forcibly stands up, revealing that the talon that held Zaka is badly damaged.  Despite the injury, it forces itself up to face me.

I stay stationary, unsure as to what the eagle might do.  I get into a low position, ready to move at a moments notice.  With a single beat of its uninjured wing, the eagle sends a massive blast of air in my direction.  I notice a second too late that this isn't a normal wingbeat though.  The trees between the eagle and I groan and debris flies both into and past me as I'm suddenly thrown backwards.  I drop my spear as I tumble on the ground a few times.

I check my hp and see I'm at 2044.  No matter how many times I see new magic, I'm always caught off guard.  One of these days, it very well might get me killed, in fact, I imagine if that eagle had both wings working I very well might have died just now.  I get back to my feet, thankful for my scaly back.  Only my front side has lacerations from all the branches and twigs that flew past me.

That wind blast is going to be a big issue for me.  In order to deal with the eagle, I need to get close to it, and get it closer to the ground.  There is no way spear wounds are going to be enough, so I'll have to use my improved earth spike.  I think what I'll need to do is get in close enough to spike the eagle's good talon, so it falls to the ground, and I can finish it off.  I'll only get one shot at spiking the talon, since I'll need a second use of earth spike to attempt to kill the eagle.

The first issue is getting to within ten feet of the eagle.  It stands at almost three times that height, which means getting in close is going to be very difficult, however, I do have one advantage.  We're in a forest, and there are trees all around.  If the eagle had both wings functioning, it probably could uproot the trees with a wind blast, but since it can't, I think I'll need to literally hug the trees as I approach, and attempt to hold out through wind blasts until I can dash in to smash the eagle's good talon.

With a battle plan set out, I begin dashing towards the eagle.  It sees me dashing towards it, and brings its wing up to perform another blast.  I dive towards the largest nearby tree, and hold on behind it as a massive blast of air pressure and debris flies past me and I hear the tree groan.  Just as soon as the wind blast passes by, I begin dashing towards the eagle again.  It lets out a deafening screech, making my ears ring.  If I hadn't been temporarily deafened earlier, this might have distracted me enough for it to send me flying with another wind blast, but thankfully, I focus up enough to hold on to another tree as the massive eagle's wing beats for a second time in the last few seconds.

I've closed about half the gap between the eagle and myself now.  I continue my dash towards it, and it sends another wind blast at me.  Only one or two more of those blasts and I'll be within range now.  I weave between the trees towards the giant eagle, its imposing figure taking up more and more of my field of view.  I'm almost there now.

I dive behind a tree as another wind blast flies my way.  As I've gotten closer, the air pressure is getting even stronger from those blasts.  The eagle screeches again just after the wind blast.  I go to start running again, but as I do, I'm caught off guard.  The eagle had been a good twenty five feet or so away when I dove behind the tree, but as I came back out from behind it, the eagle had closed the gap considerably, and was leaning forward to strike me with its beak as I came out from behind the tree.

My legs strain as I reverse my direction and dive back behind the tree.  Where I was a moment ago, the eagle's beak snaps shut, and within a blink of my eyes, it has retracted from where my body was.  If I had reacted faster, I might have been able to earth spike its head at that moment, but I had expected it to stay still with one of its legs already damaged.

Before I could run out from the tree again, the eagle blasts the area with wind again.  I'm wondering if it has me trapped, rather than the other way around right now.  I'm certain if I dive out to run again, it'll attempt to bite me with its massive beak.  I peak around the corner, and as I do, its head comes down again, and this time, I'm forced to dive back around the tree and into the open.  I scramble to my feet, and move behind a new tree nearby.

If this keeps up, I'm a goner.  I get a flash of inspiration though.  If this eagle has predatory instincts like animals from earth, then I might be able to pump fake it.  If I flash my tail out from one side of the tree before sprinting around the other side, I might be able to dash towards the eagle in the brief moments between the wing blasts and pecks.  The issue with that is I can't test it.  I have to commit.  If I test it once, the eagle might catch on, and it'll predict that I do it again.

Another blast of wind flies past the tree.  It's now or never.  I flash my tail out one side of the tree, and a half second later begin dashing around the other side, and towards the eagle.  I can see confusion in the eagle's eyes as it's body is already moving towards where my tail was, but instead, I'm now more than five feet away from there.  The eagle attempts to adjust for my change in position as I continue to dash towards it.  Luckily for me, it attempts to move its injured wing as part of this maneuver, and instead of properly adjusting, it lets out a deafening screech, and retracts its head backwards.

I finally get within ten feet of the good talon, and cast improved earth spike.  Three large spikes of stone come out of the ground at different angles, and pierce the eagle's good talon.  It attempts to move the talon back due to the sudden pain, only for the earth spikes to tear through its flesh, and the eagle stumbles and falls onto its back.  While on its back, it screeches again, and sends a wind blast harmlessly upwards.  A few seconds later, leaves and twigs rain down in the area.

The eagle is clearly struggling to move properly now as I begin to run around it, attempting to get to its head.  It continues to dangerously flail on the ground, so I move outward to keep myself safe from any sudden unexpected movements.  It's a good thing I did too, because moments later, the eagle rolls onto its broken wing.  It lets out another deafening screech, and throws out a wind blast away from me, sending its entire body rolling towards me.  This thing really won't give up.

Thankfully, I was far enough away now that I could get behind a tree as the eagle's body broke a nearby tree and sent even more debris flying.  Now however, the eagle's head is within range.  It opens its mouth to let out another deafening screech, but never makes this final sound.

Three earth spikes pierce through it's skull and neck, and instantly, its body goes limp.  It's beak is left ajar, and it's eyes remain focused on the spot where I am standing.

I let out a sigh of relief, and slump down behind the tree to catch my breath.  The whole battle only took a few minutes at most, but it felt like hours passed.  The eagle is dead.  I'm exhausted.

I get up from behind the tree after a few minutes, and double check that the eagle is dead.  After I'm sure, I go up to it and pluck a few massive wing feathers from its dirtied, but intact wing.  Each feather is taller than I am.  I'd love to sit and inspect the eagle more thoroughly, but I think Zaka is more important right now, and it's night time anyway, so I begin the trip back to the cave.