The Highest Place Ch 24: The Battle Continues, The One Left Behind! (Patreon)

Laufey gazed upon the diminutive skeletal warrior, a mere speck beneath her colossal 800-foot stature. Despite her immense size, an unsettling chill crept through her as she observed the lich's eerie, greyish glow at her toes.

A fleeting moment of uncertainty crossed her mind—was she truly afraid? Yet, with a defiant smirk, she dismissed the notion. Tensing her muscles, a seismic shockwave rippled through the forest, a prelude to the declaration that thundered forth: "I am Laufey Titanborn."

Lifting her bare sole, she playfully wiggled her toes, causing dirt to rain down. Her smile widened as she brought her foot crashing down with a resounding "BOOM!" The impact sent shockwaves through the land, uprooting trees and tearing open the ground, creating canyons that devoured the landscape in her mighty wake.

Laufey, still reveling in her destructive power, suddenly felt a chill down her colossal spine as a voice pierced through the chaotic aftermath. "DIE, YOU LITTLE MAGGOT!" she roared, only to be met with an ominous response.

"DIE?" echoed a cold voice from behind. Turning her massive head, Laufey was confronted by the floating Lych, its presence just by her face. "I AM DEATH," the dark creature declared, pointing a bony finger at Laufey's massive eyes.

"BOOM!" With a deafening explosion, a pale beam of energy erupted from the creature's appendage, slamming into Laufey's face. Pale streaks of power cascaded down towards the world below, leaving barren and horrid landscapes in their wake—anywhere touched by these streaks met a swift demise.

Laufey fell back with a cry of surprise and pain, landing hard on her back. A tremendous cloud of dust engulfed the area, obscuring her vision. She lay there for a moment, stunned, her ears still ringing from the blast "DAMMIT." She growled, rising to her knees, her head and shoulder blades brushing the trees around her. Her eyes searched frantically for any sign of her foe.

Suddenly, she spotted a movement in the dust. As it cleared, the figure became more visible. It was a tiny woman—but unlike the undead creature that had blasted her moments ago, this being was a living, breathing mortal.

A smirk tugged at the edge of her lips. Laufey slowly rose to her full height, her body towering above the newcomer.

"DIE," Laufey declared, her eyes unyielding as she beheld the small woman dressed in scanty attire, clutching tiny daggers in her hands. It dawned on Laufey that this woman was a companion of her target, Duncan Chulainn.

With a disdainful resolve, Laufey raised her foot, ready to extinguish the insignificant figure beneath her.

"Stop..."

Laufey turned her head upon hearing a miniscule voice that almost sounded like a squeek.

" DUNCAN CHULAINN" she roared, her voice shaking the earth. She had caught the tiny figure in the distance, standing amidst the dust, his body covered with dirt, and his hair tousled from his ordeal.

Duncan stood his ground, his arms spread out, his palms facing the titan before him.

He was unarmed.

***

FLASHBACK

The four adventurers raced through the quaking forest, the cataclysmic battle between the mighty Titan and the Lych above them causing explosions that threatened to knock them off balance.

"We're almost there!" Aric shouted, glancing back at his squad as they followed closely. However, his attention momentarily shifted upward, captivated by the mesmerizing sight of Laufey engaged in combat. Overwhelmed by an unexpected surge of admiration, he marveled at her white skin, beautiful brown hair, and colossal breasts capable of laying waste to half a city.

"How could anyone be so beautiful?" he mused before refocusing on their escape.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

The ground ruptured, creating wide cracks that devoured trees. "Watch out!" Gideon warned as a crevice appeared in front of the group.

"Jump!" Aric commanded, and the adventurers leaped over the expanding gap, bodies propelled against the wild wind before landing safely on the other side.

"Everyone okay?" Aric inquired, scanning his group.

"Help!"

Aric's eyes widened. "Seraphina!" he cried, rushing toward the open crack. Peering down, he saw Seraphina clinging desperately to the edges.

"Grab my hand!" Aric shouted.

Seraphina reached out, her hand just out of reach. "I'm slipping!"

"Hang on!" Aric exclaimed, straining to reach her. "Just a little more!"

"Aric, look out!" Gideon screamed.

Before Aric could react, the ground gave way, and he and Seraphina plunged into the chasm.

Both screamed as they plummeted downward, their cries abruptly halted by a massive hand reaching down, enveloping them in between colossal fingers.

As the adventurers looked up, they beheld a previously unseen giant—a figure with short blond hair standing at an imposing 200 feet. Beatrix.

"I have you," she assured them, gently placing the adventurers on the ground.

"Thank you," Aric expressed, his gaze reflecting concern as he looked up at the towering giant.

"I won't hurt you," Beatrix reassured, bending down with her knees on the ground.

"How can we believe those words?" Gideon questioned, holding his weapon at the ready.

"Enough. We have no time for doubts. We need to leave this forest now," Aric urged.

"Wait, Aric," Seraphina interjected with a worried expression. "I think we're missing someone." After regaining her composure, she scanned the surroundings. "Lyra... I don't see her anywhere."

"What!?" Aric exclaimed. "Lyra!" he shouted, frantically searching the area.

"Shit, I think we might've left her behind," Gideon grimly acknowledged.

"Dammit," Aric muttered, lowering his head. "Okay, you guys get out of here. I'm going back."

"What!?" Gideon protested. "Like hell!"

"Yes, Aric, we're going with you," Seraphina insisted, stepping forward.

Aric gazed at his determined team, no words spoken as he grappled with the decision he knew he had to make.

"No..."

Aric's eyes widened as he turned toward the distant corner where Duncan stood.

"You all need to leave," Duncan declared, his eyes ablaze with more life than ever before. "Leave now."