Freedom to Plummet 2

Unfortunately, the man's rage and speed made him reckless, leaving him wide open for the human boy to strike. With a calm but deadly precision, the boy extended his hand, and a wave of searing fire erupted from his palm. The flames slammed into the thug's face, scorching skin and flesh alike.

"Argggghh!" His agonized shriek pierced the air, a sound so raw it seemed to shake the very ground. He stumbled, clawing at his burning skin, leaping frantically in a desperate attempt to douse the flames now consuming his head and neck. Each motion was jerky, erratic, a horrific dance of agony. Moments later, with a final choking gasp, he collapsed to the ground, his charred remains exuding a sickly, nauseating smell.

The human boy wiped sweat from his brow and cast a look of grim satisfaction at the half-giant girl beside him. "These freaks are weaker than they act." His tone was a cold, lethal whisper. Without hesitation, he reached down and seized the still-warm sword from the smoldering corpse. Then, he took his stance beside the half-giant girl, eyes fixed on the two remaining foes: the captain of the kidnappers and his last subordinate.

The captain's face contorted with rage, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "You filthy pigs! If it weren't for the buyers demanding you alive, I'd have taken you in pieces!" he spat, his voice seething with resentment.

But the human boy's attention shifted, and he took a quick, uneasy glance over his shoulder. What he saw made his blood run cold. Behind them lay a massive crater, a terrifying tear into the earth that seemed to stretch down into endless darkness. Even from where he stood, the depth of the chasm was impossible to gauge.

The captain noticed his hesitation and sneered. "Thinking of running, are you? Don't bother," he mocked, his voice low and venomous. "This is the Crack in the Earth. No civilization for miles. You have nowhere to go—except with us."

The remaining thug stepped forward at his command, but the captives noticed something odd. A faint, sickly odor drifted in, seeping into the air. Instinctively, they raised their hands to their noses, trying to keep out the toxic fumes wafting from the gorge.

"Oh, so you think blocking your noses will save you? Clever," the captain sneered, his eyes gleaming with malice. "But you can't fight and hold your breath forever." His grin widened, a dark satisfaction shining in his gaze as he watched his last thug advance with newfound confidence.

The two exchanged glances, their minds racing.

*'This isn't good,'* the human boy thought, eyes darting around for any sign of their ally. *'That elf better not leave us hanging.'*

The half-giant girl's eyes narrowed as she scanned the shadows, her frustration barely contained. *'If that coward runs away, I'll beat him to a pulp myself if I survive this.'*

The thug, now within striking distance, raised his sword high, aiming a powerful blow at the two captives. The only way to dodge would require them to pull their hands from their noses, leaving them exposed to the noxious gas.

"Elf boy!" the half-giant girl screamed, a desperate edge in her voice.

Suddenly, the battlefield shifted in an instant. The thug's sword hung in the air, motionless. His face twisted in confusion, and then horror, as his body began to split apart. Piece by piece, he crumbled, his body falling to the ground in shredded, bloody chunks. The grotesque sight stunned everyone—the captives, the captain, even the dark gorge behind them seemed to hold its breath.

From the shadows stepped a figure clad in black, an elf whose movements were so silent, so fluid, he seemed to meld with the darkness itself. His hood was drawn low, concealing his face, while his cloak, made from an unidentifiable substance, shifted and pulsed as though it were alive.

The captain took an involuntary step back, his confident sneer vanishing. "What the…? How did you get here so fast?" he stammered, eyes wide with disbelief.

The elf let out a low, menacing chuckle. "Is that fear in your voice?" he taunted. "I haven't even started using my full power."

The captain's face paled, his bravado crumbling as the elf's cold, mocking gaze bore into him. He took another stumbling step back, his fingers twitching toward his sword. But in the blink of an eye, the elf was gone, a dark blur that vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

The captain spun around, his heart pounding in his chest, only to find the elf standing directly in front of him once more.

"What the hell?" The captain's eyes darted back and forth, unable to comprehend the elf's speed. *'He was just there…'* he thought in a panic, sweat trickling down his forehead. Even his last thug had stood no chance.

Desperate to regain control, the captain unsheathed his sword, and with a surge of anger, summoned a wave of fire that crackled along the blade's edge. He raised it high overhead and brought it down with all his might, aiming to cleave the elf in two.

But Aelorin moved with a viper's speed, sidestepping the blow effortlessly. The captain's sword struck the ground, a burst of grit and flame erupting from the impact. The dirt around them smoked, scorched from the force of the attack.

The elf gave a derisive snort. "Impressive mana reserves… wasted on such a fool," he said, his voice dripping with disdain.

Infuriated, the captain lunged forward, smashing his right foot into the ground and launching himself at Aelorin in a deadly diagonal slash. But before the blade could even come close, three thick rods of slime emerged from Aelorin's cloak, intercepting the attack with a powerful clang that sent a shower of sparks into the air.

The captain's face twisted in horror, his tough facade breaking into a grimace of pure terror. "What… what kind of monster are you?"

Aelorin's lips curled in a mocking smile. "Oh, I remember when we first met. You acted like a real final boss. What a disappointment," he sneered, his voice laced with contempt. He raised his finger, and a spear of dark, shimmering energy formed at the tip, aimed directly at the captain's chest.

The captain's eyes went wide as the spear tore through his ribcage with a sickening crunch, ripping into his vital organs. His scream was raw, filled with pure, agonizing terror as blood spurted from his mouth. He dropped his sword, his hands clutching feebly at Aelorin's wrist, his vision beginning to blur.

"Damn… so this… is death…? Ahhh… it's… unbearable…" he rasped, his teeth gritted in a futile attempt to endure the pain tearing through his body.

Aelorin raised an eyebrow, his voice cold and detached. "Is that so? Trust me, being trampled by a trailer is much worse."

The captain's eyes flickered with sudden realization, a final, desperate plan forming in his mind. With a surge of strength, he grabbed Aelorin's arm and yanked him forward, pulling him off balance. Aelorin's foot slipped as he felt the ground disappear beneath him.

*'What the—where's the floor?'* Aelorin's heart skipped a beat as he realized the captain's intention. The bastard had dragged him to the edge of the Crack, intending to send them both plummeting into the abyss.

The captain's mouth twisted into a triumphant sneer, even as blood continued to pour from his chest. "If I'm going to die," he spat, his voice a ragged whisper, "then I'll take you down with me!"

Aelorin's eyes widened in horror as he felt the weightless pull of the descent. His mind raced, desperately seeking any means of escape, but the darkness of the Crack swallowed him, pulling him down into its endless depths.

The half-giant girl and the human boy could only watch, frozen in shock as Aelorin's scream echoed through the gorge, fading into the vast, impenetrable blackness below.