A Well-Done Execution

The gnolls lurked lazily by the cave mouth as expected. Three archers lingered near the entrance, arrows half‑heartedly nocked, snapping and cackling at one another. One had claimed the high ground—a steep hilltop overlooking the clearing—perched there like a carrion bird, gnawing on something unidentifiable while its ears twitched, alert to every sound below.

Two fighters paced in wide, restless circles near the cave’s shadow, claws scraping over dirt, bone, and fragments of old armor. They moved with the anxious energy of hunters who had not yet sighted prey, but knew they wanted blood. Close to the cave entrance itself loomed the largest of them all—the gnoll boss.

It was a hulking thing, broad‑shouldered and hunched, its crude flail resting against one arm as though it were a natural extension of its body. Its eyes were pale and unfocused, constantly shifting—madness made manifest. Two hyenas prowled near its feet, snapping and tugging at scraps with low, eager growls.

They laughed.

That sharp, hyena cackle echoed across the hills, careless and confident, as though the land itself existed only to feed them.

Even knowing this fight—knowing every placement, every trigger distance, every way it could go wrong—I felt my gut tighten. This encounter was infamously punishing. If the gnolls managed to strike first, if the boss managed to close the distance, things could unravel fast. Raw power meant nothing without speed, and the gnolls had both.

But this time, we weren’t reacting to an ambush.

This time, we were the surprise.

I crouched low behind the rise and studied the terrain one last time: the unwatched slope of the hill, the cliff wall, the open killing ground between us and the cave mouth. I traced angles in my mind—lines of fire, where bodies would fall, where they would burn. The plan unfolded cleanly, almost neatly, each piece clicking into place. When everything aligned, I turned back to the others.

“Alright,” I said quietly. “We split and take positions. No bait. No talking. We hit hard and end it fast.”

They leaned in, focused.

“Shadowheart, you stay here with Lae’zel. In range, with a clear line of sight to the cave. Fireball ready.”

She nodded, already shifting her stance, eyes narrowing as she imagined the spell forming in her hands.

“Lae’zel, you guard her. If anything gets too close, make sure they regret it.”

Lae’zel’s eyes flickered to me—I should be your shield. The thought was clear on her face. Then she lowered her eyes.

“As you command.”

Shadowheart met her gaze, the two sharing a brief nod of mutual understanding before melting back into cover.

“Karlach. Kagha. You're with me.” I gestured toward the hill curving up toward the ledge. “We circle wide and take the high ground. When we reach the top, the scout goes flying.”

Karlach’s grin widened, the infernal glow in her chest flaring brighter at the idea. Kagha’s composed smile curved into something sharper—a knowing, predatory smirk.

“I’ll make sure they’re nice and huddled up,” I said, glancing back toward Shadowheart. “You drop the fireball straight into the center of the pack.”

She inhaled slowly. “They won’t have time to scatter.”

“Karlach, Kagha—once the flames hit, you jump in and tear them apart. Don’t let them regroup.”

Kagha nodded once, eyes sharp with understanding. “I see now—how clever.”

I let my gaze sweep across them all. “We end this before they understand what’s happening.”

Karlach cracked her knuckles. “Music to my ears.”

We moved.

Karlach, Kagha, and I slipped through the brush, circling the hill in silence. The gnolls were too busy cackling and gnawing on bones to notice us. The closer we got, the worse the smell became—rot, old blood, wet fur baked into the earth. Flies buzzed lazily, unbothered by the impending ****.

We scaled the hill and stopped just a few yards from the scout.

I glanced at Karlach.

She nodded once—and slammed her shoulder into the gnoll’s back with explosive ****. The creature shrieked as it was hurled off the edge, crashing down hard into another gnoll below. Bone crunched. Laughter cut off mid‑cackle, replaced by confused snarls and panicked howls.

I stepped into view and raised my hand.

Three Compelling Eldritch Blasts tore free in rapid succession—precise, controlled. Each struck a different gnoll at the rear of the pack and pulled them violently inward, yanking them through the air and slamming them into the center beneath me.

“Now.”

Fire followed.

Shadowheart’s fireball detonated in the middle of the clearing, a roaring bloom of flame that surged upward like an opened furnace. Heat washed over us, searing but manageable, the air warping in front of me—yet my resistance to fire made it feel no worse than opening an oven. Below, fur ignited, flesh blistered, and the gnolls’ screams turned raw and panicked.

The girls leapt into action.

Karlach landed first, axe already swinging. She cleaved through a burning gnoll in two brutal arcs, splitting it before it could even turn. Kagha landed beside her and dashed toward the nearest enemy, rapier flashing in clean, economical thrusts—three quick steps, two lethal strikes, one less gnoll. No wasted motion, her breathing calm amid the flames.

Lae’zel moved the instant the hyenas broke toward the source of the fireball. She became a storm of steel, cutting them down in precise, efficient strikes before either could reach Shadowheart. Limbs fell. The ground darkened beneath them.

The battlefield dissolved into controlled chaos. Everyone moved with purpose, each of us playing our part as bodies piled where they fell.

I locked onto the boss.

It shrugged off the worst of the flames and charged, white eyes blazing as madness sharpened into fury.

I unleashed another volley—three blasts of condensed **** slamming into its chest. On the first, the Spellsparkler discharged in a violent crack of lightning that ripped across its body, arcs dancing over scorched fur. The second and third followed, stacking damage as the staff partially recharged in my grip.

The gnoll roared and surged forward regardless, its mace coming down hard.

Karlach took the blow square in the torso. The impact drove the air from her lungs and sent her skidding backward through scorched earth, boots carving trenches as she fought to stay upright, a sharp hiss of pain escaping her.

Kagha had been moving to press the attack, but the moment Karlach staggered, she pivoted without hesitation and headed straight for her instead, every step deliberate.

I kept the pressure on, sending another trio of blasts from above. Lightning triggered on the second strike, tearing through the gnoll in a violent surge. It howled, blood and sparks flying in equal measure.

Shadowheart finished it.

Her firebolt struck true, burning deep and clean, eating through the last of its strength. The boss collapsed in a smoking heap.

Silence followed—heavy and absolute—broken only by the crackle of dying flame.

A familiar message flickered across my vision.

[Experience gained]

I exhaled slowly, letting the tension bleed away as I surveyed the field. Eight enemies down, and only one solid hit taken among us. A clean execution.

The quiet was broken by Karlach—as it usually was—but this time by a low, irritated snarl. Kagha had already closed the distance and now stood beside her, one hand extended in a calm, unmistakable offer. Karlach eyed it like an insult.

“I don’t need your help,” Karlach muttered, pushing herself halfway upright before wobbling. “And I don’t want it either.”

Kagha’s expression didn’t sour. If anything, her smile softened—fond, almost indulgent. “You're being silly” she said evenly.

Before Karlach could protest again, Kagha caught her wrist and pulled. There was no strain. No pain—just smooth, controlled strength that brought the tiefling fully to her feet.

Karlach blinked, surprised. She glanced down at their joined hands, then back at Kagha, waiting for a grimace that never came. Kagha released her at once, unmarked and unbothered.

She gave Karlach a light, almost affectionate pat on the arm. “There,” she said gently. “Much better.”

Then Kagha turned toward me with a conspiratorial wink and walked away, leaving Karlach staring after her—quiet for once, and visibly unsure what to say next.