Phase Four (All According to Plan)

Fuu quickly made her way toward the cave entrance after splitting ways with Becky. They hadn't seen the chieftain pass by, so he was likely still inside.

After glancing around to make sure she was alone, Fuu began to mutter an incantation, words of sanctified protection wrapped around her, reinforcing her simple clothes to make them much more durable to attacks. Words of fleeting wrath sharpened the blade of her naginata, wrapping the already fine steel in holy magic more potent than the sharpest blade. She channeled a final bit of divine magic into a pendant she wore around her neck, storing the energy just in case she needed it. Fuu wrapped up with a prayer of thanks to the Wandering BookKeeper before making her way into the cave, her now-glowing weapon and armor lighting the way.

Fuu knew she would have to hurry. Her prayers were important, but they took time-- time that Liv and Emmaline might not have. Still, she wanted to fight the Chieftain on her own terms, bring him out into the open where she could user her mobility to out distance him. Of course, such a tactic would take time.

Fuu was interrupted from her thoughts by an echoing roar of pure ferocity, as the Gnoll Chieftain stepped out from behind a corner, swinging his ax in a mighty horizontal swing toward Fuu's stomach.

Luckily, the nimble woman managed to throw herself to her knees, sliding under the weapon before it could cut her in two. She jumped up to her feet, whipping up her naginata in a defensive stance.

"You are far more intelligent than I had expected. I will not make that mistake again," Fuu said. The Chieftain responded by roaring unintelligibly and rushing directly at her.

Trapped in the enclosed space of the cave, Fuu had nowhere to dodge or skip around him, and if she fell back he would simply barrel over her. Fuu quickly realized she only had one choice.

She reached up to clasp her pendant, letting the energy fill her form, then stepped forward toward the chieftain, but also... beyond. For the slightest moment, Fuu's form left the physical world, walking through astral space that wasn't really there to begin with. She stepped quickly and blindly, so that the light of that other world wouldn't blind her, and in a moment, she was back in the cave.

The Chieftain looked around confused, as Fuu had completely vanished, only to reappear several meters behind him an instant later. With a focused smile, she dashed forward, slashing her blade in a long strike up the Chieftain's back before dancing away to run toward the cave entrance.

Enraged, the Chieftain gave chase, and as soon as she felt the outside sunlight warming her skin, Fuu knew she had won. Here in open ground, the large clumsy Gnoll stood no chance.

From there, Fuu wore him down like clockwork, stepping forward only just far enough to land a quick jab with the tip of her bladed staff before dancing easily out of the Chieftain's reach, catching him with quick slashes and dancing past when her tried to rush her down.

Before long, the Chieftain was covered in bleeding cuts. He fell to the ground, exhausted, his ax already useless by his side as Fuu stepped forward and swiftly delivered the finishing blow.