Grab Lia to pull her free

You immediately drop your {if@ sword = true}sword{elseif mace = true}mace{elseif spear = true}spear{endif} and dash over to where Lia is struggling against the black tentacles. You can see more of them creeping out of the shadows along the walls and ceiling. All of Lia’s frantic resistance has caused the cloak to fall open completely, revealing Lia’s gown underneath, as well as the strip of red cloth from your tunic that you used to dress her wound. With her free hand, Lia scratches, punches, pulls, and otherwise does whatever she can to free her arm from the tentacle. As quick as she allows, you hook your arms under hers and pull back as hard as you can.

One of her legs is able to pull free, but the tentacle immediately retaliates by jabbing you hard in the side. Your grip on Lia slips a little, and the tentacle that is still wrapped around her other ankle moves further up until it’s covering up to the knee.

“Evan!”

“I’m trying my best here!”

The wet slapping sounds don’t stop as you continue to try and pull Lia free from this tentacle monster. A brief warning flashes through your head as you catch tentacles sliding past you on the walls in your peripheral vision, but there’s nothing you can do about it. In another second, you’ve got a tentacle wrapped around your midsection, and you’re being ripped away from Lia. You hear her scream before everything goes white.

Vision comes back to you seconds later, as does the searing pain of being thrown into a wall by a tentacle beast. You are now sitting with your back against the far end of the alcove, several meters of open space between you and the tentacles now suspending your catkin companion in mid air. Her kicking and screaming pumps enough adrenaline into you to ignore your pain and push yourself back to your feet. You take one step, then another, with saving Lia as the only thing going through your mind. Once you’re within reach, a tentacle shoots out of the shadows.

Again you’re grabbed, and this time the tentacle lifts you up and slams you down into the ground. Your head swims from the impact, and the tentacle holds you pinned to the ground. As your vision clears, you look up to see Lia fully restrained, held spread-eagle before the massive red eye.