Continue onwards.

Before you know it, you're over halfway there. In every direction, it's nothing but plains and distant hills. The forest hasn't come into view quite yet, and you figure it'll be another day of travel, so there's no reason to stop now. You and Amara press forwards. The faster you get there, the faster you'll be able to take down Sa'dis and this quest will be complete.

Amara places her hand on your arm and squeezes. Both of you stop. She peers around as if looking for something, and then her worried eyes turn to you. "I can... hear something," she whispers. "A rumbling. It's distant and I can't tell where it's coming from."

You perk up your ears and try to hear it as well. "I don't--Wait. I think I hear something."

"I feel something." She peers down. "Is it beneath us?"

"It's getting louder!"

You draw your sword and look around frantically. It sounds like an earthquake, and it begins to feel like one as well. The ground vibrates as the rumbling sound becomes incredibly loud. Then, your heart skips as the soil in front of you both erupts like volcano. A cloud of dust fills the area, and dirt flies every which way. You and Amara manage to keep your footing, but a horrifying, giant creature has opened the gates of battle with an explosive entrance. The dust clears enough for you to notice it isn't alone either.

One eight-foot-tall, burly insectoid creature with skin like muddy copper stands there with a bone-chilling hiss. It has four arms, each with gauntlet-like fists. Its back shines--carapace like a beetle shell. It has two long antennae and sharp mandibles ready to pinch. Though given its size, it would do more than that. It could cut a head clean off. There are two others half its size standing nearby that otherwise look identical.

"Iron roaches!" Amara yells.

The two of you quickly maneuver backwards and grant yourselves some distance.

"What's an iron roach?" you ask.

"Aggressive, hard-shelled creatures that burrow tunnels underground and surface to devour large prey. The women are the largest of them and gather a harem of men to do her bidding. That is about all I know."

"Guess we're fighting." Your grip on your sword tightens.

Amara gasps. "There are more..." she whispers.

"Damn it! We need to act fast then. Stay behind me at all times, all right, Amara?"

Both of the smaller creatures bolt forwards with impressive speed. You move to the side and dodge the swinging punch of the first creature, all while Amara does her best to shadow you from behind and avoid the attack as well. She's careful not to stray too far, just in case the two of you are flanked. As you pass the second roach, you slice clean across its stomach. The flesh is hard, though not enough to stop your attack. It hisses and collapses to its knees.

This clears a pass straight to their leader. You pounce and slice with your sword, but it turns around, and your blow is deflected by her hardy shell. It's like landing a blow on solid steel.

The wounded creature doesn't stop. It leaps at you yet again, but you drive the tip of your blade straight through its stomach, and you toss the limp body aside. The other comes quickly after. Without enough time to react, it lands a heavy punch right into your solar plexus, immediately expelling the wind from your lungs. It swings a second blow and you feel a sharp pain up your arm. However, you grip your sword in both hands, and swing a diagonal cut from its legs to its neck. It collapses to the ground with a long, whimpering hiss.

"Do not worry," Amara says from behind. "Minor Heal."

You feel a soothing warmth wash over your body as much of the pain subsides, though you don't have the time to think about your injuries, nor does your rushing adrenaline allow you to.

Two more male iron roaches burst up from the ground behind you. At the same time, their queen turns and screeches out--towering over you with a horrifying visage.

Amara presses her back up against yours. "We are a team, yes?"

"Of course we are," you respond. "I could go for its stomach, or..."

"Gale!" From her hands, a burst of magical energy sends both newcomers tumbling away.

You glance down at your sword. It's starting to glow. Though after hearing Amara's spell, you leap and swing your sword. The creature turns yet again, like a knight raising its shield. You land and pirouette, and while you do, you slide your hand along the blade of your weapon. It shines even brighter--the spell overpowering the normal pink hue your sword emits. Lighting up from horny people? In a fight like this, I'd rather it light up for this reason instead!

It's an immediate counter attack. "Flare Blade!" you shout, and slice with all of your might. Despite the creature's hardy shell's metal-like durability, you carve through it, scorching a gash all the way across straight into its body.

The iron roach screeches in pain. It turns around--body smoking--but you're distracted by yet more rumbling.

Both roaches Amara knocked away are making their way back over, but three more now emerge in the area around you. These five male iron roaches seem to have responded to their princess in pain. Not only that, but they look enraged. There's no hesitation. All of them sprint at you with fire burning in their eyes.

One lands a blow on your side. Amara cries out in pain, and you turn to see she's been hit as well. Then again. You look back, but you should have been keeping your eyes on the fight, as another smashes your hip. With your weapon aflame, you manage to carve down two in a frantic flurry of blows, but then you look up at a shadow encroaching. The largest of them lands a punch directly to your shoulder, sending you flying backwards. Your sword drops to the grass, scorching the area around it before the spell fades into a plume of smoke.

"Kyle!" Amara cries. She takes a deep breath--colour is forming on her cheeks. With one hand sliding down between her legs, she takes a self-conscious inhale one more time before beginning another spell. The air picks up around her, and with one huge swing of her staff she shouts, "Gale!"

The poor girl whimpers as the continued use of her spells assaults her most erogenous zone. That's three spells already and in such a short period of time. It's better than she used to be, though she's still struggling to keep a level-head with the sensation tingling her body. Immediately after, she lowers herself over you and lays a hand to your shoulder. With another deep breath she shouts, "Major H--... Major Heal!"

You look up to her pursed lips--clearly struggling to hold something back. Though, you're able to pull yourself up off the ground thanks to her. The two of you stand, though you can tell she's struggling to do so even more than you are, and you lift your sword as you do.

No time to think. "Flare Bolt!" You thrust out your weapon towards the largest one. The blade lights up as it did before, but this time, a bullet of flames roars out towards the face of the creature. It engulfs its head, causing it to stumble backwards in pain.

Another of the smaller ones leaps at you from behind, but you're ready. The largest is distracted, and now you can clean up the fodder. You impale one, and then a second, as you dance through the small army of insects. There's only one male roach remaining, and it looks pissed. With no fear at all, it lunges at you with its arms up ready to clobber.