The Sanguine and Blackbeard's Cutlass

“This must be the guardian,” you whisper to Jack and William. “Follow my lead.”

You exit your hiding place in the trees and walk down the path towards the creature. Jack and William follow behind a few paces. Jack on the right and William on the left. Although it only takes a matter of seconds, the walk forward seems an eternity. It probably has something to do with the beast waiting at your destination. You arrive right in front of the creature. It’s much larger up close. It stands unmoving, staring at you with its blackened eyes.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” you break the silence.
“Have you now? And what have you heard?” it growls.
“I’ve actually written it all down. Would you like me to read it?” you ask.

Like most powerful creatures, you assume the beast possesses the same vanity. After receiving what sounds like a grunt of approval, you reach into your cloak for the “paper.” Your palm returns holding a hand grenade. With your other hand, you light the fuse and throw it towards the beast’s mouth. Your goal was to land it inside the mouth, but it hits a tooth and explodes in the air.

Using the explosion’s smoke, you dart in between the beast’s legs and cut your sword towards the backside of its legs. William throws a hatchet at the beast’s head while Jack circles around to the outside to scatter potential targets. As Jack circles, the beast’s tail catches him in the chest sending him flying into the nearest pillar. He slams into the stone leaving behind a crack and red stain.

You slice your sword at the scaly hamstring. Your blade bounces off without leaving a mark. Alerted of your presence, the beast stomps its feet in attempt to crush you beneath. You dodge, stutter-start, and evade the stampede of feet. The beast rears its head. Static energy fills the air with a low hum.

“William, watch out!” you scream from under the beast.

A bolt of lightning fires from the beast’s mouth blasting a hole through William. The shock blackens the area surrounding the hole cauterizing fatal blow instantly. Its turns to you now, the same energy filling the air. As great as your dexterity is, it’s not enough to dodge lightning. The blast kills you immediately. You die on the temple’s steps just short of reaching the cutlass. Your quest ends prematurely.
End Of Story