Chapter 11: The brain "Guide, you got your sword?" I asked, glancing at the sheath by his side. Guide nodded, looking forward. "Dryad, you have your bow and arrows?" I asked, looking over at the dryad. She raised a long wooden longbow. I smiled. We were ready. It had seemed like forever, but only three days had passed since the dryad was healed. We had been stocking up on weapons (namely arrows,) and devising a plan. It had become well established that we were going to fight the brain and his minions with explosives and arrows, as we did not want to risk making contact with the abomination. And now, we were in the final stage. "Nice cape you're wearing- where did you get that?" Guide asked, glancing at my new cape- it was a dark blue color, and it was more of a cloak that a cape. I hoped he was trying to brighten our hearts. "Made it," I said drawing my sword. Guide grinned. "Everyone, take a feather fall potion- you will need it!" I said, passing out some small vials of the blue liquid. As we approached the ledge, I fitted my helmet. I had beam wearing mail and leggings wrought from silver I had found deep underground since I came outside. Guide had a copper helm, which I had made for him just a day earlier. Dryad wore no armor, but a light green dress. She usually wore nothing more than some tangled vines- and those were easily infected with crimson, as I pointed out. She had woven herself the dress a few years ago, when she first attempted to learn more about the corruption. With my sword drawn fully, I jumped over the edge. As soon as I hit the bottom, dryad and guide landed next to me. Well, guide landed on top of dryad. Muttering an apology, guide sprang up. The dryad did not. I ran over to her to see what was wrong. The dryad had several large cuts in her dress, all of which were leaking blood. A bed of thorns surrounded her. Crimson bushes. I got a bit closer, waiting through the thorns. They proved no problem for me, as I had leggings of metal. When I finally approached dryad, I decided that the brain really wanted her dead. She was not conscious. I sat her up, and dripped a bit of healing potion down her throat. It was not long before the cuts began to seal up, and the dryad was conscious once more. After a quick thanks, the dryad was back on her feet, careful to avoid small patches of spines that were left. We went a bit further, before venturing to the place where I had my last encounter. The piles of dead crimeria were still there, but flies were buzzing around. The guide looked about ready to throw up. I nudged him, and pointed to the sky. A few thousand crimeria were swarming in, blocking out the sun. Darkness began to spread over the field, as the vast army of infected birds began to form a shape. A very distinct one. A huge heart shape, not like valentines heart, but like a human heart. We waited anxiously, and I readied several grenades. Suddenly, a large circle appeared in the heart. What floated through next would haunt my dreams for years to come. The brain itself, covered in blood of those it forced out of its way. And in the center was a real beating heart, with a huge eye in the middle. Its many eyes floated around it, in a perfect circle. Guide looked away. Dryad shifted uneasily. I threw a grenade. It hit dead on, and blew one of the eyes to bits, then, all heck broke lose. Dryad loosed a strange arrow with a sparkling tip. It shot into the army of crimeria, and all but disappeared. Suddenly, the sky shook with a resounding "BOOM!" The army scattered, and pieces of the army flew everywhere. While dryad prepared to loose another arrow of the kind, I loosed a fire arrow. It pinned one of the eyes, lighting it on fire until all of its moisture was sucked out. Another one of the exploding arrows could be heard, leaving a large crater where the brain used to be. Some of the eyes exploded from the disruption. I began to smile, but the air next to me got colder. And out of nowhere, the brain reappeared. It charged into me, and threw me very far. I hit the ground and slid several feet, before stopping. Whatever he had just hit me with, it hurt. I struggled to get up, and gasped as I noticed that my ankle was broken. I groped for my sword, and was able to grab the handle. I used it as a crutch to get up. My ankle was searing with pain. I forced myself forward, and looked up at the brain. It seemed to be smirking on the inside; waiting for me to come closer. I readied a stick of dynamite. Guide and dryad looked over at me. First at the dynamite I was holding, then at the brain. I lit it, and ran forwards. The brain did not come forwards. I ran towards it. The next of what happened was a blur. The dynamite exploded at my feet. I was sent flying again, and my armor dented in many a place, and I was not sure if it had put a hole through me somewhere. My vision was becoming hazy, and I was bleeding. As I glanced up in my agony, I was just in time to see many of the eyes pieces finish falling to the ground. The brain was crippled badly from what I could tell. The pain of staying upright was almost too much. But I was a hero. The hero. I could not give in. I limped towards the brain, and my vision began to clear a bit. It was rushing towards both guide and dryad, keeping them on their toes. It turned around as I approached it. It could have broken my mental barrier. But I'd didn't. That was its mistake. I lashed out with my sword, over and over. The brain tried to flee, and slammed into guide and dryad. I winced at the sight, but pushed forwards. Then, I noticed a small sparkly object on the ground. One of the exploding arrows. I put it in the bow, and shot at the brain. "CRACK!" The sound hurt my ears. I looked over towards the brain- it was no longer recognizable. It was a mound of writhing pieces. With my last strength, I walked forwards and plunged my sword into the writhing mass. It stopped. I guess I ruptured the heart. But the crimson did not begin to go away. With a final effort, I smiled and toppled onto my side- I could take nothing more.