"There Milord Goblin Slayer! I see the opening to the courtyard!"
Goblin Slayer and his party charged through the streets, all around them the flames flared up creating an image of being trapped in hell. Knights and other adventurers continued their assault against the various monsters, slowly turning the tide against the horde. Rumors could be heard of the King and Hero already vanquishing the massive creatures in other distracts, there was even an exaggeration that they singlehandedly slaughtered over 100 of the creatures.
"Be ready for anything."
The area in front of the courtyard were three of the massive hellhounds, Goblin Slayer, Wolf and Lizard Priest were the first to rush forward to engage the monsters directly. High Elf Archer and Half-Demon Thief were quick to deal with the monsters at a distance with Snow and Dwarf Shaman further back protecting the wagon along with Half-Dragon Mother. Half-Dragon Daughter was told to stay within the wagon to protect the young pups and her three sisters. The fighting was fierce but after several tense minutes the monsters lay dead; the party stood there monetarily trying to catch their breath while scanning the area for any immediate threats but the screams and roars around them made it difficult to determine where the attack would come from.
"I think we're clear for the moment Orcbolg."
"It will be good to catch my breath." Half-Demon Thief sighed as she lowered her daggers yet still kept looking around the area for signs of the monsters. "You'd think after so many times of constant fighting for hours at a time, I'd be used to this."
"We've gone a few goblins quests that also took quite a bit of time, yet it's still hard." Priestess smiled as sympathized with her friend.
"Goblins are at least a little easier to deal with. Those we fought in small waves before crushing a large nest. The siege on the Dwarven Fortress and assault of the Lich Queen's castle, the battle in the Astral Plane, hell even our little excursion against the vampire were all tough, but this…we've been fighting since this morning and here it is now late at night."
"The lass does have a point, it's probably all the adrenaline going through our system that still has us up and around. Once this fight is over, I intend to sleep like the dead." Dwarf Shaman also sighed as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Given how loud you snore dwarf, many of us wish we were dead."
"Bah, the rest of the party hasn't said anything about your snoring because they don't want to hurt your feelings."
"Silly dwarf, as if a high elf would ever snore."
The brief exchange did help lighten the mood but now the party stood side by side as they looked up at the massive tower, this lone structure more than 3,000 feet in the air, every four hundred feet up was a large balcony on either side of the tower. The structure was constructed long ago during the age of the gods from the finest white stone with dozens of windows filled with colorful glass depicting the great victories over the centuries. Now it was but a dull structure, the top of its set ablaze, though they could see it, within the tower the embers carried by the wind were already beginning to ignite the various items housed inside. Nearby was another wide canal entrance which was normally used to transport large good to and from the castle and tower.
"So, this is it. This is where this nightmare ends."
"Only when we've beaten the Necromancer Long-Ears."
Goblin Slayer grunted as he looked up toward the tower and there on the 7th balcony, he saw him; a figure in a black cloak and pale face, though it was too far up to see clearly, he believed he could see the figure smiling back at him.
"There's the bastard right now, just hold still for me and I'll send you to hell." High Elf Archer quickly drew back and arrow and aimed for the Necromancer. The Necromancer calmly looked down at the group of adventurers, delighted that it was Goblin Slayer who had reached him first as predicted, he turned and walked back into the tower.
"Don't disappoint me."
While the adventurers stood before the Tower of Law entrance, several of the Faceless Men gathered nearby, ready to do whatever was necessary to ensure their master would not be disturbed.
"Damn it! Guess we have no choice but to rush in there." High Elf Archer lowered her bow and arrow upon seeing the Necromancer vanish.
"Let's go!"
The party looked to see Goblin Slayer rush ahead already cross over the threshold into the courtyard, it was only a moment of hesitation but it was enough for the Faceless Men to act. They were ready to follow behind him when something caught Half-Demon Thief's attention, it was a small clay far with burning rag within it.
"Move!"
The party quickly dodged away from the entrance as several clay jars shattered along the ground, within them as oil which ignited with the burning rag. A large flame flared up completely covering the entrance with the flames burning nearly as tall as a man.
"Damn it. Hang on Beardcutter we'll get to you soon enough." Dwarf Shaman turned and soon discovered the source of the attack. "We have company."
More than a dozen of the Faceless Men moved out of the shadows, within their hands were curved daggers as they carefully moved closer and closer towards the party.
"You have interfered enough with our master's plans. Though we missed your friend in the armor, he shall soon meet his own end."
"You damn followers, you'll pay for all the harm you've caused these poor people!" The High Elf Archer readied her arrow for the closest Faceless Man. "Your master dies tonight!"
"Heresy! Kill them all! Quickly my brothers and sisters! Down your elixir!"
The party went in to attack, hopeful to kill these Faceless Men before they transformed into their monstrous forms. Cow Girl and Guild Girl heard the shriek of their little sister and turned to see two of the Faceless men rushing towards the carriage. Cow Girl instinctively went for her sling when the Faceless Man suddenly grunted and groaned in pain before falling forward, in his back was Goblin Slayer's sword. Goblin Slayer saw his comrades fight against the Faceless Men though the flames kept him from physically joining them he heard the shriek of his little sister and knew he needed to act as the cloaked figures drew closer. The second Faceless Man growled in frustration that his brother had been killed and rushed toward the body to remove the sword, taking hold of the handle and trying to pull.
"Damn your interference! You shall…what, what is this cold sensation?"
"Only Beloved and his allies may wield me…and you are neither!"
The Faceless Man tried to remove his hands but found they would not budge, even with his gloves on he could feel the cold sensation moving through his arms. His hands were the first to free and little by little the rest of his body followed as did the body of his dead brother. With a final scream, both bodies were frozen over, not merely covered in ice but now turned to ice. Cow Girl, Guild Girl and Half-Dragon Daughter were at a loss for words as they witnessed this display, even after being frozen they could see the ice sculptures already melting with the heat of the area and the warm summer night.
"Beloved!"
The girls snapped back to reality as the sword cried out for Goblin Slayer, now that he had tossed his sword aside he was only left with his mace. Goblin Slayer grunted as an unknown growl drew his attention back to the courtyard; with mace in hand he readied himself for whatever might try to attack him. From behind the tower he could see it, a massive red body like that of the Hellhound but this creature was even bigger and had three grotesque heads, each roaring and growling at him.
"You're in the way. Move or be slain."
Cerberus snarled before charging towards Goblin Slayer, he himself moved to the side then struck at the monster with his mace. The monster snarled, its muscular body absorbed most of the impact and only caused a bit of blood to run down its leg. Goblin Slayer rushed forward to attack again, only to have the head to the left bite down on his mace. The beast gave a quick shake of its head and tore the mace from Goblin Slayer's hand then struck him with its massive claws; Goblin Slayer was easily knocked awake and struck the ground with a hiss of pain. He struggled to get back to his feet, a brief glance down at his chest revealed blood running down his armor from three large mark marks.
"This beast…tore through my chainmail and armor with that strike. I must approach it with cautiously."
Goblin Slayer moved to reach for his sword and mace then remembered both weapons had been lost. The Cerberus tossed aside the mace and snarled as it moved closer toward Goblin Slayer. Goblin Slayer knew he could not fight bare handed, a quick glance around the courtyard showed him the partial devoured remains of other adventurers, he did not have the time to notice that this group had been much like his, but their weapons would serve him now. He reached for the nearby sword and took it in his hands, it was longer than he cared for but would serve its purpose just as well. Cerberus' heads all roared and readied to charge once again but something leapt over the waves of fires and pounced on the back of the giant monster.
"Wolf."
The party managed to kill a few of the Faceless men before they transformed but still have five of the fiendish monsters to deal with. Priestess had used up all her miracles and moved back toward the wagons with the others using her sling where she could to help protect the rest in her party. Though Wolf had been fighting alongside the others but could hear the growls of something through the flames as well as the grunt of the armored human. Even with all the others smells around him, he could detect the scent of blood and the stink of the mutated abomination, he could not sit idly by and would help those in his pack.
Wolf bit into the monster's hide, savagely shaking its head as the beast below him roared and thrashed about. Goblin Slayer charged forward to aid his comrade, picking up his mace to continue his attack. Cerberus turned its claws toward its back and took hold of Wolf, digging its claws into the dire wolf's flesh before tossing it aside. As Wolf was thrown to the ground, Goblin Slayer smashed his mace against one of the heads then followed through with a swipe of his sword. Cerberus snapped its jaws at Goblin Slayer who quickly backed away to stand by Wolf who was now back on his feet.
"Can you still fight?" Goblin Slayer kept his eyes on the monster before them yet could hear Wolf snarling beside him. "Good."
Goblin Slayer and Wolf rushed back to attack the monster who roared as it too charged to meet them. Goblin Slayer and Wolf would attack from either side in hopes of keeping the beast of balance, but it's wide arms and claws made getting closer very dangerous. Goblin Slayer had rushed forward to attack once again when the center head targeted him and spewed forth a quick stream of fire. Goblin Slayer quickly stopped and raised his shield to stop it, the flames struck at him forcing him to take a few steps back. He could feel the metal burning into his flesh, as quick look to his left arm showed him the still melting shield now deformed from the flames. He quickly dropped his sword and tore the shield loose and tossed it aside, then reached for his water pouch and poured the contents over the hot leather. He grunted as the cool water hit the burning leather, the pain still present but now lessened by this action.
"Center head can spew fire, that is troublesome. Need to finish this as quickly as possible." Goblin Slayer looked back to the monster to see it knock Wolf aside as he yelped from the blow. "I only brought one with me, now is as good a time to use it."
Goblin Slayer moved his mace to his right hand, then moved his left hand into his pouch to retrieve his item. In his left hand he held a single grenade, throwing it would not be enough, the creature could dodge the explosion, he needed a more surefire method. Goblin Slayer grunted as he rushed toward the monster, with flames of the nearby fires he ignited the wick atop the clay sphere. The beast swiped its claws at Goblin Slayer cutting through his left shoulder armor, but Goblin Slayer would not be deterred. He swung his mace at the left head, smashing teeth and forcing to howl in pain from the blow, which was just the opportunity Goblin Slayer was looking for. He shoved the grenado into the back of the monster's throat as far as he could, then quickly removed his arm only to wrap both arms around the snout of the left head.
"Going for the center head would have been too big a risk. This will weaken the creature. Hopefully enough to slay it. There is still that other man to deal with."
Cerberus roared as it thrashed about trying to get the human away from its left head, there was something in its throat and he would not release his grip around the snout. The center head lunged and bit down on Goblin Slayer's side while the right head bit down on his leg. Cerberus's teeth clamped down, easily drawing blood, but Goblin Slayer would not release his grip. Suddenly there was a deafening explosion as the left was completely obliterated, blood splattering across Goblin Slayer's armor as the two other heads were forced to release their grip on the human. Goblin Slayer flew backward, his body smashing into the stone wall of the courtyard, pain surged through all of his body, a quick splash of blood flew from within his visor as he slumped to the ground.
"Body…pain…good, that means I'm still alive. Breathing difficult, possible broken ribs from blast…did not account for how powerful explosion would be…even within the monster's mouth. Grenados…not a practical tool for hunting goblins."
Goblin Slayer struggled to pick his head up, as even that simple motion caused his great pain; the Cerberus was still on its feet, injured but alive, which meant he too needed to get back to his feet. The sword and mace were nearby, he would need these if he were to finish off this monster.
"Not…not done yet. Need to…finish it." Goblin Slayer grunted as he moved to get his body back on one knee as he struggled to stand back up.
Wolf's ears were ringing from the blast, though he was not near the monster when it went off, the large dire wolf still whined as it pawed at the side of its head. Wolf finally gave his head a shake and turned its attention towards the large red monster, it was injured as it stumbled on its feet, off to the side he could see the armored human slumped to the ground. Its instincts were telling it to check on the armored human, his packmate, but with the monster now injured it was the best to strike. Wolf charged forward and struck sinking its teeth into the right neck tearing at the exposed muscle and tissue. With the beast disoriented, Wolf used his weight to force the creature to move in the same direction as Wolf pulled. The monster's blood spilled across Wolf's snout, just as he was about to loose his grip Wolf would readjust and bit down again on the monster's throat, making the wound larger and larger with every shake of his head.
The center head of the Cerberus snarled as it saw the dire wolf killing its right head, it suffered several damage from the blast but it could still fight. It readied to attack Wolf when its left leg was struck by something heavy, breaking the bone within. The center head roared and turned to see Goblin Slayer with mace in left hand raised high as he brough it crashing down upon the center head. Goblin Slayer repeated the attack twice more while Wolf continued to tear at the throat of the right head, then the body collapsed to the ground which Goblin Slayer would now use his sword. Cerberus struggled to get back to its feet, when Goblin Slayer slammed his left boot down on its head while hacking away at the neck with the sword in his left hand; it took five strike until Goblin Slayer finally severed the head from the body. Goblin Slayer was panting heavily as he looked down at the severed head, blood spurting from the stump on its neck, then looked toward Wolf who was still tearing at the right head which was already dead from the blood loss.
"Good work." Goblin Slayer reached over to pet the top of Wolf's head which made the dire wolf stop its attack as his happily panted.
Goblin Slayer grunted behind his helmet as he carefully observed the injuries that covered Wolf's body, deep cuts from the claws of the monster but Wolf didn't seem overly bothered by the wounds. He himself was still in pain but there was no time to waste; even though he could not think of how this man could escape this tower but if he took too long, the Necromancer would get away and this problem would begin again. He examined the sword, still usable but hacking through the tough hide of the monster had not done it any favors, he sheathed the sword and mace then made one final inspection of the other weapons in the courtyard. The were daggers, a sounding staff and a broken bow, but none of these would be helpful, he then picked up the dwarven hand ax and tucked it away. There was the rumbling of rocks or boulders, he turned to now see that the entrance to the courtyard had been blocked by debris of one of the nearby buildings, there was no way back for them.
"There is one challenge left for us. Are you ready?" Goblin Slayer looked toward Wolf who wagged his tail and barked back at him, too which he nodded. "Let's go."
Goblin Slayer and Wolf moved toward the massive doorway, Goblin Slayer not wasting any time, kick the door in and examined the area for signs of the monsters, thankfully the main floor was clear. The two weary adventurers soon found the staircase that spiraled around the inside of the tower; with no other choice the two ran towards the stairs and started up, as they got closer towards the seventh balcony level they would increase their speed but for now they needed to regain as much strength before their final encounter.
xxxx
While Goblin Slayer had been battling with Cerberus, the rest of his party had their hands full with the last five transformed Faceless Men. Guild Girl and Cow Girl struggled to get Goblin Slayer's sword free, but it was now stuck between the two frozen bodies.
"Knock the bodies over. They're just ice now. I have to get back to Beloved."
"You may say that, but neither of us are used to desecrating a dead body…even if they are made of ice." Cow Girl grunted as she tried to wrestle the sword free from the ice.
"I think…I think it's loosening! Just a little bit more." Guild Girl joined with Cow Girl as she continued to push the frozen bodies away.
"Foul monstrosities! You shall not keep us from aiding Milord Goblin Slayer!"
The party managed to kill three of the massive monsters before they heard the explosion followed by the bellowing roar of the unseen Cerberus.
"Orcbolg! Are you okay?"
"Watch out Long-Ears!"
High Elf Archer turned back with wide eyes as the monstrous Faceless Man attempted to crush her with its massive fist. High Elf Archer effortlessly dodged the attack as Half-Demon Thief rushed in behind the monster and used her daggers to cut at the tendons along the back of the creature's feet, forcing it to collapse to its knees.
"Stay the hell away from my friend you ugly bastard!"
High Elf Archer unloaded arrow after arrow into the creature's face, watching as they pierced through its skull until it finally dropped dead to the ground. Lizard Priest and Half-Dragon Mother fought against another one of the monsters, with Half-Dragon Mother using her flames and dragon strength to keep the beast from harming her love while Lizard Priest would use his swordclaw to hack at the creature's body. With a final slash of his blade, tore at the monster's throat, it let out a gurgling growl as it thrashed about, blood running down its body. Its thrashing smashed through the nearby building, throwing large chunks of debris near the entrance, before it finally felt into the damaged building. Half-Dragon Daughter used her flame breath to melt the ice surrounding the sword which Cow Girl and Guild Girl were finally able to break free.
"We got the sword loose!"
"And that's the last of those damn Faceless Men." Priestess was happy that this threat had been dealt with and now they could help Goblin Slayer.
"Only how the hell do we get through all this?" Half-Demon Thief sheathed her daggers as she attempted to move the heavy stones that had blocked the entrance to the courtyard. "First fire now rocks…what a pain in the ass."
"Orcbolg you alright? We'll be over there as soon as we can."
They all stood around and waited for a response but there was nothing but the sounds of crackling flames. Half-Dragon Daughter used her wings to fly high enough to look over the edge of the wall and found the courtyard was empty, there was the body of a massive monster, and the doors to the tower were wide open.
"He's gone. I can't see him and Wolf, and the doors to the tower are open!" Half-Dragon Daughter quickly descended back to the ground.
"That damn idiot. Why didn't he just wait for us?" High Elf Archer was both worried and angry slammed her fist into her open palm.
"Fear not Lady Ranger, I shall have these stones moved in a few min…"
The party could hear the screeching of monsters nearby and the sounds were drawing closer to them, Cow Girl and Guild Girl moved the wagon closer toward the courtyard walls while those who could still fight readied themselves for the approaching monsters.
"Damn monsters! We don't have time for this." Half-Demon Thief hissed in frustration then looked up at the tower behind her. "Just hang on Goblin Slayer! We'll get to you once these annoying beasts are dealt with."
xxxx
The Necromancer calmly finished his wine while examining the ancient documents in the room. The top level not only acted as chamber to store ancient relics and manuscripts from a time long ago, but as a worship chamber for the Supreme God as present by the rows of pews. Suddenly he heard the doors to the chamber being kicked open but this merely brought a smile to his face.
"I was beginning to worry that you had been…"
As Necromancer turned to face his guests and object flew forward and struck his right shoulder. Necromancer hissed as he looked toward his right shoulder and saw the hilt of a small dagger present as blood dripped off the blade. The Necromancer quickly raised his right arm just as Goblin Slayer and Wolf charged in to attack him.
"Protection!"
Goblin Slayer struck with his blade only to find an invisible barrier now present between him and the injured Necromancer. Wolf feverishly clawed at the barrier while barking and growling at the man on the other side.
"Impatient, aren't we?" Necromancer grunted as he pulled the dagger out of his shoulder, then let the blade clatter to the floor. "You intended to kill me with that first through yes?"
"I was aiming for your neck before your happened to move."
"Just what I'd expect from you." The Necromancer chuckled as he moved closer towards the adventurer duo. "I am quite glad that I got to meet someone like you…someone like me."
"The Beastmaster said something similar and I tell you the same thing…we are nothing alike."
"Oh I'm sure this Beastmaster meant in skill or background, though I can only speculate since I've never met this man. No I mean, that you and I are similar for a different reason…we do not allow the gods to dictate our futures."
Goblin Slayer was silent, allowing his anger to build until this barrier finally fell; Wolf followed his lead and was calm yet continued to growl at the Necromancer.
"Do you realize how happy I am to see you and your colleagues push my horde back. I had my own theories about how things would go…and they were all proven wrong." The Necromancer chuckled as he eagerly rubbed his hands together. "Now my intellect is given the opportunity to conceive new ideas that will benefit not only me but the entire world."
"You are not helping anyone with your creations." Goblin Slayer clenched his fists as he stood there listening to this man. "I've seen the destruction your goblins have wrought."
"Ah yes, you focus on the goblins as your name would suggest, but they are only a small part of my plan." The Necromancer smiled as he thought about all the wonderful creations he had brought upon the world. "Though it is true I wish to push past the limits of death and make mortals far superior, it was not my only goal, so it is as you referred to in that village…it was bullshit. My goal goes beyond simple experiments, but it is still one that will benefit the world. I gather that some tragic event occurred in your past, one that directly involved the goblins?"
Goblin Slayer said nothing as he looked at the Necromancer, a red light visible within his helmet.
"You don't have to answer, your silence says it all, but it does lead me to suspect something else. The gods above did nothing to help you, no great adventurer came to your village when it was in most need. The gods above, both good and evil, only see us as tokens for their precious game, they don't care what happens to us so long as they have their fun. What this world needs is only one god…me." Necromancer sneered, raising his arms high, looking upward though really looking at the gods above. "So long as people are willing to worship me as their one true god, their God of Resurrection, they need not worry but can live their lives in true harmony. My creations will protect them from harm as they slay all that oppose me. Under my rule, we won't need a Supreme God, Earth Mother, Chaos or any of the others. Even now, they are powerless to stop me, for all I've done they do not take action."
"This barrier will not last forever. It will eventually drop."
Necromancer was slightly stunned by Goblin Slayer's demeanor, even after everything he had said, this man was still determined to kill him. The Necromancer had never met such a stubborn figure before and this brought a smile to his face as he began to laugh.
"As a researcher, I could account for the interference of the King, the Sword Maiden and the Hero's party, in fact I expected it. What I could not predict was an adventurer such as yourself. True the people within the district were obviously motivated by the appearance of the King and Hero, but I'm sure they would not have gotten this far had it not been for you. You are the unknown variable in my experiment, if I'm to be successful in future endeavors, I must remove you from the formula." From within his cloak he retrieved his vial of the red elixir and removed the cork stopper. "I am truly happy to have met you and soon I shall be even happier with your death. Wretched Goblin Slayer, I toast your destruction."
The Necromancer raised the vial to his lips and drank the formula down to the very last drop, almost immediately her drop the vial, the glass breaking around him. He grunted as the formula took effect, his eyes were filled with blood as his pupil warped, taking on the shape of reptilian slits. He gritted his teeth as they began to take on the sharp of crooked, jagged fangs. His body began to grow and expand, tearing through his clothing, the outer parts of his body were now covered in thick red scales while his torso and chest were covered by a thick, boney ribcage. His body was now sexless the only indication that it was still the Necromancer was the black hair atop its head, his hands and feet and tipped with heavy, yellowish claws and from behind his back emerged two massive wings with a black colored membrane between them. The transformation was complete as Protection finally collapsed, the monstrous figure now loomed over Goblin Slayer and Wolf with a sinister grin.
"Now…let us begin your torture." Necromancer roared as he rushed forward to attack the two adventurers.
xxxx
Goblin Slayer's party slowly backed up toward the wagon, the party was exhausted and many were now out of weapons and magic as the horde of monsters drew ever closer. Lizard Priest and Half-Dragon Mother stood ready to defend their daughter and friends when a white werewolf leapt towards the closest Goblin Brute, tearing out its throat with her claws. The party was surprised by the sight then saw Heavy Warrior and his party charge in to help with the monsters attacking. Off to the side there was the shouts from others, Spearman's group, the Hero's party and the Sword Maiden and the King atop the giant alligator stormed in. With everyone now gathered the battle-weary adventurers turned their full attention toward the horde. Working together, they managed to slaughter the last of the monsters plaguing the area near the Tower of Law.
"Boy am I glad you all got here when you did." Dwarf Shaman sighed as wiped his brown with the back of his glove.
"We've come this far together, so it's only right we finish the task." Heavy Warrior smiled as he looked over the group happy to see everyone present.
"And Goblin Slayer? I do not sense him here with you all." Sword Maiden returned her familiar to its home where it could rest and recuperate after all the fighting it had done.
"Goblin Slayer got separated from us, he went on ahead into the tower sometime ago." Priestess frowned as she looked toward the tower with a worried expression.
"Damn it, he did get ahead of me." Spearman then looked toward the pile of debris blocking their way. "Let's get this junk out of the way and get in there, no way he can deal with that bastard all on his own."
No sooner had he said this when there was a terrible crashing sound from above, as rocks could be heard crumbling and wood splintering. The party looked upward to see dust in the air from some sort of explosion, what they did not know was both Wolf and Goblin Slayer had been smashed through the wooden door leading to the large balcony. Then, they watched in horror as the top of the tower caved in on itself raining more debris down around the courtyard, but with the top of the top now toppled down atop itself, there was no way they could reach the top level.
"What the hell was that?" Hero looked upward toward the top of the damaged tower but could still only see smoke.
High Elf archer strained her ears, she could hear groaning from Goblin Slayer and whining from Wolf which told her they were at least alive, but her eyes were wide as she heard a new voice a monstrous roar.
"They're alive but…there's something up there with them!"
Everyone looked and to their horror saw a massive shape silhouetted by the flames, its massive wings spread out as it took to the air, circling the tower as it continued to laugh.
"Gods above…that's the Necromancer! He's taken his own elixir and become that monstrosity and we can't do a damn thing from down here!" Spearman looked on with wide eyes as the red demonic creature prepared to attack and he was not able to aid his colleague.
Everyone down below could feel the frustration as Goblin Slayer and Wolf would be alone in this fight, all they could do was watch from below.
"Supreme God be with you Goblin Slayer." Sword Maiden clutched her hands together around her sword and scales.