Forged Destiny [Book 1: Ch. 3]

"We could hit this thing… just couldn't get close enough without being attacked, or dodge the counter-attack.

Which meant we needed to stop it being able to attack us at all.

"Guys!" I shouted, hoping against all hope that they would for some reason trust someone as pathetic as I. "We need to lure it into one of the buildings!"

Pyrrha caught my eye across the battlefield, a quick nod as she rushed over to me.

"I hope you have a plan," Ren said as he did the same, Nora limping after him.

"I hope so too." I whispered, as the Beowolf started to lope towards us. The building was already mostly demolished, but it was one of the few which still had the majority of its thatched roof in place. The rotten door gave way easily as we pushed through, spreading out into the room. "Get somewhere clear of the roof beams," I ordered – and from the look in Ren's eyes he had already figured out my plan. "Nora… I need you ready to knock down one of those support beams."

"Aye aye!" The girl giggled and hefted her hammer, as I staggered over to the second.

"This is a crazy plan," Pyrrha called. I couldn't argue with it. But this was a pretty crazy situation and fighting this thing was going to get some of us hurt, maybe even killed. I blinked as the redhead's hands settled on my shoulders, the girl smiling as she braced against me, lending her strength. "I guess I must be crazy as well," she laughed.

The wooden doorframe smashed inwards, the monster carving out a section of hardened mud and brick as it forced its way in.

"Now!" I yelled, putting all my strength into pushing against the rotten wood. Pyrrha grunted as she threw her back into it as well, and a second later we were rewarded with the telling crack of splintering wood.

"Rargh!" Nora's was a much easier prospect. Her frame didn't so much crack as shatter entirely, her massive war hammer making short work of it. The extra strain that placed on ours finished the job for us, Pyrrha falling atop me as the column gave way and the roof came down. The beast screamed in pain, even as straw and wattle scattered down atop us. Pyrrha rolled over as I scrambled up, Crocea Mors being dragged across the wooden floor. The Beowolf was pinned by two large beams, but even now it seemed to be shifting them aside."

—Forged Destiny [Book 1: Ch. 3]