Chapter 83: Mika help
The creature surged forward, sensing their plan. A tendril of water shot out from its body, wrapping around the mare’s back leg.
SPLASH! HISSSS!
The horse screamed as the water around its leg suddenly boiled, scalding flesh straight to the bone. It stumbled, nearly throwing both riders.
"NOW!" Nari shouted.
Seril hauled on the reins, forcing the injured mare into a sharp left turn that brought them parallel to the ravine rather than heading toward it. At the same instant, Nari unleashed her element, commanding the roots beneath the ravine to retract violently.
The effect was immediate and catastrophic. Without the network of roots holding the soil in place, the entire edge of the ravine collapsed inward. Earth, rocks, and trees tumbled into the chasm in a roaring avalanche of debris.
RRRRRUMBLE! CRASH! BOOOOM!
The creature, unable to change direction quickly enough, found itself swept along with the collapsing edge. Its watery form twisted frantically, attempting to flow against the tide of falling earth, but the sheer volume of debris overwhelmed it. Silver hair disappeared beneath tons of soil and shattered trees as the ravine swallowed everything along its edge.
For several moments, the forest echoed with the sounds of falling rocks and settling earth. Then, silence.
"Did we... did we get it?" Seril gasped, bringing the limping mare to a halt.
Nari didn’t answer immediately, her senses stretched to their limit as she searched for any sign of the creature’s elemental signature. The collapsed ravine exuded only the normal energy of disturbed earth and damaged plants—no trace of the water manipulation that had characterized their opponent.