Womping the Willow Man

I could hear Miro in his coyote form snarling away at something. My best guess was either another demon cow or Miro had tracked down that damn lich. Either way, it had overstayed its welcome. So, Rowtag and I slogged on through the fog. Something that was as thick as pea soup and not nearly as tasty.
 
Funny how your mind wanders at the worst times. Right now, mine kept traveling to a couple of places. The first was that I really needed to take up axe throwing and the second was that a few slices of roast turkey on rye bread would taste pretty good right now.
 
Got no more than three steps under me before Yathue appeared next to me. She looked rough and was talking about something but I couldn't hear. I had to lean closer to catch only some of what she said. It was something to do with 'Death', several directions, and something about how she feels. That last one, I didn't need a translation. she looked rough.
 
With some Falain Omat, that Samakarii sign language, and what broken Falain Yathue had taught me, I got across that I'd hang onto her staff and she could rest in her amulet. The last that I'd try and stop or deal with the Death going one... I was hoping that came across, too. But I wasn't too sure about that last one. Though I still had hope.
 
Then the heavens own stampede broke out of the barn and headed my way.
 
Damn.
 
Just when I thought it all couldn't get more weird than that holy snow fall and demon cows...
 
I jumped forward toward Yathue, moving out of the path of the stampede. Which, is vague at best, since a stampede is not from a force of nature. There was also buzzing that sounded like a song. Valkyrie Riding? Damn fog made a mess of everything. It sounded like a bee. Like Wrong Way.
 
The fog was everywhere. So, I ducked to the south behind a burning hay bale. My idea was that moving south would get me behind the stampede, not accidentally in front of it.
 
And I ran right into Farvold Kerner. The Lich.
 
Right there.
 
I may not can understand a lot of Falain, but at that moment I swore I heard Yathue say in my ear, "Get him!"
 
Not that I needed any motivation, mind you.
 
I moved like flowing water. Faster than I remember moving before. Two hits and the lich was laying motionless at my feet. That was when my senses came back and the world stopped being so red. Gulping foggy air, I frowned at the undead body.
 
"I hate liches," was what I said. I meant it, too.
 
But damn if the day wasn't over. There was still some demon cows left. How? I had no idea. But they needed to be taken down, too. It was all that I could think of to push these things back to the Outlands.
 
That was before Jessie, who had transformed himself into a wooly rhino, came barreling through like his own herd of cattle. He hit me head on. Somewhere back behind me, I heard Miro yelp in pain as Jessie slammed into him also. I tossed the lich in Jessie's path, hoping to get the rest of that undead thing pulverized. Less of a body it had the harder time it'll have pulling itself together. Besides, I needed to pull myself together. I hurt.
 
Rubbing my eyes, I looked out. The lich was gone but there was some real angry demon cows still roaming around. Jessie was back in his human form and looked like hell. Miro looked not much better. Somewhere to the north, Yathue claimed someone was dying, or there was Death, or both. I needed to get there and rescue who I could. Maybe... just maybe... kill a demon cow along the way.
 
I got back to my feet then hauled Jessie off the ground. Not a one of us weren't beat to all hells and back but there was more to do. Jessie and Miro argued over that portal gate. I really had no idea how to handle that, but there was people in trouble which meant getting past those cows. I charged forward to get past the next hell cow to get at who was needing help beyond it.
 
Then damn if Jessie didn't transform into a woolly rhino. Again. Only this time he's covered in flaming debris. Ika's damn teeth...
 
I think I screamed a little when Jessie charged up and head bashed that demon cow. Mostly cause I relived getting trampled a moment ago. At least that time Jessie let out that squeeky bleat that woolly rhinos do as a warning, which got me and Rowtag out of the way. Once hit, that demon cow went sailing back into one of the burning hay bales. That was good enough for me, there was someone needing help to the north according to Yathue. Jessie can go stop out the demon cow. Sephia, too, since I just noticed she had flown in.
 
Now, Miro? He ran up and hit me with that healing stick of his somewhere in all that. It helped but I was still hurting pretty bad. Yathue tried once more to race north-northwest to get at whoever is in trouble. She didn't make it far but it gave me an idea where to run. So run I did, avoiding another demon cow along the way.
 
I raced away from the barn until I saw what had Yathue's attention.
 
Bull and Gore Hester, which meant Princess are nearby. I didn't see the others well but I saw Bull.
 
He almost looked dead.
 
Beat to hell and back or not, I forced myself to run faster.