You quickly intuit Jagged Edge's strategy. If the merchants remain in the wagons, they'll be sitting ducks. Of course, outside the wagons isn't much better but it is something. At least this way they will be able to fan out if necessary, and make it possible to save some of them. For a moment you almost decide to rush the Greatspider, but discard that thought for the insanity that is. You don't particularly want to die.
No, you can't think of anything better in the moment. So you decide to do as Jagged Edge says. You herd the merchants out of the wagons, and start moving them towards the tree line. It's not as if they are any safer there, but it'll give you time to kill the Spinewolves. You draw your swords, and you prepare to fight.
Staying close to the merchants isn't necessarily the best idea. Jagged Edge is clearly aiming to take down as many Spinewolves as he can, to make this combat easier for you. He is running almost full speed away from the Greatspider, swinging his halberd and discarding Spinewolves apart he does so.
Still, the beasts are moving towards you a great speed. The first one rushes you, but you are not quite the callow mage you were before. You swing your swords bringing you a little closer to the creature than it had anticipated, and a second swing carves through it, the impossible sharpness of your blade neatly taking its head off.
You hear a scream and turn. One of the merchants has had his arm torn off, a Spinewolf chewing at the remainder of the shoulder. You start to move to help, but see another Spinewolf moving towards another merchant. The calculus of combat runs through your head. The first merchant is dead. His arm is gone, and the poison in his system will kill him quickly. You have to save the second one.
You rush toward the second Spinewolf, and it turns, and kicks you, foot slamming you into the ground. You swing your sword up desperately, but before it can even begin to bite, a reckless swing of the halberd takes it apart. You stand up again, rush towards the first man, and slice the Spinewolf devouring him into pieces. The creatures are more dangerous than when you faced them previously, but so are you.
Another Spinewolf moves towards the merchants, but you swing your swords and step through distance faster than it can move. It does not quite anticipate your uncanny movement, and while it turns to stop you, it is not quite in time and your swords find another victim.
Another two Spinewolves fall, one entangled in the body of another merchant. Another stroke of the halberd from afar, and the final Spinewolf falls. Two merchants dead, but you are now ready to turn your attention to the Greatspider.
Jagged Edge looks at you. You are by now only ten or also metres apart, and the Greatspider is closing quickly.
"Distract it. Go amongst its legs, and move around it. Do not get close to its jaws. It will regenerate virtually any wound you give it, and you're not fast enough to wound it properly and avoid its retribution. I will hack at the creatures legs. Once it is down, I'll kill it from afar."
You nod, and rush the creature. You run around its legs, using your magic to make yourself hard to hit it and hard to predict. The Greatspider seems less interested in you, but is unable to move quickly towards Jagged Edge as it tries to avoid allowing your blade within reach of its legs. In the meantime, he is hacking furiously away with his halberd, and one leg cracks, splinters, and finally comes off.
The creature redoubles its efforts towards him, and he swings with wild abandon, smashing blow after invisible blow into another leg. Finally it falls, but it closes rapidly on him. Just as you think it will reach him, he swings his halberd and leaps 15 feet in the air, reaching out to cut something intangible. The Greatspider slows down, almost as though it is moving through molasses rather than air.
He dances in close, and with swift strikes cut off another two legs. Then one more. The Greatspider slumps to the ground, legs already regenerating, stumps growing visibly. Within perhaps three or four minutes, it will be entirely whole once more.
"Don't get close. They are just as dangerous even when immobilised."
Jagged Edge swings his halberd again, and moves with amazing speed around to the back of the creature, avoiding its mouth entirely. He swing the halberd down, stabbing repeatedly into what must be its brain.
"That will slow its regeneration down for now."
He looks around.
"We are certainly in no shape to burn it, and and I do not wish to take the time required to kill it. When dying they have a distressing tendency to spit venom, and it is invariably fatal. The blood from the main body is poisonous as well, and if they are close enough to death they seem to be able to direct the gouts of blood. We are lucky it has not begun to do so yet, but I am in no mood to tempt luck."
He takes a deep breath, and begin swinging his halberd once more. Cut after cut after cut goes into the creature, leaving it looking like nothing more than minced meat with a few remaining legs splayed out from it. It is cut into quarters, and yet the pieces are stretching out towards one another, aching to be complete once more
"It finds damage to the main body harder to regenerate. This one won't be up for another few days. Unless we find the correct spot to cut in the correct way, this one won't be dying, and we are not risking our lives staying here. Let's get back to the wagons."
You nod numbly, not any mood to argue. The two of you move alongside the wagons, and the merchants leave the corpses of the friends behind. The remainder of your journey is fairly uneventful, soon you come to see the walls of Everett. Madalgia is a different city, walls of stone and earth. Everett is surrounded by what looks like a great hedge, thriving with vines, birds, and fruits all around it. A great moat surrounds the hedge, razor-sharp ice sparkling inside the moat.
Jagged Edge breathe out heavily, as though he had been holding his breath the last few days.
"We are here. Take an hour or two, Swallow. Meet up with me at the entryway of the city at dusk, we'll go to our lodgings from there."
He tosses you a small coin purse. You open it, and are surprised to find it filled to the brim with gold coins.
"You impressed me earlier. It looks like you took that lesson to heart. Perhaps you'll survive. Anyway, Everett is not like Madalgia. People move through the city freely, and you are welcome wherever you choose to go. There are a few places you might want to consider though..."
[ ] Visit the Alchemists (Shopping Miniturn)
Go visit the Alchemists! You could buy a useful concoction! Even trade favours using your magical contract book for a really useful concoction. You have enough gold for something minor if that's what you want, though.
[ ] Visit the Runesmiths
You can't use what they have, but you can observe it. The Runesmiths can replicate all sorts of magical effects, so they might be worth observing, as you'd potentially gain a broader understanding of magic as a whole.
[ ] Visit the Vineweavers
Plant-wizards are interesting. Plant-wizards that feed the population and defend the city? Moreso. You feel you could learn a lot from them, and potentially trade for some interesting fruits or seeds. Not to mention that Everett lacks Madalgia's chaos and poverty - are the Vineweavers responsible?
[ ] VIsit the Combat Triad
Coldhands, Watersingers, and Stormchasers. All gathered in one guild to use their powers in unison to defend Everett in combat. So different from Madalgia's fractured structure. Why not visit them and learn more?
