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own voice.
     
    “Fools,” the mayor rumbled down at us. He was getting taller now. “To think I allowed you to infect this realm in my absence. Such a mistake will not happen again.” The trees near him shook with the power of his voice and leaves cascaded down like rain. “I will smite you and all others into the Demon Void were your carcasses will fuel the fiery pits of agony.”
     
    Mudhoof laughed. “Laying it on a little thick, aren't you, buddy?” He hefted his uber ax over his shoulder. “I'm not into role-playing, just killing.”
     
    The mutant mayor roared at Mudhoof, “You bovine scum! I shall make steaks from your seared flesh and...”
     
    “That's it!” Mudhoof said and swung his ax straight down into the ground before him. The ground cracked open at the impact and the crack grew out toward the mayor.
     
    In an instant, the crack reached the mayor but not before he punched downward with a huge misshaped fist. A loud boom rumbled, and the world shook. The crevice had stopped expanding and the mutant mayor sneered at Mudhoof.
     
    Mudhoof blinked in surprise. “Oh, wow. That should have knocked him over.”
     
    Feign threw his snowball which struck the mayor and ice quickly formed around his feet. It grew up his legs, crackling loudly, and in a few moments the mutant was encased in ice up to his waist.
     
    The mayor twisted his torso and opened his mouth wide. A thick geyser of blackened vomit shot out like water from a fire hose, straight at Feign.
     
    The ice mage gasped and raised his arms in surprise.
     
    Then, Thorm was standing before the mage a magical barrier forming around them both. The black fluid splashed off the barrier and hissed and bubbled as it slid off.
     
    I stood wide eyed in shock. Things had escalated quickly, and I needed to join the fray. To Mudhoof, I shouted, “Get his attention! Distract him!”
     
    Mudhoof gave me a fearful look. “What? And have him barf all over me with that stuff?” But he was already moving away from me and shouting. “Hey, over here, you puss-bag!”
     
    The mayor reared around, the ice on his legs shattering. He roared at Mudhoof.
     
    Certain it was not looking at me, I stepped back under the shade of the trees and activated my Shadow ability. I shimmered into invisibility.
     
    Quickly, I skirted the edge of the clearing to get behind the mutant mayor.
     
    “I shall pick my teeth with your bones, cow-man,” the mayor shouted, then he inhaled his breath.
     
    Mudhoof stopped moving, finding the air around him being pulled toward the mutant. “What the FILTERED?” He said in alarm. He dug his hooves into the ground, but he continued to be pulled back, forming little trenches beneath him.
     
    The mayor inhaled faster and Mudhoof struggled to not lose his ground.
     
    A glance at Feign and Thorm showed the barrier shielding them was still covered in the black acid. Thorm couldn't deactivate it without getting seriously injured or killed.
     
    As I moved into position, I saw Phlixx race around firing tiny bolts with his little crossbow at the mayor. The mutant didn't even notice as the projectiles bounced harmlessly off him.
     
    Mudhoof was now in full panic mode. The inhaling winds nearly tipping him backward. In desperation, he swung his great ax into the ground again, but this time without invoking its knock-back ability. Instead, it stuck deep into the earth.
     
    Suddenly, Mudhoof lost his footing and his legs shot out from under him. He grasped at the ax's handle in desperation. The minotaur flailed about, the only thing keeping him from being sucked back was his grip on the ax.
     
    “Vee!” Mudhoof cried.
     
    I now stood directly behind the mayor and reached back to my empty quiver. With a single word an arrow appeared within it and I snatched the arrow out. Its feathers were bright red, and the tip glowed with a molten heat.
     
    Mudhoof lost the grip of one hand, and he slid backward down the ax's handle. He was shouting