In an effort to hold onto his spear, Tzirret was pulled along by its haft before he let go, causing him to be thrown off balance and stumble to the floor, landing on the rotting but mostly flesh-stripped carcass of a bear. He rolled onto his back to see the minotaur thrashing and braying in pain.

Gallus pushed off from the wall once he realised what had happened. Clutching his chest with one hand, he stepped up to his hammer. He stooped to pick up his weapon and started striding slowly towards the minotaur as its energy ebbed. By the time he was within its reach, it hardly had the energy to strike him. It was spurting blood from its mouth at this point.

"Gallus, no!" Tzirret reached with one hand, panicked for Gallus' life. He was convinced that the creature could still do him harm. He frantically tried to stand up.

With surprising ferocity, Gallus whirled his hammer arm up in a circle away from the beast while taking a step forward. As he bent his knee, his hammer whirled around and under, hook first, driving up beneath the front of the minotaur's ribcage. The hook sunk straight into its heart and Gallus let his hammer go so he could shuffle back again. He was well clear by the time the minotaur fell forward, lifeless.

Tzirret was standing now. He was still catching his breath. He stared at the now dead minotaur with wide eyes and perked, alert ears. Seeing La'khay's beast form in the corner of his eyes made him flinch, but he was quickly relieved to see that it was not another threat.

Though he still clutched his chest, Gallus looked to Tzirret with an open-mouthed smile. "Excellent thrust, Tzirret," he said, still a little weak in his voice. He walked around to the minotaur's side, put a boot to its side, and pulled Tzirret's spear free with a mighty heave. Almost half of the entire haft was coated with fresh blood. Gallus took the spear over to Tzirret and held it out to him. "Now you get to be a hero for real," Gallus nodded backwards in the minotaur's direction, "Go and take its horns. You deserve them."

Tzirret didn't take his eyes off the minotaur. Instead of making any movement, his breathing became shaky and the core of his torso began to shudder uncontrollably. He clutched his arms across his stomach and doubled over, baring his teeth and holding his eyes shut. His breath became strained as sobs began to sound from his throat.

Looking more sympathetic, Gallus dropped Tzirret's spear for the moment and stepped up to embrace him with his free arm. "There there, beast slayer. None of us are hurt," Gallus cooed. Tzirret's sobbing increased in volume as he pressed his face into Gallus' shoulder. Gallus just pat him on the back as he let the tension go.

While comforting Tzirret, a high bleat came from the nook where the calf still hid. Gallus looked at La'khay from over Tzirret's shoulder with a worried face. "We ought to dispatch the calf. It will die without its mother and we could use the meat."