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This will be a hard fight, but Jack is one of the finest swordsmen alive.

With a fierce cry, he dives forward, feinting at the last second with his blade. The Naga falls for his feint and her fangs snap on air. Frustrated, she hisses and turns to snap at him again, only to find the nimble warrior at her shoulder, staying atop her powerful coils and inside the turn of her head where she cannot bite him. The Rune Sword bites deeply into her neck, and she howls in pain.

The Naga abandons her efforts to bite and slaps at him with her tail instead. Jack drops, rolls, and barely ducks a stunning blow. While he is occupied, she takes advantage of his distraction to spit venom at him. He dodges just in time to avoid a face full of venom and comes up swinging, scoring a lucky, glancing blow on the side of her head. The blow stuns her just long enough for Jack to drive the point of the Rune Sword home, deep into her neck. The thrust punctures one of her venom glands – he can see the sickly iridescent fluid bubbling from the wound. He hastily wipes the blade on one of her coils and dances away as she thrashes out her death throes. In moments, the Naga is dead, and the way is clear!

Turn to 24.