The time had come. Elpenor and the Eye Wardens gathered supplies for their journey to confront the eldritch beast, which had been drawing ever closer to the Villa of the Earth Tonee. The air was thick with anticipation as they made their final preparations.

Before leaving, Elpenor turned to Nidaba, his heart heavy with the weight of what lay ahead. "If I come back, let's get married," he said, his voice filled with a blend of determination and vulnerability.

Nidaba's eyes widened, tears welling up as she nodded, unable to find the words to express her emotions. They shared a brief, tender embrace before Elpenor joined the others, ready to face the beast.

The journey was arduous, the landscape growing more treacherous with each step. The Eye Wardens moved with a sense of purpose, their resolve unwavering despite the looming threat. Elpenor led the way, his mind focused on the task at hand.

As they approached the beast's domain, the air grew colder, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble with each step. The eldritch beast's presence was palpable, a malevolent force that twisted reality itself.

Finally, they reached the spot where the beast had been sighted. To their horror, they saw the eldritch beast attempting to kidnap a Nephilan child from the Sariel tribe. The child's cries echoed through the air, a haunting reminder of the urgency of their mission.

Elpenor's heart raced as he and the Eye Wardens readied their weapons, preparing to confront the monstrous entity. The beast's eyes, swirling with galaxies and madness, locked onto them, and the battle for the Villa's survival began.

Elpenor's breath came in ragged gasps as he faced the eldritch beast. His heart pounded in his chest, but his resolve never wavered. "Remember me, you weakling!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the battlefield. The beast, its pride wounded, roared in fury and lunged at Elpenor, its massive fist hurtling towards him.

Elpenor's instincts kicked in. He channeled his earth magic, raising a solid barrier just in time to block the beast's punch. The force of the blow reverberated through his body, but he stood firm. The three Eye Wardens—Dumuzi, Utu, and Enkidu—rushed to his side, their hands glowing with the power of their spell nulls.

Together, they formed a protective barrier against the lightning strikes that the beast unleashed. The dynamis flowed into Elpenor, renewing his strength. He met the beast's next attack head-on, his sword flashing with a brilliant light.

Ziusudra and the rest of the Eye Wardens, led by the seasoned soldier Lugal, sprinted towards the Nephilan child from the Sariel tribe. The child's frightened cries spurred them on. As they reached the child, Ziusudra quickly issued orders. "Lugal, take half of the Eye Wardens and create an earthen barrier. The rest of you, carry us out of here!"

Lugal and his team moved with practiced efficiency, their hands shaping the earth into a formidable barrier. The other Eye Wardens, including Ereshkigal and Gilgamesh, gently lifted the ground and move it under them.

Ziusudra and his group didn't stop there. With the earthen barrier in place, Lugal and half of the Eye Wardens began escorting the child back to the villa. Meanwhile, Ziusudra led the remaining Wardens back to the fray, ready to support Elpenor and the others.

Elpenor and the Eye Wardens attacked the beast from all angles. Utu's arrows found their mark, while Dumuzi's spells kept the lightning at bay. Elpenor's sword slashed through the air, each strike infused with his earth magic. The beast roared in pain and frustration, its movements growing more erratic.

The tide of the battle began to turn. The eldritch beast, now injured and fearing for its life, unleashed a final, desperate burst of power. The shockwave knocked everyone back, leaving them unable to fight—everyone except Elpenor. He struggled to his feet, a minor headache the only sign of the battle's toll.

The beast, out of dynamis and desperate, charged at Elpenor, its fists flying. Elpenor parried each blow, his mind racing. As he fought, he realized that the beast's metallic skin was part of the earth. He disconnected his sword from the ground and stabbed it into the beast's knuckle, dragging the metal off its body.

The beast howled in agony, trying to wrench itself free. The tug of war between them intensified, and with a final, mighty heave, Elpenor ripped the beast's arm off. The creature's skin became grotesquely disfigured, and it fled in terror, its fear palpable.

Meanwhile, Lugal and the Eye Wardens arrived at the villa with the Nephilan child. The child's arm bore the marks of lightning damage. "Wait here," Lugal instructed the soldiers. He hurried to find Nidaba and Enkidu, hoping they could heal the child's wounds.

As Lugal entered Nidaba's house, a sense of unease settled over him. One of the plants was facing the wrong way—a subtle sign that something was amiss. He hurried to the healing room, only to find Enkidu unconscious and Nidaba nowhere to be seen.

Panic gripped Lugal's heart. He raced back to the soldiers guarding the child, only to find them all knocked out. Two Utu Liluvar soldiers were taking the child. Lugal shouted, drawing their attention. Before he could react, a sharp pain struck the back of his head, and darkness engulfed him.

Elpenor, Ziusudra, and the remaining Eye Wardens returned to the villa, their victory over the beast a bittersweet triumph. They found the other soldiers unconscious, the Nephilan child gone!