We Are Taking Down the Goddess

Skirmish

A bitter wind swept the prison hall. The flames that rose were now devouring the palace. Loose light illuminated the scorched ground outside, signaling the blaze was too close for comfort. To Aiko and Ren, the unpleasant temperatures felt like being stuck inside an oven set on high heat. Their mouths ran dry. Their eyes felt heavy. Soon, the air will be too difficult to breathe.

-        “Kana!”- Aiko’s heart wavered. She was terrified.

In that moment, she needed the sorceress by her side. They both did. Ren was just as scared as she was. His tiny body took a heavy hit earlier. Letting that heat come any closer would only make things worse. The pup quickly cuddled Aiko and brushed his fur against her cheeks. 

-        “Stand back!”

Kana quickly pushed the two to the farthest corner of the room. She shielded them with her body once again.

Out of nowhere, strong tremors shook the place. A locust swarm was now headed for the sorceress. Aiko and Ren closed their eyes in fear. But, the loud buzzing and powerful quakes never reached them.

Instead, the shaking subsided. Only the loud clangor remained. 

After the young girl finally found the courage to open her eyes, she saw Yakeru and Hagmar at each other’s throat. Staring became their only means of communication.

A dark skull full of bitterness and anger now replaced those eyes that once fell on Kana. The apparition squinted at the red-haired man, bringing forth a massive wave of jealousy. Every bone in his body emanated an intense feeling of disgust. He despised the young man.

Yet, Yakeru was unfazed. His face moved slowly as if he savored the moment. His mysterious orange eyes narrowed. Then, he grinned. The light from the blaze exposed his bare teeth. It was a cheshire grin; the kind that would make anyone’s blood run cold.

Hagmar’s bones felt the chill. As if he was standing barefoot on a block of ice. It was seeping his energy, like a thirsty leech. But, under all that pressure, there was still pride. With unwavering determination, the elf never loosened his pace.

At that very moment, creepy little skeletal hands emerged from inside Hagmar’s astral body. But, before they crawled onto the man’s black shirt, Yakeru swung his scythe and cut the bones in half. The elf staggered. He immediately stepped to the side as he backed up.

Aiko felt her lips stretch wider into a gaping grin. She was impressed. That gigantic scythe looked extremely heavy. There was no way a human would lift it, let alone swing it that quickly. But, Yakeru was agile and swift. He moved with ease. That weapon was a part of his body.

Then, Yakeru disappeared. His body vanished in thin air.

-        “Where did he go?” – uttered Aiko.

The elf remained steadfast in his determination to defeat the young man. After all, everything went according to plan. Yakeru is about to bring down his scythe and try to cleave the bones that bind Hagmar’s soul to this body. But, the moment he stretches those hands, a fragment of his skin will remain wide open. This will be the perfect opportunity for Hagmar to use his ultimate skill.

The elf brought his claws to his own neck and scratched the rough surface, leaving behind deep claw marks. The moment those pointy edges penetrated his body, a strong poison was released into his system. His blood was now soaked in deadly venom, powerful enough to take down anyone in an instant. By injecting himself with this strange corrosive material, his body was now tethered in spectral armor. If anyone were to touch it, they would get infected.

-        “Come little human. Get a taste of your own medicine.” - Hagmar smiled brimming with confidence. “It doesn’t matter what you do. I will take you down with me!”

Then, came a shockwave. It moved across the prison like a massive bolt of energy. With it came a powerful wind. It blew through the prison with immense passion, scattering some of the bricks. By the time the draft died out, the flames were put out. In the end, there wasn’t a loud clash like everyone expected. But, an extinguished dream.

A sudden burst of pain shook Hagmar’s body. The bones around his stomach were split open, his arms lost their strength, and his legs began to tremble. As his breathing quickened, the apparition puked blood, reminding Aiko that he too was once flesh and blood.

-        “But…how?! What…happened?!” – Aiko’s brain stuttered for a moment.

-        “I…saw it!” - Ren mumbled.

-        “Tell me!”

Aiko took a good look at the small beast that stood beside her. She saw it in his eyes. He was mortified. That shock brought a quietness within. For a brief second, no one said a word. Then, the girl turned her attention to Kana. But, the woman never took her eyes off the elf. She locked her gaze forward, making sure he won’t make any sudden movements.

-        “Hagmar made a mistake.” – uttered Ren.

-        “Mistake?” – Aiko wondered.

-        “He amplified his defenses with necromancy magic. But, that young man wields the actual gates of hell. That kind of magic is useless on him.”

-        “What do you mean?”

-        “Do you see that scythe?”

-        “Yes.”

-        “No. Don’t just look at it. Feel its energy.”

-        “What? There is no way I can do that.”

-        “You can, Aiko.” – Kana barged in. “You are an adventurer now. Use your power. It changes your senses. This is the perfect chance for you to gaze into a different world.”

Aiko gulped. She took a good look at the massive weapon. Purple blood was now dripping from its edges. It painted the floor in a dark color, while the poison from Hagmar’s system was burning everything it touched. At a first glance, the weapon seemed menacing. Huge and scary. But, the moment she focused, her perception changed.

Something was happening. Aiko could now see waves. They were clear and vivid. Odd waves of energy illuminated the sharp edges. It turned into a dark pit. The scythe felt like an abyss. An ethereal shadow that doesn’t belong in this world. Its presence was ghastly, hideous even. Then, came the voices. As the girl bent closer to the young man, the muffled voices got clearer. They were obviously coming from the weapon. But, Aiko didn’t want to see anymore. Just being in its presence felt morbid. The girl shook her head and regained her senses. She slapped her cheeks and her vision cleared.

-        “Is that what the elf was up against this entire time?”

-        “Exactly. This human is on a whole new level. That elf doesn’t stand a chance.”

All of a sudden, Yakeru burst out laughing, shattering that tension into a million pieces. He laughed like a drain – loud and annoying. Hagmar just stood there, trying to get a grip. But, the red-haired man wasn’t done yet. He started slapping his thighs, bent the knees, and kept on laughing until tears streamed down his face.

-        “Weak! You are so weak. It’s pathetic!”

-        “Weak!?”- Aiko thought to herself. - “That elf is not weak! He took down Kana faster than I can count. What is this guy trying to do? Piss him off even more?”

Hagmar gritted his teeth. His claws curled tightly around his wound. Aiko could see all that pent-up anger. It was boiling inside. But, before the executioner could make another move, Yakeru smiled and let go of his scythe. The massive weapon fell on the ground with a resounding clang. It was so heavy, it left a dent on the stone floor.

-        “I don’t need this.”

-        “Is he insane?!”- Aiko stared in disbelief.

-        “You think this is funny?!” – the elf raged.

-        “Nah. It’s just a waste of time.” – Yakeru mumbled with a confident smirk.

-        “You worthless sack of meat. I will enjoy skinning you alive.”

-        “Who pissed in your lunch?”

-        “DIE!!!”

-        “Haha! I see the fuck-up fairy is begging for another round.”

The elf snapped. Thinking of the next spell to use or other ways to outsmart his opponent didn’t matter anymore. No magic or power could quench that anger that raged deep inside. In Hagmar’s eyes, there was only a dire need to punch that man who stood right there, beside him.

Hagmar charged with a mighty cry. His claws made a threatening fist. Even his knuckles had a pointy edge.

Not a moment too soon, the elf brought his fist to Yakeru’s face. It was a swift movement, precise and well-planned. Not the random impulsive swipe one might expect. Yet, Yakeru saw right through it. He waited for that attack, and right before the poisonous claws touched his skin, the young man shuffled to the side. The elf too reacted quickly to that sudden movement. He anticipated it and swiveled in the same direction. That’s when Hagmar gave Yakeru a solid kick in the midsection, knocking the wind out of him. The red-haired man didn’t back down, though. Instead, he focused all his strength in his own fists and landed a hit on the elf’s chin, snapping his facial skeleton into a grotesquerie. Hagmar tried to block the next hit with his arms. But, Yakeru’s strike landed with a sickening crunch. The upper and lower limbs literally turned into dust. The red-haired man hadn’t even swung the next punch when he saw the elf quiver. At that moment, Hagmar had unwillingly swallowed his pride, making him seem like an unworthy adversary.

-        “Pathetic!”

Yakeru spit. Then he kept on hitting the elf. One punch after the other, and another, and another. Before he even realized, Yakeru kick-boxed Hagmar out of his astral form. For this was a primitive and bloody battle.

The skeleton was now gone, and in its place stood a vulnerable elf. Hagmar laid on the floor beaten to a pulp.

Meanwhile, Kana sensed something. Something familiar. Her once calm heartbeat that beat like a steady drum was now pounding. The closer it got, the heavier the pressure became, turning her every beat into a turbulent pulse. But, despite the imminent threat approaching, there was a silence to her soul. The uncertainty brought her brain to a standstill. She focused. Her senses were now scanning the place.

-        “Yo! Fuck-fairy. You laid your hands on her. Now, it’s my turn to play.”

His expression went dark. A terrifying grin spread over Yakeru’s face. The white of his eyes turned pitch black. Even his pupils merged with that darkness. At that point, all his intentions laid bare. Whatever torment he planned to inflict on Hagmar, he would have enjoyed every moment of it.

A glisten of cold sweat ran down Hagmar’s face. His brain had completely shut down. Those menacing eyes he was staring into were a living, breathing nightmare.

As Yakeru was just about to take a bite of the elf’s defenseless eye, Kana jumped at him and pushed him to the side. Their bodies slammed against the wall, right next to Aiko and Ren. The two youngsters just stared in disbelief.

-        “What?! What is she doing?!” – the red-haired man thought to himself. “Is she trying to save him?”

Yakeru took a good look at the woman that had her hands wrapped around his stomach. She was clinging tightly, without the intention of letting him go. For some reason, the warmth that emanated from her skin calmed his senses, and the fury he felt evaporated. His eyes regained their former shine. That’s when he decided to confront the woman.

-        “Kana! What do you think you are doing?”

At that exact moment, the ceiling came crashing down, burying the floor where Yakeru used to stand. The prison was now wide open. Bright light ignited the place. It came from the hole in the roof. The massive opening paved the way to a garrison that stood watch over the dungeon. Kana’s actions were clear. She saved him.

Yakeru defeated the executioner. But, another threat laid up ahead. Nora and the Assassin Guild stormed the prison. Accompanied by hundreds of warriors from the elven army. There were so many enemies, it was almost impossible for all of them to fit in such a small space. Aiko, Ren, Yakeru, and Kana were clearly outnumbered. 

The red-haired man whistled. He gently pushed Kana off of him and stretched his hands. Powerful energy emerged from his body and his scythe flew straight into the palm of his hands.

-        “Fine. I see you wanna spice it up a bit, Nora.”

Nora waved her hands around, giving her army the signal to pull Hagmar away. A man nodded, placed the elf over his shoulder, and disappeared into the shadows.

-        “That’s enough, Yakeru. That slave…she is nothing to you. Just hand her over and you and Kana can get back where you left off. It’s as simple as that.”

-        “You see, now we have a problem.” – the young man smiled. “If Kana wants her, so do I.”

-        “But, why?!”

-        “Beats me.” - he shrugged.

-        “If you don’t surrender her, you leave us no choice. Just hand her over.”

-        “Hmm... Nah. I'm good."

-        “By the order of his majesty Prince Folwin Azidora I, Kana Nakamura, you are to be transferred to a secured facility. Arrest her at once!” – one of the elven commanders issued a command.

Nora knew that Yakeru had no intention of backing down. With unwavering determination, she began barking orders.

-        “Squad 1 and 2 move in for extraction. Squad 3, engage. Squad 4 be ready for back up.”

-        “Wanna play? Let’s play!”- Yakeru smiled.