“Just leave one to us.” said Eorin.
Scarlett teleported right away and by her sword stabbed Gargantua deep in the shoulder. The giant screamed, waving its mace and destroyed everything to chase her. Rey forced to duck and crept to evade with rubbles showered at him. Eorin on the other side have succeeded to burn the rage of the giant by her flame. The Gargantua goes berserk with its axe and chased them both.
There’s only Marius and Blitzberg left on that hall. They stood still and facing each other without care of what happened around them.
“Long time no see Marius. I see you still wearing a cheap sword.”
“And you still wear that rusty screwdriver.”
***
Scarlett moved like a ghost, vanished and appeared to and fro, wounding Gargantua here and there. Faced opponent like her the giant just swung the spiked mace aimlessly and spinning to nowhere. On the other side Rey just could stand still and clutching his sword, he doesn’t know what to do to fight against the monster which beyond his imagination and strength. He had just learned to use a sword and Sphere even to approach them was impossible for him, let alone fight like Scarlett. With a big mace swinging blindly like that, drew closer will be like drew himself into death.
“Looks like I’m attack for nothing.” Scarlett stood behind him in sudden and grasp for breath. While the giant still there swung the weapon recklessly without knew that Scarlett wasn’t there anymore. It seemed all her attack had no effect against the size of Gargantua though the sword on her hand was covered with the black blood of the giant, thick and dirty like the blood of damned creature from underworld. “The body was too big for my sword.”
“You need one big blow of your sword to defeat something like that.” said Rey.
“That’s it, Rey use your Gremlin on my blade. Use it up into max.” said Scarlett, as she handed her sword to him.
“But your sword will turn into pieces like the one I had before.”
“Relax, Enigma wasn’t ordinary sword. She had endured against steel and magic all this time.” said Scarlett took a knife and brandished it. “Charge it up as much as you could, I buy you some time.”
Once again she ran and teleported to fight against the Gargantua.
***
Aska and Eorin ran upstairs. The shadows lied beneath them and the silence fell above them but the giant was no longer behind to chase them, no shape or sound of heavy tramp after them as if they had escaped from it.
After took many stairs they’ve found themselves on the ruined garden at the top. Many trees grew big there but they were leafless and it seemed had not lived for many seasons, even one has cloven by lightning. No grass or greenery but abandoned barrens and in the middle of garden a fountain was built, cracked and waterless, covered by bleak moss. Above them was a dome of black sky, stars crowded sparkling in their silver light and the moons shining bright with the pale light gleamed on the ruined garden. Down there they could see marshes stretched in stillness bordered by gloomy forest. Everything calm and quiet over there, both of them feel glad but at the same time worried.
Suddenly an axe rose before them, swung and cloven to hook followed by the knotted hand grabbed the edge. Soon a huge shadow jump over and landed with heavy stomp behind them. The shadow rising tall under the moonlight with a red eye stared at them. The Gargantua roared, swung the axe and parted them.
“Have no brains?! He have axe to kill us.” said Aska.
Then he sprang and turned into big wolf at once to attack the giant. He bites the giant on the shoulder but once he did that the foul taste of black blood and rotten flesh filled his mouth, and so he let off his bite right away and spew whatever in his mouth now – never he felt an awful taste on the mouth like that.
Suddenly a big hand swung and grabbed him on the neck. The giant slammed him on the ground and broke a fountain with him to at last display him on leafless tree. The giant raised the axe, ready to kill him like a woodcutter will slay a wild dog. But then from behind, a blazing little beast leaping high and once it hit the giant it burst into wild flame burn on the shoulder. The giant roared and turned to Eorin right away.
Even with the flame blazed on the shoulder, the giant stood firm looked at her as if the flame doesn’t hurt it at all. Then the giant ran to her and so the flame swept on their own, but suddenly another beast attacked from behind. The claws gripped on the chest and shoulder but no more bites, for he doesn’t want that foul taste ever came again to his mouth. Quickly the giant caught him and roughly pull him away without even care about scratched or torn. The giant now choked the big wolf, raised him and the axe to kill, but again a little red beast leaping high on it to the flame burst on its mask. The giant threw Aska off and getting away with head burnt.
Aska turned to his human form while holding pain, “Do we defeat it?”
“I don’t think so. It’ll only get mad after this.” said Eorin. “Nothing we can do to defeat such thing.”
“No, there’s one way.” said Aska look so serious and he stared at Eorin. “There’s one shape left.”
“Don’t ever think to use that. You have not mastered ‘it’ perfectly.”
“That's why I must use it. My consciousness made me couldn’t use Animorph Sphere optimally. Less strength and slower, even the real Amarok much stronger and wilder than the shape of my wolf.” said Aska. “To fight the monster we must become a monster.”
Eorin slaps him on the face. “Don’t think like that. You know what will happen to you if you force to use that? You couldn’t return to human again, you will lose yourself, wandering with no soul as a beast.” said Eorin. Shortly after she felt strange, for she was no longer see faint glimmer reflected on her friend’s eyes.
“Watch out!” cried Eorin.
Suddenly a great blow of axe fell from above and broke the ground into a hole with the cries of the young girl.
“Eorin!” shouted Aska.
In the shadows the giant stood with the axe rested on the ground. The flame flickers no more on its head but partly the flame have consumed the mask, showing the skinless head around the eye. Aska looked for Eorin but he found no sign of her except a scepter lied on the ground. The giant walked over to him and dragged the big axe, its red eye stared at the boy with hostility as if it doesn’t looked him as a little human but a beast to fought and killed.
No fear was on him anymore when the giant drew closer instead a great rage rose on him, yet it was not strong feeling of anger or any human emotion, rather it was like something wild inside him trying to take his insanity. And without he knew one of his Spheres was glowing.
All of sudden a hand grabbed the scepter and from the hole Eorin climbed up. Then, as she came out of the hole she found the giant have slapped Aska to the boy hit the tree. So hard it was that Eorin could hear the sound of cracked wood.
“Aska!” cried Eorin.
Aska rose immediately shortly after. For a while Eorin look happy to found him all right, but suddenly a dreadful feeling fell upon her as she heard strange laughter came of him.
***
There was twang and clapping sounds. They fought not only by clashing the steel but also forks of blue flash sprang out of their hand, leaped wildly all over the place, tore the wood and shattered the stone. And after many strokes and magic at last they paused and stood by. Marius took breath as much as he could while Blitzberg stood steady and easily hold the sword with three fingers as if the fight doesn’t wearying him.
Two battles they both had in the past and survived. Both were equal in the sword art and they used the same element of magic, whenever they met the forks of blue lightning always around them. But day and night Marius had dealt with two great foes. He was exhausted and wounded, and now he was forced to face the greatest among them.
Suddenly Blitzberg sprang forward and do powerful thrust. His curved sword had hold off the attack but then a blue light came from his right aimed at his body. Marius swiftly holds the wrist and so the li
ghtning sprang out and stroke wildly at the roof. But soon, even he had held the steel and evaded the magic he was repelled by some forceful kick. And without waiting a breath Blitzberg sprang forward again and attack him.
***
“Is this enough?!” shouted Rey as he shows the sword, the light of the destructive magic has completely wrapped on its blade.
Scarlett got distracted by his shout and so the giant fist got her to crush the wall.
“Scar… !” shouted Rey, so surprised and frightened he was till he couldn’t finished a word.
The giant grinning with nasty teeth clenched hard on the lipless mouth. But strange, as the giant pull out his hand from cracked wall, no one was there.
“Don’t call me that, I hate it,” said Scarlett, who had stood behind him.
“You’re alive.” said Rey looks happy.
“Of course I am. Escape from the death was my skill. But that was almost.” said Scarlett. “Now give me…, watch out!”
Scarlett shoved Rey strongly to fell backward and at once a spiked-mace slammed between them. Rey shocked and frightened as he saw the big mace close before him while Scarlett got scratched on her arm and had her gauntlet broke till all her Spheres scattered on the floor.
Immediately the giant swept and grab her. She tried to get away but he had no weapon to even scratch the big hand and with Silverhare Sphere no longer on her possession she couldn’t escape anymore. The giant raised her with other hand clenched ready to kill.
Rey give a great shout, with all effort and strength he had, and Sneakers game on his mind he throw the luminous sword on his hand. It flying up and spinning with high speed and at once, as the luminous sword touched the giant on its back, the light turned into a great blast.
No scream or cries came out of the giant and suddenly it fell with Scarlett still in the big hand. Quickly Scarlett jumped out of the knotted hand and took her sword to stance. But the giant doesn’t move at all, only lidless eye open still.
“Are you all right?” asked Rey.
“I’m okay. Thank you.” said Scarlett, as she lowering her sword.
A moment later, as they felt safe, Scarlett collecting her Spheres while Rey looked at the fallen giant, so big and awful, and the smell of rotten flesh came out from the blast wound. His curiosity drew him closer and as he bent down to touch the mask, suddenly the lidless eye turned on him. Rey was shocked and frightened, he ran backward immediately as the giant rose up unsteadily with painful roar.
“What kind of hell created them?” said Scarlett looked at the giant with dread.
“Did my strike failed?”
“The one you did on the Grove was much more powerful than this.” said Scarlett, she then glanced at Rey with strange look. “How could you have more desire to kill me than this ugly giant?”
“I've never had a problem with women if that's what you mean.” replied him. “What should we do now?”
Chapter 24
Dragon of the Mountain
Aska screamed wildly and trembled, his hand tightly griping the walls and scratching the floor till hurting his own fingers as though the young man doesn’t care about himself.
“Aska stop It! Stop it right now!” cried Eorin.
But Eorin’s cries was fainted in his ears and soon disappeared like faded dream. Thereupon another shape presents on his mind, something wilder and powerful. The shape grasped him and brought him away into the place beyond darkness and loneliness till there’s nothing left of him but his living body.
Felt that her friend be gone from himself, Eorin tried to save Aska. With all will and power she have left, she casted a tremendous magic of ice and sealed him inside huge ice crystal. For a moment everything seemed fine but she forgot that the real threat still nearby. And now the huge shadow came behind her with the axe raised. The axe swung and clove the stone floor. Eorin managed to leap and evade at the last moment, but she hit the wall to fell. And hadn’t yet she breath for relieved the Gargantua stood tall before him, raising the big axe to kill.
Suddenly the giant halted its axe when hearing a sudden roar came out of the crystal. Then the red eye fixed on the ice, it was glimmering under the moon but the shadow grew inside and cracking the ice. A deep silence fell upon them, as if waiting something.
Suddenly a huge beast breaks out of the ice. Fell Drake the wingless dragon, the dwellers of the misty mountains stretched in the north of Azgalor where the sky always gray and the sun only a golden haze within the woods. It was brawny and fierce, hard and rough scales covered almost all the body, long tail dangling like a whip and sharp curved claws as it could capable to tore a steel armor. And like a beast that had been just awakened from the slumber it gave long roar into the night.
The dragon beast stared to both the abominable giant and the little girl, no friend or foe in that yellow serpent eyes but prey. Soon it ran wildly to them. The giant cleaved the axe to crack the floor but the dragon swiftly evades and leaped to attack the giant from behind.
Innumerable sharp teeth bite the Gargantua from shoulder to neck and the claws sticking deep to slung on the giant. Painfully the giant cast loose the ax to grab the beast on its back and even banging against the walls to get rid of it. But all the efforts seemed in vain, for the dragon was too tough and wild, instead his sharp curved claws thrust deeper as it could be elongated.
Gargantua was roaring in pain but the dragon beast didn’t stop its ferocity. The dragon bites, tore and ripped the rotten flesh of Gargantua to at last the giant fell with torn body and black blood spilled filling the fountain ruin.
Like the beast had conquered his opponent, the Fell Drakes standing proud over fallen Gargantua. Then under the moons the dragon beast roared in triumph and beyond the night it echoed.
***
“Give me your Gremlin!” cried Scarlett, “Now!”
Without further ado Rey handed his Gremlin Sphere to Scarlett. “What will you do?”
“Just stay close to me!” told Scarlett.
Then she casts countless points of light upon the dimness, it was the magic of light like she was casted before but there’s something different on it. Calmness and peace of soft blue light he felt no more, for the scattering little flares which floating around them has a golden glare, amazing but somehow frightening.
The giant rise up and shouted angrily. But with one point of her finger Scarlett commanded the lights and brought them flying around the giant like swarm of fireflies. The lights bring much annoyance to the giant, seemingly, so the Gargantua swung a hand to sweep it.
The light, as it swept out by the giant it burst and turned into chain explosion in the air. The castle was like shaken with growling sound like thunder across the black marshes. Everything there was destroyed, the old wall turned into ruins and the pillars razed into rubbles. For a moment there’s a silence, only the sound of falling and scattered rubbles heard there, smoke and dust clouding the whole place. Then as the winds swept it there stood Rey and Scarlett inside the blue dome which protected them.
“What was that?” asked Rey.
“Magic fusion, combine the ability of Firefly and Gremlin Sphere then you will get self-destruct fairies.” said Scarlett. “Let’s catch up our friend shall we! They might need our help now.”
“Sure!” said Rey.
Both of them went away. As he running Rey looked back, the giant lied still buried by rubbles and seems this time it will not awaken anymore.
***
A small knife stabbed Marius on his waist. It was secret knife which hidden in the hilt on purpose to steal an attack and stab enemies when two blade crossed each other. Common technique used by an assassin like Blitzberg and Marius was quite off guard till he fell on that trick. The knife in his waist injured him seriously to make his movement jumbled. Now he tends to defend himself rather than to think about how to bring down the enemy.
With one strong blow Blitzberg breaks Marius’s sword followed by lightning stroke out of his han
d till he repelled to the end of balcony. Marius defeated. He sat sprawled and wounded. He spit a blood from his mouth and the wound at his waist get worse.
Blitzberg walk over to him and pick up his sword that has been broken. “Still the same Marius, always used cheap sword.” Blitzberg mocked, as he threw it behind.
Marius leaned himself on the baluster gasping for breath, his eyes looks jaded and resigned, even to stare at Blitzberg who already stood before him. It seemed that he wasn’t able to fight anymore. However the light of the Sphere in his hand remains glowing. Wonder what kind of magic he will cast at the end of his life.
On the other side Blitzberg smiled arrogantly, for the victory seems sure for him. “What will you do now Marius? Stun me with little electricity? So pathetic of you.” said Blitzberg.
***
“Aska! Aska! Wake up!” Eorin tried to call her friend, but how much she called him Aska made no answer but cold thrum of the dragon beast. It seemed her friend was already lost and fell under the beast before her.
“Aska!” She called him again but once again her sounds couldn’t get into his friend, instead it just invited the beast to kill.
The mountain dragon ran to her. With one sway of her scepter she creates a thick ice to shield herself. But the Fell Drake was so fierce and mighty, one pounce of the beast and the ice shield was blown to pieces to her fell, and before she could get up the dragon has stood nearby with fierce grin as if ready to tear up her tiny body.
The dragon beast leap to pounce her, but suddenly, out of nowhere a blue transparent dome protected her from the beast. The dragon attacked again and again but the energy shield was imperishable, always recovered each time the dragon tore it.
Amidst his fears about the beast before her she felt a bit relieved and happy, for now she looked at both of her friend behind the dragon. Scarlett stood and held in her hand was the strange knives of Marius while Rey kneeling beside her with stone blade plugged in the stone floor. The stone blade she had wonder on it, for she didn’t saw it before this on him, moreover he stabbed it to the ground for something he didn’t understand. But one Sphere which lit up on his arm he could guess that because it was the one which protected her now.