by V. A. Lewis
Luckily for him, a glowing whip of energy intercepted the attack, wrapping around Lilith’s spear. Ginah yanked her whip back, trying to pull her weapon away from her. Lilith tsked and pulled back harder, causing the pirate Captain to stumble. But before she could do anything else, Kai shot her once again before she was swarmed by Jack and a dozen other pirates.
But even outnumbered, the Saintess cut through the pirates with ease. They were supposedly the best fighters in Luke, and yet they were being cut down like flies. Jack staggered back away from the fighting, a bloodied wound on his chest as Ginah’s whip grabbed hold of Lilith’s legs. She nearly tripped, but caught herself before my Frost Javelins smashed into her back forcing her to fall face first onto the ground.
The problem with having negated Lilith’s miracles meant that I was also severely impeded. My array of spells to cast was severely reduced, but with all the water vapor in the air, it also meant I could cast Frost Javelins much easier than on land. And considering that was one of the stronger spells I knew, it actually proved to be a boon to me. Still, we were losing. So I turned to my Dwarven companion and spoke hurriedly to him.
"What’s taking so long? Why isn’t your Annihilator cannon working?!"
That was supposed to be our secret weapon in this battle; the moment Lilith tried to attack us instead of cooperating, he was supposed to blast her off the ship. But evidently, it did not happen.
Instead, Gennady was looking over the weapon confused. He took out the Greater mana crystal and placed it back inside, before smacking it a few times. However, when he pointed it at the downed Saintess, nothing came out of it.
"I… don’t know!"
"You said it would work now that you’ve got a Greater mana crystal!" I shouted, exasperated.
"It’s supposed to work! I don’t know why it’s—"
He didn’t get to finish his sentence. While we were arguing, Lilith had gotten up and was knocked back down by Kai— and some of the mana crystals adorned on her clothes cracked. The aura around her fizzled for a moment, its radiant glow suddenly becoming less vibrant and more transparent.
She must have noticed this, because when she got back up, she was livid. I felt a strong build up of mana inside of her, and my eyes widened.
"Look out—"
My body moved by instinct; the dangerous feeling forcing me to act before I could think. I brought my hand forward as Ginah and the other pirates heard my warning and backed away from Lilith. Perhaps if I didn’t act, they’d have been killed in an instant. But what I did was not enough.
Dispel Magic. Somehow, the spell worked on her. For just a moment, I felt a band of resistance coming from her as I held the miracle back from being unleashed onto the ship. But Lilith was strong. She broke through my spell, releasing a burst of flames all around her.
It was like when she sunk The Lightbringers Vessel, but weaker. She must have held back knowing she’d sink the ship. She wanted to simply repulse the pirates from swarming her— and it worked.
Ginah managed to get away from the blast just in time, but Kai wasn’t so lucky. Half of his body suffered severe burns from the attack, forcing him to drop his gun as he writhed in pain. Other pirates were hit by the attack, and many of them were dead or dying on the ground between me and Lilith.
The Saintess looked at me with eyes full of anger and fury. More glowing lines spread throughout her body, but this time they didn’t concentrate into a single attack. She took a step forward, and I blinked.
She had been fast before. Quick on her feet— able to cover distances very quickly. But I could at least see some movement. Now, I didn’t even notice when she reached me. It was instantaneous.
Lilith swung the butt of her spear at me and Gennady. The Dwarf managed to brace for it and was knocked to the ground. I wasn’t prepared for it and all and went flying a dozen feet through the air, before landing on the bulwark of the ship with a thud.
I picked myself up in a daze, trying to regain my bearings. But Saintess Lilith was once again above me in an instant. She stared down at me with a tiny red glow in her malachite green eyes. Her entire body pulsed with energy, radiating so much excess mana off it. She didn’t seem to notice as she brought a foot down on my hand, stopping me from reaching for my staff. I grimaced in pain.
"I didn’t want to hurt you, but you leave me no choice. Now, all your friends will die. Now you have no choice but to suffer as I kill them all—"
Dispel Magic. For a very brief moment, the aura around Lilith flickered. I interrupted the flow of mana in her protective mana crystals just long enough for me to bring my dagger down onto her leg. She screamed in pain as she released me.
The Saintess stomped on her foot like had stepped on some hot coal, shouting curses as she did. I didn’t have time to think. I saw Gennady’s Annihilation cannon lying on the ground just ahead of me. That was the only thing we could use to defeat her.
I leapt for it, and Lilith’s head snapped towards me. She swore as she reached for me. "You’re not going—"
She was faster than me, of course. She’d have reached me if not for Braz who rushed the Saintess. He didn’t even bring a weapon with him. Instead, he tackled her and wrestled her with his bare hands, holding her back for just the moment I needed.
By the time I even came into contact with the weapon, Lilith had already kicked him away after pulling her spear off of him. She turned to face me just in time to see me aiming it at her.
"Wha—"
The Greater mana crystal shattered.
I used all of my strength to shove all the mana inside of the weapon at once. I didn’t know if it was going to work, but I had to try. Gennady had said that he rigged all his weapons so you could destabilize a mana crystal and it wouldn’t blow up in your face… most of the time. And the weapon wasn’t working anyways. So I pushed all of the mana out of the crystal, and somehow, it worked.
A blinding beam of dark energy came out, larger than the barrel of the gun that held it.
The black streak of light seemed to absorb the light from its surroundings, yet it had an ethereal white glow surrounding it at all times. It emitted no sound, a deadly silent laser that shot out with almost no warning. It engulfed the Saintess before she could even react, blasting her against the bulwark, annihilating the wood of the ship as though it were nothing, before cutting across the ocean water without leaving a single splash in the wave.
A blood curdling scream came from Lilith as the Annihilation spell-turned-weapon blasted her further and further away from the ship, until I couldn’t hear her screams anymore. And still, the laser continued pouring out of the cannon. For a minute. Then two.
And finally, after five minutes passed of me holding the weapon up and pointing it away from the ship, the beam slowly dissipated. The black laser disappeared.
I ran up to the edge of the ship, casting my gaze at the empty waters. And the clear ocean showing no signs of life. Saintess Lilith was gone. She was swept away by the blast, brought into oblivion.
Gennady limped up from behind me, rubbing at his arm. It was broken. The Saintess didn’t hold back from hurting anyone except for me. And even then I was pretty sure I had broken a few ribs and sprained my wrist from the fight.
But still, we had won.
I breathed in relief knowing that we had come out victorious.
The Dwarf peeked his head over the edge of the ship, investigating the watery terrain with me. "Well, you blasted her to Hell, didn’t ya?"
I didn’t say anything. I simply nodded.
"Right," he said, glancing at the broken mana crystal in his weapon. He shook his head, before turning back to the empty ocean. "Annihilation is supposed to be a Tier 6 spell. But that had to be Tier 7 at least. You could’ve gotten yourself killed, y’know?"
Again, I said nothing. Instead, I just sighed and dropped the Annihilation cannon, letting the mana crystal pieces fall onto the ground devoid of color and power. I leaned my head on the intact part of the woode
n bulwark, just resting.
Gennady didn’t seem to notice my exhaustion. He continued with his questions. "So, think she’s dead?"
"No," I replied instantly.
"But she was blasted by a Tier 7 spell—"
"No body, no proof." I pushed myself up and turned around. "That’s the rule." Perhaps I was being paranoid, but that was simply how it worked. Not like Gennady understood it or anything.
"...what?"
Chapter 37: Allies and Enemies
"Thank you," I whispered under my breath as I covered Braz’s eyes once and for all.
Apparently, he had lived a terrible life before Ginah had saved him. But he regretted the things he had done in the past. And for a moment, I had judged him for it— I had tried to condemn him for his sins.
But he had only been kind to me. He had always been so laid back. But when I saw him drinking himself to sleep every night, I knew he always had regrets. He condemned himself for what he had done, so why did I have to do that when I knew nothing of what he truly did?
What I did know about Braz was the man I had interacted with. The one who saved my life. So I thanked him as he was laid to rest.
I cast my gaze around the deck of the ship. There were so many bodies covered in cloth. So many people who fought for me, a kid that kept secrets from them. A kid that lied to them. But still, a kid that fought alongside them.
And I could only offer them my gratitude for what they did for me, and nothing else. They died for me— for the promise of a better life. All I could do now was keep my promise to those that were still alive. They had trusted me enough to see this through, I had to see my end through now.
I strode along the deck as I watched everyone pay their final respects to their friends. Their family. There was business I had to attend to with Ginah and Kai— both of whom survived the battle.
And I also had to thank Jack and Lisa too. Lisa stayed out of the fight, but the amount of help she had given me to lay this trap was worth all the gratitude I had. And Jack— perhaps I misjudged him. I still wasn’t sure why he hated Dwarves, but he wanted to resolve some unfinished business in Taw, and perhaps I could help him with that once we were there.
But for now, I said nothing to anyone. I just stood there in silence as the sombre mood washed over the ship, and everyone realized it was finally over. All that was left now was to move forward.
Lilith might or might not be dead— I highly doubted she was dead. But rather than being paranoid— rather than doubting everyone I knew— I was going to learn to trust. I would watch my back, of course; I was not going to believe everything a random stranger told me, however that did not mean I shouldn’t trust no one.
Now, I had people I trusted. I had… friends? Perhaps it was still too early to call Ginah, Lisa, and the others that— our relationship still predicated on the deal we had made. A Witch’s deal. My deal. But… my thoughts trailed off along with my gaze.
I glanced at Gennady; the Dwarf was standing to the side, also paying his respects to the fallen. He hadn’t once expressed any sort of apprehension towards helping me, even when it was revealed a Saintess was coming after my life.
If there was anyone I could consider a friend, he was one. Lisa and the others were allies for now, but over time things might change. And I thought I would rather like that. Being alone was an experience— an important one for me— but I could not act alone in this world. So I had allies now, and things were going to be different from before.
It would not be like with the Beastkin, nor would it be like with the Dark Crusaders. That was what I swore to myself.
I will do things right this time.
When we returned to land, we did not go to the hideout we had been using for the last month. Instead, it was a small encampment closer to the city of Luke, but just as well hidden. This was where most of the noncombatants had fled to a week ago when I was passed out, and the rest followed shortly after.
The reaction to our return was a mixed one; on one hand, they were glad that the plan worked out just fine, but on the other, they could not celebrate for all the dead that had been incurred. It wasn’t a complete slaughter— yet it was still a lot of dead considering the number that had come with us. So it was more of a subdued relief.
We buried the dead later that day. I thought they would have cremated the bodies since that was the common funeral method in this world. It was seen as a way of returning the spirits of the dead to the Goddess of Light by lighting them on fire. But Ginah didn’t believe in that.
If it was as simple as performing such a ritual to cleanse a soul of their sins, then she believed her father would easily be forgiven. And from what I was told, her father was a horrid man who could never be redeemed. So they performed a simple burial for the dead. The Goddess would judge them Herself by the merit of their actions.
I still wasn’t fully bought on the idea of the Goddess. I respected their beliefs, of course. But most of it came from the Church. And they certainly weren’t a reliable source. Whether or not She existed though— She probably did.
I was never really religious in my previous life. I also didn’t fully consider myself an atheist. I simply didn’t think about it too much. However after having met a god— a fake god?— a jerk god, I decided I wanted to think about it less.
So when everyone said their final prayers, I simply bowed my head and remained silent. After the funerals ended, Ginah finally approached me.
"Melas," she greeted me, her face expressionless.
"Ginah, I…" I hesitated, looking the pirate Captain over. In a sense, I was responsible for the death of all her men who died today; I knew she didn’t blame me, but I still felt uncertain whether I should address it with an apology or defend myself. In the end, I settled with expressing my gratitude.. "Thank you."
She shook her head. "They wanted to help you. Braz more than the others."
I nodded. "They were good men."
"Indeed they were."
The two of us stood there, under the night sky, in silence for a minute. Finally, as Ginah raised her head, she broke it and spoke out. "When do you have to be at Jahar’taw by?"
I turned to face her. She was staring up at the twinkling stars on the dome overhead. Her gaze was wishful, longing, and hopeful. She still seemed tired, as she was before. But now something was renewed inside of her. Like she was looking forward to what was to come, rather than dreading it.
"I’m in no particular rush," I said. "If you still have things to settle here in Luke, I’d be willing to wait."
"No." Ginah looked back down and looked over at me. She sighed, rubbing at her left shoulder. "I’ve spoken with Kai. He reassured me that he’d be able to handle things back here. That he’s prepared for it— he even told me his plan on what to do for the next few days.
"Luke is my city— it is pretty much all I have ever known— but I have a lot of bad memories here. My father did terrible things to very many people. I’ve tried to make it up to as many of them as I could, but most of them shunned me. It makes me feel like I’ve failed. And the lives lost today only adds more guilt to my conscience."
I cocked an eyebrow and she continued.
"So what I’m saying is… I’d rather we leave as soon as possible." She shifted uncomfortably on her feet as I slowly processed what she had told me. Slowly, I nodded.
"Of course." I placed a hand on her elbow and offered her a small smile. "I’ll just get my things ready. It’s not like I own a lot of things anyway."
Ginah paused. She stared at me for a moment. "You know, you don’t act like a girl your age."
"I am aware." I drew my lips to a thin line. "And please don’t say that ever again. It sounds… creepy"
"Right " She adjusted her coat and turned to go. "I’ll have to speak with the rest of my crew now. But don’t forget to say goodbye to Kai. He’d hate it if you left without so much of a farewell."
I smiled reassuringly. "Don’t worry, I won’t."
It was another lesson I had learned— to say goodbye. I would make sure it stuck with me no matter what.
It was not the most heartfelt farewell; we knew we would eventually see each other again. And yet, I was used to fleeting meetings. Short encounters that had never amounted to anything. So just knowing that I would meet Kai again in the future made me slightly emotional.
"Try not to get into too much trouble," he said. "I know you can take care of yourself, but don’t be too reckless."
I snorted. "What? Are you going to start treating me like a child now?"
"Maybe." He chuckled and placed a hand on my head. I scowled, but he ignored it. "You’re capable, Melas. I’ve seen it myself. But you’re still young. Ginah may not seem like the most reliable adult, but you can trust her. I know I have for the last decade."
"I will," I said. I turned around to board the ship, but stopped right at the gangplank to add, "And thank you. For trusting me."
"I haven’t seen anything not to trust so far." He smiled.
I nodded back at him, and with one last wave I made my way up the gangplank onto the ship. Ginah had already spoken to the rest of her crew; she had already said her goodbyes. So all that was left now was for us to actually go.
And with a final cheer, our boat finally departed into the ocean. I stood next to Ginah as she glanced back one last time to most of her crew that stayed behind. They waved at her— kids and adults, men and women, fighters and civilians, all alike— they bade their Captain a temporary farewell.
I saw a single tear drop fall from her eyes, but did not comment on it; instead, I turned to Jack and Lisa who were also on the ship coming along with us. I approached them, nodding a greeting and Jack and turning to Lisa.
"Hey, Melas," she said cheerfully.
"Not nervous at all?" I asked, cocking my head.
"Can’t say I’m not a little antsy. This is my first time leaving Luke, after all. And this is going to be a Dwarven Kingdom. It’s a completely different place."