Despite my efforts, they won’t go away. Every time I crush one, it reappears. The pain becomes more intense. Fear ensnares my heart. The Phoenix’s cackling rings in my ears, amid my own screams of pained terror. The burned bodies of G. and David flash through my mind. Tears roll down my cheeks. So much for my strength. All at once, the flames vanish. My pain subsides to a dull pulsing. In disbelief, I keep rolling, waiting for the fire to consume me again, but it doesn’t. Coming to a stop, I breathe with an exhausted sigh. “How?” I mutter.
The Phoenix roars in frustration, opening its beak, flames dancing in its throat. A shudder shakes my body. I’m not out of the woods yet. I stand up again. The burns still sting on my arms. My staff is somewhere out here, and my stats are too low to compete with this powerful monster. My legs wobble beneath me, threatening to give out at any moment. I’m spent. The Phoenix’s eyes blaze with triumph. At last, it had me where it wanted. In one blast, it would deal with this nuisance. Is there any point in fighting anymore?
Aurora’s story comes to mind. The Great Finn stood on his feet, no matter how many foes he faced. Could it be sheer will that made him push until the end? Do I have that determination? As I take a step forward, I collapse. A tired smile plays at the corner of my lips. Guess not. Not strong enough, but was worth a try. The Phoenix’s maw prepares to unleash a new outpouring of flames. I brace myself for the fiery end.
It never releases that attack. As I fall to the ground, just as it is about to ignite me, a sudden burst of flame appears and strikes the monster. This new fire has a different tint from the Phoenix. Its bright yellow and orange differ greatly from the deep red and orange of the bird. Strange. To my surprise, I don’t fall with my face landing in the dirt. Something holds me beneath the arm. It keeps me standing. “Don’t worry. We’re here now,” a quivering voice announces. Looking down, I find Queen holding me up, but she wasn’t looking at me. She was looking in front of us, and the sight before me caught my eye too. In fact, it takes my breath away.
Harva used Fire Burst, the Voice describes.
I blink three times, and one hand rubs my eyes. This is unbelievable. Harva is battling toe to toe with the giant fiery bird. Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine that she could accomplish such a feat. Still, it’s happening right in front of me. Her shield is nowhere, but she isn’t at a disadvantage. As the Voice declared, to battle the fiery Phoenix, she uses fire all her own.
In each hand, she carries a bright yellow and red orb. They twitch in her palms as if they could break free and escape her grasp at any moment, but the cool expression on the child’s face says that won’t happen. Clasping her hands together, the two orbs become one. Raising them up to her mouth, she yells. Harva used Burning Throat. An enormous blast of flame, far bigger than the last one, shoots from her hands and mouth. From where I stand, I can feel the heat. Sweat breaks out on my brow, but I don’t know if it’s from the heat or fear for the child.
At her command, the massive orb darts across the distance between her and our foe. It crashes into the Phoenix’s head. A shriek pierces my ears, making me almost collapse, but Queen holds me up. “Don’t fall,” she says, in a tone that I never heard before. She turns away, so I can’t see her expression. “That kid is giving her all to protect us. The least we can do is watch her.” I nod, though I know she can’t see it, and look on at the battle before me.
I blink, seeing the overwhelming stats displaying Harva’s power. Harva’s fighting spirit is burning. All stats raised, the Voice declares. Current Stats: Level 40. Courage +55, Brawn +40, Agility +50, Recovery +45, Magic +80. How had I never noticed that before? Harva charges the beast, the orbs burning anew in her hands. The flames trail behind her as if they wanted to set the entire world ablaze. She swings her fists around as the power radiates from her. The Phoenix roars in anger as this little girl darts across the ground, hurling fire from all angles. Queen and I stand back, watching this display in total silence. The only sounds are the shrieks of the bird and the cries of a little girl fighting for her life.
With each of her attacks, the Phoenix shows clear signs of injury. Its fiery feathers are falling off, dissipating in the still air. Harva’s strikes are relentless, not giving the bird a second to retaliate. Desperate to escape, the Phoenix spreads its wings and takes to the skies. Desperate fire dissipates in its wake.
Rearing back its head, the monster summons a great fireball, just like it had on the cliff. Raising its head, it hurls the flame high into the air. Once again, it would consume itself in flame, rebirthing into a stronger form. It caws in delight, knowing that the child will be powerless against its renewed strength.
The fireball never reached its destination. Harva used Absorb. The child lifts a hand in the air and the fireball dissipates, turning into yellow energy. It floats into her hand, which she absorbs. Her stats raise higher than before, leaving myself and her foe speechless. Courage +15, Brawn +10, Agility +10, Magic +20.
Not giving it a moment to recover, Harva continues her onslaught, hurling her fireballs at her prey. The Phoenix can’t avoid any of them. Furious and desperate, it opens its maw, and a burst of flame rains down on Harva. “No!” I yell as the flames consume the child.
Before anyone can move, the flames grow weak, turning into a small ring which circles around her, almost as if to her own will. She remains unharmed. The ring’s color shifts from the dark red to the yellow and orange. The girl puts her hands together. A flame ring wraps around them. She takes a deep breath and jumps up, placing her hands underneath her. She sails through the air with ease, soaring above the monster. Harva used Burning Flight. The Phoenix tries to escape its impending doom, but it is too late. She has it right where she wants it.
She stops flying, descending on it. Harva used Crashing Comet. Her little body crashes into the bird. A burst of fire envelops them. The pair plummets to the ground. When the bird hits, a cloud of dirt and flame leaps into the air. When the shaking stops and the air settles, the child stands up at the edge of a crater, looking down on the bird. Its head peeks out of the hole as it struggles to get up, but it can’t. So, the wounded bird releases one last cry of defiance before lying down, waiting for the finishing blow. Harva stands, looking at her foe. At last, she places her hand on the monster.
Beneath her palm, the Phoenix turns to ash, fading away on a light breeze. I hold my breath, waiting for it to burst into a rebirthing fire, but it doesn’t. Soon, all that remains is a single red feather. It looks almost no different from any other feather. The main defining feature that it had was that a glowing yellow line ran down the middle. It pulses with residual energy. A lump forms in my throat as I realize that we have another Memento. It wouldn’t be long before we succeed in our quest.
You defeated the Phoenix. You gained 1500 exp. All party’s levels increased. You’ve increased to level 20. Stats Boost: Courage +3, Brawn +4, Agility +3, Stamina + 4, Tolerance +3, Recovery +2. Harva doesn’t look at us. She stares at the feather as if the outside world stopped existing and only what she held mattered. Giving her space, I turn to Queen. “Well, I didn’t expect that,” I admit with a forced grin. I expect her to start jumping with sudden joy, but I gasp as I see the color draining from her face. Her white skin appears almost transparent. “What’s wrong?” I ask. She doesn’t say a word. In answer, she raises her arm, pointing ahead. Turning back, I expect to see the Memento, but what I see almost makes my heart stop.
Harva stands in the wake of her foe, the feather falling to the ground. She doesn’t try to pick it up. Her head hangs low, her shoulders heaving. Raising her hands, fiery orbs dance across her fingers, and the restless dance is turning into an uncontrollable upheaval. It happens before I can say anything, before I can cry out a warning to Harva. The fire leaps out of her hands and races up her arms. More flames lap down to her feet. Her hair raises up on all ends; the tips burn with dark gray smoke rising. The girl leans forward, gripping her stomach, and a high-pitched cry, bordering on inhuman, echoes fo
r her tiny frame. At the end of this shriek, she bursts into flame. Burning Curse: Hell’s Fury.
“Harva,” I scream. Ripping myself from Queen’s grasp, I scramble forward. My legs go out from beneath me, but I can’t let that stop me. Not now. On my hands and knees, I crawl toward her. My mind becomes torn between two images: the smiling face of the child that’s stayed by my side and the horrific state of G. and David. I can’t allow that to happen to her too. Harva continues screaming. Ignited appendages wave about, desperate to rid herself of the pain. She hurls herself to the ground, flailing about, but nothing she does puts the fire out. All she can do is scream.
Behind me, I hear Queen drop to her knees. I wish I could yell at her, scream that we have to help Harva; but how can I? There’s nothing that we can do. No matter which way I look at this, I can’t put out the fire. All I’m doing is rushing to the side of someone that I can’t help. My recent victories return to my mind as if to mock me. Since fighting the Serpopards, I’ve tried to become stronger; no, I’ve sought power longer than that. Ever since fighting the Collector, I wanted the strength to destroy my enemies and protect my friends. I grew stronger, gained a weapon like Zero’s, and learned how to control my inner strength, but it doesn’t matter in the end. There was nothing I could do to save Harva from this, and now, what am I supposed to do?
I reach Harva’s side, or rather, the fire that had her form. My hands reach out to her, trembling as her cries pierce into the depths of my being. Ripping off part of my shirt, I pour water on the cloth and try to smother the flames, but it doesn’t work. Instead, the cloth bursts into ash. The heat makes me draw back my hand. With horror, I realize the truth. I can’t do anything for her. In bitter rage, I strike my hands across the ground. Cries of anguish burst from my throat.
When I can’t scream anymore, I feel a wet droplet strike the end of my nose. What? A sudden, desperate hope rises in my chest. Looking up, I see black clouds overhead, and a torrential rain falling towards us. When it hits, the downpour throws me back, pushing me away from the helpless child. The rain beats down with a force that I didn’t expect. Each drop feels like it is trying to bore a hole into my skin, but none of them harm me. I cannot see a foot in front of me. However, there is one thing that I do not lose sight of, no matter how hard the rain falls. In the dark rain’s midst, I see a burning form.
It twitches about in the torrent from heaven, but its glow is diminishing by the second. The rain compresses it until it becomes little more than a spark. At last, the light goes out. A cry of excitement bursts from my lips, but a fear ensnares my heart. “Harva,” I shout, but I cough as the rain races into my throat. Gagging, I try to force myself toward her, but the flash flood won’t let me. All I can do is brace myself and wait for it to end, and sooner than I expected, it does.
When the rain stops, I lift my head and see the entire ground is ankle-deep in water. I pay no attention to this, directing my attention to Harva. She lies in the water, breathing heavily. She’s alive. Sloshing through the water, I crawl to her side. I’ve seen plenty of unbelievable things in my adventure, but I can’t believe my eyes. Despite all that happened in the last few moments, there are no physical sides of harm to the child’s frame. Her H.P. is low, but nothing that Aurora and sleep can’t help. If I hadn’t witnessed her combusting, I wouldn’t believe that it happened at all. That rain extinguished her just in time. Wait? How…
Maris used Heaven’s Blessing. “That was insane,” Zero yells.
Looking up, I see Zero on his bird with Maris riding behind him. There is a haunting look in her eyes. When they land, she staggers off and leans against the stone wall, sliding to the ground. “Whew,” Maris huffs. “Got here just in time. This is far too much for me.” I expect her to vomit, but she doesn’t. She’s not suffering from motion sickness. Her body looks drained as if she gave up all of her energy.
“Thank you,” I croak.
“Feh,” she coughs, waving my thanks aside. “You never shoulda brought a child here to begin with, but it’d be a lie if I said she deserved to die from that.”
A moan brings me back to Harva. Her eyes flutter open, and she looks at me. It takes less than a second for her to realize what happened. Shame clouds her face. “Hey,” I say in a soothing voice. “It’s okay. The fight’s over.”
“But you don’t understand,” she stammers, lips quivering.
“No, I don’t, and that’s okay,” I whisper. She could say almost anything, and it wouldn’t matter. All I care about is that she’s alive.
Queen steps up beside me. In her hands, she holds the feather. “I know that it might not be the right time for it,” she says. Squatting down, she extends the feather to the trembling child. “This one is yours. If there is anyone who earned it, it’d be you.”
Harva’s trembling hand reaches for it, but she pauses, drawing her hand away. “Take it,” I tell her. She looks at both of us, as if she wanted to say something but feared to do so. I hope that she’ll tell me what it is. There is so much to ask, but I know that I can’t force it out of her. For now, all I can do is help her know that everything will be fine. Reaching out with her shaking hand, Harva wraps her fingers around the feather. The fiery line down the center flares up as soon as she touches it. She lets out a sudden cry of surprise, but nothing more happens. Holding it close to her face, she stares at it without saying a word. Tears roll down her face. Smiling, she says, “Looks like I get my wish.” Then, she covers her face, crying her eyes out.
Emotion overtakes me, and I hold her tight. “You’re okay,” I whisper. “Everything will be all right,” I repeat this over and over again, but I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince her or myself. As soon as we leave this moment, we have to deal with all the injuries. I wish we could stay here and not face what would happen next, whatever that happened to be. Comforting her, I feel a sudden warmness surrounding me, holding me tight. What’s that? I wonder. It hits me a second later. For the first time, I feel Queen’s arms wrap around us both, helping me cradle the heartbroken child, whispering the same promise. I hope that we can keep it.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Epilogue
17
He released a low breath. It was almost too good to be true, so much so he hesitated to celebrate. At any moment, everything could fall apart. He couldn’t bear to see this anymore. With great care, he took the helmet off. His vision blurred, and a queasiness came over him. The world around him was not normal yet. They both had a hold on him. In one eye, he could see that other world; with the second one, he saw the room in which he stood. Closing his eyes, he allowed his body to adjust. When he found himself back in the dark laboratory, he felt true relief. With his free hand, he wiped the sweat off his brow. A smile broke out across his face. He had to restrain himself from losing control and jumping for joy, but he couldn’t do anything. He met his emotions halfway and let out a cry of excitement.
In this cry, he released the hours of tension that kept his body in constant worry. There were plenty of reasons to be fearful. Chief of all reasons was that it would take one mistake for this entire endeavor to be pointless. If he had to emerge from this room with nothing to show for it…he couldn’t bear the thought.
Perhaps this would not be such a burden if there was someone else nearby to share this struggle. Every now and then, his mind would tease the idea. He rejected it without a second thought, as he did now. This battle was not one that just anyone could take part of. It required a particular skill set that no one else had. He couldn’t ignore it. This was his task, and to ask someone to take part in it was selfish. Besides, if he succeeded, he wanted to be the one to tell her. If he failed, he would be there to provide comfort, but if everything kept going as it was, it would not come to that.
For the first time since this ordeal began, everything went right. How long had he worked to reach this point? He lost track of time. Being in this dark room for so long had that effect. The worst contributor was that helmet. Each time h
e put it on, it was as if the outside world ceased to exist. The truth of that thought was evident in his body when it was time to remove the helm. Fear gripped his heart when he had to take it off. It was a risk, one that he had to take, one he was willing to take, but he had hoped that it would not be this bad.
As his stomach settled, he felt his gnawing hunger. Turning away from the table, he walked over to the cabinet. Inside, he kept enough food to last him for the entire month. In his line of work, leaving this room could be detrimental to his progress. No matter what, he had to remain here until the end was upon him, regardless of what it was. He perused what food he had left. For lack of a better term, it was snack food.
Of course, he had better terms for them. Energizing Granolas, Vitamin Chips, Kelp Noodles, to name a few. They contained the nutrients necessary to keep the body in a stable condition. In time he would need more sustainable food, but this would have to work for now.
With each trip into that other world, his mind and body became part of it. There was no doubt about it. He was an intruder and didn’t belong. It took great skill on his part to blend in as he did, but that came at a price. The more he became part of that world, the more difficult it will be to leave it. To leave, he had to put his body and mind through the disorienting experience of leaving one world to return to another. As an intruder, he had no other options. The sickness linked to the helmet, his way in. His nausea would only get worse from here on out.
What if I just let everything continue on its set course? he wondered. A book came to mind as he contemplated this tantalizing option. He couldn’t remember any one passage, but he knew the concepts by heart. They helped him navigate his own life. Many believed that everyone was free, able to make their own decisions at any time. This book made no such claims. As far as the author knew, life was comprised of roads. A being had control over which roads they took, but they couldn’t escape the path they chose. For example, a man can choose to quit a bad habit, such as biting his nails, but that doesn’t mean he will succeed. He might quit for the time being, but sooner or later, he would give in to that habit and end up where he started. Why would this happen? It was because he bit his nails to begin with. He started down that path. It would take a lot more than a mere wishful choice to change that.
Mind's Journey 2: Of Monsters and Men (A Gamelit Fantasy Adventure - Book 2) Page 22