Chapter 6: Flames of Wrath (Part 4)
989 Words
'It slithers like that of a snake; It roars like that of a beast even more terrifying than the king of the wild itself; It whips the Earth with a force like that of a giant asteroid. And it attacks with only simple intention in mind: Kill. It is but the epitome of c*****e itself. It is but a tool of destruction.' Those are Layla's words upon telling me what she has set her sight on after deciding to follow the lead of her curiousity. 'Just one time is enough to convince me that it's the strongest and most merciless being mankind will ever come to know. I-It is truly a reflection of-of...'
'God,' I mutter.
'If not God himself.' She adds. I notice the sad look still remaining in her eyes. She can barely retain tears from escaping her glands as her voice is choking slightly when speaking. My fingers clutched tightly into a fist, I begin to think of myself as nothing more than a lowly coward. To fear the beast when I have only heard of it in words. Am I not comparable to it in terms of strength and power?
'Hundreds have perished in its presence. Be it swallowed through the mouth, crushed under by its weight or struck in the heart from meeting with its glare alone. Those and also the tantrum thrown by it in the form of the so-called volcanic eruption.' I try to look into her eyes but hers are set on her hands on the chest. ' I can't bring myself to endanger you again.'
It takes me about a minute to reply but my answer to her doubts comes after many short rounds of thoughts and consideration. 'One!' She shifts her attention to me. 'Only one punch to defeat it.'
'A-Are you not listening to me just now? Not even a hundred... Even a thousand warriors can kill it!' She exclaims. I rise from my chair and walk towards the door before looking over my shoulder at her.
'You have witnessed the battles of warriors.'I pause, giving her time to take in a deep breath. ' But, you have yet to feast your eyes on the... battle of the Gods.'
And surely, her eyes widen in surprise at my statement. To declare myself as an equal to Gods is too bold of a statement even for someone who has barely survived a fight with one of the Holy Knights. Even for someone who has just gotten a grip on his power given by one of the Gods, although only scratching the surface of it. My hands on the handle, I push the door open and walk off. Into the day and towards preparing myself for... battle.
'By midnight tomorrow, bring Aquae to the wall.' I say to Dane who has been waiting for me outside. He asks me why with a surprised look but I give no reply. Knowing that my decision is firm, he presses no further and sinks into his shadow, off to do as told.
'All the villagers have been evacuated.'
I open my eyes and say, 'It's time then.' I stand on both legs, my calves in the riverwater. Sparks flashing all around my body. It is a breezy night. I turn to look at the dandelion plant by the river. 'Ten more minutes.'
Layla places her hands on her chest, as she looks on. 'Are you sure about doing this? Only d-death awaits you!' I want to calm her down, to assure her but, instead, I walk past her and say, 'My pride wouldn't allow me to lose.' And, I walk away.
HEEEEHHHHHHHH!
I climb up the stairs constructed within the wall. My heart almost skips a beat upon hearing the screeching of the beast. Layla notices the momentary change of my expression and says, 'You can still turn back, dear.' I shake my head in protest.
'Like I said, my pride-'
'Wouldn't allow you to lose... right?' She intercepts my words. 'There's no need for you to remind me of your words. Your stubbornness is very well-known to me despite only knowing you for a few days.' Her hands rest on my head, her fingers striding my hair as she stretches her neck out. Her breath touches my face then slowly vanishes when our lips meet. And her kiss entices me for the next few minutes under the ever-shifting shadows of flanking walls lit by the flames of torches.
The ground's scorching hot. I instantly pull my foot away and back onto the manmade surface. Taking in a deep breath, I step out. The ground was not entirely bare, with rocks protruding out from it. The tips are as sharp as they can be. Bright lava fills the cracks spreading out across the rocky plain. But what I was expecting to see, the monster, is not visible. The entrance gates behind me slowly swing to a close with a metallic sound as a sudden roar bursts out before me, sending the hood over my head blown to the back and so does the rest of the cloak and my hair underneath it. My body begins to shake along with the ground as the trembling becomes stronger and more obvious by the second. The rocks seem to sprout higher then lower in a wavelike motion, continuously until, when at the end of it, a sharp rock surfaces and thrusts at me. I jump out of its way, but still manage to get a slight scratch at my shoulder. 'Darn!' It remains static just like any other non- living being. ' Something's off.' I say, scanning my surrounding and analysing every piece of information I could extract so far. The unnatural movement of the rocks, the scorching heat of the ground, the absence of a volcano and most distinguished of all, the strike from earlier.
Having caught my breath, I conclude, 'This place... is alive.'
- Writer
