Dire Wolf

Chapter 18

"Demeter: Violent Overgrowth!" Sita screamed before slamming her hands on the barren soil, and lo and behold, a forest emerged from the drylands and grew so big it almost rivaled the size of the hydras attacking us.

Yes, hydras.

We are told that our job is to destroy a hydra and be done with it.

But after several days of hiking, walking, and occasionally swimming across rivers and lakes, we indeed successfully found our mark.

Or marks.

Instead of just one giant monstrosity, we are welcomed with not two, not six, but a dozen several-headed dragons spewing vile, toxic spits everywhere and rampaging so titanically, the very ground itself shakes non-stop.

"Chione: Deep Frost!" Bliz screamed as he frozen half of the hydras solid, but not before the others launched their toxic spits at our direction the size of giant boulders by the hundreds, "Sothea, incoming!"

To my surprise, the daughter of the goddess of sanctuary who is standing right next to me stepped forward calmly as her boyfriend flew as high as he can to avoid the attack while Rex and Surt, in his dire wolf form, continue attacking the nearest hydra earnestly with Sita bringing up their rear.

"Soteria: Delivering Defense!"

With a wave of her hand, she erected a translucent dome of yellow light around the two of us, and it defended us entirely from the onslaught without even budging at in the slightest.

"Bia: Over Drive!" 

The son of the goddess of force lifted a huge tree many times his size and weight singlehandedly and use it to cut off all the eight heads of the hydra next to him with Surt howling out so loud, he created a blistering sandstorm that blocked the neck stumps of the monster from regrowing and multiplying its heads, effectively killing it in the process as the daughter of Demeter buried its massive body in a dense overgrowth of vegetation.

"Wow, it did work! Keenan, it worked!" Bliz screamed in glee from above as he created a gigantic avalanche to slow down the remaining monsters from getting any closer to us, "Chione: Snow Slide!"

However, Sita and Sothea looked at each other fearfully as Soteria's daughter grabbed my arm suddenly and dragged me away from the frontlines, "It worked, but not good enough, Bliz! Cover our retreat! Everyone, this is just too much for us to deal with on our own. I am calling for reinforcements! Soteria: Signal Flares!"

She raised her left hand, and from it came three shimmering yellow orbs of lights that shoot up to the dark skies above us all before expanding into a gigantic size that will indeed be seen from every part of the island.

We all flinched when the ice encasing the six hydras cracked before shattering completely as the enraged monsters raged in anger and fury for being imprisoned quickly charged in our direction in droves.

"Demeter: Thorn Wall!" Sita raised her hands as high as she can, and thorny vines of all sorts began forming a massive barricade between us and the hydras as Surt started to blowing all the dust towards them in an enormous display of wind proficiency while steadily retreating, "Ms. Peregrine told me that it will take at six minutes at least for every available reinforcement to converge on the direction of the flares. All we need to do is slow them down as much as possible!"

I cursed as my boyfriend narrowly dodges a projectile coming from the monsters as he and Rex do their best to delay the seemingly unstoppable march of these gigantic monstrosities.

"If we can destroy just one more hydra, I am sure it will be easier for us. Easier, not easy. But with the way things are going, a slow retreat is our best bet for survival the way I see it," I snarled before looking at the son of the goddess of force who is now grabbing one of the thick thorny vines and began using it as a gigantic whip, "Rex, if you can destroy their feet, that will be a huge help! If I am not mistaken, it is only their heads that regrows and multiplies, nothing else!"

He saluted snappily at my direction before invoking the powers of his mother, "Bia: Power Whiplash!"

And with a single flick of his gigantic whip, he managed to sever the feet of the hydras, effectively stopping them on their tracks as they writhed in pain and agony.

Bliz then summoned a massive amount of ice from his hands as he descended quickly from the skies, "Chione: Snow Blast!"

"Oh gods, they are going berserk. Look out!" Sita screamed as eighty-eight heads began spitting toxic projectiles everywhere out of desperation and sheer anger at what we just did to them, "Rex, Surt, hurry!"

The son of Lytta howled behind Rex, and he got catapulted by the winds to our direction as Sothea closed her eyes and began mustering all the powers she has to her heart in preparation for a powerful invocation.

She then opened her eyes and looked at the incoming artillery above us and spread her arms as far as she can, "Soteria: Promised Salvation!"

After she screamed that, a gigantic yellow dome of light appeared around us, covering us entirely in its warmth and delivering radiance. 

Surt was almost on his way inside when several projectiles landed close to him at the same time that forced him to evade the last minute, but the shockwave of the impact sent him flying several meters away before he landed on the ground and hitting his head on a stone that made him lose his consciousness completely.

"Surt, no!" I screamed in horror as I ran as fast as I can outside of the protective dome that is being besieged by the toxic biles of the hydras and head straight to where my boyfriend has sprawled seemingly lifelessly as our friends screamed for our names helplessly.

I don't care if it is raining artilleries everywhere. All that matters is that I can be by his side and try to save him.

I quickly knelt next to his sizeable furry body and shake it as hard as I can, "Come on, Surt! Come on, wake the f**k up! What are you doing! We have to move! Surt! Surt can you hear me?! Please, open your eyes! I beg of you, please, say something. Anything!"

But he just lay there, his breathing labored and pained without responding to my pleas no matter how loud I cried out for him.

Then suddenly, I buckled from the unbelievable pain I felt from inside my body.

It is unimaginable, indescribable pain.

My body began to feel like it would burst as if something is trying to escape my very being.

My eyes rolled, and I screamed in agony as something began tearing the skin and flesh of my back, and finally, I heard a voice of a woman, motherly, loving, and benevolent.

"It's time for the wheel to turn, my son. The change is here, and you are the harbinger of it. This pain, this suffering, this slight that you have endured can continue no longer, my Kynan. You have the same power of chance in your hand. There is no need to take what you already control. Unleash it upon the vile creatures that dare hurt your beloved. You have my blessing, my love, and my powers. The rest is up to you. My son..."

Amidst the howling and roaring of the monsters around me and the loud explosions of their disgusting biles around me, which surprisingly didn't even hit us even if they spitted hundreds upon hundreds in our direction, I heard her voice.

And I think I know who she is...

With one last scream of pain, I buckled over, and a gigantic pair of pure golden wings erupted from my back majestically while still dripping blood all over.

The pain began to numb as I looked at Surt, who is still lying before me, weak and unconscious in his dire wolf.

With my wings came in the knowledge of my natural powers. The very least is my earth elemental abilities.

I have been trying the wrong incantations all along. My power is earth-related, not the earth itself, "Aurum gleam and flow, come to me, which controls the earthly souls. Earth Element: Gold Rush!"

From the dry cracks of the barren lands slowly spring forth, streams of gold sands snaking their way around Surt and me, and I know full well they are mine to command.

I heard a piercing scream, and I saw the protective dome of Sothea shattering from the relentless barrage of the hydras, and they are about to be overwhelmed soon enough after exhausting all their strength defending me earlier while I just did nothing but watch as the events unfold helplessly.

But not anymore...

"Gilded dome, protect and conserve, take to the skies and show my resolve. Earth Element: Gilded Rotunda!"

Speaking words I never thought I will utter in my life, I raised my right hand and willed the gold dust to form a defensive barrier protecting my friends from harm.

They just look at the floating golden sand dome above them in awe and wonder as I returned my gaze upon my suffering boyfriend, "I am here, Surt. Nothing will hurt you no longer. I bet my very life on it, my love."

And with that, my wings answered my will. They began to slowly bring me to the skies above as I saw our reinforcements closing in on our direction as fast as they can from the land and skies above. Still, I plan to end this way as I flew higher and higher until I am looking down at the detestable monsters now focusing all their attention to me as I summoned as torrents of gold sands erupted in geysers all around us and began to converge on my direction to the skies above.

The hydras began bombarding me with their toxic biles, but I just willed my gold sand to form an absolute barrier around my body.

Even though I am securely inside, I can still see what is happening outside inside my mind's eye clearly.

I also saw the children of Notus descending upon my friends and forming a defensive perimeter around them with other demigods.

I have engulfed Surt's body with my gold sand entirely and raised it to the sky, acting as if it is a moon to my giant sphere of protection.

"My name is yours to command, my son..."

I heard her voice again, and I shed a tear as I felt a surge of primal and inexplicable power coming from my body and under my absolute control.

"Tyche: Wheel of Fortune!"

My voice echoed loudly from my chamber, and the dome protecting me erupted and reformed into the golden symbol of the goddess of luck herself.

A tremendous golden ship's wheel began turning behind my back slowly, and I gritted my teeth as I unleashed the pure and potent power that holds sway, not just on the lives of the mortals and immortals but even fate itself in the form of shining golden light, not unlike those searchlights from our casinos shining it's light upon my comrades and letting my enemies be in the dark.

The hydras once again launched a barrage against me, and I didn't even bother countering or even defending myself at all, for I know that luck herself is on my side.

They just all missed utterly, and I heard the triumphant jubilation of the demigods below me as I spread my arms and wings as far as I can, "Tyche: Fortune's End!"

As if on cue, our reinforcement unleashed their fury upon the monsters, and I just personally realized how powerful luck really is.

Even though the hydras rained down toxic artilleries upon them all, not a single one hit my comrades. They all missed entirely, and every attack they launched seemed to do the maximum amount of damage at the most critical part of their bodies. 

Within five minutes, all the monsters who are about to destroy my classmates and me are pulverized down to nothing but dust motes. 

I am still brimming with a massive amount of divine energy as I slowly descended upon my waiting friends who are waiting for me worriedly.

"Keenan, you are a demigod!" Sita exclaimed as I just look at her thankfully, "But no, you are something more than what we are."

Rex nodded after I carefully removed Surt from my protective dome so Sothea and Bliz can have a better look at him while our reinforcements are making sure that no monsters are within our perimeter.

"This power, this beyond what we can even unleash at all. What are you, Keenan?"

I just looked sadly at my hands as the golden sands on it slowly disappeared after being blown by the gentle evening breeze, "I don't even know what I am anymore."

"Oh gods, Surt. This is bad. He is suffering from internal hemorrhaging!" Sothea whispered in panic as she tries to do everything that she can to save him, "Soteria: Healing Sanctuary!"

My boyfriend was surrounded by a healing yellow glow from the daughter of sanctuary's hands, but it doesn't seem to do anything to cure him.

"The best we can do is to stabilize him for as long as we can until we get some expert help," Bliz said as he touched Surt's head and chest at the same time, "Chione: Suspended Animation!"

I saw pure white snow disappeared from his hands and into the body of my beloved, who is now still heaving painfully and still unconscious.

I walked towards him and kneeled before hugging his furry neck and sobbing sadly, "No need to sugarcoat it. He hit his head pretty hard, huh?"

"Keenan..."

I continued crying when I heard Sita's voice as Rex sat beside me looking grim, "Of all the times his hardheadedness didn't work. Why now?! Surt, you idiot! You better survive this!"

"I will be honest to you all. His chances are very slim. The best I can do is put him in suspended animation, but that's it," the son of the goddess of snow said seriously that made Sotheria cry out loud.

"I'm so sorry, Keenan. I am not capable of healing him completely. My mother is not a medical goddess. I feel so useless now. I am so, so, sorry."

"You are not the one to blame, Sothea," I said quietly as I kissed his warm neck, "I may not be able to heal you, but I will be able to save you, Surt. Don't worry, I love you so much; if there is one who should die, then let it be me. I am already dead anyway, but thanks to you, I could live again for a while. Thank you."

I spread my wings as far as I can and summoned all the powers I have at my disposal, and my whole body began to glow in golden light as I began to unleash the most potent ability of my mother.

The power to change fate itself.

"Tyche: Fate Reversed..."