Chapter 33 - War Magic

There are images in my mind.

Music from a forgotten time.

Piano. Angry lyrics. A white rapper.

Somehow, in this fucked-up situation, I can’t help but remember the song.

‘Till the roof comes off, ‘till the lights go out, can’t shut my mouth’

I bend to avoid a sword and bat the incoming ball of fire back to the mage. I rise and move forward, fast as a cat and my fingers grasp the hand with the sword, twisting until I hear the bones snap.

The man shouts and lets go of the sword but catches it with his other hand and slashes at my midriff.

I evade and counter with a kick to the knee. He evades.

‘'till the smoke clears out, am I high? Perhaps. I'ma rip this shit 'til my bones collapse’

Behind me, Fa Min is dealing with the captain. Despite having surpassed two Heavenly Tribulations, Min is having a hard time against the more experienced warrior.

The sword comes at me again, I squat and touch the muddy earth with my left hand, bringing it up to parry his next attack, and the sword bounces off the hard rock shield that has formed over my arm. Taking advantage of his surprise, my right hand launches an air bullet toward the witch, interrupting her mid-cast and her flame dissipates.

My elemental beast is hovering around Ling, covering her from everyone’s attacks, but that means that it cannot protect me too. I’m alone against two opponents.

‘But you gotta search within you. Try to find that inner strength, to pull that shit out of you.’

A fucking rapper had the answer man.

How sick is that? Seriously.

I jump over his next swing and put myself in between them. My master would curse me if he saw that. But I can’t keep guessing the girl’s moves when she’s hidden behind the bigger man. My sixth sense can only save me so many times.

“Got you now, fucking monkey!” The brute shouts as I watch the woman make intricate movements with her hands. She’s going for a big one now that I’m getting closer.

That’s the thing the brute hasn’t realized yet.

He swings for my head, but his sword is again parried by my earth fist. It won’t last long against his strength, but I only need a few more moves.

He staggers and I turn. Fast as a snake, I hit him in the groin and neck in rapid succession, before I jumped out of the way of the woman’s attack, which hit the other guy full in the face, melting it off.

‘Focus!’

I shout at myself, closing my ears to the screams of a man burning to death.

“Nate!” the woman screams “You bastard!” she turns to me again, brandishing a whip made of pure lava.

Damn.

Why didn’t I think of that?

‘Focus!’

I cursed myself. I was so lost in my own world that her whip almost got my arm.

Thunder rumbled above us.

Finally!

Goddammit, I need to practice conjuring storms during battle. This one took far too long.

“Ling!” I shout.

That’s her cue.

We’re either going to win or die spectacularly.

‘I fucking hope this works.’

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(From Xiao Ling’s perspective)

What is worse than fearing death?

Fearing the death of those that mean the world to you.

I know Master ordered his dragon to protect me… but doesn’t he know that I’d rather he protects himself?

“Ling” he said to me before jumping into battle “keep my dragon and you at a safe distance at all times.” He places a ring made of pure water around my index finger “You must use this to command it, send it toward the clouds when I call your name, and then run as fast as you can to the river. Get in the water and don’t come out until your lungs can take it no more, understand?”

I didn’t understand then.

I still don’t.

But my Master is a great man, and I will not disrespect his wishes.

“Ling!” his voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I obey his command; sending the dragon to the now darkened heavens. Lightning bolts began hitting the water dragon just as the water ring around my finger dissolved.

I want to know what will happen, but it is my duty to run. And so I run as fast as my legs can manage and jump into the river as soon as I see it.

I begin to turn when the light illuminates the sky like a thousand suns. I close my eyes and try my best to tranquilize my beating heart.

I need to last.

I need to survive.

I need to last so that I can see him again.

The light is dimming, and I see the surface of the water being pulled by the wind. There is a rumbling coming from outside, but I don’t dare go out.

Everything goes back to the blackness of night.

I hang out as long as I can, but I need to breathe.

I swim back to the surface and once my head breaks the water, I fill my lungs with precious air.

The silence is eerie. Not even the crickets can be heard.

I swim to the shore to look for my Master and his friend.

Walking in this silence is giving me the chills. Not even the wind blows, and my body is still burning from the inside to really feel the cold. I know now what just happened, but all I can see are ashes and charred rocks.

The whole swamp has been erased.

I pray to the gods that my Master has somehow survived this inferno.

Suddenly I hear a splash and coughing and return to the river, only to find Fa Min spluttering and trying to stay afloat.

I get in the water and help him to the shore.

Most of his clothes were burned away by whatever happened up here, and his skin is red as if he had spent a whole week bare-chested under the summer sun.

When he finally regains his breath, he coughs and asks for my master.

“I don’t know” my eyes are full of unshed tears, but I refuse to let them run until I find him.

“He pushed me to the water before… the light.” Fa Min sighs, and I can hear the tears in his tone too.

He doesn’t think my master made it.

I bite my lip and stand.

“I will find him.” I say back and leave before he can say any more.

I try to regain my sense of direction, but the devastation is too much for my feeble mind, and I begin walking aimlessly. Moving every piece of rock that could possibly hide a man.

I continue like that until I notice a slope that I don’t remember existing before. It’s like a giant turtle shell. Its surface is completely smooth and when I hit it with my fist, I hear a metal echo.

I put my ear against the surface and concentrate on hearing… There is a murmur coming from inside… not of voices but maybe breathing.

Hope sparks in my heart and I look everywhere, but there is no way to open the shell.

I excavate a little on the side and find a small crack under it.

“Don’t worry Master, I’ll get you out of there!”

I look everywhere for something that will help me move the lid.

Embedded into the now-dry mud, is a half-melted sword. It’s still hot, but fortunately for me, my clothes are wet. I take them off and I squeeze the water out of them over the metal. I then use the same clothes to pick it up and use it as leverage to pry open the earth egg.

My efforts are somewhat successful. They created a bigger hole, but only big enough for my hand to go inside… and find that it was very hot inside.

My desperation grew and I began using the sword to hit the shell until cracks began forming on the surface.

My arms were numb and tired, but I could see it making headway.

My next hit left a gaping hole near the top of the formation. There was a rush of hot air, and then the whole thing cracked like an egg.

I dropped the sword and used my hands to pry the shell until there was a hole big enough for me to pass.

What I saw inside brought tears to my eyes.