Grand Game 326: Maelstrom of Destruction (Patreon)

The rock under my hands trembled, only slightly at first, then more violently. A boulder fell from above, passing scant inches from my face.

“Prime!” Ghost screamed.

“Keep going!” I shouted and reached upward with my right hand.

A jagged scar ripped across the rockface, and the entire cliff shifted, leaning inwards.

Uh-oh. I wasn’t going to make it.

A huge chunk of stone, as large as two golems, broke off from the plateau and plummeted downwards. Making a split-second decision, I let go of the cliff and leaped onto the falling chunk.

It was a ludicrous maneuver and one almost certain to result in my death. But I had no good choices left. Clinging onto the cliff in the fast-fading hope that Ghost would reach the top before it fell was just as foolhardy.

In truth, I was likely dead already.

But the will to live was strong, and I would not give up until my last breath.

I made the jump easily. Landing on the falling piece of mountain, I scuttled across on all fours. My stone carriage would land soon and when it did, it would shatter into a thousand shards. Before that happened, I had to fly free.

Reaching the far end of the chunk, I spun psi and leaped again. There were no handy perches nearby, and I made the jump blindly. Beneath me the ground bucked and heaved, rocks blew apart, and new chasms formed by the second.

You have cast windborne.

In freefall, I formed the ramp of air beneath my feet, and pointed it not towards the now-unsafe cliff walls, but at the bubbling magma in the canyon’s center. Sunfury was there. And one way or the other, I had to bring the fight to an end.

Zipping along the windslide—and for once wishing I could traverse it slower—I glanced down. I hung about ten yards off the ground and was a fair distance still from the phoenix. There was no helping it. To reach the lava where Sunfury sheltered, I would have to make my way across the heaving earth.

Arriving at the end of the air ramp, I threw myself off.

You have injured yourself.

I landed heavily. And the ground did me no favors either, splitting apart anew beneath me and showering me with rubble.

A rock has injured you!

A rock has injured you!

…

Protecting my face with my hands, I searched for a safe path through the madness. There was none to be had. I couldn’t stay put, though, and I forged ahead anyway.

A chasm yawned before me.

I leaped, relying on my agility to see me over. Legs scissoring, I arced across the gap of empty air. Reaching the pinnacle of my arch, I descended.

But before I dropped too far, my searching feet found solid ground underfoot and I transitioned into a flat-out run.

A jagged stone shard clipped my right shoulder. Another my left. A third struck my temple.

You have been knocked down!

Bloodied and reeling from the triple strikes, I staggered and fell. Beneath me, the ground rolled like an angry wave. The earth’s heaving was about to get worse, I sensed. A lot worse.

I had to be long gone before that.

Dizzy and with my vision blurred by splotchy patches, I climbed back to my feet. Turning about unsteadily, I spotted the bubbling magma to my left. It was still out of range, though. Too far. Too damn far. Ignoring the voice of pessimism, I gritted my teeth and resumed running.

Lava fountained upwards. Earth caved in. Boulders hit the ground.

Obstacles appeared apace, but with gaze fixed on my target, I navigated past each with grim determination.

Then, the ground underfoot exploded.

A few dozen tons of earth and stone were hurled aloft, and me with them. A wretched passenger, I could do naught but let the explosion take me where it willed. Tucking in my limbs, I ducked my chin into my chest to wait it out. Windborne was not ready, and shadow blink had no target.

The storm of earth and rock carried me higher still. I had to have climbed more than twenty yards already. The fall, when it inevitably arrived, would be more than bone-jarring. This is it, I thought. There will be no coming back from—

A mindglow crossed the rim of my mindsight.

Sunfury.

Grasping onto the phoenix’s mind like the lifeline it was, I spun psi. The explosion’s momentum expired, and my course reversed.

The fall had begun. But that was no longer of concern to me. My spell completed, and I stepped through the aether without hesitation.

You have teleported 49 yards to Sunfury.

I emerged on the phoenix’s back, the tip of my boots dangling only a few feet from the bubbling lava pool in which he sat. The tremors here were milder, and after experiencing the violent eruptions elsewhere in the canyon, my mind was almost tricked into believing the pool to be calm. The ground continued to heave, but at the epicenter of the quake, it seemed like the worst was already over.

It was still blistering hot, though.

But I had a cure for that, and before the heat’s touch could make itself known, I activated cold sphere.

You have trigger-cast cold sphere.

Sunfury has been chilled, and his aura of soothing flames extinguished.

The phoenix yanked his head out of the lava pool, finally sensing my presence. “Wh…at? H-how?” For a wonder, Sunfury’s mindvoice was absent amusement and he seemed in nearly as bad a state as I was. His dive, I suspected, had been a last-ditch effort.

I chuckled hollowly. “Wolves are hard to kill; you should know that.” Unsheathing my swords, I plunged them downward.

You have injured Sunfury.

I drew both blades free in a rush and held myself still and ready. How would Sunfury counterattack this time?

The phoenix’s only response was to bury his head in the lava again.

Clenching my swords in a white-knuckled grip, I waited. I was at the very ragged edge of my limits, and it was more than likely I would not survive whatever counter Sunfury planned. Still, I intended on fighting to the very end.

“Well… fought… scion.”

The words floated into my mind slowly, as if merely voicing them took effort.

I blinked, momentarily confused. Was Sunfury saying farewell before he dealt his death stroke? But no, there was no triumph in the phoenix’s tone. If anything, his mindvoice tasted of ash. And defeat.

He’s given up.

I lowered my swords in the wake of the realization. There was a finality to Sunfury’s utterance that made me certain it was no last-minute ploy or trick. “You too,” I replied at last.

“Fin-ish… it,” Sunfury said.

I said nothing for a moment. “It doesn’t have to end this way,” I said. “I told you: we’re not enemies.”

“That… may be, but I w-welcome death. You… will be… doing me a favor. I’ve been trapped in this dungeon… a long time. Free my spirit… I return to my aviary.”

Still, I didn’t strike. “But if you remain, we could work together—”

“N0! I am… sorry, scion. You mean well… but I can’t. Stay your hand and… I will do my damnedest to kill you. End it. Now.”

I sighed. Even on the brink of death, Sunfury remained obstinate. “Very well,” I said and raised my blades. Bringing them down more reluctantly than I ever had, I struck the phoenix anew.

You have injured Sunfury.

Surprisingly, the phoenix survived the twin blows. He was tougher than I’d ever imagined. I didn’t try to speak to him again, though. Respecting his final wishes, I prepared to strike again.

A Game message unfurled in my mind.

You have acquired a new spirit signature: the Mark of the Phoenix!

You have defeated a mature phoenix, a powerful fighter amongst the firebirds of the Kingdom, and he has acknowledged your merit, granting you the title of Worthy Adversary.

Any phoenix who beholds your Mark will be more kindly disposed to you than they ordinarily would be. Note, only firebirds can see your new spirit signature.

I halted my attack. “What was that for?” I asked, having no doubt as to the source of my new Mark.

“A… reward for a battle well-fought… and my freedom. When I breathe my last… make sure to take the c-central feather of my crest… you will know it w-when you see it. Consider it… a parting gift.”

“Thank you,” I said, not knowing what else to say. Bringing my blades down, I struck again.

You have killed Sunfury.

“Goodbye,” I whispered. “May you find peace.” I paused, considering what I knew of the phoenix. “And an endless litany of battles,” I amended.

✵ ✵ ✵

Long minutes after Sunfury’s death, the canyon’s heaving finally quietened.

Staying where I was, atop the corpse, I waited it out. Beneath me the phoenix’s body slowly sank. Now that Sunfury was dead, whatever magic that had prevented the lava from eating away at his flesh had fled and the smell of charred and burning meat filled the air.

I saw no sign of the feather Sunfury had mentioned—perhaps the flames had claimed it already—and with a shrug, I lay down a ramp of air and slid to safety on the solid ground beyond.

Sitting down cross-legged I turned my focus inwards and examined the results of the battle.

You have reached level 170 and rank 17!

For achieving rank 17, you have been awarded 1 additional attribute point.

Your two-weapon fighting has reached rank 13.

Your telekinesis and telepathy have reached rank 14.

My feelings about the battle’s outcome were mixed.

I’d killed my adversary, true, but I still felt like I’d lost more than I’d gained. What I told Sunfury was true. He had not been my enemy, and if only he’d been inclined towards a less final end, I was sure he could have made for a powerful ally. With the phoenix by my side, defeating even the harbinger would have been possible.

I sighed. Still, what was done was done, and it was not like I’d come away empty-handed from the encounter. I’d gained three levels, four attribute points, and ranked up three of my skills. Not a bad outcome by any means. Closing my eyes, I attended to my injuries and restored my defenses to working order.

You have fully restored your health, mana, and psi.

You have successfully stored the cold sphere spell in the ring, mage’s surprise.

Sadly, my time knowing the cold sphere spell was nearly up. But thanks to spellhold I retained one more instance of the ent’s stolen spell. I would have to make certain to choose the moment of its next casting carefully.

Lastly, I invested my new attribute points.

Your Magic has increased to rank 28. Other modifiers: +14 from items.

Witnessing the changes to my mana pool, I nodded in satisfaction. My Magic had grown to the point where I felt further investment unnecessary, allowing me to refocus attention on my Mind and Dexterity attributes.

“You killed him!” Ghost said, approaching from the rear.

I glanced over my shoulder at her. “Don’t sound so surprised,” I said with a smile.

“I always knew you could,” Ghost objected. “I just didn’t think you would go through with it.”

I raised one eyebrow. “Oh? Why’s that?”

Ghost dipped her head in a lupine version of a shrug. “You liked him.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it, shaking my head. Once more Ghost displayed an uncanny knack for knowing my own mind better than I sometimes did. What she said was true. I had liked the phoenix, seeing in him something of a kindred spirit, and I regretted being forced to kill him.

Perhaps our paths will cross again, I thought, thinking about Sunfury’s mention of an aviary.

Now though, it was time to move on.

Rising to my feet, I turned about in a slow circle. Behind me, the lava still bubbled, but the rest of the canyon had settled down—for all that it now resembled an overwrought child’s wrecked playpen.

“Did you see a loot chest anywhere?” I asked, frowning.

Ghost shook her head. “No, and I made sure to look before rejoining you.”

My lips turned down. “That’s a pity.” Glancing around again, I looked for a place to camp. The canyon was likely unstable but that suited me just fine. Any foes that approached would not be able to do so soundlessly.

Spotting a shadowed crack in the ground that didn’t seem too deep, I waved Ghost over. “Come, I think we have time for a few more lessons before I turn in for the night.”