Chapter 104 - Is This The End? (1/2)
The flames within his orbits flickered as he cast them down at the nearly recovered monster. He was certain now that whatever this thing was, was not from this plane. Amaranthae must have encountered this abomination all those years ago, and using some unknown spell, sacrificed herself to seal it away within her own flesh. There must have been more than that to the story, but the details would be forever lost to the ebbs of time. One thing was for certain though, he was nowhere near as selfless as the Goddess of healing magic.
With a wave of his hand, a swirling portal opened directly above the monster. The lava the beast was wading in suddenly surged beneath it, pushing it up and into the churning gateway. With a flash of violet light, the open portal snapped shut, instantly separating the monster's head from its multi-limbed body. Spurts of black, viscous blood poured into the molten rock, generating copious amounts of foul-smelling haze as the body fell limply back to the molten pool.
Professor Kal's bony face didn't betray any of his emotions as he silently watched the monster's body slip beneath the roiling pool. He knew that there was no way that that would be it, that he had defeated the self-proclaimed devourer of worlds with such a simple trick. He put some more distance between himself and the pool of lava, cautious of any sudden attacks being thrown at him. His disappointing student was still wrapped up in a cocoon of hardened earth, passed out from the pain of breaking his leg following his violent fall from the ledge high above.
Without looking back, he opened another Warp Gate before moving Ryan, cocoon and all, into it and out of the immediate danger. He had enough confidence in being able to protect himself, or at the least, escape; but that was as far as it went, he would rather not have to hunt for another student that happened to have the same affinity as Ryan had.
An eruption of light, heat, and molten rock came from the glowing pool below him. He narrowed his eyes, the flames in his sockets dimming as he strained to peer through the spray of liquid rock. Hidden behind the veil of light was the monster's headless body swimming through the pool of molten rock like a fish in water. Its six limbs grasped solid ground and hauled its massive body out of the pool, its hoofed feet digging deeply into the soft soil of the crater's wall.
Out of the gaping wound that was its neck, grew countless tendrils of wriggling flesh. Professor Kal couldn't get the sight of maggots swarming a decaying corpse out of his head as he watched from above. The tendrils of flesh slowly morphed into the shape of a head, some began to harden into rock hard bone, others squirmed around before turning into pink, sticky muscle. In only a matter of moments, the monster's familiar dull, grey eyes were once again staring up at him.
”Nothing you do will stop me, none of your paltry tricks will delay the inevitable.” It spoke. ”Lay down and embrace your fate, for I am the end.”
A blast of fire broke over the rambling creature's face, obscuring its vision and temporarily deafening it. As the flames subsided and its vision returned, the monster noticed that its audience had vanished, leaving it alone in the bottom of the crater. With a smirk, it dug its many claws into the steep walls and began climbing to the surface.
Professor Kal floated high in the sky; his fiery gaze cast down on the ground below. The winter sky was filled with billowing columns of black smoke from the ever-expanding fires below. Hot air was rising rapidly, pulling the cold air from further away towards the flames, fanning them further. It was the beginnings of a firestorm.
Having a bird's eye view allowed him to see everything happening below, even through the thick, choking smoke. He waited patiently for the monster to make it halfway out of the crater before attacking it with his formidable magic.
”Titan's Jaws…”
The massive crater instantly constricted onto the monster, trapping it inside and causing ripples to spread out, toppling buildings in their wake.
”Heavens' Wrath…”
A jagged bolt of lightening tore the sky in half as it reached for the earth, creating a blinding flash and deafening boom as it struck the ground.
The plaza was now unrecognizable, nothing but flat, desolate earth remained. The meticulously sculptured foliage had been burned to their roots while the tall, ancient trees uprooted and thrown into the raging fires beyond. A sparkling black obelisk now stood where the crater once was, a glass coffin that Professor Kal knew wouldn't hold.
Small cracks began to spider web on the outside of the black glass before giving way to larger fissures that ran from top to bottom. With a resounding 'crack', the obelisk split in two, revealing the unharmed monster. Professor Kal wasn't surprised, he had a feeling that whatever he could throw at it, the monster would be able to repulse it. He was up against something more than just a monster.
He silently descended to the barren ground below, his boots creating crunching noises as he walked towards the otherworldly monster.
”What would it take for you to just go to another plane?” He asked, shouting across a good distance; he knew better than to get within reach of the monster.
The monster laughed once again, a noise that grated on Professor Kal's nerves. ”Bargaining, are we? Tell me, does the reaper spare the souls of man when they beg and plead for just one more breath? Does he stop swinging his righteous sickle, reaping souls like blades of grass, just out of pity?”