A Tale of Light and Monsters

The Virtue of Rain

Then, rain fell.

Subconsciously, I felt the cool drops of water roll down my skin. Every child learns early that Styghbeasts hate the things of nature. Like fire. Like water. However, while a part of me rejoiced at Thafna's triumph, I knew from experience it wouldn't be enough. The rain was too light and too weak to be anything but an enraging annoyance.

The serpent took my full attention with its swift movement and strong attacks. Its long white fangs were deathly sharp and dripping with venom. Its movements were lightning fast and each strike as heavy as a boulder. It was not sentient but it fought smart. The beast seemed to be pushing me gradually towards the forest where there would be less room to escape its attacks.

Dodge.

Thrust.

Parry.

Sidestep.

Thrust.

The Styghbeast was indeed becoming more aggressive with the rain. Distantly, I could hear Thafna's confident voice turn panicky as the rain rather than repelling, was driving the Beast into a frantic frenzy.

Focus, Iatari.

The serpent's tail swished like a whip through the air nearly catching my head. I swiftly ducked under it just in time and somersaulted to my feet. I heaved the axe and it connected at the beast's exposed side. The scales were too thick and the attack only left a small chip. Frustrated, I hopped away as large ivory fangs lashed out at me.

Thafna was chanting a colourful amalgam of passages as if hoping that at least one would work. Her rain was still falling- almost rhythmical its drops were. They seemed to dance with me as I wove in and out of the Styghbeast's manoeuvres. My body was beginning to remember those stances that had been drilled into me for so many years; the muscle memory was steadily overcoming my fear.

The fight seemed to slow and it was becoming increasingly easier to avoid its attacks. But still, there was no effective way for me to go on the offence. Thafna's voice also slowed down until it sounded like a long string of drawn-out syllables. 

Suddenly, I could somehow perceive the threads that connected Thafna to the forces of the world. I could perceive her trying to desperately cling to that connection- so thin and weak. I understood immediately that it would never work.

But perhaps, I could help in some way.

I sensed far-off my body still moving, still fighting. But here I was, face to face with Thafna. Her eyes were closed, her chants clear but anguished, her arms outstretched. And I recited after her. 

The words at first held no meaning to me. Just some strange poem about rain and heaven. But I pondered upon it and understanding began to form. I couldn't place a finger on what exactly I understood. Like how one intuitively understands what a word means and what it is used for, without being able to explain it.

Abruptly, the world opened itself to me. Just a sliver of a crack. A tiny door. And energy flowed from that crack into me.

I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I quickly held Thafna's hands and imagined that energy flowing out of my hand and into hers.

Instantaneously, her once weak thread bloomed in strength; it doubled and quadrupled in thickness.

I snapped out of the trance. The wind had picked and the rain had turned into a frightening storm. But its area seemed to be growing smaller and smaller. In less than half a minute, the storm was only around the Beast with its strength growing exponentially.

A single, drawn-out, blood-curdling scream escaped the creature's throat as it was torn to shreds. Fetid blood and flesh splattered everywhere like rain.

My legs suddenly gave way, and my head felt like lead. That energy I had received was fully expended. Just as my vision faded to nothingness, I saw the sky clear up and Thafna rush to my side...