Enna Is a Land God- Book:2

An Untouchable Enemy

Weather it saw us readying ourselves, or if it just didn't feal like talking any more, I don't know, but just as I drew my blade the Specter surged forward. Its Odd, ghostly shape moving faster than I would have thought, it charged directly at me as its minions picked up their pace from all sides. We were surrounded and vastly over powered, unless my companions were a lot more skilled than I thought.

Proving that they were, indeed, vastly stronger than I had figured, Kishi rushed the oncoming Specter, her maw spouting flames as her eyes glowed a deep, eerie red. In three great leaps she was before the Specter and let loose her fire. But clearly this creature was faster still, as it bent in a way that suggested it really did not have bones and avoided the flames, which scorched past and ignited a handful of stump minions all the same. 

But it did mean that our enemy broke past Kishi and now had a clear shot at me. And there would be no speedy aid this time, as both Reihekiu and Lagdon each had their hands full with larger minions either side of me. But it was fine... I could not rely on their strength forever.

Spinning on a barefooted heal and couching at the same time, I spread my fox fire in a circle around myself, making a wall of flame between myself and the black shadow. It pulled up short with an aggravated hiss, purple eyes blazing before me. It provided just the distraction Kishi needed to reach us once again, and she leapt at the Specter from behind.

I watched as the nearly one ton fox descended from on high, massive claws extended as if she were a cat rather than a fox, lips pulled back from glistening teeth, and eyes blazing with an anger I hoped never made its way into my own soul. I was reminded that Kishi was already on a quest of revenge against this being before she agreed to be my personal guardian.

But filled with rage or not, her sneak attack had zero effect. The Specter did not even bother to doge either, Kishi simply passed right though his form, past my flames, and landed on the rotted earth next to me. She swung around so that she looped around my back, snarling at our enemy. For his part, the specter laughed, amusement evident even if he did not have a readable face.

"You efforts are worthless." It said snidely. I watched as it raised one of its grossly elongated arms and swiped downward, my fire vanishing in a flash. Kishi snarled, and I took a step back. Afraid, but determined to prove my worth, I refused to take another, and instead try to think of a way, in these scant seconds, to defeat my foe.

I remembered Nord, telling the others and I off for relying on 'flashy' magic rather than honing our combat skills. I rather wished I had at least a little of either at this point...

"Iifree!" I shouted out the spell for fire, again forgoing the chant. The spell was stronger but less controllable than the fox fire, and like with Kishi's initial attack, the Specter dodged. Clearly it did fear magic in some way. I just wished I knew more than such a simple spell!

I ran around the left of the black shadow while communicating with my eyes for Kishi to flank to the right. She wasted no time springing into action. On a dime, we both stopped and as she launched another dragon like fire breath, I too let loose with another iifree spell. I thought for sure that we had gotten the bastard this time, but no. Once again, demonstrating absurd agility, the Specter twisted itself till it lost all familiar shape, and both of our spells flew past him. I ducked under Kishi's attack, and mine hit one of the large minions, catching it on fire as if it really was made of tar.

"Damn it!" I hissed over the Specter's laughter, stomping a foot in a childish fit of irritation and frustration.

 "In coming!" Roared the familiar voice of my hobgoblin protector.

Instinct hammered into me from training with the prince and Nord had me ducking to the dirt in an instant. I felt the wind rush by and my hair was tugged as something sored over my head. I looked up just in time to see that Lagdon had some how torn the bloodless arm off one of the large minions and had thrown it at the Specter. 

It rushed through the air like it weighed no more than the shadow stuff it had been born from and I blinked in confusion when I saw that there was one of the smaller, stump like minions clinging to the fore arm. The creature had its twig like appendages locked around the tarry arm and it danced in the air pressure as both severed arm and itself flew at it's master.

Not wanting to waste a distraction, and assuming that an arm being tossed at it would do no more damage than a massive foxes fangs had, I rolled in the dirt and twigs. I got back to my feet and shot two more flame spells at our enemy in quick succession.

Predictably, the Specter did not even bother dodging the arm, instead allowing it to pas straight through its massless form. Then it did dodge the fire, bending itself once again into an unnatural shape. 

But I felt my lips split into a savage grin when the second fire ball, the one he had not anticipated, slammed into its misty body. And, as if the mist was methane rather than water, the Specter immediately caught alight. So loud was the noise that I slammed my hands against my ears. And that was just the sound of the fire. In less than a second the Specter itself was, again, letting out one of its unearthly screeches, making my brain hurt and my vision to dance.

Capitalizing on the opportunity, I saw Reihekiu dash past me. She launched her caramelized form into the air, katana like blade flashing in the greasy fire light and her hair dancing out behind her. She looked like a hero of legend, potato sack not withstanding. But my heart sank, because physical attacks seemed to have no effect on this enemy, he was untouchable! What could a sword, even one a finely crafted as this one, do to its shadow stuffs?

As we all watched- Kishi crouched about ten yards away from me, Lagdon catching his breath before the next massive minion reached him, and I crouched in the dirt, gazing up at the half elf's majestic form- Reihekiu spun mid air, the sword lifted up to the cloudless sky, and screamed our way: "Move!"

Faster than I could react, Kishi shot forward without hesitation (I think Nord would like the Guardian Fox) and locked her fangs around the collar of my dirty robe, yanking me up and away, back toward Lagdon.

I watched, amazed at the series of events that happened next. It felt like it took minutes, but in truth, it all happened in only a few scant seconds.