Iceblade Ascendant

8: TO THE STARS

Jaewyn could see two other monstrous fungoid beasts. As she approached there was a metallic swish followed by a crash of explosive energy as something flew past and impacted on a creature's head. A quick glance revealed Zephyrle had just thrown a glass orb and was about to throw another. With a bellow of rage, the beast lumbered toward her. Tucking the firebomb away and unsheathing her swords, she leapt to intercept her foe. Swords slashing, she opened an x-shaped cut on the fungoid's chest, bright sparks erupting before she rolled between the trunk-like legs. Dodging away from its grasping tentacles, she danced around her massive opponent. The firebomb she had thrown had exploded into glass shards, most of which were now embedded in the beast's fungal hide and its face was blackened by the device's poisonous contents. Two of its yellow eyes were ruined, their juices running from the narrow eye sockets like spilled fruit juice.

"Hey ugly," Zephyrle yelled. She stood side on, pointing her swords, left blade straight, right blade above her head. "You're more hideous than you were to start with!"

The fungoid roared with anger and swept its tentacled arms toward her but she was too fast, seriously fast. As a Beltharin herself, Jaewyn knew the advantage of Beltharin speed, but Zephyrle was incredible. One moment she was hurling insults, the next she had vaulted away, her right sword neatly slicing off a tentacle in the process. As Jaewyn watched, Zephyrle skirted around behind the monster, too fast for it to follow, then bounded up and found a foothold amidst the fungus growing on its back. Whirling her blades in a figure of eight, she plunged them up to the hilt between the fungoid's shoulders.

"This is for you," she snarled as she withdrew her swords and gave her opponent a hefty kick in the back of the head. Then she leapt clear, a mischievous grin on her face. Bristling with fury, the fungoid shrieked and lashed out, anticipating her move and successfully wrapping a slimy tentacle around Zephyrle's waist. Zephyrle screamed as the tiny hooks on the inner side of the tentacle scratched her bare skin but she savagely cut through with her sword and dropped to the ground.

It's maw opening wide, the fungoid expanded its throat and Jaewyn could see it was about to spit acid.

"Zeph watch out!"

Just as the greenish filth came flying from the creature's maw Zephyrle rolled aside and the acid melted into the sand.

"Thanks Jae," Zephyrle replied with a quick glance toward her friend.

As the thief weaved and skipped, Thalleron fired with his staff, supporting her with ranged attacks. Blasts of green fire scorched and billowed in emerald clouds across the monster while Zephyrle's twin sparkswords sliced and cut light wounds in its hands and arms. Black blood splashed the arena floor.

Jaewyn stood in awe, hesitant to pitch in. Her sword swings, especially now that Arnjo was extended, would be broad sweeps and she didn't want to hit her companions. As she watched Zephyrle somersaulting and twirling her blades, and Thalleron's constant barrage of emerald flames, it seemed like they were doing fine without her help. She was glad she had such skilled and talented individuals on her team. Taking the moment to study the situation, she noticed the bodies of two other fungoids on the ground, the sand soaked black with their blood. They were surrounded by the bodies of the other members of the elven patrol. Evidence of the fighting whilst she'd been aiding Athenara, she thought bitterly. At least they'd helped to take down two of the foul creatures.

Kalethe was taking the last monstrosity by himself, his massive, azure blade flashing with frightening speed and efficiency. Isaku seemed to roar through the air, taking one of his foe's hands clean off. Ducking under the swipe from the other claw, the warlock straightened, and lifted his left gauntlet with palm facing his foe.

"Sethvar Tel Thanquonar!" There was a flash of blue light which enveloped the fungoid, covering it in a cloak of freezing ice crystals and slowing its movement to a crawl. While the creature was hindered, Kalethe pointed his sword at the thing, moving backward slowly. "Isyrynar Shadarius, Arcturius Thellanos!" Firing off icy bolts, Isaku glowed bright each time a new ice bolt materialised and slammed hard into the fungoid's flesh. The fungoid gritted its spiny teeth in pain, struggling to reach its opponent but failing miserably. Kalethe laughed coldly, stepping around the beast and bringing Isaku around in a double-handed, sweeping arc. The sword slashed brutally, a heavy knee was nearly severed and the monster collapsed under its own weight in a crash of bluish ice and broken fungus fragments. Instantly the movement spell ended and the ice evaporated but as the fungoid struggled to rise, Kalethe leapt atop its back and twirled his blade. He was frowning, his ice-shard eyes a cool match for his marble features. The fungoid tried desperately to drag itself to its feet but the warlock slammed his blade into every pressure point, keeping it down.

Isaku lanced point first downward through the creature's skull.

"Jae, wanna do the honours?" Zephyrle flicked her gaze back to Jaewyn. The other fungoid was on its knees, black blood oozing from multiple injuries. It swayed drunkenly, its tentacles mostly severed and a foul, hook-edged tongue lolling from its mouth. The light in its eyes had nearly gone out, but still held a spark of defiance. Zephyrle's swords were slick with blood, and Thalleron stood nearby, his crackling staff planted in the ground. Jaewyn hefted Arnjo, flicking a rune on its hilt. The blade glowed with golden light. Running towards the beast, she swept her sword upward and diagonal across the fungoid's body. Blood spewed forth and Jaewyn brought Arnjo around and up again in one fluid motion, creating a massive X to match the smaller one on the creature's gnarly chest. To finish it off, she drove Arnjo forwards through the fungoid's sternum.

"I don't know what you are, but from this day your race is my enemy," Jaewyn growled. She pulled her sword free and kicked one of the knees from beneath her foe then spun, twirling the blade, and finally planted Arnjo point first in the fungoid's face. The creature screeched and died, blood fountaining as the corpse pitched forwards and fell into the dust.

With the fungoid beasts dealt with, Jaewyn turned and ran back to Athenara and knelt by her side. The elven captain was breathing smoothly, but by the light fading in her eyes, Jaewyn could see she didn't have much time left. Athenara waited until all four of them had approached before speaking.

"We'd just begun to investigate the star, and found..." She coughed.

Jaewyn glanced up at the huge fallen star. Now that she looked at it, she could see a myriad of strange, alien ridges, protrusions and holes in the meteorite's surface.

"What...what is it? It's not just a star, is it?"

"Its a vessel," Athenara continued, her voice steady. "A vessel, a ship, for the creatures. It's their ship."

"Preposterous," Thalleron scoffed. "Are you suggesting these... beasts rode the meteorite down into our world from the sky?"

"I'm not suggesting, mystic," Athenara said calmly, her eyes locked onto Thalleron. "We went inside, looked around. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before... but then they attacked. They must've established a base somewhere in the ruins here, caught us off guard. Then you arrived."

"Ok, so we have to check it out," Jaewyn told her team. "Be at peace, Athenara. You did well, you served well. You'll like the Spiritscape. It's a magical place."

Athenara closed her eyes and breathed peacefully. As they watched, there was the rumble of thunder and with a flash of golden light a tear in the fabric of reality opened. Through it, Jaewyn could see a pathway winding its way through green fields bordered by a dark forest beneath a star-studded sky.

"Wow," Zephyrle gasped. "Is that..."

Jaewyn glared at Zephyrle so she instantly shut her mouth. There was a shimmer in the air as if something invisible to the naked eye was moving through the portal and then the portal vanished with a burst of gold sparks. Athenara had ascended.

"To the stars," Jaewyn murmured, bowing her head in respect.

"To the stars," the others echoed with bowed heads and fists clenched over hearts.