Chapter25: Ancient one
The white monster was incredibly mobile and swerved fiercely to one side as Megufu lunged towards its position. He attacked again, and again the monster leaped aside and counter attacked smashing Megufu into the waves below. The blow was much less painful than he had expected it to be. The dragoon armour protected him from the greater part of the shock and the waves cushioned his fall.
Under the waves Megufu saw a bright ray of orange light strike the monster hard to the extent that it roared in pain causing the cavern walls to shake. Raga had fired an arrow. Megufu blew out the little air he had left to stop him inhaling water and rushed up, taking a breath as he left the waves he attacked with the sword slashing a great scar across the monster's white chest. The sword it seemed would cut through almost anything.
He swiped again but the monster caught the sword with its hand. This was a mistake as Megufu only pushed harder until it sliced through severing two clawed fingers into the lake below. The other hand came thrashing round and smacked Megufu hard in the air. It sent him flying and seeing stars spinning he slowed upside down his feet rested briefly on the cavern roof before he was able to gain his bearings, panting hard he watched as the world kept spinning. He realized only just in time that the monster was about to fire its laser at him. The blast shot forward and he pushed off of the ceiling and hurtled again into the waves below. The blast brought a huge amount of rock fall down into the waves. One rock smacked into him and almost brought him down to the bottom if he hadn't wriggled out of the current. Leaving the waves he looked up in shock to see Raga attack with glowing fists. The monster blocked with its wounded arms but failed to stop a spinning kick into its head. Taking out the bow she would have shot it directly if it hadn't struck her down. She screamed hitting the cavern wall and sank to the ground on one knee.
The Virage advanced on her mercilessly but Megufu turned on it from behind. Hands glowing with black darkness he fired a bolt that struck the monster in the back and burned with a black and blue flame. It struggled on towards Raga floating through the air like a dream of doom.
Megufu rushed forward the sword in hand preparing a magic enhanced blow that would cut the darkness wound even deeper; the monster however, had reactions of its own and could sense that the end was coming closer, and not from its front. It turned at lightning speed and swiping with its good hand grabbed Megufu round the waste. He dropped the sword that clanged on the rocky ground below half in the water. The claws began to squeeze scraping against the armour. He gaped in pain unable to make a sound. The same bright light appeared on the monster's gem preparing to fire as if saying, "I'll take you with me".
He was dropped suddenly and the beam missed arching over the roof. Raga slumped to the ground and returned to her mortal form clutching the bow, blood running down her head and hand. She coughed twice and fell to the ground her hands digging into the dirt as if she were worried that the ground itself might fall away, her mouth brining up blood. She had saved him.
Megufu wasted no time and flying down swung himself round the creature's leg. He attacked it from behind punching hard he broke something sending a crack across the monster's knee cap. It fell towards the waves. Grabbing the sword from the ground he brought the sword up in an uppercut as the beast fell and severed the head from its body. It fell with a crash into the waves and sank deep into the mud slowly and surely until there was nothing left to see. Bubbles rose and fish and strange creatures fled in either direction trying to escape.
He flew over to Raga and transformed out of the armour he fell on his hands and knees beside her. Both of them were bleeding in several places. He extended a hand to her, "Give me your hand!" he said and she did. They stood to their feet and watched as the bubbles and ripples subsided in the water.
"I told you so…" she said as soft as a mouse. She coughed again and the two of them staggered away across the rocky cavern walls. The magic sword hung limp dragging across the ground.
"You did," he replied, "but you did well"
She didn't respond. She was too weak.
"You are stronger than you look," he said as they staggered away.
"Its this way," she whispered pointing. They walked down the passageway and through the darkness.
Megufu held the sword in front with its limited light. Raga took out the stone which glowed dimly as if it too were exhausted and gave some light. It was no longer so necessary now as there was a light from outside at the end of the tunnel.
"What was that?" said Megufu
"I don't know," she responded.
"Do you have any potions on you?" asked Megufu pragmatically
"Nothing… nothing at all"
"Words cannot describe…" breathed Megufu tiredly, "How those words do not make me feel any better…"
They staggered out into the light where Raga collapsed onto the grass. Megufu sat down opposite and cringed in pain as he sat down. Light beamed in through the tree tops of the forest. Birds were singing a morning tune.
"Is anything broken?" he asked Raga
"I don't think so," she wheezed, "And you?"
"I haven't noticed anything," he responded, "Except for pain"
"What are we going to do?"
"We need to find somewhere to heal," he replied
"We can't stagger all the way back to the shack"
"We may have to"
"Can you fly there?"
"No…" replied Megufu, "I used up everything I had against that creature. I will have to rest before I transform again"
