(A/N) Kaijuu/pokemon aren't my creations, and I'm not getting any money for it. Paws off my original ideas and characters!
The Adamant Key
Chapter 15: Final Battle
By Trivnar Silversword
"How do you know where to go?" asked Rowan, shouting to make herself heard.
"I can sense him," Kepa translated for Ismitta. "He is a blemish upon the face of the earth."
They flew west and by looking at the ground Rowan could see traces of the Ancient's passing. Forests frozen in ice or charred by fire and the earth randomly overturned.
"We're getting close," Ismitta warned. "He must have stopped to rest."
Rowan's hands clenched the lugia's spines nervously. "It'll be alright," Kepa whispered. "I'll take care of you." She gulped, somehow not feeling better. She had to touch the Ancient to send her healing energies through it, and had decided that this involved jumping onto the kaijuu's back. But if they caught it on the ground, it would make her task much simpler...
"There!" Gwyn called out suddenly, pointing to a large red and black mass resting in a hollow far below. Ismitta nodded and the four separated, circling around to attack from each of the cardinal points.
Before they could even get close, however, the Ancient looked up and let loose a mournful cry before lunging into the air towards them. On its four wings the Ancient was surprisingly fast, catching up to them in a dozen wing-beats. Rowan caught a glimpse of red eyes burning with an unfathomable hatred before the beast spun and swatted the fearow-hybrid with its front paws.
The creature fell, only stopping itself a few feet above the ground. Peering over Ismitta's neck, Rowan could see it straining to rejoin them. Thinien roared and twisted to face the lugia. She let loose her own war-cry and shot a blast of white lightning towards the beast.
He brought two of his wings forward, shielding himself. The energy bounced off like a rubber ball hitting a stone wall, shooting towards Gwyn and the golbat-hybrid. With squawks of surprise, both managed to dodge them.
The Ancient, meanwhile, was chasing after Ismitta, snapping at her tail as she tried to flee. Kepa faced back and shot fireballs at it, but he simply batted them away like fleas. Rowan found herself slipping and wrapped her arms around the lugia's neck, clutching frantically.
Stonejaw swooped in, clamping her massive jaws onto one of the Ancient's wing bones. Scucca felt the beast's pain, intensified it, and sent it towards the ancient, face twisted as he also dealt with the pain. Thinien whipped his tail forward, twining it around one of Stonejaw's legs and jerking her away.
The golbat-hybrid was suddenly above the Ancient, wielding a spear. He tucked in his wings and dove, slamming the spear into Thinien's back. The latter roared in pain, shaking off the golbat then grabbing him in his left talon. With his other he twisted around and plucked the splinter from his back, crushing it to dust before letting it fall.
Time seemed to slow as the Ancient sneered, then clenched his paw, crushing the life out of the fragile being. The fearow-hybrid shouted angrily and rushed the beast, but Thinien shot quills from his mane which pierced the fearow through and through. A look of surprise frozen on his face, the hybrid fell, shortly followed by the corpse of his friend.
Thinien lunged towards Ismitta, clawing her gleaming flanks with his razor sharp claws and leaving bloody rents behind. She screamed in pain, shooting more white energy towards him. Although it didn't hurt the Ancient, it gave her time to get out of its range.
Rowan strung her bow, waiting until Thinien turned to fight Gwyn before letting her arrow fly, swiftly followed by two more. The first two thudded into the Ancient's side; he ignored them completely. However the third hit the mark, plunging into the kaijuu's eye.
Thinien roared in annoyance, shooting upwards into the sky. Stonejaw, Ismitta and the charizard strained their wings, trying to keep up with the Ancient. Unfortunately, it did not want to be overtaken and, despite its massive size, stayed ahead of the pursuers.
The Ancient suddenly twisted around and dove through them, lashing out with its fearsome front paws. The kaijuu scattered out of his way, giving Rowan a split second glance at the eye she had wounded, now completely healed.
Kepa had seen it also. "The dragonite was right! Looks like you're the only one who can destroy him!"
Rowan gulped, trying to push back the fear that gripped her like a tangible being. The last thing she wanted to do was jump on the back of the monster.
Gwyn swept in behind the Ancient, and got her charizard to bite down on Thinien's leg. Distracted, it turned to see what had him and, seizing the opportunity, Ismitta dove.
"Use the dagger!" Kepa suggested.
Rowan nodded and pulled the adamantine blade from its sheath. As soon as the lugia was close enough, and before she could form a rational thought, she lunged from her perch, aiming for Thinien's back.
For a brief second Rowan hung in mid-air, with nothing under her but a long drop, then she landed on the Ancient's back. She drove the dagger into his back then gripped the hilt to hold herself on as he twisted violently, trying to reach the charizard that would not let go of his foot!
Rowan was slung about violently, so much so that she did not dare loosen one hand to use her power. Tears rolled down as she hung on for dear life, scared to the bone of the monster she rode.
He finally swung about, slamming the charizard into Ismitta. Her wing buckled and both started to fall, tangled in each other. Thinien folded his wings and followed their descent. Almost lazily he reached out and brushed the passengers from Ismitta's back. Kepa saw it coming and made a desperate lunge, grabbing hold of the charizard's burning tail-tip.
The jerk brought the kaijuu to his senses and he locked his wings, bringing their descent to a abrupt halt. Gwyn reached down and pulled Kepa up to sit behind her. Thavron, however, was not so lucky.
Ismitta caught him by the hem of his shirt but Thinien shot forth another barrage of quills, sending them towards the lugia's head. Blood spurted as both of Ismitta's eyes were pierced. Thavron caught the brunt of the blow, his body turning into a macabre parody of a pincushion, killing him in seconds.
Rowan screamed as Gwyn guided her charizard under Ismitta's bad wing and guiding her back towards the ground, Thavron's body still dangling from her beak. She freed a hand from its death-grip on the dagger's hilt and slammed it down on the Ancient's back, forcing all her healing energy through that small contact.
She closed her eyes, but the sight of the quills slamming into Thavron would not go away. Rowan howled, blinded by grief.
Thinien roared as the fiery energy surged through his body, causing him pain he could not quench. He twisted his supple body, trying to reach the point from which the pain emanated, but it was right between his wing joints, a place he could not reach.
The fire rushed through him, making changes he could not understand, trying to untwist his mutilated body, trying to separate the two mangled sets of genes. Screaming, his thoughts no longer coherent, he plunged towards the earth, thinking only to ease the pain.
Perched on Thinien's back, Rowan could think of nothing, filled with the simple and mindless joy of pushing energy into the thing that had taken Thavron away. She distantly heard shouts of alarm and warnings, but she took no heed of them, ignoring everything but the terrible desire to destroy.
She did not see the charizard fly up towards the falling Ancient, nor the blaziken jump from its back onto her own out-of-control mount. All she felt was something loop around her waist and jerk her backwards, pulling the dagger from Thinien's back and making her lose contact with his skin.
Rowan lashed out with the dagger but an iron grip grabbed her wrist and forced it down.
"Rowan, calm down! It's me, dammit!"
The voice broke through her tormented thoughts and stopped them dead in their tracks. She slumped limply in Kepa's grasp, unprotesting as he jumped back onto the charizard. The kaijuu stopped falling at once and Gwyn hollered, "Ismitta! Now!"
A bolt of white energy shot out from the ground under the falling Ancient and pierced straight through it. This time Thinien was too crazed to block it and had no energy left to heal. The white flames engulfed him, cracking and sparking as they devoured his flesh. It was over in seconds; not a trace remained of the once invulnerable Ancient.
The charizard landed gracefully, its wing beats raising little whirlwinds of dust that swirled around his feet. Rowan felt herself being helped down then made to sit with her back against a tree. The bark dug into her back and she found the sensation slightly comforting, although she couldn't explain why. Stonejaw and Scucca landed moments later, the empath sullen and miserable, picking up the ambient mood.
Kepa and Gwyn retrieved Thavron's body and wrapped it in cloth, then left to search for the other two. Ismitta shuffled over to where Rowan sat and lay down, her sightless eyes closed. Rowan wordlessly crawled over to her and started to pull the quills out of her face.
The kaijuu sighed in relief as the jagged barbs were removed. Rowan laid her hands on the thick neck and healed the puncture wounds closed, then did the same for the large gashes on her flanks. When she was finished, she leaned back against the Ancient and stared vaguely at nothing, almost as blindly as the kaijuu with the pierced eyes.
Kepa and Gwyn came back eventually, bringing with them two more wrapped bodies. Ismitta nudged each gently, but no one spoke. Finally they gathered themselves to leave; Stonejaw bearing Scucca and one body, Gwyn and Rowan on the charizard and Ismitta carrying the rest.
The aerodactyl and the charizard flew on either side of the Ancient, leading her across a vast expanse of sky. They reached the place where Path and Inali waited by nightfall, dropping like leaves out of the dusky sky.
Path knelt in front of Rowan, looking up at her through shining eyes. I can't thank you enough for what you have done. I am the descendent of one of the Kaijuu sent to destroy Thinien and as such, doomed to remain beside him until the chosen Healer consigned him to his eternal rest. You have done us a great favour-."
"Enough," muttered Rowan, turning away. "Whatever you have to say, I don't want to hear it."
Gather round, murmured Inali. I will bring us all to the Temple.
The kaijuu shuffled round in a sad circle then vanished from sight, reappearing in the Courtyard of Light and Darkness.
-Moonwind!- Ismitta called out. -I am home.-
The human-lugia hybrid rushed out of the nearest house, paling when he saw her eyes. "Ismitta..."
She flicked her long tail in annoyance. -It's of little importance; I am alive. Come, find beds for these people: it is long past the time for them to have a good rest.-
Rowan let herself be led to a room and flopped down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Thavron being pierced by the sharp quills, except in her imagination he turned his face towards her and she saw his eyes, pleading for answers. It took her a long, long time to fall asleep.