Love
Phoebe gazed down at the multitude of soldiers charging at her from below, swords and spears drawn to assault their towering king. Fortunately for her, in this state their physical attacks accomplished next to nothing, the blades and points harmlessly phasing through her fiery mass. Aphrodite seemed to notice this, groaning with frustration, deciding to send in Flint. Now this was a problem.
Flint rarely showed it, but his flame powers were far more explosive than other elementals, a result of the bloodline he shared with his sister and their parents. FP may be immune to slicing and stabbing at the moment, but concussive force like the one her brother was capable of could definitely affect her. The fire prince brought his hands close together and generated a swirling orb of flames between his palms. A moment later, he used an explosion at his feet to send himself hurling at his sister.
Phoebe brought her massive arms up to block, being sure to keep Aleen out of sight while she looked away. Flint's fiery detonations stung upon impact, actually shoving her a few feet back, but her form held, giving her an opening to swipe at her sibling in the midst of his fall back to the ground. The monarch grimaced as numerous blasts fought against her grip, Flint clearly agitated at being restricted, which wasn't anything new, brainwashed or not.
"Sorry about this, bro." Phoebe slammed him down on the ground, still pinned by her hand, and then raised a fist. She brought it down on the man like a titanic hammer, shaking the ground as it struck. Once the dust settled, Flint was revealed to be knocked out, skin dim and expression stuck in a daze. Phoebe's success was marginalized when numerous fiery spears impaled her back. Even as she hissed from the slight pain, part of her attention remained on Aleen, who had screamed from fright at the sudden assault. FP threw a wave of flames at the attacking soldiers, just strong enough to wipe them away and land them on their backs. Some were knocked out, but most got right back up and attacked again.
Aphrodite couldn't understand what was happening. She gritted her teeth as she watched Phoebe toss aside her puppet army like they were toys.
"What is this?" she shouted, gaining the fiery behemoth's attention. "You weren't this powerful earlier!" Phoebe took the opportunity to reply immediately, causing the Olympian's eyes to go wide as a fireball with the speed of a bullet was shot out of the gem in the king's forehead. The power was diminished, but she wanted a clear hit more than she wanted a chance to cause damage. The effect was obvious as the manipulative woman was thrown painfully into some of the palace ruins behind her, the soldiers under her hold pausing, as if unsure what to do.
Seeing her opening to bring the masses down, Phoebe spread out her towering figure, flames like massive roots uncurling across the camp, smothering each fire elemental in their path. As Aphrodite rose to her feet, rubbing her now aching head, she growled, feeling her influence fading as the soldiers lost their strength. Their ruler gently sapped away their fiery energy until they ultimately collapsed to the ground, rendered harmless. Aleen witnessed the entire spectacle from her perch on the woman's shoulder, in awe at the care she displayed in handling her seized subjects. Across the way, Aphrodite sent the monarch a scowl.
"Fine. If I can't have yours, I'll use mine." With a flick of the wrist, the Olympian set her next attack in motion. Phoebe's large head looked from left to right, watching her flanks. Sure enough, enemies began emerging from the lava surrounding the ruins of her home. Unfortunately, these weren't standard legionnaires. Aphrodite had summoned souls bound to golems. Concerned, she brought a hand closer to Aleen, who gazed fearfully at the stalking lava constructs. Not a second later, the giants reached down and ripped massive chunks of volcanic rock from the ground, bringing it above their heads before hurling them at the Fire Kingdom's leader.
Phoebe wasted no time in sending a swarm of homing flames at each golem, as well as their projectiles. Sadly, the sheer number of them combined couldn't be handled easily, especially with the woman having to worry about the little girl on her shoulder. As with the other attacks, she prioritized keeping Aleen safe, covering her from the incoming barrage with one massive hand. She grunted as several boulders struck her body, the large solid matter quite effectively battering her semi-corporeal form.
Aphrodite smirked upon noticing the ruler shrinking back, no longer giving the imposing aura she held moments ago. "You should've left the brat behind. There's no beating me while distracted with her." She laughed, enjoying the look of rage sent her way by Phoebe's silted eyes.
A sliver blade suddenly thrust right through the Olympian's chest, her face frozen in shock.
"That works both ways."
The barrage halted, giving Phoebe and Aleen the time to look in astonishment at the figure standing behind their enemy. Tattered cloak billowing, sword-arm outstretched, Finn silently held his position, his ocean blue eyes glaring at the fiery temptress's stiff form. A second later, her arms limply fell to her sides, her head hanging as if staring at the ground at her feet. The flame human let out a breath he'd apparently been holding, glad that his strike had succeeded. Flame Princess found her shock melt into relief, then to joy, realizing just how long it felt since they'd last seen each other. Aleen's heart beat faster as well, her guardian finally confirmed to be alive and well.
"AGH!"
Phoebe suddenly lurched, falling to her knees, hands gripping at her chest. He form began to shrink more, panicking the will-o-wisp clinging to her. Finn, stunned that something had gone wrong, found his eyes shift towards the seemingly subjugated Aphrodite. Her figure shook slightly, as if she were laughing under her breath. Finn invoked the fifth ring, searching her body, his fiery blood running cold when he found her elemental matrix, infused into her mannequin body by her creator. She had moved it!
"Did you think I'd fall for the same thing twice?" In his state of disbelief, Finn completely missed the massive rock that was hurled at him, his breath knocking out of him as he was sent careening into a nearby portion of wall. It collapsed from the impact, leaving the flame human half-buried in rubble.
"Finn!" Phoebe was nearly back to her normal form, still clutching painfully at her chest, Aleen desperately hugging her around the neck, terrified that she could do nothing. As Finn struggled to pull himself out, a golem's foot planted itself harshly into his abdomen, once more vacating his lungs, and nearly his stomach. His cry was heard by the two girls, who spared a despairing glance towards him as the golem who had stomped him was joined by several others, who all began tamping him into the earth. "S-stop!" FP cried out, even as she felt her matrix being pulled. Aphrodite had a finger casually waving around in her direction, that vile smirk present on her face.
"It takes some time, but I can find even your string." She turned to Finn, who had been given a reprieve from being pulverized, now grabbed by the head and held up towards the temptress. "So, mister hero, would you care to watch this?" the flame human struggled to keep his eyes open, heavy cuts and bruises already decorating his face. "Your mistress's matrix is already cracked and unstable. A bit of tugging on my part is plenty enough to split it open completely." She pulled with her finger, causing Phoebe to heave, followed by a scream as she fell to the ground and curled up on herself. Aleen was in tears, her small hands pressing on the ruler's chest, trying to relieve the pain.
Finn tried to form his sword, only to have two golems on either side of the one holding him up slug him on both sides simultaneously, causing him to cry out in pain and his alloy vine to slacken. He panted as Aphrodite stepped over to him, reaching out and tilting up his chin.
"I don't need raw power to deal with you. One well-placed shot is all it takes to throw you off, followed by some pummeling, and of course, a hostage or two." Finn gritted his teeth as he stared daggers at her, then sent a much softer gaze at Phoebe and Aleen, the fiery monarch given a moment of respite to look back at him in fear, the will-o-wisp supporting her with a matching look. "I know I don't come across as the cooperative type, but even I take advice from my fellow Olympians. I'll be sure to avenge Athena to return the favor."
The flame human watched as the other golems raised their fists, prepared to resume beating him. Finn focused on his rings, strategizing how to quickly escape and break Aphrodite's hold on Phoebe. However, he was broken out of his thoughts when he heard another scream from FP. Their foe narrowed her eyes at him. "I may not be able to pull your strings, but I can still sense when your power is fluctuating. The moment you try to use those rings, I'll tear her matrix apart."
This was it, he had no answer. Finn let himself go limp, eyes trembling from the sheer despair his soul was engulfed by. Even so, he still felt the full pain of the hits that suddenly assaulted his body, the golems taking their turns wailing on him. Phoebe had tears streaming down her eyes to match Aleen's, shaking her head furiously.
"Finn! Please do something! You can't worry about me!" The hero fought through the aching to look over at her, one eye unable to open from the stinging pain setting in.
"You're more than just someone I care about, dammit!" Flame Princess was silenced. "You're the hope of this kingdom! You mean more to your people than anyone!" Phoebe felt a surge of anger despite his logic.
"So you're willing to have Aleen watch you die instead?!" Finn's mouth remained open, words failing to answer despite his expression indicating he was trying. The two golems flanking him pulled back their fists again, aiming to squish the hero with their next attack. So conflicted was Finn that he didn't even notice it coming. Nor would he have to.
The two golems obliterated the head of the one holding him.
"W-what are you doing?!" Aphrodite bellowed, looking from one reanimated servant to the other. Their response was to turn to her and raise their fists, prompting the woman to flame shift away before she was pulverized. Reappearing, the Olympian watched as the rest of her forces all turned their attention on her, closing in. Finn dropped to his knees, only to groan and fall over on his side, unable to so much as twitch his muscles without feeling pain. He instinctively summoned the power of the seventh ring, attempting to accelerate the healing process.
In the meantime, Aphrodite desperately reached out to take command back, failing each time, with her now being the one dodging chunks of earth and punches of stone. "What is the meaning of this?!" she demanded indignantly, leaping back from another swipe of a golem.
"Just like a privileged brat to throw a tantrum when denied power." Everyone swung their heads around to look at the source of the new voice, finding them standing amongst the backrows of legionnaires, her aged face set in a deep frown while she calmly set her hands atop her stalagmite cane.
"De…lane…" Finn croaked out through raspy breathing. Suddenly aware she had a moment of freedom, Phoebe chose to ignore the appearance of a second blue fire elemental and got to her feet, dashing for the fallen form of Finn, Aleen right behind her. Aphrodite herself put their status on hold as she glared back at her creator.
"Well, the hag decided to show up in person. How nice." Delane showed no reaction to the snide comment, letting her aging eyes wander to the others. FP and the little one helped sit Finn up, who instantly coughed out a bit of blood, concerning them greatly. The seventh ring was clearly active on his arm, but the healing was minimal, confusing the monarch beside him. Delane moved her focus back to her creation, choosing to deal with her first. She raised a hand from her cane and held it out to Aphrodite, as if grasping for her.
"You've done enough, grown quite hideous from your deeds." Before the Olympian could reply, she felt her body seize up, held in place by the elder will-o-wisp's power. Delane closed her hand into a fist, resulting in Aphrodite feeling a great pressure on her matrix. She grimaced, fingers twitching as she burned a look of hatred into her creator. Her flames began to fade, skin dimming. Delane finally gripped her fist with all her strength, intending to finish it. Instead, Aphrodite stopped struggling.
The elder's brow furrowed. "What?" Her creation's glare morphed into a smirk, as she reached out with her clearly free hand and motioned it back towards Finn, who suddenly noticed his energy being drawn towards her. The temptress glanced over her shoulder at him, eyes brimming with mirth.
"You may not be fire elemental in origin, but that magic infused into you is." The flame human's eyes widened, realizing why his power wasn't properly healing him. Seeing it too, Phoebe got to her feet and prepared to hurl a fireball in the Olympian's direction. Aphrodite merely flicked her other hand to the side, the fiery ruler instantly crying out and falling to the ground again, clawing at her chest. Aleen started rushing over to her, but stopped upon hearing Finn groan. The young man wasn't recovering fast enough to stay sitting, his contracted magic being siphoned away by the second. The little girl looked back and forth between the two fallen counterparts, unable to decide what to do. In the end, she too fell to her knees, placing her hands on her head and shaking it, tears running anew.
Delane herself was struck by the scene, unable to accept her actions had brought the poor girl to such a state. She knew of her lost parents, occasionally saw her playing with her friends around the village, although shy about it. She didn't deserve this, not after all that. The elder ordered the realigned legionnaires to attack, their heavy footsteps signaling their charge towards their former master. Unfortunately, Aphrodite didn't seem concerned, waving her hand out towards the approaching horde, stopping them in their tracks. Delane put more influence towards them, as did the Olympian. The golems seemed to spasm in place, unable to be swayed one way or the other.
"You've kept your role as a master, old hag, but now I have that honor as well. Time after time you create me, each one superior to the last. You had to have realized this would transpire eventually." Delane hated to admit it, but she hadn't. The idea that Aphrodite's diluted powers could grow to match her own was ridiculous in its own right. Though, she supposed, the elder didn't expect her to absorb the power of the sage fire Finn now possessed either. In the midst of her inner thoughts, Delane witnessed her creation flame shift directly at her. "Now die!"
As Aphrodite reformed in midair, she already had a flame sword generated and swinging down on her creator, who desperately brought up her cane to block the attack. Sadly, the stalagmite didn't hold, cleaved in two as the Olympian's blade cut into the elder's shoulder. She cried out and fell onto her back, feeling the brittleness of her old bones. Before she could even think about getting back up, she was promptly pinned to the volcanic earth by the top half of her broken cane, suppressing the urge to scream as it pierced her elemental matrix.
Aphrodite's sinister smile greeted her as the will-o-wisp managed to open her eyes, watching the smug temptress turn and walk off, no longer considering her a threat. Delane instinctively held her fragmented core together with her power, but knew the damage had been done. It was like holding in a bottle under great pressure. Aphrodite strolled along towards the fallen trio in the distance, Finn and Phoebe still unable to even hold their heads up to look at their enemy. Aleen alone managed to tilt her head up to address the approaching Olympian, shakily getting to her feet.
The young will-o-wisp held out her arms defensively. "No! You can't take them!" Aphrodite rolled her eyes, not even bothering to slow her approach.
"I'm only taking the king. You can keep the knight's body all for yourself after I'm done." Aleen bit her lower lip as her tears ran anew, even as she squeezed her eyes shut to wish the current situation away.
"No… you can't take them. Don't take them again…" she sobbed. Aphrodite wasn't even sure if the girl was speaking to her anymore, but shrugged it off, preparing a flame sword on her hand to finish Finn off. As she came close, Aleen surprisingly ran at her, firing a few blue fireballs. Their meager size greatly reduced their danger, as the temptress easily deflected them with her blade. She was aware that will-o-wisps were immune to her power, and so opted to simply kick the girl aside as she attempted to tackle her legs. Despite their crippled states, both Finn and Phoebe called out as the young one tumbled a few feet away. She lay on her stomach, struggling to hold her head up and watch Aphrodite halt before Finn.
"Stop… stop… please. Get away from them…" The Olympian shot her an annoyed glance as she stood before the helpless hero.
"Oh for Pete's sake, brat. You've known them for what, a few days? A week or two? Find another couple that can deal with you, I'm sure they'd be delighted for such a desperate kid's love." Aleen's hands dug into the earth beneath them, fists trembling. Finn and Phoebe's attentions were placed on the towering Olympian, but Delane, having managed to break away from the ground, watched carefully as Aleen got back to her feet, her cobalt flames surging with renewal. She looked up at Aphrodite's backside, as the woman prepared to fatally stab her guardian.
"I want to love them!"
The Olympian froze, her sword held in midair as she turned around to eye the young girl again. Despite everything that was happening, despite her fear, towards the enemy and the condition her treasured pair were in, Aleen gazed into Aphrodite's amused eyes with a fierce stare of her own, her flames burning strong, no longer appearing to frame a vulnerable and meek child. Finn and Phoebe didn't know what to think, their mouths hanging open as their eyes held fast to the will-o-wisp. Delane was no different, finding herself drawn to the little one's display of strength.
In stark contrast, Aphrodite seemed to have had enough, fully turning to face Aleen as she began walking towards the child, her flame sword grazing the volcanic ground. Aleen took a step back, but not another, holding up her fists in preparation for a fight she knew she couldn't win. Delane begged to differ.
The elderly will-o-wisp slammed her hand on the ground, causing a circle of fire to emerge before bellowing forth a geyser of flames. This caught the attention of the two elementals who remained standing. As the column of fire faded, Aphrodite's eyes widened in shock. One of the vessels Delane created for her incarnations was now held in her grasp. With the aid of her own elemental powers, she suddenly flung the empty shell towards the two.
"Aleen! Inside!" The young girl reacted without thinking, taking a running leap into the air just as the Olympian behind her took a swipe with her sword. She cursed at the miss, watching as the will-o-wisp flame shifted right at the lifeless puppet. As this transpired, Delane used all her remaining will to fling both hands out toward Finn and Phoebe. The two downed companions suddenly felt as if something were being torn away from them, gasping as they witnessed a veil of flames being drawn from their bodies. The two masses of fire swirled and danced in the air, before Delane redirected them at the airborne mannequin, which Aleen's fiery form had just impacted, setting it alight.
The two essences took their turn next, merging with the burning doll as it finally began falling back to earth. Aphrodite watched in genuine worry as the object and its occupants were about to crash to the ground. Before it had the chance however, a swirling vortex of flames, both blue and orange, swirled to life at the epicenter of the fall, completely obscuring it from view. The Olympian backed off, her eyes narrowing from the light given off by the spectacle.
Reducing her line of sight cost her, as not a moment later, something shot out of the now dissipating vortex, grabbing Aphrodite by the throat and slamming her against the ground as it flew, tearing up the ground and brutally scraping the Olympian along it. As its velocity finally petered out, the figure swung around and threw the temptress forcefully into one of the few remaining walls, demolishing it. The being finally stood on her own two feet, facing the direction of Aphrodite's resting place, allowing those around her to make out her features.
Standing before them was an almost exact replica of the twisted Olympian herself, except that her gracefully flowing fiery hair was a soft blue in color. Her skin, still retaining the charcoal texture of the original vessel, had numerous cracks forming all across it, leaking surges of red and blue fire. Dichromic eyes of amber and ocean blue were set focused on the slowly recovering Aphrodite, who shoved a hunk of rubble off herself, her dress shredded severely, scrapes and a fair amount of bleeding from her head, running down her cheeks.
"Kill her!" she shrieked in fury, pointing to the convergent elemental before her. The golems in the area finally returned to activity, having been left at a standstill from the Olympian's stalemate with Delane. Finn and Phoebe tried to stand, worried about Aleen facing the onslaught, but found their bodies had yet to recover. The concern was unnecessary.
Aleen's converged form produced twin flame swords, then lunged forward, cleaving golems in half as she practically flew across the ruins. The reanimations' matrices were struck each time, obliterating their bodies and freeing their souls. Aleen danced around their hulking fists and sluggish legs, cutting them down with little effort and what seemed like expert swordsmanship. In fact, Finn recognized the dual-wielding style she was using; it was his. Phoebe, on her end, realized that the girl was in fact flying, a skill rare even to fire elementals.
The cracks along Aleen's temporary body grew with each passing minute, a feature Delane tracked carefully. She wouldn't have much time to finish this, and as the last of them that was uninjured, it fell on the empowered will-o-wisp to end Aphrodite. The Olympian in question was watching as her enemy carved a path through her minions, closing in on the main threat. Her body was almost healed from the savage assault earlier. She grinned, eyes scanning the degradation accumulating on the convergence. If she could stall Aleen long enough, her form would wither away before she could get close, or, failing that, when she finally made it to her, Aphrodite would be able to easily shatter her frail vessel at the moment of greatest weakness.
Aleen burst out of the mass of golems, flying through the air as sliced up pieces of rock scattered in all directions. She fired herself towards Aphrodite, who realized she'd be going with plan B. The Olympian watched her movements with the utmost precision, readying her sword for the finish. The cracks along Aleen's form were so extensive they nearly obscured her charcoal skin with their light. Aphrodite couldn't help but grin, seeing the girl blindly charge her to outpace her clock.
The woman has said she wouldn't fall for the same trick twice, but her arrogance was a fault all its own.
Aleen was not just herself at the moment. She was Phoebe's grace with flame powers, she was Finn's talent with a blade, the monarch's instinctual fighting nature, and the hero's analytical mind. All three held the desire to protect, a will magnified by their three essences swirling together in Delane's construct. It was these powers and knowledge combined that led Aphrodite down her final path to failure.
Aleen crossed her swords in front of her, then flung them apart.
Then the Olympian was reduced to a stuttering mess as a massive, x-shaped wound exploded onto her chest.
Finn and Phoebe gasped in awe as their cherished young companion tore through their enemy with the most lethal of shadowless thrusts they had ever seen. Not two seconds later, Aleen closed the distance between herself and the unresponsive Olympian, then sailed past her, landing somewhat unsteadily on the volcanic earth, her blades dissipating. Aphrodite's figure unceremoniously fell on her back, limbs sprawled out and frozen eyes staring into the ashen heavens.
As Aleen stood and faced her downed opponent, her body finally reached its limit. The cracks shattered her vessel in a burst of multicolored flames, with two of them soaring across the way and impacting into Finn and Phoebe. The two breathed in suddenly, feeling their vitality flare up. Among the ashes of Delane's mannequin, Aleen's true form reemerged, the little girl slumping to her hands and knees, appearing quite exhausted. Delane herself breathed a sigh of relief, or, the best she could while holding herself together.
Finn and Phoebe found the energy to at last rise to their feet, quickly using one another for support as they hobbled across the area towards their ward. They watched the remaining legionnaire golems crumble apart along the way, no longer bound by Aphrodite's powers. Aleen looked up upon hearing their approach, standing up with a fair bit of wobbling before limping to meet them. The two older fiery beings spread their free arms as the will-o-wisp neared, collapsing back to their knees to be at level with her.
The three at last were reunited in a fierce embrace between them, tears falling from all three sets of eyes as they buried each other's faces in one another, disfigured heaves of crying muddling the air around them, but for once in what seemed like an eternity, it was all for happiness. From afar, Delane was able to witness every second of it, believing only the unnatural parting of the kingdom's clouds could make the scene any more beautiful. With this vision in mind, she began dragging herself across the ground towards them. Her life was ending, but there was one last way she could help.
Oblivious to all else in that serene period of recoupment, no one was there to see Aphrodite's life force vanishing into the wind. Her creator was going to die, there would be no more incarnations; this was the true end to her. With not a shred of mercy to boot, as not even her enemies would keep her company as she faded into ashes, left alone, unable to look as anything but the black clouds that blanketed the Fire Kingdom. She could feel little, but guessed based on what she could that her disintegration had begun right at the large gashes in her chest, her matrix's remains having already disappeared. She figured she was likely in two pieces right now, her legs crumbling away without the rest of her. A sad, pitiful end befitting of her, not that she'd admit that, even now. The last of the extended pantheon vanished a minute later, an empty death that she alone deserved.
The sobbing mess of a trio at last broke their huddle as they heard rocks shifting along the ground, turning to see their elderly ally dragging herself to them. Having greater mobility, though not by much, they rushed to the dying will-o-wisp's side, Finn helping her sit up as Phoebe examined her wound. She immediately realized it was terminal. Delane's matrix was splintering and dimming by the second, fully exposed from the self-inflicted cavity she'd created to break pieces off and infuse into her vessels. Her breathing was slowing, her flames weakening. In such a short span, the three gathered by the old woman had gone from terror, to happiness, to sorrow, exhausted in every way imaginable.
"Thank you." They were stunned by her choice of words, more so when they watched her normally stoic lips form into a smile. "I spent a great deal of my life trying to create everlasting beauty, but it seems such a thing cannot be accomplished by a single person. No, it takes the unity of many to achieve." She reached out a shaking hand, which Phoebe caught before it fell. She allowed Delane to move her wrinkled appendage to her chest, at which point it remarkably phased right into her. FP gasped slightly, feeling the sensation of her matrix being touched directly.
"If I must pass on, I wish to do my part in making this beauty last for many years to come." With that, she sent the last remainders of her power into the fractured core within the king's body. The ruler felt a surge of warmth flood her as the damages to her life source were filled in and mended, her rampant energies calming entirely for the first time in her life. Delane's hand fell away, as did the rest of her, entirely supported by Finn's lap. Her half-lidded eyes stared off for a moment, Finn and Phoebe calling out to her in worry. Seeing the end approaching, the elder moved her sight onto Aleen, the girl's lips trembling and flames shivering from stress. The woman smiled at her.
"You've found your home, haven't you, dear?" The young will-o-wisp sniffled, then nodded her head once.
"Mhm," she sobbed. Satisfied with her parting thoughts, Delane allowed herself to relax. Her body's cobalt flames began consuming her entirely, leaving her peaceful face as the last thing the three survivors saw before her entire form was a ghostly mass of fire, that then quietly fizzled out into the scorching atmosphere.
Zeus and Hades looked up at each other in tandem, both feeling the sensation. The two turned to eye their younger brother, perched atop their seismic hammer. He hung his head grimly, confirming their shared experience. The Olympian leader glanced at the southern horizon momentarily, as if giving it one final look before never seeing it again. He turned back to his brethren, letting out a breath through his nostrils. Their allies wouldn't be coming, it was time to move forward.
"They bought us all the time they could, now it is just ourselves once again." Hades and Poseidon nodded. "All we have left is betting our luck here, that this second-to-last target is the one we've been searching for. With the success of this penetration, it will all have been worth it, every last sacrifice." He nodded to his youngest sibling. "Do it."
Poseidon grunted in reply, spreading out his hands, instantly causing two streams of lava to rise from the nearby river and begin flowing into their colossal device. The machine's pistons and gears groaned to life as the molten rock was channeled into its operating mechanisms, powering to life one last time. The Olympian at its helm threw his arms down, a motion swiftly mimicked as the hammer's primary weight was fired downward with unimaginable pressure, striking the earth a split-second later, granting its witnesses a minor quake from the planet in reply.
They waited, breath held, flames quietly flicking across their bodies, too nervous to even make a sound or move an inch. If no further response came, their goal would soar out of reach at an incredible pace.
So when the muffled and monstrous bellow erupted from deep beneath the volcanic surface, all three brothers couldn't help but grin in utter delight.
I hope the new year is treating everyone well. I have to apologize for the scarcity of updates during this annual transition, I had a side project going on that I was eager to get through first. So here we are, with eight chapters remaining. I'll see you all in the next one.
Nazhorn: Thank you so much for all these kind words. I have to say of all the transitional chapters I've written, this one was my favorite to write, so I'm glad I could send you all some great moments amidst the chaotic fighting. I may be super slow, but this story shall see its end one day.
Gamelover41592: Hell yeah! *ahem* yes, indeed.
Upstart Psycho: That he did, but not in the way most expected, heh heh.
Bio team2: Haha, nice.
Major144: And a happy holidays to you! I do so hope I packed on the feels for this battle as much as I did the punching/slashing/etc.
TheWeirdPotato: Your praise humbles me, truly. Hm... not sure about the interlude, I still feel stiff writing that kind of stuff, but as for an easter egg, I can get on board with that. Nice idea!
The Book of Eli: Progress to all manner of madness! More or less.
Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!
next: Chapter 43: Primordial Rising