Part VIII- A Promise
Within the dungeon walls beat a sound that only one person could hear. It beat in a rhythm of pure anticipation of what was to come. And with the sound of beating drums stirring up within, his hand tightened. If it weren't for that sound, all would be silent. In fact it was for everyone else. Perhaps his team noticed the small layer of sweat that rests on his brow.
Everything was in place. He stood prepared and at the ready. With rubellite eyes he stood, Hestia knife in hand, the other arm wrapped with the Goliath Scarf that Lili secretly packed, focused on the one route that the Vice Captain, Riveria said they were to arrive from.
Oh but this sound, how it deafened him. For it was the beating of his own heart.
In the distance, they could hear the clashing of metal that shook the dungeon walls. They could hear it for a while as it echoed through the floor below them and through its corridors.
It was unnerving, unbearable doing nothing as the sounds of battle reached their ears. Everyone, including Bell, had the desire to run to aid. But they knew they had to stick to the plan.
Then finally-...
"We're coming through now!" Riveria's voice shouted through the occulus.
"Everyone get ready!" Bell shouted, his voice echoed across their battlefield.
Seconds passed, and then figures appeared out of the darkness. The Loki Familia, dashed through the passage way around the shore as one of Bell's members called them over.
"Everyone over here!" It was Lili who waved and caught their attention and guided them to an elevated bit of land that overlooked the lake. It was there that Lili set up a temporary rest stop for them to patch themselves up incase they were able to fight.
For a brief second, Bell caught the eyes of Riveria. Blood dripped down the side of her face as glanced upon him looking utterly exhausted. She nodded as if to say, all on you, now..
Then finally, a violent torrent of wind broke through the entrance, and out dashed the Sword Princess. Behind her nothing but darkness, giving her an opportunity to catch her breath.
"Aiz, over here!" Bell shouted to her.
Without a word, she beckoned his call and darted to the center of the frozen lake where he stood.
"It's close." She said immediately.
For the first time he heard the faint raspy sound of her breathing.
She's out of breath..
"Thank you, go up directly behind me. Lili is there with your team. She's got stamina potions.."
"I'll be fine." Aiz said with a plain expression, though he could see right through it. She trained him. Never had he seen her losing her breath. On her fair skin were signs of close calls.
"Please, Aiz.." Bell said in the brief second that he took his eyes off of the entrance to her.
He couldn't allow himself to be worried about her right now being caught in the fray in this state. Even though she was still levels above him, she needed to catch her breath and recovery in any way she could with the restraints they currently face.
"Very well.. Bell.." Aiz stopped.
"Yes?"
"Good luck.." Aiz said
Bell nodded firmly and then Aiz leapt with the wind guiding her to the cliff face just behind him.
Not even a second later, a mighty figure appeared breaking through the wind that Aiz left at the entrance where she just came from. It's body purely bone, what broke through was none other than the Juggernaut.
Bell steeled himself, as it made eye contact with him. And to declare his presence to this opponent, Bell darted off towards the monster, with a hearty war cry. One so that way he would be it's sole target. Acknowledging the new rival, the Juggernaut raced to him across the lake. Eager to make quick work of the fool.
"What is he doing?" Tione said sharply under her breath as she peered over the short wall at the edge of the cliff face, with mixed parts of concern and confusion.
"Just watch, and get ready." Lili said as she handed them stamina potions. "You're going to need this."
Normally the most frugal of members, Lili knew that there were going to be no shortcuts in taking this thing down. It was heavily expressed and drilled into her from both Bell and Ryuu.
Thanks to the cleats that Welf made back in Rivira, Bell's boots dug into the ice and he sprinted forward at max speed. Internally he counted down.
"Three."
"Two."
The Juggernaut raced closer and closer to him. Even with the ice, it managed to speed at immense speed towards him. But that was exactly what Bell wanted.
"FIREBOLT!" Bell shouted driving his free hand forward.
Flamed mixed with jolts of electricity shot forward, erupting before the Juggernaut as it impacted the magic barrier in front of it. Immediately the flames spread, blocking it's vision, blinding it, as it reached around the barrier, only to shoot back forward. The Juggernaut rose its right arm in preparation to strike as if the flames weren't enough.
Using his momentum, Bell dropped into a slide and watched the ball of fire and bolts of electricity shoot above where he just was. In that second, he could see the claws of the monster swipe through the air as he passed underneath. Immediately then he drove his heel into the ice, where it caught and propelled him up to his feet.
Carried by his momentum, he drove his knife into the belly of the monster creating a long line that pierced its bone.
This was just phase one.
The monster curved it's tail after the strike in an attempt to catch the boy, where he dropped again and spun himself to face the monster. Successfully dodging it's tail. Driving the knife into the ice, he comes to a halt as he waits for the Juggernaut to come to a stop.
As it turns to face him, it cries a raspy almost faint roar as it shaked its head from side to side.
It was pissed. And that roar was a declaration that it would not be fooled by the same attack again.
On his feet, he waited. Then it sprung forward, where Bell dived out of the way coming to a rolling stop and immediately whipped out the Goliath scarf at its back right leg, where it wrapped around one of the claws and he pulled.
The Juggernaut fell with a mighty thud.
A streak of wind raced across the lake, in that instant the leg that was compromised was struck and decapitated from the rest of its body at the knee. The force of the strike sent it sliding away, then slowly disintegrated into ash.
As the streak came to a stop, slowly rose the elf laden in white gripping a beautifully polished short sword.
"Ryuu.." Bell thought as he caught a glimpse of her passing by at an angle.
"We need to act fast now. That strike is going to heal soon." Ryuu said through the veil of her mask.
Bell's heart raced within his chest. They caught it off guard. A miracle in it's own right. Now with it being one leg down, and on ice no less, they can begin the second part of their plan.
"Shall we?" Ryuu said plainly.
"Lets." Bell said as his legs primed themselves.
The Rabbit and the Wind raced towards Calamity, to Death itself. The being that has taken lives with such ease, that it was almost methodical. With two opponents that it considered it's prime targets, it left out the rest. These are the adventurers that are going to die today.
Ryuu dove in first, blocking a strike composed of it's claws, as Bell swept around to strike at the now exposed belly. As he slid, he whipped out the Goliath scarf to the tail that flailed mercilessly in an attempt to strike the boy. As the Goliath scarf reached it, it struck the tail creating a loud pop. The sound caused the Juggernaut to drive it's tail into the ground, acting as an improvised leg, and leapt upwards dodging the strike and into the darkness above.
"Gah!" Bell uttered as he came to a stop, peering up to the dark ceiling.
The Juggernaut leapt and clung to the darkness of the ceiling wall.
"Flares! Now!" Bell shouted, and not even a second later four hollow pops echoed through the dungeon floor with four flares shooting up at different angles, that lit the floor and scared the darkness away.
"There!" Ryuu shouted as she caught the eyes of the Juggernaut.
Immediately it moved to pounce. Ryuu brought her arm back, bracing Bell and leapt. Guiding him with her wind, they dodged the strike that caused the ice to tremble.
It glared upon the two, as the red light cast itself down on them. It's only safe haven, the darkness where it could lay the next stages of its own plan to entrap and slay was foiled. In what capacity it could, it had a burning rage inside of it. No one should have to be this difficult to kill. No.
Side by side, they braced themselves. As the Juggernaut slowly took steps forward, they could see it was testing its grip on the ground. Preparing to lunge forward. The two adventurers paused, waiting for it to make its move, priming their legs in pure anticipation.
Under the red light of the flares that hung in the atmosphere of the dungeon, they began their dance.
The Juggernaut lept towards them, immediately the two split. Though it didn't seize its onslaught. Aiming to kill it's claw swung high enough to strike the elven woman's throat. As she lept back with her short sword drawn to block the attack, she could feel the wind brush against her throat as she narrowly dodged the attack.
It was getting close, too close. The Juggernaut had become eager to fulfill it's one goal. To kill. But that eagerness left it blind to what was happening behind it.
As Bell dodged the initial attack, he sped around dodging the flailing tail as it attempted to create momentum for it's attacks, and whipped out the Goliath Scarf that was coiled on his arm.
Reaching its mark, the scarf wrapped around its tail. With all of his might he yanked back on it, as the Juggernaut leapt for the killing blow. The Juggernaut slid on the ice, trying to gain some traction but failed miserably as it slid to Bell.
It's back was turned to him leaving it open to attack, yet it was on full alert. It wasn't the most ideal situation, but he remained steadfast in his desire to use this to his advantage.
He leapt backwards once more, and yanked a second time with greater force, sending the Juggernaut back at a faster pace barely able to stand on its three legs, then he leapt forward in an arc. With the scarf given slack, the tail flailed mercilessly. With his knife in hand he dove down, aiming for the body of the Juggernaut. It was the perfect arc, the perfect path, until the tail pulled the scarf taught and sent him careening back on a direct path to the Juggernauts spear-tipped tail.
There was a soft sound of flesh being pierced that broke the silence. Only to be followed by the sound of a solid thud against the icy surface. The Juggernaut thrust Bell to the ground as he held onto its tail. Blood escaped from his mouth in a vicious gasp for breath as the sounds of bone creak and crack, yet his grip persevered. As the Juggernaut prepared another slam, Bell swung his knife to decapitate the spearhead. In a single motion, it was severed, proving the Juggernauts inadequate defenses against physical attacks.
Yet the boy didn't let go. At the highest point of the tail's swing up, Bell let go, swinging himself to the base of the tail where his blade left nothing but a useless stub.
The mass of bone flopped to the floor like dead weight, where Bell fell onto the ground. The Juggernaut released a monsterous raspy cry as its body was defiled. Eager for revenge, to end the life that had maimed it so, it raised it's hind leg for a strike.
Bell's hands and feet struggled to get a grip as pain shot through his body as the spear turned to ash in his wound. Digging his heels into the ice, he scrambled to move, but only an inch.
Surely this was it. His arm holding the Goliath Scarf was trembling and weak from the wound, that not even the adrenaline coursing through him provided any aide. He had no way to defense against the attack.
Though he didn't have to look, he could feel the gazes of his team and the Loki familia bearing down upon him from safety.
"No.. This isn't the end."
The claw thrust itself down to him, without hesitation Bell swung his right arm and legs around using that momentum to narrowly dodge the strike. On his hands and knees he looked up with no choice but to do something drastic.
"FIREBOLT!"
Firing the spell at point blank range, he hid under his Goliath robe and waited for the impact to bounce back at him. In that split second the shockwave of his own attack and the Juggernaut's magic defense barrier hit him, as the fire impacted him he could see through squinted eyes the glow of the ice and all the fine details as he slid across.
Coming to a stop, he swung back the robe and shouted.
"Mikoto now!"
A purple glow engulfed the area where the Juggernaut stood. Whatever rage it had, became mixed with confusion at the purple light. A magic circle encompassing a large area surrounded the Juggernaut. At the cliff, a young woman chanted on her hands and knees, focusing much of her mind on this one moment.
The red light of the flares faded as the purple out lit the area with both top and bottom magic circles appearing. The Juggernauts hissed in defiance as the magic took its effect. It's magic repellant barriers activated, shooting the force of Mikoto's gravity spell back up. The two forces fighting against each other. It inched closer as it turned and hissed at Bell.
As the magic rained down on it, it was struggling to reach the limits of the magic circle. Leaving it's center, it inched closer and closer, it heard something.
A crack shot through the ice under its belly. Looking down, it saw the crack shimmer and splinter off creating more and more. As it peered down, it noticed something else that wasn't there before. Small rocks litter the surface. With the Mikoto's magic being repelled back directly to its source, the force raced past the magic circle and struck the dungeon ceiling.
From opposite ends of the circle both Bell and Ryuu watch it as it peers up, only to have it's face be met by a mass of falling rocks that came from the ceiling. The weight of the massive boulder crushed the Juggernaut, and if the floor were solid, certainly that would've been the end of it. But alas, the ice broke, and the monsters legs flailed desperately as more debris came down upon it, sending it into the water.
They couldn't hope to fight it underwater, nor did they intend to. This was merely to buy them time.
Bell reached for a potion in his pouch, as he reached there was a thunderous crack underneath him.
A jagged line cracked around him and his eyes grew wide as he looked up to Ryuu. In an instant the ice collapsed sending him into the water.
"Hey look at what they're doing!" Tiona shouted excitedly as she pointed to the gaping hole in the frozen lake.
Tiona was watching the entire thing, while her sister kneeled by Finn's side as Riveria monitored his condition. Upon hearing her sister, her ears perked up.
"Did they kill it?"
"Nah, I don't think so- OH SHIT!" Tiona shouted as the sight unfolded before her. She watched him fall into the lake with the monster.
Immediately she backed up preparing herself, a gesture that concerned the one's who weren't watching. Who were obviously Finn and Riveria, but also Aiz. Aiz sat with closed eyes, trying to focus her breath as taking Bells direction.
"What happened?" Riveria asked sternly, not tolerating the lack of information from Tiona before she began to enact on something.
"Argonaut's in the water with the monster!"
Aiz's eyes opened immediately just in time to see Tiona begin to launch herself over the edge.
"Bell?"
"Oh no you don't!" Tione shouted at the audacity of her sister going alone. "Tell the Captain I'll be right be back if he wakes up!"
As Tiona nose dive over the edge, she thrust her Urga downwards. Breaking through the ice it left a hole larger enough for her to dive through. Closing her eyes, she felt the embrace of the water engulf. At first it was bitter cold, but as she got deeper the water became warmer. Almost comfortable.
Using her diving ability, she opened her eyes to grab ahold of Urga. Immediately after she set forth into the waters to retrieve the boy.
"His armor and that robe is going to weigh him down! I gotta get to him quick!"
Swimming was no obstacle, oddly enough neither was fighting under water. As she kicked her feet, she was able to propel herself a great distance. Her guiding light being the magic circle still in effect on the surface. As she briefly peered up, she could see a set of feet following her.
Slowly the saving grace of the purple light began to fade. But her eyes adjusted where she could see the submerged Juggernaut covered in boulders and rocks from the ceiling. It's red eyes tracking her movements. That fact that it layed there watching her sent shivers down her spine.
Quickening her pace, she approached where Bell had fallen. Her eyes scanned the lake bottom, where she found a head of white hair swaying under the faint water currents. She turned him over to find his eyes closed and mouth slightly agape.
"How long has it been? It couldn't have been too long, right? Oh no, this is bad… This is really bad.."
It didn't matter how long it has been. With the adrenaline that coursed through his veins, his heart beat faster than it should have. In order for that to be maintained, his body needed the oxygen to function, and in an environment devoid of breathable oxygen, he heart raced and panicked. The cold water sent his body into a shock, and as he gasped for air that was never there, water took its place. As his armor dragged him down, his level gave him no relief or salvation from the cruel depths of the lake.
Tiona's mind raced as she grabbed hold of the ever still Bell. She looked up, and immediately prepared to thrust herself up and out with Bell in her grasp.
Behind her she could feel the deep sensation of sound traveling under the water. As she turned, it was none other than the Juggernaut clearing the rubble from its back. It's eyes locked on Tiona and Bell.
It crawled at a pace that made her shiver, but it's speed was incredibly dampened by this environment, but its smooth body allowed for it to break through the water with ease. She cringed at the realization that nowhere was truly safe with this thing around.
But it stopped, for a second its head precariously scanned the environment as if sensing something. There was a sensation in the water that came from neither her nor the monster. Whatever it was gave her an opportunity to get the hell out of there. Before she lept she saw a blur. At first her mind raced at the possibility of it being a mermaid but upon seeing the tan skin disappointment grew on her face.
"Tione.. But it would've been really cool if it was one.."
Tione circled around front and swiped at the monster to ward it off. Giving her sister a brief glance that simply communicated one thing.
"GO!"
Nodding, she kicked her feet causing the environment around her to blur as they rapidly ascended. She began to slow as she couldn't risk simply going airborne and fall back into the hole with Bell. At the surface, she thrust him onto the icy surface where Ryuu was already waiting.
"Got 'em. Here!" Tiona casually offered as Ryuu lifted him up. "He's not breathing but do the thumpy thing!"
Ryuu shot her a confused, exasperated glance as Tiona mimicked the motion for compressions against her own flat chest.
"You know the thumpy thumpy thing!" Tiona's apparent knowledge for resuscitating someone seemingly only lacked the knowledge of the name itself.
Underneath the water there were deep booms that caused the water to pulse. Instinctively Ryuu looked and there she saw a shadow racing to her.
"Move now!" Ryuu shouted in a command.
In a brief moment of hesitation she ducked under the surface of the water only to remain under.
Ryuu's breath began to quick as she hauled Bell away. Separating themselves from the mania happening below the ice. Nearest the shallow water of the shore, Ryuu set him down with heavy eyes as worry began to fill her chest. But she forced herself to remain calm, though she could feel herself slipping. Her fingers fumbled as she released the straps of Bell's chest armor, revealing his still chest. Interlocking her fingers, she began compressions.
"It's going to be ok. It's going to be ok." She whispered to herself as her heart raced.
Again and again, she did the compressions. She brought her long ears to Bell's mouth.
Nothing.
Opening his mouth she brought her lips to his in an attempt to breathe life into him. She cursed at herself as she initially hesitated, a storm of emotions swarmed within her in this one moment. Bringing her lips back she started compressions once more as the battle raged in the background with the sound of ice shattering and the raspy roar of the Juggernaut signaling its return to the surface.
"Come on. You're not going to do this to me.."
Compressions, breath. Compressions, breath.
Nothing.
The ice trembled as the Juggernaut shrieked. Looking up, Ryuu saw the Juggernaut charging across the lake to claim the helpless lives before it. She couldn't help but scowl at the monster and its unwillingness to die. Attempting the compressions once more, she counted steadily, trying to maintain composure as the monster raced to them.
With each step she could feel the ice tremble, her breath became hurried as she breathed into him. Certain that this was to be their last moments.
Nothing. No breath coursed through his chest and no pulse in his veins. She held his head against his. Waiting. Silently praying. She wasn't going to give up on him. No matter what. She breathed into him one last time.
"Please wake up, Bell. All I need you to do is to wake up. I'll take care of the rest. I promise. I promise that I'll keep you safe. So please just wake up."
The monster charged, her knees ached as the ground trembled. As she held her hands to his face, resting her forehead against his, she felt the strangest of sensations as she placed her forward against his. Bell's body convulsed, immediately she raised her face from him just in time as he spewed out the water from his lungs.
In that brief moment it was relief then sudden terror. Bell reached for Ryuu, confused and in a haze though she laid him down. He was alive, that was all she needed, and now she intended to keep her promise.
"It's going to be ok." She said softly to him, stepping in front of his body as a shield.
In both hands she wielded her short swords. One on guard, the other pointing to the Juggernaut making a solemn demand.
"You will die by my hands."
Author's Note: Hey everyone, I realize now that this is a long one. There's a lot to tell in this one. Well rather, the past three additions it's the same, there's a lot to tell in those three and were all supposed to be one submission. But for your sake I cut it into separate pieces to make it more digestible. Which really brings me to the conclusion that this story is going to be long. At max, I want to say 200k. So basically two books. Most novels usually are 75k-120k depending on the genre. But to make sure I'm telling the story good and in a concise manner this is where the gaps of time in between submissions come in. It's always a fun challenge to determine what to include, so really I appreciate your patience in waiting for these to come out!