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Beneath the Pit
Arnit doesn’t wait for the others to finish talking. He and Bao prepare to begin their fight once more when Keyon grabs Bao’s shoulder and pulls him back.
“You go with Belos! I’ll keep him busy.”
Keyon rushes ahead to meet Arnit while Bao turns to go with Belos. He doesn’t understand what their plan is, but he trusts them. As they make their way back to the horses, they can hear Keyon’s shouts as he invokes the god’s magic. He was able to rest on the journey here, but there’s no way to know how long he can keep it up.
The two reach the horses and waste no time getting back on the road. Only now does Bao feel like he can ask what’s going on.
“There’s a weird tower somewhere around here. I found it when I was with Kikka earlier. You can see it from the road. I’m not exactly sure where it is though. Keep your eyes above the trees and let me know if you find it.”
What is a tower supposed to do to help them right now? Bao and Keyon don’t know, but Belos figures trying anything is better than waiting to be killed by Arnit. Eventually they spot the tower. It’s still a long way off but they’re riding much faster now than when they were this morning. Now they need to make sure Keyon got away safely. They look behind them for the first time since leaving. They can see Keyon on his horse riding far behind them.
“Keyon!” Bao isn’t sure if his voice even reaches him, “Where is Arnit?”
He doesn’t need to wait for a reply. Shortly after asking, the giant Sulfuges jumps out from of the forest. He’s carrying a trunk from a tree with him. Arnit slams the tree into Keyon’s horse, crushing it. Keyon leaps from his mount, avoiding the impact, and continues running with Kari’s wind magic.
“Alright, looks like it’s my turn,” Belos turns around on his horse to give Keyon his mount. From here on, Belos will just have to rely on his own wings.
“Bao makes sure Keyon gets to the tower! Once he’s there, he should know if there’s anything we can do. I’ll meet you both there!” He hands the reigns to Keyon and jumps into the air.
Belos can’t fly with his wings, but with them, he is very maneuverable while gliding and extremely fast on the ground. If he focuses on leading Arnit to the tower, and doesn’t try to fight him, he should be ok. Especially in the forest, a giant Sulfuges should have plenty of trouble even if he chooses to just crash through everything. At least Belos hopes so.
The sun is beginning to set when Bao and Keyon make it to the tower. It is quiet here, almost tranquil. They know they don’t have time to admire the structure, so they hurry inside to see why Belos sent them here. It’s very clear. Even to someone like Bao, who doesn’t understand magic at all, it’s obvious that powerful magic is working here. The floor is the same as it was when Belos and Kikka found it that morning. The golden film covers what would otherwise be a bottomless pit.
It’s obvious that Belos had hoped they might be able to dispel the barrier and lure Arnit into the hole. That’s easier said than done. Even if Arnit fell for the trap, Keyon isn’t sure he has the power to break the cover. They don’t have much time to think about any alternatives right now. In the distance, they can hear trees crashing and wings screeching. They expect Belos and Arnit to arrive any moment. The two hurry up the old stairs to the collapsed second floor and wait.
The second floor is mostly gone, but there’s still more room to move around than the first floor. From here, there’s also stairs going to the third and final floor. The last floor is an exposed roof, it’s what makes this a watchtower in the first place. Years ago, there may have been a door separating the lower floors from the elements, but there is no trace of one now.
The noise from Arnit and Belos continues to grow louder. Keyon aims his spear at the magical barrier and waits. Bao knows that Keyon is the key to their survival right now and that he needs to keep Arnit away from him until their plan unfolds. The noises are right outside the walls now. From the sound of his wings, they know Belos has jumped up the walls and landed on the third floor. He rushes to the stairs to see if his companions have made it.
“Guys, if you’re here, it’s time!”
No sooner does he speak than Arnit charges through the doors on the first floor. The old tower rocks from the force. The moment Keyon hears Belos and sees the wall crumble, he tightens his grip on the spear and puts all his strength into his throw. Before letting go, he invokes the name of a powerful god.
Normally when he throws his weapons, he invokes Kari, the god of wind to give speed and distance to his attacks. Here neither of those things matter. Kari can’t help them dispel magic unless it is either opposing wind magic or antithetical magic. No, only one god is capable of negating all magic, even if Keyon doesn't know it’s source.
“Su.”
The god of death. The god of nothingness. The god of the void.
Belos shouting, Arnit destroying the wall, and Keyon throwing his spear all happen in the same moment. Normally this wouldn’t be enough to catch a Sulfuges off guard. Maybe, like the others, Arnit is also captivated by the splendor of this unusual place. Maybe he is surprised to hear Keyon invoke one of the highest gods of the pantheon. Whatever the reason is, when the spear crashes into the magical barrier, Arnit hesitates.
The spear strikes the flooring with a loud crash and the barrier violently flashes and sparks as it tries to resist the power behind the strike. Ultimately, the magic in the spear fades, the sparks die, and the weapon falls to the ground, landing on the glowing surface it was meant to destroy. A brief pause allows everyone to process what happened in this small moment.
Keyon’s strike was true, and he invoked the proper deity. This is ancient magic, however, it must be powerful to have lasted as long as it has. It isn’t impossible to dispel, but Keyon just doesn’t have the strength to break it anymore. He leans back against the rubble on the second floor. Exhausted, he’s trying to think of another plan but at this point he can only focus on not passing out.
Arnit isn't laughing or smiling anymore. Whatever their plan was, he isn’t amused by it. He doesn’t waste any more time speaking and instead leaps off the magic holding him up and reaches for the second floor.
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“Look out!” Belos jumps down from the third floor and meets Arnit in the air.
Arnit doesn’t have the hammer anymore but with four free hands, Belos can only hope to distract him while avoiding being grabbed. The two fall back to the first floor. The tower is too small for their fight, and they shake the building as they take turns crashing into the walls trying to avoid the other and get the upper hand.
Bao rushes to Keyon to check on him and to try and form a new plan.
“I don’t have any ideas, Bao,” Keyon’s head is resting against the rubble, his eyes shut, “This wasn’t even a real plan, but it turned out to be the best we could have hoped for.”
“What about what you just did? Did you weaken the magic? Can you try it again?”
“Breaking magic doesn’t work like that. You either dispel it, or it has no effect. I just don’t have the strength to break it anymore.”
Bao grabs the defeated man’s shoulders and tries to shake him to his senses, “After all this, you’re giving up now? Fine, what about me? How can I attack the magic?”
Keyon shakes his head, “Even if you could use magic, your affinity would have to be death magic to even attempt a counter,” Keyon has a revelation, and his eyes shoot wide open.
He looks at Bao’s spear, the crimson, wooden spear that made him so suspicious of Bao when they first met. Its wielder might not know magic, but the potency of the death magic within is more than Keyon has ever seen. If anything can break this barrier, it would be this spear.
“Bao, can I see your spear again?”
On the first floor, the fighting continues between the Bolbian and the Sulfuges. Belos is faster now, he has gradually gotten more accustomed to the pace set by Arnit. He’s still rusty but ancient reflexes are starting to itch in the back of his mind. It’s not something he enjoys.
Arnit is more irritated now. He has never fought a Bolbian, and all the ones he’s seen have been captive slaves. He said three would be a problem, but he’s starting to imagine two would be a respectable fight. This fight will be over soon though. After this, he’ll never give a Bolbian a chance to awaken their instincts again.
“Belos, look out!” A shout from above breaks their tempo.
Bao’s lance comes crashing into the magical floor they’re fighting on. Belos jumps from area, his claws help him cling to the wall. The element of surprise is lost on Arnit the second time. He knows what they are trying to do but wonders why they would try a second time. Unless something is different but then why wouldn’t they have tried it the first time. Either way jumps from the floor the same way Belos did. His four arms all find places to grip the wall. It isn’t strong enough to hold his weight for long.
Arnit’s timing is perfect, the moment he is in the air, the power in the spear overcomes the magical floor. The barrier shatters with a loud explosion of light. The force knocks up the spear and the smaller pieces of rubble that had been resting on its surface. Belos jumps from the wall and grabs the spear to keep it from falling into the pit.
The three fighters achieved their goal of destroying the covering over the hole. Their main objective is still unrealized. Arnit is clinging to the sides of the wall, now hanging over a drop of unknown height. They need to think about how to knock him down without themselves falling as well. They don’t have time to think.
The entire tower begins shaking and crumbling. Over time, the tower and the ground around it have learned to lean on the immovable base. Now that the magic is gone, everything is leaning into a giant hole. Bao, Belos, and Keyon rush to the third floor to try and outpace the crumbling tower. From the roof, they jump into the canopy of trees below, hoping for a safe landing.
The roof is the first this to give. It breaks free from the supports and crashes through the lower levels. With everything hollowed out, the walls soon follow and collapse into themselves. The ancient tower disappears in a cloud of dust, and large chunks of earth break away and fall close behind.
The three men lay on the ground trying to catch their breath. They stare into the cloud of dust watching to see if anyone else makes it out. To their despair, the dust clears, and they see Arnit laying at the base of the pit. He’s badly injured from taking most of the force of the building, but he is still alive. Two of his arms are broken and one leg is bent the wrong way, but he is slowly making his way toward his exhausted opponents.
Bao and Keyon are trying to examine Arnit more closely. They want to know if they can outrun him in his current state. Their goal isn’t to kill this man but to escape alive. Belos has a different idea. It’s the reason he brought everyone to this location in the first place. He stands in front of his two companions, faces Arnit, and opens his wings. He doesn’t try to move or fly. Instead, he remains still, only stirring his wings to create the ominous and unnerving sound.
This only frustrates the Sulfuges. He tries to move faster towards them, but he can only hobble and drag his leg along the ground. Belos is similarly getting frustrated. He is waiting for something.
“Come on! Come on! Somethings here!” his voice echoes down into the pit along with the noise of his wings. His voice, his wings, and all the pieces of the tower make their way to the bottom of the pit and stir something deep within.
From inside the pit everyone hears a monstrous roar that shakes the ground and echoes throughout the empty forest. It drowns out even Belos’ wings so that no one can even hear themselves speak. Neither Bao nor Keyon know what this could be. No living thing should be able to make such a sound. They lose control of their own bodies, turning around to run as far away from here as possible. The moment they stand to leave, their knees give out and they fall again. Their instincts say to run but fear has stripped what little strength they have left.
When they turn back towards the pit, they see Belos doesn’t have the same reaction they do. This is what he is waiting for. While the others are distracted, he charges Arnit and jumps into the air. When he reaches the Sulfuges, he flies past him but not before driving his claws into his back. Arnit tries to resist but the claws keep him from moving his arms two good arms freely.
As the two arrive at the edge of the pit, Belos doesn’t stop. He flies over the ledge taking Arnit with him. They hover over the darkness for as long as Belos can manage. He braces his feet on Arnit, rips out his claws, and jumps off the giant. Before Arnit falls from view, the onlookers see what is in the pit.
Lunging out from the darkness, a giant reptilian monster attacks Arnit. Its red, scaly body is the entire breadth of the hole. To say it was an attack is an overstatement. In one snap of the beast’s jaws, the Sulfuges was eaten. Only a few of his legs could be seen jutting from the closed mouth. Motionless.
Bao feels as though he has seen this many times before. It feels no different from a lizard finding its meal in an unlucky bug or spider. Like the normal processes of nature has just played out for an insect to behold. Why does the death of another human like Arnit feel like this? It is the overwhelming might of the beast before him.
Now that he sees it, Keyon knows what this creature is. He has never seen one but there can only be one name that describes what is in front of him. He hesitates to speak the name. As if saying anything will draw the attention of the beast.
“A dragon.”
The beast slowly drifts back into the pit where it came from. Its eyes scan the area. Two humans are hardly a snack, but sometimes it’s about more than the meal. Sadly, it doesn’t have time to leave its home. The magical barrier was destroyed, but even now the beast can feel the force of the magic pressing him back down as it regenerates. It is truly powerful magic.
As the dragon creeps into the darkness, its eyes lock with Belos. The Bolbian was the one who set this up. Regardless of his own motivations, the dragon was able to eat another human and breathe fresh air for the first time in centuries. It will tell others about the occasion, and they won’t forget this.
Belos turns to the others, the only two here left. Keyon has passed out. A combination of his ever-growing exhaustion, and their encounter with a dragon. Bao is similarly reaching his limit, but he is still holding on. Belos rushes over to the two and tries to reassure them.
“Just sit tight here guys. Everything is over. I’ll go get the lady and the kids. Get some rest,” he runs off before Bao can say anything.
Bao’s heart is still pounding in his chest. He’s not sure how he can rest after seeing everything these last two days. As his heart slowly calms down though, he notices that the forest has become quiet again. The sun is almost gone, and nature seems to have already forgotten about what took place here just a few moments ago. As the last few rays of sun disappear behind the mountains, Bao finally lets himself fade into sleep.