As the rock approached Bo with his fist drawn and about to strike Bo’s head, it seemed to slow down. How odd! It was moving so slowly that it seemed comical. In contrast, Bo was moving rather quickly than usual. He walked directly towards the fist of the rock being, which was now punching out. In the next moment, the fist would certainly bash his head. But right before that moment, he side-stepped and skirted the striking path of the fist of rock. His movement was so smooth that it he was like water flowing round a boulder. His right hand suddenly had an addition of a golden dagger in a reverse grip. No one actually saw how or when he had drawn out the dagger. Not even Finkler, but he thought that the dagger must be one marvellous weapon, being made from gold and adorned with jewels and gems. Bo swept his arm and the dagger cut right through the fist. The blade entered the fist straight on, cutting through the forearm all the way and came out at the elbow. The whole motion was like a dance move executed by the master, graceful and effortless. Then it occurred to Finkler. How come the slow old apeman can now move so swiftly?
Then, Finkler saw the trick. An energy field had already been set up. It was a field magic spreading very quickly from the centre of the terrace. He quickly backed away for he did not want to be caught in one. Even the other two fighting monsters on the other side of the terrace stopped and backed away. The grey one spread its wings, took flight and hovered outside the terrace. But the two rock beings could not escape. The one closest to Bo was already caught within the field. The other one was a bit slow in its reaction. When it saw Finkler jumping away, the field had already reached him.
In an instant, the field was complete. The extension of the field was visible from the glowing patterns covering the terrace like a carpet of light. The field was a series of concentric circles with wriggly scrawly writings and runic symbols lining along the circumference. And they all shone in white. The two rock beings caught within the field were now moving so very slowly like they were moving through some very thick fluid. Bo was like a fish in water, moving freely almost gliding from one place to the other.
Bo swirled around the rock being, weaving in and out like a fish playing around a rock. The hand with the dagger swept around in dizzying speed, cutting up the rock being. The rock being tried to hit him but being too slow, the striking motion just seemed to pause right there while Bo continued his work without hindrance effectively slicing it to cubes. When he was done, he glided away and like a painter, he stood back to admire his work. Slowly the rock being fell apart at the cuts. The dagger was so sharp that it cut through the rocks leaving a flat glossy surface. He made thousands of cuts and it was too many. The strange energy within the rock being could no longer hold the pieces together anymore. There were too many places to repair. The rock being disintegrated into a pile of rubbles. It was indeed a death by a thousand cuts.
The other rock being was now approaching to launch his attack. With a side glance, Bo saw the trajectory of his attack, glided away punctually, not a moment too soon, not a moment too late. He proceeded to cut him up like the previous one, swirling around it and cutting it with his reverse gripped dagger. Finally, it too crumbled to the ground unable to sustain itself.
The field gave Bo the immense advantage. It had the reciprocal effect that sped up Bo’s motion and slowed down all the rest. Bo was moving at ten times the speed of a normal being under normal circumstances while the two was at a tenth. This field was affecting the energy field within the rock beings too, slowing down their efficacy to a tenth.
“Impressive.”
“Why, thank you,” replied Bo, “not that I have any doubt about your ability. But I fear for my hut and waking up Master Quin. He can be such a grouchy fellow when he is deprived of sleep.”
The two were standing very precisely on the opposite sides of the border that separated Bo’s field from the outside world. Both were very careful not to put their feet on the wrong side.
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“He hasn’t woken up yet.”
“I cast an exclusion spell on the hut. Nothing would reach him for the moment. But I’m afraid my spell is reaching its limit. The flying one is up to you. Good night, young sir.”
“Good night, Bo.”
With a slight bow, Bo retreated back into the hut in one swift glide. Then, the field was gone. The circles with intricate writings were gone and the white glow disappeared. Everything returned back to normal.
“Now it’s your turn.”
“What’re you going to do baldy. I’m up here and you’re down there.”
Finkler smiled and with a swept of his arm, a giant Hex appeared on his hand like he was holding a big tray. He threw the Hex towards the black monster. The Hex flew in an arc making the turn towards Deth.
“Get him, Biggo.”
Biggo hopped onto the giant Hex which was about three feet wide and swiftly they flew towards Deth. The winged monster was stunned. This was not anticipated. No one had wings. He thought he had the ultimate advantage. Now, the black monster could fly. They started to fight again, this time in the air. Finkler stood next to the balustrade, watching the fight. He was controlling the Hex with his dainty fingers. He scrutinized the grey monster. He seemed to recognize the runic symbols on his body. He saw them before, back in the days he was studying in the Dark North.
“You are one of the Creatures of the Abyss, aren’t you?”
Deth laughed loudly. His shrieking sound reverberated throughout the cliff. “You do know something, baldy.”
“Who summoned you?”
“Fuck off. Can’t you see I’m fighting this thing here. It’s no match for me.” After a few clangs of the blades, Deth made a spin and successfully tricked Biggo. He spun to its back and with one big sweep, his sabre cut through Biggo right at the hip.
“Hahaha … hehe. You’re done, you fat thing.”
Biggo turned around, still all in one piece. He did not separate into halves. Deth was stunned yet again. He could not understand it.
“Yes, he’s not your match. But then, he can’t die, so to speak.” said Finkler calmly. “He’s impervious.”
Deth’s eyes were opened wide, enraged. He shouted loudly, “Impervious!!??” His runic symbols glowed fiercely. Biggo and the Hex charged and their blades met again. The next round of sword against sabre battle began again, and again, after fifteen strokes, the grey monster slashed right through Biggo. But after a moment, Biggo was alright again and the fight continued.
Deth gave out a long loud shrieking howl. It adequately expressed his madness and agony.
“You can always surrender,” suggested Finkler.
“I NEVERRR SURENDERRR.” He finished that with another shrieking piercing howl.
The fights continued with increased ferocity. Within a few strokes, Deth cut Biggo again, slashing through its right arm and again, Biggo recovered. After another dozen strokes, Deth cut Biggo again, and again, and again and every time, Biggo recovered. This drove Deth madder and madder until he was so mad that he decided to let Biggo have it. The big one. He darted upwards into the clouds. The symbols on his body shone brighter still and the glow moved down to his sabre so that his sabre began to light up like a small star in the sky. With a loud shriek, Deth swung his sabre making a wide downward sweep and out from his glowing sabre, an energy ball of blue and white shot down like a shooting star, drawing a straight line in the dark sky. Biggo contemplated the incoming fiery comet and did not back away. He hit it directly with his black sword.
“Take that, you turd. Take my Comet Sabre. Hahaha….”
The shooting star exploded upon impact. The blast was too great and Biggo was blown into the sea. The Hex shattered into pieces. Finkler saw the explosion and his eyes did not even flinch. He rested his palms on the railing of the balustrade. Marvelous, he thought. His long dainty fingers began tapping the railing. Then, they moved in their delicate intricate wriggling motion like he was writing runes with his fingers on air, all ten of them, simultaneously writing, constructing a prose of a spell.
Biggo could not swim. He did not need to because he could not sink like a person with weight. Biggo was a pure energy being and thus, being all energy, he was weightless and he was unaffected by these trivial natural effects like gravity or drowning. But the blast imparted too great a force and it sent him flying in an uncontrollable trajectory downward and into the sea. He was struggling to counter it but without the Hex, he was, in effect, in a free fall. Finkler was now helping him by transferring to him even more energy from his own reserve. Finkler was also casting a new spell to restore the Hex and thus, the shattered pieces began to collect themselves and reassemble. Soon, the Hex was one again and flew towards Biggo, placed itself under it, as if with a mind of its own, and halting Biggo’s flight. It pushed upwards and together, they rose up and out of the sea ascending to the height where Deth was flapping his wings. His eyes were bursting with fire.