Maia’s legs dangled freely in the air. The final rays of light from the sun allowed her to make out the thin wisps of clouds beneath her feet. Behind her, the moon was already making her presence known, filling the void left by the setting sun. It was a surreal experience floating so far off the ground by someone else’s power. It wasn’t uncomfortable perse, but the lack of control did irk her. She certainly wasn’t complaining, though. There was simply no way she could accomplish a feat such as this one.
Floating beside her, the entire army of Puma and Eagle warriors, the polar bears, reindeer, turtles, and Emerald warriors were frozen in perfect synchrony, all upheld by one man. The perpetrator, Luca himself, was nonchalantly conversing with his goldfish and sealion.
As far as Maia could see, the old fisherman didn’t have a care in the world. He had lifted the whole camp with an afterthought and suspended them thousands of feet off the ground with a mere flick of his hand. The triviality with which he accomplished this both fascinated and terrified Maia. If they were to end this war, would she eventually be forced to clash against monsters of this level? Shaking her head, she pushed those thoughts away. Worrying about the future was irrelevant if she didn’t even make it past tonight.
Calling out to Nina, one of the best Eagle tribe scouts, Maia asked for an update on the situation. “How’s the fog looking? Do we have a time estimate on when we can drop?”
Nina’s eyes glowed faintly under the waning sunlight. She appeared to be staring directly at a cloud, but Maia knew the warrioress’ eyes could pierce right through it. Her large yellow irises, identical to those of her eagle phantom, permitted her to analyze the mountain’s current state even from an altitude where Maia’s own eyes saw nothing. Maia wished she could have more control here as well, that her binoculars could pierce through the veil of clouds in the same way the scout’s vision could, but no, floating powerlessly was all she could do right now.
Unaware of Maia’s thoughts, Nina answered earnestly. “The fog is still covering the base, but it has not yet reached the altitude we agreed upon for the attack, but by my best estimate, we should be able to invade the Green Mamba’s camp in a few minutes.”
“Good, good. Keep watching and let me know if anything changes.” Maia returned to observing her army. Everyone’s movements were severely limited, a rule forcibly imposed by Luca. Something about their movement annoyed the old man, and despite the Emerald warrior’s complaints, he refused to budge.
It wasn’t as if they even had much leverage in the argument. Luca was happy to suggest they drop on the camp on their own if they didn’t want to follow his rules, ending the argument before it had even begun. As much as Maia would have loved to lift the army by her own hand, it was too difficult a task for a Lord-tier Elementalist like herself to accomplish. Her powers were clumsy, though only by comparison to Luca’s, and would draw attention to the sky. Unlike Luca who seemed to just defy gravity, Maia would have to continuously feed a stream of wind to keep them afloat. For a group of this size, that gust would be comparable to the winds of a hurricane. Her powerlessness affronted her once more, and this time, she chose to divert her mind by going over the plan. At least she intended to, but Nina interrupted.
“The fog has reached the sky! There’s fog all over now!”
Mai snapped to attention, first thanking Nina and then turning to Luca to signal the beginning of their attack. Her eyes were only met with the starry sky, however, as she felt the pull of gravity dragging her down to the ground. Looking up, Maia could see Luca bounding away as if he were walking on solid ground. His figure grew more and more distant until he was naught but a speck in the horizon. Setting her sights on the Green Mamba camp, Maia focused on her objective.
The rest of the army was already in formation. The Puma tribesmen huddled close to the reindeers who fully extended their wings to control their descent. Each of the Eagle clansmen enveloped themselves within a phantom eagle and grasped the falling polar bears with their talons, and the turtles helped anyone who didn’t yet have a pair. The Emerald warriors fell independently of the army, each bundled in an aura of wind that enhanced their velocity. As instructed by Maia, they had used the wind to accelerate their fall and now appeared like a group of falling stars, tunneling towards the edges of the pirate base. They would be the first point of contact and in charge of sowing the seeds of discord. The chaos of the drop had been momentary and was easily dealt with.
With one last look, she ensured everyone was dropping accordingly before propelling downwards wrapped in her own personal tornado. Bathed in an orange light, Maia formed two machetes in the palms of her hand which quickly crystallized to their characteristic emerald. She clutched the familiar hilts tightly and felt as her mind sharpened with determination. Her blades hadn’t been used against the Bucko. She judged them to be incompatible against the android, but to hunt a snake, these two blades would be well-suited.
Spinning with the current of the wind, Maia branched away from the rest of the army, barreling towards the mountain villa on the outskirts of the Green Mamba camp in a green comet. She could make out the details of the lavish home now. It was gorgeous, overflowing with serenity as its wooden frame and arches melded artistically with the beauty of the mountain. Exuding a blue pigment, Maia accelerated twofold. She hoped there would be nothing left of the villa once she crashed into it.
As the distance between Maia and the mountain grew negligible, she added in a violet color which commanded the winds around her to shape themselves into a protective cocoon. Violet affinities were protective in nature, but as Maia blasted through the roof of the villa and demolished everything to smithereens, she was filled with glee to know that she had effectively turned her protective measures into a deadly attack.
The rest of the Green Mamba base felt Maia’s landing more than they heard it. The Emerald warriors had already commenced their raid and were in the midst of a killing spree. The efficiency of each archer combined with the proficiency of the close-combat Emerald warriors had made the pirates suffer heavy losses immediately. Watchtower after watchtower had collapsed, preventing the pirate camp from even realizing it was under attack.
As with every night, the pirates were immersed in their alcohol-fueled celebration. Despite the alertness demanded by Celia, the pirates were too unruly to live without engaging in their vices. Days of false alarms had dulled their senses, and the fog had lulled the pirates into an unexpected sense of complacency. Sure, the fog protected the attacking army from being noticed, but it also hid the pirate’s activities from their supervisors. A win-win coincidence that delayed the pirate’s response by another few seconds. But that all changed when Maia attacked.
Covered in a cloak of orange, blue, and violet light, Maia’s crash landing had shaken the mountain base and temporarily swept away the fog. Unlike the rest of the Emerald warriors who had prioritized speed and discretion as they landed, Maia hit the villa with her full strength, effectively mimicking a bomb. The quake that followed knocked the unsuspecting pirates to the ground.
The pirates, who until this very moment had been clueless to the predators hiding in their midst, noticed the corpses around them as they stumbled into their lifeless compatriots. That’s when the screams began, and the battle truly unfolded. That wasn’t Maia’s priority, at the moment, however. The incoming army would deal with that.
Rising out of the rubble of the broken home, Maia dusted her armor off. She was completely unharmed, her cocoon accomplishing its job perfectly, and she wondered if perhaps her well-timed sneak attack had ended the life of the Pirate Empress. Scanning the remains of the villa, she hoped to find Celia’s corpse, crushed beneath the broken marble of her home. Instead, all Maia could see were shattered statues and paintings.
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
Listening for the ragged breaths of the dying, Maia’s ears twitched. She froze as she focused her energy on her hearing. Her ears twitched again and by the time they had twitched a third time, Maia was already diving to the side.
The open maw of the giant Green Mamba that had terrorized her before crashed through the villa, biting down on the spot Maia had just occupied. The snake chewed through the stone easily, pulverizing it to dust before it hissed- although at that size, the snake’s hiss may as well have been the roar of a lion. Nevertheless, Maia was unintimidated. Clanging her machetes together, she leapt over the snake’s fangs and slashed, the first attack of the most important battle she had fought to date.
----------------------------------------
The higher Alexander climbed, the more prominent the sounds of battle became. He was eager to help his allies defeat the Green Mamba, but he hated the emotions the sounds of battle brought about within him. His palms were sweaty, throat dried, and his chest bashed his ribcage like a feral animal trying to escape containment. Soon… soon, he would be locked in a battle to the death with the pirates, and he needed to get a hold of himself.
But it was easier said than done. Clawing at the top button of his dress shirt, Alexander wrestled it open, suddenly feeling his breathing become labored and restricted. He tried to suppress the raging emotions sweltering beneath, but the calm he had struggled to attain escaped him. He was jumping back into the battlefield, returning to the death. The thought threatened to send him into a panic, but a flipper on his shoulder quelled his mind.
Pengu swarmed Alexander with calming thoughts through their connection. Not alone. She said.
Yes, you’re right. Thank you, Pengu. Scratching the crown of her head, Alexander smiled at his companion. It was true. Although this would be a tough battle, potentially even more cruel than the rainforest battle had been, the knowledge Pengu would be by his side, that he would not go into this alone, was enough. His heart still rattled against his chest, and his forehead was still tinged with cold sweat. But his steps were more confident, more secure.
Rising over to the summit of the Green Mamba base, Alexander wrapped himself in a sheen of indigo flames. Pengu stood heroically on his shoulder, feeding Alexander with the indigo flames as she drew from his well of mana. He inhaled deeply and bided his time, choosing to take in the sight of the battle instead of rushing to it like his allies.
The fog impaired his vision, but the stream of attacks flowing from the Emerald warriors and reindeer specifically blew gales that gave Alexander just enough vision to know this battle was harrowing. The polar bears appeared comical as they dashed in their fitted suits, but there was nothing funny about the bone-crunching impacts their tackles created. In comparison, the turtles and reindeer were less intimidating at a glance, but the telekinetic and flaming mana slashes they unleashed were equally devastating. The flashes of blue lightning Alexander had come to associate with Kai traveled quickly through the entirety of the base, searching for the executives. Alongside him, Thomas forcibly forged a path through the swarm of pirates, bulldozing his way in a storm of ice.
Smoke had combined with the fog rising from the lake by this point. It was unknown whether a stray lightning strike from the Green Mamba or the flames wielded by the reindeer had started the fire, but it didn’t matter. Cloaked in all manner of elements, the two armies clashed. Lightning, water, wind, fire, earth, and psychic mana blasted through the mountain, unceremoniously destroying anything in their path.
It was a bloodthirsty affair, but one which was unfortunately necessary. Stepping forward, Alexander allowed himself to be swallowed by the currents of war, joining the battle against the Green Mamba in a fiery charge. With Pengu by his side, Alexander unleashed the culmination of all he had learned.
Pengu’s fire slashes sliced at the pirates, burning anyone who tried to get close. Alexander took the opportunity to cut loose, striking at any isolated pirate he came across. While much of his mana was siphoned to Pengu to maintain the large display of indigo flames, Alexander kept some for himself, pumping his veins with white flames. The result was a burst of strength and speed that put him leagues above any of the goons around.
Alexander and Pengu fought as one, with their telepathic connection serving to create a synergy in their movements that bordered on the impossible. Without looking back, Alexander ducked beneath a blast of fire and swept his legs under a group of pirates, knocking them down. As he delivered a series of jabs to neutralize them, he felt Pengu’s feet push off his shoulder as the little chick took to the skies.
She landed in the middle of an armed group of pirates in a blast of fire. Alexander sprinted into the flames, reuniting with Pengu as they began to finish off the survivors. He bobbed and weaved under the successive strikes of the pirates. He wasn’t perfect, taking a few hits here and there, but Alexander was managing to avoid any blows that would incapacitate him. Whenever a lightning strike or a crystalized weapon came close, Pengu would flare with flames, tearing apart the attack.
Cracking a pirate jaw with an elbow strike, Alexander leaned back and took hold of Pengu’s body. Reeling his shoulder back, he launched the penguin directly at another group of pirates. She improvised in the air, using her fire to generate enough momentum to begin spinning. Like a flaming drill, she smashed against the pirates, eliminating most of them. Alexander was already running to finish off the remaining ones, but something slammed against his stomach, stopping him and even managing to fling him backwards.
As he rolled in the ground from the blow, he realized the object that had been thrown at him was Pengu. The penguin quickly stood, informing Alexander that apart from dizziness she had sustained no injuries. He healed her anyway, unwilling to take any chances.
Two pirates strutted calmly towards Pengu and Alexander. They wore a full armor, covering them from head to toe in orange crystals, and both held crystal cutlasses. Alexander watched as the two pirates emerged from the fire unblemished. He supposed they were Green Mamba captains, not at the level of the executives but substantially stronger than the average pirates he had defeated so far.
Placing Pengu on his shoulder, Alexander lowered his stance, preparing to face the two captains at once. He met the eyes of both of his opponents in a brief moment of stillness before their battle commenced.
Pengu’s flipper clashed with one of their cutlasses, and Alexander slapped away the blade of the other. His arm vibrated uncomfortably from the back of his hand all the way down to his elbow, the strength with which the captain held his blade causing Alexander pain, but there was no time to back away, Already, the captain had thrown a left hook.
Alexander leaned back, kicking at the captain to gain the few extra inches needed to dodge the blow, but the pirate stuck close to him, wrapping lightning around his cutlass as he dragged it through the ground. The captain was much faster than Alexander, this was clear to see. Mind racing, Alexander tried to think through his options, but the captain’s wild slashes gave him no respite. Throwing himself desperately to the side, he felt as the cutlass pressed against the fabric of his suit. The armor had protected him this time, but he didn’t want to find out what would happen if the captain’s blade struck his unprotected skin.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Pengu held a slight edge over the other captain. Perhaps just surviving was his best option. Lightning crackled as the captain stabbed at Alexander in a frenzy. Small cuts were accumulating on his body, slowly becoming larger and larger as the captain became accustomed to Alexander’s movements. No, he couldn’t wait for someone to save him; if he was to survive, he needed to be proactive.
Waiting for the captain to draw close once more, Alexander focused on his memory of the lake. The flaming bombs the reindeer had flung at the lake had awoken something within him. He tried to recall it, but it felt like trying to remember a dream the morning after. The memory eluded him, but the blistering heat of the explosion remained.
Falling into a trance, Alexander stopped moving. The captain didn’t think twice and brought his cutlass down on Alexander’s shoulder, slashing diagonally in a blow that would have chopped straight through his muscles and into his chest had he not been wearing the suit. It did its job, however, and held strong under the captain’s attack. This gave Alexander just enough time to extend his palm towards the captain.
But the movement was reflexive. He remained in a trance, unaware of the changes that had occurred in his battle. All he could think about was the heat of the explosion. How the mana ignited as it channeled through his body to form the miniature sun over the lake. Unwittingly, Alexander activated the yellow color and blew up his hand, blasting a crater immediately in front of him and decimating the captain.
How pleasantly warm this feels. Thought Alexander, ignorant to the attack he had just unleashed or the damage he had incurred.