The trembling ground forced Willie and Ghoida to brace themselves as the glowing sigil pulsed brighter. The air grew heavy with an energy that felt alive, almost suffocating. Ghoida clutched her sword tightly, her usual confidence wavering.
“Willie,” she said, glancing at him, “what in Elaris is going on?”
Willie adjusted his glasses, only to have them slide back down his nose from the sweat. “It’s… ancient,” he began, though his voice lacked the usual calm authority. “A summoning sigil. If I’m right, it’s calling something.”
Ghoida blinked at him. “Calling what?”
Willie opened his mouth to respond but tripped over a loose stone as the ground shook violently. He tumbled forward, landing flat on his back with a loud thud. Ghoida burst into laughter despite the chaos, holding her stomach. “You’re supposed to be the smart one, Willie!”
Willie groaned, adjusting his crooked glasses. “I am. Gravity’s just… very persistent today.”
Before Ghoida could reply, the sigil flared, a pillar of light erupting skyward. The storm that had begun to clear now roared back with vengeance. Lightning arced through the clouds, and a deafening roar echoed from the abyss below.
Willie scrambled to his feet, shaking off the dirt. “We’re in trouble.”
“Gee, you think?” Ghoida quipped, her laughter quickly fading as a colossal figure emerged from the light. The creature was massive, a swirling storm of jagged crystals and lightning. Its glowing eyes fixed on them, and it let out an ear-splitting roar.
Ghoida pointed her sword at it. “Okay, genius, what’s the plan?”
Willie pushed his glasses up, though they immediately slid back down. “We need to use the terrain. The edges are unstable. If we can lure it—”
Before he could finish, the monster stomped toward them, sending cracks splintering through the ground. Willie jumped back, only to misjudge his footing. He flailed comically before falling backward into a puddle of mud.
Ghoida nearly doubled over. “Willie, you’re killing me here!”
“Not helping!” Willie shouted, struggling to pull himself free as the mud made a loud squelch with every movement.
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The monster’s glowing eyes shifted to Willie, who was still flailing on the ground. It raised a massive claw, ready to strike.
“Duck!” Ghoida yelled, sprinting toward him.
“I’m already down!” Willie answered, managing to roll out of the way just as the claw slammed into the mud, splattering both of them. Ghoida wiped a streak of mud off her face, glaring at Willie.
“This is why I wear armor, genius.”
Willie stood, his face and clothes coated in mud, but his expression was serious. “Enough jokes. I have an idea.”
“Oh, this should be good,” Ghoida muttered, dodging a swipe from the monster as it roared again.
Willie gestured toward a jagged rock formation near the edge of the island. “If we can lure it there, the ground might collapse under its weight.”
“Risky, but I like it,” Ghoida said. “Just… try not to fall into another puddle, okay?”
Willie gave her a flat look but didn’t reply. Instead, he sprinted toward the rock formation, waving his arms to get the monster’s attention. “Over here, you giant thunderclap!”
The monster turned its massive frame toward him, its eyes glowing brighter. It charged, each step shaking the ground. Willie reached the rocks and turned, realizing the creature was moving faster than he expected.
“Willie, move!” Ghoida shouted, slashing at the monster’s legs to slow it down.
Willie tried to dart away but tripped again, this time over his own feet. He hit the ground with a grunt, the monster looming over him. “Seriously?!” he yelled, scrambling to get up.
Ghoida leapt onto the creature’s back, her sword flashing as she struck one of its glowing crystals. The monster roared in pain, rearing up and giving Willie just enough time to roll to safety.
“Can you stop trying to die for five minutes?” Ghoida called, holding on tightly as the creature thrashed.
Willie stumbled to his feet, his voice sharp. “It’s part of the plan!”
“Falling on your face is part of the plan?” Ghoida shouted incredulously, landing back on the ground as the monster’s movements grew sluggish.
Willie ignored her and waved at the creature again, drawing it closer to the rocks. “Just trust me!”
The monster lunged, its massive claw crashing into the unstable terrain. The ground gave way with a thunderous crack, the creature roaring as it tumbled into the abyss. Willie and Ghoida barely managed to jump back before the edge crumbled completely.
As the dust settled, Ghoida looked at Willie, her hands on her hips. “Well, I’ll give you this: you’re effective, even if you’re a walking disaster.”
Willie adjusted his mud-covered glasses, his tone deadpan. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Ghoida laughed, wiping the mud off her sword. “Come on, genius. Let’s find out who—or what—set that sigil. This day’s been way too weird already.”
As they walked away, the sigil’s faint glow reignited briefly behind them, unnoticed. The storm had passed for now, but the mysteries of Ventosca were only just beginning.
> End of Chapter 3