Chapter 29: Chapter: 29 Ahri vs Pale

Ahri POV

Ahri sprinted down the street, her lungs on fire and her face hot with tears. Her fear urged her to keep on running but a tiny voice, hidden in a forgotten place in the back of her mind, screamed in protest. 

She was leaving Tana behind. The tinkerer wasn't a friend, Ahri had no friends but she was something and that was more than she’d had in many years.

She reached the end of the street, slowed down and came to halt. She looked back at the workshop and then down the road in Talasin’s direction.

What am I doing?”

“Don't be a hero, Ahri. Heroes get killed.”

She thought of the look Tana had given her when she’d told her to run. The look of someone who’d resigned themselves to their fate.

She took a step towards the workshop and shouted. “Tana.” 

Her words had barely left her mouth when a high pitch whistling filled the air all around her. A second later a blinding light flooded out of the workshop’s door and windows. For an instant everything slowed down as if the world was taking a breath. A low rumbling rippled under her feet and then the workshop shattered like a champagne glass squeezed too tight in a fat man's hand. 

A wave of pressure swept Ahri up like a leaf and tossed her backwards across the street and into a tree. She slid down the tree and lay on the ground.

 

At first she felt nothing. A shockingly large amount of nothing and because the pain was yet to arrive Ahri hoped it would not come at all. 

Maybe the wound was shallower than I thought.

As soon as the thought entered her mind the pain came like thunder on the heels of lightning. It emanated from the center of her being. The pain of cracked ribs, the pain of losing a friend, the pain of knowing just how helpless she had become.

I can handle this. This is nothing.

She’d lost so much along the way that she’d thought nothing could hurt her ever again but it was at that exact instant Ahri found herself screaming in agony at her pain, at her loss. 

A shadow passed over her and Ahri looked up into the face of death and she knew that all of her sacrifices, all of her suffering had been for nothing.

The harbinger called Pale rolled his shoulders and unslung the shield from his back. He said, “This day is full of surprises.”

Ahri coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“How far you have fallen my little goddess.”

Ahri spat the mouthful of blood into Pale’s face. 

It was a futile thing but at that moment even the tiniest victories meant something to her.

The harbinger wiped the spit from his face and licked it.

“Disappointing. You even taste like a commoner now.”

 

“Did you do this?” she asked. “Is this all some fucked up game  you sick pricks play to get yourselves off?”

Pale’s leered down at her and said, “Hood felt this was the most efficient way to gather the heart of a demon lord.” He smiled revealing rows of filed silver teeth. “Does it bother you little goddess?”

“Where’s Talasin?” she asked. 

“Don't worry about the boy, he has failed to bring us the World Stone. Beholder has decided that we are done with doing things your way. We will flush Gavriel even if we burn this world to ash in the process.”

“You can't do this to me,” said Ahri. “We had a deal. You promised me one wish if I brought you Gavriel.”

Pale lifted his shield and swung it like a battle axe. It sliced through the tree trunk inches above Ahri’s head and the tree hit the ground with a resounding thump.

“The great Lord Caladan Krell keeps his word,” said Pale. “You will kill the boy and return with me. Beholder has a new task for you. But I warn you little god, fail us again and you will be begging for death for all of eternity.”

---

Talasin POV

The mangled bodies of the villages laid all about me, some twisted in agony, some dying as they attempted to crawl away and other's reaching out to protect their loved ones. 

The sight sickened me and as I rose to my legs and looked about I saw Pale standing over Ahri with his shield raised high like an executioner's blade ready for the slaughter.

I took one shaky step towards him and then I scanned him before I even realized what I was doing.

*

Name: Pale

Race: Elder

Level: ???

Health: ∞

Skills: ???

Status: Berserk

*

Much of his information was still unknown and I figured it was because he was so far beyond my level that my scan could only find out the tiniest amount of information. 

The fact that Harbinger had infinite life meant nothing to me. I had no chance of defeating him but that changed nothing. 

I took another shaky step towards him and then I cast Leap of Faith and the spell propelled me forward like a skinny, pale ass cannonball. I drew Polyblade and as I reached the apex of my giant leap a two handed mace appeared in my hands. 

I’d learnt how to pour power into my spells making them stronger at the expense of my own stamina. As I flew through the air I drew on every ounce of power that my measly level 6 body contained. Black veins stretched around my arms connecting to the mace and drawing all of my power into a single skull shattering blow. 

I roared as I crushed down onto the harbinger like a mother fucking wrecking ball. The impact of mace-against-skull rippled up my arms and through my body. 

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Pale twisted around like an enraged animal and swatted me with his shield, sending me flying across the square and landing on the altar.

---

Ahri POV

In a single instant the pain that had been building inside of Ahri throughout the day turned to blinding rage. 

She gripped the sickle moon pendant that hung around her neck and drew on the last of her godly powers. Pure heavenly mana entered her like she was drinking from a waterfall. Her skin brightened, her eyes shone a deadly purple and her hair fluttered as wind rushed around her menacingly.

She shaped the flow of power, guiding it as it fought to break free of her human body. She could feel it sapping her strength draining her mortal life force. If she held onto it much longer it would kill her. Once she had drawn all  that she could hold she compressed all that power into a single point and released it.

The nova blast began in her center and burst out of her in a perfect ring of blue light. The tree, the grass, the corpse of some unknown villager and the harbinger named Pale erupted in flames. The tree and the villager turned to ash as their life force was consumed by the gods wrath but Pale still remained on his feet.

The harbinger’s shield fell from his hands revealing black skin charred by fire. Half of his face was melted off and his left eye hung limply from its socket. 

Before he could recover from the attack Ahri ducked under his arms and ran over to Talasin. 

His eyes were closed, his clothing shredded and blood trickled out of more wounds than she could count. She knelt beside him and whispered his name.

He didn't move at first so Ahri gently stroked his head until his eyes opened and the corners of his lips twitched in a smile.

A tear ran down Ahri’s cheek and splashed on Talasin’s arm.

“I'm glad you’re ok. I hoped it wasn't too late.”

“Too late for what?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Well, for an apology.”

Talasin looked at her like he was gazing through fog and said, “It's not too late.”

“I'm glad.” 

“Was that it?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Was that your apology?” 

Ahri smiled sheepishly and said, “I really really want to apologize for killing you,” her words came out in a rush. “And for lying to you and manipulating you and I'm sure there's more…”

Talasins smiled and then winced as pain lanced through his ribs. He said, “There's definitely more.”

“You’re no angel either,” said Ahri. Have you ever apologized for staring at my breasts when I'm talking to you?”

His eyes shone as he said, “I'm only staring at them right now because they’re hovering an inch from my face.”

Ahri laughed and then her eyes widened as Talasin’s face went hard as he gazed past her.

She knew what was coming, she didn't really believe she could kill the harbinger in her mortal body. All she had hoped to do was buy some time to say goodbye.

Burnt grass crunched underfoot as Pale slowly drew nearer. 

Ahri touched Talasin’s face and said, “I think I could have loved you.”

She felt the giant’s hand reach around her neck. He lifted her up effortlessly and she dangled like a fish on a hook. She never for a moment took her eyes off of Talasin.

There was no point in fighting back, she had played her trump card and failed. All she could do was enjoy her final moment.

The harbinger turned her head around to face him. He said through gritted teeth, “I knew we could never trust one of you foolish godlings.”

He twisted his hand and snapped Ahri's neck and the sound resounded through the empty village and mingled with Talasin screams.

---

Talasin POV

I screamed and screamed until my voice broke and the sound refused to come.

The harbinger looking bored slung his great shield over his shoulder and drew a spell card from his spellbag.

“You will be reunited soon enough,” he said as he tossed the card into the air with the flick of his wrist. “Life is just a flicker in the eternity that is death.”

A black shimmering portal yawned open behind him. He looked at me one final time and if he’d left something unfinished. He hesitated and then he cocked his head as if he heard some distant voice calling him. He turned around and stepped through the portal and vanished.

A calmness came over me as I realized that I was about to die. I had a splinter the size of my finger lodged into my back and I was quickly bleeding to death. I’d tried to hide that fact from Ahri as I didn't want to frighten her. 

With my remaining strength I pulled my aching body across the ground and stopped beside Ahri’s trembling body. She was barely alive. She looked so small, so fragile lying in a crumpled heap. Her blue hair cascaded down her body and over her curves in a way that had always stirred something inside of me. But this time as I looked at her all I felt was regret.

If only I had taken Heal Other. Twice she had asked me to choose that spell and twice I had made a joke and refused. 

I'm a fucking idiot.

I was so self absorbed that the thought of losing someone I cared about hadn't even occurred to me. I brushed the hair out of her face and thought that it didn't matter who was right or wrong. All I cared about was saving the girl that I'd fallen in love with. 

Before I’d been too angry to acknowledge anything but lust for Ahri but looking down at her at that moment I knew that what I felt was real. But the light in her eyes was fading and in a matter of seconds she would be dead. I wondered if I would reappear on Earth when I died.

I reached into my spellbag to summon Flint. I didn't want to go through losing someone alone. But my hand touched something soft and squishy. I drew out the little ball of mud and stared at it in confusion. 

Why had I hung onto this thing for so long. I didn't even know what it was for. A gift from a god that didn't give a shit about me. The mud was most likely an actual piece of shit too. But Ramogos had said something before leaving. Something about using the gift when all else failed.

Here goes nothing.

I put the ball inside my mouth and chewed on it until it was soft. My mouth immediately began to salivate and I felt new life entering me. I didn't swallow the ball, instead I kissed Ahri and forced every last drop of god infused mud down her throat.

---

[Level 6 - Progress towards next level: 72%]

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