ROOT PT.2

This was annoying.

Abaddon had Tulote, and Cassandra was incapacitated. What was I supposed to do now?

I had to think on my feet, because the longer this fight went on, the more powerful Abaddon got. This seemed to be a joke to him, mere child's play, because he kept mocking me as the fight went on.

“If this is the hero, and I were someone from the overworld, I would've fled already!”

He then sent his sword crushing down.
I rolled out of the way just intime.

There was a thunderous clash.

“Well, at least there is one thing you're good at, and that's running away.”

I needed to rescue Tulote, and get Cassandra to safety, this thing was too strong!

With each slash, I had retreated further into the tunnel, further and further away from Cassandra.
I worried about her because she was unconscious. What if any demons got a hold of her?

I didn't want to lose anyone else today.

The root filled cavern-like place echoed with Abaddon's laughter. 
He revelled in the chaos he inflicted on the World Tree. 

He then dropped Tulote, now barely breathing, and with blood streaming from his mouth and nose.
This angered me.

I had to retreat deeper once more, for his blows became too close for comfort.

“Running away is a good start, little hero, HAHAHA,” Abaddon sneered, “But where will you run when everything you know turns to dust?”

He brought his titanic obsidian staff down again. The blow was so strong, a crater formed where it landed. The impact sent tremors throughout the rooted cavern, dislodging dust and small pebbles from the ceiling.

I scrambled back even further. My heart was pounding. I needed to save Tulote and Cassandra.
I couldn't just run, I had to fight, but how?

To make things even worse, the world tree was losing the battle.
God, Usasha, you just needed to hold on for a bit longer.
The green within the core was fading; it was losing its struggle against the demonic energy and was slowly turning to red.

I had a eureka moment.

It seemed Abaddon was drawing power from the Tree's suffering, so what if I could disrupt that connection?
Even for but a moment?

I dodged another swing from Abaddon's staff. His movements were getting lazier.
He was growing cocky.
This was my moment.

I did not retreat further, no siree, it was my time to shine now.

I leaped forward, not at the demon, but at the colossal, gnarled root Abaddon was infecting. 
With what was probably my most guttural cry ever, I plunged the gladius into the compromised section of the root.

“YOU WILL DEFILE THIS LAND NO FURTHER, ABADDON!” 

Abaddon's mood took a gross turn for the worse.

“YOU SNAKE! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU”

The connection, however tenuous, had been momentarily severed.

Dark energy flickered around him, and for an instant, his aura dimmed.
It was barely perceptible in the immense darkness, but it was there.

“YOU INSOLENT, PATHETIC WORM!” 

He was enraged now.

He lunged at me, but the brief disruption in his power bought me a crucial fraction of a second.
I rolled under his sweeping attack and came upon the other side of the giant root.

Now, no longer retreating, it was like I was dancing with this big slumbering bafoon of a creature.

We fought throughout the root system, every time using the gnarled branches as impromptu cover, and always circling back to where Abaddon was drawing power.

Each time the demon focused his attack, I would strike the Nobellus into a different section of the afflicted roots.

These caused him visible pain.

My plan was working.

Abaddon's movements became less fluid and cocky as before, but to replace that, his roars were more frequent.

I wasn't fighting him head on, I fought his source of his power, trying to cut off his seemingly endless supply.
It was a risky gambit, as I was exposing myself to his fury, but it was working.
He was growing sloppier, more desperate; contrasting this though, my movements grew sharper and my strikes much more precise.

Abaddon staggered.

His attacks were wild now and his focus non-existent. 

“ENOUGH OF THIS CHILDISH GAME” he bellowed.

Golly, his eyes were blazing even more than before. Maybe I ought to be scared…

Nah.

Then Abaddon did something truly horrifying.

He turned his back on the struggling root and extended his free hand towards the core of the World Tree. The red and fading green orb pulsed violently.

With a sickening, tearing sound, a shimmering, tendril-like wisp of energy ripped free from the core and engulfed Abaddon's outstretched palm. 

He clenched his fist, and then, to my horror,

He brought his hand to his hideous mouth and swallowed it whole.

“USASHA!” I screamed.

A wave of pure, unadulterated power erupted from Abaddon. The rooted cavern shook, and cracks spider webbed across the stone.

His form swelled.

Muscles bulged.

The glowing red runes on his skin were now blazing.

His wings ripped from this growth, stretching wider, darker and more menacing.

His eyes were now pure with rage.

“Foolish hero.” Abaddon boomed. “You severed just a vein, WHILE I HAVE CONSUMED THE HEART ITSELF. Let's see, you stop me now.”

I panicked.

The World Tree shuddered. 

It began to wither.

The glow receded.

It was replaced by a sickly grey and black.

--

Outside the cavern, I heard cries echo. The elves. I felt it. I FELT IT.

“NO THE ELVES, CASSANDRA!”

I rushed over to Cassandra.

As the last vestiges of green faded from the core, a faint, almost imperceptible dark tendril snaked from the blackening roots and began to snake its way around Cassandra's unconscious form. 

Her skin, once so fair, became dull.

Tulote groaned again. He was becoming weaker. 

“Tulote, we're going to be alright, don't you worry. Please. I need you, man.”

“Just, focus on slaying that thing. For all our sakes' hero.” he pulled me closer. “Not just for me, but for all elf kind.”

“Don't you worry, Tulote.”

The world tree was dying, and with it, the elves were succumbing to the demonic corruption that now infiltrated into their lifeblood.

Abaddon was now truly a terrifying god of destruction.

“Now, little hero,” he rumbled, “let's see you run.”

—

“NO ONE FUCKS AROUND WITH MY FAMILY. AND NO ONE FUCKS AROUND WITH MY WIFE.”

The voice echoed into my head. I knew who it was.

“Arda. Lend me your body for a second.”

I wasn't going to refuse.

Abaddon seemed to recognize what was going on.

“No, this, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE.”

He charged. But by that time, Silus had already taken control of my body.

With a simple counter, he sent the demon hurdling across the hallway.

“Man, it's been a while since I've done this,” Silus continued, “OI YOU THERE, give me a fight.”

“WELL IF I AM THE ONE TO SLAY SILUS THEN LET IT BE”

I teleported behind the demon, well not me, but Silus.

“Golly you're cocky.”

Silus then cut off his other horn.

“This will be nice.”