Sacrifices

Looking around as the giant steadily makes its way towards me, I see the soldiers of the kingdom, picking themselves up off the ground. Some nursing minor wounds whilst others were barely moving. Gritting my teeth in anger, I slide Thorne from its holster, holding it steady at my side.

"Fifty cal rounds." At my command, the cylinder grows and the large rounds clank home, finally stopping after the eighth round is in the cylinder. Looking at the giant, I take the stance and use my skill straight away.

"Quickshot!" the moment the words left my mouth I knew it was a bad idea. My body moves on its own, with my left-hand slamming down the hammer as the rounds fire from the weapon in quick succession. Even with the recoil dampening skill, I feel the bone in my arm break from the recoil of eight fifty-calibre rounds being fired almost simultaneously. Letting arm fall uselessly to the side, the bullets destroy the giant's shield and take its left arm with it. Smiling, I grab the gun with my left hand from the useless right arm and reload it, focusing on changing the rounds to a smaller calibre as the gun reloads. Ignoring the pain in my arm, I run forward, covering the distance to the giant before it can fully recover, and sliding to a stop in front of the creature, I raise the gun and point it squarely at its head.

"Heymaker!" In an instant, I appear in front of the creature, Thorne's barrel pressed against its forehead. With a sound like a cannon, the blast from Throne blows the creature back off its feet, sending me hurtling into the air. Twisting as I fall, I land heavily on my feet, sliding backwards to a stop near the soldiers. Watch as the creature hits the deck, I straighten, ignoring the screaming pain in my knees and my back.

"Yup, definitely getting too old for this shit."

"Dad?" Turning at her voice, I see Hannah running over to me from between the soldiers. Crashing into me hard enough to knock the wind from me, I wrap my one good arm around her, careful to make sure my finger stays on the outside of the trigger guard.

"Easy Hannah. You're not so little that I can just shrug off your tackles these days." Wiping a tear from her eye, she smiles at me and hugs my chest tightly. Groaning as she knocks my arm, I wince as she releases me and takes hold of it.

"What did you do?"

"Let's just say dumping a pistol full of fifties in an instant wasn't my greatest plan."

"Here. Holy light!" From her hand, a warm golden light emits and envelops my arm. In moments, the pain stops as the bone clicks back into place with a crunch. Shaking my arm to clear the tingling, I stop and twist as the sound of metal scraping across stone comes from the giant. Watching with fear rising in my chest, the creature gets to its feet, rage filling its eyes, wiping the blood out of its eyes. It fixes me with a stare that froze my blood. Swallowing to suppress my rising fear, I draw Aetheris and Thorne and stretch my shoulder out. Stepping up next to me, Hannah draws her sword and looks at me with determination in her eyes. Gone is the fear and uncertainty she had during the Maplefall incident.

"I'll create some space. Aim for its legs, see if we can't stop its movement." Before I can move, it disappears, reappearing in front of Hannah in an instant. Roaring, it swings its sword over its head and brings it whistling towards Hannah. Fear fills me as the blade comes down.

"Hannah!" With a sound of steel meeting steel, her sword stops the creature in its tracks, a white aura swirling around as her blade holds it steady. Gritting her teeth, she pushes back, and the creature stumbles. Not waiting a moment for it to recover again, I charge in.

"Shadowstep!" instantly moving from my spot to behind the creature, I focus down the barrels of both guns.

"Akimbo!" Lightning and bullets rain down on the giant as the skill takes effect, landing heavily on the ground, I collapse as the drawback from Akimbo takes effect and immobilises me. Racing around the beast, Hannah dives in, her sword flashing in the sunlight, slicing deep into the creature's leg, causing it to howl out in pain. Batting her away from it. It howls to the sky, and for a moment, an eerie silence settles over the battlefield. Still howling, it drives its blade into the ground, and an almighty screech emits from the blade, piercing into my brain. Looking over at Hannah, I see her kneeling on the ground clutching her head. Trying to get to my feet to get to her, I curse as my legs refuse to move. The cost of Akimbo not yet over. Stalking towards her, it leaves its sword stuck in the ground and with a flick of its wrists its claws extend out. Still kneeling on the ground, Hannah struggles to get up and hold on to her sword. As the effects of Akimbo wear off, the creature reaches Hannah and swings at her with speed. Leaping out of the way, with the claws gouging smoking holes in the stone, narrowly missing her. Looking at its claws, I can see black liquid dripping from the tips. Getting to my feet, I hold Thorne out in front of me and holster Aetheris.

"Fifty Cal rounds." Waiting just a moment for the rounds to clank into the cylinder, I focus my attention on the creature's arm as it raises its claws for another swing.

"Arbalest!" From my hand, Throne lets out an almighty blast and the creature staggers as the round shatters its claws, sending shards flying. Ducking, Hannah raises her arm as bits of black claw pepper her armour. Getting to her feet in a panic, she tears off her braces as it smokes. The black liquid eating through the steel quickly. Taking a step towards her, my worry for her safety clouds my judgement.

"Hannah. Are you alright?"

"Dad, look out!" Turning my attention back to the creature, I leap back out of the way as its claws come towards me with a sick whistling sound. Narrowly missing my hair's breadth, I wince as the piercing sound gets louder in my head. So, I guess it's focused then.

"Take out the sword." Looking around at the voice filling my head, I can't see anyone there. For a moment, the memory of the dining room came back to me in full, and in a second, I had a moment of clarity. Holstering Thorne, I ran towards the creature, summoning Final Testament as I slid under its legs. Leaping clear of its lumbering swings, I cover the ground to the blade in a few moments, levelling the god-killing weapon at the blade in the ground. Squeezing the trigger unleashes a sound like a cannon and that white lightning again, and in that moment, the sword vanishes in a flurry of black smoke, leaving a crater in the ground. Landing heavily as the explosion knocks me off my feet, the ringing in my head stops. Pushing myself up from the ground, I stop as a foot falls right near me. Looking around, I see the Final Testament sitting a few feet away. Looking up, I see the creature's hand already swinging down, its claws glinting with the poison, I brace myself for the impact. For a moment, time slows as Ella appears in front of me. Before I can do anything, the claw finishes its arc, and she collapses into my chest.

"Ella!" Holding her to my chest as the creatures takes a step back in confusion, my mind goes blank. Reaching to my side, I draw Thorne, the chambers already spinning as higher calibre rounds clank into place. Flicking the cylinder open enough to kick out a single bullet, I catch it between my fingers and in a single movement throw it high into the air above the creature. Focusing down the sights of Thorne, time slows down as I see the bullet spinning above its head.

"Aces High." I barely register the recoil as the bullet flies from Thorne's muzzle, connecting with the bullet in the air. A second passes, then with a sound like a screaming jet, bullets of light appear from the sky and rain down on the creature, puncturing it everywhere. Collapsing to its knees, it falls forward and stops a few feet from me. Getting to my feet, I reposition Ella in my left arm, supporting her weight as I walk to the creature. Looking up at me with anger and defeat in its eyes, I press Thorne against it.

"It's over." The round from Thorne lets out a crack as the creature collapses, its life draining from it. Turning on my heel, I holster Thorne and turn my attention to Ella. Her skin was deathly pale, and her eyes were closed. Running my hand over her face, my heart stops for a second as her eyes open. Reaching up her hand, she closes it softly around mine.

"Why would you do that? You fool."

"You know why." Looking at the blood covering my hand, I carefully turn her over and gasp at the destruction across her back. Turning her back to me, I place my hand over her chest.

"Healing wave." As the light washes over her, she cries out in pain.

"Oscar, stop." Stopping as she commands, I look down at her, suppressing the tears welling up inside.

"That creature's claws are covered in demonic ichor. Normal healing won't work. You need to take me to a place that can counter it."

"How?"

"Same way you got here. I'll give you the place." Reaching up, she places the tip of her finger against my forehead, and a series of images fill it.

"Ella!" Screaming, Hannah comes running over and drops beside us.

"I'm alright, Hannah. It's worse than it looks. Your father will take me to a place where I can heal. Ill be back before you know it." Running her hand down Hannah's face, she wipes away the tears coming from her eyes. Looking into Hannah's face as I stand with Ella, I smile.

"It'll be alright, Hannah. We'll be back before you know it."

"Promise?"

"I Promise." Turning from her, my heart breaks at the sadness in her face, and somewhere an echo of a thought passes of the same scene playing in my mind.

"Phase." The world shifts once more, and I find myself in a clearing near a pool emitting steam.

"We're here. Wherever here is."

"The Healing Springs of Hope."