The Battle

As we keep walking forward towards the base of the mountain, the scenery begins to change. The magma from Mount Calamity has spilled out over the years towards the desert sand creating swirling rivers of glass. The shining streams come in various colors as well. If I’m not mistaken, a number of tribes used to forge mystical weapons right on site.

I look down at the shimmering sea. Some of the clear glass even reflects the stars in the night sky up above. If it weren’t for the desperate situation we were in, this place would have been beautiful. Romantic even. But I can’t think about that at the moment for many reasons. Right now, we just need to get to the top of this mountain.

A nervous wave rises in my body. I feel my fingers tense up, but just as quickly as the feeling comes, the pain is eased. Spector grabs my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze to reassure me. Alright. Let’s go.

The terrain becomes more rugged the further we climb. It’s difficult, but we manage to make it work, together. Over a few more sharp rock edges, we finally make it to the peak of Mount Calamity.

I continue to walk forward despite the creeping doubt clouding my mind. We have no other choice. Spector stops me from behind grabbing my hand once more. He wants to say something, but he’s nervous.

“Hey listen,” Spector starts to speak. Doubt lies in his eyes, but he gathers his courage to continue. “In case we don’t make it out of this alive, there’s something I need to tell you.”

I’m glad he wants to be open, but it’s not for the right reasons. I cut him off before he can continue speaking.

“Whatever you want to tell me, you can tell me once we’re back in Tauwren… we’re going to make it out alive. You have to tell me your name before we get back to the real world, remember?” I pause for a moment to think of what to say next. It’s hard to say anything with such wavering faith, but I have to reassure him. And me.

“This won’t be the last time we see each other. I promise.”

I look him straight in the eyes and hold out my pinky. He bravely steps forward and reaches back with his own once more. Our fingers linked together again despite the harrowing battle ahead of us. We’re going to get back home. We’re going to finish this.

I press on walking closer to the scorching lava. Looking ahead, I don’t see any signs of Xaban. It’s strange. Did he not make it to Mount Calamity in time? No way, that wizard can make a teleportation circle. Something’s up.

Spector patrols the perimeter with his crossbow checking for signs of the wizard while I hesitantly make my way to the mouth of the volcano. I’m just about twenty feet away from victory. I wind up my hand ready to throw the lantern. It can't be that easy, can it?

Right as I'm about to let go, an icy bolt strikes my feet, instantly freezing me in place. The chill air spreads up my legs about halfway up to my knees. I can barely bend.

The force of the blast was so surprisingly strong that I dropped my staff in the process. I lean down to try and stop it from rolling away, but my hand narrowly misses its branches. I failed to reach my staff in time. Damn butter fingers.

“JUNE!” Spector calls out of name, rushing to my side, but the effort might be pointless.

A small flash of light bursts nearby. Xaban appears before us. I forgot this MF could turn invisible!

He sends a massive spectral hand flying in Spector’s direction, pinning him against the wall. I look at his eyes. He’s unconscious. Damn it Spector! That’s the second time this guy knocked you out cold. And what terrible timing too. We’re going to die.

“Mwahahahaha! You’ve fallen right into my trap! Did you really think you could defeat me?”

Xaban’s voice cuts through the air like a razor. I try desperately to yank my feet free from their icy prison, but they won’t budge. The evil wizard approaches me slowly. I try harder and harder to pull my legs out, each attempt becoming more frantic than the last. It's no use. Without my staff I’m stuck. Like a spider’s dinner.

The evil wizard looks down at me, his face inches from mine. With one hand he scrapes his long, nasty fingernails underneath my chin. With the other, Xaban pries the lantern from my fingers, still wet and cold from my futile attempt to escape the ice below me. He walks back uphill to his hiding spot at the volcano's mouth like a king ascending to his throne.

“I came back from the dead to reclaim the crown that was rightfully mine and there is nothing you foolish mortals can do to stop me! So, grovel while you can and beg for salvatio-”

Oh God, he’s monologuing. This means that after a few minutes of yapping, his evil plan will be complete and we’ll both be dead. Unless… maybe I can distract him? I’m not strong enough to break free from his spell and I can’t cast a clever trick of my own without my staff, but I can annoy the dickens out of him while I’m still alive. At least that way I’ll die with a smile on my face.

“And so with the power vested in me I will destroy th-”

“You look like a raisin.”

“What?”

“A raisin. You know when you dry a grape in the sun and-”

“I KNOW what a raisin is!!”

Oooh I definitely touched a nerve there. It’s true though, those hundred plus years in the afterlife certainly didn’t treat him well. The guy just needs some anti-aging serum. I hear hyaluronic acid is all the rage these days.

Out of the corner of my line of sight, I see Spector’s eyes open up once more. He’s awake! Good, keep it up June.

“You know what they say Xaban… age before beauty. So why don’t you let us deal the first strike instead, old man?”

Xaban’s face grimaces. I never thought I’d see the day where I managed to tick off the big bad in my favorite book series. The feeling is kinda awesome. In a fit of anger, Xaban makes a motion with his hands that for sure looks like a spell that would kill me. I need to buy just a little more time!

“WAIT!” I shout in earnest. “Surrender now and I will spare you the wrath of my almighty toaster…”

Xaban hesitates for a moment then begins to speak. I think I’ve piqued his interest. “Hmmm I've heard one of my thralls mention this artifact. Enlighten me on this so-called ‘toaster’ mortal and I shall make your death swift!”

“Oh, so you are not aware of the legend of the toaster? Well today is your lucky day! Hidden beneath my cloak is the rare and illustrious toaster. An artifact so powerful it could burn the hands of the gods! Tremble before me, as I unleash the power of the Almighty Toaster!!”

The distraction worked well enough. The evil wizard drops his concentration just long enough to allow Spector to fire a crossbow bolt right into his neck. He writhes in pain easing the grip he had on Spector’s body. This allows him to dissolve into a flurry of moths.

Xaban casts a fire spell that narrowly misses the horde of moths. Spector reappears in a place a few feet to my right.

“Here!” Spector tosses me my staff and I catch it aiming at Xaban.

Xaban laughs an evil hysterical laugh once more. “Hahaaa. What do you plan to do to me mortal? Last I could recall, the only thing you could cast was a simple levitation spell!”

“Yeah, you’re right.” This gives me an idea crazy enough that it just might work. “But I’ve gotten pretty good at it.”

I focus my levitation spell on the volcano behind Xaban. With Xaban distracted in his hubris, I form a pillar of lava. Get wrecked Xaban.

I fling my wooden staff in a downwards motion sending a wave of the boiling liquid towards Xaban’s hand. As he cries out in pain, his spindly fingers let go of the brass lantern. With one more motion of my staff, I change my focus. I send the slowing melting lantern rolling into the fiery pits of Mount Calamity.

No more resurrections jerkface. Now, the only thing left to do is kill this monster one more time for good. And I think Spector can manage that.

Spector dissolves into a flurry of moths once more to get closer to the evil wizard. When he reappears, he plunges his dagger deep into Xaban’s rotten chest aiming for his heart. Or at least the place where a heart should be.

His phylactery finally having been destroyed and his body pierced, Xaban begins to rapidly erode before our very eyes. A mix of flesh and bone rapidly deteriorate amidst his cries of anguish. I begin to smile.

“YOU!” Xaban cries out in self-righteous fury.

My all too proud of myself grin must have been too much for the old geezer. Because wouldn’t you know it, Xaban’s final action was to cast a lightning bolt spell barrelling straight towards my chest. It was a direct hit.

I was sent spiraling back about twenty feet from the blast. Everything hurt. My consciousness was fading in and out. Spector looked back at me in horror. But despite the pain I kept smiling. Seeing that villain who hurt my friends get what he deserved in the end was all I needed. I was finally good for something. And with that peace of mind, I closed my eyes and let the world that I’ve come to love, fade to black.