Chapter 19 - The Magic of a Boss Fight

The ground shook with each thunderous step as Gortin barreled forward, his tusked face twisted into a snarl. Dirt scattered beneath his massive feet, and the tremors rattled through Aiden’s chest like war drums.

“Val!” Aiden shouted over the rumble, his voice tight with urgency. “We’ll use our own magic to stall him—look for an opening. One shot, that’s all we need to bring him down!”

Valerie’s hands trembled as she steadied her breathing. Her wide eyes locked on Gortin, yet she nodded, determination flickering beneath her fear. “I’ll follow your lead. I believe in you.”

Aiden’s chest warmed at her words. He gave a sharp nod, forcing a grin. “Then let’s go! Steam Veil!”

They pressed their palms together, fire and water swirling in their joined hands until steam hissed outward in a billowing wave. A thick mist swallowed the battlefield in an instant. Gortin swung blindly, his massive weapon slicing through the haze but missing by a breath.

Aiden tugged Valerie’s wrist, guiding her out of the mist. “Make mud with your water. I’ll distract him.”

Valerie opened her mouth to protest, lips parting with hesitation, but then she stopped. Her gaze steadied. “...I trust you.”

Aiden couldn’t help but smile. Without thinking, he leaned forward, capturing her lips in a brief, passionate kiss. Heat raced through both of them, and when they broke apart, their smiles carried a new fire. They pressed their hands together again, the mist unfurling a second time.

As the fog enveloped the battlefield, Aiden sprinted out of Valerie’s sightline. She crouched low, water spilling from her palms, saturating the dirt beneath until it turned into a slick, treacherous patch of mud.

Meanwhile, Aiden’s boots pounded across the earth as he ran to a new position.

I used to be our party's tank back in EarthRealm raids, he thought, a dry laugh bubbling up in his chest. Big armor, big shield. Now? I’m the DPS with no protection. Glass cannon, at your service.

The first mist cloud thinned and vanished. Gortin’s massive head swung toward the fresh veil of steam, lumbering toward it. Then a fireball struck the back of his skull.

BOOM!

Smoke curled from his coarse mane. His eyes burned with fury as he turned, glaring across the field.

Aiden stood a hundred feet away, another fireball glowing in his palm. He smirked and shouted, “Hoping that blast might finally even out your head. But honestly? Nothing could match a face that ugly!”

“ROOOOAAARRR!!”

Gortin’s bellow split the air. He leapt, his weapon arcing high overhead, shadows falling over Aiden.

“Too slow!” Aiden slammed his hands into the earth. A wall of stone burst upward, sloping forward to redirect the crushing strike. The weapon scraped down the rock with a teeth-rattling shriek, missing Aiden by inches.

He bent his knees, launching himself upward with a burst of earth magic, rising until he was eye-level with the beast. Flames licked across his palms as he cupped his hands together.

“Burn!”

A jet of fire roared from his hands, a blazing flamethrower that engulfed Gortin’s face. The Alpha Tuskling reeled, eyes squeezing shut as he stumbled back. Aiden landed hard, rolling before thrusting a hand to the dirt once more. A small ridge of stone jutted up behind Gortin’s heel.

The beast tripped with a thunderous crash, dust exploding upward.

Aiden pressed both palms to the earth, veins standing out in his arms. The ground rumbled as he wrenched a massive slab of stone free, raising it high above Gortin’s sprawled form. With a grunt, he thrust his hands forward.

The boulder dropped.

CRACK!

Stone shattered, not against Gortin’s skull, but against his fists. The Alpha Tuskling had caught the boulder mid-fall, pulverizing it into rubble with one strike. His chest heaved, tusks dripping with saliva. He pushed himself up, eyes blazing.

“Tch…” Aiden’s brow furrowed. Of course it couldn’t be that easy.

Another roar split the air as Gortin charged. Aiden threw himself to the side, trying to conjure another earthen shield but he was too slow. The weapon descended.

“Oh cra-!”

Suddenly, a burst of wind wrapped around Aiden, swirling into his half-formed stone barrier. Air and earth fused in an instant, shaping into armor that encased his body in jagged plates.

The impact landed.

BOOOOM!

Aiden was hurled across the clearing, smashing into a tree. Bark splintered as he collapsed, the stone armor crumbling away.

“AIDEN!!” Valerie’s scream tore through the haze. She sprinted toward him, knees buckling as she dropped at his side. She pressed her hands against the shattered plates, summoning air to scatter the fragments away.

His chest was still. His eyes shut.

Her hands shook violently. “Aiden—! Please! Wake up! Don’t you dare—don’t you dare leave me!”

Her voice cracked as tears fell, splashing onto his face. “Come back to me… please…”

For a moment, silence.

Then—

GASP! Aiden’s lungs filled, his chest heaving as his eyes snapped open.

Valerie froze, then let out a sob of relief. His lips curved into a crooked grin. “Heh… that really knocked the air outta me.”

Tears streaked down Valerie’s cheeks as she laughed through them, gripping his hand. “Idiot…!”

“What… what happened?” Aiden coughed, forcing himself upright.

“You were about to be hit,” Valerie said quickly, wiping her eyes. “I panicked and used air to try and shield you. You tried to use earth to block it. I guess our magic…just combined on instinct.”

Aiden’s chest shook with a soft laugh. “Gale Plate, huh? Guess I can always count on you to have my back.”

Her cheeks flushed, but before she could respond, another earth-rattling roar echoed. Gortin was back on his feet, his bloodshot eyes narrowing as he thundered toward them.

Aiden turned to Valerie, voice sharp. “Is the trap ready?”

Valerie nodded, though her lips trembled. “It’s not much… but it’s ready.”

“Good. Then let’s lure him in.”

Before Valerie could question him, she summoned wind around them, propelling their bodies backward in a controlled burst. They landed just beyond the slick patch of mud, placing the trap between them and the charging monster.

“Smart,” Aiden muttered. “When I say the word, launch us out of the way. Got it?”

Valerie nodded firmly. “Got it.”

Gortin roared again, throwing his weapon aside. His claws dug into the earth as he dropped to all fours, muscles bulging as his speed surged.

Aiden smirked. “Perfect. That’ll help us out.”

Valerie blinked. “Help us? How does him going faster help?!”

Aiden pressed his hand to the ground. Behind them, a wall of earth rose, spikes jutting outward like jagged fangs. He glanced at her, lips curving into a mischievous grin. “Taking a page from Maximus’s book.”

Valerie exhaled sharply. “I hope it’s enough…”

“Me too,” Aiden muttered, sweat beading his forehead.

The beast hit the muddy patch. His legs flailed, his hulking body sliding uncontrollably across the slick ground. He spun, momentum carrying him straight toward the earthen wall.

Aiden clenched his fist. “Val—now!”

With a sharp motion, Valerie’s wind wrapped around them both, hurling them aside. They landed softly, the air cushioning their fall.

Gortin’s body slammed into the spiked wall back-first.

SCHLUNK!

Dark blood and black ooze splattered the earth as the beast shrieked in agony. The spikes pierced deep, pinning him in place.

Aiden and Valerie met each other’s eyes. Adrenaline surged, and together they clenched their fists, grins breaking across their faces.

“Got him!” they shouted in unison.

The metallic stench of blood clung to the air. Gortin’s hulking frame jerked against the spiked wall, his body riddled with protrusions, dark ooze spilling down his hide. Yet instead of silence, the forest rang with something worse, his laughter.

“Hrrrhhah… impressive… very impressive,” Gortin growled, his deep voice rumbling with amusement. “Stronger than the others I’ve crushed. You’ve entertained me better than most.”

Valerie’s face went pale. Aiden’s jaw tightened as he instinctively pulled her closer, positioning them at the front of their trap. His eyes narrowed as Gortin’s laughter warped into a guttural growl.

“But playtime is over,” Gortin continued, forcing one massive arm free from the spikes with a sickening tear. Blood gushed from the wound. He staggered forward, tusks gleaming as his voice dripped with malice. “The main course ends here. Now comes dessert—the town, screaming and broken.”

“No chance!” Aiden gripped Valerie’s hand tightly, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing in his gut. “Val, we need to use Blazing Javelin. As strong as we can make it. We end him here.”

Valerie inhaled sharply, then exhaled slow, her trembling hands tightening over his. “We can do it. Together.”

They dropped to one knee each, side by side, fingers entwined. Heat and wind surged, their magics combining. Fire flared from Aiden’s palm, air spiraled from Valerie’s, condensing into a spear of roaring flame. The weapon grew sharper, denser, its edges shrieking with energy as it condensed into a blazing point.

Gortin’s nostrils flared. He wrenched against the spikes, trying to tear his other arm loose. His roar echoed through the battlefield as he saw the forming weapon. Panic flickered in his beastly eyes. He struggled harder, kicking against the wall. Dust and stone rained down from the impact.

“Sharpen it more!” Aiden’s teeth clenched, sweat beading his brow. “On my mark,we let it fly!”

“I’m ready whenever you are!” Valerie’s voice trembled but rang with determination. Her gaze stayed fixed on the growing spear, her entire body pouring into the spell.

Aiden’s eyes locked onto Gortin. He caught the flicker of fear in the beast’s face—the first crack in his monstrous bravado. That was the moment.

“FIRE!!”

The Blazing Javelin screamed forward at blinding speed. Gortin tried to twist away, but his torso was still pinned. The spear crashed into him and the wall behind, an explosion of flame and smoke engulfing the battlefield.

The shockwave threw Aiden and Valerie back. Aiden’s arms shook as he caught Valerie against him, their breaths ragged. Exhaustion weighed on every muscle, but their smiles broke through the haze. They could feel it, victory.

But then the dust settled.

Aiden’s eyes widened. “No way…”

Gortin stood—or rather, staggered—blood gushing from the ragged stump where his once pinned arm had been severed. He stared at the wound with a guttural hiss, then shook his massive head violently, spattering black blood. His remaining arm flexed as he began to stagger forward.

Valerie’s heart lurched. “He’s still moving?!”

His steps grew faster, stumbling at first, then surging as he regained momentum. Each stride quaked the ground. His one good arm raised, claws gleaming.

Aiden forced himself upright, dragging Valerie with him. They knelt again, hands locking together.

“This is it,” Aiden said, his voice raw. “Our last shot. All or nothing. Are you ready?”

Valerie’s expression softened, even in the face of death. She nodded, whispering, “Till death do us part, right?”

Aiden’s chest tightened, but he grinned. “Right.”

Magic flared around them again. Fire and air spiraled together, brighter and sharper than before. Their bond pulsed through the spell, their heartbeat one with the surging energy.

Gortin roared, charging with murderous intent, his feet slipping in the mud but never slowing. He loomed larger and larger, his tusks dripping, his single arm poised to crush them.

Aiden squeezed Valerie’s hand. She squeezed back.

The javelin swelled in size, sharper than steel, blazing with the raw force of their bond. Just as Gortin swung, they released.

The world split with light.

The Blazing Javelin tore through his chest. Flesh and bone incinerated as the spear carved a massive hole from his collarbone down to his stomach, wide enough to swallow a man whole. Gortin’s roar turned into a gargled shriek, blood and black ichor spewing from his jaws.

His massive frame collapsed forward, crashing with a quake that rattled the clearing. Dust and blood splattered around them. His corpse twitched, then stilled, his body sprawled at their feet.

Silence followed.

Aiden and Valerie staggered to their feet, their legs quivering. Their eyes met, wide with disbelief, then relief flooded in.

At the edge of the forest, the remaining tusklings stared. Their guttural squeals echoed as they realized what had happened. The pair of humans raised their free hands in unison, Aiden’s palm ignited with fire, Valerie’s shimmering with water.

The tusklings shrieked in fear and fled, vanishing into the mountains.

Valerie’s body gave out, collapsing forward, but Aiden caught her with what little strength he had left. He dropped to his knees, pulling her against him as both of their bodies sagged.

They laughed weakly.

“I can’t believe…we actually pulled it off,” Aiden whispered, his chest heaving.

Valerie giggled softly, tears slipping down her dirt-streaked cheeks. “I always believed we could… as long as we were together.”

The sound of footsteps broke the fragile silence.

Aiden groaned, tilting his head toward the noise. “Great… tusklings coming back for revenge…”

He braced himself, helping Valerie push upright. But when the figures emerged, his breath caught.

It wasn’t tusklings.

The townsfolk were approaching. Mages, soldiers, and survivors. Some limped, others leaned on makeshift crutches, but their faces glowed with awe. Among them, Jaxson stumbled forward, one arm slung around Maximus. Both bloodied, both alive.

“Maximus… Jaxson…” Aiden whispered.

The two men hobbled forward, dropping down beside them. Maximus’s chest heaved with ragged breath, but his lips curved into a proud smile. “You…both…proved it. Heartlink magic…stronger than anything I’ve seen.”

The words sparked something in the survivors. One by one, hands came together. Then a wave of applause rolled through the crowd, cheers rising until the entire clearing thundered with it.

Aiden blinked, stunned. Then Valerie tackled him, her lips pressing passionately against his. He kissed her back, the sound of cheers echoing around them.

Chloe pushed through the crowd, waving her arms wildly. “Hey! You two heroes! When we get back, we’re throwing the biggest party this town’s ever seen!”

Aiden laughed breathlessly, glancing at Valerie. “After all that…yeah, I could go for a party.”