Broken Ritual (1)

--Gatix—

I expected a tendril to slam through the newly created hole, and I was not disappointed. The rubble was still settling when a sharpened tentacle shot through the opening and slammed into the damaged metallic door.

BANG.

The tendril blew apart as Scythe's slug tore through it, which allowed Ms. Queen and me to slip into the room. I didn't neglect to notice the appearance of a knight as I entered, but a round through the ceiling buried any hopes the fake knights might have of attacking us.

“Weapon gauge at sixty-six percent.”

Good. I turned my attention to the throne room. A room befitting the description as I'd ever seen one. Obsidian pillars decorated the size of a hall capable of gathering several hundred followers, while eight ornate chandeliers would provide illumination. The floor space was empty except for the remains of a raised throne at the other end of the room.

I suspected the gigantic white orb floating in the middle of the room, however, wasn't part of the original design. Neither was the alchemist with a hand stretched toward us while standing in front of it.

“What is that?”

“A summoning sphere...” Ms. Queen's eyes widened. “But one that big? What is-” A tendril breaking through the ground cut to off the rest of her sentence. I instinctively raised my weapon toward the broke, but another tendril me forced a reconsideration of priorities.

“Vuur!” Ms. Queen threw several fireballs toward the alchemist. A dozen tendrils sprung up to shield him. Seeing my opportunity, I pressed Scythe's stock against my shoulder and braced myself.

BANG.

The shot broke the shield of tendrils, but I didn't expect one to break through the ground and swipe my legs out underneath me. Ms. Queen launched one fireball after another on the other side of the room. Several managed to break through the tendrils, but those were absorbed by a bluish sphere appearing around the alchemist.

“He has-” My attention turned to a tendril grabbing my leg. Oh no… I expected the tendril to start slamming me against any possible surface, but an explosion of fire broke me free.

“Something's not right.” Ms. Queen stepped toward me but kept our foe in sight. “He's holding back.”

“Doesn't feel like it.” But she had a point. The alchemist had never left his spot in front of the white sphere. “Do you think he's still connected to that thing?”

“He could be splitting his power. What is going on here?” Ms. Queen yelled, but the alchemist only replied with a lame attempt at another tendril attack.

“Can you lower that shield of his?” I asked.

Ms. Queen replied with a shake of her head. “You?”

“Yeah, but...” I glanced at Scythe's temperature gauge inside the visor. Sixty-two percent. “I only have two shots before Scythe will lock up.”

“Then we use them.”

“Get me an opening. Nev, full power.”

***

Gatix had barely raised his weapon before three tendrils shot in his direction, but he sidestepped them.

Don’t die. I pressed my palms against the ground while summoning as much magic as I risked. “Golf!” The wave of fire threw itself towards the alchemist, but he raised more tendrils to protect himself.

Knowing he couldn't see me, I braced myself onto a knee and pressed my palms together. “Stroom!” A torrent of fire burst out between my hands, enveloping both the alchemist and the base of his tendrils. This attack would break through his magic shield within seconds were I at my peak, but with my reserves as depleted as they were, I could not risk throwing my full power behind it.

A rumbling betrayed a tendril's intention, and I avoided the attack by leaping forward. “Vuur!” Three fireballs exploded against his shield of tendrils. The fourth managed to break one, but his shield absorbed any backlash from the attack.

The additional steps brought me close enough to hear him chanting. I recognized some words as his attack spells, but the others eluded me. While I am no stranger to complex spells, his uttered words did not match any I was familiar with. “What are you trying to summon?!”

Donkor replied with an attack of five tendrils, three shooting in my direction and two others to his side.

“Vuur!” A fireball broke one of his attacks and I let the other two pierce the ground to my side. Hoping the second time would be the charm, I pressed my palms together and braced myself. “Stroom!” The torrent of fire burst forth, enveloping more than last time. Come on... come on... My head started to spin as a numbness in my legs made me drop onto a knee.

All signs of magic overuse.

Come on...

Being closer would mean my attack was stronger. One by one, the tendrils gave way to the fire, and I could see chips forming at the top of Donkor's shield. Just a little... bit...

“...nk spies!”

No… I dropped the attack and dived to my side as fast as my numb legs allowed, but the incoming tendril still pierced my hip. A hiss of pain escaped as I crashed to the ground.

“Enough of your games, Azala!” Donkor's chanting was replaced with a glare of raw fury.

“What are you trying to summon?!”

“The true goal of the Wolani! We are so close, and I grow tired of your interference!” Three sharpened tendrils broke through the ground behind him, each curving over him akin to giant stingers.

“Gatix!”

BANG.

The shot came from behind, and all three tendrils exploded in pieces almost too small for the eye to see. Donkor didn't suffer the same fate, but he dropped to his knees with a scream as his shield shattered.

Which was the perfect opportunity to focus the remainder of my energies on one last attempt.

Pilaar!