CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 25

“SKREEEEEEEEAAAAGHHHHKKKH!!”

Stalactites rained down from the cavern’s ceiling as Johnny yelled haste at the captives. “Quick! We have to get out of here before their battle comes this way!” Radiant Essence filled his hands and with them he crushed and twisted the chains locking them together. But there were a dozen others waiting to be freed and even with his knife and gun in their hands they weren’t making much progress.

BOOM!

He swore under his breath and the earthquakes at Margaret’s hammer striked, blasts of light erupted from where they fought, beams deflected into the walls, scorched and scarred it before dissipating to nothing. Julia’s arrows flung freely into the air, a single multiplying in a shudder of radiant light as the new volley descended with explosive speed onto its target.

Just the two of them…and there’s this much damage? Johnny could scarcely believe his eyes, he quickly began rethinking his challenge to take on all four of them at once, it was no wonder Orion could only keep up with two of them at once..

He inspected the others as the cavern rumbled, setting free gems and crystals from the stubborn mine walls. They were all nearly free, all over two dozen of them stood with him, shielding each other from tumbling stalactites and helping the last three set themselves free with Johnny’s weapons.

Johnny gritted his teeth, slightly impatient to see them out of the unstable cave network, he wasn’t sure how Julia and Margaret’s battle affected the mine and its supports through the exit but it couldn’t be anything good or worth lingering her any second longer than needed.

The last of the manacles clattered against the earth and the captives let a round cheer among sighs of relief. “It’s done, Johnny Victoris, we’re all free!”

“Good now be quick, follow me to the exit, watch out for each other!” Johnny yelled, already dashing out through the path he’d come. He hopped over the charred skeleton of the Ogre and filled his arms with Radiance just in case the Hobgoblin shaman returned.

Further out the craggy path he got a closer view of his Warden’s battle. Julia had abandoned her bow for a pair of shining swords. She clashed at an unreadable speed with two Rift Eaters intent on devouring her. Margaret fended off a cluster of shamans and their Void infused Ogres, their arms elongated and bulging with muscles that flattened whatever they struck. Margaret flew out of one’s grasping claws, twisted around a blazing fiery blast from a shaman and sent her hammer swinging into the other drooling Ogre’s temple.

The blow sent the creature flying towards Johnny and the captives. “Look out!” He screamed at the top of his lungs, but it was moving too fast for him or anyone else to react.

BOOOM!

The Ogre’s body thundered through the craggy earth until it smashed against the wall and set loose a row of stalactites falling onto its head. Johnny cursed, looked out at Margaret but she wasn’t looking their way, already she was engaging the other Ogre, her eyes flickered to where Julia was slowly being pressured by the two screeching Rift Eaters.

There’s no time to be sensitive. Save who you can, Johnny! “Is everyone alright!” He yelled out through the settling dust. The captives mostly nodded, fortunately no one got crushed beneath the Ogre but judging how a couple of them eyed it with shock, it was certainly a close call. “Alright then, let’s keep moving! Quickly, quick!”

They hurried past the sprawled Ogre, its head oozed out brain matter between the stalactites that stabbed through its chest— it wouldn’t be getting up any time soon, Void Essence or no. There was only one thing between the captives and their fresh escape now— climbing up into the tunnel. It was an easier drop than it was a climb, the rocks that provided Johnny a solid foundation when he came down were not set loose, crumbled to smooth dust and scorched into slick, quick cooling pools of lava.

“SKREEEEEEEEAAAAGHHHHKKKH!!”

There was that screech again. It set him on edge, the hairs on his neck standing as a chill ran through his body. He glanced around the fast-paced battlefield and found Julia, her armor bore scratches all over it now and her hair dangled out in her face as she struggled to hold off the two Rift Eaters on her lonesome. If I can just get these people out of here then…!

Margaret wasn’t far behind though, she flew between the last trio of Hobgoblin shamans, the blasted creatures pooled their power together to hound her flight form with angry red flaming skulls. They scorched through the air after her, but Johnny quickly caught onto what she was up to as she rounded about and flew at speed towards the shamans, the skulls hot on her trails.

Johnny allowed himself a satisfying smirk as her hammer bashed one face first and the red skulls crashed right into the other two, setting them aflame with their own evil magicks.

“Ah!” A child yelped a distance away from him. Johnny hurried to lift the little fox Demi-human child to her feet. “Ow!”

“Did you sprain your ankle?” He knelt to inspect it and sure enough the child flinched at the softest touch. “Come here, I’ll carry you out.” Johnny said, swooping the child into his arms.

Four people were left to clamber out into the tunnels, and they’d clearly need his help as each of them were well aged Demi-human’s, their knees weak from labor, abuse, age and malnutrition. One was already waving her family on the ledge goodbye.

“Not on my watch.” Johnny hauled the old lady up in his arms with a grunt. She whimpered blessings into his ears but Johnny barely heard them beyond the chaotic clashes between the Wardens and the Rift Eaters behind him.

He filled his calves and legs with Radiance and set off in long reaching steps, scaling up the loosened earth with ease and swiftness. He set both the elder and the young child down beside the few still waiting, “Take care of them!”

Johnny hopped down to pick the others, already planning to carry the third and last on his back but as he descended, he saw something terrible. A burning Hobgoblin shaman, his bloody hands gripped and massaged a gleaming red crystal and with a dangerous whisper of words he tossed it into the Void Portal. The reaction was immediate.

A terrible screech, worse even than that of the Rift Eaters Margaret and Julia were now handling with ease— escaped the portal. It warbled, twisting like it was regurgitating something and it was.

“We don’t have any more time, hurry, you get on my back now and you two—!”

“RRRREEEEEEEEAAAAAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!”

It was too late. The portal spat out a third Rift Eater and Johnny wasn’t ready. It descended just as he swept up the two elders in his arms, he pumped his legs full of as much Radiance as they could manage but a flash of red stained his vision. The flash cleared up the same instance he felt his gut explode with pain— a snarling three-armed monster with acidic drools and a maw full of jagged teeth was in front of him. And then it wasn’t.

Consciousness fled Johnny’s senses as the screams of anguish faded to a dark nothingness between the fluttering winds. He barely felt when he landed, except when he did, he could breathe no more.

A blurry memory replayed in Johnny’s breathless mind. Gasoline fumes drifted into his nostrils; a heart he knew was still in reality pounded in his chest as he ran through the fog. The wreckage came into focus—a derby racecar, maybe a Lincoln, burning by the edge of the racetrack. Its driver was slumped forward, a furry head pressed lifelessly to the steering wheel, the horn shrieking beneath the weight. Brandon!

He heard a curse escape his lips as he turned away, his body running towards something his eyes hadn’t seen yet. But then he spotted it. Sprawled out on the asphalt, licks of flames circling and metal clattered all around was none other than Charles.

The crackling sounds drifted away as he knelt beside Charles, his legs were twisted and he was barely breathing. His hands moved on their own to perform the resuscitation technique when Charles snatched them, his grip stronger than anything a Convar should be capable of. Pain lanced up Johnny’s arms as bones cracked under the crushing hold. Then Charles’ eyes snapped open, golden light bursting from within, searing Johnny’s vision as a thousand voices echoed from his mouth.

“Wake up, my Champion, wake up and fight!”

When Johnny’s eyes snapped open there was a searing heat behind them. His vision was painted gold but more importantly, something massive was trying to crush him. With the Radiance bursting out from his pores Johnny forced his head forward and felt his broken neck crack back into place, he let out a sigh of relief that quickly turned into a gasp as he laid eyes on the Rift Eater crushing him with its two giant hands.

The third hand pinched his head and was certainly the reason for his broken neck. He glared at the creature, instantly recalling what had happened a moment ago. His muscles bulged as he strained against its grip, Radiance burned away at its hands, searing and scorching it with a Holy Flame Johnny soon took direct control over.

“Get off me!” He declared, releasing a blast of Radiance that forced the Rift Eater backwards.

The three-armed creature shrieked, displaying its rows of jagged teeth. Its body rippled with nearly as much Void Essence as the other two Rift Eater’s combined. The burn wounds on its hands healed up right before Johnny’s eyes and it seemed to grow even larger. It had the hind legs of an ape and the features of one, but as its Void Essence rippled, healing and empowering it even further than before a crooked tail sprouted from its rear. The tip of the tail quickly surged with Void Essence and spurted out a splintering of spikes and bones.

It roared, in pain or in rage Johnny didn’t care. He raised his arms together and drew the Holy Flame levitating him into his palms. The Ape Rift Eater dashed for him and was immediately bathed in a glorious flame. “Perish!” Johnny roared as a pillar of golden light flowed around him continuously, he fed the Radiance into his attack, pushing the flames to their golden limits, up until they turned white.

Yet he could still hear the Ape Rift Eater roar, raging against his flames. An inclination of intelligence seemed to bless its non-existent brain as it dashed out to the side, its muscled arms and legs had their flesh stripped away, leaving nothing but a rapidly healing skeletal form as it bounded away from Johnny’s flames.

Johnny tracked it with his eyes, the power filling him now was intoxicating but in the back of his mind he knew without a doubt that he couldn’t let it run on too long. He’d already used up quite a bit of Radiance fighting the Ogre and Hobgoblin slavers and now he’d entered his Avatar State. He couldn’t let the Radiance waste, for the sake of those three elders he failed to save.

Keeping the Ape Rift Eater in his sights, Johnny absorbed the Radiance keeping him afloat until he dropped to the ground. The moment he did the Ape surged forward, its mouth letting out a deafening roar as it leapt in the air, clasped its hands and descended on Johnny with murderous force.

Johnny stood firm and caught the thunderous strike with his bare hands. He felt his feet sink into the ground as the force of the blow cratered the ground around him. But the Ape Rift Eater wasn’t done. It grabbed hold of Johnny with its third arm, seizing his leg and pulling it from under him. Without giving Johnny a second to call on the Holy Fire it tossed him at the ceiling like a ragdoll.

The ceiling trembled as Johnny’s body burrowed into it. He let out a gasp of air, his lungs emptied by the impact. From the top of the cavern, he could watch both Margaret and Julia at once, they were nearly done dispatching their opponents but judging by the worrisome looks they sent his way he could tell concern for his well-being hindered their performance.

I have to finish this!

But he barely had a moment to take in a half a breath as the Ape Rift Eater below leaped towards him, its myriad eyes bleeding with a lust for his death. Johnny quickly dislodged himself from the ceiling and found himself falling towards his opponent. A part of his senses screamed for him to dodge, to ignite a Holy Flame underneath his feet and fly out of reach.

No! We end this. NOW!

He summoned all the Radiance boiling within his body outwards, setting his skin ablaze with power so bright it blinded the Rift Eater. Johnny fell rapidly towards it, like a bullet racing to meet a rocket. Faster than he’d ever moved Johnny drew his dagger out its holster, pleasantly surprised it hadn’t melted. He infused as much Radiance as it could manage into the tip and roared towards the Ape Rift Eater like a falling star.

“I said…” Holy Flame blazed at the tip of the dagger; its heat set the Rift Eater’s reaching hands alight. It flinched, winced at its fingertips, burning away and left itself widely exposed. “PERISH!”

Johnny’s Radiance infused dagger struck the Ape between its eyes. Sliding through its thick skull like butter and in a fury, Johnny released a storm of Holy Fire into the Rift Eater. It shrieked an unnatural tune as its skin and flesh burned to nothing. The Void Essence within it fought for naught against Johnny’s Radiance.

He purified it fully and completely with the might of the Radiant One in his heart.