Golden Dawn

|Chapter 36 ~ The Last Attempt|

I very soon realized it was much easier discussing victory than actually achieving it.

As soon as we accomplished drawing the attention of Angelus and Quîncîn, we somehow managed to explain what had to be done. The plan was short and discussed in unclear snippets thanks to the ever continuing attacks from the Ertheon. Angelus and Quîncîn however understood what they had to do, not seeming to find it very comforting though.

My soul still seemed centuries away from my mortal body. Resting in a space so sacred, none ever dared reach it. A wisdom was trapped inside my mind, one too great for mere flesh to hold.

Yet somehow the feeling was familiar...

Strength hummed along my bones and constantly filled my mind with renewed information, the knowledge however vague and too strange to ever fully make out.

Angelus and Quîncîn yet again reminded me how absolutely perplexing my situation was.

The two Lesphares shared the same terribly stupefied look when they first saw me.

What troubled me the most however, was the knowing look of sheer horror that passed between the two of them as if they somehow recognized me.

The Ertheon did not once give us room for mistakes or miscalculations. Angelus barely managed to shield us with strong voided galaxy he conjured from nothing but air. Both he and Quîncîn looked utterly drained from keeping the Ertheon occupied long enough in order for the rest of us to prepare. I was concerned about the deep gashes across their skin and the ugly scars that covered each bit of flesh exposed to the demonic furnace-like heat of the Ertheon.

It's heat was surreal.

A venomous poison of deathly warmth that invaded every pore of my skin and burned into my very chest. Sweat damped every inch of my body and I longed for Ferîan's ice crusted blade.

Ferîan.

Even in my divine-like state, a pang of regret still plunged through my heart. The Lesphares was horribly injured, the gash across the length of his torso and thighs, oozing golden ichor. The incision was deep, the skin surrounding the wound utterly scorched and ripped. The blood ruined Ferîan's beautiful winter attire and smeared Quîncîn's arms as he held unto the limp body of the Lesphares.

We've decided on Quîncîn being the one to carry Ferîan while Angelus and I did the rest.

Ferîan seemed beyond saving. I could see it in my friends' eyes when they ever so often glanced at him.

Yet...

I winced as an electric blue bolt shot past my head, barely missing my ear and singing a strand of hair as a result.

... yet  I somehow knew it wasn't the case.

Someone, or something could still save him - would  save him.

My attention turned back to holding unto the hem of Jacob's Sandrîanî tunic. My back groaned with the weight of another passenger and I glanced back at Angelus in slight awe. The Defender carried both Lex and Christa - not appearing to care about the extra mass in the least.

I cursed as another roar shook the valley.

The Ertheon was pure enraged as it flew after us, probably livid after finding out its prey was escaping. The creature looked like a nightmare one would dream up. It caught up to us with a single flap of its wings. The reverberations shook our own and made Angelus, Quîncîn and I use every ounce of our remaining strength to stay airborne. The mountain was growing bigger and bigger as we neared.

I was grateful it was as large as I had hoped.

A great pile of glass obsidian towered over us, casting an ominous shadow on the valley below. In the distance, the sun had begun to rise, making me realize just how long we were already battling the Ertheon.

The sight was gorgeous after such a dark and terrifying night. Dark clouds still hovered over the valley as if they offered the Ertheon protection.

Further away however, the sky was starting to clear.

I noticed how the base of the mountain began to glimmer as streams of sunlight warmed the onyx glass. The sky was a beautiful shade of pink, turning into light peach. Renewed strength seemed to seep into my limbs and I suddenly felt Jacob tense in my grip.

"I think we can make it from here!" He yelled up to me and I inspected the monstrous summit above us.

It wasn't going to be easy, but I knew the Ertheon could kill us in one blast and there was no time.

I met Christa and Lex's gazes and nodded.

It was their turn to safe us.

"Okay listen! There is this weird switch at the back! Try using it as well as the one we all know." Christa instructed over another ghastly roar.

She then smirked.

"And fire as damn hard as you can."

My body suddenly felt feverish.

The Ertheon was closing in on us, eyes dripping with deep hatred. Its mouth was slowly widening as if it was smiling in cruel victory.

I gulped.

"Whatever needs to happen, it needs to happen RIGHT NOW !" Angelus roared.

The first blast came from Jacob as the ivory light shot straight into the base of obsidian glass. Even though the mountain consisted of glass, it was somehow still as strong as one constructed from rock.

My guess was that it was probably created by the Ertheon aeons back.

The after-tremors from the blast almost made me let go of Jacob. The shock pulses electrocuted my arms and neck and I ground my teeth as an entire volley of white flew past us. They exploded the base of the mountain and glass shattered and splintered. The amount of firepower was unbelievably powerful, but unfortunately came at a price. Since the resonance of the weapon was so great - one would have to fire and recuperate at considerable lengths. Thus, Lex and Christa filled the empty slots Jacob left open while building up his weapon's blast.

A sound like the very earth splintering sounded across the valley and rocks started to rain from the sky.

Unfortunately for us, the Ertheon closed in before we had the chance to collapse the entire mountain.

Quîncîn's warning came too late as the beast howled and slashed across the air, barely missing Angelus.

"GET US THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Christa screamed as the enormous body of the Ertheon turned on the rest of us. The wind of its wings blew us even closer to the mountain causing yet another gigantic problem.

The mountain was collapsing.

And we were right beneath it.

"FOR HELL'S SAKE LET'S GET OUT OF HER BEOFRE WE GET FLATTENED  ANGELUS!" Quîncîn yelled over the chaos of falling debris.

The rocks and amount of glass that rained down from the heavens could fill a city.

"FOLLOW ME!" The defender shouted in return, leading us through boulders and shards that fell down the caving glass mountain.

"GUYS... IT'S DOING SOMETHING!" Lex shrieked and immediately forced my attention back on the Ertheon.

The huge bolt of magma could have incinerated us, were it not for the otherworldly speed Angelus implemented to get us as far away from the volcanic heat as he possibly could. The lava sped right past. So quick and powerful it crashed in an explosion of flame behind us.

Right into the mountain.

If the mountain didn't fall before, it certainly did now.