We Are Taking Down the Goddess

Showdown

The Wolfmore mining village lay in ruins. The roads and toppled houses were completely deserted. Only the piles and piles of elven bones covered the empty place. But, deep in the canyons, a battle was brewing. 

The silence caressed Kana's skin like a cool summer breeze. The impenetrable water shield she conjured enveloped her completely, not letting even a single pebble pass through it. Her glare was unwavering. She didn't blink as she gazed at the terrifying beast she would have to face. There was no softness in her eyes. Just the sheer determination to win. 

Her hands were steady stretched with confidence and leveled perfectly with the nose. From the look of it, she was ready. The creature, however, was not as timid. From losing its army, it boiled up inside, like a pool of hot lava.

- "You will pay for that, human!"

Kana didn't say anything, which made the beast even angrier.

- "You will beg for mercy! You will scream and grovel. But, I won't show you a swift death, little human. I will rip your body a bit by bit for every Groel you took!"

- "Groel?" – asked Aiko.

- "So, that's why we couldn't win!" – Vesryn gulped from behind the young girl. His eyes widened in fear.

- "Groel are a fearsome race of beasts from another world. Beings of high intellect. They've conquered countless regions and destroyed more than a dozen kingdoms in Elidy. He is referring to his army. The beasts I just killed." – Kana explained as she kept her focus.

- "A race? Is this the kind of beasts adventurers have to face?" – Aiko asked once more.

- "They are rare." – added Vesryn. "They only come when there is a massive prize to gain. Unimaginable power."

- "But, we are just a mining village! Slaves to the elves. What can we give them?!" – Aiko mumbled. Her tiredness made her hands hang limp. She loosened up her grip around Ren, not realizing he was slowly losing consciousness.

- "That's exactly what I've been wondering, girl!" – Vesryn nodded as he laid down on the ground wounded. His legs were constantly bleeding.

- "Enough!"- joined the beast with a deep menacing voice.

Then, it roared. Kana sharpened her gaze. She stayed focused on her prey, but she could tell the beast was overflowing with anger and hate. From the fury, its body started to change. The ice on its back melted and its absurdly long spikes grew even bigger. The toxic ooze that spewed forth from its feet turned into a fire so hot, it dug a deep hole in the ground. The gnarled and crumbled skin on its face was no more. Its rancid hide morphed into a blaze, turning the monstrosity into a fearsome fiery beast. That's when the odd green symbols in its eyes finally took shape - four dots and a line in between them.

Aiko saw it all. This thing made her blood run cold. Vesryn, the last remaining warrior of the elven fleet, decided to use this opportunity. He crawled over to Aiko's side. He left behind a long blood trail as he struggled to carry his wounded body.

- "Girl, use this chance and run. Save yourself while you still can."

- "But...Ren..."

Without warning, the ground under their feet shook, creating a loud noise that made their ears feel like they were going to explode. Aiko flinched and instinctively hugged Ren. In that frozen second, over a dozen gazers of hot lava spewed forth from every corner of the mines. The heat was so strong it melted the entire canyon, turning it onto a flat landscape. What took years to form disappeared in a matter of seconds. The red beast smiled as the lava flooded the place. But, as soon as the gazers disappeared, the beast saw a big watery shield floating in the air. Kana emerged from the water without a scratch, while still keeping Ren, Vesryn, and Aiko inside, away from harm.

- "Impossible." – the creature mumbled.

- "Now, it's my turn." - Kana declared as she faced the beast. Her water magic kept her afloat.

In Kana's eyes, there was no emotion, no fear, or hesitation. It was as if she had completely detached her soul from her body, and what was left was only a vessel. The beast panicked. He had never met a human so strong. Someone so powerful, their mana would engulf them like a warm blanket.

At that moment, she snapped her fingers. The clicking sound soon dimmed and with it came a typhoon that enveloped her from top to bottom. The strong cyclone made Aiko and Vesryn shudder. The overwhelming winds and water entered Kana's body. When they disappeared, her eyes glowed like the purest sapphire. Then, to everyone's surprise, Kana's clothes, hair, and toes morphed and shifted until they turned to water completely. Her once black hair became brighter than the waves. The only human trace that was left of her was her honeyed skin. Aiko was speechless. She had never seen someone so beautiful yet horrifying at the same time.

Kana stretched her hands and moved her arms as if the sky was made for dancing. The ground started to shake forming fissures so deep, even the ferocious red beast couldn't keep its balance. Then, gallons and gallons of water emerged from the ground forming into a fearsome watery dragon. The magic being was so huge it made the beast tremble. But, the creature couldn't afford to be afraid. It stood firmly on the ground and was ready to take the dragon head-on.

- "You will all die!!!" – it screamed.

The two colossal monstrosities clashed. Their power was so intense it sent shockwaves across the desert, the village, and the canyon. Even the travelers who were miles and miles away felt it.

Suddenly, the watery dragon clawed its way into the body of the red beast. The water entered through the beast's eyes, mouth, and ears. It traveled through its insides so quickly, while the creature laid defenseless. Then, the eyes of the red beast lost their fierceness. That's when it realized the water was too strong.

- "Impossible! Impossible! How...can...a mere human do this to me? Me?!!"

The creature's stomach doubled, then tripled in size. The monstrosity roared in pain.

- "What is going on? What just happened?" – Aiko couldn't believe her eyes.

But, Kana, knew exactly what was about to happen. She hurried to Aiko, Vesryn, and Ren. Then, she covered herself and them with another watery shield and waited for the beast to blow. 

Its stomach got even bigger and bigger until it finally exploded. As the body burst, fireballs came with it and ravaged the place. Or at least what was left of it. The watery shield was undamaged. After the fire subsided, Kana slowly moved the shield towards the ground before removing it completely. When the water disappeared, Vesryn and Aiko just stared at everything around them. The entire canyon was gone. All the watchtowers, carts, and even the camp were obliterated.

- "What happened? How is this possible?" – Aiko's voice trembled.

- "This is the power of the Groel. If Kana didn't come when she did, the surrounding villages would have faced the same fate. We are lucky." – Vesryn explained while covering his wound with a thorn piece of cloth he took from his clothes.

- "We are lucky? You call this lucky? Wolfmore is gone! Daisuke is gone! Why?"

- "They came for you, girl." – Kana turned to face Aiko. There wasn't even a shred of kindness in her gaze. She just snapped her fingers and the water disappeared, returning her body to her former shape.

- "Me? Ridiculous! I'm a slave. A miner." – Aiko sneered in disbelief. Then she turned towards Ren who laid right next to her. "You hear that, Ren? This crazy lady says the beasts came for me!"

She reached for her friend and touched his soft paw. That's when she realized his body was cold and utterly still. His snout turned blue, his eyes dull, and his fur had lost its fluffiness. He was as lifeless as the dust and stones that stood around him.

Aiko froze. Her heart ached. 

Over a dozen memories flashed through her mind. She remembered the time baby Ren and she ran through the village. How the guards used to chase them. How they both listened to Daisuke play his broken lute under the tree. How they ate the stale leftover bread from the tavern, but it still tasted great. How they slept under the same roof with Ren, with him as the pillow.

At that single moment, something snapped.

The hope in Aiko's eyes evaporated. Tears ran down her cheeks. She screamed. Her voice tore through Vesryn's armor. It cut through the nearby stones and pebbles. It traveled through the desert, killing all the lizards that stood at the wrong place at the wrong time. The elf tried to shield himself and his open wound. But, Kana didn't waver.

- "What is happening?" – Vesryn mumbled.

- "Her power. It's awakening." – Kana explained.

- "Power? She is a human born in Elidy. She can't have power! Humans don't have power!" – Vesryn protested.

- "There is some truth in it, elf. We adventurers obtain power the moment we are summoned to this realm. But, she is different. She is unique."

- "What do you mean, witch?"

- "She was born with it."

- "That's absurd!"

Vesryn watched in awe. The more Aiko screamed, the stronger her voice became. Then, her eyes turned bright yellow shining brighter than the sun. Suddenly, a series of lines and curves carved themselves into Aiko's skin, healing her broken arm. They covered her hands, shoulders, and neck with a beautiful flurry of language that no one could understand. The symbols trapped themselves into her body before they finally glowed yellow, exactly like her eyes. Magical yellow dust emerged from Aiko's drained body, but her screams grew louder and louder. Her heart was shattered into a million pieces.

- "The power of the light? She wields the light?" – Vesryn mumbled.

- "That's right." – Kana uttered.

- "But, there hasn't been a human with this kind of power in...centuries."

- "Right again." – the sorceress nodded, emotionless. She seemed well aware of what Aiko was capable of.

Strange magic dust emerged from Aiko's body. It hung low in the air, spinning around the barren wasteland reflecting the last rays of the sun. Wherever the dust went, a comfortable smell of apricots followed, as if they were released from a magical cloud.

Aiko was completely unaware of what was happening around her. She was drowning in her own sorrow, while the dust swirled in the air above her. Then, the magical sparkles found their way into Vesryn's open wounds. The round gash closed and his injuries disappeared. Now, the elf could walk again.

But, the rhythm of the dancing dust didn't end there. It entered Ren's corpse engulfing it in bright energy. In a matter of seconds, life returned to Ren's eyes once more. He coughed while struggling to get a bit of fresh air. The moment she heard Ren's breathing, Aiko regained her composure. Her screams died out. Her agony dissipated and she just stared at her best friend in disbelief.

- "She is a cleric." – added Kana.

- "Cleric?!"

Kana saw the look on Vesryn's face. He was in complete shock unable to grasp what happened before him. His face washed blank. Every muscle in his body froze.