Ch 28: Maelstrom of Emotions
Imported from SF2 with no description.
Snapping my head up towards the thunderous roar I'm met with the sight of Quetzalcoatl, his bright green and yellow scales glinting in the light of the red sun, his sharp talons extended out on full display. Even despite the distance I could make out the angry expression across his scrunched serpentine snout. Hovering high above the temple entrance, the shine from his scales started to dim as dark clouds swirling above, forming from nowhere above the elemental 'God'. As the clouds built and start to shadow over his large form, his eyes sparked with a clear intent to kill. It was almost a sight to behold, no wonder the Aventari had regarded Quetzacoatl as a god. The electricity was flashing out from his eyes, crackling over the sides of his face, darting down his neck and winding out around his wings before, with a mighty flap that shifted some of the clouds that had formed above him, released a massive bolt of lightning in our direction.
Faster than I could blink, the first bolt of the lightning struck the weak base of the column to my right with a mighty boom that left my ears ringing, the flash of light had half blinded us all and before we all knew it the column fell upon Calamity, pinning him in place. Turning towards him I'm startled by Inferno screaming out “My Tyrant!” as she leapt in front of me, taking the full blast of the next lightning strike, clearly meant for me.
Inferno had blocked the shot, not blinded this time I see the rubyesque dragoness' body tighten, every muscle in her form rippling as the charge coursed through her, before she slumped down in front of me. No! The lightning grounded itself through Inferno's body dissipating across the plaza floor creating fissures and cracks in marble tiles as the electricity fully discharged.
Calamity cried out as he struggled desperately to move, groaning and squirming in pain from the belly where the column made impact. Despite his pain and current predicament, it was over shadowed by the void of despair that was left where my bond to Inferno had been. Time seemed to stand still for a few moments, I place my paw on her upper foreleg and shake her body but she does not stir. She isn't... I press down with my paw, increasing the pressure, I didn't want to accept what was right before me. She can't be... I press harder, feeling her scales start to yield under my claws, still no reaction. ...is that. A blood pool was starting to form beneath her, trickling down into the fissures of the marble, creating red veins in the broken white tiles. The link was severed. Tears begin to form in my eyes as acceptance began to set in, out of view of Calamity who drenches the column in his acid breath.
Another thunderous roar of Quetzalcoatl echoes above me, time resumes as I'm broken from the stupor, looking up to see him beginning a dive towards me, the clouds had dispersed and the electrical charge from his eyes was gone, he must have put everything into that lightning attack. My eyes lock onto his.
You! A rage was building, filling the void the loss of Inferno had left. I slowly step forward, passing over Inferno lifeless body, not caring to stop building the hatred and grief I felt in my heart. Enough! No more, no more! I sneer revealing my fangs as I feel the energy build, clenching my jaw to hold it in, my lips quiver, my talons flex out carving into the marble beneath me. A frill of spikes, from the back of my head, down my spine to the tip of my tail protrude outwards quivering.
There was so much of the void to flood with my emotion, nothing was filling it, it just kept building, I could feel it throughout my body as I take another two steps towards my assailant gouging more marble from the tiles, leaving behind bloody prints as I step towards the centre of the plaza, approaching the focus of all my anger. My emotions colliding together in a maelstrom of flux of passion, rage, hatred, determination and vengeance. Nothing else mattered right in this moment, not the realm, not the extraction, my mind focused on a single goal, ending the Aventari God Quetzalcoatl.
The serpentine was almost upon me leaving a trail of condensation to float back to the sky behind it as it sped down towards me, intent on striking fast and true. I stood my ground, willing him to close the distance, wanting him to charge faster. Flexing my legs I clamp my talons into the marble floor, my concentration never shifting from Quetzalcoatl as the build up of power surges within me, waiting for the right moment to strike. It was only a few seconds in reality before Quetzalcoatl was almost atop me, it felt like an age too long as I stared into his opening maw as he twisted his head to strike for my neck. You are nothing. I open my own maw and release the built up energy from inside of me.
I felt my entire body tense as the blast sent a pulsing shock wave of energy outwards from my maw into the sky, to call the smoke that followed black, wouldn't do justice to the curling void of my breath weapon as it coiled up in the shock waves wake. The strain of the energy made my entire body ache, my jaw gaping as wide as it could physically open as the void rushed out of me, my body gripping onto the broken tiles trying to hold me in place, even so I felt my talons slipping as the force pushed me back a little, gouging streaks into the marble with my claws, I slam my tail down to dig the blades in for additional support as I push through the strain.
Quetzalcoatl had no chance, unable to react in any time as he is consumed directly above me. The shock wave tore through his entire form, the force enough to crumple his head back to the side he had twisted it to strike. The sheer impact of energy was enough to break the serpentines face apart, a sight I relished in the moment of vengeance before it was consumed in my voidish smoke, disintegrating the rest of his remaining scaly features out of existence. You do not command this black cloud.
The smoke had stopped billowing from my maw, allowing me to close it, I was drained, physically and emotionally. I pant to regain my breath, waiting for the black fog to dissipate. I watch Quetzalcoatl's wings, now separated from the body, fall past either side of the mountain to crash with a heavy thud into the lands below. I try to stagger forward, yanking my claws and tail from the marble, almost losing my footing as I do so, deciding it best to sit for a moment to regain a little energy and composure.
The smoke finally dissipated. Remnants of dust scatter from the outer edges of my breath attack. The empty void my breath had left behind refilled with the realms atmosphere. Looking back I see her once again, a pang of guilt strikes my heart, That blast was meant for me... I wanted to call out her name. I wasn't careful enough... I wanted to hold, shake, even slap consciousness into her. I failed her... Tears were beginning to form in my eyes again as I was slowly consumed by the guilt and the still lingering void of our severed bond. I wanted to call her name again, but I knew it would be no use, I knew I'd get no response. Inferno was dead.