by Logan Jacobs
Then I carefully resealed the canister and shoved it into my wet pocket, and I was just locking my bowstring back to load my bolt when Ignis’ roar rent the air.
“Cinis!” the titan bellowed, and the pedestal shook beneath me. “I know you’re here! This kingdom will be burned to the ground over your cowardice! Show your face before all of Ocadia suffers for you! I will destroy every mortal to punish your insolence!”
Ignis was getting closer and closer, and his voice ricocheted through the kingdom and caused the buildings to shudder for miles in every direction. I had my eyes on his goat-looking head as he passed between the domed roofs and spires of the buildings, and he was nearly to the edge of the next street.
The sky had turned from a blood-red haze to a vibrant orange above me, and the heat in the air was becoming unbearable as the titan drew closer. His red skin burned and crackled with his lumbering movements, and a hot burst of air made the wood of the nearest stalls smoke and char.
Sweat dripped into my eyes as I double-checked that my weapon was ready, but then I saw Nara prowling through an alley across the way.
The same group of wild-haired witches were clustered at the Headmistress’ back, and she seemed to be hissing orders to them, but they didn’t get the chance to attack.
A band of a dozen conjurers ran past her alley with their fetishes raised high, and together, they conjured a massive cloud of grim, green darkness to shroud the titan.
Ignis’ molten body twisted and turned as he recklessly swung his scythe arms through three buildings at once, and I steadied the butt of my crossbow against my shoulder.
I let the screams and the thundering roars fade from my registry as I drew a few steadying breaths. I didn’t know if it was Ephy’s presence or my confidence that kept my hand steady on the crossbow, but my heart rate leveled out despite my adrenaline. I noted the heated gusts billowing from the titan were coming directly from the south, and I adjusted the angle of my weapon to account for this and distance.
Then Ignis lumbered into the space where the three streets converged ahead of me, and I had a full view of his entire molten body.
My eyes were locked on his reddened chest, though, and I pulled the trigger.
The Jupiter bolt soared through the smoky air, and time seemed to slow for several seconds as I waited in anticipation. Screams echoed around me, and Ephy’s hand clutched my leg, but I watched my shimmering bolt, and for a moment, it looked like a hawk jetting toward its prey.
Then the bolt struck the heart of the titan, and the effect was immediate.
Ignis let out another roar, but this time it was filled with more than just rage. Orange flames and black smoke seeped from his mouth as lava oozed from his chest, and the layers of molten flesh surrounding the wound started to cave inward.
Then he threw his horned skull back, and as his orange eyes pierced the sky, small meteors started to fall down on the kingdom. They were the size of beer mugs, and they smashed down with ferocity as they destroyed everything and everyone unlucky enough to get hit.
Ephy’s lyrical scream pierced my ear just before she dragged me straight off the pedestal, and the two of us crashed into the canal and sank beneath the surface. I clutched my crossbow as I tumbled in the current, but I resurfaced moments later to a firestorm.
“Clear the street!” I heard Nara shriek, and her voice must have been magically enchanted because I could hear it over the sound of the meteors smashing everything. “Get to shelter, he’s gonna fall!”
Fireballs were raining down like a flood of dying stars, and I swiped the water from my eyes as the townspeople all scattered into the avenues, alleyways, and footpaths of the quarters.
Ephy clung to my waist with her eyes just barely peeking above the water, and I blindly slid my arm around her wet shoulders to hold her close.
But I kept my gaze on the swaying titan.
Ignis’ entire torso was smoking and disintegrating in sheets of ash, and with one staggering roar, he crashed to the ground.
The weight of him created a crater in the street where he landed, and sparks burst from his body as the meteors finally stopped raining.
The sparks only increased, though, and shot straight up to the sky, and the shattered street below the dying titan started to sizzle. Layers of his ashy skin began to peel from him and fly up with the sparks, but the glow of his lava was still burning strong, like he had a flame that refused to go out.
A final wave of heat burst from his glowing body and made the buildings sway, but it wasn’t until a bright ball of white transcended from his slain body that I knew the end of Ignis was coming.
The ball of white shot into the smoky sky and burst outward above the whole city, and it blanketed the sky as all the heat seemed to siphon from the air. The demonic screams were swallowed up as the faces in the smoke broke wide open, and then the white light itself vanished just as quickly as it had spread.
The black smoke was gone, and the red sky was blue once more, and not a single flame burned in the vicinity.
I looked back over to the titan’s body and saw his large frame slumped in the crater.
Ignis was finally dead.
For what felt like minutes, not a soul moved in the streets surrounding the canal. Absolute silence reigned in Ocadia, but then a single elf scuttled out from a shop front, and he shuffled closer to the ashen corpse.
I felt Ephy emerge from the water by a few inches while we watched in silence, and when the little elf poked at the body, the titan shattered in an ashy poof.
The soot shimmered in the same way the stars did, but there was nothing else inside, and the dust settled in the crater without a sound.
The elf looked around in complete shock, but within a blink of an eye, cheers erupted from the alleyways and windows surrounding the scene.
The cheers grew louder as citizens rushed down the roads from all directions, and citizens from all different estates, races, and economic classes filed in with looks of shock and relief etched on their faces.
Not everyone was dancing and cheering, though.
Nara’s sharp eyes were narrowed while a few conjurers sneered and looked around, and at least twenty mages stormed through the crowd and shoved humans out of their path.
The Archmage was at the front of their group, and the conjurers headed them off as the witches stormed over to meet them as well. Then twenty more conjurers rushed in from the next street over, and Nara’s coven of witches seemed to have doubled in size in the blink of an eye.
“Who did it?” the Archmage demanded.
“It was an arrow!” a human cheered. “It went straight to his chest, and it killed him just like that!”
“That’s impossible!” Nara snapped. “No arrow could have done that!”
“You saw it yourself!” a conjurer accused.
“Well, I saw nothing!” the Archmage snarled.
“Who here has a bow?” the Headmistress demanded of the cheering crowd. “Show yourself! Step forward!”
No one noticed or seemed to care that the magical entities were on the verge of a fight. They carried on celebrating under the clear blue sky, and I sank down in the water closer to Ephy.
“Dex Morgan, why don’t you tell them you killed the titan?” the siren whispered in my ear.
“Shhh…” I murmured with a grin. “That’s not how this job works.”
“Okay,” Ephy giggled, and we drifted in the current so we were almost under the street.
Then we lingered there to stay out of sight, and her body was soft and sleek as she kept herself wound around me. Her lips were only centimeters from my own as we considered one another, and her periwinkle hair framed her pretty face in the sweetest way.
“Pay attention!” Nara yelled above us. “The king will need to know who is responsible! Who saved us? Who shot that arrow? Hello? The entire kingdom owes you! Step forward, heroine!”
“Just like the witches to think a woman did the deed!” a man’s voice shouted.
“And just like the cowardly warlocks to flee when the titan was upon the city!” Nara screeched. “My coven and I stood firm till the end. Where were you?”
“We did our part, woman! Or did you forget who parted the ash so the man who shot the arrow could find his mark!”
“Here we go,” I muttered, and Ephy’s blue eyes glittered.
“What will happen?” she whispered.
I didn’t need to answer.
The sound of the witches, the conjurers, and the warlocks all shoving through the crowd made it pretty clear. It took several minutes for them all to break out of the masses on their way to the castle, but eventually, the sound of their arguments began to fade.
“You would think they would just be happy that they are all alive.” Ephy let out a silvery giggle.
“That’s how the estates operate.” I rolled my eyes, but before I could explain the politics of Ocadia, she kissed me.
The siren’s lips were as soft as her singing had been, and her fingers gently trailed along my neck. She kissed me slowly and sweetly while we bobbed in the water under the street, but as my hands slid up her smooth back to pull her closer, I realized she didn’t have a top on under the water.
Ephy must have noticed my breath catching at the discovery, because she giggled again and pulled away with a sweet smile.
“I also came here to kiss you like that,” the siren murmured, and she coyly traced her finger over her soft green lip. “Did you like it?”
“I liked it very much,” I said in a daze.
“You were so brave and noble just now, Dex Morgan,” Ephy swooned. “I have never known a man who could slay a titan before. It was spectacular to see. You’re a hero.”
I hated the word “hero,” because I really wasn’t one. I was just a man who trained hard and was dedicated to his work, but the siren’s beauty had me captivated at the moment, so I didn’t argue too much with her.
“I don’t know about that.” I grinned a little more.
Ephy curled her finger and gestured for me to come closer, and as I leaned toward her lips again, she wrapped her arms around my neck.
Her lips somehow felt even softer than before, and she tasted like sugar and almonds. I let myself get lost for a while in her roving tongue and wet body pressed against mine, but then she pulled away and sent me a pout.
“I want to stay, but I have to leave you now,” the siren admitted. “My energy starts to drain when I leave the pond in the forest, and the separation will start to cause me agony if I’m away from my home for too long.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said with a frown. “But you’re right, you should go. I don’t want you to feel agony, and I should be continuing with my next mission. I have a necromancer to track down.”
“What?” Ephy gasped as her fingers flitted to her lips. “Why?”
“Because the necromancer you found for me is the most likely suspect,” I explained. “All evidence points to her, and I’ve got to go confirm her involvement and see she pays for the murder of my master.”
“But she’s a necromancer,” Ephy fretted.
“Yes, I know.” I smiled. “But don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
“Do you realize how dangerous that is?” the siren asked, and I noticed the water around her started to make tiny rings. It was like her worry had sent out a ripple from her body, and she clutched my arms beneath the water. “What if the necromancer kills you and brings you back from the dead so she can keep on hurting you for eternity?”
I tried not to chuckle because she looked so sincere, but Cinis had said those same words to me about the necromancers. Both women had seemed just as upset about me taking on this task, but the notion did sober me a little.
I didn’t really know a whole lot about necromancers or the way their magic worked, but I wasn’t about to turn my back on a job this important. The longer I waited, the harder it would be to track this necromancer down, especially since she knew I’d been close to tracking down the warlock in her stead.
“I’m prepared for whatever comes up,” I assured the siren.
“I don’t doubt that you are,” she stumbled. “But what if she kills you first? Let me help you! I can help, please?”
“What?” I scoffed. “No, Ephy, you need to recharge your strength.”
“But I can help you,” the siren insisted. “Even if I’m just there for moral support, I can help.”
“Ephy,” I sighed and pulled the petite siren closer. “I don’t need moral support for my work. I just need to do my job in the safest way possible, and that means working alone, as I always have.”
Ephy’s lip quivered with stress, but she finally nodded in agreement.
“I trust you,” she said in a small voice.
I was about to reply when she suddenly slipped out of my arms, and with a last nervous glance, she sank below the water and vanished.
Then I stared at the spot where she had been as I clutched my crossbow in one hand.
The cheers were growing louder and louder in Ocadia, and a sense of calm lingered in my chest as I drew a deep, satisfied breath.
Then I slowly swam along the canal to grab my cloak from the pedestal, and by the time I climbed back out of the water and onto the bank, my mind was completely refocused.
One target down. One more to go.
Chapter 19
I headed back to the north and thought about my lasting memories of Ephy as I went. She was so beautiful and sweet in every way that I almost forgot I’d just defeated the titan.
One good thing about the titan’s arrival was that I finally had my peaceful strolls through the city back, and the further I got from the town centre, the quieter everything became as people didn’t quite realize yet that the danger was over and were probably hiding in their cellars.
When I did finally see a family of humans that were heading through this quarter of Ocadia, they all smiled as they passed and walked with a lot more bounce in their steps than I’d seen lately.
The sky had become completely clear again, and there was not a cloud in sight as the sun finally began to sink toward the horizon. There was no more black smoke that poured from isolated fires, and it looked like a regular summer’s evening was approaching.
Although, it definitely didn’t feel regular to me, and even though I still had one last job to do, I gave myself a moment to recognize my achievements so far.
This week had brought me the most challenging and dangerous jobs of my career, as well as the loss of my lifelong mentor and the man who had raised me. I’d been forced to act with minimal preparation in all circumstances, and despite the presence of variables out of my control, I’d come out the victor.
So far.
Quietly delivering justice for Cinis, the Ardere, and all of Ocadia had been an honor, but it also made me realize the Master truly did know what he was doing when he binded me to this position.
Even if the timing of the promotion was unexpected for us all.
A dull ache pounded in my chest at the thought, but I knew my unrest would soon be at ease. As soon as I found a means of tracking down this necromancer and catching her, justice for the Master would be delivered as well.
For now, everything felt almost back to normal in my kingdom, and the happiness from the land was starting to have an impact on me.
Ravens, griffons, harpies, and sparrows flew above my head together like they had formed some kind of alliance. They dashed from the south to the north and circled estates as they went. I couldn’t tell if they were searching for any more threats or making some sort of victory lap, but whatever it was, it was nice to see creatures freely flying under the soft orange sunlight.
The dragonkin’s lair wouldn’t be too difficult to get to, especially since all the paths in the northwest quarters were mostly unoccupied. Everyone was gathered near the castle in celebration, or making repairs to the buildings, or hiding, but I still didn’t head directly to the Alchemists’ Estate like I�
�d done on my first mission over here.
Before I got too close to my destination, I decided to go off course and find someone to mirror into. The titan may have been defeated, but the risks I was taking by entering the dragonkin’s home were just as high as ever.
If I was dealing with a necromancer, it was twice as important she didn’t know my identity in case all of this went horribly wrong.
I swerved to the side of the street and behind a small milling shop, and then I started to trek through the back paths of an area I had never been to before. They were dark and shadowed by stalls, but I quickly emerged out the other side, and I nestled down at the side of a building until I could find someone to mirror.
Realistically, I could have just continued to walk toward the lair, but because there weren’t many people around, I figured I would be more likely to get caught. After all, if the necromancer was actually keeping an eye out for me, then continuing to waltz in that same direction I killed her husband in would look suspicious, and I would be more prone to an unwanted attack.
I squatted, peered down a path to my left, and waited for the proper target to pass. I saw four women cross the road together, but that wouldn’t exactly do, so I let them pass without causing a stir. The next to pass was a young child, who looked to be around Elis’ age, but I shook my head.
I had to be choosy about who I was mirroring for many reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, if I was to mirror into someone weak, like that young boy was, then I’d have no chance in defeating a prominent opponent.
Namely, a necromancer.
Secondly, I had to try and envision the person to be someone the necromancer wouldn’t know personally from this area. This necessity made the task a little harder. There were millions of people in the kingdom, so it was a pure shot in the dark to know for sure, but then I saw someone pass, and they looked to be the perfect target for my next mirror.
It was a man who seemed similar to me, except for his hair. Mine was white, and relatively shaggy these days, while his was to his shoulders, curly, and dark. He seemed like a human who was built almost identically to me, but he wasn’t as tall. Still, I could see a healthy amount of muscles protruding from the sleeves of his tunic, as well as the contour of his thick thighs in his trousers, and most importantly, he looked too well put together to dabble with the likes of a necromancer.
