DEMI! (Battle Book)

Ch. 22 Awaken, Seed..

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Roe: I...I can't believe...I think we did it!

The floating crew begins to cheer at the sight of their victory. A falling Jai repeatedly shakes his hands in an attempt to alleviate the numbness they are feeling. He looks below him at the rippling water that had just submerged Apophis, waiting for it to be still.

Jai: EVERYONE, MOVE!!

Before Mahl's platform could catch Jai, the ebony tail of the snake came crashing down on him, slamming him into the water.

Apophis: Thosssssse bladesssss. Imbued with that old bassssstardssss blood. Oncccce I'm finished with Osirisssss' seed. You will die next, SSSSSSSSSSamurai!!!

Roe: Why does he keep referring to the "one without reason" as Osiris' Seed?

Mahl: Ehh...let's just say Jai has a complicated family tree.

Yusuke: AH SHIT. HE EVEN TOOK THE WOMBO COMBO?! ROE, FISH THE LITTLE PSYCHO OUT! KAMI, I NEED YOU TO PROTECT THE SHIP, MY SWEET LADY. IF MY BABIES ARE THE ONLY THING THAT CAN KILL THIS THING, I'M GOING FOR IT. WHATEVER IT TAKES FOR THE CAPTAIN!

KAMI: Don't call me that.

She mumbled a spell and a bubble encased the ship.

Kami: And don't die either. Or else you'll never get that date.

She shouted back to him and winked as they whip passed.

Yusuke: WOOH! YOU GOT ME FIRED UP NOW! I LOVE YOU TOO, SUGA BOO!

Yusuke charges his longswords once more.

Yusuke: LETS GO SNAKE! I GOTTA HOT DATE TO MAKE!!!

Apophis descends back into the sea and begins to swim in a counterclockwise motion, creating a massive whirlpool. At sea level, the waters rose to mountainous heights submerging Mahl's sand pillar and sucking down the remaining crew members from the sand plateaus. The basilisk's velocity increased with each pass causing the waves.

Jai swirled under the immense pressure of the tide. It beat down on his chest with every stroke he took, sucking him further down into the sea. He could hear the muffled chaos all around him. His ears popped under the water's pressure, as he heard underwater screams from members of the crew whose lung capacity wasn't as keen.

Jai: Keep swimming, keep swimming, just keep swimming.

By now his entire body was numb and riddled with chills. His body should've grown accustomed to the water temperature he thought to himself, but his bones were stiffening and the amount of heat in his body dropped until he felt an intense feeling of empty, frozen hollowness.

Roe was the only crew member not submerged. He had managed to use his bandages to swing off the sail of the ship, propelling himself in the air before the whirlpool consumed his comrades.

Roe: Damn. I have to save as many as I can. This is insane, but here goes.

RESURRECTION PROTOCOL: LIFE LINE

Roe shoots multiple strands of his bandages into the whirlpool, grabbing some crew members. The bandages wrapped themselves around the submerged member encasing them in cocoon-like bundles.

Roe: The incubators should keep them from drowning, but I can only create five. I'll have to fish the others out.

He releases more strands into the whirlpool grabbing Jai, Yusuke, Mihra, and Mahl. Flinging them and the cocoons into the air before plummeting into the water himself.

Jai, now floating above the whirlpool, looked down into the chaos.

Jai: I'm alive.

He looked to his left at Mihra floating beside him. He called to her but she didn't answer.

Jai: She's unconsciousness.

"I HAVE YEEEWW!!!"

Apophis ascended from the whirlpool, shooting towards Jai. His eyes widened in fear as he gazed at the fangs of the beast approaching. The basilisk had five rows of serrated fangs protruding from its jaws. As it came closer its tongue straightened and shot towards Jai grabbing his numb right leg. It gripped him tightly, wrapping itself around his leg trying to crush it in the process. It tugged Jai down attempting to pull him into the beast's approaching orifice, hastening his demise.

Thoughts of all he had done wrong flashed through Jai's mind. He reflected on the many ways he had failed not only himself but also Mahl and most importantly, Mihra. He felt an enigmatic attachment to her, always wanting to protect and appease her, even though she was more capable, in his mind. In his final thoughts, he reflected on his mother, and how he wasn't strong enough to make it by her side. As he did, a soft voice called out to him. It was so familiar, that he indeed thought he was dead. It was the voice of his mother.

Phiety: Jai...LET GO!

Jai: Let...go...?

Phiety: That feeling, let it go, son, let it all go....

Jai: Let it all go...

As he approaches the basilisk's mouth, Jai closes his eyes, calming himself. He targeted the feeling of coldness that shot through his body, searching for the source. He found it in the center of his chest. Focusing on a single point in his body, where Apophis has ensnared his leg, he forced the chills from the center of his chest, through his torso, and down to his leg. Exhaling, he opens his eyes, expecting to see the darkness of the Titan's mouth.

In Euphoria's capital, Queen Cleopatra watches the battle from her War Room...

Cleo: It's...completely frozen...he froze.....all of it...

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