Of Gods & Champions: Book I: Fate

XXII. The Dirtiest Trick of All

WILD THRUSTS FORTH SPINDLY TREES, BARRING my way, but I simply set fire to them with my blade and spring over them with the blast of one of the bombs I have left.

I swing my sword down at Wild, but he shoots to the side before my blade can touch him. Electricity dances at his fingertips, but I slam my sword into his hands and lightning fires haphazardly into the air. He knocks me away by summoning a wall of earth between us, before shooting up into the air, black cloak fluttering as he shoots fire out of his feet to launch him up.

Leaping over the wall, I hurl a bomb at his feet, and the fire makes it explode, and Wild suddenly falls to the ground. I race towards him, but he rolls over and raises his hands, and a tree springs up right before my feet, and the branches hook around me, lifting me up into the air and finally pushing me high up against the side of the high building that serves as his quarters.

Undaunted, I take my sword and shove it in the wall above me as Wild races in my direction. I pull on my sword, and finally o break free, back flipping over the sword to perch on top of the roof, pulling the blade hard so that it loosens a large piece of the rock that makes up the wall and sends it flying towards Wild.

It knocks him back slightly, but he quickly rises again, thrusting his hands forth again and again to explode the roof. I hurl another bomb down, and it's explosion combined with his launches me high into the air.

I raise my sword high as I come down, only for another tree trunk to shoot up and hurl me back. I crash into the snow, sword still firm in my hand. I sit up, panting, brushing loose hair back out of my eyes.

I rush at him, trying to strike at him with my sword, but he grabs me by the waist and throws me over his head. I spiral through the air before crashing in the snow again. I breath shallowly, heart beating fast.

He's holding back, he has to be! He's not giving it his all because he doesn't think it will take much to do me in. I need to take advantage of that before he steps it up!

"Tired yet, little girl?" Wild calls mockingly as he leaps above me, bushes springing up around me to trap me.

I swing my sword through the foliage, and cut my way out.

"No," I call back, "But you're a couple million years older than I... How are you doing?"

Boulders lift themselves out of the ground at fly at my head, and I duck and dodge most of them, shattering a few with my sword.

"Never better, never better!" Wild laughs, and with a huge explosion, hurls me back several feet, my jaws flapping from the force.

I stand again, hurting only slightly, and I attack again, swinging my sword at Wild's head. He blocks my sword repeatedly with trees, and when my sword gets stuck in one, I continue my assault as we fight hand-to-hand.

As we fight, I realize that there is one place he's constantly guarding... The center of his chest. You wouldn't think a god would have a weak spot, but I think I've found Wild's.

I step forward suddenly, locking my foot behind his ankle before stepping back, pushing forward at his shoulder. He trips backwards and falls into the snow, giving me time to yank my sword out of the tree trunk.

As he launches himself at me again, I rush at him, and before he has time to block me, I ram my flaming blade through his chest, the impact making his hood fall back, and I see his human face for the first time.

Grey eyes like mine, wide with surprise. Curly black hair, with a few bits of grey hair here and there. A short grey streaked beard and a mustache curled around a mouth open in surprise. All in all, he's a handsome looking man, who looks kind and gentle, and not capable of the horrifically evil acts I know to be his handiwork.