Descendants of the Dragon, Book One: The Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 23: The Bigger They Are...

Prayer was not the most ideal way to be coping with the situation, but Sam found it oddly soothing. He wasn't sure to whom he was praying, but as he held his breath, watching Aiden in mouse form skitter across the ground, Sam sent his thoughts heavenward.

Xingtian was still caught up in one-sided argument with Heaven. "He just ran! I cannot believe this! The standards for heroes have gone down since my time as a mortal! If I could give them a negative review, I would! Two out of five stars!"

Sam wondered briefly if Xingtian was truly an immortal. It would be vastly simpler if they could just kill him and be done with it.

He held off his thoughts as a tiny rat scampered past Xingtian and began climbing up the mountainside, using the crevices and ledges as ramps to scamper up. Once it had climbed high enough, it stopped and peered through tiny beady eyes at the giant below.

"Are you sure this will work?" Sam asked Jia and Liang nervously.

A stream of water slowly circled around Liang's waist. His eyes were squinted in concentration, as he poured in his focus, so that he would not lose the water that had taken so long for him to go back and gather. They had lost nearly an hour of time waiting for him, and Liang's focus was clearly wavering from the exertion of holding the water for so long.

"I have it under control," Liang grunted. "Do not break my focus."

"Just tell me when," Jia said.

Sam nodded to Aiden, who was in the form of the rat. Aiden leapt off the crevice he had lodged himself into, just as Jia summoned the winds, ripping Xingtian's axe and shield out from his loose, unsuspecting grasp.

In midair, Aiden's body rippled, transforming into a massive, striped tiger. The mass of animalistic fury landed on Xingtian's back, yowling, clawing, and biting in a frenzy of fur, fangs, and retractable claws. Xingtian's back split open from scores of ugly wounds.

"An attack from behind? Treachery! Cowardice!" Xingtian howled, more out of indignation than pain.

The water circling around Liang's waist slowly unfurled. Liang yelled, willing the water to burst forward, as if shot from a cannon. The pressurized stream tore through the flesh, sinew, and bone of Xingtian's arm, scything through it in a single clean blow. The severed arm flopped to the ground. The giant roared in rage, clutching at the bleeding stump, while the wildcat on his back continued its rampage.

"My arm!" Xingtian cried. "My favorite arm!"

It was working! Sam was ecstatic. Perhaps he wouldn't have to use his powers.

Of course, that's when things began to go wrong.

Xingtian reached over his shoulder with his good hand, grabbing Aiden by his furry scruff. He ignored the tiger's frantic clawing, even as his remaining arm foamed with blood. Xingtian heaved Aiden over his head with his single hand and drove the tiger's body into the unforgiving rock of the mountain.

Liang having spent his water for his one trick, charged out from cover with his ji. Jia followed behind him, using the wind to keep the giant off-balance.

Sam closed his eyes and tried to tap into the ocean of power that was inside of him. It was there, and he could sense that the waves would bend to his will, if he so wanted. The only problem was he didn't want it. There was a single grain of doubt and fear that continued to niggle at him from the back of his mind, and that single grain of doubt was preventing him from unlocking the power. It didn't help that Sam was very afraid of landing the finishing blow and possibly dooming himself with Heaven's blessing.

Come on! Focus! Sam screamed at himself. You want to use it, so use it! Concentrate!

But the power seemed to be able to see through him. It knew he didn't really want to use it, so it remained still and quiet within him.