Chapter 32: Wings of feathers and Iron
Chapter 32: Wings of feathers and Iron
When Jael blinked the brightness from his eyes away he let out a soundless gasps. In front of him spread an ocean of dark water that stretches as far as eyes could see.
The sun above failed to penetrate the still waters but what caught his attention even more was the platform spread above it. The platforms are big enough to occupy three people and each platforms are connected to other platforms by wooden bridges.
"A single platform has four bridges." Jael's eyes widen. "Meaning I'll be fighting off at least four people at once."
But that's not all, the sea is divided into several Islands by broad stone bridges.
That jerked him awake and he looked at where he was– standing at the edge of a rocky beach, all the Awakeners were brought there at once and they all surrounded the water. Some were put in several of the stone bridges that cut up the islands.
And they had already started to climb into the wooden bridges and run across.
'Dangerous!' If Jael didn't move then there's a higher chance he'll be trampled on because people are breaking up from their trance of telepotation. He bolted down the rocky ground, picking his way smoothly over the jagged surface.
He reached the edge and jumped into the nearest wooden bridges, it shook under him, unsteady on the water as he picked his way over to the platform but he didn't stop, he continued to run, flying over platforms.
Suddenly he rolled and he felt intense heat passed over his head, he didn't look back as he ran even faster. 'I don't want to pick the nearest platform because that is where the competition will be tighter and higher'
He heard the clang of steel around him, the flash that started to arc into the sky. The fight has began! Fifty thousands trying their best to reduce themselves to five thousands. Jael ran, pumping his limbs fast to blur over the bridges.
He flew over one and a flash came out nowhere, he brought his partially transformed hand up and slapped the sword away. He hit the platform with a thud that shook it.
A sword rested on his shoulder. "How dare you try to claim my platform!" The woman's voice said with glee. As if she had been waiting for this to happen.
Jael slowly raised his hand. "Sorry, I didn't see you in time. I will pick another one." He began to move when he froze as the sword pressed closer to his neck.
"I think you know but you just want pick a fight with me but bad luck for you because I intend to loo..."
Jael transformed Hermit into a sword– his hand erupted, bigger. and longer, the fangs slammed into the woman's chest and crushed the ribs. She splattered blood and she dropped together with her sword.
"So this is what it has turned to." He didn't look back as he began to run again. One hour is going to be a long time. The more he ran, the more more people ran around him and started to fight, the dark water started to change color.
At last Jael almost reached the middle he stopped running. "I'll make my stand here." He sat in a lotus position in the middle of the platform.
He looked around and saw that almost all the platforms around him was claimed. The Awakeners all looked at each other, an unease silence descended. Broken by the distant flashs and clang of weapons.
'It's getting closer' he thought, his heart started to pound. The Awakeners that are fighting are pushing past where the fight was the thickest and going further.
Three places from him, the platform where a man was sitting on suddenly splited open and he was sent into the dark sea. A woman climbed up in between the splited platform and once she was on board on of the half she joined them together again with her magic.
The woman smiled but a shadow loomed over her and she looked up almost too late. Black feathers rained down and when they struck the platform they pierced through.
She dodged some and used her ability to split some into two seamless halfs but they were simply too much and she was soon pumped full of black iron feathers.
Jael swallowed and looked up at the source of the attack. A female Demon flapped her wings gently, the wings are black and looked like the feathers of a raven, her skin is like that of human but her eyes is lined in red and two black horns glinted on her head.
She reached the platform and Immediately her feet stepped down on the platform the wings vanished. Then she kicked the dead woman's body away in splash.
She noticed his attention and focused her attention on him. "You! Are strong, do you want to fight for this platform?"
"I'll rather not."
She scoffed. "You humans are always like that but," her eyes suddenly focused on him. "Why are you a human and smell like my home world, hell?"
Jael stiffened. 'I smell like hell? What is she talking about? Oh...maybe, I remember something about the gate of hell in my spell. Is that it?' He didn't answer her, instead. "Who are you?"
She wanted to answer but a sudden slashing light attack came her way after cutting down two Awakeners. Feathers materialized around her and formed a wall of iron behind her without her even looking.
The feathers rearranged after blocking and shot off like a bullet, they head a splash in the distance. She smiled. "My name is Anins. I'll spare you today because you smell familiar but I will not the next time we meet, I'll kill you if I have a reason to, human. This place is too boring. I'll go to another place to have fun."
Jael could only watch as she flew away without even giving him a chance to say anything. "What just happened?" Did she just say she'll not kill him because he smell like something?
"As if I'll allow you to kill me!" But she's already gone.
"Ah! Mr Jael. Fancy meeting you here." A voice that sounded very very familiar said.