Discordant Note | TBATE

Chapter 67: Waters of Hell

Toren Daen

I didn't even see the next attack before it blew me away. I smashed through one of the stone pillars, obliterating the rock from the force. My telekinetic shroud shattered around my ribs as the blow impacted, and my vision winked in and out as the stone crumbled over my body.

I wasn't even lying in the stones for a second before a hand speared through the rubble, latching onto my leg. It gripped hard enough to make my bones creak, then yanked me from the stone.

The colossal tree demon held me upside down with a single arm, which was easily twice as long as I was tall. Its wings were spread wide, and instead of slouching as it had before, it stood at its full, horrible height. Dust fell from my body as I hung.

I swung my hand upward, a burst of fireshot leaving my palm in a flare of white. The spells peppered the creature's face, flashes of orange bursts popping in pockmarks as my solid flame burst over its skin.

The wooden monstrosity tanked my fireshot like the solidified fire was no more than dust. For the first time, I sensed a hint of intelligence in the creature's gaze as it intentionally took my attack head-on. The only sign I had damaged it was slight darkening around its four red eyes. The creature snarled, raising its other hand and clenching it into a fist.

Oh, shit, I thought, seeing what was coming. I felt my eyes widen as the beast reared back, ready to punch my prone form.

I used my telekinetic pull on the creature's fingers, trying to wrench them apart just a little. If that monster's fist hit me while I was held fast like this, it might rip off my leg. I pulled and pulled as the creature seemed to revel in my panic.

Just in time, I added an extra force of power around the demon's grip. The wooden fingers loosened just a fraction.

And then the fist hit me square in the sternum, right over my core. I felt my vision go white as I screamed, my body rocketing away. My foot pulled free of the monster's grasp, the weakened grip allowing it to slip free. Instead of ripping my leg off, I felt it wrench out of its socket.

My body skipped on the dirt as I rolled. I skidded for a few steps, my body finally coming to a stop at the base of one of the ritual stones.

It took a moment to fight through the pain. It was hard to think. My vision swam, thoughts coming in spurts. I coughed up a mouthful of blood, the crimson liquid dripping down my chin and staining my leather armor.

Something in my chest is definitely broken. At least a few ribs, the clinical part of me said distantly. Your hip popped back into place almost immediately after it was wrenched out.

That... that was good. I thought so. It was kind of hard to think. I looked up at the sky.

The blackened clouds were condensing, a crack of lightning crossing the sky. The world became dark as if it were night, the encroaching storm blotting out the light. Soon rain would fall, bringing with it the tide of demons.

I need to end this fast. Before the rain falls, I thought.

I groggily pulled myself to my feet, stumbling when putting weight on my leg. My hip had been dislocated a second before, and a deep gash still marked my thigh.

The demon was making a sound as it watched me from afar, somewhere between a tree crashing to the ground and a rustle of leaves. The reddish veins that traced their way under its white wood skin flashed with each sound.

It was laughing at me, I realized after a bewildered second. The monster was playing with me like a cat does its food.

Okay, you bastard, I thought, pulling myself up straight. You want to play dirty? We can play dirty.