Categories > Games > Golden Sun > Of Swords and Sepulchers
Chapter Six
0 reviewsIvan, Sheba, and Kraden accidentally put the whole world in peril while investigating the buried ruins of the Venus Tribe.
0Unrated
"You want to fight me?" Donn asked, amused. "I may not have Bloodbane any more, but my connection with the earth has been restored, and I was one of the foremost geomancers of my time. I'll still crush you like a bug."
Ivan said nothing in response, but formed three blades of compressed air and sent them spinning towards Donn, who with a motion raised a shield of earth. The blades impacted on it's surface, sending clods of dirt flying.
"Fine," Donn said, "have it your way."
With a shout, Donn struck the earth with both hands, and a ripple passed through the ground between them. Ivan leaped to the right, sending small bursts of air through his feet to propel him out of the way. The ground he had stood on flew upwards. Donn gestured again, and part of the tomb's ceiling fell above Ivan. Ivan pushed off, boosting himself with another burst of air, and then pushed off the side of a boulder that Donn had raised in his path. He leapt off the top of a stone spire intended to impale him, pushed off several thrown boulders, and then he was sailing through the air towards Donn with nothing in between them.
Donn clenched his fists and heaved upwards, as though pulling on something. An enormous boulder pulled itself out of the ground and interposed itself between him and Ivan. With a grunt, he thrust his fists forward, sending the boulder hurtling toward Ivan's falling form.
Ivan clapped his hands together, inhaled deeply, and then breathed out, sending a spear of compressed air down into the incoming boulder. He blew a small hole in the middle, and then expanded it, breaking the boulder apart into a dozen pieces. He fell down through the gap at the center, flying straight into a surprised Donn.
As he fell down, Ivan lashed out with the heel of his hand, forcing Donn to raise one arm to block it. Ivan landed, then kicked out with his right foot, catching Donn on the ankle. Donn staggered, suddenly off balance, as Ivan completed the turn and brought both hands up, sending Donn flying off his feet with a great gust of wind. As Donn was suspended in the air, Ivan brought both hands back to his side, and then thrust them out again, this time charged with lightning. He sent two bolts sailing through the air towards Donn's airborne form.
Donn moved his arms in an upward motion, and a sheet of rock pulled itself out of the ground, intercepting the lightning bolts. It exploded underneath the enormous power, and the force sent Donn flying into a wall. He impacted with a thud and fell to the ground. He pulled himself back up to a sitting position, wiping the blood from his chin with the back of his hand.
"Not bad," he conceded with a grin. "Not bad at all. This should be fun after all."
"I'm going to kill you," Ivan informed him.
"You're going to try," Donn replied.
Ivan leapt forward once more, propelled by a burst of air, but Donn threw out one fist and a fist of stone burst forth from the wall behind him, swinging towards Ivan. Ivan managed to roll, catching it on his shoulder, but it still sent him skidding across the stone floor. He pulled himself to his feet, and managed to jump out of the way just before a pair of stone spears impacted right where his head had been.
Ivan pressed the attack, moving forwards while turning about, deflecting attacks from all sides. The smaller rocks he sent spinning away with blasts of air. The larger ones he vaporized with bolts of lightning. Donn continued to hurl small rocks at him, trying to break through his defense.
Donn reached down and pulled another huge rock out of the ground, and sent it flying at Ivan. This time, Ivan set his feet and blasted it with a powerful gale, trying to send it back at Donn. For a moment, the stone hovered, going neither one way nor the other, pushed on one side by Donn's psynergetic might and on the other by Ivan's hurricane-force winds.
In the end, Donn won.
The enormous rock slammed violently into Ivan, sending him flying backwards. He hit the wall with a sickening crunch, and then fell to the ground as limp as a rag doll. He felt his ribs with his hands once more. Alright, /now they're broken/. He struggled to his feet, trying hard to ignore the searing pain in his side, to get up and fight regardless, but he knew it was futile. Perhaps outside, where Ivan had room to maneuver and could unleash the full fury of the sky, he could defeat Donn, but not here. Not in these close quarters, and surrounded by Donn's element of choice.
"Give it up, little man!" Donn shouted, sending two boulders at him. Ivan deflected one with a blast of air, but the other hit him across the face, sending him down to the ground again. "You put up a better fight than I expected, but you never really stood a chance."
Donn gestured as he stepped forward, and two stone arms grew out of the ground on either side of Ivan, grabbing him by his throat and hoisting him up into a standing position. Ivan clawed at the hands, but their grip was unbreakable.
"Any last words?" Donn asked, leaning forward over Ivan's squirming body.
"Yeah, I've got one," Ivan said, glaring at his captor. "/Burn/."
Ivan's hands darted out and grabbed Donn's wrists, his palms crackling with lightning. Donn screamed and pulled away as the electricity coursed through him, but Ivan held on with all of his strength. The hands at his throat crumbled as Donn's concentration faded into the brilliant white light of lightning. Ivan bore down on him, not releasing his hands until Donn's skin was scorched and blackened.
Ivan threw Donn's smoking husk to the ground, wiping off his hands in disgust. He staggered over to where the sword was sticking out of Sheba's body, and sat down beside her. His ribs were giving him trouble, and it felt like his nose was broken, but he would survive. He was the only one. He'd have to stagger back to town and tell everyone what had happened. Go back to Angara and tell Isaac and Garet and the others what had happened. He was not looking forward to it.
He didn't think they would be able to get Sheba's body off the blade without removing it, and he would not allow anyone to pull that thing out. It was just too dangerous. Kraden didn't have a body anymore, or least not one likely to be in any recognizable shape. Neither would get a proper burial. This 'Tomb' would finally fulfill its function, and be their final resting place.
"I'm sorry, Sheba," Ivan said as tears fell down his face, "I'm really sorry."
Ivan said nothing in response, but formed three blades of compressed air and sent them spinning towards Donn, who with a motion raised a shield of earth. The blades impacted on it's surface, sending clods of dirt flying.
"Fine," Donn said, "have it your way."
With a shout, Donn struck the earth with both hands, and a ripple passed through the ground between them. Ivan leaped to the right, sending small bursts of air through his feet to propel him out of the way. The ground he had stood on flew upwards. Donn gestured again, and part of the tomb's ceiling fell above Ivan. Ivan pushed off, boosting himself with another burst of air, and then pushed off the side of a boulder that Donn had raised in his path. He leapt off the top of a stone spire intended to impale him, pushed off several thrown boulders, and then he was sailing through the air towards Donn with nothing in between them.
Donn clenched his fists and heaved upwards, as though pulling on something. An enormous boulder pulled itself out of the ground and interposed itself between him and Ivan. With a grunt, he thrust his fists forward, sending the boulder hurtling toward Ivan's falling form.
Ivan clapped his hands together, inhaled deeply, and then breathed out, sending a spear of compressed air down into the incoming boulder. He blew a small hole in the middle, and then expanded it, breaking the boulder apart into a dozen pieces. He fell down through the gap at the center, flying straight into a surprised Donn.
As he fell down, Ivan lashed out with the heel of his hand, forcing Donn to raise one arm to block it. Ivan landed, then kicked out with his right foot, catching Donn on the ankle. Donn staggered, suddenly off balance, as Ivan completed the turn and brought both hands up, sending Donn flying off his feet with a great gust of wind. As Donn was suspended in the air, Ivan brought both hands back to his side, and then thrust them out again, this time charged with lightning. He sent two bolts sailing through the air towards Donn's airborne form.
Donn moved his arms in an upward motion, and a sheet of rock pulled itself out of the ground, intercepting the lightning bolts. It exploded underneath the enormous power, and the force sent Donn flying into a wall. He impacted with a thud and fell to the ground. He pulled himself back up to a sitting position, wiping the blood from his chin with the back of his hand.
"Not bad," he conceded with a grin. "Not bad at all. This should be fun after all."
"I'm going to kill you," Ivan informed him.
"You're going to try," Donn replied.
Ivan leapt forward once more, propelled by a burst of air, but Donn threw out one fist and a fist of stone burst forth from the wall behind him, swinging towards Ivan. Ivan managed to roll, catching it on his shoulder, but it still sent him skidding across the stone floor. He pulled himself to his feet, and managed to jump out of the way just before a pair of stone spears impacted right where his head had been.
Ivan pressed the attack, moving forwards while turning about, deflecting attacks from all sides. The smaller rocks he sent spinning away with blasts of air. The larger ones he vaporized with bolts of lightning. Donn continued to hurl small rocks at him, trying to break through his defense.
Donn reached down and pulled another huge rock out of the ground, and sent it flying at Ivan. This time, Ivan set his feet and blasted it with a powerful gale, trying to send it back at Donn. For a moment, the stone hovered, going neither one way nor the other, pushed on one side by Donn's psynergetic might and on the other by Ivan's hurricane-force winds.
In the end, Donn won.
The enormous rock slammed violently into Ivan, sending him flying backwards. He hit the wall with a sickening crunch, and then fell to the ground as limp as a rag doll. He felt his ribs with his hands once more. Alright, /now they're broken/. He struggled to his feet, trying hard to ignore the searing pain in his side, to get up and fight regardless, but he knew it was futile. Perhaps outside, where Ivan had room to maneuver and could unleash the full fury of the sky, he could defeat Donn, but not here. Not in these close quarters, and surrounded by Donn's element of choice.
"Give it up, little man!" Donn shouted, sending two boulders at him. Ivan deflected one with a blast of air, but the other hit him across the face, sending him down to the ground again. "You put up a better fight than I expected, but you never really stood a chance."
Donn gestured as he stepped forward, and two stone arms grew out of the ground on either side of Ivan, grabbing him by his throat and hoisting him up into a standing position. Ivan clawed at the hands, but their grip was unbreakable.
"Any last words?" Donn asked, leaning forward over Ivan's squirming body.
"Yeah, I've got one," Ivan said, glaring at his captor. "/Burn/."
Ivan's hands darted out and grabbed Donn's wrists, his palms crackling with lightning. Donn screamed and pulled away as the electricity coursed through him, but Ivan held on with all of his strength. The hands at his throat crumbled as Donn's concentration faded into the brilliant white light of lightning. Ivan bore down on him, not releasing his hands until Donn's skin was scorched and blackened.
Ivan threw Donn's smoking husk to the ground, wiping off his hands in disgust. He staggered over to where the sword was sticking out of Sheba's body, and sat down beside her. His ribs were giving him trouble, and it felt like his nose was broken, but he would survive. He was the only one. He'd have to stagger back to town and tell everyone what had happened. Go back to Angara and tell Isaac and Garet and the others what had happened. He was not looking forward to it.
He didn't think they would be able to get Sheba's body off the blade without removing it, and he would not allow anyone to pull that thing out. It was just too dangerous. Kraden didn't have a body anymore, or least not one likely to be in any recognizable shape. Neither would get a proper burial. This 'Tomb' would finally fulfill its function, and be their final resting place.
"I'm sorry, Sheba," Ivan said as tears fell down his face, "I'm really sorry."
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