Mt. Ohm - God Slayer - K. van Marshall (books recommended by bts txt) 📗

the long stiff neck of the unprepared insect - causing its six legs to buckle inwards. In that moment Els swiftly pulled Gulla free.

 

Falling into the collapsed insect. Knoah stayed still, regaining his breathe while looking at the life leave the creature below.

 

Return to the Great Wheel and be reborn anew, Bihei and great insect king of the wild. After his short prayer, a tired Knoah drags himself to his feet and wipes the slimy blue blood of the girafbeetle from his knuckles. “How is she?”.

 

“She passed out, and her legs broken, in a bad way and she has few deep gashes”, said Els.

 

Knoah continued to slowly center his breathe. “... It’s - it’s fine. I will carry her up”.

 

“That’s not the problem, you almost killed her, and yourself. You are too reckless - forget it, we need to find an access-tree fast”.

 

“I know, that’s why I’ll carry her, I saw one not too far back”, said Knoah, walking over to Gulla and lifting her onto his shoulders. “Let’s hope, we don’t meet that lyremodo”.

Chapter 7 - Fear the naked Demon King

 

Dwelling in the stratosphere above the blue sands of Subterra, two idling Gods bask in the cosmic energy of the tri-suns. Camouflaged in a sea of white clouds, they wear the brilliant white robes of the Pantheon. As divine immortals, the gods emit an angelic aura as elegant as the suns above.

 

The combined sunlight washed the sky in a faint red hue. A rare sight only witnessed during the midday sky of the hot hot cycle - Gaiterra has many seasons, the longest of them belonging to the summers. To immortals elemental in nature, the natural kirah is a heavenly elixir.

 

The Great Smoke God, Noobar lounged shrouded in a heavy smog, indulging in the glorious feast. The mystical mist moves around him as if alive. In reality, they are in tune with the emotions and thoughts of their master. Gently they whisk around him, dancing with his every breathe. Occasionally his thin arms move to guide the smoke around his perfectly defined silver skinned frame. Cross legged, on a cloud mat, he faces the binary suns. Taking in deep breathes, in the midst of a meditative trance - Noobar soaked up every photon of the sun's kirah, taking this moment, to top up his mighty energy reserves.

 

A few metres below, his partner and fellow immortal Fuego, also stands, but on a cloud platform. His golden hair spiking up towards the sky, glowing in the sun his fiery red skin burns passionately - causing the air to squirm around him. Unlike the relaxed Noobar, Fuego steams, the patience vexing him. Action is what he wanted - not cut out for reflection or waiting - instead, he keeps his attention trained on the planet’s surface, like a sunbuzzard circling in search of prey.

 

The vibrant gold in his eyes flares as Fuego shouts. “Now”, and leaps off his cloud footing, a wide smile swept across his face. Fuego only felt alive, in battle. Living so long, becomes boring without vices. His kirah rich blood races around his athletic body, as air rushes over his thin nose and through his unmoving hair.

 

THUMP!

 

He didn’t make it very far. Another solid cloud platform materialized in front of him, forcing him to land face flat.

 

“Not so quick”, said Noobar, gradually floating down to the same level as Fuego.

 

Jumping to his feet, Fuego's face was redder than usual, and the smile on Noobar's face was about to send him into a rage. Before he could react, Noobar puts a finger over his lips and gestures with his other hand, drawing Fuego's attention to the emergence of Kumi and the Denaar.

 

“They seem interesting”.

 

“What is? You demons anus. Wait times over”, snarled Fuego, all three of his eyes were now red and glowing. The glare builds until bright white, and an intense heat pulsed from his body, turning air around him to steam.

 

“How can a god live so long and not be able to think? We are still in Subterra territory and those two are interesting”, states Noobar, matter of factly, while ignoring the heat. A bead of sweat on his brow forms then tumbles down the bridge of his nose, dropping from the tip - it’s evaporated by another wave of heat.

 

“We came to deliver righteous retribution on demons, not a mortie study”, fumed Fuego.

 

“Just wait... It’s not like avenging our devoted mortals will bring them back to life”, said Noobar, his three cloudy white eyes focused on the ground.

 

“Burn the morties”, replied Fuego, stamping his foot down into the solid yet soft cloud beneathe, before looking back to the ground. “I didn't come here to claim revenge for some smitten morties. I came to kill demons”.

 

“We are waiting”, sighed Noobar.

 

Below the waiting gods, the demonic brothers having been launched high into the sky, were now headed for a soft landing in a desert lily pad. The massive yellow spotted purple leaves cushioned their impact completely. Instantly wrapping the interlopers in a gentle hug. Promptly breaking free of the pads embrace, the pair survey their surroundings suspiciously. Oblivious to the coming danger, they head off. Their destination, the safety of the chaotic wastelands of Tu and their lair. While still on high alert, they move swiftly across the pale blue desert.

 

Meanwhile, Kumi and his Denaar - thrusted into the air, hover menacingly. Spotting two dots on the vast light blue canvas like desert. Kumi observed his prey shifting nimbly, leaving large deep blue strokes in the sand. Slightly adjusting his position in the air, he makes his move also, flinging himself from the sky at a tremendous speed. Leaving his Denaar to follow at his own easy pace; muttering mantras.

 

Unseen and above, the Pantheon peacekeepers continue to watch things unfold, one much more eagerly than the other.

 

Javan the faster of the two, took the rear, while Sumatran charged ahead ready for any potential frontal threats - as the tank it was Sumatrans job to take on all comers, while Javan dealt with the rest. However, neither saw Kumi coming as he appeared miraculously between the dumbfounded demons.

 

FRAAAAAAAAZM!

 

Arms stretched wide, Kumi let out a massive purple flamed blast from both palms. The screaming force flung one brother far across the desert, while Javan slipped to the side - avoiding the blast by an inch. But now, surrounded by a mist of sandy blue dust, he was completely bewildered.

 

“Suma!”, bellowed Javan. “Was that - that lil Kumi rent”. Javan desperately tried to find his way in the blue sand storm, pulling the hood from his head he opened all three of his yellow cat-eyes wide. “Suma!”. His calls continued to go unanswered, his voice bouncing back like an echo in a canyon.

 

Javan pounced a few feet forward, only to be stopped sharply by purple translucent wall. The firm spring of the field sent him onto his backside.

 

“The hell is this!”, growled Javan, bouncing back to his toes, he peered at the purple world beyond the red wall.

 

Building his demonic kirah, his eyes and dark orange skin release an intense negative energy - the black stripes scratched into his face start to vibrate. Placing his two clawed hands on the field he pushes with all his might, to no avail. Like rubber, the wall absorbed the shock before springing back at him with the exact same force. Suddenly the wall came to life and wrapping his entire body, immobilizing him swiftly and sapping his strength. Lifting him from the ground slowly, the bubble became firm. Javan struggled in vain, but was unable to generate any physical force, even his attempts to muster demonic kirah are muffled by the strange field - dimming the demonic kirah that gave Javan’s skin its previously vibrant glow.

 

Outside the entrapment, the dust before him wafts away, revealing the nonchalant Denaar of Kumi, strolling towards him; arms crossed behind his back. While Kumi approaches unnoticed from behind.

 

Sumatran landing clear of the dust cloud was left dishevelled but uninjured. Getting to his feet quickly, he scans the desert for his brother and signs of the enemy. The only thing to be seen is the wafting desert sand in the distance. Unsure of what hit him, and sensing his brother's anguish, he races toward the dust cloud at top speed.

 

“Broooo...I'm comin!”.

 

“ROOOOOOOOOOOAW!!”. BOOOOOM!

 

As he closed the gap to the dust cloud, an immense roar rippled across the desert, followed by a powerful shock wave. Sumatran digs deep into the sands, holding himself in place and becoming buried in an avalanche of sand. Once the wind stopped, he shook himself free of the quickly formed sand dune to see the desert scene changed. The dust cloud had completely dispersed, and now, Javan at the epicenter of blast - fully transformed. A fierce blood red kirah and sand twisting about him in the hot distorted desert air. Skin covered in red and black striped fur, his body had doubled in size, and the physical appearance of a jungle cat mixed hueman hybrid, replaced his former hueman like form. A feline jaw and ears replaced his hueman ones. Beastly claws, clenched and a long striped tail whipped between his feline legs. The only things that remained from his hueman form are his upright stance, torso, and three demonic eyes. Even his dusty grey cloak was replaced with dark green armored vest and combat trousers.

 

 

Their aggressors Kumi and his Denaar lay flat on their backs, but still alive. Sumatran was amazed they still drew breathe. Even he had felt the force of Javan's attack earlier, and he was far from the impact point. The blast was truly immense, even the hidden Gods high above, felt the pressure. Yet inexplicably, Javan fell to his knees, clutching his side.

 

“Brooooo”, hissed Sumatran, rushing to his brothers aid, as fast as possible.

 

In moments like this, he cursed his lack of speed. But worse, the Quorth Knight began to stir; the Denaar was still motionless.

 

“Yuh alriiite?!!”, bellowed Sumatran.

 

Sometimes in life trouble comes in buckets, and for the brash pairs their disturbance was about to bring forth a tsunami.

 

Suddenly the ground began to stir, slithering beneath their feet. Then in an instant, the whole desert trembled violently. The fight between demons and their aggressors had not gone unnoticed.

 

Without warning, a thunderous boom split the desert, and in an instant huge canyons of sand grew either side the rival pairs.

 

Javan’s survival instincts kicked in - getting to his feet, he started running towards his brother. Sumatran had not changed course despite the desert quake and was still heading straight for him.

 

The opposing walls of the desert chasm stacked high to become two huge waves; towering and waiting - threatening to come crashing down at any moment. Still transformed, Javan squats down, his thick thighs doubling to the size of tree trunks. On all fours he truly looked like a jungle cat. Tail whipping in the air behind him, he pounces forward, leaping a hundred metres to his brothers side in a flash - crashing and grabbing him all in one go - with his brother tucked under his arm he pounced again. Propelling the pair down the wobbling blue valley towards the light of safety and the end of the deathly corridor.

 

Once released by his