Ash. The Legends of the Nameless World. Progression Gamelit Story by Kirill Klevanski (essential reading .txt) 📗

Such a blow could break armor reinforced with enchantments and potions; crumble the walls of a fort; and destroy a spell. But when faced against ice armor, it only left a couple of chips in it. The giant didn’t even notice it, sending another attack at the group.

“Alice!” Ash shouted. “Help!”

The girl nodded. She turned to the wizard and whispered a magic-enhancing spell. Her wand made a strange shape in the air, leaving a golden trail behind it, like a sprinkler.

Ash didn’t feel invigorated. Then again, when your power was enough to turn an Ice Giant into a puddle, only the spells of a High Priest could help you. Still, he nodded in gratitude, and struck the ground with his staff. He had asked Alice for help only so that the power of his spells wouldn’t seem suspicious.

Lari’s blades flashed with fire, turning into two rays of sunlight. Using his favorite technique, The Star of the Lagoon, he lifted himself in the air, and then disappeared. His blades, enhanced by Ash’s magic, proved to be much stronger than a rusty rapier.

Hitting where the tendon would usually be, Lari managed to slow down the Giant. No one was certain how the anatomy of a Giant looked like, but this particular titan didn’t seem too happy about being hit. With a roar, it dropped to one knee.

Mary and Lari immediately retreated. Without a word, acting only on instinct developed over the years of joint adventures, they stood next to Blackbeard. In an instant, they freed him of the snow.

“I’m getting tired of this,” he grumbled, cleaning his beard. “I always end up trapped whenever we fight...”

“Well... If... You moved... faster...” Lari said, breathlessly.

“Stop bickering,” Mary hissed.

The Giant, as to prove to the two that Mary was right, swung with its mighty arms. Razor-sharp nails flashed in the sun and came crashing down on their heads. Blackbeard’s shield flashed like a gray arrow, and ice met steel. The ringing made Lari’s vision double. A bowstring sang and an adamantium arrow pierced the titan’s left eye.

The monster screamed and tried to pull out what looked like a splinter in comparison with its big head. Alas, with its fingers the thickness of a log, it was difficult to get a grip of a seventeen-inch long projectile. The harder it tried to pull it out, the deeper it drove it into the eye socket, causing itself even more pain. Adamantium burned like hot coals, and the runes engraved on the arrow’s shaft, meant to restrain movement, only made it clumsier.

Holding its eye with its left hand, it swung randomly with its right, trying to hit the Stumps. But the stronger it swung, the more time the adventurers had to dodge the blows that turned the walls of the gorge into debris. The snow fell incessantly, turning into a wall of white rain.

“It’ll start an avalanche if it continues like this!” Blackbeard shouted, looking up at the dark clouds gathering at the very top of the mountain.

Tul, not distracted by the trio, continued to fire at the Giant, preventing it from moving its left hand away from its face. One after the other, the arrows kept finding their way to the Giant’s eyes. Seven of them pierced their target, blinding the monster. Enraged, it leaned on its good leg and roared, turning the air itself into ice.

A huge hand, decorated with icy claws, left long and deep grooves in the stone, and whizzed inches away from Blackbeard’s shield. The defender had no doubt that he would’ve buckled under the blow had it hit him with full force. But like this, he managed to repel the powerful wind that followed the blow, and raise his ax. All he needed now was an order.

When the discussion was over, Mary took a step back for the first time in her life. In this battle, her light, lightning-fast rapier wouldn’t be of much use. This time, she’d have to stick to the rear and allow her teammates to finish the fight without her. And this singular step gave her more problems than the bloodiest of battles she had fought, because, for some people, retreating in the face of mortal danger was even more terrifying than facing it.

“Ash, Alice...” Tul drew the bowstring. Shadows danced around the tip of the arrow. “I want you to do what you can with this arrow. Wait for my signal.”

The mages nodded and began to whisper spells.

“Lari, you know what to do.”

Returning the swords into the scabbards, Lari crossed his arms in front of him, placing his right hand on the left hilt and his left hand on the right hilt. A scarlet bud bloomed under his feet, making Ash wince in spite of himself. It wasn’t often that he encountered something that could kill him instantly. Over the past few months, such deadly encounters had become unpleasantly frequent. Shaking his head, he focused on his spells. As we know, those had never been his strong suit, so he needed to not be distracted.

“Now!” Tul shouted, letting go of the bowstring.

The arrow, spinning like a drill, flew straight at the Giant’s throat. Alice was the first to release a spell, making the black veil that enveloped the arrow glitter with golden sparks. Crimson soon joined the gold, and the flame roared fiercely, causing the Stumps to squint at the light.

The projectile pierced deep into the icy throat. Ash had no doubt that the arrow tip had come out the other side. The Giant wheezed and shook, clutching at the wound with both hands.

“Singing Blow!” Lari shouted.

His hands blurred and two scarlet crescents shot forth from the blades. A strange, enchanting melody filled the gorge for a moment, but was soon replaced by a crackling. It fell short