Chapter 36 #3
The 40th was a realm of jaundiced green-yellow light, a high-ceilinged maze whose walls were ruined cathedrals.
Great billowing clouds of noxious green smoke endlessly uncurled down the halls’ lengths, much like the tides of the ocean.
When inside those green waves, all became diffuse, indistinct, and hidden.
When the waves rolled on, the air cleared, became sharp and chill, and the world was revealed once more.
Sam summoned her Starfire Bastion, whose celestial energy mitigated the green smoke, so that they moved within a hemisphere of clarity within the swirling ocean of tidal green.
By tacit agreement, everybody positioned themselves around Sam. The mission was simple: to support her in whatever way necessary so that she could hit her 7th Level.
Steadfast Luminance meant the smothering green smoke failed to quench her light.
Warden’s Discernment alerted her to the presence of demonic taint close by, though it refused to manifest. Beacon of Hope buoyed their hearts, even as Hallowed Advance allowed them to stride deeper into the level, bringing the Bastion’s blessings with them.
Their foe, when it finally manifested, was huge.
They were swamped by the green clouds, their hemisphere of pale light surrounded on all sides by swirling coils of emerald, when the shape rose into view.
A giant. Cumbersome, easily some twenty-five yards in height, its head was a giant, boxy thing with stumpy triangular ears, whorled green flesh, and a lantern jaw with a vicious underbite.
Its eyes glimmered like burning emeralds the size of fists, and its face was noseless.
Its very body seemed to burn, giving off endless plumes of the green smoke that surrounded them, and its arms were massive and long, its hands huge enough to engulf a person whole.
It rose out of the green smoke like a whale rising from the depths, its torso disappearing from view, its legs altogether hidden.
One moment nothing, then it was there, reaching through the Starfire Bastion to clutch at Sam.
The green smoke burning off its arm vaporized within the hallowed air. Its skin darkened and blistered.
Harald went to act, to defend Sam, but caught himself and held back. No Servitors. No intervention.
The others, tense and horrified, did the same.
Sam raised her hand, eyes wide, and called out a single word of power. “Burn!”
From her palm flew a great beam of golden radiance, easily as thick as a tree and which caused Harald’s bones to thrum.
It pierced clear through the monster’s immense palm and out the other side to beam out of the Bastion’s circumference and into the monster’s chest.
Which roared, exhaling a torrent of black smoke from its huge maw as it did so.
The smoke was alive. It curled about the Bastion in seconds, immense and knotted like Harald’s own Abyssal Grasp, and constricted the Bastion, causing Sam’s light to falter.
Harald raised the Scourge, ready to leap into the fray as Sam dropped to one knee, her Light of Censure blinking out, but Nessa cried out, voice firm and brooking no disobedience, “Hold!”
The giant python of black smoke tightened about them, cinching ever closer. Sam’s light guttered. She was gasping, straining against some immense pressure.
And then, with a cry, she detonated, flaring white like a sun exploding.
Celestial Flare.
The light was absolute, beautiful, bleaching, terrifying. It erased the coil of smoke and again caused the giant beyond the Bastion’s curvature to reel back in dismay.
Sam rose to her feet once more, blood running from both nostrils, and with her head bowed, pressed forward.
Hope surged once more in Harald’s chest.
This time, Sam placed both her hands over her chest, palms outward, and when she activated Light of Censure, it was blinding.
The beam tore through the giant’s chest, incinerating its flesh, and with a huge wail, it toppled over, its fall slow and terrific so that when it hit the flagstones, the world itself seemed to shudder.
The green smoke passed over them, the tide moving on, and the clear air returned, revealing both the huge dark walls, the vaulted ceiling far overhead, and the titanic body of the monster she had slain.
Over its hill-like body appeared three Zenith Tides.
Sam stood still, shoulders heaving, as the others crowded in around her, beaming and congratulating her efforts.
Harald grinned, delighted and relieved, and pressed in to hug her tight.
“Know faith,” she whispered, almost to herself. “Know faith.”
Harald stepped back, beaming. “I never doubted.”
She blinked, wiped blood from her upper lip, and for a second looked at him in confusion.
“Oh,” she said, then grinned. “I’d hope not.”
For a moment, his smile slipped—he’d missed something. Or had he? Still, she moved in to hug him tight, and he decided it didn’t matter.
“Well?” demanded Vic. “We Level 7 yet?”
“Not yet,” allowed Sam, stepping back. “But maybe if I get to tackle a couple more…”
Nessa grinned. “I think you’re in luck. Look. The next green wave is rolling in.”
“We’re here if you need us,” said Kársek, tone solid and sure.
“I know.” Sam squared her shoulders and stared at the approaching miasma. “I know.”