I rush up the stairs, taking them three at a time, until I burst back into the blinding sunlight. My eyes, still adapted to the darkness and glowing with their amber light, sting the moment I find myself under the harsh sun.
Squinting, I look ahead. I see Larissa on the ground in front of me. And just past her, a vile creature that resembles the one I saw earlier. Although this one is much, much bigger.
The large head of the beast looks like an owl's, just as the one before, except this creature's head was the size of my whole body. It towered over us, at least six feet tall, on its quivering stilt-legs.
The fiend opens its mouth. I expect a screech but I'm almost brought to my knees when the Encephalim owl-thing growls and screams so loudly that I can feel the air blast. Okay. This one isn't going to run away as easily as the last one.
"It's a fiend! It's a fiend!" Larissa panics. "A Lula bird!"
Lula bird, huh? I think about the name, wondering if Sola has heard of them before.
"Not specifically," Sola informs me. "This is a dangerous situation. I say we use our one spell on this fiend."
I hold out my hand. I've never done it before, but Sola showed me a vision. I think this is how we do it.
"Ready?" Sola asks.
"Yes. Hit it!" I bellow. Wondering if I should say more. Do I have to call out the name of an attack? Does that make it stronger?
"Explosion magic!" I scream at the top of my lungs. Couldn't come up with a cool name in time. I point my hand directly at the Lula bird and the air around me ignites. I have never felt such fury before. My vision and the world itself seems to flash completely white as I hear the sound of my devastating magic pop and envelop the Lula bird in a blast of fire. Like a stick of dynamite to the face.
...Or at least, I thought that's what was happening. As the flash of light fades, I see that my blast hit something, but it wasn't the Lula bird.
"What the hell are you doing!?"
My eyes widen. I completely missed the bird with my attack, but it seems like I hit a tree behind it. There's nothing left of the once tall and mighty tree but smoldering ash and burning wood. Hey, at least I know the magic is effective.
"We missed."
Yeah, Sola. I can see that.
"That's not good."
Seems we have the exact same understanding of the situation, Sola.
The Lula bird spreads its wings wide and charges at me, ready to attack. It leaps through the air at me and bears its mighty claws. One slash from those things and I could be done for.
I tumble out of the way. If I'm good at anything, it's dodging. I stay low and roll to the side as the Lula bird crashes to the ground where J was just a moment ago. Its talon scratches the earth and leaves a deep gash in the ground. Yep, that'd have killed me for sure.
"You can use magic with this stone, right Larissa? Do something!" I command as I toss the blue rock over to her. She reaches up to catch it, but fumbles it. The stone rolls into the grass.
Larissa dives down to find it, but isn't having much luck. And to my chagrin, that bird is getting ready to attack again.
"Sola, I need some GUIDANCE here. We're gunna get wiped out!"
Larissa turns to me for a moment. I didn't realize I said that out loud.
"Let the Lula bird attack you. At the last moment, reach your right hand out. You must touch the fiend before it has a chance to touch you. Do you think you can do that?"
Sounds like guaranteed death. No way I can get to it before it gets to me.
Larissa jumps up off the ground, the blue stone in tow. She holds it up into the air.
"Spectral magic!"
I expect something to happen, but look on in dismay as she's just standing there holding the stone and nothing happens.
Damn it. She really has no jdea what she's doing, does she!? She's less prepared than I am, and that's saying something.
"New plan. Take that corestone from her. We can use it as a temporary Vessel, until we find Kieran."
How does that work? I have no idea, but we have to do something.
"Larissa! Let me see the corestone! Come on, throw it!"
I brace myself for the incoming attack. As the fiend charges at me again, I'm able to just barely sidestep. As I do, I look to Larissa. She pitches me the stone, and I half expect her to throw it way over my head. Thankfully, its a good throw, and I snatch the stone out of the air.
"Now, August! Link with the stone!"
Before I can ask how to do it, an image flashes into my mind. This stone needs a name. To use it, that name must be invoked. So here goes...
"Uh...Birdblaster! Yeah, that's it. Your name is Birdblaster now, you corestone you. Now, help me blast this stupid bird!"
"We're synced! Quick, August. Use the incantation I am sending to you!"
My eyes open and I feel impossible powers seeping into me. So this is what having a Vessel is like. I feel unstoppable. I point my hand at the bird as it begins to charge toward me again. This time, I won't miss.
"Volkai Aespolos."
Just as the Lula bird reaches me, my magic activates. The entire fiend flashes with a dark orange light and suddenly I can see through it. Seconds later I feel a wave of heat and watch as the fiend violently explodes into a million pieces. And I am showered with bird guts.