Chapter 29 – (Part 10)
The chamber trembled. The air shimmered with violet fire and molten light, every shard of shattered glyphs orbiting like frozen stars. Extera's wings stretched wide, the Wordsal runes etched along each feather pulsating, emitting a low, resonant hum that seemed to warp reality itself.
Alok tightened his grip on his chains. Each movement made the golden light ripple, intertwining with faint violet traces, coiling like molten serpents. The labyrinth itself seemed to lean toward the pair, as if holding its breath.
Extera's voice rang out, deep and resonant: "Very well, Wordbearer. Show me the strength of a human who dares to defy a god-made Devourer."
The ground beneath them cracked, molten energy rising in jagged columns. Gravity twisted, stones and debris spinning upward, then slamming down with thunderous force. The pinned allies groaned, barely able to withstand the invisible pull pressing them into the stone floor.
Rihan braced himself, shouting, "Alok! Stay focused! He'll try to bend everything around you!"
Alok's chains surged, golden strands intertwining with violet sparks. "I am not bound by the labyrinth… nor by your illusions, Extera."
With a sharp motion, Extera's wings flared. The air rippled violently. Gravity inverted, then shifted, hurling massive pillars of stone toward Alok. He swung his chains, arcs of gold striking the debris, shattering them midair, sparks raining like fiery rain.
Every strike of the chains reshaped the battlefield. Every movement warped reality.
Extera's laughter rang like rolling thunder. "Impressive. But strength alone cannot unseat a Devourer."
He slammed a hand to the ground, and the floor beneath Alok and Rihan split into a jagged crater. Waves of violet force surged, sending shockwaves that bent the very air.
Alok leapt, chains snapping, catching himself against a floating shard of stone.
Rihan called out, "He's testing you, Alok! Timing, precision… it's all calculated!"
Alok's eyes narrowed. "Then I will give him a calculation he cannot anticipate."
He whirled, chains lashing outward in a spiral of golden energy. The arcs struck Extera's wings, creating bursts of violet fire and shattered stone. Yet, Extera barely flinched, each strike dissolving against the Wordsal-infused aura surrounding him.
Extera's eyes gleamed with curiosity, a faint smile crossing his face. "Ah… you are not merely strong. You understand rhythm… flow… the dance of the Word. But do you understand sacrifice? Do you understand what it costs to transcend?"
Alok's jaw tightened. He remembered Jong his commander, his friend how he had offered his heart to Extera, and the monstrous act that followed. The memory burned like molten steel in his chest. "I understand enough to know what cannot be tolerated."
With a roar, he surged forward. Chains lanced outward, striking the Devourer directly. Violet flames clashed with golden light, colliding in a storm of explosive sparks.
The chamber shook, walls cracking, shards of stone and glyphs spiraling like meteors.
Extera's wings flared wider, and the Wordsal runes along them glowed brighter. Gravity bent again, pulling Alok down, then flinging him backward, spinning him through the shattered air. Yet, he landed on a shard of floating stone, chains whipping to steady his stance.
"You are… extraordinary," Extera said, almost reverently, "but strength without understanding is… fleeting."
Alok gritted his teeth. "I fight not for strength, but for what cannot be stolen the will to choose."
The Devourer tilted his head, wings rustling like storms. "Will… choice… human concepts. But even gods must begin somewhere. Very well. Let us see… who truly bends the Word?"
He raised both hands, and the chamber erupted. Gravity twisted violently, a maelstrom of molten light, violet flame, and Wordsal energy engulfing the battlefield.
Chains of gold and violet flew across the room, colliding with arcs of pure runic fire.
Rihan yelled over the chaos, "Alok! Watch his rhythm! Every movement has a purpose predict it, then strike!"
Alok's gaze sharpened. He focused on the flow the rise and fall of Extera's aura, the pulse of the Wordsal runes, the resonance of the labyrinth. Every strike of the Devourer became a beat in a symphony he was learning to conduct.
This was no longer a fight for survival.
It was a battle for understanding.
Chains clashed, energy shattered, gravity twisted, and the chamber trembled like a living being.
Alok whispered under his breath, eyes glowing, "I will not falter… not now, not ever. The Word bears witness. And I… will answer."
Extera's laughter echoed, a dark, rolling sound that shook the stones themselves. "Then… dance, little Wordbearer. Dance with the Devourer."