The Guardian gods

Chapter 49  The fall

Ikem's demigod transformation brought a surge of power coursing through his veins. His senses heightened, he felt the raw energy of the divine flowing within him. The approaching bird, now a formidable threat, seemed to slow down in his perception as he focused on the imminent clash.

As the bird drew nearer, Ikem released the arrow. It sailed with precision towards its target, only to be met with a breathtaking display. The golden light enveloping the bird dispersed in a mesmerizing dance, reforming into a radiant shield that effortlessly blocked the arrow's path.

'What? It can do that?' Ikem exclaimed, awe and disbelief coloring his voice. Undeterred, he notched another arrow and aimed for the left wing, hoping to outsmart the mysterious creature. Yet, to his amazement the shield dispersed and the left wing, now adorned in the same golden hue, repelled the arrow with ease.

No time for a third shot, the bird unleashed a torrent of golden light from its open beak. Ikem reacted swiftly, dispersing the bow and leaping to a nearby tree. The golden light struck where he once stood, leaving a clean hole as evidence of its destructive power.

Amidst the chaos and jumping from tree to tree to dodge the golden light sent his way , Ikem's mind raced. "I misjudged its talents. The speed is not innate; it's the golden light, it was what gave the bird some kind of air resistance which increases its speed and at the same time acting as a shield"

"The more Ikem pondered the capabilities of the golden light, the clearer its effects became. Dodging another torrent of golden light, he resolved, 'I have to bring that bird down somehow.'

A glimpse of the roots behind his ear caught Ikem's eyes, sparking an idea. He leaped down from the tree, his hand enveloped in vibrant mana. With practiced precision, he dug through the ground, seizing hold of the thickest root he could feel. pulling the root out, Ikem wielded a green sword construct with his other free hand to sever the connection between root and tree.

Ikem moved immediately as a colossal claw lunged at where he was, Ikem's heart pumped more mana into his body enhancing his physical capabilities, accelerating toward a nearby towering oak. Timing his jump, he propelled the elongated root forward, pumping mana into it to stretch and wrap around a sturdy branch.

Swinging around twice for momentum, Ikem shot into the sky, at the same time stoping the mana flow and retracting the root as he ascended. The bird closed in, claws extended ready to garb hold of him. Observing the imminent danger, Ikem muttered, 'Too high, huh?'

A green construct chain wrapped around his leg, connecting to a heavy ball construct. It yanked him back to the ground, narrowly evading the bird's grasp. The claw grazed Ikem, leaving a scratch on his shoulder. Falling, he smiled.

The bird screeched in frustration as the chain construct dispersed, denying it a grip. In that moment after dodging the claw, Ikem directed mana toward the root in his hand. The stretched root lashed out, entwining around the bird's claw."

The bird sensed a disturbance at its claw and glanced down to find Ikem hanging from it. Meeting Ikem's smirk, the bird's anger intensified. Golden light enveloped it as its wings sliced through the air going up fast into the vast sky, creating a fierce wind that threatened Ikem's hold on the root.

Thinking on his feet, Ikem halted the flow of mana to the root, causing it to shrink rapidly. The retraction brought him closer to the bird's claw, which he clung to desperately and at the same time creating an armor around himself to shield against the buffeting wind.

They flew for a while until Ikem unexpectedly released the bird's claw, finding himself upside down. Surprised by his own actions, Ikem reacted too slowly to the bird's decision to descend. The plummet toward the ground forced him to release the claw. In free fall, Ikem remained calm as he saw an opportunity and sent mana to the root, which once again wrapped around the bird's claw. Ikem flew with the bird fast towards the ground.

With the ground looming, Ikem muttered to himself, "Hope I have enough mana for this" This time, instead of retracting toward the bird, the root shot back toward Ikem. He floated for a split second. In that moment, he directed half of his remaining mana to the hand holding the root. Swiftly swinging it towards the bird's wing, the root stretched as it grew in size, wrapped around the massive wing, and began to contract.

The bird, sensing Ikem's strategy, redirected most of the golden light covering it toward the injured wing to counter the contraction. Observing this, Ikem smirked and spoke aloud, "Was waiting for you to do that".

Immediately after, he channeled more mana toward the root. This time, it didn't grow bigger or longer; instead, it branched out, reaching for the other wing and wrapping around it. The bird shrieked in panic, sending golden light to defend the second wing. Ikem noticed a slight dimming of the golden light on the first wing which was something he was waiting for.

Clenching the root, Ikem mentally commanded it to contract, breaking through the weakened golden light and audibly crunching through the bone in the wing. The pain caused the golden light on the other wing to dim as well, prompting Ikem to pump the last of his mana into the root, dropping his demigod form.

The root on the second wing grew larger and reinforced its grip, easily breaking the bird's wing. Another shriek of pain echoed, and Ikem stopped supplying mana to the root, allowing it to retract. Seizing the opportunity, Ikem fell onto the bird.

Exhausted, he lay on the falling bird's back. With almost no mana left, he wanted to create a shield for the impending impact, but seeing his depleted state, Ikem chuckled while looking up to the sky. 'I did it, hahahaha"

"The bird struggled in vain as it plummeted to the ground, its once-majestic wings now broken. With a gleam in its eye, it summoned the last of its strength, focusing the golden light under its belly in a final effort.

The two treants, silent witnesses to the fierce battle, held their breath as the colossal bird crashed onto the ground. A deafening sound echoed, reminiscent of a huge brittle stone shattering upon impact.

Moving quickly, the two treants rushed toward the fallen creature. A gruesome sight awaited them - the bird had somehow survived the fall, its head weakly moving. A flood of blood mixed with organs flowed from under its belly, a morbid testament to the severity of its injuries.

The bird's colossal form made it impossible for the short treants to glimpse its back, but they knew their young master lay there. Jumping onto the bird's back, the water treant walked cautiously until he spotted Ikem, arms spread apart.

Sensing someone's gaze, Ikem turned and offered a blood-stained smile. Rushing to Ikem's side, the water treant conjured a substantial water bed beneath him, lifting him up. Ikem, attempting to speak, could only cough out blood.

With a serious expression, the water treant said, "Stop trying to talk. I'll hear you out once you've healed".

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