Magical Girl City: Empire of Ice

The roiling cloud licked and hissed against the golem’s body. Wherever it passed, marred bone became pristine. Even the lost limb, knitted back together. New bone taking up what was lost from the very ground below.

The golem was still forming, still coming together as I watched as I pieced together what I was seeing.

Quickly, it all came into focus like a radio searching for a station. The skeletal mage on the platform, it was healing the golem. The necrotic energies were licking at its form, filling, replacing lost mass, and at the same time, empowering it. This whole time, we’d been fighting the golem working off its own energy. Now… Now the mage was getting involved.

I had no idea where to begin, processing that. The golem was clearly a bronze, as for its rank? Low, middle, high? I wasn’t sure. But… It might be Mid-Bronze. The greater issue, was Éclair’s lesson that still rang in my ears.

The golem was abnormally resistant to damage. Resistant to magic as well. Perhaps that was due to how it was, but there was more to it, and inevitably, I began to pull on my own knowledge…

For a golem to function on its own, it must have a silver rank core at best. Even then, it would act as a battery. Needing to be juiced beforehand and only having a limited run time. Sure, as a silver rank core it could passively restore itself, but it was nowhere enough to keep the golem active. The issue was, we weren’t just fighting the golem…

Alone, we could probably wait out the golem… With the mage in the picture? Well, it brought up additional variables. Such as, how much energy did the golem have? How much did the mage have? Not only that, but was the golem fully autonomous, or was it being commanded by a control rod? After all, if there was a control rod, the mage could easily recharge the golem as it fights. Just adding to the worries.

How do I even begin to figure that out? Surely, the mage would run dry eventually. Especially as it keeps raising more skeletons from the surroundings. Literally pulling them out of the ground bone beneath our feet. That had to be draining, but that fancy staff they had, and that big gem, how much energy could that hold? Could we win a battle of endurance? Especially if they end up having to supply energy to the golem?

As for whether or not the material for the skeletons would run out, well, when it came to assessing how much ground bone there really was. Especially when there were small vents located at each of the arena, slowly but surely replacing what was lost. Those factors meant, it was highly unlikely it would run dry anytime soon.

We had two choices. Wear them out through attrition. Or… overpower them. As it was, with my own energy bleeding out like a dam with far too many holes, and with Talia already tired from our jaunt down… Then there was Luna who was still injured with a shattered arm, effectively taking them out of the fight. Fathom was in bad shape as well. The constant healing and breaking would make him stronger in the long run, but here and now? The constant cycles of damage and healing was just making him brittle. Estrella was good, but for how much longer?

And what of Shi? I could already feel the beginning pangs of hunger from her end. My magic was currently bolstering her as well, but all it did was make her hungrier faster.

What of my options?

Really, there was only one. The skeleton mage. I needed to take him out, stop the healing, and perhaps, only then could we take down the golem, but it would be a near thing. The skeleton mage was on a small platform, like an emperor watching over the games at the colosseum back in the roman days.

A contingent of skeletons was watching over them. None of them were bronze ranked, yet they were of a higher quality than the chaff down here. Wearing proper bone armor and equipped with spears and a towering shield made of bone as well.

So… the question is, how do I go about this?

Ice crackled as the world came to a slow stop. I had what felt like an eternity to process the information before and put together a plan.

First, I had to clear out the chaff.

The world lurched into a start. My body began to move, my hand slipped into a pouch on my belt. One of many, but this one seemed to have no purpose, at least, not until I put my hand in.

The pouch was larger on the inside, not by much, but I could feel the contents of my bag I had brought with me down into the depths. The very bag I hadn’t taken off when I transformed. My hand quested for its target and clasped on it as my feet kicked off the ground.

Rapidly, as the world thawed, the golem began to shudder and move. Their form, more or less healed. At least enough to give chase. I felt the whole arena shift, the attention of everyone fell on me as the skeleton mage directed all towards me.

It was exhilarating, especially as I began to pull magic from the item in my hands. The Soul Stone I had made, the moment I began to draw magic, the magic contained inside, jolted up through me. Charging up my flagging reserves.

And with a single breath, I forced it out. All around me, all over the arena, rime flickered in the air. Refracting the light, sparkling. In a single moment, my magic took a precipitous drop, the rime shivered and moved. For an instant, countless whirring blades came into being, sweeping through the mass of skeletons crowding in around us, and in a single moment, they were all cleared. What was left of the rime settled onto the ground, impeding the mage’s efforts to raise more chaff.

The orb, now completely drained was relinquished, put back into my bag as I readied myself. The golem, pounced forward, no longer simply lumbering about, but lurching and searching, its eyes focused solely on me. Its claws dug into the sand made of bone, spraying it everywhere as it came surging for me.

Blades formed under my boots, granting me a boost of speed. Silver blades cut through the dunes and ridges with ease, but the constant bumps kept me from being able to go all out. With a twist and swerve, I just barely manage to dodge the golem’s lunge. It crashed into the semi-frozen ground where I had been.

Sand made of bone scattered about. The sound of ice crackling followed right after as I turned. In a sweeping movement, I loaded my rifle up and pointed at the stand where the mage was.

Second step, clear out the viewing platform.

In a single breath, I emptied the rifle, multiple high-pitched cries let themselves be known. Once again, I felt the air stir. The skeletons guarding the mage arranged themselves forward, the mage threw themselves behind their throne.

In another moment, the bullets hit, one after the other. Decimating most of the skeletons, obscuring the platform in hazy rime. The golem, twisted and turned, then came barreling towards me like a feral beast. Its eyes continued to burn and glow, flickering flames set into the sockets of its skull bore into me.

I shifted, moved between sweeping strikes as it attacked. Only after a quick about face did I throw it off, sending it hurtling into the arena wall as I burst forward.

“SHI!” I shouted, though, I didn’t really need to as my intent blared through our connection. A single spear of ice shot out before, angled just right. A blade cut right into the spear, catching fast. The spear, acting as a rail, allowed me to push off and accelerate, launching myself up and forward at an angle, at just the right angle to shoot me up and above the platform where the mage lay.

I hit the platform hard, my blades scattering away as my feet pounded on stone. The air was chilled, frost gathering on my form as I burst into the cloud. A step, two, before I came upon the mages throne.

A skeleton, two, came surging from the sides. Their forms replete with ice. A single swipe of my bayonet carved right through one, a bash with the buff og my rifle scattered the other into chunks of ice, brittle as they were. I shifted to face another figure, the mage stepping out from behind their throne. The flickering flames it had for eyes seemed to glower with malice and hate.

I made to go forward, but they extended their cane out.

One moment I was throwing myself forward, the next an invisible force crashed into me. The rime scattered, and I was sent flying back into the arena. Sand made of bone scattered on impact, absorbing the blow, but only just.

I took a moment, or tried, to get my breath back as it was kicked out of my lungs by the force of that unexpected blow. While I forced myself up, the golem once again made itself known. I barely dodged a thrust of its claws, long, sharp, more like spears than claws by throwing myself aside at the last moment.

It followed, feet stomping, claws swiping as I scrabbled in the partially frozen sand made of bone. Every sweep of its claws like a tractor clawing at the earth, pulling away frozen chunks of sand and throwing it here and there.

In the process, the now unfrozen sand began to whirl and shift, forming into yet more skeletons.

Talia came in with a shout, her axe reared back as she swung with all she had against the golem’s ankle. The strike was hollow. Barely denting the focused entity. It barely even spared her a glance as it contemptuously swiped at her with the back of its hand.

Still, it bought me an instant, enough to scramble up. Enough that when it came lunging forward with another spearing strike, I was able to do something other than scrabble like a rat being hunted by a cat.

I leapt, just before the blow met, silver blades formed at the bottom of my feet, cutting, and breaking upon contact with the golem’s arm. My feet latched onto its form, and I ran forward and up. It swung wide as if to throw me off, forcing me to leap from the arm I was on to the other.

I hit the other arm with a crack that ran up my legs to my spine, the impact to my knees, was far more severe. I had just barely landed before the arm I was on jerked, seeking to throw me off, but the cold in my veins, the ice that was my blood let me push through and march forward. That, and the frost on my boots stuck fast and true. Keeping me from slipping.

With another bound, I managed to land a foot on its armor, more specifically, the armor making up its chest plate, a protruding rib-like piece. A claw came sweeping in, scraping against its form as I leapt over to the other side, gaining height in the process. Another swipe came in, and I leapt over, nearly cresting over the shoulder in the process.

With a final heave, I planted my foot on its shoulder and lunged forward, rifle in both hands, bayonet pushed forward, my aim, right for one of its eye sockets. The golem shifted at the last moment, the full force of my charge had the tip of my bayonet crack into the golem’s brow.

I expected a rebound, but…

My blade gave a shrill cry, the silver bayonet’s tip shattered into pieces. The lack of rebound nearly had me crashing into the golem’s face, but the golem went slack. It hurtled to the ground, throwing me off in the process. It hit the ground and scrambled about, claws sweeping and searching as I hit the ground. Multiple somethings cracked and crackled. Bones and muscles protested the abuse.

I gasped but fought through the jolt of agony that broke through the ice, and righted myself, just as the golem began to crawl towards me. It hadn’t bothered to stand. It merely pulled itself forward, front claws and legs scratching into the ground. Kicking up sand and sweeping through skeletons in the process without care.

I bolted into a run, as the bayonet slowly scattered into flickering lights. Mentally I called for the blades at the bottom of my boots, but… they refused the call. They’d shattered when I impacted the golem a moment earlier, broke, not because I recalled them, but because they had met something they could not cut.

And apparently, when the blades break, it took time for them to be recalled…

Left with only running as an option, well, I did what I could. I ran with everything I had. The golem was just behind, claws bashing into the ground, its entire bulk being used to hem me in. As it moved like a dog, or deranged cat.

I reached into one of my pouches, the world slowing as I tried to understand my position, what my best option was. Talia and Shi were hovering about at the edge of the field, looking for a chance to assist while the golem focused solely on me. My two knights were doing their best to harry the golem but ultimately failing to accomplish much of worth.

As for Fathom? He was still in the stands, injured and slowly healing.

More or less, I was on my own.

Another strike came far too close for comfort. If anything, it became clear, the golem wasn’t actually trying to kill me. No, it was like a cat playing with a mouse. Every strike, slowly came in closer, every blow, calculated to tire and wear me out. Above, on the viewing platform, I could see the surviving skeletons standing around the vindictive skeleton mage looking down at me.

Clearly, they were enjoying this. Letting it draw out, waiting for me to feel despair.

My response? Fitting.

I retrieved bullets and fed them in, one at a time. The moment I had an opening, I fired a volley in the skeleton mage’s direction. Their guards immediately placed themselves before the shots, but the shrill bullet dug right into their shields and punctured through. One, very nearly striking the mage in the forehead.

As my reward, the golem hit me in the side. My uniform resisted most of the damage, dispersing what should have been a lethal blow throughout my body. Still, not all of it was dispersed, much of it settled on my ribs, each cracked and broke to pieces like fine crystal. The force of the blow sent me flying, but I managed to catch my feet under me and load my rifle again.

Another volley was fired, this time, they sang high and low but were met in midair by a burst of displaced air. A kind of kinetic type magic, the same kind that had sent me hurtling before. Just before I could continue, another cloud of ghoulish energy sailed out, not only encompassing the viewing platform, but surged out into the arena.

The ground itself hissed and sparked on contact. Melting the frozen sand and immediately soaking into it as empowered skeletons dripping and sizzling with necrotic energy rapidly formed into being.

I returned with a burst of my own magic, sending a sweeping blade to sweep through them, just as the golem came forward, both arms raised as if to crush me.

At the final moment, a spear jutted out of the ground from beside me. My hand clasped on the rapidly rising spear tip, my hand sticking fast and let it carry me out of harm’s way, throwing me to safety.

I looked over to Talia, our eyes met as I soared through the air, my hands moved, and hopefully, my intent was conveyed. She nodded in response and prepared while I hit the ground. I had barely a moment to orient myself before the golem was back on me.

It came surging forward, followed by noxious skeletons belching out clouds of necrotic energy that stained the sand. I move through a series of strikes and sweeps. Doing my best not to get too close to the encroaching skeletons

As that happened, Shi began to transform. Once more, blades formed at the soles of my boots, granting me the mobility to once again dodge and avoid the energized golem, and the rapidly gaining skeletons. Allowing me to bring them along on a merry chase.

I could do little with it focusing on me, but keeping its focus was the aim. Avoiding its strikes took all I had, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to retaliate. New bullets were loaded into my rifle and prepped. Waiting for the right moment. Dodging and weaving through blows, doing my best to keep my speed up as I kept hitting bumps and hitches.

Finally, after running the golem around the arena, the opportunity came.

With a spin, I levelled my rifle and loosed. A volley of harmonic hymns made themselves known. A disjointed crystalline song. Some bullets hit the golem, to minimal effect. Others shot into the crowd of skeletons. The moment they hit, the hymn grew ever louder, a voice lost, and the bullet ricocheted, cracking into another.

There was a buzz in the air, a growing keening wail as the bullets bounced around the arena, but not all survived. Some melted away in the noxious cloud. Some, were slightly off, and cracked into walls or uselessly and bounced about, but one bullet made the mark. Haphazardly, or so it seemed, it hit the walls at just the right angle and sang towards the viewing platform. The bullet cracked into the throne and the wall behind, punching out chunks of stone before bouncing once more. Not only blowing away the mage’s cover, but on the rebound nearly clipped the mage as it soared high and cracked into the chandelier hanging above. The hit chandelier swayed ominously, light flickered and a cascade of crystals fell to the ground crushing skeletons and pelting the golem.

That singular bullet had cleared away the last of their bodyguards, and shattered their last bit of cover…

Granting Talia a chance.

Opposite of me, the golem, and everyone in-between, Talia made a run for the viewing platform. Her eyes met mine, then her voice cracked out. “SHI!”

She leapt with all she had, and… in the midst of her arc, a single spear jutted out right in her path. At the perfect height for her feet to pound down, shattering the spear, but pushing her ascent higher.

More spears burst out of the wall, as Shi, now in uniform, focused. The spears quickly formed a staircase of sorts, allowing Talia to burst onto the viewing platform. Just as Talia touched down, That ghastly fog pouring out from the platform exploded out, growing thicker and completely obscuring the area.

Whether Talia would succeed or not, was left up in the air. Leaving me with no other choice, but to focus on what lay before me.

Talia’s actions had the golem falter, its head turned towards the viewing platform, granting me a chance to reload my rifle and open fire at the golem’s face. A volley of explosive rounds did little to dissuade the thing, but it did draw its attention back to me. Long enough for something else to happen…

A shout came from the viewing platform, dispersing the ghastly green cloud, revealing Talia. Her uniform was in tatters, doing all it could to preserve her dignity. She looked tired, her skin angry and raw. She was panting, exhausted, but a broken skeleton at her feet, a cane in its hand was answer aplenty.

Talia had done it.

Now, we just needed to deal with the golem, which, if I was guessing right, the cane must have been a control rod of some sorts. Now, the golem should easily go down with some work. We could, relax…

Except, the very moment I thought that, a shiver went down my spine. The golem’s body went rigid, its eyes focused solely on me. Inside, the flames making up its eyes flickered, then exploded out. Its entire form shivered, its bulky frame began to slim, the extra material sloughing off, its claws extended out into reaping scythes.

Where before a knight of sort had been, was now a ghastly horror with lanky limbs. Its armor and bulky body were shorn away, leaving only a ribcage and exposing most of its spine. At the center of it, I could feel it, its core humming, thumping, pulsing as it flooded itself with power.

In those moments of build up, I did all I could to prepare for what was to come… It wasn’t nearly enough. A piercing wail ripped out of the golem’s being as it reared back and surged forward with incomparable speed.

It came on too fast. I tried to move, but it was a blur in my vision. A sudden spear burst out of the ground, right at my feet, hurtling me aside at the last instant. Claws screamed past, barely passing by me, as they left their marks in the earth, carving through sand and stone below with ease.

It did not relent. Like a wild beast, the golem slashed and carved. It lunged at me, claws for feet dug into the earth and launched itself right at me before I could even land.

Just as they were about to hit, another spear burst out of the ground, giving me a chance to latch onto it and pull myself away. The golem went high, cracking into the stands above, ripping and tearing through row after row of stone seating before shifting its gaze right back on me.

And all I could do… was run.