16 Trample

Fortinbrass, Apostle of Shimerac - “I need no eyes, for I see no evil.”

I pressed my heels into the ground, launching myself forward. The polished, gray brick broke as I crushed through the stone and wood flooring. The golem’s eyes met mine. Rage roared in my blood. All the despair of my fight against Petra, it flared in my fists.

The swarming frenzy of hate exploded as the golem said, “What are talki-“ He never finished his words. As I reached the golem, I tore Favre from the golem’s grasp with a quick flick of my hand. Favre’s clothes tore, letting him fly backwards before I unleashed my fury.

I stomped the ground beneath me as all the force of my charge siphoned up my feet and into my fist. My tendons and bones screamed as force passed through them, but I pushed through the pain. I swallowed the suffering.

My arm passed over my head, arcing towards the golem. Hard and heavy as a hailstorm, my fist collided with the golem’s shoulder at an angle. My hand’s skin split, yet my force sliced through the stone as well. A thundering boom unleashed through the chamber as the enormous stone block of the golem’s chest cracked.

The windows around us snapped as the preaching room quaked. Those nearby fell at the force of the impact. Everyone covered their ears in torment. The light of the golem waned in an instant before I jerked my right arm from it while torquing my left fist into its side.

Another detonation of sound blasted through the room as enormous chunks of stone fell from the dead golem. It fell apart, rendered by my fist. The red light of its eyes disappeared before another golem walked upward while saying, “Are you mad-“

I built momentum, slinging my right foot in arc across the ground and towards the golem. In a heavy spiral, my right arm dragged behind my body as I continued turning. With a colossal smash, the back of my fist impacted the side of the approaching golem’s shoulder.

Stone melted as my strike crumbled the golem’s arm and chest. A web of cracks popped onto the boulder before the rock collapsed into two slabs. I stumbled away from the golem, nearly falling backwards from my own blow. The red glow of the runes ended before one of the golem’s screamed, “You demon. You betrayed us.”

The entire crowd had covered their ears, deaf and terrified. I said, “You killed my teacher. I heard her screams. No one will hear yours.”

He dashed towards me, roaring with a wide right hook aimed at my head. I ducked towards the blow, slipping past it as I threw my own overhand right. The counter landed, my feet grounded. The shattering of stone echoed through the air before I whipped a left hook into the golem’s crumbling face.

The quick, measured blow cleaved part way through his head stone. In desperation, the golem grabbed at me. Using small, skimming steps, I slid backwards, his arms closing on air. Bolting back towards him, the golem guarded his head with his arms.

I planted my left heel and lifted my right leg. My right foot blurred in the air as I slammed my heel down. I crushed through his arms then his face, launching chips of rock outward in a plume of dust. Streaks of reddish powder lined each of the larger bits.

The room quieted. I suppressed a wail of pain at my foot. While each blow devastated my enemy, the bones of my fist and foot broke as well. Deluge regenerated them before any onlooker noticed, but the excruciating stabs of misery stab me nonetheless.

Yet I crush the howling of my body. I surmount the suffering of my mind. I engulf the anguish. Regardless of my undertaking, I endure. Regardless of my crucible, I conquer.

Flooding my mind with resolve, five golems charged at me like children. These scientists had no form. Their anger ruined their defense, leaving them vulnerable. As the first reached me, he jutted out a fist. I stepped back, hitting his arm with a sharp hook. Cracks formed in his arm at the slicing impact.

He kicked towards me, but I leaned back, dodging the blow barely. I uppercut his heel, cracking his foot with force. He and I recoiled at the collision. The golem stumbled backwards, landing on his back with a colossal thump. As he fell, two other golems reached me. They each charged at an angle.

I sidestepped them like a pair of bulls while slamming a kick into one of their shins. The bone in my shin held, but the stone didn’t. The rightmost golem’s foot snapped off his leg, smashing into another golems set of rubies. I stepped further right, but two terrified yelps stop my retreat.

Behind me, a mother and son wept. Dirt lined their tear stricken faces, and they held each other with an iron grip. I couldn’t retreat any further. A hero who let’s a mother and son die for his safety makes for a poor story.

Two golems charged at me, their steps like a coming flood. I frowned as a bead of cold sweat fell from my forehead. If I didn’t stop them in time, I’d lose all the time and effort I spent into this fake persona. I wouldn’t allow it. I couldn’t allow it. The golems looked larger as they closed in on me, but right before they smashed into me, I saw my saving grace.

The foot of the golem had destroyed the golem. At that instant, I understood the golem’s weakness, their gems. If I could crush what held the soul, then the body would fall over. I had a chance.

I leapt towards the golems. As my feet landed, I pressed my feet into the stone floor. The surrounding stones flew a foot upwards as I leaned down and grabbed them. I bolted forward with my arms spread wide, smashing each stone into the gem eyes of each golem. I slid backwards as my hands landed, like my fists carried explosions in them. The golems gems fell forward, limp and lifeless.

My plan worked. The gems scattered on the ground as my gaze met the last two golems. One crawled on the ground, crippled. The other glanced at me in disbelief. He shouted, “Why are doing this? We tried to help you. We wanted redemption.”

I frowned as I said, “Somethings cannot be forgotten or forgiven.”

They flailed in desperation as I reached them. It mattered little. I pound and pummel. I rip and rend. I crush and crumble. I break and bend. Like a lumbering behemoth, my attacks overwhelm each of the golems and after the explosive sight, I lay bloody and beaten over the chest of a golem with their central gem pulled out.

The church members leaned down with their heads covered. Not a sound could be heard as dust settled around me.‘Heaving for breath, I glanced over towards Favre. He lifted his head like a turtle looking out of its shell. As his eyes met mine, he waked from his trance. He ran over towards me before placing a hand on my back and saying, “Are you alright?”

I nodded before saying, “Just out of breath. This is the second longest fight of my life. To be honest, I rather enjoyed it.”

He backed away as he saw my grin, but I stood and walked towards him. I placed a hand on his shoulder as I said, “Remember our deal.”

I lowered my hand before turning towards the terrified crowd. I said, “I have stopped the Darkened One’s assault. Are you all unhurt?”

A few scrapes and bruises scattered across the congregation, but no one was seriously harmed. I lunged towards the mother and son behind me and said, “Are you alright, little one.”

He looked up, half afraid and half in wonder. He hugged his mother tight, fearful of me. He had good instincts. I glanced at his mother as she said, “We’re alright. Just a few scrapes and bruises.”

I grinned as I said, “Good. Let me know if there’s anymore trouble. I’m off towards the inn. I’m going to bed after that one.”

As I walked off, Favre said, “We won’t forget this. I promise you.”

The crowd murmured towards each other before someone stuck up a fist as he said, “Hail saint Jericho.”

He and Favre repeated the chant before the group joined in on the chant. Before a minute had passed, they roared their mantra as an enormous crowd gathered around the church and echoed their anthem. The maelstrom of sound repeated until I raised both my arms to the approval of the frenzied horde.

Their roaring died down over time, and after twenty minutes, I worked my way into the inn. Deluge and I swapped places. I deserved a nap after what I’d done. Deluge didn’t idle, however.

Our plan was far from finished.