The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but here, both of them were incomprehensible and nondiplomatic, competing against each other to get the chance to flatten me. Eaten or squashed. If one of them won against the other, chances were I'd be next.
Escaping was always lurking in the shadows of my thoughts, but I was done running. I am Kiko, gamer since birth. I've conquered thousands of games at impossible difficulties just for the fun of it. Almost a pro-gamer; a little bit more, and I could've been the new underdog making waves online under the name Ebrius. I can do this!
I sneaked as I drew closer. I saw that the golem had sustained a constellation of cracks across its stony body, particularly where the immense weight of the Boapede exerted itself, its long, muscular form pinning the golem down. Yet, the golem was still able to keep the Boapede at bay, its single working arm a constant, powerful threat. The Boapede, keenly exploiting its advantage against the one-armed enemy, was clearly just wearing its opponent down, trying to shatter the golem with its immense weight and relentless attacking. It had now managed to coil and restrain the two lower limbs of the stone giant, about ten meters in front of the massive tree.
I executed my plan. I crept behind the Boapede, moving silently to its left flank, and when I was close enough, I dashed forward, my knife a blur. I slashed at its multitude of feet-hands, cutting many clean off and wounding more. The Boapede shrieked, a raw, guttural hiss of pain, and instantly pointed its massive head in my direction. In that crucial moment of confusion and agony, its head was caught squarely by the golem's backhand. Wham! Its head snapped upwards as if violently ejected from its body, and it stumbled, crashing face-first onto the debris-strewn ground with a thunderous thud, nearly crushing me as it went down.
The giant golem, freed, lumbered upright, using its mechanical arm as a crutch as its legs shook, pebbles raining down from the newly formed cracks in its body. And guess what it did once it stood upright? You're right! It growled. You are getting the hang of this!
The golem began to raise its right foot, a slow, deliberate motion pregnant with destructive intent.
My Heightened Awareness pinged: Stomp attack: Definition: it is what it reads. Location of attack: shown in red circle
The red circle flared around the Boapede's head, widening fast. "Hey, big boy, catch!" I shouted and hurled a rock the size of a brick, which bounced harmlessly off the golem's chest like a pebble hitting a fortress wall. The colossal statue momentarily looked in my direction, a fraction of a second's distraction. In that same instant, the Boapede found its bearings and immediately wrapped its body, glistening and desperate, around the golem's lower extremities, constricting.
The golem's hand cranked and hissed like a steam engine, its metallic joints grinding. It twitched, transformed into a cannon, then began to gather shimmering light particles like a swarm of angry fireflies, readying its devastating shot while the Boapede desperately tightened its hold around the golem's body.
My Heightened Awareness pinged: Cannon attack: Definition: produces 3 particle orbs then explodes upon contact. Status: charging, be ready in 3-4 seconds. Warning: highly explosive.
"Hey," I thought, "am I imagining things? Did the golem anticipate the giant slug's attack and will counterattack by blasting it after charging? It's smarter than I thought."
If the Boapede got clipped, my survival would be back to the way it was—low.
I ran towards the two, the scroll clutched in my hand. It said "pull the pin." Was it pertaining to this leather strip tied in a knot around the scroll? Here goes nothing, I thought, my heart hammering a frantic beat. I pulled the leather, and then the scroll sprang to life, floating defiantly in the air, wreathed in fire but astonishingly, not burning the parchment. Mystical diagrams encircling it began to glow, slowly turning back and forth. What did it say next? "Grab it"—I reached out and grabbed the scroll, but my hand went through its ethereal form. Instead, I was now holding a pulsating ball of fire, trying desperately to escape my grasp. "Whoa, this. Is. So. Cool!" My menacing grin spread wider across my face, and I began to laugh like a maniac. Excitement, pure and unadulterated, built in my chest. "I am holding a fireball! Wow!"
My excitement was cut short when my Heightened Awareness pinged: Cannon: fully charged
The Boapede spun around the golem one more time, a desperate blur of motion, and raised its head high, positioning itself to the right of the golem. It constricted, compressing the golem's feet together with immense force. The golem growled, a deep, grinding sound, like saying "eat this" to the surging Boapede, raising its cannon directly to the Boapede's head.
I wasted no time. I jumped on a huge boulder, the worn rock providing a launchpad. I leaped as high as I could, surprised by the sheer elevation; I jumped around three to five meters high, soaring through the air, closing in on the two giants. I pointed the raw, pulsating fireball directly at the cannon's direction. I released the fireball, which flew angrily towards the cannon's light, and then a huge white flash swallowed everything, blinding me out cold.