Path of Dragons-Chapter 64Book 9: : The Tidal Titan

Even as Elijah stood only half a mile away, he couldn’t deny the creature’s power. It was no mere water giant. Instead, it was something else. Something primordial. Like a predecessor from a long-lost age where things were bigger, stronger, and more vicious.

It was a titan.

The word just popped into Elijah’s head, likely a remnant from the notification he’d read upon arrival into the Primal Realm. And while he wasn’t certain if it was a valid label, it certainly seemed to fit. After all, back in Stillstone, he’d been led to believe that the titans were the giants’ predecessors. The creature in the distance fit that image.

Not only was it larger and more muscular than a typical water giant, but everything about its stature screamed athletic power. It didn’t possess the kind of cosmetic muscular that had been popularized by image-obsessed gym bros, though. Rather, its figure embodied the sort of functional and indomitable strength characterized by a power lifter. Sure, there was fat there, and plenty of it. But beneath that blubber was bulging muscle that could move mountains.

Otherwise, it looked strikingly similar to the other water giants Elijah had seen. Blue skin, seaweed-like hair, and fins protruding from its calves and forearms were the most recognizable characteristics, but Elijah also saw starfish clinging to its naked torso and hints of barnacles clinging to its back.

Its only weapon was a silvery trident with aggressive tines at least as long as Elijah was tall. Its clothing was minimal, with only a ragged clump of kelp to poorly conceal the creature’s groin.

More distressing than its size or power was the dense ethera surrounding it. Even from so far away, Elijah could feel it, and he couldn’t help but be reminded of the Sea of Sorrows. It wasn’t quite that thick, and he didn’t think he could swim through it. However, he did suspect that if he shifted into the Shape of the Sea, Ocean Native would kick in.

Of course, without the ability to swim, that wouldn’t do much good, so he resolved to only use that form as a last resort. In any case, he didn’t think it was smart to try to fight water against water when his opponent was clearly a master of the element.

After weeks of fighting together, Elijah and the pack were very much in tune with one another. So, once everyone had confirmed that they were ready – the dogs with self-serious nods – the group fanned out as they approached the titan.

Soon enough, they crossed a threshold, beyond which the water-attuned ethera grew even thicker. More importantly, the ever-present and invisible manta rays refused to follow. Elijah wasn’t certain why that would be, but he was thankful for it.

“It’s called a tidal titan,” Oscar said, his voice hoarse from disuse. “That’s what Freddy told me.”

“Her identification skill is accurate enough for that?”

“I needed to interpret it, but yes.”

“Anything else I should know?”

“It’s strong. Very, very strong.”

“Yeah – I got that,” Elijah whispered. Even without the threat of being ripped to pieces by the manta rays, no one wanted to raise their voices. It was probably for the best. The last thing they wanted was to alert the tidal titan before everyone was ready.

As it turned out, that was a false hope. When they drew closer, the creature turned its head and stared straight at them. A moment later, it rose from its seated position and to its full height. The atmosphere shifted with the movement, casting waves from the titan’s position. They didn’t crash into Elijah and the pack, but rather, washed over them.

Elijah reached up to feel the skin on his face, expecting to find it dripping with water. However, it was completely dry. It felt so incongruous to the sensation of water swirling around him that he experienced a moment of extreme psychological dissonance that he was forced to shove into its own facet of his mind.

Nearby, one of the dogs shook as if he’d just climbed out of the bath. Oscar remained stoic, fingering his hatchets as he stared at the tidal titan in the distance. Then, he activated an ability that settled the dogs.

For only a moment, Elijah wished he’d had something similar.

“What’s the plan?” he asked. “Any ideas?”

“Freddy says that the braziers are the key,” he answered, nodding to a half-dozen features he hadn’t really noticed. The setting was one that reminded him of submerged ruins, with the remnants of structures having given way to the erosive effect of the ocean. Their sides had grown smooth, eliminating any identifying style. However, what remained was impressive enough – at least in scale. The fallen buildings suggested a long-lost and impressively advanced civilization.

However, the braziers Oscar had referenced were not affected by erosion. Instead, they looked almost brand new. Made of stone that had been expertly carved with a flowing pattern that brought to mind the ocean’s waves, each one featured flames made of water. Even from a distance, Elijah could tell they emitted no heat, but he couldn’t escape the similarities to a flickering flame.

“Any ideas what they do?” Elijah asked, tightly gripping the haft of his scythe.

“No.”

For his part, Elijah had some ideas. Either they were meant as a weapon, or they were intended to enforce some sort of domain. He would know more once the group stepped within the boundary forming a circle around the tidal titan.

The way forward was strewn with more ruins and boulders, most of which were covered in moss or algae. The sky roiled overhead, portending a storm.

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Elijah set his shoulders and strode forward. Jackson and Sophie sped up to flank him, while Oscar and the other dogs stayed a few steps behind. Freddy and Digby fanned out, ready to attack from the sides. For all that the dogs were animals, they combined with Elijah and Oscar to make a formidable and powerful group.

Perhaps the strongest in the world.

Each individual had proven themselves a hundred times over, and Elijah wouldn’t have wanted anyone else by his side. Except maybe Ron and Sadie, though even they lacked the sense of teamwork that came with the pack. Elijah had slotted right in, and without issue. It was almost like he belonged.

Was that simply their attunements resonating? Or was it something more? Elijah had often slipped away from his humanity and embraced his animalistic instincts. Once, he’d nearly lost himself to the Call. So, the idea that he would feel at peace with the pack wasn’t unexpected.

In any case, Elijah didn’t have time to ponder his situation. He could only accept it, at least for now.

Maybe he’d have the opportunity to delve more deeply sometime in the future – perhaps when they weren’t facing one of the most powerful creatures he’d ever seen.

“Little challengers,” the tidal titan rumbled when they finally passed the line of aqua-braziers. “You have the mark of fire. It will not help you here. The ocean will reclaim all, and my people will reign over the ruins of your lost civilizations. Come. You will be but the latest sacrifices to the inevitable might of the sea.”

Even as his words echoed across the plateau, six geysers erupted from the braziers, shooting water high into the sky. At the same time, the sky broke open, releasing a deluge of rain. It swirled about as the tidal titan rose to its full height. It thrust the trident toward the sky, and the rusted metal burst into blue light.

Elijah was already moving.

So were the two canine defenders. Jackson and Sophie hit first, ramming into the tidal titan at the same time. The creature staggered backward a half step before Freddy came from the side, nipping at its ankles. Elijah and Digby came in only a half second later. Digby burst from stealth as he leaped upon the titan’s back and ripped into the nape of its neck. Meanwhile, Elijah soared through the air, his scythe lashing out to drag an enormous gash in the creature’s belly.

Slimy entrails burst free, then plopped onto the ground.

Elijah hit the terrain a second later before rolling to his feet. It was just in time to see a pair of ethereal shackles manifest around the titan’s arms and legs. That was one of Maymay’s new spells, and it had already proved itself a powerful one. The titan roared, trying to break free, but the shackles were indomitable.

Their restrictive properties – which extended to ethera as well as physical movement – kept the titan at bay while the dogs continued to rip into it. Elijah added to the damage, hitting it with his entire suite of spells. The only thing he didn’t do was switch forms. With the power of the monstrous foe, he knew he’d need to heal.

He wanted to be ready for that eventuality.

It only took a second for everything to change.

The braziers exploded with power, and the resultant geysers shifted into a horizontal orientation. The water slammed into the tidal titan, but it didn’t stagger. Instead, it was empowered as dense flows of ethera coursed through its massive body. It let out a roar and broke Maymay’s shackles. Even as it lashed out with its trident, Jackson and Sophie leaped into action.

But they weren’t ready for the power of the water blade that sliced through their shields and sent sprays of blood arcing into the air. The dogs themselves tumbled backward, not stopping for a dozen yards.

Elijah was right there to heal them, furiously casting one spell after another to get them back onto their feet. Fortunately, their wounds weren’t grievous – the shields had protected them – but the damage was still troubling.

As Elijah healed the canine defenders, the other dogs worked to counter the empowered tidal titan. Ray and Maymay threw out a deluge of spells, each one intended to weaken the monster, but their efforts were poor in comparison to the cascade of strengthening water-attuned ethera that came from the braziers.

Freddy and Digby continued to harry the creature, but after the opening salvo, their attacks were far less effective.

In the meantime, the titan healed.

The gash Elijah had opened in its belly had already sealed, and there was no sign of its fallen intestines. Of the other, far less grievous wounds, there was no evidence.

Something needed to change.

Fortunately, that’s where Oscar came in.

He burst with ethera, and suddenly, every dog was wreathed in dense flames. Each subsequent attack threw out a column of steam, and the tidal titan roared in pain and anger.

Elijah added Storm’s Fury to the mix, but it was only marginally effective. The thing was just too big, and his spell – despite how well it scaled with his core – just didn’t pump out enough electricity. By the time he finished healing Jackson and Sophie, Elijah had decided to employ a different tactic. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

Fortunately, he had the perfect tool at his disposal.

He shifted into the Shape of the Master, shouting, “Keep the pack going! Limited heals!”

Oscar nodded. They had been fighting together for long enough that he knew that when Elijah shifted into one of his forms, he only had Wild Resurgence available. It was a powerful spell, but it was not nearly potent enough to quickly mend significant damage. However, with Oscar’s own healing ability, it was enough to maintain a stopgap.

Once Elijah knew that Oscar was on the same page as him, he turned to Escobar. The chihuahua had been peppering the titan with fireballs since the very beginning. They weren’t terribly effective, but Escobar wasn’t worried about that. Instead, he was looking for his opportunity to unleash a much more potent spell. Until then, he simply bided his time.

Elijah shouted at the dog, “Target the braziers!”

To his credit, Escobar was intelligent enough to follow orders, and he immediately shifted his focus. With a bark of acknowledgement, the chihuahua blazed with fire and leaped into the air. In seconds, he’d conjured the densest fireball yet, which he sent screaming toward the closest brazier.

The titan saw what was coming, and it thrust its trident at the stone monument. A wave of water exploded from the brazier in a clear effort to interrupt the oncoming fireball.

The fireball was not to be deterred, and it carved a path through the water to slam into the brazier. The stone was charred, and some of the watery flames burned away, but it was immediately obvious that a single fireball would not be enough. Fortunately, Escobar was already conjuring another.

Dense banks of fog exploded from the clash, and within seconds, the entire plateau was covered in thick mist. But Elijah didn’t need to see in order to do what needed to be done.

The second he’d adopted the cindrandir form, he leaped into combat. When he came close, he discovered two things. First, the titan was surrounded by whirling water blades that would cut him in half if his reactions slowed even a little. Second, the thing was more than a little angry. Its trident moved in a blur, stabbing out at the dogs and sending pressurized jets of water in every direction.

For their part, the canines avoided most of the attacks. The titan might have been strong and durable, and it certainly possessed a significant degree of mastery over water-attuned ethera. However, it was not overly fast. If it committed its entire strength to an attack, it could move with blistering speed. Yet, that speed came at the cost of control, and those attacks amounted to nothing more than wild haymakers. If they hit, the dogs would be destroyed, but each member of the pack was more than capable of avoiding them.

Either way, as Elijah approached, he did so with no small degree of caution. If what he had planned was going to work, he needed to time everything just right.

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