Fire & Light

Fire and Light Part 3

Part 3: Flame and Shadow

The ground beneath Kika's feet shuddered as the monster roared, its jagged claws scraping against the earth. Black smoke poured from its nostrils, and red eyes glowed like embers in its massive head. The beast was easily three times the size of any demigod she'd seen, and its scaled skin looked tough enough to deflect any blade.

"Back up," Damien growled, stepping in front of her, his ax gleaming in the sunlight. He didn't even wait for her response before he lunged forward, swinging at the creature's legs.

But the beast was faster than it looked. It reared back on its hind legs and swiped at Damien with one powerful claw. The blow sent him flying across the field, his body crashing into the ground with a sickening thud.

"Damien!" Kika screamed, her pulse racing as she watched him struggle to get back on his feet. He was tough, but even he couldn't take many hits like that.

Her mind was racing, trying to figure out what to do. The light was buzzing at her fingertips, but her powers felt so small compared to the monster standing before them. This thing was built for destruction, and if they didn't act fast, it would tear the camp apart.

Focus, Kika. You've handled worse.

She squared her shoulders, planting her feet firmly on the ground. As the beast turned its glowing eyes toward her, Kika raised her hands, summoning every bit of light she could. The sun above seemed to answer her call, beams of golden energy swirling around her fingertips.

The monster growled, taking a step closer, but Kika wasn't backing down. She pushed the light forward, shaping it into a solid lance of energy. With a shout, she hurled the lance straight at the creature's chest.

The impact was immediate. The lance struck the beast with enough force to send it staggering back, a guttural roar of pain escaping its throat. For a split second, Kika thought she'd actually done it—that she'd taken it down.

But the creature wasn't done.

With a roar of fury, it swiped at the lance, shattering it into glowing fragments before lunging at her with terrifying speed. Kika barely had time to roll out of the way before its claws gouged deep furrows into the earth where she had just been standing.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she scrambled to her feet, her mind racing. She needed more than just light. This thing was too strong for her usual tricks.

"Kika!" Damien's voice cut through the chaos.

She turned to see him back on his feet, limping slightly but still ready for a fight. His ax gleamed in his hand, and there was a fiery determination in his eyes that hadn't been there before.

"We need to hit it together," he called, already charging back toward the monster. "Distract it—I'll go for the kill."

She didn't have time to argue. Nodding, she spun on her heel and called on the light again, this time creating a blinding flash that exploded in front of the creature's face. The beast roared in confusion, its red eyes flickering as it swiped wildly at the air.

Damien took the opportunity. With a ferocious battle cry, he leaped forward, his ax arcing through the air. The blade struck the beast's thick hide with a loud crack, sparks flying as it connected. But instead of cutting through, the ax bounced off with a metallic clang, barely leaving a dent.

Kika's heart sank. "It's not working!"

Damien cursed under his breath, dodging another swipe from the beast's claws. "We need a better plan. This thing's tougher than it looks."

The monster wasn't giving them any time to think. It lunged at Damien again, claws outstretched, but this time, he was ready. With a quick roll, he dodged the attack, coming up behind the creature and slashing at its back with his ax. The blow didn't do much damage, but it was enough to get the beast's attention off of Kika.

And that gave her an idea.

"Damien! Keep it busy!" she called out, her mind racing as she focused on the sunlight above.

Damien didn't need to be told twice. He swung his ax again, narrowly missing the beast's tail as it whipped around, snarling in rage. "Hurry up, Kika!" he shouted, his voice strained as he barely avoided another deadly swipe.

Kika closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun pulse through her veins. She could feel the energy building inside her, brighter and hotter with every second. The air around her crackled with light, and when she opened her eyes again, she knew exactly what to do.

Light solidification.

It was risky, but they didn't have time for anything else.

Kika reached up, pulling the sunlight down to her fingertips, shaping it into a solid, glowing blade. The weapon formed quickly, humming with power in her hands. It wasn't perfect—it never was—but it would have to be enough.

Without hesitating, she ran toward the creature, her heart pounding in her ears. Damien saw her coming and nodded, understanding her plan without needing to hear it. He swung his ax again, this time aiming for the beast's legs, trying to keep its attention on him.

As the monster turned to swipe at Damien, Kika struck. She leaped forward, driving her glowing blade straight into the creature's chest, right where its heart should be.

For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. The creature let out a low, rumbling growl, its body trembling as the light from Kika's blade spread through its veins, glowing beneath its thick scales. It staggered, its claws twitching, and for one terrifying second, Kika thought it might still be able to fight.

But then, with a final roar, the monster collapsed, its massive body hitting the ground with a deafening crash and then evaporating.

Kika stumbled back, her chest heaving as she watched the creature's red eyes fade to black. The glowing blade in her hand flickered, then vanished, leaving her standing there, breathless and shaking.

Damien was already at her side, his eyes wide with a mix of surprise and something else—something softer that she couldn't quite place.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice rough but less hostile than it had been earlier.

Kika nodded, though her legs felt like they might give out at any moment. "Yeah. You?"

He shrugged, wincing slightly as he rubbed his shoulder. "I've had worse."

There was a brief, awkward silence between them as the dust settled. Kika glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, half expecting him to make some snide comment, but he didn't. Instead, he just stood there, watching her like he wasn't quite sure what to say.

She didn't know why, but for the first time since they'd met, Kika felt like they might actually be on the same side.

But before she could say anything, the sound of footsteps echoed across the field. A group of campers rushed toward them, weapons drawn and faces full of concern.

"You two okay?" one of the Hermes kids called out, his eyes darting between the fallen monster and Kika's exhausted stance.

Damien stepped forward, his usual scowl returning. "We're fine. Just had a little... interruption."

Kika smirked, shaking her head. Of course he couldn't let his guard down for too long.

Still, as they both turned to face the approaching campers, something had shifted between them. Maybe it wasn't much, but it was a start. How did that monster even get into camp?

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Thats the 3rd part im going to try and write up to the 10th part but as I said I only have up to part 4 right now. Im trying to keep the amount of words between 1000 and 1500 just so I don't tire myself out. 

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH IF YOU MADE ITS THIS FAR!!!