I N F I N I T E S

Rise Above

Tessra had spent a great part of the years since that day reliving this pain. It is what drove her to become a knight. She stood still in this moment, trying to grasp onto thought. She drifted amongst these moments of flashing loss.
"I wanted to find him so badly. I wanted to make him feel weak, and for him to be kneeling on the ground before me. That's why I became a knight, but I still haven't found him. I've been all over Cynthil, but I haven't seen him since. So why do I even bother staying a knight. I only became one so I could defeat that cloaked man."
Memories flashed through her mind as she tried to recall her purpose. What she still lived for. What she fought for. She heard a voice call out for her.
"Tessra."
Light spread across her mind with that word. Who's voice was that?
"Tessra."
She recognized this voice.
"Tessra."
It was the voice of what she fought for. Light now bathed over her. The pain was dispelled and she felt her will return.
Tessra opened her eyes. Holding onto her shoulders was Fern.
"Tessra!"
He was trying to wake her up. Her eyes flickered back to life, and a smile appeared on Fern's face. He wrapped his arms around her and embraced her. She could hear he was crying. This wasn't something he often did.
"I thought I'd lost you."
She was hesitant at first, but then she in turn moved her arms and hugged him back.
"It's gonna take a lot more than that to down me."
Recognition returned to her. She let go of Fern and picked up her sword and shield that had lied beside her.
"Where's Frost and Brite?"
"They are fighting the giant."
Tessra rose from the ground.
"Then I guess we better go help them."
Fern wiped the tears from his eyes and stood up next to her.
"Ok."
They ran back to the other chamber where they could hear the groans of the giant. Despite Tessra just waking back to consciousness she ran as fast as she could.
"I hope those two are able to hold their own. I felt that giant's power firsthand, so if they get hit just once they'll be out."
When they arrived back at the room with the giant they found Frost and Brite dodging the giant's attacks with a form of grace. Frost would climb around the giant's arms and head to avoid getting hit. Meanwhile Brite would use his speed and ability to shift direction in the air to out maneuver the swings of the giant.
Tessra shouted to get their attention.
"Brite, Frost form up!"
They both jumped from off the giant and landed next to Fern and Tessra in a ready stance. Frost recognized that Tessra was awake and walking, and he smiled.
"Thank the divines that you're ok."
Brite smiled from underneath his helmet and gave a strong nod. Tessra nodded back then turned her attention to the giant. Fern readied himself and ignited his hands in flame.
"How are we gonna beat this thing?"
Frost seemed to have a flash of an idea.
"Tessra why don't you use your geomancing to control the giant."
She shook her head.
"I can't it has too much magic control over it's body."
The giant came at them upheaving the earth in it's way. Fern and Brite dodged the attack that would have pummeled them. Fern shouted across to the others.
"So what're we gonna do!?"
Brite lost himself in his mind for a moment then reappeared with an idea.
"I have something."
Tessra raised her shield up to guard from the debris falling from the ceiling.
"Let's hear it Brite!"
"Tessra pile rocks on it, make it heavy! Frost and Fern go to it's sides and move around! I'll keep it watching me!"
Fern seemed confused as to what that would do, but Frost only reassured them.
"I think we should trust Brite."
Tessra began using her geomancing to gather up the debris around her and form it into a projectile.
"I don't think anyone else put out a better option!"
Brite unsheathed the blue blade from his back and it sparked to life with a shining blue light.
"Let's go!"
Frost and Fern ran to opposite sides of the giant. They leaped and swayed from falling rocks and the fists of the giant. Tessra coalesced a large collection of rock and dirt. She threw it at the giant and it struck home. She threw her fist down and the rock slammed in place onto the giant. With her other hand she already began gathering more rocks.
Brite faced the green blaze of the giant head on. It hurled a boulder at Brite with all the force of an avalanche. Brite grasped his blade and as soon as the gray face of the boulder was upon him he slashed downwards. Blue light fizzed followed by the rock exploding into two directions.
The giant seemed to be slightly intelligent as it began to change it's strategy. Instead of one large rock it sent a spray of many small rocks like a hurricane of sharp slag. Brite heard the voice inside the suit.
"Light energy transfer: Blade Spin."
Brite saw the oncoming spray and raised his sword. He swung it but this time his fingers let go of the handle. Instead of the blade dropping from his hand it began to spin. It stayed somehow connected to his hand but spun in place. It cut away the rock flying at him and served as a shield.
He thought that he was going to be cut to ribbons, but as soon as he noticed that the sword now spun in his hand and served as a wheeling shield of light, he began to use it to deflect the oncoming rocks. Left, right, up, down, right, up. He wielded the weapon efficiently like a master swordsman and he cut down the onslaught.
As soon as the rocks stopped coming he put his fingers back around the handle, and the blade stopped spinning. He saw all the others trying their hardest.
Tessra had piled the giant up with a whole hills worth of dirt and stone. Frost and Fern continued to nimbly dodge the giant's attacks. Brite called out to them.
"Ok, Tessra I need you to make the ground shake! Frost, Fern I need you to make the giant fall!"
Tessra shouted back.
"You got it, one really violent earthquake coming up!"
She stabbed her sword into the ground, and dropped her knuckled to the dirt.
"AAAAAAAAGGHHH!!!"
Shockwaves were sent through the floor as pebbles rumbled and kicked up. The giant seemed unstable as it wobbled about.
Frost and Fern readied to pounce. Fern seemed to wear a smile on his face.
"Ok ok, here we go!"
They both jumped from their sides and up at the giant's head. they both grabbed on with one hand and swung around the giant's head, by just barely holding on but keeping momentum. They swung their direction towards the ground and their combined force brought the giant to it's knees.
Brite saw this, but it wasn't what he needed to happen. He needed the weight on the giant to cave it in and force it to the ground. His heart raced, and his mind bounced with the rush of adrenaline.
"That was supposed to beat it. Now It will just get back up and everyone will be too tired to fight it. They will have followed my plan for nothing, and they'll die because they listened to me. No. I won't let that happen."
He ran at the giant. Underneath his mask his eyes burned with golden light like the stars.
"I said that we were going to be heroes, and heroes fight so they can save everyone! If I'm not strong enough then I'll become strong enough! I will save everyone!"
Energy readings flashed across his visor. The voice of the armor spoke out.
"Energy levels: High and rising."
He ran harder.
"Energy levels: Divine"
He made it to the face of the giant. He switched his stance from running and sheathed his blade.
"Energy levels: INFINITE"
Light gathered from all around in shimmers and particles as he threw back his arm and closed his fist. Underneath his mask his white smile shown through as a flash as bright as a star illuminated the room.
"STARBRIGHT STRIIIIIIIKE!!!"
His fist rocketed forward with unseen speed. It collided with the giant with a slam. Wind flew off in every direction. Cracks formed all along the giant's body. Brilliant blue light appeared in the cracks and the giant's body exploded with a sonic boom. The rocks turned to dust and the whole forest surrounding the temple shook.
The giant was now but a fine sand. Brite threw his head back with his chest rising and falling. Stardust now sparkled across the room like looking out into the night sky itself. He regained some of his breath. His mask shifted down and he smiled at the others, who marveled at this feat.
He held up a V with his hand.
The peace sign.