The Soul Keeper

I felt magic whirl around me. It was so weak that I barely noticed it. I wondered where it came from. Was it Rina trying to save me?

"Close your eyes!" Asher's voice echoed in my mind. I did as he said but the flash of light still blinded me. I heard a muffled roar from above the water surface as the scaly tail coiled around my body loosened. Having regained my ability to move around, I quickly placed the scythe into my inventory, hid my wings, and started to swim to the surface.

Despite my newfound freedom, the surface was so far away. No matter how much I tried, I didn't seem to get any closer to it. My vision began to blur as my lungs felt like they were on fire. I needed air! I had no strength left to give to my muscles.

I felt the water around me shift and move. The serpents tail flailed below me. I got caught in the currents created by its movements. The surface seemed to be getting farther and farther away. I noticed the creature's tail moving up, towards me.

With no hesitation, I grabbed on to it as it brushed past me. The water pressure created by the speed of it nearly crushed me. I almost lost consciousness right before we broke the surface of the lake and I found myself in the air. I let go of the tail and summoned my wings. Gasping for air still, I flew up, away from the serpent's reach.

I couldn't believe I almost died because of a simple mistake like that. A stupid mistake brought on by my own carelessness. As water dripped from my clothes, I shook my head. Now wasn't the time to think of what I did wrong. We had to either kill this thing or run away. I glanced at the group below, they didn't seem like they wanted to run away.

Still somewhat out of breath, I summoned my interface and glanced at my mana.

'Mana: 140/770'

I clenched my fists. This was the first time in a while that I had to worry about my mana. "Hey, Asher." I shouted telepathically. "Do you know how to kill this thing?"

Silence followed my words. I hesitated; he wasn't one to ignore me like this. Had something happened? I shook my head. I didn't have time to think about him right now. He was strong, he could take care of himself.

I focused my gaze on the creature's movements, I needed to find a way to kill this thing. I wasn't going to be able to keep flying for much longer and I was sure Rina and the others' mana was also slowly depleting.

I summoned my scythe again – I didn't think either one of the swords I had could pierce those thick, sturdy scales. I took a deep breath before once again flying into the tick of battle. The serpent noticed me almost immediately and I once again came face to face with those sharp teeth. I evaded them narrowly and flew beneath the creature's jaws.

"Kai, aim for between it's eyes." Asher's voice sounded in my mind. "I'll cast a spell to enhance your next strike, so don't miss. I can't cast this twice." It was difficult to focus on his words in my current state, but I nodded and flew up again. Rina's next lightning strike struck the creature's long body.

I glanced towards her as tried to make my way towards the creature's head. The interval between her attacks was getting longer with each lightning strike. She seemed tired. I clenched my teeth, grasped the shaft of my scythe and with a burst of speed provided by Fallen Grace, approached the creature's head.

"I'm almost there!" I shouted at Asher, who responded not with words, but with crimson flames bursting out of my scythe. A bright light engulfed me as my strength increased even more and for just a moment, I felt my cloudy mind clear up.

I swung my scythe as soon as my feet touched the creature's scales. The pale, crystalline blade dug into the scales effortlessly, only leaving charred skin and flesh behind. The creature wailed in pain as it tried to shake me off. I held on to the shaft of my scythe as it finally dug into the creature's thick skull.

"What now? I can't pierce it's skull!" I shouted at Asher as the creature shook its head. I felt dizzy from being tossed around like that. "Asher!"

"Think about the phoenix's flames. Think of how they burn everything and then burn the creature. It's just like how you summon your wings." His explanation was oddly calm, almost as if he was teaching a class.

"Now's not the time to learn how to use spells without the interface!" I screamed as I almost lost my grip.

"Now is the perfect time." I felt the connection sever as lightning struck the creature on its head, dangerously close to me.

I clenched my teeth and promised myself to punch that smug idiot in the face when I next saw him. I closed my eyes and pictured the flames that consumed the forest when we first met the phoenix on the battlefield. I imagined how smoke covered the air and it became hard to breathe.

My lungs burned as a loud clang echoed. I glanced down to see Erik's shield stopping another tail strike.

I shook my head, now wasn't the time to be impressed by his abilities. I once again clenched my eyes shut and tried to remember the heat I felt during that battle. How the flames nearly consumed us.

My oxygen deprived mind refused to focus as all that flashed before me was Vixia's purple flames, overpowering those of the phoenix.

"Is it done?" Asher's voice echoed in my mind. "Of course not!" I shouted, desperately trying to focus.

"Let me know when it is." Silence followed his words as I tried to calm myself with a deep breath. That, of course, didn't work. Pissed off, cold and exhausted, I couldn't even scream and shout in anger. I felt the effects of Fallen Grace diminish and fade.

With the strength provided by that skill gone, it became so much harder to hang on to the shaft. I felt my grasp weaken.

"Kai," Asher's voice echoed again. "Remember the warmth of the phoenix."

I flinched. That I clearly remembered. The warmth that calmed the souls within me, its memory was as clear as day. I felt the coldness disappear. Steam clouded my vision.

"Now remember how annoyed at me you are." Asher's smug voice immediately flared up my temper.

"You-" My words were interrupted as I burst into flames.