The fun and games of spells and quests came crashing down to reality, in Ash’s case, quite literally. The stone golem yanked him violently from the rooftop, ferreted by searing tendrils of electric energy.

Ash slammed hard into the cobblestone street, his body bouncing like a rag-doll in the upturned debris and dust. Ash’s vision went red; the force of the impact reverberating shockwaves through him. Pain flared across his body, stinging like sharp knives through each limb.

Ash coughed, flecks of spittle and blood erupting from his gasping mouth. He gasped, unable to find air. He curled in pain, rolling onto his side. His bones didn’t feel broken, but the pain was too much to move. Thoughts flooded Ash’ mind, reprimanding him. He had been stupid. Got ahead of himself. He was going to die here. Alone.

No. He had to move. He had to get up before it was too…

--

Through hazy vision, Ash saw the dim glow of the mana tendril through the billowing dust.

“Ash! Ash!” cried Proxi in the distance. They likely couldn’t see him.

Plod. Plod. Plod.

Crap Ash thought.

The golem was advancing on him.

Move. I gotta move.

Ash could feel the ground shake with each heavy step.

Get up.

The menacing red of the golem’s crystal head broke through the cloudy haze; crimson violence directed towards its sole target. Ash struggled to get up, his body still reeling from the impact.

Plod. Plod… Plod.

Ash looked up at the towering figure of the golem standing above him.

Get up.

The daunting figure raised its right leg; a metallic, scratching whine as each rock segment ground against another. The runes carved into the smooth granite surface twinkling.

Sh*t. Go.

Ash couldn’t move.

Time slowed as Ash looked up, entranced by the doom above him. This was it. He had failed. Ash closed his eyes. The faces of his friends appeared in Ash’s vision, breaking through the darkness.

No.

Ash jerked back to life, rolling out from under the golem as its ‘foot’ came barrelling down; sparks whizzing out from the appendage. It smashed into the surface, dig, driving down through the cobblestone and into the wet earth below. Ash looked on, eyes wide as he saw the damage imposed on where he had sat moments before.

move.

Ash scrambled forward, breaking through the dust cloud that had only now begun to settle. His eyes darting left and right. He had to get away. Ash slid to a skittering stop where the cobblestone road met the edge of the civilian walkway. He whipped round on his heel, turning to face his attacker. The red glow pulsed from atop the Golems head. It slowly pulled its foot from the ground with a horrible slurp, wet earth and muck falling from the limb. Rather than turn to face him, the rocks shifted in place, readjusting to follow the eyeless stare that was focused on him, and him alone. Ash stood there, staring as if waiting for a sign.

--

Blue crackles of lightning shot forth from the golems raised arm, hurtling towards Ash like wicked daggers. He felt mana surge through his body in response; the protective aura of battle mantle encasing him as he side-stepped of the lightnings path.

Ash darted forward as the narrowly avoided burst of electricity lashed against the building behind him; scorched black and hissing. Ash’s head snapped back and forth, desperately searching for a means of escape. He was outmatched and outgunned.

Rubble had fallen to the right intersection, while to the left he would meet another pair of golems. Both routes blocked any hope of escape. The sun hung high in the middle of the afternoon sky, providing little in the way of helpful shadows to be whisked away by. Only long strips cast by the buildings to that stretched out into the road. Ash clenched his jaw tight. He would have to fight.

The golem let loose another volley, whipping out like a ripcord as it hurtled towards Ash. He stepped aside and forward, twisting his body around the crack of lightning to dodge. He wouldn’t be able to keep this up if the creature kept shooting at him.

Ash sprinted forward, carried by long, bounding steps. He still didn’t know the range for bind, but he had to try. He focused on the shadow behind the golem. He needed to stop the golem. Now.

Focus.

Ash stopped in his tracks, skidding to a halt as he lifted his arm up and balling his hand into a tight fist. He felt the mana pour into him, dancing through every fibre of his being as it raced through to his clenched fist.

The golems shadow began to bulge abnormally, ballooning as if were alive, breathing. Ink like tendrils rose from the darkness, heaving slowly behind the golem. They struck out like a scorpion’s tail, wrapping and coiling around the undamaged arm of the golem like snakes. The strands of shadowy black pulled the golems undamaged arm wide as it began to spark, readying for a third volley.

The electrical discharge shot missed, hurtling towards the half-ruined building Ash had fallen from. The shrill grinding of rock on rock echoed loudly in the street, metallic twangs as the golem strained against the grasping tendrils of bind. The creature struggled violently, a back-and-forth game of tug of war with Ash’ newly used spell. Ash could feel the mana draining from body.

Sh*t.

Ash wouldn’t be able to hold on for long.

The red crystal embedded in the golems head started oscillating, growing stronger and more vibrant. The golem thrashed against its many stranded captor, heaving forth and stomping against the ground an out-of-control bull. With a mighty, thunderous stomp of its heavy foot, the golems red crystal reached its zenith, blinding Ash from the light.

“Get back!” Proxi called.

Ash’ floating companion had been flying alongside, unable to help.

--

Shockwaves rippled out from the point of impact like rolling hills, overturning cobblestone blocks with each unnatural wave of earth. Ash was thrown back, his balance lost. He let go of the grip he had on his binding spell, the tendrils fading away like ashes in the wind. The golem let out a deep, unnatural rumbling from its mouthless head, charging towards Ash with pounding steps.

Ash had barely regained his balance when the golem swung wide with its undamaged arm, singing the very air with electrical magic. Ash leaned back fast, narrowly dodging the savage punch that careened past his head. His left hand dropped to the ground below to support his weight as the raging golem loomed above him. Still leaning back Ash struck high with his free hand, focusing the mana flowing through his body into his fist. The blow connected with the golem’s abdomen; A perfectly executed Passata Sotto.

Ash had moved on reflex. Muscle memory engraved through tears training carrying him through the movement of the technique.

How long had it been now?

Pain swarmed his enclosed fist, snapping Ash away from his drifting thoughts. It hurt. Throbbing heat swelled in his hand. His mantle had kept his hand from breaking at least.

The golem staggered back from the blow, chaff dropping from newly formed cracks in its torso. Capitalising on the moment, Ash pushed off from the ground into a forward lunge. Ash led with his head and left leg, offering them up in a short feint. It was a risk, but a movement Ash had used countless times. The golem took the bait, swinging wildly towards Ash who had already stepped back and out of range.

Ash latched onto the outstretched arm of the golem, wrapping around it to pull down hard and fast. He focused his mantle into his legs, reinforcing his knee as the momentum threw Ash’ body under and towards the golem. Ash drove his knee hard into the cracked abdomen. Pain reverberated back through, Ash grunting as he dropped down to the ground, falling to one knee.

The golem reeled further back, stumbling 3 then 4, then 5 steps away; creating a few metres distance between it and Ash. The cracks burrowed deeper and spread further across the monster’s stone form. Ash was panting. Each attack was costing him, hurting him in the process. His right arm and left leg were both numb. Pain flared as he stood, unsteady on the now weaker leg.

Ash was a mess. Covered head to toe in filth; his uncovered feet caked in dirt and grime. Blood oozed from the various cuts and abrasions he had sustained from the initial fall. He didn’t know how much damage his mantle had prevented.

Without warning, a cold wrenching grasped in his gut.

Was it permanent? The thought invaded his mind.

A sense of panic welled up within Ash, overriding the situation in front of him. Memories flashed through before his eyes. The loud crash. The sound of warping metal and smashed glass.

Ash touched to his right arm instinctually. Numb… but the scar was still gone.

Ash shook his head briskly, shaking the pervasive thoughts away.

No. No backwards step, Ash thought, steeling himself.

--

Ash noticed the creatures long shadow cast forward, towards Ash. That was his chance.

The golem raised its arm, mana sparking.

Here it comes, Ash thought.

With a loud crack, Lightning whipped towards Ash, violent and jagged. The outburst was wilder than before; tendrils snapping against the cobble stones and kicking up debris.

Ash breathed in, waiting for the right moment.

This better work.

Ash leapt from the ground, lunging towards the golem. Ash reached out with his numb right hand, grasping the whip chords of storm light hurtling towards him. He caught the long tendril, rolling his wrist to wrap it around his forearm. As he hit the ground, Ash threw out his left hand, clenching his fist.

Bind.

Ash pulled distorted limbs of darkness forth from the golems shadow, shooting towards the monster to hold it firmly in place. He could smell singed flesh burning under the electrical grip of the lightning whip but could not feel it.

Ash sprinted forward, charging the monster before dipping low and sliding along the ground and through the golem’s legs. He jumped up, twisting round and pulled with all his might. Ash Let out a defiant roar as he willed what mana he had left into his arms, strengthening them.

The golem began to tilt, its arm dragged towards the ground as it thrashed against its shadow embrace of bind. It was no use. The golems own shadow began to creep ever forwards expanding the number of inky arms that grasped the monster. The tendrils of bind joined Ash’ struggle, pulling against the golems monstrous form. The tension was building as both Ash and the spell pulled in opposite directions, the raging golem unable to fight back.

As Ash felt his grip on bind falter, he opened his fist, releasing the spell. The sudden momentum shift drove the golem careening down into the cobbled surface. It smashed against the ground with a thundering bang, rock and stone breaking in a hail of rubble and wreckage.

Ash stumbled, then fell towards the ground, first to his knee, then onto his back. He was exhausted, the pain breaking through as he lay a broken mess in the rubble. He chuckled lightly through the pain, a sense of relief that the fight was over, sputtering through the pain as his battle mantle relinquished.

“Ash… Ash are you alive?!” Proxi was pleading again, floating above him in tight diligent circles. Ash supposed this was a show of concern.

Ash raised his left hand and gave a thumbs up.

Behind him came a rattling sound, like that of a glass Christmas ornament.

--

“Ash quickly, we need to tend to your wounds!” Proxi cried.

Ash Groaned, “H-How?”

He didn’t have any healing spells. There wasn’t a doctor here. He supposed bind could maybe set broken bones.

“Ash, look. Look!” Proxi called, beckoning him.

Ash breathed deeply, closing his eyes as he sat up slowly. He grunted as pain flared across his body like sharp daggers.

“What?” he asked, disgruntled.

“Look!”

Ash squinted, his eyes blurry, seeing a faint blue glow pulsing from within the rubble.

“The crystal?” He asked.

Proxi chirped as if encouraging him to inspect the item.

He slowly propped himself up, groaning as limped over to the rubble. Ash brushed aside the smaller rocks to reveal the small crystal. As he reached out to touch it, the crystal began to hum and glow hot white, blinding Ash.

As the white flash of light dissipated, Ash opened his eyes to see two baubles, red and blue, alongside a small silver ring with a thunderbolt insignia nestled where the crystal had been.

Ash turned to Proxi, a confused look on his face.

“What are these?” he asked curiously.

“Pick them up” Proxi replied with a hint of excitement.

Ash picked up the red bauble, feeling a liquid slosh around inside. He raised an eyebrow at Proxi, looking for an explanation. Proxi shifted forms to reveal a new message displayed within their shadowy display.

“You have acquired a rank 1 healing potion. 3 Uses.”

Ash let out a hearty laugh that shot pain through his sternum. He reeled over, grasping at his chest. He couldn’t help his reaction though, what he was reading was ridiculous.

This is a game, he thought as he rubbed the pain in his chest.

Healing potions that dropped from monsters. How was Ash supposed to make sense of that. He couldn’t. He really was crazy… yet the pain still felt all too real. The creeping panic reared its head once more, flashing those same memories again.

“Ho- How do I use it?” Ash asked, shaking the red bauble at Proxi.

“Like a spell! Potions are filled with focused mana. You focus on the intention and then drink!” Proxi chirped, “Hurry. Hurry. You’re hurt!”

Ash held the small bauble in his hands and focused on the liquid, it roused within like a current. He pulled the small cork free of the glass bauble and lifted it to his lips, imagining it healing him. Like a vaccine he thought. As the cold liquid hit his tongue, Ash felt a refreshing breeze wash over him like a cool breeze on a summer night. His hands tingled; his heart began to race. He could feel it reknitting the damage, tying together torn ligaments and stitching the small cuts and bruises that adorned his body. And it tasted like a strange soda.

Within moment Ash was new again. Healthy. Strong.

Ash laughed.

There were potions that could heal you like a damned game.

He turned to Proxi, a glint in his eyes.

“I guess we should see what other loot we got?”