-Callen-

  Slowly I took a deep breath in as my eyes locked with the serpent’s. Its gaze shifted from me to the hunting boat, then back to me. While it was assessing, I took the chance to properly feel out just how messed up my body was. In terms of physical damage, you could say I was a mess, but I could also feel the damage reaching deeper than just my physical body. Instinctively I could tell that using Dominate Mana again to restore my mana wouldn’t just cause irreversible harm. It had already done that; trying to use it again would likely kill me. Luckily it was quite apparent that the serpent was also seriously weakened. Its scales slick with fresh blood, both red and black, the withering flesh had made its once formidable scales a patchwork defense that was gradually becoming more and more vulnerable, and both a chunk of its neck and a large piece of its tail had been severed, further exacerbating the extreme blood loss. My gaze shifted to the bay. My ice that had previously filled the bay was shattered into pieces with fresh seawater rushing in to fill the cracks.

  My attention snapped back to the serpent as it pushed itself forward. Its movement is sluggish compared to the blistering speed of its earlier assaults, but still formidable. I expanded my mana zone and opened my void gate next to me. I opened the second gate off to the side and moved to dodge through the gate but noticed the serpent's gaze immediately locked on to the exit gate. I pushed back at the last second, changing my gate dodge into a feint. The serpent lunged to the side, snapping down and crushing the exit gate the very second I should’ve passed through it. The momentum on the slick ice dragged its body towards me even as the head diverted to the gate. Using the basis of the earthshaping rune spell, I created an ice-based variant and made the ice below me point upwards in a dozen thick spikes. The serpent's body slammed into the spikes heavily. The brittle ice started cracking under the pressure, but I poured in more power to reinforce and sharpen the cracked tips. The squelch of flesh giving way and cracking ice echoed out in equal parts as the spikes pointed at withering scales dug into flesh while the regular scale overpowered the spikes even with my support.

  I manifested another gate behind the serpent as it instinctively lashed out and slipped away before the powerful tail could swipe and reach me. The gate where I had been was smashed in another ice fissuring strike. All around, water that had been filling the cracks of the bay was squeezed out, filling the area with a thick mist. I launched myself backwards as the serpent’s head lashed against my new position, but I could tell the serpent was struggling to track me as quickly in the mist. I quietly slipped further away, letting the mist completely obscure me from the snake while I tracked it with my mana sight. I felt Nightshade finally establish her connection. Random thoughts and experiences pouring into the serpent’s head, both poisoning and confusing the beast. I opened another gate below the serpent’s head and poked out just enough to send a bolt of lightning into the missing chunk of flesh. I didn’t stay more than a moment, but the head slammed down on the portal, collapsing it fast enough to slice the tip of my finger off.

  From a distance I watched as the serpent started defensively curling itself while its head shifted side to side searching for me. The mist was beginning to fade rapidly, so I took my chance to launch another attack while I had the initiative. Using the launch rune, I sent myself flying upwards this time, much higher than the serpent. I reached into the void and summoned my fortified stone orb, but not around me like it was designed. Instead, I summoned it right below me and lined it up with the serpent before creating a massive airburst blasting the stone downwards. The sound of the airburst immediately drew the serpent's attention upwards but gave it no time to react as the large stone came crashing. The frozen bay shattered as a meteor impact hammered the giant serpent into the ground. The airburst also sent me spinning uncontrollably through the air. It took a minute to regain control and bring myself safely to the ground.

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  Panting heavily, I checked my mana and found I still had about half in the tank. I checked back on the serpent and found it weakly writhing in the crater. A portion at the middle of its torso was crushed. Blood was leaking from its jaw and eyes, but as I approached, I could see its eyes lock on me. It lacked the cold dominance of a predator over its prey, but I could see it wasn’t ready to give up even now. It forced itself to be still, and the head turned towards me defensively hissing, but that was interrupted as more blood poured from its mouth. The crater it rested in started to fill rapidly with water. The serpent coiled under the surface, finding the water vastly preferable to land. I kept my distance, letting time pass. The water slowly got higher and higher, taking a dark crimson shade as the colors of its blood mixed with the water.

  Slowly I moved to the edge of the crater, as close as the serpent would dare to let me. At my feet a rune appeared, and the thick red water immediately started freezing over rapidly. In moments the ice reached the serpent, which lashed out, lunging aggressively towards me. The ice clung to it, impeding the movement right up till it was just short of biting range. It strained against the ice, but its body was held taut. Its mouth snapped helplessly just a foot from reaching me, and I shaped the ice around its body, sealing what little range of movement it had left. I moved over to its eye that was glaring at me with hatred. My mana was nearly depleted, but I had enough to finish the job. I summoned a hammer from the void and slammed it into the eye with everything I had. The eye splattered, giving way for my hammer to lodge itself deeply in the socket of the eye. The ice trembled as the snake started trying to writhe in pain and escape, but the moment my hand left the grip of the hammer, I channeled a bolt of lightning through the hammer straight to the monster's brain.

  It shrieked and broke free from the ice, its head rising upward, briefly swaying and wailing in agony. I stood still, panting heavily as the beast rose again, my body shackled with weakness and my mana emptied. I could already feel myself beginning to lose focus. The wailing serpent bent over backwards and collapsed onto its back. I blinked slowly, relief and disbelief slowly setting in as it lay there completely still. My view shifted to the sky, and I belatedly realized I was on my back. As I blinked, I found I didn’t have the strength to open my eyes again. My mind wandered and filled with silence.

  Suddenly my eyes snapped open. A sense of confusion and disconnect vaguely jumped at me as it took me a moment to recognize where I was. I was sitting on a short slope of cleanly cut grass. In front of me was a small familiar pond, and in my hands was a fishing pole. I blinked rapidly and rubbed my eyes in confusion as I remembered where this was. It was my favorite place to fish with my dad from my previous life. There weren’t any big fish, just a couple bluegill that you can see from outside if you watch carefully. A heavy hand suddenly patted my back, startling me.

  “Anything biting yet?” My eyes snap to my dad. Not the dad of my past life but Dad the knight. I briefly choked for words in utter confusion but managed to squeak out.

  “Um, no, not yet.” He just hums in response, sitting down nearby and casting out his own line. We settle into a comfortable silence as I slowly let myself relax to enjoy the moment. As we’re sitting there, a thought jumps to mind.

  “Did I die?” The question breaks the silence and elicits a contemplative hum in response. Instead of Dad answering, another voice echoed through my spirit.

  “No, my child.” The voice was warm with affection and comfort. My attention was broken as I felt something bite. I desperately started reeling it in and slowly, bit by bit, pulled it closer to shore. My eyes nearly bugged out as a tiny sea serpent identical to the one I fought but much smaller started to emerge. Dad rushed over with a net, scooping out the serpent and pulling it away from the water.

  “Great catch!” His voice was heavy and warm. Immediately I felt my consciousness beginning to fade. "Remember, Callen, I’m so very proud of you.” With the final statement, I tried to speak, but darkness soon reclaimed me. A deep, satisfied smile accompanied me the whole way.