CHAPTER 87: BATTLING THE MALAMARE

Upon hearing Anieal’s words, Michael felt short and weaker than her, even though he was indeed an awakened above her rank. It was a strange feeling, but Michael couldn’t come to hate it.

It gave him hope that maybe they could survive this beast wave, maybe they could save all of the seven hundred islanders.

With his hopes rekindled by Anna’s words, he looked at her and asked in a hopeful tone.

"What should we do then?"

Anna turned and looked at him for a few moments after that. She shrugged and replied with nonchalance.

"Whatever the hell we can."

Michael blinked a few times and nodded as he mumbled to himself.

"Whatever the hell we can... heh." A smile involuntarily took its place on his lips.

His voice was a mere whisper, but it still helped him fight the dread he had felt when facing the malamare.

The island shook once more as if it were trying to run away from the dreadful and loathsome beast.

All of them looked at the southern end with a frown.

Anna turned her head and looked at Hanna and stated.

"Hanna, you must keep them trapped."

Hanna nodded at her with a solemn look.

Anna turned towards Neo, and both of them nodded at each other.

She called out to her golden threads and weaved them into a rope and threw one of its ends to Michael.

Neo also grabbed the rope, and Michael pulled it with his strength as an Ignited. The duo’s feet left the ground as they flew and landed on the back of Anzu.

Anzu let out a cry and began to fly towards the malamare.

Anna walked beside Michael and spoke.

"We can’t kill it, but we can keep it busy until..." She paused and turned her head to look towards the direction of Night Tower and continued. "Someone who can, comes."

Michael looked at her and thought about her words... she was right, the malamare was currently focused on the hexed beings on its ’children’, so it gave them more freedom to act. But... he turned towards Neo, who had an irritated expression and asked.

"You here don’t you? The call..."

Neo looked at him with annoyance and nodded his head.

Anna looked at Neo with a frown and heaved a sigh as she suggested.

"Neo... I think you should help Hanna then."

Neo turned towards Anna and shook his head as he spoke in a grating voice.

"I can handle this much, Miss Aeliana."

Anna looked at him for a few moments before turning back. They meant the malamare.

"So be it."

She said as she called upon her golden threads and wrapped them around Neo, the threads slithered like snakes on him and soon covered him, enhancing his mental and physical defences.

Neo looked at the threads with a frown and tried to voice his disapproval.

"But-"

Anna cut his words and stated.

"You have the strength of an Ignited... even if you don’t have a trait, you are pretty much an awakened... I, on the other hand, am a Seeker. You have higher chances to wound the malamare."

Neo tuned silent and reluctantly nodded at her.

Michael looked at Neo with a raised eyebrow as he thought.

’Strength of an Ignited... How strange.’

It was indeed strange... how can an unawakened... have strength equal to not just the Seekers but the Ignited ones.

The world was indeed full of mysteries and miracles covered by a fog impenetrable to those it deemed unworthy.

A guttural voice echoed at the southern end as the malamare began his ascension to the island.

Its tentacle touched the ground, turning all of the boulders into dust, trees creaked under the pressure, and wildlife cried for mercy.

Another tentacle touched the ground, and the island began to shake violently as the malamare finally climbed the island.

"Let’s get him," Michael stated as his lips left a loud whistle.

Anzu spread its wings wide and flapped, dashing towards the beast who had dared to attack it.

Anna took out her daggers; their blade gleamed under the moonlight as they got ready to sing her song of violence.

Neo also unsheathed his sword, still covered in the armour of golden threads. He stepped forward.

Michael’s grey eyes glowed white as he bent the light into a bow and lodged three arrows made up of moonlight at it.

Anzu neared the malamare and went above it.

"NOW!"

Anna shouted as he jumped from the windrazor eagle and landed on the malamare’s head, her daggers scraping the shadowy skin of the malamare.

Neo followed and landed beside Anna and stabbed his sword into the malamare’s head.

Michael, still atop Anzu, let go of the string and rained down the arrows at the malamare.

The malamare cried in pain as the trio began their attacks, proving their defiance against it. Suddenly, the dim green lines all around it started to glow brighter, and an inky black liquid came out of it.

The inky black liquid moved and turned into small black vines as they slithered towards Anna and Neo.

Anna took out the remaining star cores she had and crushed them, absorbing and refining as much star essence as she could.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again; her eyes had turned sharper than before.

Her lips spread into a grin as she swung her daggers at the black vines. She cut most of them... but the inky black liquid moved again and turned back into vines.

Anna’s grin faltered, and Michael shouted from above.

"You have to burn them."

Anna frowned... how would she even burn them?

She looked towards Neo, who was swinging his sword at the black vines, and her frown deepened.

What should I do... how the hell do I get fire to burn these things?

She looked around to find a way, and her gaze landed on the broken shells of the aquamarine crab...

’Runes?’