Bloodline: A LitRPG Adventure (The Root of All Evil Book 1), page 61
It was Jasper.
“No, you don’t,” Jasper said.
When Dollar saw what his cousin was planning, he stopped and reached his hand out in panic.
“Jasper, no!” Dollar’s shout came too late.
With a deft movement, the rock went flying over the railing, disappearing into the stormy sky below.
Jasper had kicked it over the edge of the sky ship.
The world flashed with bright light as the symbol detonated, and the boat shrieked and tilted as its symbol arrays tried and failed to keep it steady in the air. The ship shifted at an angle, sending things tumbling across Dollar’s vision.
A piece of debris smacked into Dollar’s head with enough force that he felt it even through his protection symbol. His body fell to the ground, and he looked up to see Mitsy smashing her fists into the Colossi, trying to get it to stumble over the edge of the ship. There was a crunch as flesh bent steel and the golem’s chest caved in, but the Colossi’s crystal glowed bright and it steadied itself, retaliating with a four-hand punch that sent Mitsy crashing into the ship’s side. She was quickly picked up by Grisham’s vines, and her expression transformed into a predator gazing at her prey.
She’ll be fine, Dollar thought.
He pushed himself up and turned around just in time to see Christoff’s eyes widening as his cousin was sent careening onto the floor by the tilting ship. Dollar soared toward his cousin and before anyone could react, he was standing over Christoff, his dagger glimmering dangerously as it came to a halt above his cousin. The movement symbol Jasper had carved had kept him perfectly balanced after the initial fall.
“Can’t use your symbols so close to yourself, can you?” Dollar said.
His body ached as he spoke, each word ringing in his ears alongside the sounds of the explosion. However, he couldn’t help but smile. His cousin held his hands up in surrender, Agni pointed at his throat.
He had won.
Dollar looked at his defeated cousin, the pile of flames from his earlier barrage hadn’t died down and was now clambering across Christoff’s body consuming cloth and burning through his remaining protection. A single fire symbol hadn’t been enough to cause damage to Christoff in the rain, but now the air was arid and dry thanks to the explosions Christoff had unleashed, and Bill’s flames had dried his cousin’s body further.
It was a perfect tinderbox waiting to be lit. The only one that couldn’t see the inevitable was his cousin.
“I am the true heir of House Tiberius.” Christoff snarled. “Not some dead upstart, or my infantile brother.”
“You’ve lost Christoff, accept it,” Dollar said.
A single look at Christoff’s expression told him that his cousin couldn’t accept that fact and never would. Dollar didn’t know whether to laugh or scowl. He took another step forward, bringing his weapon to bear on Christoff’s chest. It was clear that his cousin wouldn’t give up. His only caution was that Christoff would have a final means of attacking not yet revealed.
“Wait,” a voice spoke out beside him.
There was movement next to Dollar as Jasper stepped forward, pressing his hand against Dollar’s chest to stop him from finishing Christoff. The boy’s eyes were glued onto his brother, confusion and pity tied up within them.
“Surrender to us, and I’ll make sure you live,” Jasper said.
Dollar could see Christoff’s confusion at Jasper’s statement. The words were as alien to his cousin as love and kindness.
“No, you won’t,” Christoff said. “Do you really think such a childish lie will get me to surrender? After you’ve turned everyone against me?”
“I’m telling the truth. You just have to trust me,” Jasper said.
“Until only one of us is left, there can never be trust, only deceit,” Christoff spat. “I know you. I know all our family. Victory, or death. Our father has never taught us any different.”
Jasper sighed; the action filled with melancholy.
With a flick of his hand, the golem pen in his fingers transformed again, splitting into segments, and shifting until it formed a glowing sword. It was half the size of Jasper’s body, and the edge was dangerously sharp.
“His protection is a [class skill]. Once his shield is gone, it needs an hour to recover to full power,” Jasper said. “He’s got nothing left.”
“Then, let’s end this,” Dollar said. “Move aside. I’ll do it myself.”
Christoff pushed himself up from the floor, his eyes wide with rage and madness.
“Don’t you see he’s tricking you!” Christoff screamed. “You have no idea who he is?”
Jasper hesitated at his words, confusion flickering over his expression.
Christoff grabbed onto that hesitation and roared with laughter. “Dollar Tiberius. Yes, I said it. Dollar Tiberius! Our cousin once thought dead by our father’s hands. He’s doing this for revenge, and you’re next on his list.”
Silence spread out across the surroundings at his words, broken only by the sounds of the clash between Mitsy, Grisham, and the Colossi.
Finally, Jasper turned to Dollar, his eyes downcast.
“Is this true?” Jasper asked.
Dollar didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. Jasper knew the truth just by looking at him, the faint glimmer of recognition turning into a blaze as he finally got a good look at Dollar and spotted the familiar bone structure and eyes.
“Yes, and no,” Dollar said. “I am related to you, but I did not come here to harm you. I didn’t even know you were here when I came to Zendria. I simply wish to live my life anew. When your brother tried to kill Achimedes, I was there, and I stopped him. Trust me, I wish neither of you knew I existed. My parents had lived in hiding most of their lives, and I do not wish for the same fate.”
Jasper took a deep breath, his eyes clouding over as he examined Dollar. Finally, he turned back to his brother. Christoff stared at Jasper, his snarling expression momentarily falling, only to be replaced by a peaceful smile.
“Would I lie to you?” Christoff said.
“Yes, yes you would,” Jasper said. “I believe Ength. No, I believe Dollar, our cousin.”
“Then, you are a fool,” Christoff spat.
“He saved my life, and he’s family. I only see reasons to let him live. You are family, but you tried to kill members of our household, our soldiers, and even me. Our father believes we should fight for dominance, and he has poisoned your mind with his teachings,” Jasper said. “That’s a mistake. One I won’t repeat.”
“I’ll kill you as I killed them,” Christoff said. “Both of you. Mark my words.”
“No,” Dollar said, his anger rising. “You won’t.”
He had activated [A Will Eternal.]
A pressure spilt out across the atmosphere. It was a rumble of certainty and confidence, as though every word he spoke was an inviolable law that was etched into the world around him. His intentions became an authority that intertwined with his surroundings and no matter how hard others fought, they could never overcome a determination so strong that it shaped reality.
Christoff stared at Dollar as though seeing him for the first time. To his cousin he was no longer a child. Or an enemy. He was beyond those concepts. He was an entity so far beyond the reach of ordinary men that to view him was to see the peak of the mountain.
Above all, a single truth was clear.
His will was eternal.
“Kneel.”
Two thuds smacked against Dollar’s ears as Christoff’s knees hit the ground. There was a strain in his chest as he used his greatest [skill]. A twist of his soul, and a strain on his spirit. It permeated his being as his authority spread, but he ignored it. All he cared for was the man in front of him.
Agni appeared in his right hand, the dagger’s flames burning bright.
He stepped forward, stabbing his weapon into Christoff’s chest, only for Christoff’s hand to meet it, a tiny explosion symbol was visible in the palm.
A blast of power rushed through him as the symbol detonated, sending him flying back. He groaned as he hit the ground, his body aching but his protection symbol holding strong. The blast had been smaller than the others. He pushed himself up, and he saw Christoff holding onto his arm, screaming in pain and rage.
“Jasper, kill him!” Dollar shouted.
Christoff raised his head, gritting his teeth as his mouth struggled to get the words out. Behind his eyes lay something other than will, and grander than determination. It was madness, incontrollable and ever-present. It ate at him. It consumed him. Logic and reason were stripped bare until only instinct remained.
There was a moment of silence as Jasper took his sword in his hand and stabbed out at his brother. Blood burst out of Christoff’s chest, but as the sword broke Christoff’s shield there was a single spark as something ejected in front of Jasper and the weapon hit something solid. It was a rock.
Dozens more followed it, each one triggering a new response from Dollar’s [Language - Symbols] ability. Horror grew within Dollar as he saw what they were.
They were explosion symbols. Enough to blow the ship up to the heavens.
Christoff laughed, a deep and animalistic growl that was permeated with insanity. Each of the rocks glowed bright as their timers activated, counting down to destruction. Christoff had accepted defeat at the cost of his sanity, but his laughter showed the resolution he had reached. If he couldn’t win, then nobody would.
The young master would be taking them all down with him.
Dollar turned and ran, his dagger and notebook disappearing into his storage ring. There was still time to escape from the blast radius. What happened after that was a problem from later. As he ran, he activated the last haste symbol on his chest, the world blurring as he ran forward.
His youngest cousin stood in front of Christoff, unmoving.
Jasper was frozen in fear.
“Run,” Dollar said.
The words boomed through the area, [A Will Eternal] sending through his intentions and will. Jasper’s body twitched as fear fought against his will, but the resolve of a genius was nothing against him. Jasper’s instincts kicked in and his cousin turned back, running across the ship like his life depended on it.
Dollar heard a single familiar call as life burst forth from the symbols, and for a single moment time froze. Then, his vision was consumed in a tidal wave of red and white light as dozens of explosion symbols went off at the same time.
A single glance was all he needed to know that they wouldn’t make it.
The eruption consumed Christoff first and formed a wave of force that sped out across the ship. The walls and wooden floorboards shattered like they were made of glass, upending, and flying across the air and eviscerating everything around it. A tsunami of debris burst forth from the ruptured hull, mixed with the sound of screams as the devastation spread to the cabins below.
There was a single shout in front of Dollar, and he looked up to see Mitsy running toward him. Then, she disappeared as a bronze fist the size of her body smacked into her, sending her flying deeper into the ship. Christoff’s Colossi golem took her place, looming over Dollar as its red crystal head looked down at him. Two of its arms were broken beyond repair and only one had a sword in it, but it struck down at him as he rushed toward it.
Dollar jumped between its massive legs, his haste symbol giving him just enough speed to dodge the damaged golem’s attacks. Jasper appeared beside him, the boy keeping up through sheer determination as they pushed through the ship.
Behind them the force of the blast reached the golem. The section of the ship it was standing on was obliterated in an instant and the Colossi plummeted down into the empty air, its two good arms reaching out to the ship as it fell. Then, it was gone, its body smacking into the water and disappearing into the depths of the Grai Ocean.
Then, the eruption reached them.
The power of the explosion was visible to the naked eye as it rippled out over Jasper’s body, and then Dollar’s, flinging them across the ship. He could feel his protection symbol’s armor shredding to pieces as he was hurled across the air by forces beyond his control.
A single shadow crossed his vision as something intercepted Jasper in front of him. Dollar’s cousin had been knocked unconscious the moment the blast hit him, and Dollar caught a brief glimpse of a familiar black and red mask as a sturdy arm threaded around Jasper’s body.
It was Yroizen. The House Tiberius soldier had caught Jasper. The Ino’s left arm was dangling by his side, useless, but his one good arm was clinging tight to his ward.
However, even the injured Ino couldn’t escape the destruction, several loud cracks resonated in the air as his bones broke from the blast. With a push he jumped out of the wave of force, his shoulders and back twisting awkwardly as he did.
“A little help?” Dollar shouted.
“I can’t,” the soldier replied.
To Dollar’s despair, he could see that Yroizen wasn’t lying. He could see that the Ino was barely holding on to consciousness. The Colossi’s attack had left his skin gray and pallid, the blood that should have been inside of him was dripping into the rainwater and several of his bones had torn through his skin. He couldn’t carry a plate, let alone a person. The man was only holding onto Jasper through the power of determination. As the ground crumpled below his feet, Yroizen leapt up and tumbled through the halls of the ship, escaping the devastation with the unconscious Jasper in his arm.
Dollar wasn’t so lucky.
He smacked against the floor of the ship as his final speck of armor gave out, his breath knocked out of his lungs. There was a crack underneath him, and he reached out and grabbed the nearest floorboard just as the ground collapsed underneath him.
Shrieking storm winds swept over his back as he dangled on the edge of the precipice, his fingers slipping as they gripped a half-destroyed floorboard, in a vain attempt at survival.
A quick look around sent his hopes of a quick rescue plummeting.
The damage to the sky ship was catastrophic. An entire section of the ship had simply disappeared. Destroyed, it was now falling into the ocean. Rubble littered the floor and shards of debris had torn through the windows and walls. All around him the floorboards groaned and burned. Most gave up and broke off, falling into the ocean.
Dollar’s vision churned as the sky ship tilted precariously. Below him the screams of the passengers were growing as whatever mechanism that had stabilized the ship was damaged. He ignored them and with each passing second his hold weakened. The adrenaline of the fight was wearing off now, and the pain was setting in.
He looked down at the water below. One wrong move, and he would fall right into its deadly embrace.
At least it’s a steep drop. That’ll give me thirty more seconds to panic about my death. No, I can’t think like that. Dollar’s heart was laced with fear, but he didn’t panic like a headless chicken. Okay, Dollar, think.
Instead, his eyes darted from side to side, trying to figure out a solution.
‘Dollar. Over here.’
“Who said that?” Dollar asked.
He turned his head as hope rose in his heart. Then, he frowned. Someone had come for him, but he couldn’t see anybody nearby.
“Where are you?” Dollar’s voice echoed across the ship.
‘Underneath you.’
Dollar glanced down and immediately regretted it. There was enough debris flying through the storm to create a large house but compared to the expanse of water below him it was tiny. As the wooden shards hit the water the force of the crash caused them to break even further, with some disintegrating on impact. The height of the drop meant that the water would kill him on impact, and a wave of vertigo hit him as that fact became painfully apparent.
‘No. It will be safe. I will keep you safe.’
The voice came to him once again. This time it was accompanied by feelings of calm and safety. It was the same sensation he had felt on The Anchor, and when first entering the sky ship. Like something was calling out to him from the depths.
Something was in the ocean.
As he stared, a single eye broke through the surface of the water. It was gargantuan in size. Impossibly so. As wide as a truck and as long as a swimming pool. Its iris was deep blue, and its pupil as black as night. Swimming within were emotions that were almost human in nature, and it blinked as it spotted him.
A single tentacle pushed aside the debris as it rose from the lowest point of the sea and into his vision. It was accompanied by another. Then another. Soon dozens of tentacles had risen across the water, each one towering over the ocean and ignoring the rain and storm winds. As they appeared, a shadow rose underneath them, and Dollar gasped. Whatever was waiting for him below was larger than the Colossi. Even the sky ship was a tiny dot in its wake.
On both Ioa and Earth there was only one creature Dollar could compare it to.
“A leviathan?” The question escaped his lips before he could stop it.
The call came from deep within his heart, resonating with his soul. This leviathan was singing to him, a song of comfort and safety. Dollar stared down at the depths as the titanic creature rose, the water churning, and waves forming as it emerged. Its tentacles rose toward him as though reaching out to catch him.
Am I going to believe it? Dollar thought. Is that so crazy?
Yes. Yes, it was. This was a magical monster beyond anything he had seen before. For all he knew, it was hypnotizing him into a terrifying death with its voice.
Dollar’s remaining doubts were slowly destroyed as his fingers started to slip from the edge of the board he was gripping. The remaining strength was seeping out of his body, with no safety in sight.
He had no doubt that he was talking to the creature. Its voice permeated his mind, not his ears, and his heart pounded against his chest in a mixture of adrenaline and something else. Deep within his being he could feel something reaching back toward the creature, accepting its help implicitly.
It was his bloodline. His mother had once told him to trust his instincts. To believe in his heritage. His bloodline, she said, would guide him to his family. To safety.
