Chapter 328: Fire Gigant (1/2)

After almost an entire hour of flying through the ashen, molten landscape that was the second layer of the Gigant, Li finally found something of noteworth. One of his Alpha Rocs notified him, giving him a distinct sense of threat.

A whole hour of boredom had left Tia sleeping snugly, cuddled up on the back of an Alpha Roc, and Li raised his voice as gently as he could.

”Tia,” said Li. ”Time to wake up. We've got something.”

Tia heard Li's voice and woke up slowly, rubbing her eyes with her small hands and yawning. ”Papa? We fight now?” she said groggily.

”Yes, and this is going to be your fight, Tia. Make sure to get a stretch in to work out the stiffness after you wake up,” said Li.

”Okay!” Tia immediately sprang up into action, standing on the back of the Alpha roc and starting up some dynamic stretches. She crossed one arm over the other and craned her neck from one side to the other with a smile, the prospect of a fight getting her wide awake.

Her emerald green wings sprouted from her back, stretching outwards too.

”What is it, papa? What I fight?” said Tia as she now leaped up and down expectantly. The roc under her narrowed its fiercely sharp eyes in mild annoyance but put up with Tia's antics.

”You'll see, Tia,” said Li. The roc fleet he had summoned was in a V-formation, with the tip of the V far ahead of Li.

Over a set of large mountains of black rock lined with rivers of molten liquid. Their tops were enshrouded in clouds of thick ash, and Li and the rocs crossed over it. The ash killed all visibility for a few seconds, and during this time, Tia shuddered.

”Are you okay, Tia?” said Li.

”Don't like this,” said Tia. ”The white air. Reminds me of the cold place.”

”It's called ash, Tia, and I understand,” said Li. He knew she was reminded of the thick fog from before, the one surrounding the tear in space that Lira guarded. And he knew how much she disliked the chill of eldritch energies. ”Come here.”

He extended a hand to her from above, his fiery Sanzuwu wings keeping him soaring up. She leaped up and took the hand, and Li scooped her up in his arms in a hug.

”Love papa's hugs!” said Tia as she waddled her legs while Li carried her.

”Oh, incoming!” said Li, and he flapped his flaming wings down, sending him soaring higher in the air as a fireball rippled past beneath him.

Then, dozens and dozens of fireballs soared around everywhere, and the Alpha rocs broke formation to engage in evasive maneuvers. Among summons Li could create, they possessed exceptionally sharp eyesight and even the coveted Truesight that saw through visual blocks and could even track targets using lower leveled invisibility.

The rocs swerved and spun in the air, fireballs never even coming close to landing on them despite the fact they came from the thick of the fog.

Li was the first to break through the fog of ash with Tia in tow.