Ingenuity and Purpose

After hearing the entire story for Basmet, Genryu was stunned for a moment, before stating "My mother found that thing underground...". Everything started to click for him, The Silverleaf tree, the creature, this entire island. "She gave her life to stop that monster, and now it's breaking free again" he spoke softly. "Yes! Which is why you are going to get on that boat and sail away!" Basmet exclaimed, Genryu silently stared at the waves softly crashing against the rickety dock they stood upon. "What about everyone else..?" he uttered, Basmet stood frozen, "What happens to the island... or the world for that matter if this thing continues its rampage?" he continued.

Another thunderous explosion occurred in the distance as another massive stone palm stretches outward reaching toward the sky. "My mother gave everything to stop that thing, that's why the silver leaf tree grew...", He stated with obvious pain in his voice, "that monster... took everything from me... and you want me to run?" He looked toward Basmet with a heartbroken expression. "You said to yourself that, I'm like my mother... I-I might be the only one who can stop it." Basmet lunges forward tightly gripping Genryu's forearms before shouting "Your mother was a powerful mage with years of training! Even she couldn't stop that monstrosity!!" Genryu could feel Basmet's hands shaking as he held him.

"That might be true" Genryu spoke softly as he knelt down to match Basmet's gaze, "But this is my home... shouldn't I protect it?" he smiled as Basmet's eyes grew wide. At that moment Genryu was the spitting image of his mother, he dropped down to the floor and began to sob uncontrollably "I can't lose another child!" he cried. Genryu lowered himself down to his knees and softly embraced his father, "I don't plan on dying, I promise I'm going to come back... but you need to get on that boat and sail off, not me" he spoke with confidence to reassure his elder. Basmet cried and clutched his son for another three minutes before Genryu helped him into the boat and pushed it out to sea. Once he had drifted a safe distance away, Genryu turned around to see a now fully emerged stone golem, leaving the side of the mountain to collapse inward.

Genryu takes a single deep breath, inhaling with all his strength and then exhaling forcefully, before charging up the mountainside. He knew in his heart that he couldn't handle the creature on his own, but he felt that it wasn't impossible to conquer, as he ran he felt the wind at his back almost guiding him up the forest path. He could see the golem slowly staggering toward the village through the tree line but before he could face the creature, he had to return to where this all started his mother's burial site. Moving as quickly as he could through the forest path, before reaching the gaping pit where the Silverleaf tree used to stand, without any hesitation, he leaps into the pit and plummets to the bottom.

Back in the village, the men of the village are scrambling to prepare their swords, shields, bows, and muskets anything they can arm themselves with. The women and children are guided to the shipping vessels for an evacuation from the island. Lukas confronts his father in his office, "Father!, what are you doing?!" he yells while watching his father cower under his desk, Lukas kicks the side of the desk with enough force to splinter the wood. "The least you could do is help with the evacuation, you pathetic waste of space!" he exclaims as he opens a window for a better vantage point. "That creature is going to be in the village in less than five minutes, we need to devise a way to halt its progress..." he turns back to face his father, "Where are the explosives hidden?" his father looks stunned that he knew about them. "I don't have time for this, just tell me where they are and get out of my face." he sneers.

Sylvester emerges from below the desk and meekly replies "They're in the cellar...", Lukas doesn't waste a moment and hurries down from his father's office. As the townsfolk are fleeing toward the docks, a massive boulder careens overhead crashing into the dock completely decimating it, preventing their main means of escape. The sailboats that manage to escape the impact, attempt to get to a safe distance from the island before sending rescue boats. Lukas emerges from the manor, witnessing the devastation, he analyzes his current situation, before running out into the center of the village and leaping atop the fountain and announcing "Do not panic everyone! All we have to do is get to the ships, Does anyone have any smaller rowboats that we can use right now?!". One of the local fishermen shouts that he has one, Lukas then orders any able-bodied men to assist him.

Everyone unanimously agrees on their next actions before loading about eight individuals and the ferryman into the boat. Some of the younger more able-bodied people swam next to the boat as they left, Lukas announced that they would need to attempt to slow down the creature if they had any hope of surviving the night. He revealed that there were several powerful casks of explosive gunpowder in the cellar that could be used but he would need at least ten men to help him with his plan. Several community heads agreed with this plan including Shu's father the innkeeper, they all rushed into the cellar of the manor to retrieve the casks, working together to move them all up the stairs and out of the building.

Lukas' plan was simple in theory, the men would just need to strategically arrange the barrels along the treeline just bordering the city. Since he was unable to determine the strength of the explosions, he was unsure of how effective this would be but at the very least it would create a pseudo blockade of trees and rubble that should slow the golem down for a few additional seconds he supposed. Ideally, it would be strong enough to at least blow off a leg, but that might be hoping for too much he supposed. The men quickly set up three casks around each tree, layering several casks around the groupings of trees within the creature's proposed path. They hurried to complete the task as they saw this colossal creature stumbling forward growing closer and closer, as they completed their tasks they all retreated back to the manor for cover.

Lukas standing atop the manor's roof with a single flaming arrow notched in his bow steadied himself for the perfect moment, he watched the golem shamble forward, causing massive quakes with every stride. The golem stopped right at the edge of the tree line and silently surveyed the town, its eyes flickering with a crimson flame as it released a tumultuous roar. Lukas fired his single arrow with masterful precision which set off an immense chained explosion. The shockwave of the blast was enough to knock him off his feet, almost causing him to slip from the roof. He looked over towards the creature with a triumphant grin, that twisted into a grimace when the creature took only moments to recover raising itself once more to tower over the building.