“You are a pretender!” Her voice echoed, filled with anger and determination. “A charlatan, who would rather see the world end than lose what little power you hold!” Grasping the haft of her staff, she raised it high up. Her voice rang clearly. “I deny your Authority! You have no power here, false prophet!”
She struck the ground with the haft of her staff. Golden light spread out from its crystal, spilling into the air like a bucket of ink through water.
The priestess visibly flinched. Partially covering her eyes, she looked at Arwen, and the bright light spreading throughout the air. Her eyes widened for a split second before her expression twisted with hatred. “A fledgling witch dares defy my authority?” She spat with disgust. “I am beyond your mortal understanding!” She raised her hand, pointing at Arwen.
Midhir’s body moved before his thoughts caught up with what had been happening. He leapt forward, tackling Arwen. Crimson chalk roots burst out of the ground, sharp as a blade, cutting through the air where Arwen was standing a moment ago.
Midhir rolled aside, quickly getting up on one knee as he reached for his earring. Reality twisted, and the gold embossed wooden stake appeared in his palm.
Arwen caught his wrist before he could strike the ground with it. As he shot her a puzzled glance, she wiped the blood coming from his eye, then pressed her palm against the chalk roots below them. Her eyes closed, she whispered something before reaching for her staff, and using it to help herself back up.
“I offer blood to the Great One – blood used to awaken it!” Her voice rang loud and clear.
“No!” Lord Aulorn’s shout sounded from afar.
His heart raced; adrenaline rushed through his veins. The world grew vibrant, sounds became clearer, and scents became stronger. He could see the twisted expression of the false priestess, the fear in the eyes of her men. He could hear the panic in Lord Aulorn’s voice.
His eye throbbed with dull pain that slowly began to subside as he pushed himself back up on his feet, holding the sword spear with one hand. He looked at Lord Aulorn – his fear and concern was well hidden behind a façade of anger, but Midhir could see it in his eyes. Their gazes met. He raised his chin, letting the stake vanish into his earring as he tilted his head towards the false priestess.
End Them.
“Now!” Arwen’s shout startled the Lord Enforcer and Cait.
“Witch! I know your ways!” The false priestess’ scream was one of desperation as she brandished her whip. “I bested your kind before, I will do so again – with or without the help of the gods!”
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
A shadow flew through the air as the whip cracked, striking the ground between Arwen and the false priestess. Water burst from where it struck, creating a wall between the two of them. “Do what you must, Arwen!” Alistair hissed through gritted teeth. His gaze was fixed on the spear he had just thrown as he tried to maintain the resonance from afar.
Not a moment later, screams sounded. Flashes of crimson and gold lit up the wall of water as it began to dissipate. A crimson blade cut through the water, ending Alistair’s resonance, and revealing the battle that had begun on the other side.
Lord Aulorn stood tall before the crowd of cultists and their false priestess. His blade was wreathed in fire, serpents made of water circled him, and the wind carried him forth as he raised his blade.
Cait was quite some distance behind him, standing over a smaller group of cultists. Blood flowed on the ground, it dripped from her gold wreathed blades, and from her soaked clothes. She wiped it from her cheeks with the back of her hand while her blank gaze turned towards the rest of the cultists.
Her cold, undisturbed gaze sent a shudder down his spine. He watched as she bent her knees. Her body glowed golden for a split second before she moved faster than any human should. In an instant, she appeared in front of the false priestess.
The false priestess’ eyes widened in shock. “No-“ Her voice cut out as Cait’s knife found her throat, cutting it without even a split second of hesitation. Blood gushed out, spilling on the chalk-root covered ground.
Screams filled the air as Lord Aulorn’s blade cut through the remaining ones. The metallic scent of blood mixed with that of burned flesh and hair. What seemed like an impossible battle had ended in less than a few minutes.
As the last of the cultists fell, Lord Aulorn allowed his blade to disappear. “May your gods watch over your souls.” He breathed out in a prayer.
It smelled awful. Like a battlefield should. He stepped forward, suppressing his disgust and horror, and walked up to the bodies scattered on the ground. “He’s not here.” He softly spoke after looking at each of them. He wasn’t sure how he knew it, but the one he saw in red wasn’t here.
“Are you sure?” Cait asked with narrowed eyes.
Midhir nodded as his gaze was pulled towards the towering monument. “Yes, he’s not here.” He stepped around the bodies and walked up to the monument. Standing right in front of it, it seemed even larger and more intimidating than before.
Hesitantly, he touched it.
It felt like his mind stretched. He was aware of the monument, of the chalk roots spreading from it. They reached so far, covering so much ground. He could feel them spreading towards Bareon, towards the other monuments… They reached down below, deep underground, and its branch-like top reached high up to the sky.
He felt something familiar, then his mind snapped away from the monument as he fell down. His senses returned to just in time for him to feel the pain of his back hitting the chalk roots. He blinked once as his mind tried to adjust to being only contained in his own body.
His vision finally focused, allowing him to make sense of what he was looking at.
Arwen was standing over him, her arms folded, and her brows furrowed. “Only madness awaits there. The Old Gods are far beyond what our minds can ever hope to comprehend.”
image [https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=1AE26oxRJ1VLUwn9TY2qt61ati41Cd6bv&sz=w2400-h400]