As the first of the giants reached them, Alice let out a battle cry, her sword swinging in a wide arc. A brilliant wave of energy erupted from the blade, striking the giant. The creature roared in agony as the magic seared its flesh, burning away the corruption. It swung wildly with its jagged claws. Alice parried the swings while warry of the two giants coming from behind the other. The claws cried out as they met her blade.
Alice's blade, now a beacon of pulsating light, sliced through the heavy air as she stepped forward. The giants, monstrous embodiments of darkness, loomed like moving mountains, their every step shaking the earth beneath the trio's feet. The first of the three giants stepped back with a thunderous stomp.
Behind her Elias pushed the horses back making sure that they could not be attacked. He held his sword out ready to attack. He watched the second of the three giant monstrosities approach him. Elias, quick and agile, darted around the giant's massive legs, his sword a flashing arc of steel. He was the storm, swift and unpredictable, striking at their heels, a distraction they couldn't ignore. His every move was calculated, drawing the attention of one giant, and giving Alice and Thompson crucial openings. His blade cut deep with each strike. He made sure to avoid the dark hands of the giants. When he stepped back from the creatures he watched their wounds start to close up and heal. Only the Sword Breath from Alice’s blade had a strong effect.
Thompson, meanwhile, took his position, his crossbow a steady line in his hands. He released bolt after bolt. The bolts whistled through the air, finding their mark in the giants' thick, corrupted flesh. Yet, it was like chipping away at stone - effective but demanding persistence and precision. As the giants walked forward the mist swirling around them shattered the ends of the bolts.
Alice, at the heart of the maelstrom, channeled her magic through her sword, casting arcs of cleansing light. Each swing was a dance, a beautiful yet deadly ballet. The corruption recoiled from her touch, sizzling and smoking where her blade struck. But the giants were resilient, their corrupted forms mending as quickly as she could cleave through them.
The creatures, enraged, fought back with a ferocity that turned the air heavy with malice. One massive hand, a maze of twisted, darkened flesh, swung towards Alice. She rolled away, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow, feeling the rush of air as it passed.
Elias shouted a warning, his voice barely audible over the clash of steel and roar of their foes. A second giant had adapted to his tactics, its movements growing quicker, more targeted. Elias dodged and weaved, but the creature's reach was immense. He felt a sharp pain as he narrowly escaped a sweeping blow, a reminder of their immense power.
Alice, seeing Elias falter, called upon her magic with renewed urgency. Her sword's light flared, a sunburst amidst the gloom. With a powerful chant, she released a wave of purifying energy. The air shimmered, and for a moment, the corruption receded from the giants, revealing the twisted, pained expressions of creatures lost within. The mist left them and whatever magical properties it held for the corrupted giants left with it.
Thompson seized the moment, his crossbow singing. Bolt after bolt flew, each strike emboldened by the weakening corruption. His aim was true, hitting the giant’s eye and joints, causing the giant to stagger, their movements becoming sluggish.
“We need you to share your magic,” shouted Elias when Alice could finally hear him over the chaos. “There must be something you can do. If Thompson and I can’t do enough damage and stop the corruption directly then they will keep healing.”
“I’m not sure if I can do that but I will try. Stay close to me.”
Alice focused, her mind racing with the urgency of the moment. She closed her eyes, reaching deep within to the wellspring of her Sword Breath. It was a force she had always wielded alone, without Elias and Thompson, a solitary light against the darkness. Now, she had to extend it, share it, and intertwine it with her allies' strengths. She remembered her time at the Witch Coven, the meditation, the practice, and their final stand as they shared hands and power to fight off the monsters.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
With a deep breath, she opened her eyes, a determined glint shining in them. The magic surged within her, a torrent of energy begging to be released. She reached out her hand towards Elias and Thompson, her palm glowing with a radiant, pulsating light.
Elias, feeling the call of her magic, moved closer. As he did, the light from Alice's hand leaped towards him, wrapping around his sword like a living entity. The blade hummed with power, its edge glowing with the same purifying light as Alice's. He felt the energy coursing through him, empowering his movements, sharpening his focus.
Thompson, meanwhile, adjusted his stance, taking a deep breath as he felt the magic reach him. His crossbow, already a formidable weapon, began to glow with a faint, ethereal light. The bolts he loaded shone brightly, imbued with the same purifying energy.
The creatures, sensing the power shift, roared in defiance, but there was a note of fear in their cries. Elias charged forward, his blade cutting through the air with newfound vigor. The magic-enhanced sword sliced through the giant's flesh, leaving deep, glowing wounds that did not heal. It’s hand fell to the ground and crumpled into dust. The giant howled in pain, its corrupted blood sizzling as it met the purified air.
Thompson, with steady hands, aimed and fired. The bolts flew true, each one leaving a trail of light as it pierced the giant's flesh. The corrupted beings stumbled, their movements growing more erratic as the purifying energy took its toll.
Alice, the source of this power, stood firm. Her blade was a whirlwind of light and steel, each strike a testament to her will. She moved with grace and determination, her sword leaving arcs of light in its wake as she battled the corruption before her. The moves were a perfect representation of the first four sword moves created by the Sword Temple. Occasionally the fifth sword move was added in. Each attack flowed from one to the next. She pushed the two giants back and cut deeper and deeper into their flesh.
Elias felt his blade start to waver has he moved forward and kept fighting. He looked over to Alice. She was focused on fighting two of the giants at once. Her power had been released to all three of them and was draining three times as fast as a result. One of the giants roared and the mist shook before roaring back. The echoes of the battle carried through the valley.
Elias adjusted his grip on his sword and looked back at the horses carefully huddling behind a few large rocks. He turned back to the fight and swung his sword. It glowed with more power than before and had steadied. The power was no longer flickering occasionally. He felt the whisps of Sword Breath flowing around his sword, his arms, and throughout his body. When he stepped it was lighter, easier, and faster. His strikes cut deeper into the giants burning them and casting away the corruption and mist.
The trio found their rhythm, a harmony during the chaos. Elias, swift and deadly, created openings; Thompson, precise and relentless, exploited them; Alice, the heart of their strength, pushed back the darkness with her magic.
The giants, though weakening, were not yet defeated. They thrashed and roared, the corruption pulsing angrily, fighting against Alice's magic. The ground shook, the air crackled, and the mist thickened as if the very world protested their battle. Rocks from the valley walls cracked and some tumbled down. It kicked up dust as the pieces fell apart and fed into the mist around them.
But amidst the turmoil, the trio stood resolute. Alice's sword glowed brighter, a symbol of hope in the dark. Elias, despite his wounds, fought with the ferocity of a cornered beast. Thompson's shots became a rhythmic beat.
In a final, desperate effort, the largest of the giants lunged at Alice, its massive form casting a shadow that threatened to engulf her. Alice stood her ground, channeling all her magic into one decisive strike. The air around her hummed with power, her sword an extension of her will.
As the giant bore down on her, Alice swung her sword in a wide arc, a trail of blazing light following its path. The blade met the giant's corrupted heart, and the impact was like a thunderclap, echoing through the mist.
Light exploded, radiating outward in a shockwave of purifying energy. The corruption disintegrated, evaporating like mist under the morning sun. The wave of energy carried through the monster and into the other giants. Corruption dripped out of them and burned their insides. The giants, released from their dark enchantment, crumbled, their forms dissipating into nothingness.