Screams of pain and defiance permeated the air on her way down the slope toward General Darunia with Penelo, Fariane, Asena, Ievis and Saida behind her. Vanima could see the remaining flyers fall from the sky all at once. The force of her mate's magic echoed across the battlefield.
On arrival, Vanima surveyed the right flank with optimism.
Greetings, Darunia. With the emergence of the bone horror on the battlefield, Commander Elwin sent my team to secure your position.
With a smile, General Darunia looked down at Vanima and said, "My warriors and I would appreciate your help."
Vanima faced her team and handed out her orders.
Ievis and Saida, I want you to support the back line by offering ranged support. Those shadow beasts leaping in the air won’t kill themselves. The rest of you will head to the front.
Penelo flexed her hand, marveling at the blessed prosthetic, and rushed after Fariane and Asena.
The young elf was less experienced, with no real training before they left Unn Thalor together. Yet, for all her shortcomings, Penelo had conviction and a will to step into the fire for a cause she believed in. She faced her fear and turned it into an iron will. Fariane and Penelo's trust in one another had grown since that first fight against the shadow beasts. Add in the young eager Asena who wanted to prove her worth to the new leader of the Shadow Breakers and Elwin and you get a trio of motivated warriors.
Sitting next to the general, Vanima began relaying information to her team. She knew this wasn’t her fight. Not yet.
….
Hand gripped tightly on her blade, Penelo joined in the fight on the front lines. Those under Darunia's command fought with discipline and relied on teamwork to watch each other's backs. Weaving between pockets of conflict, Penelo cut down countless undead preoccupied with fighting others while trying to stay balanced navigating the dead lying on the ground, blood soaking into her shoes. She couldn’t understand how the others could fight with the taste of death stuck to the back of their mouth.
“Penelo, to your left.”
Sliding her left leg back, she lifted her blade and parried the claws, swiping down toward her face. She leaped back, allowing Asena to charge in, swiping at its legs and retreating. A perfect distraction for Fariane’s follow-up strike to its side.
Struggling to keep her feet in the correct stance, Penelo thrust her blade into the beast's chest several times. Her arms received a few shallow cuts as recompense. Asena spent much of her time tearing into any undead that got too close. Focused on her training, Penelo waited for an opening and thrust her sword into its open maw when it roared, ripping it out the side before she could lose more fingers.
Fariane always knew where best to strike. Her pure white iris penetrated the shadows, revealing the beast that hid within. Dodging around to its back, she pierced the back of its head and up into its skull. As it fell, she grinned, and said, “Well done. Let’s keep going.”
Howl!
“This way, Penelo. Asena found another one.”
…
Focused on keeping everyone around her safe and organized, Caeda received a mental update alerting her of Vanima's presence along with her team. Their power alone wouldn’t be enough to end the conflict and save them all, not with an evil god and whatever they were hiding, still waiting to enter the battlefield.
“Anhayn, stop drifting away from your squad. You don’t want to get swarmed by the undead like Vulalar did.”
A wolf jumped in the air, knocking down an undead, and dug its claws into a shadow beast that was heading toward her location. Fariane engaged the beast, giving her companion time to disengage and preoccupy the undead nearby. Penelo followed behind, exchanging blows with the Shadow beast. The pair were in perfect sync.
Returning her focus to the swarm of undead around her, Caeda weaved around, cutting into the rotting flesh with both of her blades.
“Keep it up, everyone.”
...
Ievis stood next to Saida with his bow held firmly in his grasp, waiting for the next worthy target to appear. A lot had happened ever since the day Penelo ran off into the forest and met an actual god. He was thankful for all Elwin and Vanima had done for his tribe.
Between him, Saida, and Fariane, they had accomplished much ever since the three of them formed as a team when they were kids. That's why Penelo’s father entrusted his daughter's safety to them. It wouldn’t surprise him to find out if the elf had trained them for this very reason ever since she was born.
Much would change after this fight if they all survived this. Penelo wasn’t the same carefree girl she used to be. What would become of their team now that Fariane became the new leader of the Shadow Breakers.
“Hey, Saida. What happens to us now that Fariane has revived an abandoned religious order?”
The elf scoffed at the question, shook her head, and said, “We stand by her side. After all this time together, why wouldn’t we?”
After firing off several arrows into a charging shadow beast that had bypassed the rest of their team, Vanima rushed in and finished it before returning to Darunia’s side.
“It’s not that I am against us staying together, Saida. Just that there is all this uncertainty surrounding what our friend has become and I’m uncertain how we fit into all of it.”
Saida whipped her bow around, smashing it into the head of an undead and stabbed it in the eye with an arrow. Kicking it to the ground, she pulled out a dagger from her belt and rammed it into the side of its head. When it kept squirming, she stood up and slammed her foot into its head until the skull shattered.
Covered in blood and bits of brain matter, Saida looked over at Ievis and said, “Instead of worrying about what might happen, let’s focus on what we can see in front of us.”
Her grin turned sour when she saw Ievis’s expression. Pointing out toward the enemy-controlled town, he shouted, “Bone horror!”
His proclamation caused many nearby to take an inadvertent step back, as it sent a cascading wave of gasps throughout the ranks.
…
Ievis and Saida, with me.
As Vanima ran toward the new threat, she passed on a single message to the general.
Keep your warriors focused on the threat in front of them. Let me handle it.
Darunia yelled, “Don’t you dare break formation! Did you forget why our commander sent Vanima? She is here to deal with problems like this.”
Paws enhanced, Vanima bolted for the bone horror. As it reached the point where it could leap into the mass of bodies fighting, Vanima slammed into the abomination in midair. All four of her paws dug into the mutated creature, sending it crashing to the ground.
Quick to recover, it sprang back up and jumped, bone swords spinning as it twisted its body in the air on its descent. Dashing to the side, Vanima avoided being diced to pieces. Ievis and Saida spread out and engaged the bone horror with their bows.
Every time it shifted away from her, Vanima would force its attention back on her. With its superior speed and agility, she knew it would cut them down. There was no doubt about that.
It took all she had to dodge its attacks. The pattern and direction of its sword limbs alternated constantly. A maelstrom of bone and death. She didn’t have the luxury of facing its kind before, like Elwin. In times like these, Vanima wished she could slam her opponents to the ground like her mate.
The bone horror cut down many of the arrows fired at it by Ievis and Saida. To the fast-moving mutation, their attacks were an annoyance at best. The longer this fight went on, the more frustrated the two elves appeared.
Do not let your frustration cloud your judgment, you two. If I could afford to go all out, I would, but we both know this won't be the deadliest foe that walks onto this battlefield today.
That is the moment it changed targets.
Accepting the long gash down its leg from Vanima, the bone horror made its move.
No!
Saida dropped her bow and dove toward it. Unable to halt its momentum, its arms swung down, striking the ground a few feet away from the elf, just missing the bow near its feet.
Vanima hadn’t been idle.
Pouring more of her energy into one powerful attack, a resource she couldn’t regain quickly so far from the forest, Vanima latched on to its back and bit down on its right arm chipping some of her teeth and yanked until the limb ripped from the socket.
Puzzled, it stood there for a moment, staring down at its missing limb. This gave Saida a chance to get away, her bow left behind.
Ievis asked, “You alright, Saida?”
“I think so.”
Laughing, he replied, “That’s good to hear. Did you notice anything when you dived under it?”
With a shake of her head, she said, “No, but if I did, they would probably be bigger than yours.”
rm still in her mouth, Vanima created some distance and ran toward the bone horror with its severed arm dragging along the ground. Upon reaching her destination, she pushed off with her front paws and performed a backward somersault. She then drove the bone blade up between its legs, cutting into its flesh until it became wedged in the creature's rib cage.
Brought out of its confused stupor, it lashed out with its remaining arm. The hair from her tail brushed against the blade as it barely missed her. When it tried to move, the two halves of its lower body ripped up from where the blade had stopped, causing all its internal organs to spill out.
Vanima ignored the final desperate twitching as it raised its remaining arm, then let it splash down in the blood pooling around it. Her tongue moved about inside her mouth, feeling the rough edges around her teeth where they had chipped.
I apologize. I have made it impossible for the two of you to check between its legs. You can kill the next one we meet and find out then.
The two elves look at each other, then back at Vanima before laughing uncontrollably.
When the flash of light radiated on the left flank where Elwin had been, their moment of joy had died.
Silvertree has taken the field.
Prepare yourself. You’re on your own this time.
A stillness washed over Vanima. The sounds of battle became muffled. Breathing in, she tasted the blood, rot, sweat, and something else familiar. Primal. Something the wolf spirit inside recognized.
Rage.
An intense loathing that wanted nothing more than to kill. A beast let out of its cage. The uncontrollable ferocity that ran toward her.
Howl!
It’s time.
Leading her team toward open ground free of corpses, she waited for the small group of shadow beasts to arrive.
Fariane stood next to her, eyes fixated on the largest target, and said, “A clear leader with five under it. Just like the team we eliminated before.”
“If they ask for your left eye this time, I’m going to stab them in the face and see how they like it.”
Patting the young elf on the head, Fariane said, “The idea is commendable, but if you did that, they wouldn’t be able to see your point.”
That’s enough. We face them like we did before.
The sense of finality etched into her mental command silenced them. There was no escaping the reality of this moment as it charged toward her. She looked over her shoulder at the rest of her team.
Stay safe and watch each other’s backs.
What she saw in their eyes gave Vanima hope. Penelo gripped her sword, a slight tremor causing the sword to sway. Fariane still stared down at the encroaching enemy, but her hand now rested on the top of Asena’s head. Saida now held Ievis’s hand, the other holding her fallen weapon. The two of them shared unspoken words within a glance. Vanima held this moment in her mind and took the plunge.
Feet pounding into the ground, she met her foe. Mouth agape, it roared, sending a shockwave of dark energy that slammed into her, knocking Vanima back. Claws digging into the ground for purchase.
She met its unbridled rage with icy determination. Nothing more than another hunt. Another kill that would keep her and the ones she loved alive. When it opened its maw to roar a second time, she howled, infusing the sound with enough raw energy to cancel out the effect when the two forces collided. Free to move, Vanima danced with the beast.
...
Fariane guided Penelo and Asena off to the side, giving them space to maneuver. Ievis and Saida were already engaging two of the shadow beasts at range, pulling them into a fight with the pair. The remaining three seemed drawn to the energy coming from her eye. The most potent source of Silvertree’s magic after Vanima.
As of late, she had her moments of doubt if her new white eye had been worth the cost of what she could no longer look away from. It peeled back the shadows and uncovered the truth hidden beneath. Fariane had confidence it could do more if pushed, but only when the time was right.
They had killed plenty of shadow beasts before this encounter, but these monsters were on an entirely different level compared to the dozens of new victims still adjusting to the dark lord's machinations. She couldn’t prove it at first, but with her new eye, the truth of their origin was clear to see. Everyone they fought today used to be an elf, be it the undead, flyers, bone horror or shadow beast.
If this group formed at the same time as the ones they killed while recruiting for this fight and survived all this time, they must have gained a wealth of knowledge. Her analysis lasted long enough for her to make contact. The first beast ducked under her first thrust and kicked her in the gut, sending her flying backward. Gasping for breath, she rolled away from its claws and bounced back up.
Asena bit down on its leg, trying to keep it away from her, only to be gripped by the neck and tossed to the ground. The onslaught forced Penelo onto her back foot as she struggled to defend against it. This had to stop.
Focused on her right eye, Fariane’s desire to see not just her opponent’s movements, but their future actions. Grabbing her head from the pain, Fariane shoved the dizziness away with pure will and roared in defiance.
A white shadowy figure now preceded each beast, giving her a moment to react with precision every time. Since Asena was unconscious on the ground, it was up to her to face two at once and hope Penelo could hold out.
Letting her body flow like water, she danced between the two monsters while dodging their claws and acrobatic kicks. Accustomed to the double images, she adjusted her attacks to strike their weak points where they would be. If their howls were anything to go by, they weren’t used to being pushed back in a fight. When she saw her companion struggle up, Fariane grinned.
“Now, Asena!”
The young wolf's jaws bit down on a leg, which caused the closest foe to stagger, allowing Fariane to cut its paw off at the wrist. It spiraled in the air, sinking into the chest of its companion in time for her kick that forced the claws to puncture deeper inside and knock it to the ground.
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Focused on the wounded shadow beast that still stood, she left the other one to Asena. The wolf wasted no time ripping out its throat before it could toss her again.
Sparing a glance over at Penelo, she called out, “Roll forward to the left and swing your blade hard to the right!” Satisfied with the howl of pain coming from Penelo’s direction, Fariane danced around, teasing the beast. With a mental command, Asena left to assist Penelo, leaving the two of them alone.
“It’s just us now. You better hurry before you bleed out.”
Between the blood loss and rage, it fell after she clashed with it three more times. Asena stood on top of a corpse next to a weary Penelo. The two of them appeared to get along, which made her smile.
Eyesight back to normal, the three of them turned to Vanima in time to witness the end of her fight. Ievis and Saida were already doing the same.
...
Vanima’s heart sank when she noticed Asena lying still on the ground with Penelo barely holding on. A pulse of energy reverberated from Fariane's eye, a new miracle in the making, which was a pleasant surprise to the old wolf. Glancing at Ievis and Saida, she felt proud of their prowess. Falling back on the decades of experience of watching each other's backs, they fell into a rhythm that never gave their foes an opportunity.
The air crackled with dark energy from the paw slashing down over Vanima’s head. Scooting to the side nimbly, she avoided the claws, only to be blasted in the side by the debris kicked up from the paw that slammed into the ground. Eyes sharp, she dove in and slashed into the back of its leg at the joint. Weight still pressing down, the shadow beast crashed down face first in the dirt. Leaping up, Vanima focused all her enhancements into one paw before aiming for the beast's neck.
Crack!
A moment of silence passed; dark energy burst from its neck as the bone snapped back into place. Vanima leaped into the air again when it opened its mouth. Before it could unleash another magical roar, she slammed the same enhanced paw down on its lower jaw. With another crack that turned into a wet ripping sound, the shadow beast's jaw bounced off the ground and settled.
Dark energy stopped the bleeding, leaving one angry, jawless monster with its tongue hanging out. It charged, intending to smash through her. Diving between its legs, she used a reinforced claw and dug into its back hind leg. A chunk of muscle tearing off the bone. Now that the leg could no longer hold its weight, the shadow beast fell.
A wave of dark energy radiated from an unknown force that made their way toward her position. Vanima needed to end this fight now.
Shifting the energy fueling the reinforcement to her mouth, she jumped on the beast's back and bit down at the base of the neck. Pulling for all she was worth, paws digging into its back, a throaty gurgle escaped as its neck muscles snapped from the pressure. Jerking her head to the side, a series of pop, pop, pop followed by one last crack sent the beast's head flying. Tongue lying limp in the dirt.
It is done. Everyone needs to gather around me.
Vanima scanned the group as they approached with magnified vision.
An elf covered in black armor holding a helmet in one hand approached. Ten more elves similarly garbed followed behind him. The one in the center had a full black handprint covering their face while the other ten only had a thumb marking their forehead. When they were within shouting distance, the elf stopped. The others lined up next to him, five on each side.
General Darunia. I need five warriors.
Vanima could see four of the general's guards and their squad leader running over to join her.
With a salute, the warrior stood at attention and said, “Squad captain Finnea at your service. I have brought along Haluan, Silvith, Kilarah, and Baervara.”
Stick together and do your best to stay alive. These are elves with the same amount of training as you, but with the dark lord's blessing.
“Understood!”
Turning to face her squad, she gave them a nod and faced the enemy. Hand placed on the hilt of her sword.
A loud booming voice came from the enemy elf in the center.
"If you have finished gathering more allies, I would like to get on with this.”
Loud explosions of light and dark burst into the air as the dark lord clashed with Silvertree.
“As you can see, my master is finishing what he started long ago.”
Penelo, you and the others take the left. Finnea, take your team to the right.
When the elf saw what she was doing, he laughed and did the same.
“Come wolf. Let us see who is worthy.”
Swords raised high, both sides closed the distance. Leaving the headless shadow beast behind, Vanima raced toward what would be one of the toughest fights of her life.
Placing his helmet on, the black-armored elf raised his sword and unleashed a wave of dark energy that engulfed him and his weapon in shadows. The weight of his conviction infused within the shadows that pressed down on her. A physical manifestation that wanted to crush Vanima.
“Is this the best a fighter blessed by Silvertree can do? Pathetic.”
If she didn’t go all out, there wouldn’t be a second chance. Silvertree told her so. She was on her own. Go all out or die.
Vanima unleashed her full potential. No more holding back. Blazing white light flashed into existence, enveloping her in its warm embrace. The dark aura pressed back; she howled in defiance. Vanima started to perceive and process what she saw at a faster rate, which gave the impression of slowing down time. A phenomenon heightened by her increased speed.
This also allowed her to monitor her companions during the fight. Finnea and her squad engaged the enemy. The dark lord's warriors hurled a dark ball of shadows, forcing the squad leader to intercept. Relying on the blessing still coating their weapons, Finnea sliced the magical projectile in half, causing it to split in two. The two halves veered to the side, clipping Silvith and Baervara in the shoulder, flipping them in the air from the force.
Vanima dodged the shadow projectiles only to be forced back to avoid the expert swordsmanship from the leader. Every time she pushed herself a little harder to go faster, he closed the gap. When Vanima moved in to strike, he would try to cut her down or let his armor deflect the strike. If she created more distance, he would hurl a barrage of shadows at her.
Silvith now fought with one arm pressed against his chest. He gritted his teeth after each deflection. The force of the attack reverberated down his blade. The rest of the squad didn’t fare any better. Vanima felt like they were only messing around with the warriors.
Fariane had taken center point with Ievis and Saida on either side, with Penelo and Asena in the back offering support. The new leader of the Shadow Breakers hadn’t held back, either. Eye blazing white with energy. Vanima could see the elf react before the enemy even moved.
Sacrificing part of her ability to deflect hits off her fur, Vanima increased her speed yet again. Blurring up and over his strikes, claws extended, and she slashed into a gap in his armor near the shoulder. Satisfaction at hearing him grunt in pain for the first time.
“You’ll pay for that.”
Another ball of shadows crashed into the ground in front of Finnea, creating a cloud of dust obscuring Vanima’s view. Forced to wait, she shifted her gaze back to Fariane.
One of the black-armored elves said, “I grow weary of this farce. This ends now!”
Breaking from his formation, he charged, sword held high, ready to strike with a ball of shadows held in his palm. Saida deflected his strike, giving Fariane the chance to slice up the middle of his hand to the wrist, dissipating the energy he held. Saida’s follow-up attack took the elf's head off. The helmet rolled around on the ground. Lifeless eyes hid underneath.
As the enemy emerged from the dust cloud, they stabbed Silvith in the shoulder. Unable to bring up his one good arm to deflect the second strike, the sword streaked across Silvith’s face, slicing into his eyes. A shadow ball hit Finnea in the ribs, causing her to be knocked to the ground as she tried to come to their aid. Sword lying on the ground. Helpless to defend themselves, the enemy stabbed them in the heart, twisted the blade, and yanked them up as they pulled it out. Covered in his blood, they licked their lips and roared.
In their latest exchange, he grabbed Vanima's tail and flung her into the air in an arc until she crashed into the ground, knocking the wind from her lungs. She felt a few of her ribs break from the impact of his foot that sent her bouncing across the ground. Trying to find her breath, Vanima felt the pressure of his foot against her throat. Prepared to finish her, she roared. The magical-infused blast forced the elf back long enough for her to get back on her feet.
Angered by the loss of their comrade, the enemy pressed their advance, trying to take out Ievis. Managing a sold punch to his ribs from their free hand that sent him reeling back, Saida cried out, “Ievis, no!”
Fariane must have seen what would happen next since she cried out, “Saida, don’t do it.”
Warning ignored, Saida bounced off the ground after the dark shadows smashed into her back. Ievis howled with rage. Letting the elf slice into his side, he ripped off their helmet and smashed it into their nose. When another tried to defend against Ievis, he threw the helmet at their face. Ievis thrust his blade in and out of the elf's neck, using both hands when the helmet obscured their vision. It came at a cost. Would he regret such a decision? Vanima hesitated to reach out to him.
Hidden behind his now-dead companion, the elf sliced into Ievis’s side, trying to cut him in half. Penelo swung down, slicing off a few of the attacker's fingers that held his sword at the same time Asena bit down on the back of their foot. Stumbling backward, Fariane went on the offensive as Penelo and Asena guarded Ievis, who lay on the ground. Saida bent over him.
Finnea’s squad didn’t fare any better. After losing Silvith, the enemy pushed them even harder. Five against four, when the enemy had the advantage, could never be an easy fight. Baervara backpedaled on the defensive, two swords striking from multiple angles. Her wounds from the beginning of the fight slowed her down. It only took one missed parry.
Sword knocked aside. Another slashed across her chest. Wide open, they stabbed Baervara in the mouth. Weapon falling to the ground, she gripped the blade with both hands and pulled. The elf laughed as he kicked her in the gut. Because of the rate at which her mind processed what she saw, it felt like an eternity between the sword sliding out of her mouth and the elf’s head bouncing on the ground.
When on the field of battle, there can be only one type of currency exchanged. Misery. The pain and suffering of others fueled the dark lord. Vanima faced death firsthand just before the second dark war. She should have died long ago. That didn’t make the process any easier when she faced the mortality of those close to her.
...
Tears rolling down her cheeks. Fariane faced off against the three as Penelo and Asena held back the last one. Not far away, hundreds fought for their lives just like her. Just like he did. Just like she should be doing. Hand laced with his, her eyes begged him not to go. Ievis reached out with a trembling hand and caressed her cheek. His thumb brushed away a tear.
Blood dribbling out of his mouth, Ievis coughed and said, “You don’t need to cry on my account.”
Squeezing his hand, she said, “You fool. We were supposed to grow old and raise a family together.”
“War has a cost, and I’ll be damned if I let you go before me.”
Howl!
Fariane cried out, “Saida, I need you now or we all join him.”
Saida looked back, but he was already gone. Eyes glazed over. Hand still clasped in hers. Sadness turned into regret. Regret became anger that transformed into rage. Clasping his sword, Saida rose and pulled out her own. Wielding two blades, she stared at the one assaulting Penelo and Asena and said, “Move.”
…
Relieved to see Saida get up, Fariane knew it was time to step up her game. There were magical tethers linking the leader with his men, and then to his master across the battlefield. It was time to see if she could sever that connection and give everyone a fighting chance.
Dodging her pursuers, she ran toward Vanima and with all her might slashed down in the air, using the rest of her stored energy to manifest the shadow tether before she sliced into it. The sudden absence of dark energy caused the enemy to stagger.
No longer able to see from her right eye after using up all the stored magical energy, she grinned.
…
Confused why Fariane would run toward her with three elves chasing, she almost let her opponent slice her in two. That is when a string of shadows appeared in the air right as Fariane used her blade to slice into it. Sensitive to the magical aura around them, Vanima felt the energy reverberate in the air. The leader stood there slack-jawed as his fighters staggered from the loss of power.
Eyes filling with rage, he said, “How dare you mess with the connection my master created!”
Finnea, Haluan, and Kilarah seized the opportunity and earned their first kill, slashing another across the face from below their right eye, down into the cheek. The ferocity of Durunia’s warriors pushed the elf's back.
Vanima was dodging the chaotic stream of curses and shadow balls being hurled by the enemy leader when she looked at Saida once more. The veteran hunter had already killed the elf closest to her and had rejoined the fight against the final three, now wedged between her and Fariane, who stood so they were always within her left field of vision.
Still at a stalemate, the leader disengaged and stepped back. His gaze turned toward the fight between the gods, causing her to do the same. A massive wall of shadows had erupted. The elf sighed and said, “Block my retreat! The master has given me orders,” then turned his back to run back toward town.
Prepared to stop him, Vanima felt a crushing weight against her chest. She vaguely noticed the rest of her team, along with Finnea’s squad, join forces to cut down the remaining elves. Looking over to where her mate fought, she knew.
The bond she and Elwin shared spanned more than just time. It was deeper than that. Silvertree brought them together and after constant prodding, convinced Elwin to trade in his boon for immortality together. As surely as Fariane severed that magical connection, so too was her connection with Elwin gone.
No.
It can’t be happening.
Not him.
Why did it have to be him?
He was her rock. Her reason for being. Elwin had to be the one who saved them all. As Silvertree’s champion and hero of the second dark war, it should have been a given.
So why?
Why could she no longer feel him?
She had to know.
Her feet took her away from the others and toward the fight between gods. Friends and companions left behind.
...
Silvertree’s aura enveloped Elwin in the ensuing silence. Bone horrors and any remaining undead nearby disintegrated by his god's might, which left them alone. Hundreds fought for survival. Several hundred more were already dead because he asked them to fight. To make the sacrifice now when it could still matter. Still make a difference.
Despite the longevity of his former race wielded, they could not comprehend the gods or the wars they fought. The lives they sacrificed to further their goals. So why did he choose to become a pawn? That’s simple. Survival. What about after that? Did he not ask Silvertree to leave him alone after defeating the dark lord's minions during the last war? Of course he did, and he meant it.
Once again, the question arises: why did he do it? That, too, is simple. Love. Vanima wanted to grow old together and then some. A few millennia together and his love for her still shined brighter than ever.
Yet, the question demands to be asked. Why did he do it? Guilt? Obligation? Duty? Did any of it matter? Elwin might try to convince himself that this too had been simple. Vanima wanted to honor the boon Silvertree granted them and he would do anything for her. On the surface, this would satisfy most. But not Elwin. Not deep down.
He would never admit it to anyone, let alone himself, but he grew weary of living. Watching everyone he ever knew grow old and die. Yes, he had Vanima. Without her, he would have lost the will to live long ago. Did this change how he felt about this fight or his desire to live past today? That’s up to him.
A lone figure walked alone out of the town gates. He may appear to be a normal elf, but they were anything but. Whoever that elf had been no longer existed. Only a god remains. One inside an elf flesh suit.
An oppressive aura pressed against him, even at this distance. The death of hundreds fueled the god's rage to the brink of overflowing. Elwin leaned on the connection he had with Vanima, feeling her warmth as he waited for the fight to begin.
“Greetings, Silvertree. I see you haven’t changed since I last saw you.”
And I see you have devoured another follower and stole his body. At least you had the decency to remain incorporeal last time.
“Yes, and what did that get me? Your wolf next to you ruined everything. It’s much simpler if I take direct control. It brought you here to me, after all.”
True. Let us end this.
“Not yet. I have a gift for your champion.” Snapping his finger, a shadow beast the size of a giant bear jumped out of the dark lord's shadow and roared. “Try not to die too quickly, my furry friend.”
Howl!
I am no friend of yours.
With a shrug, he waved his hand toward Elwin and said, “Enjoy your first meal, shadow reaper.”
Enhancing his body with all he had, Elwin prepared for the beast who bore down on him. The shadow reaper jumped into a puddle of shadows that appeared in front of it, reappearing to the left. A claw transformed into a bone sword mid-swing, slicing part of Elwin's ear off. Not only could it create shadows to teleport but mutate their limbs into bone blades at will. The dark lord called it a shadow reaper. Of course, the lunatic would combine two atrocities into the deadliest creature ever to walk this land.
Silvertree matched the dark lord shot for shot, flying magical balls of pure energy that collided creating massive explosions in the air between the two. Forced to move away to avoid the two gods, Elwin focused solely on surviving the constant harassment from the teleporting beast that could transform any limb into a bone sword at will.
Feeling the gaze of the dark lord on him, Elwin became alarmed when a bolt of concentrated shadow zoomed toward him. Knowing he could not dodge such a strike, he looked to his god for help. Blazing at the speed of light, Silvertree slammed the bolt into the ground with his antlers and forced the dark lord's attention back on him.
He knew this fight couldn’t continue forever. Resolve found Elwin put his life on the line and attacked. Accustomed to the energy signature when a shadow portal opened, Elwin never let the beast get the drop on him again. This, however, did not stop the shadow reaper from using its superior size and strength to lash out with killing intent from every direction.
Little by little, his opponent grazed him dozens of times, and through Silvertree’s energy, he had healed himself. The missing tip of his ear was the only visible wound he showed. Forced into an extensive use of his energy, the worst-case scenario became inevitable. Away from the forest and unable to recharge his reserves deep within enemy territory, he couldn’t last forever. This was the reason he watched hundreds die when he could have saved them with his abilities.
That’s the problem with power and responsibility. There is always a cost that one must pay. Could he find the resolve to pay what he owed? Let’s be honest. If anyone deserves to pay, it should be the dark lord. He only knows how to take. Never give. Satisfied with his new resolve. Elwin fought for the chance to make his dream a reality.
Roar!
A single paw emerged under him. Bone sword stabbing up in the air where he should have been. Switching tactics, the beast emerged behind him, front paws slamming into the ground, releasing a shockwave of energy toward Elwin. In the air, after dodging, he waited for it to open another portal before focusing his gravity spell on its back legs, forcing it to crash halfway through. Using the spell on himself, he slammed into its face, digging into its eyes. The soft squelch when he burst its eyes satisfied him.
The shadow reaper roared with renewed rage. Elwin tried to create some space, but not fast enough. It closed the distance, bringing one bone sword down while the other sunk into a pool of shadows from behind. Desperate for a way out, Elwin used an enhanced claw to bash the transformed limb behind him as he spun out of the way, only to find another portal opening.
Unable to dodge, he poured everything he had into strengthening his side before the bone sword slammed down. Elwin’s legs buckled. Crack! His body rippled from the impact, causing massive damage inside.
“Hurry and finish it already.”
I will not let you. He is my champion.
The dark lord raised a wall of shadows with one hand. In the other, he set off a cascade of explosions.
Curious why he saw the sky and ground alternating so quickly, Elwin’s confusion became obvious when the pain registered.
Oh.
His thought got interrupted by the shadow reaper digging its claws in his fur, lifting him, and then slamming Elwin into the ground repeatedly. Dazed, he couldn’t register the weightlessness he felt or the red-hot pain that pierced his body.
This moment reminded him of the first time he received a mortal blow. The shadow beast that killed his friends and fellow hunters. That, by all rights, should have killed him after his people abandoned him to face the beast alone.
I guess it all came around full circle, huh?
Still being held in the air by the bone sword that impaled him, Elwin saw a flash of white light bulldoze into the shadow reaper. Antlers digging into the monster's flesh, Silvertree picked it up and slammed it into the ground, causing Elwin to slide off the blade and bounce into the dirt.
This should hurt. Why can’t I feel it?
While Silvertree was evading the dark lord, the wounded beast, with its wounds already healing, sauntered over to Elwin. Its eyes were balls of shadows now thanks to Elwin. Unable to move, he could only watch the massive paw rise into the air and fall. His head rang for a moment. Then there was nothing.
Elwin had died.
He could no longer feel the connection to Vanima, which made him want to cry out, but couldn’t.
Something tried to devour his essence. The shadows tried to tear at the seams of who he was.
His soul doesn’t belong to you. Get your shadow fingers off my champion.
The tethers of darkness trying to drag him into the abyss abated after Silvertree shielded him from the dark god.
“You fool! I will make you pay for stealing my prize away from me.”
Drifting higher into the air, Elwin could feel himself dissipate. Somehow able to perceive the ground still, he watched the shadow reaper take another hit from his god. His former god? Deciding it didn’t matter, he became a passive observer of its tumble in the air until it crashed into the walls of the city.
A wolf raced to his old body, howling. Who were they, and why would they care about him? His thoughts were fleeting. Memories vanishing with the wind. Emotions tugged at the corner of his consciousness until even those drifted away. Before he gave in to the inevitable, he reached out one last time on a whim and said, “I love you.”
Something or someone tried to follow that connection, but he was already gone.
This truly was Elwin’s last stand.