Vanima's panic-driven race across the enemy army's back line was temporarily slowed when a giant beast tumbled across the ground. It slammed into the town's outer wall, causing the structure to shutter.

Following the trail left behind by the monster now lying limp against the wall, Vanima moved closer to the battle between the gods.

It would be fine. There had to be a reason their connection got severed. The dark lord must have done something. He would still be there. Fighting. Nothing else mattered.

Howl!

Her mournful cry reverberated, joining the chorus of battle around her.

Elwin! Get up. Heal yourself. You’re better than this. Please.

Nudging him with her nose. Pawing at him with a childish belief. Vanima crumbled on the inside. He had been the best of them all. Their commander. Her partner. But no more.

Why did it have to be you? I pushed you into joining this fight again. It’s not fair. It should have been me. Please don’t leave me alone.

A presence lighter than a feather brushed against her mind for the briefest of moments, passing on a single message.

I love you.

She latched onto the magical signature, but its origin vanished along with the shred of hope. Forced to accept what she refused to believe, but had to, Vanima connected to her team.

He is dead. Elwin is gone.

His body lay on the ground. Blood seeped out of his chest where something had pierced all the way through. Head crushed. Part of his ear missing. The finality of the moment struck deep within.

What do I do now?

You fight. It is the only way. He knew that, and so do you.

The rest of her team ran up next to Vanima. Penelo was crumpled to the ground by Elwin's body. Hands placed against his blood-soaked fur, she cried. Fariane and Esena bowed their heads in respect.

“I saw a light vanish over his body while we ran to catch up with you.”

Hearing Fariane speak, Vanima whipped her head around. Her mind reached for something to say. Nothing ever came. Saida had a glossy look in her eyes. Vanima recognized the loss. The same face she would make now if she were still an elf.

Fariane coughed and said, “What do we do now? Silvertree had used Elwin as the anchor when gifting them the blessing. That means they’re on their own now. Worse, they can’t communicate mentally anymore."

Troubled by the relegation, Vanima turned her attention away from her team and the massive explosions nearby from the two gods lashing out at each other to observe what remained of Elwin’s army.

The survivors of the left flank had merged with the Aienik's unit. Darunia started to retreat and assist with Flaryn's squads. She could tell that around a third of the army had been killed, and many more were falling as their weapons dimmed and they lost their communication network. It wouldn’t take long before the undead and shadow beasts broke the army.

Knowing her companions would have similar thoughts, Vanima addressed them.

To answer your question, Fariane. We stay here and fight whoever supports the dark lord. If we lose the fight here, saving everyone behind us will be pointless.

As if the black armored elf heard her words, the leader Vanima faced earlier arrived. Four others stood next to him. Their aura was more oppressive than the group he brought before.

“We meet again. I see there is one less nuisance to handle now. My master is an expert in death and misery. Quite beautiful, if you ask me.”

I have experienced enough of those to last several lifetimes. Vanima shoved the anger she felt at the disrespect this elf showed her fallen partner and instead asked a question. What’s your name?

The elf laughed and said, “I see no reason not to share. My name is Feno. You may address me the dark knight.”

A roar from behind him sent a chill down her spine. The monster, which was sent flying into the town wall, not only survived but also rejoined the fight.

“It appears my master’s latest creation has seen fit to join us."

Penelo bent over to Vanima and said, “Can we face that and the haughty knight, or whoever he thinks he is, at the same time?”

Fear not, child. There are those who have answered my call. They will avenge the death of their brethren.

Silvertree shoved energy into Vanima and her group, gifting them his blessing again along with a recharging Vanima's energy, Fariane’s eye, and as an afterthought, Penelo’s prosthetic.

Good luck.

Loud howling erupted from the direction of a forest behind Daruinia's former position on the right flank. There were dozens upon dozens of wolves all running together. Several families who may normally be rivals now charged toward most curtain death to kill the abomination who felled the one wolf they all respected. The champion who lived longer than any of their species could. The champion who could take down a full-grown bear cougar or mountain lion.

Vanima connected her mind to the group of wolves and growled.

Kill the beast! Avenge my mate.

Voice muffled under his helmet, the dark knight pointed his shadow-coated blade at Vanima and said, “Time for round two, fur ball.”

Back at full power, Vanima charged ahead, leaving the four minions to her team. Perception increased. She danced around Feno's strikes. Familiar with his abilities from the previous encounter. Her confidence almost got her killed.

Slamming his hand on the ground, Feno released a blast of darkness centered on him. Paws shoving hard into the ground, she jumped high into the air, avoiding the attack. This left her vulnerable to the shadows about to slam into her. Vanima shifted her weight and slashed into each projectile with an attack of her own.

When the black knight moved in to skewer her, she infused a roar with enough force to send him skidding back. Safely back on the ground, Vanima launched herself at the dark knight.

…

The rage Saida felt under her skin broiled. A deep-seated hatred that Elwin had warned everyone could and would corrupt them to the point of betrayal. Silvertree’s blast of energy crashed into the wall of fury she held and obliterated it. With Ievis' sword still in her offhand, she took a deep breath and faced her foe. One of the new black armored elves that followed the dark knight.

Unlike the cocky attitude the previous group portrayed, these four moved with confidence. No matter. They would still die. They all bleed.

She faced her opponent head-on, both swords twirling in the air dismantling every ball of shadows thrown her way. The brute she clashed withheld a large two-handed sword he could swing around with one after reinforcing his arm with dark energy. It took all her skill and experience to parry the massive blows. Nimble on her feet, Saida moved inside their reach and clicked her tongue in annoyance when her blade slid off the armor. Her second strike slipped into a gap under the helmet, sinking into their shoulder.

The elf responded by gripping the blade and jamming his knee into her gut. Sword tossed to the ground, Saida returned to her standard fighting style amid her gasps for breath.

Remembering a technique she had perfected with Ievis, Saida maneuvered until the elf lost their balance. When they raised an open palm to blast her in the chest, she hurled her weapon into their hand, piercing it along with the spell, which fizzled out. Focused on the blade, Saida ducked under the massive weapon and grabbed the discarded sword on the ground.

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Now behind the elf, Saida kicked the back of their knee, forcing them to buckle. Raising her voice, Saida said, “This is for Ievis,” then tossed her weapon high into the air, gripped his shoulders, and leaped over him. Twisting around, she regained her grip and drove both of her knees into his gut. Catching her tossed sword, she thrust the blade through the helmet's eye slit until it hit the back.

Yanking it out, she said, “and that was for Elwin.”

…

Torn between her desire to rush back and support her people and the responsibility she had to protect her friends, Penelo felt helpless after finding Elwin dead. Blood coating the ground. Like the blood that had soaked into her feet long ago.

The elf who challenged her held a short sword and a small shield. An unorthodox fighting style for a race that prided itself on perfecting the longsword and bow. Gripping her sword, she let her mind empty, leaving only the elf in front of her and the desire to survive.

The two clashed periodically while circling each other. Neither committed to the attack, which baffled her given the air of confidence coming from them. It all changed when Saida landed a solid strike on her opponent's shoulder, leaving her with just one blade. Their companions' struggle spurred them into action.

“Are you ready to taste death?”

Penelo growled, deflected the elf’s thrust, and kicked out at the shield before punching them in the face with the hand holding her blade. Feeling the power coursing through her prosthetic, Penelo unleashed a blast of energy into the elf’s jaw.

They spit out a glob of blood along with a few teeth and grinned.

“You’re going to suffer for that.”

Penelo responded with a faint to draw out an attack and slammed her foot between their legs. Kneeling on the ground wincing in pain, he swung his sword, only for it to be knocked aside. She yanked his helmet off and smashed it into his open hand, shattering his fingers and the spell forming in them. Hand gripping his hair, she pulled it back and said, “How does this taste?” Not waiting for a reply, Penelo thrust her blade down the elf’s throat.

The elf struggled in vain despite the piece of sharp metal ruining the inside of his mouth. Penelo let go of her sword, clenched her fist, and smashed them in the temple with another empowered strike. Their head whipped around before they crumpled to the ground. Triumphant, Penelo placed her foot on their shoulder and pulled it out, eyes searching for Fariane and Elena.

...

Both elves walking toward Fariane placed their helmets on and unsheathed their long curved blades. One of them looked up and down as if she were just a piece of meat which creeped her out.

“Listen up, darling. Why don’t you make this easy and give up? I promise I'll make it quick.”

Choosing to ignore the taunt, Fariane instructed Asena to corral the two so she could use her eye long enough to sever their magical connection. She couldn’t afford to go easy on them.

Eye flaring to life, Fariane adjusted her stance and charged at both fighters. She reacted before they attacked each time. Each dodge and parry kept her prey on their back foot. Asena could only dodge the frantic strikes that came her way as she dove in and slashed their legs when she could. When one of the two tried to focus on the wolf, Fariane punished them for it.

To her, the fight had been going on for a while, but not in reality. Either way, it had gone long enough. Forced to avoid hitting each other, Fariane leaped up in front of the distracted elves, eye pulsing brighter than before, avoiding the bright string of light connecting her and the others to Silvertree while slashing through the shadows responsible for their increased power.

Free hand holding their heads in pain from the backlash, Fariane nodded to Asena, and they both moved in for the kill.

To an outside observer, one might think Fariane, with her skill alone, had the upper hand. The biggest flaw of such an assumption is the influence of the gods. Two powerful beings that mold, empower, and defy the natural laws that govern this world. The two elves she faced were skilled. No denying that. The shadows they wielded could cause great bodily harm. What they lacked in this fight came down to luck and a poor match-up.

Every fight Fariane discovered how best to mold her will into reality by believing it so. Desperation fueled a desire only those who stood on the precipice confidently could grasp. Fariane's mastery of her weapon and her precise reflexes gave her an even playing field. She forced the miracles into being, which gave her the needed upper hand, but the outcome of any encounter in war balanced on a knife's edge.

She could hear the dark knight growl in frustration for a second time because of her interference between his squad and his master. Paying them no mind, she waited for Adena to plow into the leg, buckling the elf on the right in time for his head to line up with her foot when she landed her kick.

They bumped into their partner, who only now regained their composure. What he didn’t account for was his friend’s weapon, which slammed down into his foot when they tried to keep from falling. Fariane turned his scream into a melody of pain and regret. Left leg chambered for another kick, she slammed his chest with her foot, pushing him back.

The sword, still being used to keep his friend up, didn’t budge.

Asena bit down on the sword hand of the pitiful elf wailing about his torn foot and took a few fingers with her. Recovered enough to push back to his feet, the creep who talked, in the beginning, roared and charged.

He forgot about Asena.

They tripped over the darting wolf. A hand gripped his shoulder and pulled him in just before her knee smashed into his ribs. Fariane grinned at Asena, who just finished silencing the screamer. Blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth.

Hand raised up, the elf dropped his weapon and said, “I give up. You win.”

With a devilish grin, she said, “Unlike you, I won’t make this quick,” and punched them in the throat with her offhand. When they reached for their neck, she stabbed her sword into the ground, ripped off their helmet, and smashed it into his nose. When he stepped back, Asena was there, causing him to trip landing on their back. Startling the elf, she gripped the helmet with both hands and pummeled his face over and over. When someone placed a hand on her shoulder, she whipped her head around. Fariane was ready to attack, only to let the helmet drop when Penelo's worry-stricken face brought her back from the brink.

Looking down at the body under her, there wasn’t anything recognizable anymore. Drained from the fight, Fariane let Penelo help her up.

“Thank you. Sorry about that.”

The cry of pain from Vanima cut Penelo's reply off. They weren’t in the clear yet.

...

Moments in time. Heartbeats counting down before the end. Whose will it be this time? Vanima wished it could be hers and not Elwin’s. She wanted it to be theirs even more. The dark knight and his god. Shadows swallowing up the light.

Trusting her remaining squad to survive, Vanima focused on Feno. The shadow burst he set off around him was still fresh in her mind. Hiding in the dust cloud created from the spell's aftermath, Vanima circled around and rushed him on his flank.

Energy swelling in her chest, Vanima howled directly into the knight's ear at point-blank range. Hand clasping his ear, Feno whirled around, sword drawing a circle in the dirt. A barrier erupted from the ground where the sword left a mark.

Vanima looked over at Saida as she tossed her weapon in the air before leaping over the elf and thrusting her knees in their gut before catching her weapon and killing them. Shifting over to Penelo, she watched her kick the elf in the groin. The veil of shadows fell around Feno, who started attacking Vanima again at range.

Dodging his attacks, until she could get close enough and opened her mouth as if to roar. When Feno jerked back in response, she reversed directions and dove in, empowered jaw biting down into the hand of his sword arm.

Bone and muscle snapped and tore away, along with the rest of the dark knight's hand. His sword fell to the ground. Feno roared with rage. Offhand snapping down, he caught Vanima by the ruff of the neck and slammed her into the ground. Dazed by the impact, she could do nothing when he kicked her hard enough in the ribs to break them as she tumbled across the ground.

She looked up in time to see Feno hold up a shadow hand where the stump should be and hurl several balls of shadow at her. Saida leaped in and cut down the first and the second, but the third moved faster.

Vanima watched Saida drop her sword, hands holding her head as she screamed. Shadows covered her body like flames. She tried to get up, but the pain was too much. Fariane engaged with the knight, using her eye to keep up with his movements enough to defend against them. Penelo rushed over to Saida, doing what she could to keep the elf from clawing away at her face.

It's over. We can’t win this. Silvertree, I’m sorry.

I know. I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. There is one last option.

She watched her god dart away from his fight and slam into the shadow reaper. Most of the wolves who fought it lie on the ground, dead. Impaled on his antlers, he tossed the mutated monster into the air and slammed it with a ball of light so bright that the monster disintegrated into the air.

Silvertree stumbled from the impact as the dark lord stabbed them in the side and retreated. His form became transparent as he rose high into the air, growing brighter with each passing moment. Silvertree's barrier remained impenetrable despite the dark lord's attempts to hurl shadows.

I am weary of this fight. Vanima, I apologize. I couldn’t protect you or Elwin. I don't see a way for these fights between the darkness and myself to end, but there is a way to bring hope to the future if I sacrifice myself and grant my power to my people and their descendants.

“What are you doing, you fool? I have waited several millennia to kill you myself. Get back down here so we can finish this fight once and for all!”

Goodbye.

Exploding in a shower of light that encompassed the entire battlefield, Silvertree ceased to exist.

Light manifested as rain poured down over the entire area. Those who fought on his side received instant healing. Any individual with a drop of darkness experienced agony as the light boiled their skin.

Everyone who absorbed the light received one last message.

Listen to me now. Take a piece of me and infuse it into your very being. Grasp the power you now wield and shatter the darkness with your light. Future generations will inherit your power and carry the mantle of responsibility to defend against the darkness.

As Silvertree’s light rained down, the dark lord and his remaining knight retreated to town, abandoning his army of undead and surviving shadow beasts.

No longer in pain, Vanima stood up and joined her friend. Penelo held Saida’s hand. The elf’s face healed, but still scarred. No longer able to see at all. Fariane stood next to her companion and gazed out over the battlefield.

The tide of battle had shifted, but at what cost?

What would become of Silvertree’s ultimate gift to his people?

Wait for me a little while longer, my love. I will join you soon, but first, I must finish what you started.