We quickly made our way out of the church's premises, and into the sky. Halbor's wind magic carried the rest of my apprentices, as he was the fastest one amongst them, and I flew beside them, keeping my pace slow so as not to leave them behind.
The air around us was crisp and refreshing, and the view was breathtaking. The sun was shining brightly, casting its rays onto the Lumian mountains, which were covered with lush forests and flowing rivers. We flew over hills and valleys, and the wind carried the scent of fresh pine trees and blooming flowers. Closer to the borders between Lumia and Rimor the area here was still relatively green with stable weather.
As we approached our destination, I could see the mountain range come into view, stretching out for miles and miles. It was a formidable sight, with peaks so high they were covered in snow even in the summer months. The mountain we were heading towards had a name that was long forgotten by most, Pilmeda top. Most people did not know what the name meant, but Pilmeda was actually an ancient Dragoness who lived amongst the humans a very long time ago. Her ancient kingdom was situated around this area, hence why the mountain was also named after her.
I flew ahead of the group, scouting the area with the use of my magic elements. The others slowed down, waiting for my signal, before they then followed me to the base of the mountain when I gave the okay.
We landed on a flat patch of land at the base of the mountain, and I could feel the tension rising among my apprentices. This was the real deal, and they knew it. But they were also determined, "Calm down, and remember, do not engage unless necessary," I reminded them, "your goal is not to fight the shade, that is my job."
My apprentices nodded in unison, their eyes glinting with determination. I could feel their resolve, which made me even more confident in their abilities.
After giving them the signal, they then slowly spread out, taking positions around the mountain, watching for any signs of movement. My disciples were vigilant, scanning the area for any possible escape routes. The silence was palpable, broken only by the sound of their breathing and the occasional gust of wind.
By the time everyone settled in their places, The sun began to set, casting long shadows on the mountain's surface, and so we slowly settled in for the night.
The shade's aura was nowhere to be found, but he was for sure around here somewhere, my instincts told me so.
****
As the sun rose on the following morning, I set out to search the mountain once more, determined to find the possessed knight. I flew over rocky terrain, my sharp dragon eyes scanning every crevice and cave for any sign of the shade. My wings beat strongly against the wind, and I could feel the rush of air against my scales as I soared through the sky.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Hours passed as I continued my search, but despite my best efforts, the shade remained elusive. Frustration grew inside me as I searched every inch of the mountain, but found nothing. I was growing impatient when I suddenly received an urgent signal from the mana element I had left inside Jon's body.
My heart leaped with excitement as I realized the bastard had finally made an appearance. According to the signal, he was trying to run away, but Jon had managed to find him using his earth mana. Without hesitation, I shot towards their location, my powerful wings propelling me through the air with incredible speed.
As I drew closer, I saw Jon standing in front of a man who was struggling to free himself from the earth magic that held him in place. The knight's eyes blazed with a fiery light as he turned to glare at me with hate in his eyes.
"You! You bastard! I'll kill you!!" He shouted. I could sense the dark aura emanating from his body and knew that I had to act quickly. The shade was about to take over, it was no longer safe for Jon.
I quickly used my mana to push him away, and spoke in a solemn tone, "Jon, retreat, and keep a distance away from here, things are about to turn dangerous,"
My first disciple did not argue nor talk back, hearing my command he instantly summoned an earth pillar that sent him flying through the sky as he quickly disappeared into the horizon. With him gone I turned my attention to the man — no, to the Shade as a dark ominous, and disgusting aura began to seep from his body.
"I have to thank you, it was getting annoying having to fight him for control," the Shade spoke as it easily broke through the earth bounds that held him, causing the ground surrounding him to explode. He cracked his neck as I landed with a thud and continued, "The second he saw you, so close to him, his mental fortitude simply collapsed, making it so easy to control him," The shade spoke as it flashed a wide grin at me.
I was not amused, nor interested in hearing him talk, and so I instantly shot forward using my wings to further propel me faster toward the bastard as I aimed my massive claw to squish him. The Shade hastily wielded his sword, its dark aura surrounding him completely, as a hazy black mist began to emit from his body causing the surrounding vegetation to die.
Facing my attack he hurriedly thrust his sword, forward to meet my claw, and although the difference in our size was comical, his strength was no joke. For a second, the Shade managed to hold me back, the shockwave from our clash leveled the surrounding trees.
His strength, however, could not help him for long as I used my earth element to augment the strength in my limb, sending him flying, I did not give him any time to rest and hurriedly summoned an ice spear behind him, aiming for his heart.
Sensing the danger, the shade twisted its body to evade my attack, only to be met with another ice spear, followed by another and another. He dodged the first few with inhuman speed and precision before he was forced to use his sword to block the others.
Not letting this chance go, I used my earth magic to root his feet to the ground, and jumped toward his tiny figure, aiming both of my claws to crush him completely. The Shade's eyes glowed dangerously as it suddenly opened both of his arms wide, causing a spear to impale him through his shoulder before a sudden blast of dark aura exploded from his body, pushing me back through the sky and destroying the surrounding area.