I was stunned by the pain on my face, creating a bandage from my sleeve to cover over the wound. Dash had come to assist me, but was now filled with panic, thinking we couldn’t win.

I felt Mila’s power as she numbed the pain for me, it was soothing, but it would take her some time to heal this wound.

I stood up. “This isn’t over yet.” I stumbled a little but held myself strong.

“He’s coming,” cried Dash.

“Fang!” It shouted out my name. “Time, I finished you off.”

“Zack, Link restrain him,” I ordered. “Dash you too.”

“How?” asked Dash.

“Like before with your lightning but tighten it even more and up the voltage, some elemental residue might get through. Zack can use his daggers to create some sort of barrier, and Link, anything will do,” I answered.

“Understood,” responded Dash. “Will you be alright?”

“I’ll be fine.” I lifted my hand, feeling fur come underneath my fingers. “I have Raziel.” I felt his warmth and knew it was him.

I heard Dash run off, catching their scents as the three of them came in contact with Scorlax.

“Master,” I heard Raziel concerned.

“Mila heal,” I said. “I need to help.”

“Sorry master, eyes are very sensitive to heal, it will take time.” I could sense Mila had wanted to give me better news.

“If only there was a different way to see,” I mumbled frustrated. “Wait.” I focused on Larana’s wind flowing around the area, bending over, under and around them. I could make out images in my head with it.

Dash was running around Scorlax, then in between his legs, trying to knot him up. Zack was placing his daggers along the ground, releasing energy into the sand, creating a vortex, sinking three of his legs. Link attacked head on, changing his sword into a claymore in the instant of a second. The flames expanding, forming into a refined form, the fire more like a laser.

Link expertly raced through Scorlax’s leg on the left side, slicing through each one as he passed. Scorlax’s balance failed, toppling to one side, flailing about.

“Yes,” I cheered.

“It is not over yet,” snarled Raziel, nudging me. “Get on. I can keep you safe.” I was reluctant but I climbed upon his back, wanting to help rather than being left on the side lines.

“We need to help,” I said. I could feel Raziel felt the same way, moving forward, breaking into a run towards Scorlax.

“Then release my power,” commanded Raziel. I lifted my hand, feeling the wind blowing through my fur. Placing my faith in Raziel as he got closer, the wind still showing me Scorlax’s location clearly, still flailing about on the ground.

Raziel released a blaze of fire as hot as the heat used to melt the sand around me earlier, surely this would be hot enough to take out Scorlax. I could sense the others jump back as my fire completely enveloped Scorlax’s huge body.

I let out a sigh. “Please say it is over.” But just as those words left my lips I sensed movement within the blazing inferno, he was still alive.

“You think that would be enough to destroy me.” The voice of the eternal dragon was laughing at me. “I am too powerful for you to defeat, now that I have weakened you.”

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I didn’t know what to do. Could I ask him, he did say he liked checking up on his Warrior of Fangs.

“Fang, can you hear me.” I reached out through my thoughts, hoping he would hear me, sense my intention to reach him or however the connection with him worked.

“I thought you didn’t want my attention,” he let out a chuckle as I heard him.

“I don’t know what to do here, Fang.” I saw through the winds as Scorlax’s body began to heal, regenerating his severed limbs.

“It is simple really, unlike when you fought against Cutter who drew his power from the dark crystals, being the weakest, it was the only way he could stand any hope of defeating you.” He began to explain. “Scorlax on the other hand is quite known for being tough, considering his exoskeleton is made of strong stuff, but that shouldn’t matter.”

“Can you speed this up, he’s coming.” I said as Scorlax began moving towards me.

“You need to cut away at the darkness,” he sighed, “So impatient.”

“Cut away the darkness,” I repeated.

“See it, feel the energy that grows around his body, somewhere within it, is a darker power, stronger than the rest, feeding him with all the powers of the eternal dragon,” answered Fang. “That is all I can tell you, I’m not some cheat code you can use when you want, but simply a guide, when you need it, but first ask the talismans, they know just as much as I do.”

“Thank you,” I nodded, gripping a little tighter to Raziel’s mane. “Run circles around it, we need to find this darker energy Fang mentioned.”

“Of course.” Raziel broke into a run, trusting him to keep me safe as he raced, under Scorlax.

He had raised his beast like pinches and slammed them down, but Raziel was too quick for him, then darted between each leg as he tried to stomp on us.

I focused on the dark energy I could sense through Larana’s wind; I could see it better like this, clearer. The dark aura was like a thick shroud around his body, so thick I could not tell what Fang meant by darker energy, it was all black with specs of purple glistening through it.

“I don’t see it,” I said. Coming out from behind Scorlax, who had twisted round, thrusting his tails in a barrage of attacks. Without much of my guidance Raziel expertly avoided all of his attacks, sometimes I forgot that my talismans were old, wise and held much battle experience, but relied on me to release their power.

“You need to forget about what is happening around you,” said Raziel. “Focus on only the energy around you, much like looking for the light, you now need to look for the deeper darkness.”

“Stay back a minute guys and wait for my orders!” I shouted, sensing them wanting to get closer.

“But your injured,” responded Dash.

“Trust me,” I said. “Raziel, I leave it to you.”

“Yes, master.” Raziel moved swiftly in and out of the way of Scorlax, avoiding his movements and yet stayed close enough for me to sense everything. The dark aura around him seemed to be growing stronger with every second this fight went on, he could regenerate, but would cutting this deeper darkness Fang mentioned really work.

I pushed my concerns to the back of my mind, trying to see through the aura of darkness, looking for it. Raziel darted out of the other end of Scorlax, his tails lashing out at us again, for a moment it felt like things were moving in a slow motion. Raziel skipped to the right as one tail came down, then to the left as the second came in.

“There,” I said aloud, seeing the dark energy around this second tail was actually different in colour, more purple than black and density was thicker, moving in a different direction. A shiver came over my body as it filled me with this strange dread.

I held out Raziel’s sword, it was time. I took in a deep breath, filling Raziel’s sword with my purification power. His sword glowed even white, and so did he.

“You’ll need a little more than that to cut it,” said Raziel. “Focus more, draw on the light deep within yourself.” I listened to him, remember the purity of the place I had met Fang, a place devoid of darkness.

This light rushed through my body, almost like it was pushed through me, was Fang helping me again, I hoped not, I needed to face most of this battle without him, plus like he said, he was there for guidance.

I channelled this light into Raziel as he moved away from Scorlax, getting a distance before turning to face him, now was a game of chicken, but I already knew the winner.

Raziel raced towards Scorlax. Scorlax reared up, smashing his pinchers against the ground, before moving quickly towards me. My breathing calm, Raziel jumped meters away, making it through snapping pinches, landing upon Scorlax’s back, then kicking off again towards the right tail.

I focused on the deeper darkness aura, seeing it clearly now. “Argh!” I cried out, swiping Raziel’s sword right down the middle of it. The deeper darkness dispersed from the tail. I heard a crash as Scorlax collapsed and we landed safely away from him. We’d done it.