Chương 13: 13: Shadows Beneath the Trees
The battle raged on, voidspawn swirling around the clearing like smoke, their crimson eyes locking onto the Wardens with predatory intent. The forest echoed with the clash of steel and the hum of magic, but for all the chaos, Ashfall felt an uneasy stillness in the air—a cold presence, watching, waiting.
**"Tides, behind you!"** Kera's voice cut through the noise as she lunged toward a shadowy figure that had slipped past the defensive barrier. With a swift slash, her blades severed the voidspawn in two, its form dissipating into the darkness. Yet, for every one that fell, two more emerged from the twisted shadows of the forest.
Ashfall stood at the center of the clearing, his sword glowing with a soft blue light as he cut down the advancing voidspawn. His mind was sharp, but that strange, cold presence still gnawed at his senses, as if the shadows themselves were alive. **"There's something else here,"** he muttered under his breath. **"Something we're not seeing."**
Tides heard him and shifted his stance, his eyes narrowing as he summoned another wave of water to push back the voidspawn. **"You feel it too, don't you? This isn't just the void. Something's manipulating it."**
Ashfall's sword glowed brighter as he sliced through a voidspawn, sending it dissipating into the night. **"There's something beneath the surface,"** he agreed, scanning the forest. His eyes darted from tree to tree, seeking the source of the cold dread that permeated the air. And then, in the corner of his vision, he caught a flicker—a shape, barely visible, moving between the trees.
**"There!"** he shouted, pointing toward the figure.
Kera, Sable, and Tides followed his gaze, and for a brief moment, the figure became clear: a tall, shrouded entity, cloaked in shadows far darker than the voidspawn. Its glowing red eyes flickered for only a second before it vanished into the trees once more.
**"What was that?"** Sable gasped, her barrier shimmering as she struggled to maintain her magic. Sweat poured down her face as she gritted her teeth against the strain.
Ashfall clenched his jaw, his mind racing. **"A greater shadow,"** he said, his voice tight. **"It's controlling the voidspawn, drawing them here. We need to take it down, or this battle will never end."**
**"Easier said than done,"** Kera muttered, her blades flashing as she sliced through another voidspawn. **"It's fast. If it's hiding in the trees, we're at a disadvantage."**
Tides raised his hands, his magic surging as he summoned a swirling vortex of water. **"Then we flush it out."** With a powerful motion, he sent the vortex spiraling into the forest, ripping through branches and leaves as it tore through the undergrowth. The voidspawn recoiled from the onslaught, their forms flickering as the magical water washed over them.
But the shadowy figure remained elusive, darting between the trees, always just out of reach.
**"It's toying with us,"** Kera growled, her frustration mounting. **"We're wasting time."**
Ashfall's eyes narrowed as he scanned the forest. His grip tightened on his sword, and for a moment, he closed his eyes, focusing on the presence of the greater shadow. It was there—he could feel it, moving through the forest like a phantom, slipping through the gaps in their defenses. But it was more than that. It wasn't just watching them. It was *feeding* off the voidspawn, growing stronger with each passing moment.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. **"It's drawing power from the voidspawn,"** he realized. **"We need to cut off its source."**
Sable, struggling to maintain her barrier, turned to him with a look of determination. **"Then we need to end this quickly. I can focus my magic, but I'll need time."**
Ashfall nodded. **"Do it. We'll hold the line."**
Kera and Tides moved to protect Sable as she knelt on the ground, her staff glowing with a soft violet light. She closed her eyes, concentrating as she began to gather her magic, focusing on the voidspawn that swirled around them. Slowly, her barrier began to shift, no longer just a shield but an expanding force that pushed outward, suffocating the voidspawn with its growing intensity.
Ashfall, meanwhile, stepped forward, his sword glowing brighter with each passing second. He locked eyes with Kera, who gave him a curt nod before lunging at another voidspawn, cutting it down with a precise strike.
The clearing was bathed in the glow of magic and steel as the Wardens fought, each of them pushing themselves to the limit. But as Sable's magic grew stronger, the greater shadow seemed to sense the danger. Its movements became more erratic, darting closer to the edge of the clearing, testing their defenses.
Ashfall gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he tried to predict the shadow's next move. It was fast, too fast for them to catch in the open. But if they could lure it out, force it to confront them…
**"We need to draw it in,"** he said, his voice steady despite the chaos around them. **"Force it into the open."**
Kera, panting from exertion, glanced at him. **"How?"**
Ashfall's eyes flashed. **"With me as bait."**
**"No,"** Kera snapped, slashing through another voidspawn. **"You can't take that risk."**
**"We don't have a choice,"** Ashfall replied, his tone firm. **"It's targeting us because of the voidspawn. If I draw its attention, we can bring it into the open. Sable's magic is almost ready. We just need to hold it off long enough."**
Kera hesitated for a moment, her gaze flicking to the shadows. Then she gave a sharp nod. **"Fine. But if you get yourself killed, I'm going to bring you back just to kill you again."**
Ashfall allowed himself a brief smile before he turned and sprinted toward the far edge of the clearing. The moment he broke away from the group, he felt the greater shadow's eyes lock onto him, its cold presence bearing down on him like a storm.
He ran, darting between the trees, his heart pounding in his chest. Behind him, he could hear the whispers growing louder, the air thick with the scent of dark magic. The shadow was following him, closing in fast.
Suddenly, the forest around him darkened, the trees twisting and warping as the greater shadow materialized in front of him, its red eyes glowing with malice. It was no longer content to hide. It wanted him, and it wanted him now.
Ashfall skidded to a stop, his sword raised as the shadow loomed over him. **"Come on, then,"** he muttered, his voice low. **"Let's finish this."**
The shadow lunged, its form shifting like smoke as it struck. Ashfall dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding its claws. He swung his sword, the blade cutting through the shadow's form, but it barely slowed down. The greater shadow was fast—faster than anything he'd faced before.
But Ashfall was ready.
As the shadow lunged again, he ducked low, his sword glowing with a brilliant blue light as he drove it upward, striking the shadow in its core. The force of the blow sent a shockwave through the clearing, the shadow's form flickering as it recoiled in pain.
**"Now!"** Ashfall shouted, his voice echoing through the forest.
In the clearing, Sable's eyes snapped open, her staff glowing with an intense violet light. With a powerful surge of magic, she unleashed the full force of her spell, sending a wave of energy crashing through the clearing and into the forest.
The voidspawn disintegrated in an instant, their forms dissolving into nothingness. The greater shadow let out a shriek of rage as the magic hit it, its form flickering and distorting as it tried to retreat.
But Ashfall was already moving.
With a final, powerful strike, he drove his sword into the shadow's core, the blade piercing through its dark form. The shadow let out a final, piercing scream before it dissolved into the air, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.
Ashfall stood there, panting, his sword still glowing as the forest returned to its eerie quiet. The whispers were gone. The voidspawn were gone. And the greater shadow was no more.
He turned back toward the clearing, where Kera, Tides, and Sable were already approaching. Sable looked exhausted, but there was a triumphant gleam in her eyes.
**"We did it,"** she said, her voice hoarse.
Ashfall nodded, his gaze sweeping over the now-quiet forest. **"For now,"** he replied. **"But this was just the beginning. There's more out there—stronger shadows, and we're running out of time."**
Kera sheathed her blades and gave him a hard look. **"Then we better get to the Arcanum before it's too late."**
Ashfall glanced toward the distant horizon, where the path to the Arcanum lay hidden beyond the trees. The road ahead was long and dangerous, but they had no choice. The shadows were growing stronger,
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực