Chapter 86: Battle of shadows

Chapter 86: Battle of the Shadows

The shadows coiled up, snaking around Natasha and Alison like stressed-out serpents, summoning their dominance. . SQLite It was growing colder, oppressive with the density of Malrik's somber witchcraft. The kind of laughter he made, the mocking kind, resounded across the territory of rocky formation, much to the chills of Natasha.

"You think I am joking, hey Malrik?" He further said after a momentary pause, "Let me see how long you can last."?

Natasha squeezed the emberstone tightly; the dim light it emitted is the thing that gives her solace now. Standing beside her, Alison drew his sword, staring straight at Malrik.

"We've faced worse," Alison said, completely unfazed by the statistical probability.

"I sure am," I said to her confidently. Natasha paused for a minute before she spoke, "I hope you're right," she said, but the words were full of resolve.

Shadows lifted up and attacked, and while they were shapeless, they seemed malicious. The quartermaster promptly replied, and Natasha hit out with the Emberstone, the gem shining through the gloom like a brand. The creatures screamed when the light deterred them, but for every black one she dispelled, another one emerged.

Alison stood beside her and swung his sword, which cut deep into the liquid darkness. It was a silver dagger that was as old as the Emberstone; the stone made the blade more powerful.

"They're endless!" Alison yelled, the tone of annoyance creeping into his voice.

Natasha gritted her teeth. "We need to take Malrik out. He's controlling them!"

Easier said than done. Malrik literally stood on the edge of sight in the field and observed them with an air of satisfaction. It so appeared to him that the shadows danced to his every twitch; the movements were almost choreographed.

Natasha breathed in deeply, trying to clear her head as the best course of action dawned on her. The Emberstone glowed in her hand that was throbbing to be filled with more energy like it wanted something from her.

"Alison, cover me!" she said before she moved back from the combat.

The friend before was an illusion: 'What are you—' Alison started to say, but he realized at once. He simply blinked and focused back on the shadows, fighting them off much more vigorously this time.

Natasha thus briefly shut her eyes and concentrated on the Emberstone. This she could sense flowing through her body like a blazing fire, and she could feel the flames almost scorching her skin. She burrowed further, feeling herself for the power that they required to make the necessary shift.

The light coming from the Emberstone brightened and illuminated the whole battlefield. The darkness retreated, and the shapes became even more blurred as the light continued to increase.

Malrik's expression darkened. "Impressive. But do you actually believe that will be sufficient?"

Natasha just turned away from him, giving more of her focus to the stone. The light glared to intensify; it turned out to be a shining light that triumphs over the darkness.

"Now, Alison!" She shouted.

Alison didn't hesitate. He rushed at Malrik, sword held high, its flame's light coming from the Emberstone. Malrik lifted his hand and called darkness towards him to create a barrier for the strike, but the sword quickly went through the shadows.

They fought and fought with their weapons, guns firing a deafening sound. Malrik had glowered at me before, but this was something different—a raw hatred that came from being unable to make the next move.

"It's good to know I'm stronger than you thought," Malrik retorted with a less-than-friendly smile. But the strength here only will not help."

He struck out with a wave of dark energy, and it sent Alison running. The strike came close by, cutting into the rock surface by a few millimeters.

Natasha did not waste her chance, and using the emberstones' energy, she convened the light beam. It struck Malrik on the beam, and this pushed him to his knees.

"You think you've won?" With hatred in his tone, Malrik said, 'Grrrr.' "This is only the beginning."

The ground shook and cracked away as the darkness materialized into a mass of some proportions. A shadow beast, with red-hot eyes, appeared from the ground and loomed over them.

Natasha and Alison stared at each other.

"Great," Alison muttered. "Just to add to the complexity of things."

It grunted loud enough to shake the air. It charged at them, and its huge claws plowed into the earth. Natasha and Alison quickly moved to the side, and thereby they escaped the attack.

"Keep it distracted!" Natasha called out.

"Easier said than done!" Alison answered immediately and dove away from the next blow from the monster.

Natasha was solely occupied with the Emberstone, trying to find a way to boost its strength. She could sense its hard surface, and its energy was raw and uncontrolled. But she didn't have a choice.

She lifted the stone again, and its light came back as before. Its eyes lit up with anger, and the beast focused on her.

"Come on," Natasha muttered with clenched teeth, and she could actually hear the pulse racing in her ears. "Just a little more."

Suddenly the beast attacked, moving its huge body towards her. Finally Natasha used the last power of Emberstone, and a fiery light blasted out towards everyone.

The beast opened its mouth for a deafening roar, and the light enveloped the figure, turning it to ashes. This force of the explosion knocked Natasha off the ground, and the Emberstone was released from her hands.

"Natasha!" Alison screamed and ran to her, swearing under her breath.

She moaned, the room spinning as she attempted to raise herself up. "I am okay," she said, although she was in pain.

Malrik has left, or rather, the fighting field remained empty. Alison pulled Natasha up, and the man's face was dark.

"He'll be back," he said.

Natasha looked at him and nodded, taking back the Emberstone. It was very pale now, and its energy almost exhausted.

"And so will we," she said, sounding very resolved, her voice filled with determination.

They headed their backs towards the battlefield; the journey was still far from being over.

---

By now Malrik was able to follow the scene from a distance, standing in the darkness and not revealing any emotions. He clenched his fists, the darkness surrounding him.

'It was tougher than I thought,' he complained. "But they have not seen this as the peak of my ability."

He turned and vanished into the night, the future really just another agenda yet to be set into action.