Chapter 13 Shattering the dark vortex

With a simultaneous strike at the golem's eye and a powerful spell that shattered the last of the runes, the golem fell to the ground. The magical energy that powered it dissipated into the night. 

By this time, the combined efforts of Kael, Zephyr, and Elara had overwhelmed the three wolves. They became slower as they got tired from their exertions and wounds. Kael and Elara wasted no time in despatching them and the heroes were victorious once again.

The trials had however taken their toll. Their bodies were taxed and they had bruises to show for it but they could not afford to rest for long. Kael reminded them that Devon and Seline must be busy setting up their main ambush for them not to put in an appearance here. 

The heroes continued on their quest after the defeat of the golem and wolves. The air remained cold and the wind continued to howl through the narrow mountain passes even though there were slow traces of the light of dawn. They pressed on, each step feeling like a struggle.

The closer they walked towards the heart of the mountains, the more the signs of dark magic they encountered. This included strange markings and symbols that were etched into trees and rocks and the trees also grew twisted with dark magic. In addition, Thorne noticed the unnatural silence. There were no sounds of birds or natural wildlife here. 

"Let us stay focused," Thorne encouraged, knowing how exhausted the companions must feel and also knowing the effect of their depressing surroundings. "Our enemies will certainly not make this easy on us."

Elara agreed with a nod, her enspelled cloak shimmering in the dim light of the morning. "We'll make it through this. Let's be ready."

At this point, the path branched off into two trails. One trail forked upwards, leading towards the mountain peaks. Another led downwards into a dark foreboding valley. 

"How do we choose?" Zephyr wondered, staring at the two paths.

Thorne studied the trails and furrowed his brow in concentration. "There is no fork in the map here." Kael joined him in studying the map and said "This must be another magical trial."

Thorne knelt down to study the ground for trail signs. "The upward trail has signs that indicate recent travels while the other path does not show much signs of use."

"Then, let's go up," Thorne decided. "Devon may be using a reverse thinking approach on us, making us want to follow the valley, but it may be a trap."

"In any case, they may have designed traps for either of the paths so the path we choose may not really matter so much."

With this consensus, the heroes began their ascent. Even though the incline was a gentle one, the climb was quite arduous. They finally got to the top of the trail and found a small, secluded clearing. They took a minute to get their breath and appreciated the breathtaking view that the vast expanse of the mountains offered. 

Their brief moment of respite was however cut short when a figure emerged from the shadows. Seline's figure was cloaked in dark robes and her staff crackled with dark energy. 

"It's surprising that you've been able to make it this far," the dark enchantress hissed, her voice echoing through the area. "But your journey can only end here."

"We're not afraid of you, Seline." Kael replied as he stepped forward. "You may very well be the one who meets her end here."

"Don't be so certain," Seline laughed. "You have no idea what my magic can do."

Seline waved her staff and summoned a vortex of dark energy. The clouds suddenly got darker and the winds became colder. The air around the heroes swirled, trapping them in its centre. The heroes immediately noticed that the cold dark vortex was debilitating. It quickly sapped their strength and robbed them of the will to fight. They even found it difficult to remain on their feet. Seline was indeed in her element as an expert manipulator of natural elements and weather. 

The vortex lifted the Alliance heroes off their feet and they lost their bearings. Everyone held tightly to their bundles and legacy tokens as they were jostled about. "We need to do something to break free!" Elara shouted in a strained voice after struggling ineffectually.

"Do not forget to use your legacy tokens." Lyra suggested as she raised her staff. "Right" Kael agreed as he raised the Luptarus blade aloft.

Even as they struggled against the dark magic, the other heroes also raised their legacy tokens and they glowed brightly in the darkness. Even though they were playing it by ear at the moment, they hoped that their combined action would help to overcome this latest trial.

Breaking the Vortex

An oppressive energy continued to press the heroes in from all angles as the dark vortex swirled around them. The Heroes put their hopes of survival on their unity and the combined power of their legacy tokens. 

Lyra sensed the combined power of their legacy tokens having a slight effect on the dark vortex. Wherever the combined light touched, the vortex thinned a little bit and this gave her hope. "Pull your mental reserves and focus your energy to let out the power of your tokens. We can break this vortex!"

Everyone acted instinctively. Kael channelled his strength into the Luptarus blade and raised his sword higher. He also steadied his shield which acted as an emblem of the Alliance. It shined brightly as a green barrier came up to protect Kael, Elara, and the other heroes. Zephyr concentrated and did his best to play a weather-calming tune as recorded in the musical library in his mind. Thorne mentally infused an arrow with light and notched it, ready to shoot. Elara's daggers were held at the ready, their edges gleaming with power. 

Lyra's staff seemed to be the most potent attacking force of the legacy tokens. It spat forth a mix of fire and ice that magically battled with the dark vortex. The vortex continued swirling as it carried the heroes off into the distance. However, as the heroes let out their combined spells, intense light began to flare within the dark vortex. The dark magic started to unravel.

The legacy tokens flared once more with intense light as the heroes put in more effort to their spells. Finally, the vortex trembled and collapsed under the force of the united attack. 

Even though the dark vortex had transported the heroes a large distance from the mountain clearing, Seline could still observe it on the image projected by an orb she was holding. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw a bright light pierce through the vortex and shatter it completely.

"No!" She shouted in anger. "I can't believe my vortex couldn't deal with you." 

The heroes spilled from the shattered dark vortex and fell down into the trees below. It was a good thing that the defence cast by Kael's ring was still in place. It helped to absorb the shock of their fall and cushion the impact of knocks against the trees and the ground. However, the heroes still had more bruises to show for it.

Nonetheless, they basked in the exhilaration of a shared survival from the ordeal. "Where are we?" Zephyr wondered. Thorne took a look at the map and studied their surroundings.

"" We are to the west of our destination. The vortex blew us off course quite a bit." Thorne responded. "We can get on track if we go in this direction." He continued, pointing to a trail that veered slightly eastward.

"Then let us move," Kael said. "We have already lost some time."

What news?

It was already dawn and the path of the heroes was illuminated by the rising sun. They pressed on, determined to get back on track and locate the sixth fragment. By midday, Kael's wristband comm beeped with a message. He stopped and read the message. "There's a hidden natural shelter a few minutes from here. There are Alliance agents waiting for us there with supplies for us." 

They veered off until they came to a well camouflaged grove of trees. It provided a natural shelter from the sun and the Alliance agents had used natural cover to set up the temporary shelter. 

A group of agents was waiting for them and the leader - a tall woman wearing a stern expression stepped forward. 

The leader of the group, a tall woman with a stern expression, stepped forward. "Welcome, I am Captain Mira from the local Alliance chapter. We were sent to rendezvous with you. It is fortunate that your comm was able to receive our signal this time. We have intel on recent events and supplies for you."

The Alliance Heroes looked at each other and Kael spoke up. "It's been a hectic night and day." They leant against the trees and rested while a few of the agents wandered off and kept watch. "What news do you have for us?" Elara asked.