Chapter 247

In a matter of minutes of our arrival, expecting to just be able to combat Vali. I was now surrounded by eight Avem warriors completely constructed from the dark energy that filled this place to the brim.

Each one had a different weapon, from a sword to bow. Archers stood in the back, firing when they saw an opening, I had already taken a few hits, their arrows vanishing as soon as they made contact.

All I could do was avoid them, as any damage I tried to deliver did nothing, going through them as if they were ghosts. My mind wondered for a moment to Tigra, would Link be able to handle them, he could absorb dark energy, but would he be able to handle this, it had a completely different feel than it had before, even the stuff that came from Hashana was nothing compared to this.

I stepped back as a sword came at me, then another with a dagger attempted to jab me in the back, seeming to have just appeared there, then the spear wielder came in, thrusting forward then pulling his weapon right along my route as I jumped back, using my still manifested wings to jump higher over them, then I was shot down by two arrows.

“Master.” Raziel roared, releasing his fire in waves, making them back away.

“How did you do that?” I asked.

“They are darkness,” he responded.

“Darkness,” I repeated. “I am still such an idiot.” I moved a little further away from them, as they regrouped and came walking towards me. I clenched Raziel and Arata sending my light into their blades. I had felt more of their power during my fight with Hashana now was my time to prove it.

I took in a deep breath, stepping forward, lifting Raziel’s sword upwards, sending out a wave of fire imbued with my light, it sliced one of the dark figures in half, the second I wiped out with another with Arata’s power. When his attack made contact it sent out sparks of lightning around to any one too close. Three down, five to go.

I raised Arata sword calling forth his lightning in great clouds forming above, thankfully it did not affect his power to summon this form of attack. I felt his power flowing strongly through me, more than I had felt before, it felt amazing, and I could control it, they trusted me with this, but I could sense Arata was still holding back, he still refused to put his full trust in me.

The dark clouds glowed white for a moment as again I transferred my light into it, feeling the flow of lightning building up above me, moving in the direction I commanded.

The strange embodiments of dark energy moving around me, had hesitated to move closer when I wiped out the first lot, they were reacting as if they were living creatures, but it gave me the opportunity I needed to destroy them.

As the lightning came down, black as the night sky, surrounded by a layer of white light empowering it first.

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“Not bad,” commented Arata as the lightning hit its intended target, and soon more followed quickly wiping the remaining out.

I took a deep breath, calming the power increasing within me, wanting more of this battle to unleash more power. I dispersed it through sparks of energy around me.

“I need to practice a bit more with the new level of your power,” I said.

“You’ll quickly learn to control all of it one day,” responded Raziel.

“Any more of those things.” I looked around, scanning every inch of the garden I was within. The space was barren, dead trees still stood, the branches blowing stiffly in the wind, the earth black, the air thin, but with Larana there was no problem with breathing.

I noticed the darkness around me was a little thinner as if wiping out those manifested darkness weakened it in the area, I was in. Did it have something to do with why this place was like this, that all that once lived and worked here transformed to what I had just seen.

“The place seems to be clear,” said Larana.

“Not enough for anymore to manifest, now is our chance to move.” Raziel walked about. “You must hurry and find the others, the goddess’s light can protect them, but they cannot destroy those creatures.”

“You make it sound like there alive,” I commented.

“Perhaps they once were,” he responded.

I looked over to my left, to see a door, entering into the palace, I clenched tightly to the lion swords, there would likely be more danger inside. Stepping forward I went inside, pushing the stiff doors open. This place had no visitors since the days it ascended within the skies; there was a chance I could restore it and bring it back home, to the kin of Anamothra.

The corridor was silent, the décor was in blacks and dark reds, the carpet frayed at the edges, worn out frames with pictures no longer visible, most probably high-class Avis were once depicted there.

I walked slowly sensing for the winds I had placed around my friends, from what I could tell Link was with Tigra, Zack and Dash were on their own. I guess the one I worried about was Dash, but surely, he could handle himself.

I came to two corridors, one headed in the direction of Zack, the other Link and Tigra. I was sure he would be able to keep her safe, handling the manifestations of darkness with no problem. Tigra was my main point of concern, my will to protect her overwhelming my judgement. I needed to help Zack.

I glanced at Raziel. “Which way?”

“As you suspect Link can handle this darkness, being much like it himself, but the other cannot, they need you to bring the team back together, only then can we reach the heart of this place,” advised Raziel.

“Alright.” I nodded, following his guidance had never led me wrong before and this was no different. I headed towards Zack, stopping as I sensed something; glancing back I saw darkness manifesting into more Avem warriors, not good. This space was too tight for me to combat effectively against them.

“Time for a little running.” I dashed forward, moving quickly through the corridor as new ones began forming all around me. I slashed at some in front of me before they could completely come into existence, the danger risk of this place was increasing by the second, the hardest challenge would be making it to the end to fight against Vali.

I felt the winds ahead of me shifting and moving about wildly. Zack had entered combat with the same darkness, I needed to hurry, him unlike this darkness would slowly ware out.

“Hang on Zack I’m coming.” The palace was a maze, many corridors branching off in different direction. I felt disorientated but the wind around Zack led the way. I would reach him soon and gather together my team again, we would be stronger together.