Undying #Wattys2015

Chapter 16: Within the Village

Claira and I finally made it to the village. Our trek through the valley heightened our senses; we were cautious of our surroundings. Entering through the village gate, our eyes scanned the settlement. It was empty. No sign of Roeke or Aure anywhere. Claira held my arm and walked by me; I could feel her quickened heartbeat. We were silent, but we both knew something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Even the wind had died.

Then I felt my heartbeat roar. Erratic and angry, my chest burned in fury. I heard the dragon within me rumble, She is coming. Prepare yourself.

I stiffened my muscles and lifted my arms. I could feel light energy coursing through my veins. Claira saw my tense actions and wielded her Pieced Blade. Her eyes grew dark as her sword's pieces detached, ready for battle. Claira asked, "How are you going to fight?"

"As a Wayward would," I replied. In my hand, light energy concentrated from my surroundings. My white hair burned into light and my golden eyes shined brilliantly. The light continued to concentrate, becoming thicker and longer. Suddenly, the light ceased and in my hand, I had a blade. This light blade was transparent and crystalline. Its glow was as bright as a star in the night sky. I swung my blade around, getting used to its weight. "Be prepared Claira."

My dragon eyes could see darkness approaching us. Within a few moments, a building was coming toward us, crashing from the sky. With one swing, my blade disintegrated it into ashes. After the ashes cleared, I saw the source of darkness. It was a creature made of blackness, with occasional lights, like stars, in its hide. Taller than the buildings, it loomed, waiting for us. Its face was covered with a white mask with two large black eyes. Its body was flexible and thin, almost like a snake, but it retained its long legs and drooping arms. It was the manifestation of the element Space.

I swung my blade around, trying to antagonize the creature. My only guess was that it was Aure. The creature made no sound, but instead, zoomed toward us, reappearing right at our feet. Using my blade, I slashed at her hide, but it was like cutting through slime. As soon as my blade went through, it closed up. Claira was ready to fight, but I shouted, "Don't! Your blade's pieces could get lost! It's a void. A void of darkness."

Claira protested, "Then what are we going to do?"

The creature reached for Claira with its skinny, gooey hand. She started running, but it was no use. Aure's monstrous form grabbed onto Claira and was pulling her close to her masked face.

"No!" I yelled, and bright energy concentrated around my blade.

I jumped into the sky and slashed Aure's limb. Her arm detached and Claira fell to the ground. She pushed free and the arm disintegrated. The creature retracted its remaining limb into its torso. Before it could regenerate another arm, I used my light-filled blade to slice its neck. Its separated head tumbled down and melted away. With that, all of the gooey substance of the creature liquefied and collapsed. After all the residue disappeared into the Earth, we noticed Aure was running away from us. She turned back and grinned wildly. She seemed pleased. Then she disappeared in the depths of the village.

"Should we go after her?" Claira asked, wiping the slime off her jacket.

"It's too late for that. She is too fast for us," I replied. I knew where she was headed; she was calling for reinforcements. I looked up at the mountain in her path. The monstrous mountain hiding in the clouds. My sword dissipated into the surroundings and my hair solidified. My eyes continued to burn. I promised, "I'm coming for you Bane. Prepare yourself."