Eternal Forest: Eternal Forest Saga - Prequel

Chapter 24

"With pleasure," the Vehlrock boasted. Shimmer scrambled to her feet just in time to leap out of the way. The enormous weapon slammed down into the rocky ground where she'd stood, sending up a shower of debris that pummeled her back. The young elf had little time to rest before another blow descended. She dashed away again, stopping just short of running headfirst into a stream of molten rock.

"Be still, insect, so I may crush you." Another mighty blow crashed into the ground, smashing upon the bank of the molten river and sending a spray of lava high into the air. Shimmer ran as fast as she could, rushing out from under the deadly shower before it hit the floor in a series of sizzling droplets. This was getting exhausting already. How could the Lady have possibly expected her to defeat this terrible creature?

~~\*/~~

Within the dried-up lakebed, the armies of life and death continued to battle one another for control of the forest. The scene upon the dry, barren ground was pandemonium. The dryads fought valiantly, but an unforeseen obstacle had shown itself. There had been thousands of seeds in Shimmer's bag, but it still meant they had a finite number of soldiers. Though the dryads were slaying the shadow beasts swiftly and with great execution, more of the blighted creatures continued to pour out from among the dead, scorched trees.

Upon the bank, in a small clearing just before the tree line, Snowflake stayed vigilant by Shimmer's side. As soon as she saw her reach out, her eyes had closed and her body fell limp. As though sleeping or in some sort of trance, Shimmer remained as still as the trees. Snowflake stayed crouched at her side with her daggers in hand. Her companions were battling the blighted army down below her in the dry lakebed, but this was her contribution to the efforts.

Though the shadow monsters continued to pour out of the dead trees, they gave Shimmer and Snowflake a wide birth and showed them no hostility. Their master was trapped within that elvish vessel and they knew not to disturb it.

Down in the lakebed, near the southern bank, Valdin and Kadek battled back to back as the dark soldiers encircled them. The Harmonious human held out his blade crosswise against his body, deflecting the oncoming blow of a large, black claw. The impact caused his muscles to twinge and his feet to scrape backward across the dust. With the enemy stunned, a quick downward stroke of his sword was all he needed to dispatch it.

Kadek's left ax rose to meet an oncoming claw before it could drop, trapping it in the curve of the blade and leaving the creature's midsection exposed. A mighty chop with the free weapon ensured the creature's demise. Another soldier rushed up to flank the centaur, but was struck from behind by Wyndelle's blade.

"Thank you," Kadek said.

"I don't know how much longer we can keep this up," Valdin said while cutting down another dark soldier. "Their numbers don't seem to be decreasing."

Another soldier came charging into the fray with its claws swinging wildly, but fell onto its stomach and slid to a stop. Rosewood and her blood-covered sword came bounding over the carcass. "Who knows how many of these things there are," she said. "They just keep coming."

"Do we have any way to get reinforcements?" Valdin asked of Wyndelle. Another soldier approached him with claws extended, but a quick sidestep followed by a downward thrust dispatched the attacker.

Wyndelle shook her head. "This is all the army we have," she answered. "We'd hoped it would be more than enough."

"Guys!" Cricket shouted. He was dashing across the dusty ground at eye level as fast as his wings could carry him.

"Cricket?" Rosewood asked as he caught her attention. "What is it?"

"We've got a problem," he said.

"What's wrong?" Valdin asked, pulling his blade from the sternum of another fallen monster. An ear-piercing shriek echoed across the sky. Valdin and his comrades looked skyward to a frighteningly familiar sight. The large blighted bird, the one that had slain the dragons which carried them here, was hovering overhead. The massive creature blocked out the sun as it descended, casting a haunting shadow across the battlefield.