The dwarves seemed to believe that I would lose, but I knew that they'd like to see him lose for once. I took another deep breath as I unsheathed my sword. The Darkness seemed to know that I needed it to wield it. I relaxed my mind, and I was a passenger again, but I knew that I could step in at any time.
The guardian pulled out his sword that was as long as I was tall. One strike would cut me in half, since my armour wasn't made for stopping giant swords.
We started circling each other and I was actually the one controlling the body. I wanted to use the dark side for the reflexes and the fighting itself, but I wanted to do the rest. Suddenly, the guardian lunged at me, and I managed to dodge his sword, thanks to my other side. While he was picking up the sword, I took the opportunity to summon shadow creatures. I didn't know how, so I let the other side do it for me. They attacked the guardian, but he laughed as he let a gust of air destroy them easily. He turned around with a big smile on his face. I was uneasy. He destroyed them too easily.
This time, I attacked. I pretended to go for his stomach, but I used the momentum to swing at his hand. I expected him to be slower because of his size, but he kicked me before my sword got close to his hand.
I flew back, breathless from the kick. He was laughing, approaching me slowly. I realized that I had my back to the wall of the arena, and I was still unable to get up. I stood up shakily to see that he was taking his time. He could have killed me right there, but he let me stand up. He wanted to play with me before killing me. I was his prey, and he knew that killing me was no problem.
Suddenly, I felt determined. The dark side made me stand up, making me stand stronger. I let it take control.
The guardian swung at me, but I dodged it by rolling with incredible speed, I was slicing at his exposed belly. However, he was too fast, and a wave of water threw me back. I landed in a crouch, and I charged again, this time enveloping myself in Darkness, making shadow creatures appear all around him. I made them take my shape, and since I was surrounded in darkness, we looked the same.
The smile on his face got smaller. He raised his eyebrows and spun his sword around, destroying all the shadows. I managed to jump back in time to dodge the blow that would have killed me. The dark side was doing well so far, but it was still not as good as the guardian was.
I stood up and took a step back. The guardian's smile was lost, and he seemed to be getting serious now. He threw a fireball at me, but I made shadows block it. I felt Areton give me his love, and I felt determined again. I charged, and this time, I was hit. I saw a rock spike rise from the ground, but too late. I managed to move and save my stomach, but my shoulder was hit. I stumbled back, falling down. The pain was strong enough for me to pass out, but I felt Areton urge me to stand up.
I realized that I was in control at the same time as the dark side was. Were we one finally? I opened my eyes to see him raise his sword to deal the final blow. I knew that no amount of shadows could stop it.
However, I got another idea. When the sword was about to slice me in half, I shape shifted. I turned into a raven and went straight for his neck. He had no armour, and I started ripping his skin off with my beak.
He yelped, letting go of the sword as he tried to get me off, but I dodged his hands every time he tried to pick me up.
Nevertheless, a raven couldn't kill him, so I did something risky. I changed into a wolf. I was a much bigger target, but that was my only chance to kill him. I knew that shape shifting sometimes made the shifter think that he is the animal he is taking shape of.
The dwarves were quiet, now seeing a black wolf gripping the guardian's throat as he tried pulling it off, only hurting himself more.
He yelled and shook himself, but I knew that the strength was leaving him. I, however, felt energy surge through me at the taste of his blood on my fangs. He was keeping me from freedom. My thoughts were those a wolf would have, but I didn't know that at the time. I ignored his hand squeezing and scratching my body, and I just held on, until I felt the bone break. His breathing stopped suddenly, and he stumbled back, falling down. I let go of him before he hit the ground and landed next to him.
I was a free wolf, but something was strange... I didn't remember being a wolf before that.
Was I not a wolf?
Then I realized what happened and I changed back to myself quickly. I looked up at the cheering crowd, but I didn't feel happy or proud. I felt empty. I became something I promised I wouldn't. Snow knew it. Snow knew the real me, and he warned everyone.
I stood up, looking at the dead body. His neck was a gruesome sight, and a large pool of blood was forming on the floor.
I left the arena slowly, pushing through the happy dwarves. I saw Fahrg and his family at the back, and I wanted to say goodbye, and ask them how to leave.
"Congratulations! I knew you'd win, and I told Fahrg you would, but he didn't believe it!" Griselda said happily. I smiled.
"I will be leaving now. I need to stop Shade, or at least get to him before my friends do. How do I leave?" I asked, ignoring their praises.
"A portal opened behind the temple where ya first met the guardian. Go look, it's a ways up," Fahrg said. I nodded.
"Goodbye, and thank you," I said as I turned around. Areton was praising me, and he found a way to the other side. He saw he was going to meet me there. I ran towards the opening, not wanting to look back.
A steep slope led upwards into the bright light. I climbed on the loose rocks, closing my eyes since they weren't used to the sun after a long time underground. I stumbled blindly for a few more minutes, until I felt that it was the end of the slope. I covered my eyes with my hand and opened them slowly, then proceeded to remove my hand. I blinked for a few moments, but then I could see again. I turned around for the last time, and saw the rocks start falling, and the opening was closing.
I widened my eyes in surprise. I thought that the dwarves would be able to leave now. The last thing I saw before the opening closed completely was Griselda and Fahrg smiling and waving.
***
I was sitting by a fire, since it was getting dark. Areton was close, and instead of waiting in the darkness, I decided to make a fire that was warming now.
I tried not to think about the things that happened, but memories of the guardian's dead body, and the strength I erased were haunting me. The faces of all the dwarves that deserved a better life but were trapped under the surface instead made me feel sadness, which I hadn't felt in a long time. At least that made feel human again.
Areton told me that he could see me, so I looked up at the sky. Extreme joy overwhelmed me when I saw him flying towards me. I had missed him.
After a few minutes, he landed next to me, and I hugged him. He licked my face, and I told him that we should go. The map I had didn't show this part of the Outlands, so all I had to follow was Shade's presence. I extinguished the fire with my foot and climbed on.
I realized that I was hungry, but I didn't want to eat. We needed to keep moving if we wanted to reach Shade soon. Areton took off and we were flying once more. He rose high and the wind seemed to blow away my sadness. I was filled with hatred towards Shade and I had a determination to kill him. I wanted to free the dwarves.
Suddenly, I passed out. I somehow fell asleep. I was on a field, and figures began to appear slowly. That's when I realized Fox pulled me inside again.
The Shade killing team started appearing, but Jacob was missing.
"Where's Jacob," I asked as soon as they solidified. Tanya's expression darkened.
"He was killed. We are finding a way through the mountains right now. Jack saw an opening that we'll go through in the morning. What about you?" Tanya said.
"I had to fight a Pureblood. An Atonx that was thousands of years old. I met dwarves. I killed him, and I got through."
"What about Areton?" Jack asked.
"He found another way," I said.
"Medea, please, be careful," Jack said. I saw genuine worry in his eyes, while Snow was eyeing me with hatred. He knew that I was dangerous. Now that he knows that I managed to kill an Atonx that was so powerful, he probably wanted to kill me himself.
"By the time you get close to Shade, he'll be dead," I said. Although I was afraid that they might catch up.
Suddenly, Snow disappeared, and so did Fox and Jack.
"Something's going on!" Tanya yelled beforedisappearing and breaking the dream. I woke up to see Areton changing coursetowards the place he crossed the mountains, most likely to be the place where theywere. I wanted to keep going, but I knew they needed my help and I couldn'tleave them. Areton knew that too.ife. S4-