When the flames finally dissipated, Shimmer found herself standing upon a world she neither recognized nor could have ever imagined. The cone of fire was gone, but the heat and the violent wind remained. There were no trees in this world, or shrubs, or any other living thing that she could see. It was a flat, dry land of large stones, with a range of jagged mountain peaks in the distance. Several of these far-off mountains erupted with orange molten rock that ran down their slopes in wide streams.
The sky here was dark but held no moon or stars. Instead, thick, black, churning clouds covered everything between the horizons. With no sun, the world was illuminated by a fiery red glow emitting from the rivers of lava crisscrossing the barren landscape.
Stumbling around aimlessly, Shimmer gazed up at the dark sky as large bolts of lightning danced across the murky clouds. The hot wind seemed to come from all directions at once, battering her body like opposing storms clashing in the same forsaken place. Wyndelle had told her that the Vehlrock could transform the Void into whatever he wished, but she never imagined anything as awful as this.
Still dazed, Shimmer fumbled around awkwardly from one large boulder to another. The air was full of soot and ash that cut at her skin as the driving winds blew them past her. No stone could give her shelter from the force of the storm, making it impossible to calm herself and focus.
"Who are you, mortal?" boomed a terrible voice. It seemed to have no direction, no point of origin, as though the thunder itself had been given a voice. "How have you brought me here?"
Shimmer braced herself against a tall stone and looked up into the sky once more. A narrow funnel in the clouds descended, striking the barren ground roughly thirty feet from where she stood and sending even more particles of debris into the churning air. Shimmer threw up her hands, shielding her eyes from the onslaught while the vortex continued to spin.
When the cyclone finally ceased and dispersed into the air, there it stood. The Vehlrock appeared as it always had to her. Its black skin was darker than the clouds above and its curled horns sat atop its head like a crown. Its shoulders were nearly as broad as she was tall. A pair of glowing red eyes shone brightly from its face as they gazed down menacingly upon the trembling elf.
The Vehlrock took a step forward towards his unlikely captor. His steps didn't shake the ground like a quake, but she could feel each impact below her. "Answer me!" it demanded.
Shimmer swallowed her fear and lifted herself up off the stone. Standing tall she threw back her shoulders and stuck out her chest. The Vehlrock may have been terrifying and in control of the Void, but she was the one that trapped it here like a small animal. That alone was reason enough to feel mighty, even in the presence of a dark god.
"I am Shimmer," she stated boldly, "an elf of Moon-hollow."
"Foolish mortal," the Vehlrock bellowed. "You will release me at once."
Shimmer shook her head, determined not to let her fear show. "I will not," she snapped back. "The Lady has given me the power to imprison you here, away from her forest."
"Release me!" the beast demanded with a terrifying roar.
Shimmer shook her head. "You'll have to kill me."
Full of rage, the Vehlrock lifted one of its massive fists and slammed it down into the rocky terrain. The impact shook the ground, causing Shimmer to fall backward. Lying on her back, Shimmer popped up onto her elbows and leaned her head forward, trying to keep the Vehlrock in sight. The demon's fist was submerged beneath the surface and it seemed to be trying to tug it back out. When it finally succeeded, the ground erupted as a massive black sword arose in the Vehlrock's hand. The weapon was twice as tall as the beast himself. It was as wide and as tall as the mightiest of oak trees, yet the Vehlrock swung it as though it were as light at a twig.
"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.
Valdin watched in horror as the black bird tucked in its wings while descending. It was a practice he'd seen before and the results had been deadly. "Get down!" he shouted. Above him, the bird snapped its wings forward, sending a shower of its sharp feathers raining down upon the battlefield.
The razor-sharp projectiles struck friend and foe alike, tearing both shadow monsters and dryad warriors to shreds in a horrifying and bloody display of power. With more and more of the blighted beasts pouring in from the dead forest, it seemed the enemy had no concern whether its attacks struck down their own.
Within the lakebed, there was nowhere to hide from the deadly feathers. Rosewood and Kadek managed, luckily, to dash between the points of impact. In doing so, they avoided any potentially lethal strikes, though their torn clothes and bloodied skin bore the evidence of several close calls.
Valdin could see no way out. A tightly grouped cluster of the razor feathers was descending upon him. There was nowhere to escape. Quickly he threw his hands over his face, knowing it was a useless gesture. There was no way to avoid being skewered. Before the deadly rain fell upon him, a familiar body suddenly dove on top of him.
Wyndelle landed on his chest and pushed him to the ground flat on his back. As he landed, the shower of feathers touched down. Those on course to rip into Valdin's flesh instead plunged into the dryad's back.
Pinned to the ground, Valdin watched in horror as Wyndelle's ruby-like eyes flew open wide from the impact. A thick line of green, dripping sap ran from the corners of her mouth. He could feel her arms trembling as they kept the injured dryad aloft over the human she sheltered.
"Why?!" Valdin demanded.
Though dizzy and in horrible pain, Wyndelle managed a small smile. "She's sacrificed... so much..." the dryad struggled to say. "I won't let the blight... take you... from her, too."
Valdin didn't know what to say. Freeing his hand, he reached up and stroked the dryad's face. It was like stroking the surface of a spring leaf in the early morning, only it wasn't dew that moistened the surface, but tears. "Thank you for taking care of her," he said.
Wyndelle nodded. "Now... it's your... turn." The glow of Wyndelle's eyes faded. With her life force depleted, her body fell heavily upon him. A tear rolled down the Harmonious' cheek as he bit his lower lip. It was a noble and loving sacrifice, but the battle's turn of favor may have made it all in vain.
Valdin struggled to get out from beneath Wyndelle's lifeless form and rise to his feet. The attack from above had decimated their numbers, and while many shadow beasts had been slain in the process, more were filling the lakebed.
"Valdin!" Rosewood yelled out in relief as she saw him rise to his feet. "Are you alright?!"
He nodded, but his eyes held no glimmer of hope. They were outnumbered and outmatched. With the battle taking place in such a barren wasteland, He eyes looked up, tracking the movements of the bird. It was on the ascent, but turning back towards the battlefield. There was no doubt it was lining up for another attack.
"What should we do?" Kadek asked. Another shadow beast was lurking behind him, but a quick rotation and swing of his ax took it down.
"The thing we all know is the last option," Cricket said as he landed on Valdin's shoulder.
"And what is that?" Valdin asked.
Cricket sighed. He normally seemed so cocky, so smug, but this time his voice carried genuine sorrow. "We need to kill Shimmer."
"No!" Valdin yelled. He brushed his hand across his shoulder, forcing Cricket to take off again.
"Even if she manages to beat that thing, it will be long before everything here is lost!" Cricket shouted. "If we kill her now it might kill them both and this will all be over."
Valdin gritted his teeth. "Her mission from the Lady was to..."
"Her mission was to save the forest," Rosewood said. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. "Maybe she was right all along. Maybe she was never meant to actually fight the Vehlrock at all."
"That's not what Wyndelle told her," Valdin argued.
"Wyndelle is dead!" Cricket shouted. "And we're all next if we don't do something! I hate this too, but there's no other way!"
"We can't!" Valdin protested. Another group of shadow beasts approached, surrounding them on all sides. Valdin leaped off the ground, sailing over a low sweeping claw. Landing back on his feet, he ducked down to avoid the following blow before plunging his sword into its sternum.
Kadek severed the right limb of his first attacker, causing it to flail wildly just before he gave the final blow. As he pulled his weapon free, another claw plunged into his left shoulder. Kadek winced in pain as he dropped his ax. Pinned in place by the claw in his flesh, he was unable to move away from the awaiting attack from the beast's free arm.
To his surprise, the blow stopped halfway down. Finally prying himself free, Kadek turned to see the glowing eyes of his attacker fade to darkness while a creeping green infection covered his body. When the beast finally fell, Cricket was hovering behind it.
"Valdin!" Rosewood shouted while pulling her blade free from a shadow beast's neck. "We can't keep this up!"
"We're not giving up on her!" Valdin countered. "She can do this!"
"It's coming back!" Kadek yelled with his ax pointed up to the sky. Indeed, the black bird was descending and nearly in range for another attack.
Valdin muttered a curse under his breath. "Fall back to the trees!" he announced loudly with his sword tip pointed southward. "Fall back!" At his command, the army of dryads turned to the south and raced across the barren lakebed towards the tree line. Valdin, Kadek, and Rosewood reached it first, cutting through a hoard of outgoing shadow beasts as they moved.
Snowflake was there on the bank, watching ever vigilantly at Shimmer's side. Valdin reached the top of the bank and peered down at the unconscious body of his beloved. This was the first time he'd seen her since she crossed into the Void and it broke his heart to gaze upon her. She looked so helpless, so fragile. He could only imagine what horrors she was going through without him or anyone else there to help her. He could only pray that she was safe.
"What's going on?" Snowflake demanded.
"Quick, help me get her back under the trees," Valdin instructed. Dropping to a crouching position, he took hold of Shimmer's right shoulder and hoisted her upper body off the ground. Snowflake grabbed the other shoulder and together they dragged Shimmer's unconscious body back into the trees. The branches above were broken and bare, but any cover was better than the exposure of the lakebed.
With only a third of the Lady's forces upon the bank, the second wave of deadly feathers rained down. The shadow of the bird covered the lakebed in darkness, but the view of the carnage was still clear. From the cover of a long-dead oak, Valdin and Snowflake watched in horror and sorrow as the dryad soldiers fell in waves. Before their eyes, at least half of their remaining forces were destroyed in one fell swoop. This higher vantage point gave them a chilling view of the battlefield. Innumerable bodies of dryads and shadow beasts littered the ground, their blood pooling together into a large, soupy mess.
Snowflake screamed and covered her head as a series of loud cracks sounded above them. The wide, dry wood of the tree trunk was splintered in an instant as three of the razor feathers slammed into it. A shower of splinters rained down on their heads and onto Shimmer's still form.
"Are you alright?" Valdin asked the elf maiden.
"I'm fine," Snowflake said with a shaky voice. "I just don't..."
Snowflake screamed as Rosewood hit the ground hard right next to her. One of the deadly feathers was wedged in her thigh and blood was pouring down her leg. "Priestess!" she shouted.
Rosewood weakly held herself up on her elbows. Her dirt-covered face twisted in pain and she breathed heavily. As the high priestess lay wounded, a shadow beast came bounding up behind her.
Valdin rose to his feet with his sword outstretched. A mighty swing severed the beast's arm before its claws could finish off the wounded elf. With his target disoriented, Valdin spun around. Putting the full weight of his momentum into his swing, his sword cut the monster in half at the torso. After a quick scan of their surroundings to ensure no other enemies were near, he dropped to his knees and ripped a large piece of fabric free from his sleeve. "Help me pull this out!" he ordered.
Snowflake crawled over to his side and joined him in taking hold of the projectile lodged in Rosewood's leg. Taking a firm grasp, they slowly wiggled it free. Rosewood screamed in agony as the feather was removed. With the wound exposed, Valdin wrapped the shred of cloth tightly around her leg.
As Valdin tended to the wound, he saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. He shot up, facing Cricket just as he was loading a bolt into his bow. There was no green sap upon its tip, but rather the red stain of a mortal poison. The faerie assassin had the bolt trained on Shimmer, who lay motionless and unattended.
"What are you doing?!" Valdin yelled.
"It doesn't have to be you," Cricket said, "but it has to be done."
"It doesn't have to be this way!"
"This poison kills instantly and painlessly," Cricket assured as though it made a difference. "It's as merciful as she's going to get."
"Give her more time!"
"We're out of time!"
"She can do this!"
Cricket sighed and relaxed the string of his bow. His eyes stared coldly into Valdin's face. "If the bird makes another attack, we'll have nothing left. If that happens, I'm taking her out." Before Valdin could answer, Cricket vanished into thin air.
~~\*/~~
Shimmer tumbled to the rocky, debris-covered ground as another blow from the Vehlrock's weapon slammed into the ground behind her. She landed on her side, covered in dust and gasping for breath. She didn't know how much longer she could keep up this deadly game of cat and mouse. The Vehlrock's power was tremendous, able to swing its massive weapon with ease, yet strike with such awesome force. Shimmer was already exhausted and hadn't even begun to fight back. Things were looking more and more hopeless with each passing moment. Truly this was the power of a living god she was contending with.
Wearily she rose to her feet. She saw the Vehlrock as it raised its weapon again for another strike, but she no longer had the strength or the will to avoid his attacks. Her spirit was crushed and she could see no hope of victory. Assured that her friends could likely stand no more of their battle, she quietly allowed herself to accept the inevitable. She was going to die, and it would be up to her companions to finish the job. It was nice to think that the Lady had put such faith in her, but clearly it wasn't deserved.
"Done running, mortal?" the Vehlrock asked with a sinister laugh.
Shimmer dropped to her knees in defeat. "I cannot defeat you," she said. "You win. Take my life and claim my body."
The Vehlrock smiled. "A wise decision, puny elf," it said. "You should know though before you die, that your plan will fail."
Shimmer's eyes shot open and her heart began to race. "What are you talking about?" she bluffed in hopes that he didn't know.
A sadistic smile crossed the Vehlrock's face. "I know what you are planning," it said. "You mortals must think yourselves so clever. Tell me, is the other elf the one charged to kill you should I awaken in your body?"
Shimmer couldn't breathe. It knew. It knew their plan for victory in the event of her failure. "No," she whispered to herself. "Please Lady, no."
The Vehlrock laughed louder than the thunder rumbling overhead. "Ah, the look of a soul robbed of its last shred of hope. It is a wondrous sight."
"How will you stop her?" Shimmer demanded to know. "You will be weakened when you awaken. She will know it's not me and..."
"Silence!" the Vehlrock demanded. The volume of his command left Shimmer's ears ringing. "You mortals, even your pathetic deity, you underestimate my abilities. Your doleful friend won't realize it's me when your body awakens."
"How is that even possible?" Shimmer asked in a weak voice.
The Vehlrock smiled as it shrank in size. Its skin lightened as a main of long, red hair extended from the top of its head. Its horns retracted and a burst of color sprang from its sinister eyes. Shimmer couldn't believe what she was seeing. In a fleeting moment, the Vehlrock had taken on her own image. It looked exactly like her.
"Impossible," she said stunned.
The Vehlrock laughed again, only this time it carried Shimmer's exact voice. "Your companions won't know the difference until my power is restored. Then, they will die before they have time to know the error of their mistake."
"No!" Shimmer shouted out loud. What could she do now? There was no second option, no backup plan. If she fell to the Vehlrock here in the Void, all would be lost. She steadied her breath as her fists clenched at her sides. A new fire burned within her, a new determination to see this through. She didn't know how, but she would find a way. There was no course left to her but victory.
The sinister smile on the Vehlrock's face disappeared as it returned to its true form. Towering over her once again it took up the massive sword. "Now, to end this foolishness," he said.
"Shimmer," a familiar voice called out from within the young elf's head. This voice, or rather chorus of voices sounding as one, was a surprising and welcomed new development.
"Lady?" she whispered to herself.
"Daughter of the forest, you have already been given the power to defeat this enemy," the Lady said. "Use what you have been given and take victory from this terrible creature."
"What am I to do?" she asked. A pulsating white light shone from her right. Shimmer quickly turned her head to see that the light was burning from beneath her sleeve. She reached over and tore at her own clothing, pulling her sleeve down at the shoulder. There on her skin, glowing with a brilliant white light, was the Lady's handprint. Her mouth gaped open in amazement.
"My power is with you," the Lady said. "I am with you. Rise, my child, and carry us to victory."
Shimmer gave a determined smile as she slowly rose to her feet. As the glow of the handprint shined even brighter, a swirling wind of energy formed around her. Her hair danced high above her head while she lifted her hands up to the sky.
"Enough of this!" the Vehlrock shouted while thrusting his weapon down from above him with all his might.
No longer afraid, Shimmer joined her hands together over her head just as the blade reached her. Effortlessly, she caught the weapon with her hands, stopping all its momentum instantly. The Vehlrock looked on, stunned at what it was seeing. As Shimmer held its enormous weapon above her, the surface of her skin was plated with a hard, scaly surface like the bark of a tree. Vines of wild ivy and flowers weaved their way into her fiery red hair. Her eyes shone a brilliant red like two flawless rubies as a confident smile crossed her face. Her body grew in size until she was as tall as the Vehlrock itself.
Shimmer thrust her hands to the side, tossing the blade of the Vehlrock aside and nearly making it loose grip upon the helm. From her clenched right fist, a massive sword grew like a living tree. The weapon had a helm and spine of solid oak with tiny leaves sprouting from the bark. The silver steel of the blade glistened against the reddish glow of the flowing lava around her.
"Impossible," the Vehlrock said as it took a step back.
Shimmer took a mighty swing of her weapon, wielding the massive blade as effortlessly as the Vehlrock did its own. She felt the raw power of the Lady herself coursing through her, breathing new life into her as she'd never felt in all her days. With great confidence and hope, she pointed the tip of her sword at her adversary. "This isn't over yet," she declared.