Chapter 30 Glade
The roar of the spreading fires echoed through the once-quaint village, their flickering light casting sinister, shifting shadows throughout the town. The air hung heavy with the acrid scent of smoke, mingling with the desperate cries of fleeing Fae civilians.
Side by side, the elder Fae, Jane, and I advanced toward the town’s main square—the pinnacle of the monsters’ rampage.
Fae villagers darted in every direction, their terrified screams merging with the guttural snarls of Tenebranian monsters as they tore through one victim after another, devouring without mercy.
I pivoted to my right, my gaze falling on Jane. She stood trembling, her face pale and eyes wide with fear. Despite the oppressive heat from the raging fires that devoured the village, she shivered, frozen in place.
Taking her hand in mine, my voice low but urgent, I begged, “I know you won’t leave, but please, I need you to hide.” My chest tightened with desperation.
Goddess, please let her listen to me this time.
The thought of losing her struck a fear deeper than any I had ever felt before.
To my relief, she nodded, her expression weary as she accepted my decision. Without a word, she turned and darted toward a cluster of barrels stacked haphazardly in the corner of the square, disappearing into the darkness.
The elder Fae moved swiftly, forming a loose circle as they began to channel their magic in a synchronized display of unity.
Gioran raised his palms skyward, summoning a pillar of fire that roared and stretched into the night.
Beside him, Orrin, unleashed a surge of air that spiralled from his fingertips.
Together, the mates’ magic intertwined, creating a blazing cyclone that surged toward the outskirts of the square where a Tenebranian monster wreaked havoc.
Other elders combined their elemental powers, forging forces of nature not to be reckoned with.
The copper-haired, freckled Fae woman, Breena, dashed into the fray, cracking the pavement beneath her footsteps.
Alongside her, a Fae male, Alberon, raced, water streaming from his fingertips.
In unison, they aimed their magic at the cobblestone, causing it to fracture and split as they filled the crevices with moats of water, transforming the ground into a slick, shifting terrain.
I knelt to the stony ground with Eirander gripped firmly in my right hand.
With my left palm pressed against the surface, I called upon Amantius, pleading for her Light to descend upon me.
In an instant, golden rays erupted from the Celestial, swirling up my arm, flowing from my palm to my shoulders and beyond.
The blade in my grasp shone iridescently, its brilliance matching the surge of power that flooded through me.
I was ready.
With all twelve elder Fae focused on attacking the monsters, I turned my attention to protecting the civilians still trapped within the square.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a woman and a small child huddling and terrified.
A Tenebranian monster advanced toward them, snarling, lips dripping with saliva.
I ran toward them with every ounce of strength I could muster, bringing my blade down to slice at the creature’s ankle tendon from behind.
A blood-curdling screech rang through the square as the monster spun around, its furious eyes locking onto mine.
Without hesitation, I lifted my palm and unleashed a deadly surge of Light.
The creature hurled through the air and crashed across the pavement.
Though, I knew it wouldn’t be enough to kill it.
“Go! Run!” I shouted at the mother and child.
The woman gathered her little one into her arms, sobbing as she ran away.
I didn’t have time to watch them. My focus remained on the battle at hand, my movements clever and calculated as I sliced through any creature that crossed my path. But despite their wounds, the monsters pressed on, as if immune to pain.
The small, raven-haired elder Fae, Evadne, was busy, casting shadows from her palms to cloak her companions in an endless night. She didn’t sense the monster creeping up behind her.
I acted quickly, launching myself between them, conjuring a shield of pure Light from my palm.
With my other hand, I channeled my power into Eirander and slashed at the creature’s abdomen.
Sparkling blood splattered across the cobblestone, but the monster only whimpered before darting deeper into the square, its nose raised.
“Thanks,” Evadne said, her tone nonchalant, as if she hadn’t been seconds away from death before I intervened.
“Don’t mention it,” I replied, my attention still fixed on the creature.
The minutes stretched into what felt like hours as we fought with everything we had. Fortunately, all the Fae civilians managed to escape the village square, finding refuge in the surrounding forests.
Having counted seven monsters in total, Gioran and Orrin entered the middle of the fight, their brows furrowed with concentration as they combined their magic.
Orrin stretched out his hands, calling forth a gust of air so powerful it whipped through the square like a violent tornado.
Together, the two wove fire and air, creating a wall, a fiery prison that surrounded the monsters.
The heat from the flames was intense and stifling as the barrier rose. The monsters, caught within the inferno, snarled in vexation, clawing and snapping at the barricade.
I looked to the white-haired Fae female, Iladya, who had positioned herself at the opposite side of the square.
Her crystal eyes narrowed as she focused on the trapped beasts.
With a flicking gesture, she sent shockwaves of ice cascading through the air, and shards shot forward like spears, striking the monsters.
The beasts howled as ice coated their limbs, freezing them in place and slowing their advances.
But it wasn’t enough to stop them completely. The creatures staggered, snarling in pain as their immense strength caused their icy armour to splinter. Even as they struggled against the cold grip of the magic, I could tell they weren’t going to be stopped for long.
“We need more!” I shouted, my voice barely audible over the squeals of the monsters.
Evadne stood beside me using shadows to disorient the monsters.
She nodded, conjuring more darkness, weaving it around the creatures’ eyes, blinding them further.
The magic swirled, choking out their vision, but even as the shadows worked, the monsters’ sniffing, their search for something, became more frantic.
Then, in the mayhem of battle, I saw it. From the corner of my eye, a shadow broke free—a beast, its gaping maw aimed straight for Iladya. Its movements were faster than I could even process.
She turned just in time to raise her hands, but before her magic could take form, the beast was upon her, tearing into her deep brown skin.
“No!” I screamed as I rushed forward, my feet pounding against the cobblestones.
With a spurt of Light, I blasted the Tenebranian monster off her, but it was too late. She was already on the ground, her shimmering blood mixing with the dirt beneath her. The light in her eyes dimmed and snuffed out forever.
The world around me raged with the sounds of carnage, but all I could hear was the rush of blood in my ears and the frantic pounding of my heart in my chest.
Gioran ran to my side, a wail of anguish escaping his lips as he fell to his knees beside her, tears streaming down his face. “Iladya!”
Panic gripped me as I grabbed hold of Gioran’s shoulders, trying furiously to pull him to his feet. “You need to get up! You need to keep moving!”
But the loss of Iladya shattered something in the group. A tidal wave of self-doubt spread as each member turned and bore witness to the lifeless body of their comrade.
The wall of fire faltered.
“We have to hold the line!” I demanded, but the words felt hollow. My Light released, wave after wave, but even I could feel it. It was not enough.
We were losing.
A searing pain shot through my shoulder blades as the claw of a monster raked across my back, sending me crashing to the ground. The creature was on me in an instant, straddling my chest, its claws slashing down with vicious force.
I raised my arms in a futile attempt to shield my face, but each swipe tore through my flesh. A scream of agony tore from my throat as I fought to keep my eyes open, to stay conscious, even as my own blood smeared across my vision, blurring everything around me.
As I turned my head to the side, my heart sank. To my right, the lifeless body of Orrin lay sprawled on the ground, his once-vibrant emerald eyes now distant and cold. A Tenebranian monster sat atop him, ripping into his chest, tearing his organs free, one by one.
A terror unlike anything I’d ever known twisted in my gut as I finally managed to shift my arm, my palm aimed directly at the monster’s gaping maw.
Pure, blinding Light erupted within my hand, a blinding burst of energy that slammed into its face, sending the creature hurtling dozens of feet away.
The explosion of power left my hand trembling, but I didn’t have time to dwell.
Ignoring the searing misery that throbbed through my forearms, my back, my legs, I scrambled to my feet. Every movement was a struggle, but I forced myself to stand, delusion pushing me through the pain.
The sight before me was a nightmare. The elder Fae were butchered with each passing moment, their blood splayed across the pavement, their cries cut short as monsters struck them down across the square. Gioran, through his tears, fought valiantly, but his efforts were futile against the onslaught.
And yet, through the chaos, through the bloodshed and the screams, there was only one thought that burned in my mind.
Jane.