chsdbacks Chapter 262: The Fae & Flower Part 3
Chapter 262: The Fae & Flower Part 3
Chapter 262: The Fae & Flower Part 3
The sun had begun to descend over the Ebon Realm as Hollow Shades team ran through Glimmer Grove forest. The fairy Mina had broken her wing and had opted to ride on Sylvies shoulder, whispering the directions to her home into Sylvies ear. After half a league through trees and underbrush, Sylvie stopped in her steps.
What is it? Freya asked.
Mina says her home is right over this hill, Sylvie pointed at the rocky formation of roots and bushes ahead of them.
Stryg narrowed his lilac eyes, his pointy ears twitched incessantly, This may be a problem.
A little late to back out now, dont ya think? Callum said dryly.
Stryg scurried up the rocky hill and carefully poked his head over the other side. Im not sure about that, he whispered.
It cant be that bad, Callum muttered and climbed up the hill next to Stryg. His scarlet eyes widened and his jaw went slack, Oh Oh shit. Yeah, I propose a new strategy. Find a new silverbright tree.
Hey! We made a promise to Mina, Sylvie glared at them.
Sylvies right, we arent backing out now, Freya nodded. So stop being scared little bitches.
Why dont you two just get over here, yeah? Callum said impatiently.
Gladly, Freya said.
Freya and Sylvie clambered up the hill next to the boys.
...Ah, Freya swallowed hard.
A small lake spanned across the other side of the hill. Trees sprouted from its murky waters and stretched high into the sky, covering the whole area in a thick fluorescent canopy. At the center of the watery grove stood a pale white tree. Its trunk was thrice as thick as any of the other trees. Silver-petaled flowers peppered the white trees pale leaves. Hundreds of gnarled branches curled out from the white tree and reached into the branches of nearby trees. This chapter is updated by
A cluster of bright green viperidae slithered around the silverbright tree, their mouths open with angry hisses. Some of the giant snakes swam in the lake, their heads barely visible above the murky waters. Others hung in the canopy, their heads prodding at the gnarled branches. Yet all their yellow eyes were focused on a sphere of silver and rose light that shone brightly at the base of the trees branches.
A small group of fairies sat within the dome of light, huddled close to one another. Their eyes were filled with fear as they stared at the awaiting viperidae right outside. A single fairy flew above her clanmates, her arms outstretched, channeling the mana of her fellow fairies through her translucent wings and into the protective dome above them.
Mina gasped and cried out in horror at her clans plight.
Theyre surrounded by the viperidae, Sylvie blanched.
I expected three or four viperidae at most, but this? Freya mumbled.
Whats the plan, captain? Callum asked. Do we run or?
We cant run, Freya sighed.
Shes right, Stryg said solemnly. Theres not enough time to find another silverbright tree. Well lose if we retreat now.
What? No, thats not what I meant, Freya shook her head.
I think if Im careful I can sneak through the branches of all these trees and make my way to the silverbright tree, Stryg muttered in thought. Ill snatch one of the flowers from the nearest branch and run back here. It shouldnt take more than a few minutes.
We cant do that, Freya said sternly.
I think its a pretty good plan, Callum shrugged.
We cant just abandon the fairies! Sylvie snapped. We made a deal with Mina. She held up her end of the bargain, she showed us to the silverbright tree.
If we go down there, we wont save the fairies. Well just die along with them, Stryg said grimly. If you care about Mina, our best option is to help her escape this place.
Sylvie glared at him, Thats-
You know thats not true, Stryg, Freya said in a quiet voice. ...The Stryg I knew faced death without hesitation to protect those around him. She took a deep breath and looked Stryg straight in the eyes, I am alive because you fought against a warlord knowing you would lose. I ran away the last time we faced death, but I wont run away, not this time, not ever again.
Pain and guilt filled Strygs chest, I dont He couldnt meet Freyas unwavering gaze any longer. He looked away in shame. I dont want to lose any more of my friends
The dome of light around the fairies began to flicker and grow smaller. The viperidae slithered closer to the tree.
Mina whispered in a panicked voice.
Sylvies expression darkened, Mina says thats her grandmother holding the fae veil. She says her grandmother is weakening, she cant hold the veil much longer.
Callum cleared his throat and wiped his eyes, Im with you, captain.
Mina tapped Sylvies cheek and pointed at the silverbright tree. The fae veil was growing smaller and smaller.
The Dark Blood slowly turned as Sylvie vaulted into the air, ax held high above her head, a war cry on her lips. Her black cloak billowed in the wind and her scarlet-red hair shined like fire in the light of the setting sun. Stryg watched, awestruck. It was as if Sylvie had become a hero of old, leaping into the battle versus the hordes of the Realms enemies.
The Dark Bloods mouth snapped open in a flash and swallowed Sylvie whole.
... Stryg blinked, his mind trying to process what he had just seen.
The Dark Bloods gaze turned towards him and the fairies.
Strygs eyes widened, Oh shit!
He spun around and swept the fairies up in his arms as best he could. The wood shattered behind him in an explosion of splinters as the Dark Blood rammed its head through the tree.
Stryg felt a sudden wretched pain in his back and the world spun as his body was sent flying into the air. He splashed into the lake a hundred paces away and sank like a stone into the dark waters. A burning sensation seized his lungs. He gasped for breath and inhaled water. He coughed and inhaled more water.
Stryg panicked and floundered as he sank deeper and deeper.
I cant swim, I cant swim! his mind screamed.
His eyes darted around in alarm. His strange vision pierced through the murky waters with ease, illuminating the roots of trees and nearby fish in silver outlines.
Magic, his dulled mind remembered. I have fucking magic!
He called forth blue mana and to his delight, it answered. Blue mana flowed into his hands and he quickly formed the gestures of a torrent spell. The mana formed a wave beneath and pushed him to the surface in a spray of water. Stryg gasped for breath and tasted sweet air. His hand shot out and gripped the nearest tree root that hung above the water. His claws dug into the bark and he pulled himself up with all the strength he could muster.
Oh thank the gods, the elder fairy gasped.
Stryg slowly looked down, a dozen fairies were holding on to his jacket for dear life. A part of his mind numbly recalled that he had grabbed the fairies before the Dark Blood attacked.
The Dark Blood! Strygs eyes widened. His head shot up and he glanced around for a sign of the monstrous snake.
The Dark Blood slithered through the waters, pushing aside and destroying any trees that crossed its path. Yet the black viperidae wasnt targeting Stryg, its attention was solely on the hill where Freya and Callum stood.
Freyas flame wall had fizzled away, her orange mana drained. Callum had stopped his bright spell and had created a red ward wall between them and the pack of viperidae as they slithered up the hill.
That wall wont hold, a minute or two at best, Stryg thought. I need to do something, I need to create a distraction, I need to move!
Stryg gritted his teeth and groaned with pain as he pushed himself to stand. His ribs ached with pain, he had no doubt broken several. Blood seeped from the back of his shirt and dripped down his pants.
Ignore the pain, ignore the pain, Stryg repeated in his mind over and over like a mantra.
He held his injured side with one hand and pointed his other hand at the Dark Blood in the distance. His hand shook with a tremble, his aim was off.
Focus, Stryg, focus.
The Dark Blood was twice as large as the other viperidae, even from this distance he could hit it. But he needed to land a blow at its head, it was the only way to grab its attention away from his friends.
Steady, steady, he muttered under his breath.
A soft rose-silver light suddenly flowed around him. In his eyes, it seemed as if he had donned a cloak of rose light.
What is this?
Were too drained to heal you, but we can at least take the pain away, the elder fairy said into his ear.
Stryg suddenly noticed the fairies chanting quietly as they clung to his jacket. Silvery light stretched from each of their wings and connected with one another as they channeled the elemental life magic into his body.
Thank you Stryg whispered sincerely. He took a deep breath and aimed his open palm at the Dark Bloods head.
Gales questions echoed in his mind, Why are you here? Why are you fighting? Who are you? Because that person, Stryg, will have to do what no one else thinks they can. Win.
I dont know the answers to your questions, Stryg admitted to himself. I dont know who I really am or who I need to be All I know is
We need to survive! Stryg roared. For the past year he had been holding back, but all his reservations vanished in front of the gigantic snake. Orange mana surged into his veins in a storm of power.
The Dark Bloods head snapped back and it hissed angrily. Its gut abruptly began to bloat. A golden light blossomed from within and leaked through its black scales.
Stryg narrowed his eyes, What the?
The Dark Bloods gut exploded in a wave of searing heat. The black snake wheezed a shallow breath and collapsed, its corpse bisected in two. Its blood and viscera flowed into the lake, dyeing its murky waters dark red.
The other viperidae hissed and flailed about in pain at the death of their alpha and swam away from its corpse as if eager to escape the same fate.
Sylvie stumbled out from the Dark Bloods gut. She was drenched in blood and bile, her eyes swayed in and out of consciousness, but her lips were stretched wide in a shaky smile.