Chapter 11.
Lysaria snuck forward channelling essence through her blade, the accursed bear noticed them and pulled tighter on its chain now swinging its head much more intensely to free itself from the 4 beast tamers. The two figures holding the chains on her side didn't notice them and Lysarias essence filled blade seared into the back of the closest figure holding the chain.
Essence parted cloth, leather and flesh collapsing the figure to the ground, The remaining dark figure did its best to keep hold of the long chain. The bear now able to move charged at the dark corrupted humanoid. A massive paw smashed into the side of the figure's head with an audible crunch.
Lysaria stood back and watched the enraged bear mangle the humanoid on the floor for a few seconds. Lysaria brought her sword down in a finishing slash like she was chopping wood, she really didn't want to risk the being getting back up. Thana stepped beside Lysaria and holding out her hand channelled an orb of essence into the side of the bear.
Darkness swirled on the thick fur of the giant grizzly deflecting her orb of essence and drew the attention of the angry bear. The figure on the ground crumbled to ash a pool of darkness swirled into the bear filling the beast with dark essence. Swirling with dark essence and bellowing at the group the bear turned standing on its hind legs.
The bear was massive its huge form towering to the 12-foot tall ceiling and swatted the air sending a paw sized disc of the essence at Thana, unable to move in time thana was sent tumbling across the floor from the casual swipe of the bear. Lysaria felt a wave of burning anger, how dare this being of the dark harm her friend.
Lysaria channelled essence and slashed at the monstrous bear, Her essence travelled across the room and sparked against the armour-like darkness. The bear had a small gash in its fur oozing dark blood but other than that the monster was completely fine. Glancing at Thana she noticed the searing burn on her friends' skin melting the flesh. Pulling against the remaining dark figures the bear thrashed its powerful body throwing the remaining figures in opposite directions.
Dakar was standing over Thana as Lysaria turned back two orbs of essence flew from Lysarias outstretched hand at blinding speed crashing into the dark armour and cracking the surface. Spiderweb cracks spread across the chest of the bear but the darkness held together, another two orbs and a small hole opened in the darkness revealing fur and ragged skin.
Lysaria watched this happen with a sense of detachment unit the bear swiped a massive paw sending 4 cutting lines of darkness past Lysaria. The dark essence travelled faster than she could track and only missed her head because the bear was thrashing side to side trying to remove the heavy chains, Darkness pooling at its feet corroding the stone as though water washing away dirt.
Felling something wet trickle down the side of her head Lysaria realized the swipe was much closer than she had thought. Pain exploded on her head and she felt dizzy the blow had missed and yet she had still been wounded. Lysaria channelled her large pool of essence into her weapon and slashed at the bear cutting a path toward the dark armour on its chest.
Lysaria was concerned she put almost 80% of her power into the slash and yet when her strike crashed against the armour of the bear its shadowy essence stopped her lethal strike. The two remaining dark humanoids both looked at each other and dropped the chains before running as far away retreating through an exit against the far wall.
Lysaria recognized what was happening, the very air trembled and the room grew dark covering the entire room in the gloom. The bear began drawing in a breath, pooling a massive amount of essence for an all-out attack. Darkness leaked from the bears body in waves making her body heavy, she had thought the previous bears' attack was intense.
Lysaria channeled all of her essence pushing it outwards, her aura matched the bears in the density of essence both light and dark clashing, she figured if the bear could push its essence out soo could she. Her shimmering aura pushed back the dark, smiling Lysaria channelled her essence and ran at the bear, The bear fell forwards roaring releasing its attack straight at Lysaria and her friends.
Feeling the weight of the attack she didn't try to block or cut it she shaped her essence into a wedge and ran through the torrent of lethal darkness. The bears' surprise when she ran through its attack and brought her weapon down on its shoulder was one of confusion. Lysarias blade parted shadowy armour and flesh even the shoulder bone, the bear collapsed knocking her to the side before catching itself with its remaining three legs.
Lysaria's aura was using most of her essence but she could see the benefit, her light was corroding the dark cracking the shell of darkness. The bear snapped its jaws at her, Lysaria dodged to the side slashing a thin line across the bear's face. She was tiring and so was the bear, the sheer amount of blood it was losing should have made it pass out but this bear wasn't normal.
Lysaira stumbled and was slammed in the leg by a massive swipe of the bear's paw he legs snapping with an audible crack, tears leaked from her eyes and she did her best to balance on one leg. Horrific pain shot up and down her body and her head spun.
Lysaria could see the bear swaying on its feet, the bear leaned and to swipe again but was punctured in the eye by an orb of the essence. the low powered orb blinded the bear entering its brain. Lysaria watched the bear collapsed on the floor unmoving, her body shuddered falling back as she collapsed on the ground and felt the rush of essence flow into her from the now-dead bear.
Her body stopped shaking and her head stopped spinning, Lysaria had the wherewithal to look for the two remaining enemies. The metal door on the far side of the room was ajar and the two remaining enemies were nowhere in sight. rolling onto her chest Lysaria was shocked, the floor in a cone was melting, the dark essence had gouged the stone and appeared to be devouring rock.
thank the light that she had made an aura of essence or that attack surely would have killed her as well. The darkness had only spared her two friends because they were right behind her and had been blocked for being directly struck, even so, most of their clothing was corroded away and small holes could be seen, Both of their clothes were in a sorry state.
Lysaria shuddered to think what that had felt like to have darkness eating away her flesh from an indirect attack. She sat up, the disgusting darkness covered most of the ground and she wanted nothing to do with it, Her bloodstained clothes were a remembrance of the battle.
Dakar said," Well that was crazy, Light takes me how did you do that?" Lysaria felt warmth enter her cheeks and her pulse quickened. She said," well I saw the bear do it and decided to give it a try, Essence just feels right to use for fighting."
Dakar said," I have trouble creating an orb of the essence to shoot, yet you create an attack that can kill that monster." with those words Dakar shuddered his body shaking, Thana said," he is right, that was amazing can you teach me how to do that?" Lysaria smiled, She said," I'm unsure how I do it, I mostly just channel essence to do it and the essence does what I wants."
Thana said," now that is just unfair, when I create an orb of the essence I half to think of the shape and mould the essence." Lysaria shrugged, Dakar said," I agree with thana, you are somehow different from us." Lysaria grimaced she didn't want to be seen as different, all she did was channel her essence and the power did the rest.
Lysaria felt concerned staring at her weapon she could feel creeping darkness in her body, Pushing it aside Lysaria ignored the nagging feeling. Feeling the dark and telling herself it was just for this battle and not her own essence. Channelling an orb in her empty right palm Lysaria thought the orb was darker than before. before her friends could ask she dismissed the essence and pointed towards the next door of this odd cave.
The opened door led to a tunnel and some stairs leading deeper into darkness, The pooling darkness was solid on the floor and as thick as fog in the air. The darkness was gasping and pulling at their essence. Lysaria created an aura to shield Thana and Dakar, glancing at her friends she said," Well what do you think, after that last fight I'm unsure if we can beat another."
Dakars grin split his face, He said," I got a staggering 200 essence from that fight, I say let's at least try and kill whatever creating this darkness." Thana said," I agree 200 essence is crazy for a fight and who knows how long we will have left after we leave the temporal warp. Thana said," I say we at least check and see what's down there, with our new essence we surely can take it down."
Lysaria said," wait we are in another temporal warp?" Thana glanced from Dakar to Lysaria who were both confused. Thana said," yes, I thought you both knew once we entered the room that was covered by essence we entered the temporal warp." Holding her hand to her face Lysaria sighed, She said," I say we fight the remaining enemies, we need more essence to ascend and I'm unsure if we will have time once we leave this place."