Chapter 23
Dakar took a few steps back but reliable as always he stopped behind Lysaria ready to help. Thana skin glowed as she channeled essence. The snake whipped its long barbed tail at them. The strike bowling Thana over in the blink of an eye, breaking past her aura and sending her to the ground. Lysaria shuddered, weren't snakes supposed to only attack with fangs? She channelled essence into a dense beam and shot it from her blade in a wild left-handed slash.
The Dark brown snake shimmered amber red, its essence flaring as her slash slammed into its upraised coils. The essence armour cracked, lines forming across its skin as her corrosive power burrowed through essence and then flesh. Lysaria felt gratified to see a small line of blood drain down its scaled chest.
Bracing herself, Lysaira glared as the snake retreated, putting a massive tree between them. The reason for this became clear. As a bright green orb blurred past her shoulder and slammed into the tail of the retreating monster. The snake eyed them for a moment. It glanced past Lysaria's shoulder and dove into the underbrush, shooting through the trees past them.
Lysaria slashed at the long coils giving the monster another gash that didn't slow it at all.
" Why is it running away?" asked Dakar.
"It is not running away, it's going after that light cursed idiot Hector." Replied Lysaria as she grippe her Khopesh in sweaty fingers.
An audible groan drifted from the dirt beside her as she ran after the massive snake. Glancing to the ground, she noticed it was Thana. Somehow Lysaria had completely forgotten about her. She couldn't worry about it now. Dakar ran after her, his shorter legs pumping a quick cadence.
"Stay behind and help thana, I'm not sure how hurt she is." shouted Lysaria as she forced her throbbing legs to push on.
Picking up her pace, Lysaria darted after the snake. Her heavy breathy drowning out the sound of the massive snake. The snake ahead of her caught up to Hectar, who was standing in between two large trees holding his knees bent over. The snake coiled, preparing its tail, Lysaria's heart raced. At the end of the tail was a bony barb resembling a spear about two feet long with jagged bone protruding in every direction. The snake lashed its tail like a whip, propelling its tail forward, against Hectares unsuspecting back.
Hectar tumbled head over heels, rolling along the hard ground and stopping near a tall tree. Lysaria channeled her essence, she slashed at the snake aiming for the dark blue scales. The snake lurched to the side, and its scales shimmered. At the last second, the shimmering scales deflected her essence. The snakes tail whipped around, snapping towards her. Lysaria pushed out her aura, shielding her.
Her hastily formed shield cracked fracturing, the force of the tail making her grit her teeth. The snake drew its tail back, coiling its body and using its coils to hide the spear like tail. Lysaria tasted blood in her mouth. The light accursed snake hit hard.
From her left, two orbs of essence slammed into the coils of the snake. Lysaria couldn't help but notice the orbs of essence deflecting harmlessly from the monster's dark scales.
The snake coiled wildly, its head hiding in the pulsing mass of scales, Lysaria wondered why it was just sitting there.
" What is it doing?" shouted Dakar, still behind her.
Lysaria shrugged her shoulders, keeping her eyes on the snake.
"Maybe it's waiting for us to leave?" Shouted Lysaria back to Dakar.
The snake scales pulsed, shimmering brightly before its tail blurred forwards. Lysaria channeled her essence, filling her sword with nearly half of her remaining power. The snakes tail rapidly approached, moving in and out striking the air. Her Khopesh darkened, darkness covered Lysaria as she strode towards the snake. The snake lanced its tail at her, but she dodged to the side. Feeling the whoosh of air on her face. She slashed down, cutting off the barb and some scales of its tail. Lysaria's hands throbbed in pain as her shrouded sword gouged through scales, essence and bone before lodging into the dirt.
Blood covered her as one section of the snake's body separated from the other. The blood hissed, turning to smoke as it came in contact with her darkness. Hissing in pain and writhing around, the snake snapped its head forwards, long fangs appearing as it grabbed her leg. Lysaria gasped, thrusting the tip of her sword into the skull of the snake. Her leg immediately went numb. Lysaria bit her lip hard, fighting the pain. She would have collapsed if the giant snake's head wasn't propping her up.
Lysaria flinched, biting her lip. Blood filling her mouth as she forced her sword deeper. The snake writhed, its fangs tearing further through her leg. The snakes face melted, its contact with her causing the scales to bubble. Tears filled her eyes, but she forced the sword deeper. The snake thrashed as something in its head melted. Her dark sword sizzling as flesh melted and bone cracked, allowing the sword to enter its brain.
The snake let go, flailing wildly as it retreated. Lysaria gasped as it retracted its fangs, each thin fang nearly the length of her forearm. Lysaria didn't want to look down as she fell onto her side, no longer propped up by the snake.
She couldn't feel her leg. The thrashing snake slowed its futile attempt to stay alive and crashed into a tree. Slumping against the trunk of the tree, the snake settled, its body shuddering as it spasmed, dark essence flowing from the snake to her.
Essence filled her body, flowing into her. The black substance making her shudder in excitement. How could something so toxic feel so good? The surrounding ground melted, her darkness making rocks and sticks bubble and pop like they were dipped in acid.
Lysaria sighed forcing her essence to pull back and holding it in her vessel hoping it didn't try to escape again. Her essence was fine when she was focusing, but whenever she was distracted it leaked from her skin, surrounding her in dark essence.
Lysarias leg throbbed. She gasped, the pain shooting through her again. Wait, why hadn't she healed by the essence of killing the creature? Her hands shook as she ran her hands down her leg. The plain brown pants and two large holes revealing smooth skin underneath. Her body spasmed and she lean on her back, shuddering as blinding pain shot through her entire body.
" What is wrong?" asked Dakar, running up to her.
" I dont know, help me it hurts." said Lysaria cradling her leg and clenching her eyes shut.
" Pull in your essence." said Dakar, sounding concerned. Through blurry eyes, Lysaria noticed that yet again essence surrounded her in a mist like darkness.
" Sorry, I cannot help it." said Lysaria. From over Dakars shoulder Lysaria could see Thana, leaning against a tree, pale with dark lines trailing up her neck.
" I think it's the poison. Thana has been getting worse. I do not think there is anything I can do." said Dakar. Lysaria wheezed, her chest tightening pulsing in pain.
She glanced back to her leg, only now noticing the small dark lines forming where the massive fangs had punctured. Lysaria pointed to Thana.
" Check the book in her pack, my mother must have put something about these snakes in there." said Lysaria. Dakar ran across the clearing, digging in the pack beside Thana.
Dakar opened the book and read for several long minutes before trudging over, his head bowed.
" What is wrong?" whispered Lysaria, her voice coming out much too quiet. Head throbbing and her body pulsing, Lysaria knew she was in trouble.
" Its called a heart stop adder. All it takes is one bite, or one stab of its barbed tail to make you poisoned." said Dakar, his face pale.
"The book said the vessel of the Heart stop adder is the only way to reverse the spread of the poison." said Dakar, his shoulders slumping.
" Well, why not go get the Vessel?" asked Lysaria. Dakars eyes went wide. He rubbed the side of his head sheepishly and ran to where the snake had died. Rooting around on the forest floor for several seconds, Dakar returned with a fist sized orb crouching beside Lysaria.
" Use the vessel of the Adder, to save Thana?" whispered Lysaria. Dakar held up the vessel, inside the orb swirled dark essence. the violent torrent of essence reflecting Lysaria's aura.
" It looks like dark essence, I think it will kill Thana if she absorbs it." said Dakar, blanching.
" Are you sure?" whispered Lysaria, her throat growing tighter. Turning towards Thana, Lysaria gaped. The veins on her friend's body covered the woman's beautiful light green skin to green with deep black lines matting her body.
Dakar passed her the orb, the dark essence thick and swirling slowly. She swiveled her head slowly from the vessel to Thana. The woman lay on her back, her chest moving slightly.
" Use it, no telling if Thana will really die if she absorbs that vessel." said Dakar smiling at her.
" Are you sure?" whispered Lysaria.
" Yeah, I'm sure. You will get more essence. But at this rate im not sure if you will be able to change back. Maybe you should let yourself die to reduce your power. If you absorb this, you are only adding darkness." said Dakar.
Lysaria clenched the orb lightly, the orb nearly fell from her throbbing hand. Lysaria gritted her teeth. If she could only get stronger, she could save her friends. At this rate, they would all be killed until they suffered the permanent death. Swallowing her fear, Lysaria channeled, pulling in the darkness within the vessel. Her body burned as her body shook. Lysaria's body bucked and thrashed out of control.
In the corner of her vision, something unsettling happened. The yellow container representing her soul cracked further, changing from small cracks to a crack that expanded the entire soul container. Two long dark cracks formed, expanding the entire length of her soul vessel. The pain began to fade. Her heart fell as Thana stopped breathing. Hopefully, the woman would return as herself. Dying was not a pleasant thing, Lysaria prayed by the light for her friend's safe return.