Right the moment when I enter the dark corridor I hear footsteps, from some soldier getting back onto the corridor I just left, and take a breath of relief
"One more minute there and they would have spotted us..."
I come back to face the darkness in front of me... There is quite a strong flow of air here.
It's cold and heavy...
One stronger blow hits me and I have to stop for a few second to maintain my balance, with the unpleasant result of the few torches turning off
"It's all dark now... Amazing... Wait, darkness... Could it be...?"
I would gladly start a new fire if only I had any free hand.
I clench my teeth and start walking again... Every step is like walking up the river's flow...
I cannot tell if it's the strong wind or something else, but my legs feel so heavy and I need to lightly bend foward to make it through...
After quite some time I reach an opening and it takes all my strength to pass over that entrace
-Ghh...!- I move my body almost throwing myself over and soon after I enter the small cave, the wind stops pushing and I lose balance
-What...?!-
In the middle of the cave there's a natural stone column on which something luminous is placed...
-The core...? He was right!- right above it there's a hole on the ceiling going straight outside, I can see the blue sky from there but no light enters the cave somehow.
The air is suffucating for how heavy it is... It feels as if that core is sucking everything around it.
Light... Heat... Air... Strength...
I approach the column and notice some dark smoke, pulsing and twisting around it
"That's definitely not a human crafted item"
As I get too close the smoke seems to react and quickly rushes to me, making me jump back away before it touches my skin
-Mister Xue I hope you won't mind if I put you down a bit...- I kneel down, taking him off of me and placing his weak body by the cold stone wall.
I turn to face the core and take my sword in hand, swinging it
-Well well... What do we have here?- the smoke turns itsmattention to me again, getting more dense by each second
I trust my sword foward but nothing happens... -Mhn... Will be challenging-
The smoke builds up beginning to form something, looking like a really tall man made of shadows...
-So this was the darkness he was talking about then...-
The creature roars throwing itself foward, I dodge quickly "It's fast...!"
I try to attack but the smoke separate where my sword hit it, leaving me to thrust into the air
"That's not looking good"
The beast goes for a hit too, throwing me to the side and I hit my back over the column
-Gah...! You... What the hell are you?!- I stand back up dashing to hit but the creature reach out its arm, grabbing and holding my neck without speaking a word
-Let me... Go... Monster!-
I cut the shadow's wrist and as the smoke separate, the hand loses grip letting me fall back down
We exchange a few sparring and I get thrown to the wall a few times...
As I land beside the sleeping body of the white man I notice him move his lids and I stand back up holding his shoulders
-Mister Xue...? Please stay back here and don't move!-
A groan calls back my attention and the I see the beast getting ready to dash over me
-Watch out...!- he warns me, I turn and thrust in his chest, making him slow down a little before taking Xue Chundu and jump away... I lay him back down at the side of the cave
-Stay here-
-That thing...-
-I know... I'll find a way- I turn and jump over, hitting again the beast. As I do so a small flame burns the beast in full chest, making the smoke dissipate making it yells...
In the centre of his chest I see a pulsing green light
-Jade...- murmurs Xue
-What?-
-It's pure Jade... It takes energy from... That...-
-So if I destroy it, he dies?!-
-Yes but...-
-Then that's all need to know- I smirk beginning to jump all around the creature, hitting over and over as fire creates small holes here and there in the smoke
Xue gasps -She...-
I lose control over the speed and all around seems to stop for how fast I move, the beast groans spinning in circle as it tries to hit me...
Soon after it loose patience and dashes away roaning...
It's burning in a few spots throwing fists over and over, he uses his last bit of strength running against me on all four like an animal, sending me flying.
As I hir against the rocks, blood spills off my mouth while my vision gets blurry for a bit...
I hear some whining... It's Xue!
I use my sword to stand back up, trying to refocus my eyes...
The beast is proceeding with strong steps toward Xue ChunDu while sucking more smokes from the core, which joins the burning one on his body to fix the holes...
-Miss... Run...!- tries to yell the man in white but the words gets soffucated as the beast reaches to grab his throat
-Like hell that I will!- I spit the blood in my mouth and jump to the column using it to rise myself higher
-You... Are going to burn...!- I rise my sword over my head as flames cover the whole blade and jump over that creature
-Now! Die!- I thrust forward, hitting where that Jade is laying...
The sword penetrates, it coming to a stop right in front of Xue's face
The creature begins burning all over losing grip on the man, I reach to take him from his hands and he coughs in my arms
-That...-
The beast screams inhuman noises, while the flames completely devour the smoke in his body and with a strong blow of wind it disappear, leaving back the tilting sound of the Jade stone falling on the rocks...
-Thanks... Miss...-
-Are you alright?-
-Yes... The... Core...-
-Mhn- I nod, standing back up and head to the column with Xue's arm over my shoulders
-I just need to destroy it right?- he nods as I lay him down again
-I will be alright as soon as... It gets destroyed...-
-Fine-
I climb up... The air is even heavier around the Core...
It's pulsating and making me lose balance.
I point my sword in the rocks using it to steady myself, moving my hands toward the stone but something sparkles and hurts me sending a shock wave down my whole body...
-What the hell is this...?-
-It's... Evilness...-
-Will fire be alright?!-
He shake his head -The elements... Rock is Earth...-
-So I need wood... I managed to control wood only a couple of times before... Pray for this to be one of those-
I reach out once again as the pulsating energy covers my arm, hurting me...
It's burning inside
-Ggh...!-
-Are you alright...?!-
-Yes!- I roar grinning my teeth... I focus more and push foward through a some kind of shield.
My arm seems to be on fire, I rely on the shaking sword holding on it to not fall off and soon after the blade breaks with a loud crack, almost making me fall down
-Damn it...!- I scream -Ahhhgh!-
-Miss...?!-
I use both my arms to reach the stone, as a few spots on my skins begins to burn by the friction, and the skin gets darker as I push more and more
With one last try I touch the big Jade inside -I've.... Got it...!-
I close my eyes
-Please work... You have to work...!-
The waves get stronger hurting my body, blood begin spilling at the sides of my mouth
-Come on... Aargh!!!-
And I finally feel it...!