Chapter 16 of Azars Gift The Shadow Beckons
Mina trailed behind the enigmatic silhouette as it weaved through the thick woods, her heart racing in her chest. With each step she took felt heavier than before, as if the very air was laden with doubt. The figure glided without a sound never turning back but Mina sensed its chilling gaze bore down on her.
"Where are we headed?" she finally murmured her voice trembling. The figure remained silent its form shifting and dancing like wisps of smoke caught in a gentle breeze. The deeper they ventured into the forest the darker it grew.
Even the once familiar melodies of birds and rustling leaves faded away replaced only by a suffocating stillness. Minas legs protested with fatigue yet she pressed on. There was something about this mysterious entity that urged her to continue moving forward.
Perhaps it was sheer curiosity or maybe an instinctive drive to prove herself by confronting whatever lay ahead, no matter how daunting it appeared. At last the figure came to a stop. Mina glanced around and realized they had reached an open area. In the center stood an imposing ancient stone monolith adorned with glowing runes etched into its surface casting a soft illumination in the dim surroundings.
Finally, the figure turned to face her. Its eyes glowed with a cold emptiness and when it spoke its voice resembled the sound of wind rustling through trees. "Are you in search of strength?" it asked its words resonating in the silence.
Mina felt a lump form in her throat. Strength. It was something she had always desired, right? To possess the same power as Ulla, Jarec and her father. To be strong enough to make a difference and safeguard those she held dear.
"Yes," she murmured her hands tightening into fists. "I wish to become stronger."
The figure slowly nodded as if it had anticipated her response. It raised a hand causing a dark swirling mist to rise from the ground coiling around the monolith like a sentient entity.
"Strength comes, with a cost," the figure remarked narrowing its eyes. "Are you prepared to pay it?"
Mina paused, her thoughts racing. Velaris words echoed in her mind: "Sometimes the one with a heart is the one who unintentionally jeopardizes everyone's life." Was this what he meant? Would this type of strength be the key to saving her village or would it lead her down a path?
Just as she was about to respond the fog started to draw her closer to the towering stone structure. The atmosphere grew heavy with an intense force. She sensed it pulling at her essence enticing her with offers of strength. Yet a voice within her urged her to resist.
---
In Eldergrove the tension in the air was palpable. Velaris perched on Jarecs shoulder scanned the horizon with a keen gaze. His twitching whiskers detected an unsettling shift in the atmosphere. "She's crossed a line," Velaris remarked his voice laced with intensity. Jarec wearing a frown paced restlessly in the village square. Ulla stood beside him her expression reflecting worry. "We should pursue her," Jarec suggested. "Whatever lurks out there... it gives me an uneasy feeling." Ulla agreed but there was a hint of hesitation in her eyes. "Mina... needs to confront her own struggles. But I must admit this situation feels off." Just as they were about to take action a voice called out from behind them. Tharion the chief of Eldergrove approached accompanied by Aureon towering at his side. "Youre not alone in sensing this," Tharion said, his tone serious and measured. "Something lingers in the air, a malevolent presence unlike anything we've encountered before." Aureons stone eyes glimmered faintly as if in accord. "Mina ventured into the forest," Ulla revealed her voice strained with concern. "She can be stubborn but shes not prepared for what lies ahead." Tharion nodded solemnly. "We don't have time. Whatever it is out there we must locate her before it does."
Jarec's heart raced with a wave of unease. He sensed an unsettling energy coursing through his bond with Velaris as if the world itself was teetering on the brink of chaos. "We should move," Velaris urged as he jumped off Jarec's shoulder and hovered momentarily, his golden eyes shining brightly. "Before it's too late."
---
Mina stood still, her heart racing as the dark mist swirled around her. The figure that had appeared before her was now gone, leaving her alone in the hauntingly quiet clearing. She could sense the stone's power emanating strong, beckoning to her and tugging at the depths of her thoughts. "I need to stay strong," she murmured to herself, reaching out with her hand towards the monolith.
But as her fingers made contact with the surface, a surge of energy coursed through her, knocking her down. She gasped, struggling to catch her breath as her vision blurred. The mist tightened its grip around her and for a fleeting moment, panic washed over her as she felt herself sinking into the ground.
"No!" she cried out desperately trying to break free but the force holding her was too powerful. Just when she thought she would be engulfed by the darkness a familiar voice pierced through the void. "Mina!"
Startled she looked up to see Jarec and Ulla rushing into the clearing, closely followed by Tharion and Aureon. Velaris zoomed ahead his eyes glowing with intensity as he hovered near the monolith. "Stay away from there!" Velaris warned, his fur bristling in alarm. "That thing will devour you!"
Mina felt her heart racing in her chest. She tried to pull away from the stone but the mist held her tight. "I... I can't!" she exclaimed. Jarec rushed to her side gripping her arm. "Hang on!" he shouted using all his strength to pull her back. Velaris moved around the monolith narrowing his golden eyes as he muttered something softly.
Suddenly a brilliant flash of light burst forth from him causing the mist to recoil and dissolve with a shriek. Mina collapsed into Jarec's embrace struggling to catch her breath. Her body shook, with the lingering weight of the power she had almost embraced still heavy in her chest.
"What... was that?" she murmured her voice barely audible. Velaris floated down to join Jarec his expression serious. "That," he said somberly "was something much older and far more perilous than any of us should tamper with." Tharion stepped forward fixating on the monolith. "We have to destroy it," he stated firmly. "Whatever that power is it doesn't belong in this world." Aureon rumbled in agreement his form glowing brighter as he readied to take action. Just as Tharion lifted his hand a deep voice resonated through the clearing.
"How naive you humans are. Do you really believe you can wield power that surpasses your comprehension?" The earth trembled and the towering structure throbbed with a sinister force. Jarec, Mina and Ulla watched in terror as the stone fissured exposing a swirling whirlpool of darkness inside. "It's too late," Velaris spat. "We've roused something primordial.
End of Chapter 16.