A lone black orb of darkness.
At a closer look, it was not true darkness that was amalgamated in a sphere, but a concentration of the dark sea.
Aldric was confused, as the dark sea should have already been sealed. He could see the dark water being held back by an invisible force beneath the centre of the hall. It was like a mirror into the abyss, reflecting nothing back. Around them was a congregation of humanoid coral statues. Wandering the hall, reminiscent of the shadows that were the First Lord's cohort.
However, he noticed that the sphere that exuded danger was the only part of the dark sea outside of that incorporeal seal.
'I guess that it learned from the first time it was sealed.'
Aldric thought.
It made sense. Having already been sealed once, it now knew how it felt like and responded in its own way.
The black sphere began expanding in a supernatural showing. Slowly taking shape to form a humanoid shape. However, some traits that were still forming were foreign and alien-like. In particular, the horns jetting out of its skull and the third eye resting on its forehead. It reminded Aldric of the murals within the underworld, as they were on their way to the First Lord's grave. The ones that depicted the figure that caused the darkness in the forgotten shore.
The figure stood over 200 cm tall and was completely made up of dark water. Dark water compressed enough to solidify, giving the creature a black and reflective body. As if it was made of marble. It emanated feelings of strength and weight.
With no claws or weapons, Aldric wondered exactly how it would attack. However, it seemed that the transformation was not complete.
Whispers and mutterings of madness and mania echoed in the pits of his soul. Speaking to him of the rank that the creature was.
'A fallen.'
He looked around at the state of the dreamer army and could only draw his lips into a hard line.
Aldric knew that fighting a fallen creature with unknown abilities around such liabilities would cause a disaster.
'Damn it. We don't have time to stop here.'
He resolved himself to making a decision.
Locking eyes with Nephis, who had noticed what he was looking at, he spoke.
"You guys head on. I'll take care of this and meet you up there."
Nephis seemed to be contemplating the situation while Sunny and Cassie were beside her.
Sunny's face grimaced. Knowing that there was definitely more waiting for them up the spire, they could not afford to split up or waste time.
The people closer to the bottom were standing still, transfixed at what they were seeing.
The birth of a nightmare creature.
This slowly spread towards the rest of the army as those that were cognisant all looked at Nephis and those beside her to see what the plan of action was to be.
As she was about to speak, Cassie interrupted her.
"No! We can come together and fight it."
This outburst was odd to Aldric; however, her body language gave it all away.
The omniscient seer who usually met every danger with a disturbed grimace was now in shock at something she did not anticipate.
'I didn't see this at all! What is going on?'
Cassie thought erratically. Her eyes lingered on the only disturber of fate that she knew.
This comment began to affect Nephis' judgment; however, Aldric nipped it in the bud with accurate judgement.
"If those beams of light were anything to judge by, I won't be much help against whatever is up there. So I'll take care of this one and head up."
With those words he began descending the few steps that they had climbed back towards the gate.Leaving no room for conversation, it was not the time to change his mind. After all, a plan was already in formation.
Aldric often wondered where he would be in the final march to the gate. Supporting Nephis against the Crimson Terror or with Sunny; leading everyone to the gate. However, it seemed that fate had other plans for him. Plans that were beginning to work in his favour.
Nephis shouted at the rest of the army.
"Aldric's got it! Everyone keep moving forward!"
As he passed the remnants of the sleeper army, he began to receive small words of encouragement from those that were cognisant of what was happening. Small words of 'You've got this' and 'Good luck.'.
As he reached the final step of the coral platform, he covered himself in his familiar coat of darkness. Summoning Bael, he ordered.
"Give it all you've got while it's still forming!"
Aldric knew that a nightmare creature was at its weakest as it was born, so it was time to take advantage of its weakness.
Jumping into the air and swinging with all his might, Bael dropped like a guillotine onto the humanoid. Whereas Aldric launched an attack of his own.
"Dark slash: four-fold."
Four overlapping slashes of darkness landed on the nightmare creature as it had just finished its transformation.
SCREEEEE
A disembodied voice began to scream. Muffled as it was underwater. A large slash that bisected it in half and a multitude of cuts around its entire body.
Aldric was sure that the attack would have ended the fallen creature; however, in a horrific sight, it began to reform in front of his eyes. Like a body of water filling a container, it reverted back to its original form with no damage showing.
'What on earth! How the hell am I going to kill it?'
In response to the surprise attack, the creature released a wave of dark water from its body. Manipulating them into long tendrils, it began to attack with full animosity.
Even beyond the attack, it seemed that this creature was a being of anger and wrath. Born from the rage of the dark sea, it was a herald of disaster. Planning to take out its creator's revenge on the being that sealed it so long ago. Killing anyone who got in his way.
The tendrils of dark water began to blitz around the area in unpredictable patterns. Massive craters the size of a car began to form where it struck the ground. Speaking of how utterly dense the water was. It made sense in a way to Aldric. While the creature was not able to imbue its water with any attributes relating to the dark sea, it did seem to appreciate the weight that such a concentrated amount of water should have.
With enough power to tear a human in two, Aldric could not afford to be hit once.
DODGE
DUCK
LEFT
It seemed that the more he dodged, the more that the creature began to splinter the tendrils to give it more attacking power. Two turned into four, which were even now beginning to multiply further.
The creature was learning. Learning how to fight while coming into its own strength. It was harrowing to watch. A nightmare creature getting stronger while fighting.
While he had the reflexes and senses to dodge, Bael was not so lucky. Large dents in its armour began to form around its body as it endured many blows. While it did not topple the knight, it did insurmountable damage. Leaving its armour deformed.
As agile as he was, Aldric could not handle eight speeding tendrils of death. Exhaustion was creeping in, and his darkness reserves were close to zero. It seemed that the restoration that Nephis had done was fleeting. Things were not looking good for Aldric.
He was glad that he was alone, though. Only death would await all those beside Nephis, Sunny, and Caster. Everyone else was too injured and exhausted to keep up with such a challenging battle.
It was time to make up a plan; however, he did not even have a moment's respite with the death zone that the creature created. Aldric could not even afford to get close without enduring an attack. Making up his mind, he ordered Bael to absorb the brunt of the blows. After all, was it not the duty of a knight to protect his sworn master?
Taking a step back himself, Bael took charge.
The gears were turning in his mind as he began to concoct a plan to end this fight. His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pulse of danger from above. Immediately jumping into a roll, he avoided an errant beam of light that reached them.
'Damn! I can't afford to be so much as touched by that.'
Aldric thought in alarm. Knowing that only death waited on the end of such a concentrated beam. He had hoped that was the last one.
Death was really all around him.
However, the creature could not react to such a surprise.
It dropped to its knees in utter agony as it was exposed to the light. The surface of its dark body began to bubble and shift like a chaotic storm. Speaking of the effects on its soul. It was clearly feeling the effects of the dreaded soul damage.
While he knew the beam was deadly, Aldric could not assert whether it would finish off the dark sea's champion.
Approaching, he attacked the being while it was down, spearing it through the back. His reserves had completely finished, leaving only his coated blade.
The small anti-ability effect of his darkness that he gained after unlocking his second core held down the fallen long enough for Aldric's final move.
Registering the attack, the creature began to concentrate its dense water around itself for one final stand.
"Now Bael! Devour."
With that, the broken Bael shed his knightly appearance and revealed the true horror hidden beneath. A red wraith twice the size of the fallen creature approached its prone body and opened its ghastly maw. As if it was a gate to purgatory with its damning flames.
In one movement, it enveloped the fallen creature.
And in the next movement, it was gone.
They both were.
**********
Thank you for reading.
Forgot to mention this but we hit the 300k milestone! Glad to see the support. Big numbers.
What do you think those plans were?
Can anyone guess what I used as inspiration for the fallen Aldric's fighting? I severely doubt you can.
Angel_Of_Damnation: First fan art for the story. Much love. Which site did you use? Might play around with it.
Azdal: I'm with you. I've addressed a question like this before. There will be so don't worry. I don't want to just tell you but show you in the story.
Game_pit_oflline: Should I?
That's all for today. Enjoy your weekends. Till the next one.