The Wendigos moved as one, their twisted forms surging out of the darkness with terrifying speed. Their eyes glowed with an insatiable hunger, and their claws, sharp and gnarled, were poised to strike. Kai's heart pounded as he raised his sword, the gauntlet on his arm crackling with barely contained energy. Beside him, Luna growled fiercely, her golden fur bristling, while Zara gripped her staff, frantically preparing a spell.
The first Wendigo leaped toward them, its maw open wide, revealing rows of jagged teeth. Kai slashed his sword upward, the blade sparking as it connected with the creature's hide. The Wendigo shrieked, the impact sending it crashing back into the trees, but more were closing in fast.
"Zara!" Kai shouted, swinging his sword to block another attack. "We need magic, now!"
"I'm working on it!" Zara replied, her voice strained as she chanted under her breath, her staff glowing faintly with arcane power. Symbols of protection began to form in the air around them, but the Wendigos weren't waiting.
One of the creatures lunged at Zara, its claws outstretched, but Luna intercepted it with a snarl. She pounced, her body glowing with the light of her Guardian magic, and raked her claws across the Wendigo's face, sending it howling into the shadows.
But for every Wendigo they pushed back, another two took its place.
"They just keep coming!" Kai grunted as he barely managed to block another strike. The gauntlet flared to life, sending a blast of blue energy into the nearest Wendigo, but the attack only slowed it down. The creatures seemed to be drawing strength from the dark magic of the forest, their resilience growing with every second.
Zara's eyes widened as she flipped through the pages of the Grimoire, her voice rising in urgency. "These aren't normal Wendigos! They've been corrupted by the Sovereign's magic. Physical attacks won't be enough. We need to banish them!"
Kai's chest tightened. "How do we do that?"
Zara slammed the Grimoire shut, her staff glowing brighter now, casting a pale light over the clearing. "I'll channel the magic from the Grimoire to weaken them, but you have to keep them off me long enough for the spell to work."
Kai nodded, determination settling in. "We'll hold them."
Luna stood by his side, her golden eyes gleaming in the dim light. "Let's show them what Guardians can do."
The Wendigos howled again, circling around the trio, their movements more frenzied. Zara raised her staff, muttering an incantation that caused the air to hum with energy. The ground beneath them started to vibrate, the symbols she had drawn glowing brighter as the magic began to take shape.
Kai and Luna moved in sync, forming a defensive line in front of Zara. The Wendigos lunged, but Kai's sword met them with fierce precision. His gauntlet pulsed with energy, and each swing of his blade sent bursts of light through the air, holding the creatures at bay. Luna fought with equal ferocity, her claws glowing as she slashed at the creatures, her movements swift and deadly.
But the Wendigos kept coming.
Kai's arms burned from the effort, but he didn't stop. Every time a Wendigo got close, he struck with everything he had. Luna's growls echoed through the forest as she tore through the corrupted beasts, her movements fluid and relentless. But for every Wendigo they felled, more emerged from the shadows, drawn to the Grimoire's magic like moths to a flame.
"I need more time!" Zara called out, her voice tight with concentration as she continued her spell. The symbols around them grew brighter, but the strain on her face showed how difficult the incantation was.
"We're running out of time!" Kai shouted, his sword clashing with yet another Wendigo. The gauntlet was beginning to overheat, the constant flow of energy wearing on him.
Suddenly, one of the Wendigos managed to slip past their defenses, darting toward Zara with terrifying speed. Luna snarled, leaping to intercept it, but another Wendigo slammed into her, knocking her off balance.
"Zara, look out!" Kai shouted, rushing to protect her.
But before he could reach her, the Wendigo lunged at Zara, its claws outstretched. Time seemed to slow as Kai watched in horror, his heart pounding in his chest. Zara's eyes widened, her concentration momentarily broken as the creature's claws came inches from her.
In a split second, Zara's staff flared with brilliant light, and a shockwave of magic burst from her, sending the Wendigo flying backward. The force of the spell knocked Kai off his feet, the light blinding him for a moment as the magic surged through the clearing.
When the light faded, Kai blinked and scrambled to his feet. The Wendigos were staggering, their twisted forms flickering as Zara's spell took hold. The magic was weakening them, making them vulnerable.
"Now!" Zara shouted, her voice filled with urgency. "Strike them now while they're weakened!"
Kai didn't hesitate. With a battle cry, he charged toward the nearest Wendigo, his sword glowing with the energy of the gauntlet. He slashed through the creature's form, and this time, it didn't regenerate. The Wendigo let out a final, ear-piercing screech before it disintegrated into black mist.
Luna, now back on her feet, pounced on another Wendigo, her claws slicing through it with ease. The magic of Zara's spell had drained the creatures of their dark resilience, and one by one, they fell to Kai and Luna's relentless attacks.
As the last Wendigo dissolved into the air, the forest grew eerily quiet once more. Kai stood there, panting, his sword still glowing faintly with energy. Luna padded over to him, her golden fur matted with dirt and blood, but her eyes were still sharp.
"We did it," she said, though her voice was tired.
Zara staggered, nearly collapsing, but Kai was quick to catch her. "Are you okay?"
Zara nodded weakly, her face pale from the effort. "That spell… it took more out of me than I expected. But we stopped them. For now."
Kai looked around at the now-empty clearing. The Wendigos were gone, but the oppressive feeling of the forest remained. They couldn't stay here much longer.
"We need to move," Kai said. "The Wendigos might be gone, but if they were drawn to the Grimoire, others will come."
Luna nodded in agreement. "The Sovereign's magic is growing stronger. We're not safe here."
Zara stood on shaky legs, but her resolve was clear. "There's a ruin deeper in the forest," she said. "A place the Guardians once used. If we can make it there, we might find more clues about the Heart of Aethira."
Kai helped her gather her things, his mind racing. The stakes were higher than ever. With the Sovereign's forces growing stronger, time was running out. But they had to press on. The Heart of Aethira was their only hope of stopping the Sovereign—and whatever else he might unleash.
Together, they set off into the deeper, darker parts of the Forbidden Forest, knowing that their next challenge was likely just around the corner.