The ground trembled beneath Lumumba's feet as the fissure roared, its dark energy twisting reality around it. Shadows poured from the gaping wound in the earth, their grotesque forms swarming toward him and his team. Lumumba, his twin sabers flashing in the dim light, slashed through the creatures with deadly precision, but he knew they couldn't hold out forever. The new, larger fissure was far more dangerous than the first, and it was growing by the minute.
"We need to seal this now!" Jon shouted, his sword cleaving through a shadowy figure that tried to lunge at Lumumba's side. "Before it gets any worse!"
Lumumba spun around, cutting down two more creatures with a swift, calculated motion. His breathing was heavy, but his grin remained intact. "Yeah, no kidding! If this thing keeps expanding, we're going to have a lot more company. And I don't think they're here for a friendly chat."
Amara, her eyes glowing with magical energy, was on the other side of the battlefield, chanting as she summoned her wards. She was the key to closing the fissure—but she needed time. Time that they didn't have.
"Keep them off me!" Amara called out, her voice strained with effort. "I'm almost ready!"
Lumumba's mind raced as he glanced back at the fissure. The shadows were spilling out faster now, their numbers growing with each passing second. He needed to find a way to buy Amara more time. His hand tightened around the hilts of his sabers.
"Jon!" he yelled, motioning for his friend to come closer. "I've got an idea, but it's going to be risky. We need to drive them back—create some space for Amara to work."
Jon raised an eyebrow, his usual skepticism evident. "And how exactly are we going to do that? They just keep coming."
Lumumba's smirk widened. "That's where the fun part comes in." He pointed toward the debris scattered across the battlefield—remnants of the earlier fight. "I'm going to use the explosives we set earlier. If we can detonate them near the fissure, we might be able to disrupt the flow of creatures for a bit."
Jon looked at the distance between them and the fissure. It wasn't far, but getting close enough to set off the charges without getting torn apart by the shadow creatures would be nearly impossible.
"You're insane," Jon muttered. "But fine, I'll cover you."
"Good man," Lumumba said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Try not to die."
"Same to you."
As Jon and the soldiers held the line, Lumumba sprinted toward the fissure, his sabers flashing as he cut down anything in his path. The creatures were relentless, but Lumumba's speed and agility kept him just ahead of their attacks. He reached the debris, quickly locating the explosives they had buried earlier.
"Alright, let's see if we can make some noise," Lumumba muttered to himself as he rigged the charges. He set the timers, knowing they only had seconds to get clear.
Just as he was about to finish, a massive shadow creature—twice the size of the others—emerged from the fissure, its glowing red eyes locking onto him. Lumumba's heart skipped a beat. "Well, that's new."
The creature let out an ear-piercing shriek and charged toward him, its claws outstretched.
Lumumba didn't hesitate. "Amara! Jon! Get back!"
He activated the charges and sprinted away from the debris, the ground shaking violently as the explosives went off. The explosion sent waves of energy rippling across the battlefield, and the massive creature was knocked off balance, giving Lumumba the opening he needed to escape.
The shadow creatures reeled from the blast, their advance halted—if only for a moment. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
Amara, sensing the brief respite, raised her arms, her voice growing louder as she completed her spell. The air around the fissure began to shimmer, the dark energy faltering under the weight of her magic.
"It's working!" Jon shouted, cutting down another creature as he watched the fissure begin to shrink.
Lumumba rushed back to their position, panting but grinning. "Told you we just needed a little boom."
Amara's concentration was unshakable, but her face showed the strain of the immense power she was channeling. The fissure fought back, its dark energy writhing against her magic like a wild beast. But she didn't let up, her determination unwavering.
"We're almost there," she said through gritted teeth. "Just a little longer!"
The fissure began to close, the shadow creatures wailing as their connection to the dark energy was severed. One by one, they dissolved into nothingness, their forms disintegrating into the wind.
Lumumba and Jon stood at Amara's side, fending off the last of the creatures. The battle was almost won.
"You've got this, Amara!" Lumumba shouted. "Just a little more!"
Amara's magic surged one final time, and with a deafening crack, the fissure slammed shut, the dark energy dissipating into the air. The ground rumbled one last time before falling silent.
It was over.
The battlefield was eerily quiet now, the once-chaotic scene reduced to a peaceful stillness. Lumumba, Jon, and Amara stood in the aftermath, their breaths heavy, but victorious.
"That... was intense," Jon muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
Amara nodded, exhausted but relieved. "We've stopped it for now, but the fissures... they're not just random. Someone is controlling them."
Lumumba's expression darkened as he sheathed his sabers. "Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing. The Sovereign is behind this. He's playing with forces we barely understand."
Jon stepped forward, his voice more serious now. "If the Sovereign can summon fissures this powerful, he's planning something big. And we need to figure out what it is before it's too late."
Amara's eyes flickered with worry. "The magic I used to close this fissure... it won't hold forever. If we don't stop the Sovereign soon, the fissures will return, and they'll be even worse."
Lumumba, ever the strategist, was already thinking ahead. "Then we need to find him. And when we do, we put an end to this. For good."
Meanwhile, in the capital...
Back in the capital, William stood in the palace council chamber, facing the gathering of nobles. The coup had been successful, but the political landscape remained volatile. The nobles were wary of William's new rule, some still loyal to his father's ways, others eager to see how William would handle the kingdom.
"You've consolidated power quickly, William," one of the nobles, Lord Hadrian, said with a slight sneer. "But the fissures remain a threat. How do you intend to handle them without your father's... experience?"
William, his face calm but resolute, met Lord Hadrian's gaze. "My father's methods led us to chaos. I won't make the same mistakes. We have new allies, and I will rebuild this kingdom with their help."
"New allies?" Lord Hadrian raised an eyebrow. "You mean that mercenary Lumumba and his ragtag group? They are not fit to advise a ruler."
William's eyes hardened. "Lumumba has done more for this kingdom in the past few weeks than you have in years, Hadrian. And he's not just a mercenary. He's a fighter. And he understands what we're up against."
The council murmured, uneasy with the young ruler's defiance. But William knew he couldn't afford to show weakness now. The fissures, the Sovereign, the political unrest—they were all interconnected, and if he didn't assert his authority, the kingdom would fall apart.
"I won't be cowed by old ways," William said firmly. "If you cannot accept that, then perhaps you don't belong in this council. The fissures are a threat, yes. But we will stop them. I will stop them. And I will protect this kingdom with or without your approval."
Lord Hadrian narrowed his eyes, but said nothing more. The rest of the council remained silent, clearly unsure of how to respond to William's bold declaration.
As the council session ended, William made his way to the palace balcony, where he could see the horizon stretching toward the battlefield where Lumumba, Jon, and Amara were fighting.
"Stay safe out there," William murmured, gripping the balcony rail. "We're not done yet."