Moving on, Micheal felt the weight of something watching, waiting and ready to pounce on them. That piece of light from the Keeper shinned faintly in his pouch, but it seemed to taunt the surrounding darkness.
Micheal stopped in his tracks, his fingers tightening on the Veralune Staff.
"What was that?" Kai whispered, his sword already in his hands.
The keen eyes of Selene pierced the shadows. Her sword was out, her stance rigid with readiness. "They're close... I can feel it."
Micheal wasn't suprised because it felt a change in the atmosphere, cold,oppressive, and heavy with malice. The jungle around them seemed to darken, the light from his staff barely holding at bay the encroaching shadows. Then, they appeared.
First, it was one. A sleek black creature slid from the darkness, its eyes glowing red in the dark, locking onto Micheal. Then another emerged, and another, until at least a dozen shadow beasts ringed them in the clearing.
Their bodies seemed like a living shadow-constant in their shifting and rippling, but their claws and teeth gleamed with an terrifying sharpness.
"They're hunting us," Selene whispered low but steady.
Micheal stuck the Veralune Staff in the ground, and it widened its light in a wide protective circle. The shadow beasts let out a collective hiss their forms dancing like a fire in the wind, but didn't move backwards.
"They're testing us," Selene said, her blade shining from the light emitted by the staff.
The first beast charged, quicker than Micheal had expected, and was a blur of darkness, leaping directly at him. He barely raised the staff in time, its light choking into the creature and sending it screeching back.
"No time to think!" Selene yelled, two other beasts attacking her sides. She lunged forward in a clean, practiced motion, her sharp blade bit home and sent one of the beasts into a yowling spiral, which burst in a cloud of shadow.
Kai was less graceful, his twin daggers dancing with desperation. He slashed at the other beast, striking true and sending it back, but not before its claws raked across his arm.
"Damn it!" Kai hissed, clutching his wound.
"Kai, stay close to the light!" Micheal shouted, swinging the staff toward another charging beast. The light struck true, disintegrating into mid air, but the effort left him drained.
"They won't back down!" Selene shouted. The more that came, the more seemed to appear.
The beasts started to coordinate, moving in same steps as they circled their quarry. As one, they closed in on them, and Micheal's heart quickened as he saw where this was going toward a knot of thick vines and roots-a trap.
"They're trying to drive us back!" he exclaimed, gathering his will.
Selene's blade met a beast's claws, flying off with sparks as she parried its attack. "Then we fight harder!"
Kai leaped at another beast, movements wild but effective. "Easier said than done!"
A beast leaped over Micheal's light barrier and was aimed directly at him. Time seemed to slow down as its claws reached out toward his face, its eyes glowing red with malice.
"Micheal!" Selene shouted, too far to reach him in time.
Instinctively, Micheal jerked the staff upwards. A surge of light shot off from the tip of it, engulfing the beast and then bursting it to shreds. Recoil made Micheal step backwards as his eyes went blind after his excessive outburst.
"Micheal, concentrate!" Selene shouted while mowing down yet another one before joining his flank. "Falter for a moment and we're out."
"I do, dammit!".
The beasts were endless, attacking in waves, their every strike with better coordination than the last. With each burst of light that Micheal cast out, he could feel the draining of his energy and Selene and Kai were tiring, sluggish motions now taking precedence over what once was speed and quick reflexes.
"We can't keep this up!" Kai shouted, barely avoiding one of the beast's swipes.
The thought ran through Micheal's mind as he deflected yet another attack with his staff. They were outnumbered and outmatched, but the shard in his pouch pulsed once more, its rhythm quickening. He glanced at the altar in the center of the clearing, its runes glowing faintly.
"The altar!" he shouted. "We need to get to the altar!"
"What's your plan?" Selene asked, slicing through another beast.
"I don't know yet!" he admitted. "But it's our only chance!"
The group fought their way toward the altar, every step a struggle. Selene's blade was a blur, her moves sure and fatal as she carved through the beasts.
Kai stayed right behind her, the flick of his daggers flashing within the dancing light as he cut off their flanks. Micheal himself stayed in the middle, his Veralune Staff casting a warm glow to hold the shadows back.
As they finally reached the altar, Micheal placed the piece onto its surface. Runes began to flare to life across the surface, their glow spreading out in intricate patterns. The beasts retarded their movements, stumbling as some form of magic was loosed from the altar.
"They're reacting to the light!" Selene exclaimed with hope.
Micheal focused on the small piece, channeling his energy into it. The altar hummed with power, the runes growing brighter with each passing second. The beasts screeched, their forms flickering as the light intensified.
But it wasn't enough. The beasts regrouped, their numbers surging as they prepared for a final assault.
"They're not giving up!" Kai yelled, his voice edged with panic.
Micheal gritted his teeth. "Then neither will we!"
He raised the Veralune Staff high, putting all his strength into it. A surge of light shot from the altar in an outward wave of energy, shooting directly to the beasts. Their noise of screams continued as their shapes ripped apart to wispy clouds of darkness.
As the light cleared, silence again filled the jungle.
Micheal collapsed to his knees, the Veralune Staff slipping from his grasp. Selene and Kai rushed to his side, their faces pale but relieved.
"You did it," Selene said, her voice soft with awe.
Micheal shook his head. "We did it. Together."
Kai let out a weak laugh, slumping against the altar. "Remind me to never complain about magical jungles again."
The piece, on the altar, was shining brighter now, and a wave of warmth emanated from it, reaching Micheal's exhausted body. The runes on the altar faded, having spent their magic, but the jungle around them seemed to hum with rejuvenated life.
"This is just the beginning," Micheal said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Selene nodded, her gaze firm. "Then we keep moving. No matter what comes next."
And so, the trios stood together one closer than ever, ready to face whatever lay ahead.