The creatures spilled from the crack in the wall like ink bleeding across stone. Twisted shadows with faintly glowing eyes, their forms barely solid, yet the weight of their presence pressed down on the streets like a heavy fog.
Eryndor stepped forward, his cursed arm flaring with blue fire as the runes along his blade pulsed in sync. The first creature lunged, its jagged claws slicing through the air.
Eryndor met it head-on.
His sword burned brighter as their weapons clashed, the force of the strike scattering embers across the ground. The creature shrieked and recoiled, blue flames searing into its form, but three more shadows darted forward, surrounding him.
Kaelith flanked Eryndor's right side, her dagger flashing in quick, precise arcs. One of the shadows lunged for her, but she twisted away, driving her blade into its chest. The creature staggered but didn't fall.
"These things don't go down easy!" she shouted, slicing again.
"Focus on keeping them off your back!" Eryndor replied, knocking another creature aside with a burst of flame.
Rhoan stepped into the fray, his sword glowing with silver runes. "Hold the line! Don't let them spread into the city!"
Behind them, more King's Blades arrived, rallying at the breach with crossbows and halberds. The sound of bolts firing echoed through the street as the soldiers opened fire, but the shadows moved quickly—too quickly.
One creature leapt over the frontline, landing atop a nearby merchant's stall. It let out a distorted wail, and the shadows around it thickened, beginning to spread toward the buildings.
Kaelith cursed under her breath. "They're trying to swallow the whole city!"
Eryndor broke away from the fight, sprinting toward the shadow on the stall. His cursed arm burned hotter as he raised his sword, striking down with a single, fire-laced swing. The flames burst outward, engulfing the creature in blue light.
The shadow screeched, its form unraveling and dissolving into ash.
Kaelith watched from across the street, wiping sweat from her brow. "Okay, that worked."
More shadows began to emerge, but Eryndor's cursed arm didn't stop burning. The flame coursed along his veins, syncing with each step he took, as if the relic in his pack was feeding the fire.
Rhoan fought alongside the King's Blades, but his attention drifted to Eryndor. He watched as Eryndor's sword cut through the creatures with ease, the fire spreading farther with each strike.
"Your arm," Rhoan called over the chaos, his eyes narrowing. "It's reacting to them."
Eryndor didn't stop moving. "It's not just them. It's the veil."
Kaelith caught up, panting lightly. "What does that mean?"
Eryndor slashed through another creature, the flames around him growing stronger. "The relic in my pack—it's not just a key. It's a beacon. These things aren't attacking the city by chance… they're being drawn to me."
Kaelith stared at him. "So, you're telling me we're fighting these monsters because you're standing here?"
Eryndor gave a dry smirk. "Pretty much."
Kaelith shook her head. "You've got the worst luck."
Rhoan approached, his expression unreadable. "If that relic is drawing them, you need to leave the city. Now."
Eryndor met Rhoan's gaze. "If I leave, they'll follow me. You'll be safe for a time, but the veil will break elsewhere. This isn't just about protecting Ashenfall."
The captain studied him for a long moment. "Then what's your plan?"
Eryndor glanced at the crack in the city wall, where shadows still poured through. "We seal the breach. If we can stop the flow here, we buy ourselves more time to find the other relics."
Kaelith's eyes narrowed. "Seal it how? I'm assuming you don't have some ancient spell lying around in that pack of yours."
Eryndor's cursed arm flared again, this time brighter than before. The flames didn't just swirl around his wrist—they extended outward, flowing toward the breach as if pulled by an invisible thread.
"I might," Eryndor muttered.
Kaelith stepped back. "Hold on. I've seen that look before. You're about to do something reckless, aren't you?"
Eryndor gave her a sideways glance. "Since when is that new?"
Before she could argue, he approached the breach. The flames around his arm stretched farther, licking at the edges of the crack in the wall. The shadows recoiled, but they didn't retreat.
Rhoan and his men held their position, watching as Eryndor raised his sword.
"If this goes wrong," Rhoan warned, "you could bring the whole wall down."
Eryndor nodded. "Then let's hope it doesn't."
He plunged his sword into the ground at the base of the crack. Blue fire erupted outward, racing along the breach's edges. The shadows writhed and shrieked, trying to resist the flame, but the fire only grew stronger.
Kaelith shielded her eyes from the burst of light. "Eryndor—"
The fire surged one final time, sealing the crack with a loud snap. The shadows evaporated, leaving behind only scorched stone and a faint, glowing rune where the breach once was.
Eryndor staggered slightly but remained standing. The flames around his arm dimmed, though they didn't vanish entirely.
Kaelith lowered her hand. "You're still in one piece. I'll count that as a win."
Rhoan stepped forward, inspecting the sealed breach. "You've delayed it… but this isn't over."
Eryndor nodded. "I know."
As the King's Blades began tending to the wounded and clearing the streets, Kaelith nudged Eryndor.
"So," she said, "where's the next relic?"
Eryndor tightened the strap of his pack.
"North," he replied. "In the mountains."
Kaelith groaned. "Fantastic. I hate the cold."
Eryndor smirked faintly. "Then you're going to love this next part."
Without another word, they set off, leaving the smoldering city wall behind them. The battle for Ashenfall was over, but the war for the veil had only just begun.