Mythshaper

Chapter 100: Darkness

Chapter 100: DarknessMy sword ruptured the wiry wing of a corpse fly as its claw ripped through my sweater, grazing my flesh with bitter pain. Even though the damage I dealt was far greater compared to the wound it inflicted on me, I did not possess the impenetrable defence of the [Band of Protection]. I could not fight them with wild abandon as I had done before. Thankfully, the lesson came cheaply.rate the space she had left behind.

She swallowed a frigid breath, clutching her war axe tight.

The darkness twisted, its tendrils drifting, strengthening to point their jagged edges towards her. She was like a bird in a cage, and the owner was a sick, sadistic demon. The splinter edge of darkness closed on her from all directions, like being swallowed down through barbed teeth.

She sprang into motion, evading as many as her ability allowed her to cleave her axe at the rest. She could not see them at all; only her domain of consciousness could identify the harrowing fangs.

For the larger part of her life, her magical senses had always been sharper than her sight, and it was only through that she managed to defend herself.

Unfortunately, there was no end to the attacks. Her essence threads sprang out, thrusting with unreserved force, but the eternal darkness swallowed the golden radiance before any of it came to fruition.

"There's no one to protect you here," the voice boomed with all its imperious nature.

More cracks and dents etched themselves on her golden armour, as the domain of darkness clenched its fangs around her, the darkness invading through the cracks of her armour to draw fresh blood.

Ashlyn clenched her teeth, her soul ward springing out. Already overdrawn from all the exertion, the runic chains revolved around her, driving away the darkness and its jagged claws from invading her.

"I wonder," the daemon's voice echoed from all directions, "for how long you can endure."

Ashlyn tried her best not to be intimidated by the theatrics. It would have been so much easier if she only had herself to worry about. The darkness that invaded her already made her feel fragile and defenceless from all sides. Her golden essence barely managed to keep it at bay.

She snarled at the daemon. She could not see it, of course, but that made little difference. In this place, the Ash Lord was ever present.

"Still not exposing the star phoenix blessing," the daemon cackled. "Perhaps I have gone a little soft on you...

"Not anymore."

The darkness beneath her feet rumbled and swallowed her feet knee-deep. Ashlyn jerked and twisted, channelling all her force to break free. It was to no avail. The darkness clung to her like quicksand, its presence adamant and unshakeable.

But what was more worrying were the tendrils that invaded through her defence and crept their way into her system. Ashlyn thrashed and groaned, revolving her essence in wild abandon, but with each moment, it became increasingly more difficult.

Whilst she struggled, drowning in the chthonic darkness, an illusory figure appeared before her, its palm reaching out towards her face.

Even with the enchanted metal covering her face completely, Ashlyn felt the chill spread across her cheek as it touched her. The face of her helm fell away, exposing a wretched exterior.

In all the darkness, she only found a pair of smouldering eyes, gazing at her with undying hunger.

Dread crawled up her heart, the solemn mask of her exterior lost in the impending doom.

The daemon's claw was about to trace a line on her cheek when her soul ward flung it away in defiance.

"Still defiant." The darkness quailed at the voice, as the macabre figure became more prominent. "It seems I can only break you now."