Two Champion class warriors stood either side of what could only be the throne room, the place which our current target of darkness was located, Vali, who most likely had been watching everything from the moment that we arrived. I hope he enjoyed the show because soon it would be over.
“Excuse me,” I said coming forward. Instantly the two warriors were on guard. One wielded twin daggers and the other a short sword. Each one’s form fluctuated with dark energy, glistening like diamond across their skin. “I’m a little lost, looking for the throne room.”
Without a single word they attacked, Link came in from behind, parrying the warrior’s daggers. I smirked having complete faith that he had my back.
“Link with me, Dash, Zack deal with the other one.” I set out my orders as we got to work ridding this place of darkness and releasing the souls of these trapped warriors.
Dash speeded in front grabbing the attention of the warrior with the short sword. Zack had disappeared but quickly made an appearance again, jumping from Dash’s shadow to lay down a hit on the enemy, they worked perfectly together.
Link formed a single sword pushing forward overpowering one dagger as it was thrown out of his hand. Link then jumped back as I summoned a wall of fire around him, a swirling tornado manifesting with its core, empowering the flames.
“Don’t let your guard down,” called Tigra. “They are Guardian class remember.”
“We know that,” I responded.
Wings spread wide as the Avis warrior disrupted my fire tornado and summoned back his weapon. “You are not the only ones to wield the power of talismans.” It spoke. “Name yourselves warriors of another land.”
“Fang, captain of Cathopia’s Guardians.” I held the twin lions tightly, realising this was going to be more of a challenge than I thought, if he had simply been led and control by the darkness, then pure instinct to kill would have led his blade, but he held his consciousness.
“Link.”
“I am Leock, captain of Anamothra’s Champions.” He responded. “If you wish to pass to see the emperor than you will have to defeat us first.”
“Zack, Fang’s second.”
“Dash.”
I glanced over to the second as he introduced himself. “I am Ace, vice-captain of Anamothra’s Champions.” Two high ranking warriors, just as high as mine and Zack’s skill level.
“Your emperor died long ago,” said Tigra.
“That may be so, but we serve a new master now, it is all we have purpose for, your highness,” responded Leock. He had identified her as royalty even though they had been up here for hundreds, maybe a thousand years.
“Fang, you know what to do,” said Tigra.
“Yes, your highness.”
“Then let us begin.” Leock summoned forth black vines from the ground, each dripping with some purple fluid.
“Don’t let it touch you Link.” He simply nodded, bringing forth his dark power to create armour around his skin. Link always impressed me with what he could do.
These vines reminded me of the abilities that Prince Loki held, if he could master it like this one day, he would be a force to be reckoned with.
The vines moved as if they had a will of their own, moving after us like beasts possessed. I swiped left and right, using mainly Raziel’s power to burn them away, before I could get hit by the vine’s thorns, no doubt laced with poison.
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Link quickly changed tactics, throwing his sword into the air where it changed into a row of throwing daggers, each one shot through the air, seeming to have minor abilities for telekinesis. Leock swung his daggers, knocking them away from himself.
“This one has strange powers indeed, almost like he feeds off the dark energy,” commented Leock.
Link said nothing as he was forced back by a burst in growth from the vines, spreading around the corridor, separating us from seeing how Dash and Zack were doing, but were not my main concern as they could handle themselves.
I jumped back to burn away the vines which were heading in Tigra’s direction. He would not harm her.
“I can handle myself, just focus on him,” ordered Tigra.
“Link.” I glanced over to him, and he just nodded. I didn’t have to tell him a single thing as he always adjusted to the situation, suppose his skills came from the years of combat he had against dad.
Link again moved forward, moving around the vines. I soon followed behind him, but I didn’t expect that Leock would enter the mass of green to face us. He himself came at us, his vines moving as he did, making a clear path from to walk but made it difficult for us to progress, using all our agility as Felines to even get through.
Link then headed left, while I went right, attempting to divide his attention. My main concern were these vines as neither of us could take the chance of getting poisoned, it would inflict the outcome of the next battle we still needed to face.
“Raziel let’s burn this place to the ground.” I gripped tightly to Raziel, infusing Larana’s wind down his blade as I cut as the air, summoning thick waves of their two elements, blasting away the vines, to clear my way through to Leock.
He came upon me, slashing down with his daggers, I dodged left, then stepped back before thrusting forward with Raziel, then followed by a burst of Arata’s lightning.
“You are an interesting one, capable of wielding multiple talisman, you wouldn’t happen to be from the lineage of Fang.” He was curious about me.
“I am a direct descendent of Fang himself,” I responded. “I wield his talismans and guided by the goddess of light.”
“I see.” He slowly nodded. “Then free us all one chosen by destiny.”
“From your response it’s obvious you still hold your own souls, but cannot defy the one beyond those doors,” I said.
“That is indeed correct.” He nodded.
The vines came in all around again and I saw a glimpse of a fairy dancing around him. “You can’t win against us, we’ve never lost.” I heard him.
“First time for everything,” responded Larana.
I jumped back seeing an ambush of vines coming down in front of me, his control over it and being able to attack me was quite amazing. I was sure the lions would have been helping more, but this space was getting harder to move about. I sent them a message, telling them to stay with Tigra otherwise it would be impossible for all of us to move about in this space, which seemed to be growing smaller.
“He’s working up to a high-ranking technique,” warned Larana. “We need to tare apart these vines before he can activate it.”
“Trying,” I took in a sharp breath, before breathing out fire like Raziel would have, directing it all around me, then straight into a second move. “Fire cutter.” Fusing Larana’s wind cutter with Raziel’s fire burning all around us, spreading my flames even more.
“With your fire talisman you have the advantage against me, but don’t think that will make this an easy win, young one.” He lifted his right arm, the vines that were on fire seemed to harden and shortly after my flames had no effect on them. “Years of training you learn how to combat against your own weaknesses and know how to handle such strong enemies.” He dashed forward, swiping both blades down, I defended our swords clashing, sparks of element energy bouncing off.
He held such strength behind him, pushing me down to my knees, I couldn’t move. Was this his strength or the strength the darkness had given him.
Link jumped from behind but was caught in a web of vines, which had been practically invisible. The vines quickly took hold, hanging him from his wrists, but luckily the vines could not get through the defensive skin he had set up around his body.
“These vines are much like a webbing is for a spider,” he grinned. “I can see everything.” Vines came from behind him, quickly wrapping around me, circling around like a cocoon as he moved away. “Nice try kid.”
I winced as I felt a few of the thorns dug into my skin, surrounded pinned by strong branches as the vines thickened further, taking away the senses from around me, within I could hear nothing, see nothing, nor smell anything. I was trapped and Link was next. Were the others struggling against their foe as we had. I didn’t understand how I had been overpowered so quickly, had I underestimated him due to the combat I’d had against those who had also been nothing more than slaves to the darkness here.
I could feel the poison of his vines, entering my blood stream, it was no problem my body could handle it, feeling the faint power of Mila as she numbed my pain, but the poison from the vines also carried an essence of darkness, which again for me posed no threat, but within the poison also something that was preventing me from moving. Who would this fierce warrior go for next, would he back up his vice-captain or would he head for Tigra.
