**Chapter 9: Wraith Siege**
251 Words
Heart pounding as the psychic bridge quaked, Eira faced the writhing mass of dark wraiths surging from the seaside cliffs towards her, Vale, and Arlo. She had heard village tales of ships lost forever after being swarmed by these vicious, anguished spirits.
“We have to break through before the whole bridge collapses!” Arlo yelled over the precarious stones cracking beneath their feet. Summoning fiery ribbons from his whip, he lashed out at the first specters to reach them, dissipating their misty forms in puffs of acrid smoke.
Vale swiftly drew moisture from the ocean air into twisting icy spears, launching them to impale several more wraiths. Meanwhile, Eira concentrated on funneling air streams below to stabilize the crumbling magic bridge.
They slowly battled forward step by step. Yet hungry for life force, the blank-eyed phantoms kept coming in ever greater numbers. With a quarter mile left to cross, Eira felt her magical stamina fading. Sensing their vulnerability, the wraith horde coalesced into a gigantic smoky clawed hand shooting forward!
Whirling in alarm, Arlo pulled Eira against himself, enveloping them both in a protective ring of fire. Emerald shards glinted as Vale summoned a curved wall of crystal, deflecting the brute force smash. The explosive impact sent Vale flying off the side!
“No!!” Eira screamed. Peering desperately into the misty abyss, she glimpsed her friend prone atop a jagged outcrop just below. With reckless haste, Eira propelled herself down using air magic to save her sole remaining companion.
- Writer
