Chapter 13
1094 Words
The winding, narrow tunnel was barely illuminated by Elena's Waystone as she held it aloft.
The earth's growing unease was reflected in the patterns that were etched on its surface, which pulsed in an anxious rhythm.
With each step, she could feel the cold, evil pressure of the void, which threatened to suffocate the life force in the area.
Elena murmured, responding to the Waystone's persistent pull, "this way." The tunnel twisted and swung, occasionally erupting into vast, echoing caverns before re-elongating.
Some of the strange rock formations were smoothed by ancient waters, while others were jagged and sharp, as if torn apart by forces unseen.
With his dagger in hand and his senses sharpened, Kaelen cautiously moved behind her.
He murmured, his voice tight, "This is not a natural cave." “Feels…wrong.”
As Bram came in last, he kept his sword in his hand and his broad shoulders almost hit the narrow walls.
They all seemed to feel the weight of the oppressive atmosphere. They quickly realized that Kaelen's observation was terrifyingly accurate.
The network of tunnels was designed rather than a natural geological formation. Instead, it was a maze.
They began to meet the people who lived in this dark maze. Forms that were similar to the Shadow Weavers but more aquatic glided through the dimly lit rooms.
When they were seen, their eyes had the same unsettling violet glow. They seemed at home in the abyssal darkness, moving faster and with greater fluidity.
Recognizing the corruption, Elena exhaled, "Void-touched water spirits." The omnipresence of the void distorted and enslaved them as guardians.
The initial encounter was a blur of frantic defense. With corrosive energy dripping from their shadowy tendrils, the water spirits emerged from the pitch-blackness.
Kaelen's dagger deflected their attacks with surprising agility as he moved like lightning. Wide arcs of swordplay from Bram, a fortress of resistance, dispelled the fleeting forms.
The pure energy pierced their corrupted essence as Elena drove them back with her staff of earth and elemental fire. After one battle, Kaelen wiped the sweat from his brow and panted, "They’re not just guarding a path."
"They are trying to stop us from getting somewhere." The void's presence became more pronounced the deeper they dug.
A chilling melody began to creep into their heads as a low, disorienting drone began to hum through the tunnels.
An out of character sigh of despair, Elena had a constant desire to turn around.
She fought it by drawing strength from the Waystone and images of the World Tree, a glimmer of hope in the face of the dwindling world.
The dripping water now instantly froze on the rock, creating intricate, grotesque ice sculptures as the air got even colder.
The frantic pulse of the Waystone's glow indicated that the void's center was near. The Waystone's light barely made it to the ceiling as they emerged into a vast, circular cavern.
In the center, a massive fissure cut through the floor of the cavern and led to a pitch-black abyss.
A sickening purple light pulsed from this chasm, illuminating strange, crystalline growths that clung to the walls of the cavern like parasites.
The droning hum filled the air here, and the weight of the void was palpable and oppressive.
A menacing guard stood silently and menacingly positioned around the fissure, creating a chilling scene.
Not just water spirits, but also larger, more ancient beings whose forms were partially forged by the all encompassing power of the void.
Their segmented bodies were the size of enormous crustaceans, their multiple eyes glowed with evil intelligence, and their energy was corrupted.
Ancient beings who had succumbed to the pervasive influence of the void, they were the true guardians of the seal.
Elena whispered, her eyes fixed on the pulsating purple light coming from the abyss and her whispering.
She felt an overwhelming sense of regret and urgency as the Ancient Ones' whispers became a deafening roar in her head.
Zephyr's actions had agitated a small portion of the Voidborn's essence, which had been contained here.
The massive guardians shook, their multi-jointed limbs clicking against the icy rock, as they fully entered the cavern.
Elena was enticed by the whispers of surrender and the luscious oblivion of the void as the droning hum grew louder and penetrated deeper into her thoughts.
As he tightened his grip on his dagger, Kaelen muttered, "They know we're here." Bram extended his wide feet and arced his sword defensively.
"It appears as though we are fighting our way out of this deep hole," Under the unrelenting pressure of the void, Elena could feel the ancient seal groaning.
She was aware that this was more than just a skirmish; it was a last-ditch effort to escape.
The Ley Lines and the very fabric of existence would be irreparably damaged if the Voidborn's essence were truly released here.
They had reached the very center of the terrestrial infiltration into the void through the sunken labyrinth, where they faced their greatest obstacle to date.
Elena felt a suffocating weight pressing in on her thoughts as the immense cavern pulsated with the oppressive drone of the Voidborn's essence.
With enticing promises of oblivion and peace, the chilling whispers of surrender grew louder.
She battled them, clinging to the warmth of Kaelen and Bram's presence, the Sanctuary's memory, and a fleeting hope of equilibrium.
The segmented bodies of the ancient guardians, whose bodies had been corrupted by the void, shook, their energy being sickly purple.
Like distorted gems, their numerous eyes were fixed on Elena and her companions. Their clicking limbs echoed ominously in the vast room as they moved with a chilling grace.
"We have to get to that crack!" Over the sluggish hum, Elena strained to shout.
The Waystone's guiding light and the earth's raw power were channeled by her staff as it flared.
The monstrous guardians' charge was met by Kaelen and Bram lunging forward. Kaelen was quick and agile enough to dodge big claws.
His dagger got stuck in the creature's joints, releasing short bursts of dark energy.
The void corrupted forms were briefly dissipated when Bram, a natural force, brought his sword down with a force that broke bones, shattering the crystalline armor.
However, their number was overwhelming, and the guardians appeared to derive strength from the gloom that surrounded them.
In an effort to forge a path, Elena unleashed a torrent of fire and earth magic.
The guardians were temporarily restrained by the cold stone's erupting vines as bursts of elemental fire seared their tainted flesh.
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