The Chronicles of Sorataki: Lucid Wish

Chapter 19: Through Gates of Steel

Allisa

The rhythm of their footfalls echoed around Allisa, Natalie and Orba filling in the silence as they climbed the last of the flight to reach the golden cube ornament that reflected the light. As they came to the top of the steps Allisa saw that the floor's surface was like that of a great large concrete disk.

In its center where the golden cube was set stood a kind of stone with a long set of double doors, more steps that led to a kind of shrine, and Dullahan standing at the top of the shrine steps in its enormous bulk of black armor. Its giant sword stabbed into the rock as it stood in front of him. Its red cloak tainted in black strands danced upon a breeze Allisa could not feel. Dullahan's headless appearance was still something she could not get used to no thanks to how imposing it looked. Even with its missing arm, it was daunting to witness the thing that so thoroughly outfought her in there the first encounter.

It was some hundred meters away, even so, Allisa remained cautious. Summoning her blade she held her breath. Even though it had no head or made no moves from its standing posture, even though it had apparently been deprived of sight thanks to their actions Allisa just knew.

"It's aware we are here," she said carefully.

Orba just nodded.

"It's not hopeless this time around... but still," he said.

"Who we came here for is just beyond that door right?" Natalie said stepping ahead.

Natalie summoning her dark wings stood under its dancing petals of feathers. Just then as planed the clouds above began to form and darken, purple lightning littered the sky. Nodding her head to herself Allisa got into stance beside her. They'd agreed to have Natalie land the first strike using her summoned storm clouds, the heavy rain to help keep the sense of smell (the swarm of shadow creatures) off their cent. It was to also strike Dullahan from a distance if possible, with it summoned early they hoped that Natalie's will over the heavens would prevent Dullahan from altering them to his advantage like last time.

As the rain began to fall and the flashes of thunder clouds began to rumbles across the sky pressure began to fall upon her skull. A groaning noise ran through her bones. Like the infinite echoes of a bell. It left an impression on her much like the gut feeling she had coming up here. A sense of vast and unyielding, hope, and inevitability.

Is that from Dullahan? Allisa thought.

Dazed Allisa put a hand on her head, she was about to ask if any of the others felt that but the question fell on her lips when she saw Orba grit his teeth and Natalie's stance seem to tense up a little as it washed over them. Whatever it said was inconceivable since-

"That's why we're here," Natalie replied.

This gave Allisa pause, her confusion was washed over however when Dullahan began to pull it's blade out of the ground and started taking long strides towards them. A halo of black mist paired right above where its head would be. A chilling burst of energy bellowed off the halo making Allisa footing stumble. Moments later the clouds above began to tunnel around them as if in the eye of a storm.

As the current picked up around them, as the force of Dullahan's inconceivable words crashed over her mind once again they readied themselves. 

~#~ 

Dullahan's presence loomed over them like a thundercloud, with its nine-foot of plated armor moving slowly it approached the group like an inevitability. Its massive blade crashed down on their location forcing Natalie and Orba to veer off to the right as Allisa teleported to it's back as far she could to assess the situation. It seemed... groggy to her. Far from the near-perfect and powerful warrior that it was in their first encounter.