The Cursed Soul

Chapter 38

ÍROAS

As I thought I was winning the fight, dear me... I was wrong. When I was about to summon more shadow swords, I dropped to one knee as the sudden jolt of weakness trembled my bones. My energy has almost reached its limit.

Come on! One strike... just one and this stupid snake could die now! – But my body seems to be at loss. Couldn't handle giving more energy to pull the weapons from the shadows.

The serpent's short breathing now matches mine. But judging from the rhythm of its shadow, I could tell its body is now seriously damaged, probably filled with deep stabs and cuts from all the attack it gets from me. While I, on the other hand, bruised and beat up badly. Not to mention the shard mirror sticking on the back of my head, and the little energy left in me. I'm surprised I could still maintain the darkness in the air and the dome protecting the two.

The eerie whisper of the serpent's shadow tells me where it is, so with every tackles it launches I manage to dodge most of it. The problem was since my eyes were shut close, I couldn't see its little movements.

And it seems the great snake has somehow figured it out.

It stopped charging and let its tail do all its job. One minute I'm keenly listening to the sinister whisper, the next second I was pushed by a massive force, sending me flying far across. UGHKK! more blood splattered out my mouth as I reached the ground. – Damn it! How big is this creature?

I could hear Hermione and Penelope's vague voices, shouting my name from a distance. "Let me out of here, Iro! Let me help you, please..." That I still managed to make up from Hermiones', but the rest remains a mere murmur in the air.

Somehow, hearing her snapped something at the back of my head. Like another shadow is filling me with ounces of power and determination. I could still win this!

Hermione's voice became clearer in my ears, shouting to let her help me. But Penelope's voice remains vague.

Protect her.

Standing, I stretched out my hand and grasped on the hilt of the sword materializing from the surface. There was a sound of cloth being torn, and the next thing that happened, attached on my back was now huge feathery wings, folded, and each in length reaching past the back of my knee. But it didn't stop there as at that exact moment more shadows started crawling throughout my body; It continued to spread until I was completely covered in a solid embrace of the object I called forth.

If I were to describe my appearance now, I might look like a young knight in his complete battle armor with the Excalibur in his hands, but made in translucent black rather than silver. Instead of a cape, wings were seen on the back. Everything about me is black (aside from the gradient colors of blue and violet at the peak of my wings).

I moved my wings and rose high in the air, charging with a loud battle cry. I swung the sword as I got near the serpent, hitting its tough skin with a loud swishk! The blade managed to get through its scales. But it wasn't deep enough, just a slice on the surface. My wings maneuvered my body into different directions in every attack I managed, hoping to not be hit by the creature's tail.

A huge series of movements disrupted the flow of air until I realized it was its tail wiggling and swaying searching for me. And despite being blind, I'm lucky enough to avoid those this time.

If I could just trace its head, I'm sure I could kill it...

As my wings flapped yet another, I didn't notice the upcoming attack until I was hit. But this time, my whole body is protected and I use my wings to stop crashing against the wall.