The Darkness returns

16: One Last Battle

I looked at the Fallen Castle, now just a few miles away from us. I was walking in front of the others. I stopped. Luna walked next to me.
"Ready?" She asked.
"Ready." I walked towards the door and pushed them open. I walked in and I heard the others follow me. I stopped and turned around.
"Why is it so quiet?" I asked. I was getting suspicious.
"I don't know, but I don't trust it." Nox said. Suddenly, we heard a loud screech.
"It's coming from there!" Priscilla said and rushed towards the sound.
"Priscilla wait!" I said and ran after her. The others quickly followed. Priscilla was about to pull open a door when I lifted her up and sat her aside.
"Don't do that! We don't know what's behind there." I said.
"So? We still have to fight it!" She said. I sighed.
"I know. But you can't fight it alone! We're a team, remember?" I said. Priscilla sighed and nodded. The others arrived and I looked at them.
"Ready?" I asked. They nodded. I carefully grabbed the doorknob and pushed it down, opening the door. I stepped in first. The room was dark. I couldn't see anything. I heard the others enter the room behind me. The door slammed shut. I opened my hand and a flame formed inside my palm. I moved my hand. There seemed to be nothing in the room. I turned around to the others. I saw that Luna had a flame as well.
"There is nothing." I said. But, once again, I spoke to soon. I felt something rush past me and a gust of wind messed up my hair. I quickly turned around again, only to hear it behind me. It kept circling around us. Suddenly the torches on the walls caught flame. I made my own flame disappear. I looked around the room. I saw Servillah and two more Lamias standing besides her, ready to attack. Servillah smiled at us.
"Back again so soon?" She said, grinning. She started looking around the room and than straight at me.
"This room is to small. Let's go somewhere more... fit for this occasion." She snapped her fingers and the room turned into a big grass field. The ceiling turned into the night sky. I looked around and back at Servillah. I was shocked what I saw. Servillah had a whole army of monsters standing behind her.
"That's a bit more like it."

She looked at me with an evil grin. She was petting one of her Lamias. There were a few Chimera's- creatures with a lion head, a goat head on the neck and a snake as tail-, Cerberus was standing behind her. I saw 2 or 3 giant, multi headed serpents. Hydra's. Multiple Lamias circled around Servillah. She grinned at me once more.
"Ready, Saviour?" She said. I got in a fighting stand and my hands filled up with fire.
"Yes." I said. Servillah's monsters started attacking us and we fought back as good as we could. I was fighting a Hydra. I knew that if I would cut of one of his head, that there would grow two in it's place. I blasted a wind at the creature and it flew backwards against a sharp branch. It screeched and later died. The branch pierced right through it's heart. I looked at it and started making my way towards Servillah. I pulled out my sword and sliced the head of off one of the Lamias. Behind me, the others were still fighting. I made my way through the crowd of monsters, demons and ghosts.  I finally reached the place where Servillah was sitting. A black throne made of branches had emerged and she was sitting on it.
"Coward! You let your monsters do your dirty work while you sit here, safely on your throne!" I say. Servillah gave me a death stare and than grinned.
"So, you think I'm a coward, huh? Well, allow me to show you what this coward is able to do." With that, she stood up from her throne and waved her hand, making me fly against a tree. I quickly stood up and fired a fireball at her. She dodged it. We started fighting. I fired everything I got at her. I did hit her a few times, but my attacks weren't strong enough. I made sure her spells wouldn't hit me. I didn't know how strong they were. And what they could do to me.

I was still in an intense battle with Servillah, when I heard a heartbreaking scream. I turned around quickly and saw that Aluxio had an enormous scratch on his arm.
"Aluxio!" I yelled. I wanted to run towards him, but Servillah cast a spell on me, making me fall down on the ground. I grunted in pain. I crawled towards a large tree and sat against it. Servillah got closer.
"Now, Saviour. Ready to never see daylight again?" She asked. She pointed her wand towards me and I sighed. She cast the spell. But when it was about to hit me, Nox jumped in the way.
"No!" I yelled. I started attacking Servillah again. I was filled with rage. In my last effort, I hit her. She fell down to the ground and I threw one last fireball at her, turning her in ashes. I ran towards Nox.
"Nox! Hey, mate, talk to me." I said. I was sitting next to him.
"Why did you do that?!" I asked. He laughed but that seemed to hurt him.
"You're the Saviour. And one of my best mates. I would give my life to save you. Like I did." He started coughing. My other friends started to surround us.
"Mate. Stay with us okay?" Aluxio said.
"Alux..." Nox said before starting to cough again. I looked up at Luna, trying to see if she can help. My eyes filled up with tears. I was still looking at Luna, hoping she would have a solution. I didn't want to lose another friend. But she just looked at me and than at Nox while her eyes filled with tears. There was nothing she could do. There was nothing any of us could do. I felt devastated. We won but yet we lost.
"Guys.... It's okay... I am dying while I know I saved my friend and.. f-fought for a good cause." He said. He smiled and closed his eyes. I looked down at him through my teary eyes. I tried to shake him awake but it was of no use. He was gone. Died saving me. I felts so much guilt. I felt like it was my fault that he died. I looked at Aluxio. He tried to stay strong. I looked around the group. Virsorrith was hugging Aeryn while looking up to the sky. Luna and Priscilla were crying while trying to comfort one another. Aluxio was still trying to keep his tears in while Nessa looked down at the ground, silently sobbing. Ixeor just stood there. He looked sad, but he wasn't as sad as we all were. But than again, he was older and he was a powerful wizard. I looked at Nox and looked at the others.
"We have to get him and Mason back to Little Ivywood so they can have a proper funeral." I said. Aluxio and Virsorrith went back to the place we hid Masons's body, while Aeryn lifted Nox up and we all walked towards the hiding place. Aluxio was carrying Mason.
"We have to walk for a bit so I can fly later." Virsorrith said. We nodded and left.

After a few days of walking, it was time for us to fly. Virsorrith turned into his dragon form and we all got up. I didn't take long for us to reach Little Ivywood. We went to my house and my mom flew me in my arms. But than she saw the bodies. I told her what happened. My mom hugged me again.
"Oh and uhm, mom. I have another thing to say. King Mason has no children to take his throne. So he uhh... made me heir to the throne." I said. Mom looked at me with shock.
"You're going to be King?" She asked. I nodded. She smiled.
"You'll be a great King, hunny." She said.
"Now, let's make sure those bodies are good for a funeral." Mom signed to us to come inside. We did. Mom was getting Nox and Mason ready in the backyard, when someone knocked on the door.