And What I Found There - Book Two

50. All Eyes on Me

While the Mortala rattle doesn't have an effect on the Tyranspines, it most definitely has an instant effect on the Dark creatures infused with black magic. Like the Phantoms.

And Vyndren.

The Dark creatures all abruptly cry out with agony and hunch over with pain, frantically holding their hands to their ears as a haunting siren rings through their heads.

I know a siren is echoing in their heads because I'm hearing the same thing. I scream in tribulation as the pain courses through my skull and now suddenly it feels like my veins are caught on fire.

I scream again with fresh horror as I stare at the rattle literally fusing itself into my flesh. It melts into my hand like a second skin and violently rattles on its own, shaking my entire body in the process.

No! What the actual hell is happening?!

My pain savagely bleeds into an indescribable rage and pumps acid-like fury through my body's every system. The veins in my hands suddenly go black as if they're now being fueled by the blood of the Dark creatures under the command of the shaking rattle.

End this! End this! I keep frantically chanting in my head, I'm not even sure if that thought is even my own but it's echoing in my head and now its echoing through the Dark creatures' heads too.

They spring to life and dive back combat, this time in perfect sync and for once, they're on the same side. Or leastwise under the same influence.

The Tyranspines, though fierce and terribly numerous, do not stand a chance against the combined forces of the Dark creatures.

They're stuck down by the blinding bands of lightning the Phantoms hurl at them from their scepters. The huge Tyranspines freeze their tracks in anguish, their entire skeletons light up beneath their muscles before they're hurled through the air. Vyndren's shadow skills manifest into the silhouettes of even more Phantoms and the bewitched shadows sweep down to snatch the remaining, raging Tyrenspines by the horns, snapping their horns off before impaling the monsters with their own weapons.

"Adara! What are you doing?!" I vaguely hear Cornelius call to me with disbelief when he sees the rattle shaking in my hand.

"I can't control it!" I shriek with fresh pain as the darkness in my veins spreads farther up my arm.

"Help her!" Adisonia frantically orders even as she and Quill rush to my sides. They both snatch my pulsing arm and struggle to take the rattle from me.

"No, don't!" Cornelius' warning barely registers before they both touch the rattle. 

A forcefield violently emits from it and sends the two flying through the air. I drop to my knees with a wild scream as I watch the rattle burry itself deeper into the flesh of my hand. What is happening to me?!

Suddenly the ground beneath me begins to tremor and now I shriek with alarm as boney hands stab up from beneath the soil. I watch in horror as Myx begin crawling up from the earth, dripping in dirt and eyes glowing with hunger as they look expectantly at me as if I just rang the dinner bell.

The Mortala rattle! I suddenly remember. It raises the dead too!

God, what have I done?!

"Adara, make it stop!" Cornelius urgently calls to me as the savage Dark creatures finish killing off the Tyranspines. Now the cursed creatures are eying my friends like they're the next target.

"Darie, make it stop now!" Adisonia frantically urges, brandishing her seis at the Myx steadily crawling towards her.

"I-I don't know how!" I cry. "No!" I scream as the Dark creatures suddenly attack. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" I wildly command with tears streaming down my face but they aren't listening to me!

Magic! I suddenly realize. I have to channel magic! I direly close my eyes and desperately summon my magic to burn to life within my hand. It illuminates my flesh fused to the rattle and begins pushing the metal from my skin. I scream with new pain and wildly clutch the still shaking rattle with my other hand, frantically trying to rip it free as my friends battle the savage horde of furious Dark creatures.

I rip my bloody fingers off the rattle at long last, barely registering a grizzly wound seared into the palm of my hand from the handle, before that awful siren finally subdues in my aching mind.

Suddenly the air is like, twenty degrees colder and this massive gust of darkness erupts from the rattle, blasting all of the fiery trees back and now they wobblily righten again. All is dark and smoking, the fire has finally been snubbed out. The Dark creatures all scream in pain and clutch their faces, nearly all of the Myx hit the ground and curl around themselves while the two Phantoms and Vyndren double over with agony as their connection to the poisoned rattle is  violently severed.

Aside from everyone's ragged breathing, an eerie silence fills the air. The cold air and the fear and withdraw from my blinding agony leaves me trembling. I numbly look around, tears and blood roll down my face.

The Myx abruptly jump to their feet with a deafening roar and lunge towards us again. Myself included this time.

The Phantoms all shriek with rage and their massive wings flare out as they leap into the air. We are all too battle-worn to fight but we don't have a choice! I desperately summon my white sparkling wave of magic and this crushes a few Myx but it is flickering. I feel so weak... We're all so battered and exhausted. We're overwhelmed out here!

My wave of magic suddenly falters and now begins to fade. I sway on my feet, feeling dizzy and threatened with a powerdrop. I...I have been just pushing myself through this...entire...battle...

"Alice!" I hear Cornelius's urgent voice. "Adara, above you!"

I gasp as I look up but it is already upon me. A Phantom lands on top of me and I crash to the ground with a scream of pain.

"Adara!" Quill calls my name, voice laced with panic.

"NO!" Vyndren's voice booms nearby.

The Phantom now raises itself to its full height and lifts its glowing silver scepter high above its head and with all of its Dark creature might, slams the scepter down through my stomach.