The Chronicles of Onyx Book Two - Fight of a Hero

Chapter Ten

Black fog rolled over the field of battle like the darkened clouds of a storm. Darkness struck violently, swallowing the chaos in its suffocating embrace. Screams were muffled, and the clashing of steel faded into a distant echo as the battlefield was plunged into an unnatural night.

Demeter's breath came in ragged gasps as she stumbled through the battlefield. Her heart pounded in her chest, a frantic rhythm that matched the chaotic thrum of her thoughts. Naturally she unfurled her wings, their leathery expanse catching the faint breeze that penetrated the fog.

Without hesitation, Demeter launched herself into the air, saving herself. Her wings beat rapidly in an attempt to lift her into the welcoming security the skies offered her. Even as the fog thickened around her, she pushed through.

-ooooo-

Gollik fought his way to the edge of the field, struggling to escape the darkness that had begun to consume the life out of his fellow kindred. Unlike the others, he found himself nearing the edge of the black sea, close to the shelter of the woods.

With a sudden burst of desperation and strength, he battled the thick fog, pushing himself to make even a single step forward. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his limbs felt like lead, but he forced himself onward, driven by a primal urge to survive. Even as the darkness clawed at him, seeking to drag him down into its depths, he fought against it with every ounce of strength he had left.

Just as his legs threatened to give out, he felt the embrace of a tree. It's branches stretching out towards him as though trying to pull the Orc from the thicket. In one last rush of energy Gollik reached out for the branch, using it to pull his body from the darkness.

Finally he saw rays of light. He fell to the snowy ground with a thud, welcoming the sensation of light blinding his eyes as he looked up towards the sky.

-ooooo-

As she reached the cover of the trees, Demeter risked a glance back. The battlefield was a hellscape, a twisted story of death and destruction. Her gaze lingered on the figure of Onyx, now a dark beacon amidst the chaos, her power radiating in waves that pulsed through the fog. Demeter's heart clenched with a mixture of hatred and envy. That power should have been hers, she thought vulgarly.

She flew deeper into the forest, the canopy above swallowing her in natural shadows. Only when she were far enough from the battle did Demeter allow herself to slow, her wings folding against her back as she leaned heavily against a tree, her breath coming in harsh, uneven gasps.

"I'll find a way to strike back." Demeter said, reassuring herself.

Her mind already raced with plans for her next move. She wouldn't let this defeat crush her. Onyx might have won this battle, but the war was far from over.