Eclipsed

Chapter 22

Kael groaned, rubbing his temples as he sat up, the uneven ground beneath him cold and unyielding. His head throbbed, the disorienting vortex they had been sucked into still fresh in his mind. He glanced over and saw Valen sprawled a few feet away, slowly pushing himself up as well.

“Where in the world are we, man?” Kael muttered, taking in the surreal environment around them. The sky above was a swirling mass of dark clouds, flashes of red and purple lightning streaking through. The terrain was jagged and barren, with strange, glowing fissures cutting through the ground, casting eerie shadows.

Valen dusted himself off, his expression serious. “We’re in another dimension. Still the same one, I think, but this… this is different.”

Kael frowned. “Dimensions? You’ve gotta be kidding me. What does that even mean?”

Valen shrugged, scanning the horizon. “Rhulgar must’ve pulled us here. Probably didn’t want to risk wrecking his castle—or maybe he’s just trying to make things harder for us.”

Kael rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “Where the hell is this Rhulgar guy, anyway? I’m getting tired of running around.”

As if on cue, a deep, guttural voice boomed through the air. “How dare you insult my forces!”

A figure emerged from the mist, towering and monstrous. Rhulgar stood before them, his reptilian features sharp and menacing. His scales shimmered in the dim light, and his crimson eyes burned with fury. The jagged trident on his back crackled with arcs of blue lightning, exuding raw, destructive energy.

Kael smirked. “Well, speak of the devil. Hey, weird-looking lizard bastard, how about we fight already?”

Rhulgar’s eyes narrowed, and without warning, he lunged at them with incredible speed.

“Move!” Valen shouted, diving to the side as the ground where they had been standing erupted in a shower of sparks and debris.

Kael rolled away, quickly unsheathing his twin scythes. “Alright, big guy, let’s dance!”

The Fight

Kael charged forward, his scythes spinning in his hands. He closed the distance, slashing at Rhulgar with a flurry of quick, precise strikes. Rhulgar parried with his trident, each clash of weapons echoing like thunder. Sparks flew as Kael’s blades scraped against the enchanted metal of the trident.

“You’ll need more than that to hurt me, boy,” Rhulgar growled, countering with a sweeping strike that Kael narrowly dodged.

Valen flanked from the side, his twin daggers a blur as he aimed for Rhulgar’s exposed ribs. The lizard-like warrior spun with unnatural agility, his tail whipping out and catching Valen in the chest. Valen was thrown back, skidding across the ground but quickly recovering.

“Stay focused!” Valen shouted, darting back in with calculated precision.

Rhulgar slammed his trident into the ground, unleashing a shockwave that sent both Kael and Valen flying. Kael hit the ground hard, clutching his ribs as he gasped for air. He could feel the sharp sting of an injury.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Rhulgar sneered, advancing on Kael.

Kael gritted his teeth and pushed himself up, gripping his scythes tightly. “Not even close!”

He charged again, his scythes cutting through the air. This time, he feinted, drawing Rhulgar’s attention to one blade while the other came in low. The strike landed, slashing across Rhulgar’s arm and drawing dark, oozing blood.

Rhulgar roared in anger, swinging his trident with immense force. The blow caught Kael in the side, sending him crashing into a jagged rock. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his ribs, blood seeping through his shirt.