The master spy or Puss in the boot adventures

Lyra, the Goddess of Dreams 29, Part 159

"Moira!" Colin screamed, her heart racing as she watched the shadows close in around her mother. In that moment, she felt a surge of power—fueled by desperation and love—and raised her bow, aiming at Pestilence with unwavering focus.

"Your poison will not touch her!" Colin shouted as she released the arrow. It flew with deadly precision, catching Pestilence in the shoulder. The figure reeled back with a howl of rage, and the noxious aura surrounding him flickered for just an instant.

"Foolish girl! You have no idea what you're meddling with!" Pestilence hissed, but Colin held her ground, breathing heavily as she prepared another arrow.

Odin, sensing the shift in energy, called out to Alric. "We must join forces! Strike one down at a time! The shadows weaken when they are alone!"

With newfound coordination, Alric turned on War. "Together!" he roared, brandishing his sword with renewed determination. He charged forward, Roku and Odin flanking him on either side.

As they pressed forward, the remaining Horsemen regrouped but were met with a fierce counterattack. Moira raised her staff high and summoned a brilliant shield of light that expanded outward, pushing back against the encroaching darkness. Her voice resonated with ancient authority as she chanted a protective incantation.

"Your darkness cannot prevail against our light!" she declared. The light radiated outward like a sun breaking over the horizon, momentarily blinding the Horsemen and forcing them back.

With their foes staggered by the sudden brilliance, Alric leapt into action once more. He charged directly at War, who was recovering from the shock of Moira's spell. With a swift upward slash of his sword, he aimed for War's throat—a decisive blow that would eliminate one of their fiercest adversaries.

But just before his blade could connect, War parried with speed that belied his monstrous size. "Your resolve will be your undoing," he growled, slashing downward in return. Their blades clashed violently—sparks flying as raw energy crackled between them like lightning.

Meanwhile, Famine lunged towards Moira while shadowy tendrils reached for her from all sides. "You think you can save everyone?" she croaked maliciously. "I will take your strength and leave you hollow!"

Moira grunted as she deflected another blow from Famine's scythe with her staff but felt the pressure mounting around her; she couldn't hold back much longer!

Roku shot another arrow at Famine while Alric continued to battle War fiercely; glancing briefly at Moira revealed how precarious her position was becoming.

"Stay strong!" he called out to his mother just before unleashing another flurry of attacks on War to keep him busy.

Amidst the chaos, Deception stepped forward with deceptive grace and whispered honeyed words into Alric's ear. "You fight so hard for a fleeting memory—a girl who may not even exist anymore."

But Alric shook his head violently, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. "Lyra is real," he shouted back, anchoring himself in the conviction that had brought him this far. "I won't be swayed by your lies!"

Deception's laughter echoed like a silvery bell, mocking and sinister. "Oh, but memories can twist like shadows, dear warrior. How do you know she still believes in you? Perhaps she has forgotten your face, lost amid the echoes of despair."

"Stop!" Colin cried out, straining against the encroaching shadows that sought to wrap around her mind. She drew another arrow and aimed it at Deception, her heart racing. "You're lying! We know what we fight for! We know Lyra!"

The Horsewoman of Lies merely smiled wider, as if Colin's words only fueled her power. "Prove it then! If your friend truly exists in this realm of shadows, let us see her��if you can summon even a flicker of her light."

As if in response to Deception's taunt, a ripple passed through the air, and Lyra's faint image flickered into view amidst the swirling darkness behind the Horsemen. Alric's heart leapt at the sight of her—a ghostly version of the girl he'd loved so fiercely, caught in a web of shadow and light.

"Lyra!" he called, his voice echoing with desperation as he fought to push through War's relentless blows. "Hold on! I'm coming!"

But as Lyra reached out toward him with an anguished expression lingering on her face, she began to decay before their eyes—the vibrant color draining from her form until she was reduced to a wraith-like silhouette. Alric felt a surge of panic clawing at his insides.

"See?" Deception said with a sweet, singsong tone. "Even now she fades away! You're too late to save her!"

Fueled by rage and fear, Alric lunged at War once more. "You will not take her from me!"

With a cry that rang through the chamber like a battle hymn, he swung his sword with all his might—a strike aimed directly at War's heart. The dark Rider stumbled back in surprise as Alric's blade connected deeply with flesh; black blood sprayed forth as War let out a howl of fury.

But even amidst their clash of steel and wrath, PESTILENCE seized upon Alric's moment of distraction and unleashed a vile cloud of putrid mist that engulfed Moira entirely.

"Feel the rot seep into your very essence!" Pestilence cackled as shadows closed in around her.

"No!" Colin screamed as she released her arrow towards Pestilence—but it was too late. The healer went rigid beneath the assault of decay; shadows snaked around her limbs like iron shackles.

"Moira!" Odin cried out desperately as he strained against Death's scythe aimed for his throat just behind him.

In that moment of chaotic despair, Alric felt cold dread creep upon him. The sweet scent of victory twisted into bitter ash—their unity seemed vulnerable against such overwhelming darkness!...