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The creature roared in anger and lashed out with its claws, but the shield deflected them. It tried again and again to break through Vedreel’s barrier but failed each time. Finally it stopped attacking, seeming to realize that it couldn’t break through the magical barrier no matter how hard it tried. Instead, it shifted its gaze towards me—and growled.
Vedreel turned towards me and said softly: “The darkness feeds on fae magic, but it appears especially drawn to the unique flavor of your magic. My barrier won’t hold for long. We must flee now while we still can.”
Without another word he grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the creature, sprinting down the hall toward the exit. We rounded a corner and suddenly there was a loud crash behind us. The creature had broken through Vedreel’s barrier and was now in pursuit of us. Vedreel and I ran as fast as we could, but the creature was relentless. Its claws scraped against the walls, echoing through the cave like thunder. I could feel its presence behind us like a malevolent force, pushing us ever forward. We ran faster, but still it followed close behind, wisps of shadows licking at our heels.
I was out of breath and my legs ached from running, but I knew I had to fight if I wanted to survive. Taking a deep breath, I reached for the depths of my power and conjured a fireball in my hands. I threw it at the creature, watching as it exploded against its hide and sent it reeling back.
The creature let out an angry roar and charged back towards us, claws raised. Without thinking, I conjured another fireball and threw it at the creature again. This time it didn’t recoil—it kept coming!
Vedreel grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him as he created a magical barrier around us both. The shadow beast kept advancing, claws slashing through Vedreel’s barrier like paper.
The beast of darkness advanced on us, its red eyes blazing with hatred. Vedreel held his arms outstretched and a magical barrier glowed around us both. The beast lunged forward, claws slashing through the barrier like paper. Vedreel summoned another barrier just in time to keep us safe, but I sensed this one wouldn’t last long either.
Vedreel gritted his teeth and focused all his energy into the shield, but it was no use—the beast seemed determined to break through. I could see the strain on Vedreel’s face as he fought to keep the shield up, and I knew he wouldn’t be able to hold it for much longer. I watched as the beast of darkness attacked Vedreel, clawing at his magical barrier with a ferocity that was terrifying to behold.
Vedreel fought bravely, summoning up more and more magical barriers to protect us both, but it was no use. We didn’t have time to escape the rest of the way up the cave to the surface and defend against the beast at the same time. The beast seemed determined to break through and I could see the strain on Vedreel’s face as he fought to keep the shield up.
And then it happened. Vedreel stumbled backwards and his barrier flickered out of existence. I screamed in terror as the beast advanced on him, and I knew there was nothing I could do but watch in horror as it sunk his razor-like claws deep into Vedreel’s chest.
But then something amazing happened—by instinct a burst of light appeared from nowhere, bathing the entire room in a brilliant white glow. It seemed to come from me! This time I didn’t hesitate—I summoned up all my strength and threw out my hands towards the creature, releasing a powerful wave of magic that sent it flying back into the shadows from whence it came.
The beast hissed and roared as it tried to break through my magical light barrier, its claws slashing at the air. I shivered in fear, but I kept my focus and continued to channel my magic. The beast seemed determined to get through and I could feel its rage emanating from it like a physical force.
It exhausted me to expend so much energy, but I didn’t give up. With every ounce of strength I had left, I maintained the barrier between us, keeping the beast at bay.
Still on the floor, Vedreel groaned and coughed before spitting up a dark gray blood. I had no idea how mortal a wound he’d suffered considering the type of fae he was, but I knew I needed to get him to a healer. Fast.
“Any ideas for how to shake this beast and get the hells out of here?” I asked.
Vedreel’s face was pale and his breathing labored, but he cracked a weak smile. “There is a way out of here,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “A portal, but I’m not strong enough to open one, but it’s a talent all fae possess.”
I looked at him in confusion. His reminder of my fae heritage was still a shock. “I can do portals?”
He nodded his head slowly. “You should be able to, but you must trust your powers. It’s our only chance at escaping this beast. If you can open the portal, we might slip through and make our escape.”
My mind raced as I considered our options. Could I really open a portal? I had no idea how—and even if I could, would it be safe? The beast was still clawing at my glowing barrier between us, determined to break through and finish us. It seemed like an impossible task—but what other choice did I have? I wouldn’t be able to hold the light barrier forever.
Finally, I made up my mind. Taking a deep breath, I reached for my magic and focused on the task ahead of me. This time when my magic flared up around me, it felt different—stronger and more powerful than ever before. I envisioned all the places I’d visited in faery so far, trying to pick one that would be the best destination, but I couldn’t quite decide. The air shimmered as a portal opened behind us, revealing a swirling vortex of light beyond its opening. I couldn’t quite make out what was on the other side, but I knew the beast was on this side, so it wasn’t much of a contest.
The portal was unstable, flickering in and out of existence, but it was our only way out. I could feel my protective barrier beginning to falter, so I knew we had to act fast. Vedreel groaned in pain as I hoisted him to his feet and we stumbled towards the portal. He could barely stand and I had no idea if he would make it—but there was no time to worry about that now. We had to get away from the beast before it broke through my barrier and killed us both.
We reached the portal just as my magical barrier vanished completely and the beast let out a roar of triumph. We stepped through the portal just as it began to close—the swirling vortex of light sputtering around us. The beast bounded toward us, all black claws, teeth, and pointy tail wrapped in darkness. I gathered my energy and threw out one more blast to prevent it from following us into the portal.
“No!” Vedreel exclaimed. “Not while in the portal!”
But Vedreel’s warning came too late. My magic was already spent, setting off a cascade reaction between the portal, the remnants of the barrier, and my parting blast towards the dark beast. An explosion rang through my ears as a blast of hot air threw us to the ground. Clods of dirt rained down on us, blocking out the light and air as the world faded into blackness.
Two Beasts
FRANC
Iwatched in horror as the manticore attacked us with its sharp claws. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I prepared to fight back. Drawing upon my magic, I called forth the wild energy of the forest to my aid but did not expect that I would draw any response. To my surprise, the grass and bushes around me stirred and a deep groan echoed through the trees.
Suddenly, all manner of birds, squirrels, and mice erupted from their hiding places but also fantastical fae creatures emerged from everywhere—even some glowing, floating balls of light spun around us, weightless. Yet the birds weren’t familiar, and neither were the other beasts. These had colors I’d never seen before or even dreamed of. And the squirrels and rabbits had massive teeth. But what had I been expecting, summoning within a faery forest? These weren’t the dryads and nymphs I’d find at home. No, these were their fae counterparts, and they’d come ready to kick ass.
The manticore paused momentarily when faced with a resistance it didn’t expect but soon overcame its confusion and roared at us threateningly when the ground beneath us once again trembled. We froze for a moment before the manticore advanced on us once more. The trees groaned loudly, their roots twisted in distress as vines and branches swayed wildly, as if they were moving of their own accord. The wind blew erratically and leaves flew into our faces as we tried to avoid the beast’s snapping jaws.
What was going on under us? Was the forest itself in revolt, or was this just a normal day in faery?
