Chapter 564: Shocking
The elves at his side, inspired by his leadership, fought with the same vigor as their leader. They moved in harmony with their prince, their Magic attack aiding in clearing the twisted creatures that tried to defend the energy tendrils.
Aerchon’s pace was relentless, he never lingered long at a site once it was purged, his eyes already scanning the horizon for the next.
As the last tendril in his immediate area crumbled to dust, Aerchon didn’t allow himself a moment of rest.
"We keep moving," he commanded giving the weight to the urgency of their mission. "We’ve taken down one but there are more. We push until every last one of these abominations is gone."
His soldiers answered and nodded, and together they surged forward, racing against time to cleanse the land.
---
Far across the realm, in the Dwarven mountains, the stout warriors of King Grundar’s army had already begun their assault as well. The scouts had reported strange energy disturbances within their rocky domains and when the Dwarves arrived, they found the source of the corruption.
Three massive tendrils of dark energy had anchored themselves deep into the mountain’s heart, draining not only the life from the land but also the precious minerals and strength of the stone itself.
The sight filled the Dwarves with fury. For generations, their people had carved their lives and homes from these rocks, and now this corruption threatened to defile their heritage.
The veins of minerals they prized, the lifeblood of their civilization, were being sapped by the tendrils’ vile Magic.
With a bellowing war cry, the Dwarf warriors charged, their hammers and axes gleaming as they swung with all their might.
Explore more at M V L
King Grundar himself led the assault, his massive warhammer cracking the earth with each strike.
"Drive these cursed things back to the shadows!" he roared, his voice echoing through the mountain as he smashed into one of the tendrils.
The Dwarf joined the fray, channeling the elemental power of the mountain itself. Bolts of lightning and surges of molten earth tore into the tendrils, burning and shattering them as the Dwarves worked together in perfect unity. The ground trembled beneath their assault, and bit by bit, the tendrils began to fray and collapse.
As the third and final tendril fell, its dark energy dissipating into the sky, the Dwarves let out a triumphant cheer. But Grundar’s expression remained grim.
"We’ve cleared this one, but there might be more across the range," he said, his eyes scanning the horizon. "We move out! We reclaim every inch of our mountains."
With his command, the Dwarven army regrouped and set off again to cleanse every last trace of the Great Calamity’s influence from their land.
---
Meanwhile, the vortex above pulsed erratically. Its energy waning as the efforts from the forces on the ground took their toll. The combined assaults of the Elves, Dwarves, and warriors like Adrien and Billy were weakening the Great Calamity’s power, and now, the very air within the vortex began to tremble.
Cracks of light pierced through the darkness as the vortex started to destabilize, its grip on the land loosening. The once-violent swirling mass slowed, and the energy tendrils anchoring it to the world began to fray and dissolve.
Inside the vortex, Erend and Eccar continued their relentless assault. Their earth and flames ripped into the massive pulsating flesh, tearing it apart piece by piece. They had fought their way through the chaotic storm of energy and now they could see the flesh weakening, its surface splitting under their attacks.
It was close — victory was within reach. Erend’s eyes burned with determinatio and Eccar’s roars echoed through the cavernous void.
But then, as the core’s energy thinned and hope of victory seemed near, the mass of flesh convulsed violently. A surge of black energy rippled through it and suddenly, sharp-edged tentacles shot out, moving faster than either of them could react.
One lashed at Erend, striking his wing and sending him spiraling downward. Another caught Eccar’s leg, yanking him with brutal force and flinging him to the side.
The two Dragonborn were slammed into the solid ground inside this dimension. The surface was slick and soaked with thick, crimson blood.
Erend groaned as he pulled himself up, his body aching from the impact. Eccar did the same, growling as he braced himself.
Above them, the flesh writhed and shifted, pulling itself inward and reforming.
Then, it dropped down from its place to the ground, its form reshaping until it stood on two legs. Its body was humanoid covered in a dark pulsating substance that slowly molded itself into features – arms, legs, a head.
Eyes glowed an eerie red, and the creature’s mouth twisted into a cruel snarl.
"You ruined my plan," the Great Calamity hissed, its voice echoing in the blood-soaked air.
Erend’s eyes narrowed, his stance low as flames flickered from his mouth.
"Yeah. That’s right," he snarled. "Now, I’m gonna kill you."
But as Erend and Eccar prepared to strike, something shocking happened. The humanoid form before them began to transform.
Scales that identical to their own started to appear, spreading across its body like armor. Large wings unfurled from its back, and claws extended from its hands. The creature’s eyes shifted, turning into the same fiery hue as theirs.
Erend and Eccar felt a jolt run through them, an instinctive sensation that made their eyes widen in disbelief. This feeling, this presence... it was unmistakable.
They were sensing a fellow Dragonborn.
"No... what is…" Eccar whispered, his voice laced with shock.
Erend’s heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the transformed creature.
"What are you?" he asked.
---