Stathis managed to block another attack, fending off several of the creatures. Janaxia and Hakara were helping to keep them away, but there were so damn many of the things, and in the grainy moonlight, it was far too easy for them to approach without being seen. They had some wariness of fire, but only for a short time, and there was nothing that would burn for long enough to keep them back, the greenery all being too damn alive, or the chilling effect around the banshee extinguishing the fires.

The banshee was fighting smart, keeping out of reach, waiting for them to get worn down first before coming in for the kill itself. A sudden howling frost was all the warning Stathis had, prompting her to jump aside, banging herself against a stone wall as it dove down. It was far stronger than it had any right to be, even a glancing blow rending a chunk from her armour. She stabbed back, making her blade glow with divine sunlight, pushing back the darkness for a moment, even as hail thudded around her. She rent its cloak, a flash of pale bone beneath, before it screamed in anger. The stone wall behind Stathis shook, stones starting to crack and shatter under the assault, Stathis’ head ringing and leaving her dazed as it attacked again.

This time she couldn’t dodge or block, a fist connecting squarely with her chest, slamming her into the wall. Barely able to stand, she fell back, trying to keep her footing on the uneven ground, playing for time. By now, Janaxia and Hakara should have been able to make it somewhere safer, hopefully with decent defensive options. She chopped back at the banshee, trying to keep it grounded, channelling a trickle of energy, healing herself of the worst of her wounds. A slight golden glow washed out from her, the banshee pausing for a moment.

The red glow of its eyes got even brighter, then it lunged. Caught between narrowly spaced walls, Stathis did what she could to dodge, barely keeping out of reach, ducking and weaving, rapidly getting lost in the ruins, banshee not letting up, hovering over the uneven ground. Darkness loomed in front of her, the ground cutting off suddenly, a deep drop facing her, the ground far beneath her.

Stathis cursed, glancing back to see the thing charging towards her. Without a choice, she leapt, letting her power ignite, wings of light sprouting from her back, managing to break her fall before hitting the ground. With a flap, she pushed upwards, the banshee launching itself towards her, smashing straight into her. Arms reached past her face, skeletal claws reaching towards her wings. Cold, lethal and piercing, shot through Stathis’ heart, as she felt the energy keeping her aloft weaken.

‘The light shall die.’ The words rasped out of the skull, as wisps of light traced around it, energy draining out of Stathis, the pair of them hurtling towards the ground. Stathis twisted and writhed, trying to break free, the things grip like iron as it consumed her energy. Agony burnt through her, a moment of blackness before she regained self-control.

‘You died once already! Just stay dead, dammit.’ They were falling now, the banshee’s claws digging into her back, armour slowly breaking under the pressure, metal shards cutting her when she tried to twist and move.

She slammed into the ground, feeling stone smashing into her back, her breath blasting out of her, sword skidding away into the darkness. At least the thing had let go at the last minute, as she rolled to the side and managed to pull herself up, barely in time to block an attack with her shield, a fragment falling to the ground. To her side she caught a glimpse of steel reflecting moonlight, and ran for that, stooping to pick up her sword again. When she spun, the banshee was gone, haunting the night again, unseen in the darkness.

It took her a moment to get her bearing, as she started to run towards where Janaxia and Hakara were waiting. One of her legs was shot, and pain surged whenever she moved her left arm, but there was no time to rest – the last healing potion she had took the edge off the pain, but her arm still hurt every time she moved. Whatever Parth was doing she really needed to finish off soon, otherwise they’d all be dead. Although from the way the stars were shifting and moving above, the place might descend into broken, timeless chaos soon anyway. She yelled a battlecry and charged through a mob of the monsters, moving fast before they could drag her down.

A scream sounded from ahead of her, as Stathis saw Janaxia getting attacked, Hakara shrinking back, terror on her face. Even with her new weapon, Janaxia was no match for the thing, getting smashed into a wall, hard enough to leave an impact crater on the stone, blood soaking her clothing. The creature was merciless, moving to attack Janaxia again, poised to kill.

Stathis charged and yelled a battle cry, drawing the creature’s attention, as Janaxia slumped to the ground. The banshee moved towards her, crossing over a glowing patch of ground, suddenly vanishing behind an explosion of energy. Whatever it was, it confused the thing for a moment, long enough for Stathis to cover the ground, yelling out a battlecry as she swung her blade, infusing it with the last wisps of divine energy, a pale glow limning the steel, the light of a dying sun. The banshee caught the blade, hand grabbing the weapon and yanking, twisting it from Stathis’ grip and tossing it aside, too far to run for without provoking a counterattack.

Bolts of fire pelted it from behind, as Hakara chanted swift spells, lending her aid.

‘Hakara, run! Get to the palace, see if they can help!’

She hunkered behind her shield, blocking attacks as best she could, hoping to at least buy time for Hakara to flee, the shield cracking and breaking from the impacts, her body shaking under the assault. For an emaciated, twisted dead thing, it was ridiculously strong, ripping her shield apart with sadistic glee, jarring her to the bone with every strike. A claw grabbed her arm, piercingly cold, chilling her to the soul. She probably couldn’t hold it off for long, but if it helped Hakara survive, or bought enough time for Parth to do something, then she’d go as long as she could. It pulled her close, mouth gaping wide, a screech feeling like it would rip her entire body apart.