Isa flew like a bat out of hell, driving deep into Anya's territory. She avoided the black smoke even as it billowed around, attempting to swallow her. Only one thought was on her mind as the din of hundreds of pained animals entered her ears from every direction causing her blood to curdle in her veins. Isa pumped her wings harder, whipping through the air with repeated sharp cracks. Desperation had taken over as she closed the distance to her egg.

Isa drew on her mana. It encased her body in a blue aura that solidified until she was engulfed in a blue flame that silhouetted her body. Satisfied, she released the dweomer. It expanded against the void smoke saturating the area. The two opposing forces fought briefly for supremacy. Streaks of lightning erupted, arcing about in a multitude of directions. Only then did she activate her magic, causing the huge mass to explode in a furious fire. The resulting light burned through the smoke and illuminated the sky brighter than the sun, even forcing Isa to shield her eyes momentarily.

Her path cleared, Isa folded her wings and fell to the ground like a rock. When her goal came into view, she opened her wings and glided into the nest she forged with Anya’s aid. She flapped her wings, killing her momentum, and landed lightly on her egg. Wasting no time, she grasped it in her talons.

A mighty heave of her wings. Despite the egg being three times the size of her phoenix body, she rose easily into the air with her precious baby. She spared a disappointed glance at where the fire fountain once burned and fled the nest with her egg.

The black smoke had domed and completely encircled the nest to prevent her escape. Isa called upon her mana once again. Her body developed the familiar blue aura of flames, and she charged headlong into the smoke. The void pulled the bulk of itself away, leaving much thinner strands to pursue and capture its prey.

Damn it. I knew it wouldn't work so well a second time. Isa lamented while watching the void employ a new strategy.

The void darted its sacrificial probes towards the phoenix, daring her to release her magic. She weaved through the smoke, narrowly avoiding it. Left with no better choice, Isa tapped into more of her mana. The tiny bird's blue silhouette burst into wisps of red, yellow, and orange fire, giving her the iconic visage of the ancient phoenix. The thin void probes closed in on her, surrounding her.

Isa let loose a long, high-pitched screech that bounded towards the heavens. Her challenge issued, she released the dweomer. The raw power flooded out of her body. With her mana nearly exhausted, the flames that engulfed her body rapidly lost their brilliant luster. The dweomer expanded, pushing back the void. Using it as a temporary shield, she charged forward, aiming to clear as much distance as possible within her safe bubble. But the void had other plans. The tendrils came in contact with the dweomer and sucked the power out of it as voraciously as it could, given the small tendrils that it was willing to sacrifice.

A second screech issued forth. One of desperation and fear. Isa pulled on the last bit, her final remnant of mana, turning the dweomer into a roaring destructive force of fire and fury. With her mana depleted, the illusion shrouding her dissipated, her body reverted to its true form. Her screech transformed into a gnarled, deafening roar that rocked the heavens. The ball of fire she unleashed upon the world turned purple and expanded in size while the heat grew in intensity, scorching the land below. Isa focused the expanding mass forward, cutting open a swath through the dark, smokey clouds. There was no resistance. It consumed everything it touched, not even leaving ash behind. Then it was gone.

The full size of the mirage dragon dominated the sky. Isa desperately charged forward to use the opening she created. Her massive wings flapped at an impossible speed, generating air pressure capable of uprooting a forest.

Isa shot through the sky faster than even she thought herself capable. The void chased after her warily as it started slowly closing off the path ahead of her. Watching her dream of escape crash before her eyes, Isa's hope of escape diminished. Fear gripped her while watching as the void already collapsed the tunnel she spent everything she had to make.

She tucked in her legs and arms, beginning to make her massive form as compact as possible. After one final flap of her mighty wings, Isa wrapped them tightly around her body. She clutched her egg as tightly as she could without cracking the shell.

Her momentum carried her straight into the narrowing tunnel surrounded by the void smoke. As if sensing her desperation and her empty mana pool, the void abandoned caution. It pursued the dragon with reckless abandon; it had felt a familiar presence.

Isa drew a deep breath. She blinked. Time seemed to slow down. Her eyes pivoted around, taking in the imminent danger that surrounded her and grew ever closer with every moment. Her mouth opened. Fire boiled forth from her depths and pierced into the smoke. The void coiled around the divine flame and consumed it as it came. With her only defense exhausted, it charged at her. Caution abandoned, greed and hunger took over. Void surrounded and slashed her body. Its corrosive nature instantly marred the scales it touched. The void clung to her, consuming and corrupting what it could. Slowing her down and stopping her was the ultimate goal. At that point, she would be at its mercy.

Isa bellowed, drowning out the din of the forest animals' pained wails with her own. She kept her wings folded tightly, silent guardians protecting her egg, and she continued sailing through the smoke.

The barrier dissolved around Vivian. She stepped into what used to be a lush, thriving forest. All that remained were the dried-up, cracked, and broken husks of trees and shrubs. Brittle vines disintegrated and vanished in the breeze. Her eyes scanned over the death and decay. She crinkled her nose even before the overwhelmingly pungent scent reached her.

Vivian, I'm begging here! Please turn back!

I believe I gave you a task to do. Why don’t you focus on that instead? Vivian ignored the following rapid influx of Sasha's complaints and instead put all her attention on her map. White shapes within the barrier blipped out of existence. Pained wails and roars disturbed the night mere moments later. Some black squares reappeared. The creatures were warped beyond recognition in both strength and appearance. Vivian swallowed a lump of saliva.

The ground before her split open as a vine forced its way through. It bore a staff clenched tightly within its tendrils. Thank you, Anya. I'm going to need this. Vivian reached for it.

The vine swiveled around her arm, brandishing the staff, swinging it down. Not expecting the sudden motion, Vivian failed to react in time. It bonked her hard on the head. She crossed her arms in front of her face preventing another free strike. The vine stalled. Vivian rubbed the tender lump quickly forming on her head. The vine swooped in, pounding Vivian's big toe with the end of the stick.

The lump temporarily forgotten, Vivian hopped on one foot as she grasped the other in both hands. She rubbed her victimized toe, already forming a welt.

I told you to flee! Anya's head appeared in the crux of the vines wearing the pissed-off face of a slighted child. Get out. Now! The vine wound up preparing to strike again. Taut and ready, the vine snapped forward.

Vivian released her foot, balled her hand into a fist, and raised her arm. The staff crashed into her wrist painfully. A shockwave swayed what remained of the trees and cleared the smokey clouds of void away. Vivian opened her hand and wisted her arm toward the staff. She wrapped her fingers around it and wrenched the weapon away from the vine.

"I can't," Vivian slid her hands to the middle of the stick. She spread her feet and turned her body slightly. She prepared to defend her position. Verbally and physically, if need be.

Mother– Anya shook her head in resignation. Faced with Vivian's resolve directly, she caved. Anya disappeared from the vine returning it to normal, and it retreated underground.

[Void Resist(weak) Acquired]

"That's a start," Vivian boldly strolled deeper into the smokey fray as creatures warped by the void moved to surround her.