Mystic Quest

Chapter 32

“Taste my strength!”

Aurora rushed forward with her spear held to her side with both hands. A white aura wrapped around the weapon, and the Valkyria yelled before making a horizontal slashing motion. Energy left the spear in waves, throwing back or even in the air demons after demons, some killed on the spot in a burst of light, others falling down and not able to stand up for a while.

Aurora closed an eye as a sudden explosion occurred behind her with a shining red glow. Faintly turning her head, she spotted the fire coming out of Myrdryn and incarcerating demons. There was a certain blank determination in the dragon's eyes, one she understood. While Valkyrias had mainly hidden in the human world thanks to a magical barrier keeping them from the human eyes, even them had known the demons had mainly been staying into their world. There had been a peace for many, many years where no race attacked any other, all staying in their own world.

All had changed when the angels were slew, but one little fact remained in their mind even as they killed more demons, protecting the human world. The demons had enough intelligence, and maybe compassion, to have stayed peaceful. The acts they had done on the human world were unforgivable, but it did not mean the current battle and the knowledge of how much demons died were easy.

The remaining demons were hesitating heavily now, aware how powerful the two that had stayed were. They were not sure they still needed to battle, as the people that they meant to stop had passed already. They had attempted to pass their anger on the two that made this possible, but now they knew it had been foolish. It was a stand off once more, the demons unwilling to continue something that they knew would be dangerous for them, and Aurora and Myrdryn not ones to just go and kill more.

And then, demons started vanishing one after another. The first few were too surprised to react, but after that, laments left their throats. They knew. The heroes had done something to make the demon leave, either killing their king or corrupting the waters.

Myrdryn gasped, and looked straight at where his friends had gone, where Lyria had gone. His fists clenched, able to sense which lives were dying and which weren't. Aurora became solemn as she understood from his face who. A lone tear fell.

However, she felt deep surprise as she watched him move. As he ran to the stairs, eyes blazing in fierce desperation. She shared the feelings, but could not see any way to do anything. Yet, she still followed, wanting to see.

Both stood on a bridge not even a minute later, staring down at the waters getting clearer and clearer. In truth, they knew it meant the portal that allowed demons to stay in the human world was closing. And it meant... It meant being others that demons had died in the waters. Aurora stifled a sob, looking away.

Her eyes widened as a bright golden glow came from her side. She sensed the powers, knew that Myrdryn for the first time since having arrived in the human world started shifting into his dragon form.

“What are you-” Aurora closed her eyes, more tears falling. “What can we possibly do against the prophecy?” She knew he felt it too, how the demon king still lived, though hurt too much to move for now.

“... Nothing mentioned we could not bring them back.”

Aurora froze. All events from the prophecy had come to pass. They had been for the best, and even if the demon king lived, with the portal closed the demons would vanish from the human world, and the remaining species, dragons and valkyria, would more easily prevent their return. If only in memories of the heroes.

Yet... Nothing was set in stone anymore. Aurora gazed down into the waters. Only a small circle of it remained dark, signs that the souls of those who had died were still down there. Still reachable.

“But... It'll be hard to bring back to life five beings. And wouldn't it mean...”

Wouldn't it mean the portal would not close fully?

“What do we risk if we do not manage?” Myrdryn replied, the glow having taken a blinding shine. “To trap the king in his own portal, closing it. Something possible only from the situation they created, I mean.”

And Aurora understood, then. If they failed or did nothing, it would be the same results. If they brought this miracle...

Aurora clasped her hands as if praying, white around her. She shared her powers with Myrdryn, the angelic blood within her boiling with the healing ability it possessed. A shiver ran down her spine as she heard the sudden mighty roar echoing into the cavern, awed at the feeling of the dragon emperor in the same room as her in his full powers.

Then she felt the wind whipping at her from the dragon taking off, barrelling down. She opened her eyes faintly, watching as the golden dragon crashed into the remaining dark waters, going under in search of their friends and loved ones.

Golden light erupted from the waters, lighting the clear one into golden blue, the slowly clearing dark one into silver. At the centre, water splashed upward as a powerful roar echoed once more. Few and few waters were still dark, ready to close and prevent anyone else but the dragon to surface again.

Golden light shot upward, the form of the giant dragon coming up and up, the portal closing more and more.

It became too much for Aurora to keep her eyes open. Eyes closed tightly, she kept whispering the same word.

“Please-!”

And finally she fell on her knees, screaming.

“DO IT!”

The end of the story is coming...

…But will Myrdryn succeed?