Chapter 8: The Obelisk's Secret
The clearing pulsed with the obelisk's dark energy, its black surface absorbing light like a void. Soldiers staggered as waves of oppressive magic rolled outward, freezing limbs and clouding minds. Aric steadied himself, gripping his sword tightly. "Form a circle around me! Keep moving! Stay alert!"
Kael roared, charging forward, slamming his axe into a cluster of robed figures. Sparks flew as his strike met dark wards, shattering them in a shower of black dust. Lysandra raised her staff, weaving protective barriers around the wounded, deflecting energy bolts aimed at the legion.
From the shadows, phantom warriors emerged, each step leaving a residue of darkness. Aric parried, slashing through one, the blade glowing blue as it burned the malevolent essence away. Every movement required precision, every spell and strike synchronized perfectly.
The mage's laughter echoed, chilling blood. "You think you can stop me? Your valor is meaningless!"
Aric's eyes narrowed. "Courage is not meaningless. It defines us!"
A sudden pulse from the obelisk sent tremors across the ground. Soldiers clung to trees, some thrown into the air by invisible force. Lysandra chanted rapidly, her words a protective counterspell. Energy from the obelisk twisted and thrashed, striking multiple targets. Aric moved like a shadow, cutting a path through the chaos toward the structure, Kael and the squad following relentlessly.
Arriving near the base, Aric raised his sword. The inscriptions on the obelisk glowed faintly, responding to the legion's presence. He could feel a consciousness within, intelligent and malevolent, probing his mind for weaknesses.
"Lysandra! Can you disable the wards?" he called.
"I can weaken them, but not entirely!" she replied. Sparks of light traced her fingers across the air, cracking the first layer of dark energy surrounding the monolith. The shadows recoiled, screeching as if in pain.
Kael growled. "Then we smash it physically! Nothing survives my axe!"
Aric shook his head. "It won't be enough. We need to strike at its core. Focus on the central runes!"
The soldiers divided into groups, some fending off shadow minions, others supporting Lysandra's wards. Aric advanced, step by step, feeling the obelisk's intelligence test his resolve. Each rune revealed a fragment of past battles, horrors inflicted upon innocents, and whispers of those lost. He forced the images away, concentrating on the present task.
Suddenly, a blackened figure emerged from the obelisk itself—an amalgamation of shadows, a towering sentinel. Its eyes burned crimson, and it wielded a massive scythe of dark energy. It swung with incredible speed, forcing Aric to dodge and counter. Every strike sent shockwaves across the clearing, throwing soldiers off balance.
Kael charged, yelling, "For the legion!" The axe collided with the sentinel's scythe, sparks flying as darkness and steel clashed violently. Lysandra amplified the group's attacks, weaving a net of magical disruption around the entity, giving Aric the opening he needed.
Aric's sword glowed, imbued with both physical strength and magical essence. He struck a precise blow at the sentinel's chest, shattering part of its form. The creature shrieked, dissipating into black mist, which the wind carried toward the obelisk.
Seizing the moment, Lysandra chanted faster, cracking more runes on the obelisk. The monolith shivered violently, emitting a low, grinding hum. Light and shadow collided in chaotic bursts, the energy threatening to consume everything in the clearing.
Aric turned to Kael. "Now! Strike together!"
The legion surged as one, a synchronized assault of steel and magic. Axes, swords, and spells collided at the obelisk's base. The runes screamed as they broke, releasing trapped energy in violent arcs. Soldiers shielded their eyes from the blinding light, but pressed forward relentlessly.
With a final unified strike, Aric plunged his sword into the heart of the obelisk. A shockwave of pure energy erupted outward, flinging soldiers, minions, and debris across the clearing. The black monolith cracked and splintered, releasing a burst of light so intense it temporarily blinded everyone.
When the light faded, the obelisk was fractured, the shadow remnants dissipated, and silence fell over the forest. The legion, battered but alive, regrouped around Aric. He lowered his sword, sweat mixing with blood.
Lysandra whispered, "It's done…for now."
Kael, breathing heavily, smirked. "We survived. That's what counts."
Aric looked toward the horizon, knowing this victory was only the beginning. The forest, still trembling, held secrets yet to be revealed. The mage's consciousness might have been fractured, but it was far from destroyed.