Page 31 of Fated Exile

Then at least you'll know.The dark presence screams its fury and launches a brutal attack. I grit my teeth and hold firm as the shield sparks at the impact, its light flickering briefly.We can face it, together. But only if you let go.

There's a sharp inhale, coming from the outside world, where my body still dwells. Then a moment passes, and I feel it as Bastian gives in to his future.

Light unspools around us, chasing away the shadows and shifting the entire mood of this innermost part of his mind. Where there was darkness, feeding the dark presence, now there's life and memory. The crumbling wall that I hid behind lengthens, grows, and is joined by others, until I'm standing with my back to a small, lovingly built home. It must be the house Bastian grew up in, regrown and bright now that he's accepted what must happen next.

In front of me, the dark presence shrinks. But it's still angry—and very dangerous. Nearly ten feet tall, made of undulating shadows and strange black shapes, it stalks back and forth with its head bowed and fingers stretched into long claws. A thin, pointed tail lashes the ground behind it, and its glowing ember eyes stare daggers at me.

At least this time it's not shaped like Bastian. I'm not sure I could kill even a dark version of him inside his mind.

"Thank you," I tell small-Bastian, who's standing like a shade behind the dark presence. He nods once, sharply, then fades away.

The presence faces off against me, crouches, and makes a sharp, low-pitched sound that echoes around me. Goosebumps rise on my arms as I realize that the sound reminds me of an amused chuckle. Stretching out two oddly shaped forelimbs, it leans forward—then pounces.

I lean back and take a deep breath, holding up the shield to protect me. It lands on top of it, claws scrabbling towards me, a scream of frustration leaving its throat. I wince as the impact of the presence makes the shield buckle and warp in the middle.

It won't last another attack.

Hurriedly, I inhale and gather the strength of my magic inside me. I can feel it now, like a second, beating heart living just alongside mine. The magic feels like a part of me, entirely ready to answer my will, and buoyed by the strength of the wolf within me.

The wolf?Shewants to sink her fangs into the dark presence and tear its limbs off. I promise her inwardly that we'll go hunting for some vamps just as soon as I've gotten the chance. Thrashing her tail, she accepts my offer.

First, I have to cast the attack spell. As the dark presence slides off the shield and prowls around me, looking for an opening, I spin on my feet and prepare myself. I have to lower the shield to attack—and I'll only get one chance.

A chance I have to takenow,because the shield is flickering out.

Except the presence is staring right at me from feet away, prepared to eviscerate me with its dagger-like claws the instant my guard is down.

So I think fast, remembering a moment from my childhood. Here in the inside of Bastian's mind, the world can shift and change quickly. Which is how I'm able to reach towards my pocket, tell myself I'll find what I need, and smoothly pluck it out without any issues.

It's a small object. Nothing big that would stretch the imagination. Just enough to make a sound.

A smooth, flat rock, perfect for skipping on the surface of ponds. Or teasing two boys with. Flicking my wrist back, I toss the rock in a subtle overhead throw—and nearly whoop in triumph when it lands in the newly grown bushes surrounding Bastian's childhood home.

The rock makes a loud noise, and the presence turns its head almost immediately. Sensing my only moment, I drop my hands, let the shield fall, and hold out my right hand as if I have a weapon in it. Swinging my empty fingers towards the darkness, I leap forward and yell out the enchantment.

"Gladius!"

I didn't understand the word at first, until Kerry explained that it's an old Latin word for a type of sword used by Roman soldiers. As soon as the syllables are out of my mouth, all the magical energy from the dissipated shield flows down to my right hand and transforms into the shape of a glowing white-blue blade.

I stretch out my arm, and the white-hot gladius slices through the dark presence like a hot knife through butter. It screams and whips around to attack me again. Ducking its outstretched claws, I switch the sword's direction and hack it up towards the thing's face.

Its dark flesh singes and burns, turning to an odd smoke that floats up around us and disappears, but the presence is still alive, or what passes for life.

And it's become very, very angry.

Sensing an oncoming attack, I leap back, duck, and roll. Just in time for the presence to leap on the spot where I was and attack the empty ground. Relying on my inner she-wolf's bravery and cunning, I let werewolf strength flow into my muscles as I lean up and stab at the dark thing's chest.

It makes a low, strange garbled sound that sets my teeth on edge.

Wanting the sound to stop, I yank the glowing blade out and attack again. This time, I aim for the neck. The presence tries to swipe at me, its claws reaching towards my right arm, but it's barely able to scrabble against my skin, it's so weak. I grit my teeth at the odd, almost cold yet too hot feeling of its inky black claws on me. Ignoring the feeling, I slice across its neck with as much force as I can muster, feeling the odd not-quite-flesh part at the kiss of the blade.

The dark presence bucks and recoils.

Turning its ember eyes to mine, it makes a last, terrifying guttural noise. Then it collapses, its hands dissipating into dust and smoke. I hold my breath and turn my head away as the black substance it was made from streams into the air and floats away.

When it's gone, I turn my head back to find two pieces remain: a pair of strangely glowing yellow-orange embers. Getting up, I walk over to them and stretch down to find that they're actually gems.

Cautiously, I poke them with the tip of the sword's blade. Nothing happens. They don't seem as menacing as they were inside the dark presence's head, when they were its eyes. Unable to stop myself, I bend down to pick them up, letting the spelled blade go. Its light turns in on itself and disappears at the same moment that the gems slide into my hands.

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