Chapter 38: The Last Battle

The sky above Eldridge Falls was like a bruise-dark, swirling clouds, jagged streaks of lightning tearing across the heavens. The earth seemed to shudder beneath Emma's feet as the wind whipped through her hair. She could feel something was coming, something terrible and unstoppable. The clearing had Lily at the centre, an unearthly light dancing in her eyes; in her small hands, she held onto the ancient artefact, a grim determination set on her face as people stood pale with fear around her. This is good against evil and presumptively the final battle. Nathaniel stood beside Emma, his hand clenching hers. His face was drawn, his eyes dark with concern. "We've got to protect her," he said, barely heard above the wind. "She can't do this alone." Emma nodded, her heart racing at the forefront of her chest as she cast a look around the circle of their allies-friends and new friends all were ready to fight for their town, their lives. Yet, this closing-in-of-the-darkness thing felt too much shadow which swallowed even the very air they breathed. Suddenly, the trembling of the ground was stronger, and from the woods, there came a deep rattling noise. Then, from among the shades, there began to emerge the figures with twisted unnatural forms and monstrous shapes, their eyes glowing in the dark. Minions of ancient evil, born of darkness, were summoned to tear their world asunder. "They're here," Emma said whisperingly, dread settling deep inside her bones. "We have to hold them off," Nathaniel said, drawing his sword. "We can't let them anywhere near Lily." Scarcely had he spoken when the first of these creatures sprang forward, its claws swiping through the air. Nathaniel parried just in time, and the force of it sent him scrambling backwards. The creature hissed, showing pointed teeth, its black oily skin shining in the poor light. "Go!" Nathaniel yelled again, his sword flickering in the lousy light, sending the creature backwards. "Get to Lily! Protect her!" Emma hesitated for but a second, her instincts shrieking at her to stand her ground beside Nathaniel, but she knew what she had to do. Without a word, Emma launched herself into a dead run toward Lily, the pounding of her heart inside her chest loud. Absolute pandemonium had reigned all around the clearing. The villagers fought bravely with whatever they had: pitchforks, axes, and even pieces of wood. But the creatures were rather powerful, having moved with a swiftness that no human could ever achieve; and where one would fall, it seemed like two more took its place. Finally, Emma grabbed Lily and pulled her near. She was panting with quick, sharp breaths. The girl, quite still stared at the artefact, her lips uttering some sort of incoherent incantation. Around her, shining with warm golden light, a haze had begun to form, and second, by second it was growing stronger. "Lily!" Emma exclaimed, tugging on the girl's arm. "You don't have to do this! We can find another way!" Lily's eyes flickered up to meet Emma's and for a moment Emma saw the fear and sadness in them. Then the girl shook her head. "It's too late, Emma," she whispered. "I'm the only one who can stop this." But before Emma could argue, a deafening roar cut through the night, and her heart almost stopped. In the middle of the clearing, the ground burst in a spurt of flying mud and debris. And then it emerged from ancient evil itself. A great creature looming over all, its shape-shifting and twisting as if it were crafted from smoke and darkness, but its eyes… its eyes were real, blazing red with detestation and malignancy. There was a roar, the sound hummed through Emma's bones. "Emma!" Nathaniel yelled as his voice managed to slice through the din of chaos. He fought his way toward her, slicing his sword through creatures with a vigour he never showed. "We have to stop it!" Emma's gaze sprang to Lily as her heart clenched. The girl's face was now pale, beads of perspiration breaking out on her forehead as she kept on chanting. The light from her body started to shine brighter and brighter, but quite obviously, this was taking a lot from her. She was shaking, the sight of her slight frame quivering with the strain. "Emma, down!" Nathaniel yelled. Emma had hunched down in time, and a giant claw whirled through where she had been standing, sending her sprawling to the ground. She panted, heaving a sulphur-scorched lung back into labour as she struggled to her feet. Before her, ancient evil towered, its eyes afire with crimson fury. Nathaniel let his blade rip through the air toward its arm; it didn't flinch. It then turned to him abruptly, and a low growl sounded from the bottom of its chest. In one swish, he was flying onto the ground with an ease that was nothing but terrifying. "NO!" Emma screamed, running to him. Nathaniel grunted, levering himself up, but the shadow loomed once more, ready to strike. And then, as it was rearing back in preparation for the killing blow, a brilliant light swept the clearing. The artefact pulsed brilliance in Lily's grasp, so bright that even Emma had to raise an arm over her eyes. A deafening roar escaped the ancient evil as it recoiled as if in pain from the light. The other creatures screeched, too, and fumbled backwards, their forms flickering and wobbling under the glow. Now, Lily's voice was louder, a chant that vibrates with every molecule in the air around her. The light emanating from her body had spread, driving the surrounding darkness backwards and sending the ancient evil to its knees. And for the first time, Emma saw fear in the creature's eyes. "It's working!" she cried, hope surging through her. But then she saw the strain on Lily's face, the uncontrollable shaking of her body. The power was too much for her. The light was draining her, and Emma knew with a sickening certainty that the girl wouldn't survive this. "Lily, stop!" Emma shouted, running towards her. "You're going to kill yourself!" But Lily didn't stop. She couldn't. The power coursing through her was beyond her control now, and Emma could see that it was tearing her apart. Tears streamed down the girl's face, but she kept chanting, her voice breaking with the effort. Nathaniel stumbled to his feet, his face pale as he watched in horror. "Emma, we've got to do something! She's not going to make it!" There was no space for Emma's head to run through, but the ancient evil was weakening; its form flickered in and out of being, and too costly-they were losing Lily. Just then, a figure slowly emerged from the edge of the grove woman, enveloped by darkness, her face in shadow under a hood. The movement of her strides going toward them carried an air of terrorizing grace that could only give shivers down Emma's spine. "I can save her," she said, in the easiest of silk voices. Emma wheeled around to her. Her heart started to beat wildly. "Who are you?" The woman smiled, her lips curling in an evil grin. "I am the one who can stop this… for a price." Emma's blood ran cold. "What do you want?" A sparkle in the woman's eye gleamed brightly. "A life for a life." Emma was shocked; this was one impossible decision to make: save Lily, but at what cost? She could feel Nathaniel's gaze on her, waiting for her to make her choice, yet there simply was not an easy way out of this. The woman's presence was dark and dangerous, but if it would mean saving the young girl… The last, deafening roar of the ancient evil resounded as its form started to melt into nothingness. The light that was wrapping Lily too was dimming; Emma knew she had little time left. A choice had to be made.