Shadows flowed over her bloodied wounds, her shoulders hunched over, her trembling fingers became claw-like, and she rose smoothly, silently. Feeling this behind him the Knight once more looked over his shoulder. What he saw was a figure animated by some infernal energy, it was the shape of the same warrior but... she was so still yet vibrating like a new creature, darkness covered the outlines of her form while her... her eyes... burned with tiny white lights, aimed at his back. As he turned to face her she sprung forth with supernatural speed and he felt something odd inside him. Her hand had clawed its new form through his body and grabbing the hilt of her sword, yanked it free and sliced through the ether of the Dark Knight. Chainmail and metal shards went flying, black ether seeped out as liquid and gas, and feeling a sense of fear in the longest time stumbled back as the black figure now rising from all fours, hair suspended like a medusa took its fighting stance. Camdia was gone and this new thing attacked, the sword changed too to shadow, striking like a wild industrial machine that had come unhinged, blow after blow from some ancient forbidden strength struck the Knight's armour. He stumbled back trying to block each blow but they came from the very air, shadows swarmed him as his armour was chipped away, more and more holes appeared, more ground was lost, until his chestplate fell to the ground. It revealed a glowing purple orb as his heart, feeling a fear that surpassed his knowledge he swung his greatsword and felt it cut only the thick air and shadow, he hit something yet nothing, his vision was only of smoke and a thousand glowing eyes intending to destroy him. He swung all around him, the blow clearing away the ethereal smoke, his sword hitting nothing and laying to his right side, thats when he felt it. A shadow with blazing blue fire for eyes stood beside him down to his left and looking up at him he saw its claw had pierced his chest, wrapped around the orb. The Knight winced as the claw tightened and he realized as the shadow did in that moment. The next second the claw gripped it fulled and in 1 swift motion tore the orb from the black ethereal chest, a stream of black clouds flowing forth from the wound, the Knight felt his power leave him and collapsed, greatsword slipping from his grasp and clanging on the ground. It was over.
He looked up at the expressionless shadow, staring at him with empty judgement as he felt his body beginning to liquefy. "Truly by any art inhuman thou hath bested me." He breathed heavily as he felt his mind thinning, memories of a woman, a man with a beard, a castle filled with flowers and food and song came back to him. He felt something return to him and flow over him and turned to his rival. "I return to time, and you have freed me, I... I thank you." the shadow stood motionless. The Knight breathed a few more breaths until he felt something fail him and after a pause fell onto the stone and became a flurry of black smoke and armour. The cloud above similarly faded and scattered, revealing the setting sun whose rays crossed over the land and face of the shadow. As the hiss of darkness dissipated the shadow's fiery eyes became calm and the colour of forests returned to them, the sun made the shadow opaque and the body of the warrior princess fell out of the slowly fading shadow even as it stood there unnaturally still until it slowly disappeared.
A mess of hair laid there and slowly Camdia opened her eyes to the setting sun, she looked at the horizon, the empty armour, and tried to recall where she was. Slowly it came back to her, the fight, the struggle, and the reason she lost herself, Dilo. She coughed as she pushed herself up by her elbows and soon the coughs became tears. She has vanquished the darkness with something deep inside her but she had lost something in the process. Dilo had been lost. And in the victory of setting sun she fell empty and wept.
Until she felt a small furry paw had reached up to bruch her cheek softly, Dilo was there with a face of convern looking up at her. He was safe, through her embrace and tears he explained how kobols are actually quite resistant to blunt force trauma and have an elastic quality that makes up for their vulnerable nature. Camdia was overcome with waves of releif, so strong her body shivered, he friend had been returned to her. Now putting the armour of her soul back on she let a rare smile creep out before returning to a stoic look as she gazed over the countryside they had saved. The land had returned to its healthy state, the trees bloomed, the rivers flowed, the animals retunrned and birdsong was heard for what had been a long time. Even Dilo's village now producing fruit from the trees that had been scarce and he was given a hero's welcome along with Camdia. They crowned her with a silly and crude laurel of funny looking leaves and danced and feasted on the beautiful fruit. It was a wonderful time that Camdia was thoroughly enjoying even if the anxiety of the future gnawed at her in those bright moments. She was happy, and made sure her face didn't reveal that. Only Dilo, who had journeyed with her, sensed it and was happier for it. The two would face dangers in the future but for now out story rests as our heroes and these pages sleep for another day.
The End
