“They’re fighters. They'll be fine.”
I can hear the anger in her voice, but I know it isn't directed at me. It's probably more the whole situation. Maybe she's mad at herself too, but I don't know why. I just keep running. I don't have the energy to be mad right now, I'm just worried about Liam, about his brothers, about everyone.
“Nora!” I call out. “How's the situation on your side?”
“Your giant cat is helping us a lot... and some humans came to help us on the other side too! They are trying to stop the girls from attacking or injuring themselves.”
“...What about Lysandra, Boyan, and... Tonya?”
“...I'm not sure; they haven't reappeared…”
I can hear the sadness in her voice, and I’m choking up a little too..
“...There are wolves trying to dig the ground where they disappeared,” she continues, “but... I don't know, Mara. The golems and the ground are trying to bury us alive. I have to help those who make it, but... it's not stopping, and the rest of the wolves are trapped on the other side of the fire barrier. I don't think it would be any better if they were here, though. The number doesn't seem to matter much…”
“Nora, perhaps you should come over here then,”says Selena.“I have a feeling we're going to need a lot of your Light Magic here…”
I agree.
I don't like the area we just arrived in. The sky is so dark, it's as if night has already fallen. We just got past the giant hill that emerged, and we can see Ravena again, but... I have a feeling the Earth Witch is in a much more dangerous situation than we are. Actually, she's on her knees, her body strangely bent backwards, her face turned toward the sky with a horrifying expression. The dark lines are all over the visible parts of her body, even on her face... I realize she's not the one that's been attacking us all over the battlefield. It's the curse, using her powers. Or maybe they're using each other, but either way, it's clear Ravena is losing control. The whole area is shrouded in the darkness, and Selena and I slow down, cautious. We can both tell there's nothing good going on here...
“Stay close.”
I nod, and get as close to the wolf as I can. I don't even dare light up my fist with my fire. I can feel Spark using a lot of energy back there, and I might have to leave him that source for a while...
Something suddenly shines in front of us, and I jump in front of Selena, putting up a magic circle to defend ourselves. The rock breaks violently against my last-minute shield.
“Nice one, Mara.”
"Stay behind me," I nod.
As soon as I've ended that sentence, more rocks are lifted from the ground and fly our way. I have to move quickly to block them, and widen my magic circle in front of us. Oh, fuck... Each of them bursts violently against my shield, the strength making me step back with a groan. Damn it... She's not happy we're here.
"Ravena!" I shout.
A few steps ahead of us, her body twitches bizarrely, and her head spins, like a doll, to turn toward us. A strange grin appears on her face, one that has nothing human about it. Oh, hell... I'm not sure there's a Ravena left in there. Selena growls louder.
More rocks are lifted from the ground... This time, they are shrouded by some of that weird dark fog... I get ready nonetheless. When they hit, though, it's much more powerful than before. I feel my magic circle violently hit, once, twice, and a crack appears. How can there even be a crack in a…?! The next one breaks it apart, and I'm forcefully hit right in my chest. I gasp, out of air, and fall back.
“Mara!”
I feel Selena jump in above me, but she's not going to be more resistant than me, it can't be! I try to stand back up, but I'm still in a shit load of pain. Moreover, to my surprise, the dark rocks don't seem to... hit her? What's going on? I crawl back, and Selena stays right in front of me, stopping those things from coming near us. It's like there's some sort of... shield.
“Are you alright, Mara?”
I turn my head, and to my surprise, Nora is there. Her blue eyes look filled with worry, she puts herself under my arm and helps me up. Her white fur is covered in mud, but still strangely shining underneath... She and Selena both stand by my side as I painfully get back up. Oh, I can still feel that hit right in the middle of my chest... Damn it.
“You were fast,” says Selena.
“I was worried... and some of our wolves managed to come in and help. I figured I'd be more useful with you two, with all that... that Dark Magic…”
She might be right. The darkness surrounding Ravena's body is somehow getting thicker as her expression transforms into a grimace.
"You..." her voice comes out like a strange rattle out of her body. "Cursed..."
“Apparently, attacks meant for Cursed Ones are useless against Royals like us,” says Selena. “It might be our turn to protect you this time, Mara…”
"Perhaps, but I can't stay hidden behind you two. I need to get to her."
