Rainbow Quest: Opportune (Short Stories)

#sabretober Day 5: Chains

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Series: Rainbow Quest

AU: Alchemy

Characters: Enchanter, Rainbow, Sabre, Nightmare

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"So, you say he's around here somewhere?" Sabre asks me as we make our way through the brush. I hack at the bushes with my enchanted sword from my last trip to here. Flames lick the bushes, burning them away before fizzling away in the humid swamp air.

"Yep. We should be close." I say as I adjust my mushroom hat, making sure it didn't slide off. I step over the burned remains of the bush and look ahead, seeing the giant tree through the canopy above us. Looking back at Sabre for a moment, I motion with a hand for him to follow me.

It takes us a bit to reach the tree, but I knew something was wrong as soon as I heard an ear-shattering shriek. Without a second thought I dart towards the entrance, seeing at once a horrifying sight. 

Darkness was everywhere.

Several were holding onto chains at different spots, all leading to a central figure in the room, right by the enchanting table. He screeches again, trying to throw off the chains from his twenty-foot build but gets yanked down to his knees.

A black covered Yellow Steve walks up to the man who had helped me before and laughs.

"Well well well. Good fight I must say! You really are a monster like the stories have said." The man says slickly and I knew without a doubt, this was Nightmare. The figure who had helped me before growls, his face separating into a jagged mouth and his for becoming ever more terrifying.

I hear Sabre inhale sharply from right behind me and I cover his mouth. I look at him with a stern glare and shake my head, telling him to not make a noise. He nods silently before I turn my head to look back at the scene in front of me.

"I am not a beast, unless you want to see the wrath of one." The figure growls, his glowing eyes making me feel uneasy. Nightmare laughs a chilling laugh before motioning towards the darkness. Some still hold the chains while some move to climb them. The figure struggles more profoundly, realizing now what Nightmare had planned.

In that instant, I knew what I needed to do. I strip my potion pack off of my shoulder and hand it to Sabre before I walk in, brandishing my sword.

"You will make a nice addition to my force-"

"HEY!" I yell, drawing all the attention to me. Nightmare whips around, his eyes an unearthly Red as his face contorts in rage before it turns to amusement.

"Well well well. Looks like some walking mushroom is coming to get squashed. Why don't you run off like the pitiful little thing you are." Nightmare says with a chuckle and I can't help but feel my blood boil. My mind flashes to an image of Red being dragged away by the darkness and I narrow my eyes. With a flick of my hand, I tear my hat off and toss it to the side, glaring down Nightmare.

"I Don't Run." I say as I walk forward, holding out my sword to the side and letting slight flames appear from my motion.

The figure who helped me before stares at me, then his jagged face disappears and he laughs.

"Ah, I see it is you! Strike down our foes, Brave little Rainbow!" He yells which distracts Nightmare for a moment. As his head is turned, I start to pick up my pace before I was running. One of the darkness still on the ground sees me and darts forward to intercept me. I barely see it before I swing to my left. It screeches as the flames and my blade hit its stomach. It backpedals away from me in shock and I smile. 

I had just figured out a weakness of the darkness.

I hear footsteps behind me and twirl around, my sword hitting another darkness who had attempted to charge me. It as well backs up, stunned at my actions. I turn to my left to face Nightmare who stood at the bottom of the main stairs. He now had his head turned to me with his face contorted in rage.

I move again, darting towards the stairs. I barely catch the movement of darkness from the side of my eye and flinch as it swipes claws at me. But a potion breaks against its skin, breaking out into rapid fire. As I fall to the ground, I turn to look where Sabre was running to me with my pouch, another orange vial in hand. I smile and with a quick motion, I'm on my feet again, swiping at the darkness who were now surging at us.

"YOU PESTS! You won't succeed here!" Nightmare bellows with an insane laughter that chilled me to the bone. I just keep silent, quickly moving and making quick work through the darkness with my sword and Sabre throwing Quick Flame potions.

After finishing a darkness off, I whip around to fight another one, slashing at it mercilessly as I glance towards the figure who was shaking the darkness on the chains violently. A singular thought in my mind came: Even at this pace, I couldn't save him. 

I feel pain in my shoulder and yell out, looking to see a Darkness with their claws in my skin. Again came the image of Red, his face contorted in pain as I watched him be dragged away by the darkness. Mercilessly and in my pain and fury, I stab the darkness through the chest, letting out the loudest yell I've ever given.

"TO HELL-FIRE WITH YOU!"

I don't give it a chance before I draw out my sword, scorching it and starting the entire being on fire. It's claws let go as I dart forward, my mind clouded by only one thing:

To send all this darkness to the fire.

I turn my eyes to Nightmare, darting up the stairs towards him.

"RAINBOW! WATCH OUT!"