"Tatva vera: The Prophecy of Elemental Harmony"

#Chapter 17: Glimpse Of light

                                               As he moved towards us with a deadly intent, we knew we were no match for his strength and skill. Yet, we stood our ground, determined to slow him down. Prithvi, with his unwavering focus, parried the attack with precision, giving me the opportunity to strike. My blade found its mark, but instead of a grimace of pain, a wide, almost gleeful smile spread across his face. It was as if he was reveling in the chaos of battle.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw his men moving to flank Prithvi. They aimed to take him down from behind while he was occupied defending me. Prithvi, sensing the danger, used all his strength to fend off the attack. But just as the soldiers were about to close in, their general's voice boomed across the battlefield.

"Stop it, soldiers! Do not intervene in my battle!" he commanded; his voice filled with authority. One of the soldiers, hesitant but bold, spoke up, "But General Shiryo, you are wounded".

General smile widened even further, a glint of madness in his eyes. "Wounded? This is nothing but a scratch. The thrill of battle is what I live for. Now, stand aside and let me finish this myself."

The soldiers reluctantly stepped back, leaving the battlefield to us and their formidable leader. The air was thick with tension, and the ground beneath us seemed to tremble with the weight of the impending clash. Prithvi and I exchanged a quick glance, a silent agreement passing between us. We would fight with everything we had, for there was no turning back now.

Prithvi, using the last of his energy, defended against the general's relentless attack. Meanwhile, Nerida targeted his blind spots, but her strikes seemed to barely affect him, as if they were mere tickles. Arya, terrified, was captured by soldiers to prevent us from fleeing the battleground. I had studied the terrain and, with the combined efforts of Nerida and Prithvi, managed to land a few blows on the general. Though my attacks were not doing much, they gave us a glimmer of hope that we might still prevail.

After some time, the general feigned an attack towards me. As I evaded, he swiftly turned and struck Nerida with a powerful punch. She fell to the ground, blood spurting from her wounds, her screams of pain echoing in the air. Prithvi and I were stunned by the brutality of the attack. Arya shouted in despair, "No! Nerida"

The general, with a cruel smile, licked the blood from his blade with a twisted sense of satisfaction. said, "One down. Now let's take care of you two". And continued that "I don't know why, but after all this time, I'm feeling invigorated. Don't disappoint me."

With Nerida incapacitated and Arya bound, the weight of the battle fell squarely on Prithvi and me. Despite the poison weakening me, I knew we had to fight on. Prithvi, bloodied but unyielding, stood beside me. We exchanged a determined glance, silently vowing to protect our fallen comrades and defeat the general, no matter the cost. The air crackled with tension as we prepared for the next onslaught, our resolve hardening with each passing second.

Finally, Prithvi, filled with an unquenchable rage, charged toward the general with everything he had left. His eyes burned with determination as he moved forward, deflecting the powerful swings of the general's sword. With a swift and precise motion, Prithvi summoned the power of the earth, capturing the general's legs with stones that erupted from the ground. The general, now immobilized, roared in frustration, his movements restricted.

Prithvi stood his ground, blood spurting from his wounds, but he did not move an inch. The general, in a desperate attempt to free himself, began swinging his sword wildly at Prithvi. Each strike drew more blood, but Prithvi remained steadfast, his eyes locked on the enemy.

I understood Prithvi's tactic. He was buying me the time I needed. Channeling all my remaining energy, I charged my blade with lightning, feeling the electricity crackle and hum along its length. With a determined shout, I lunged forward, aiming for the general's exposed chest.

The blade pierced through the general's armor, the lightning coursing through his body. But surprisingly, he did not show any reaction. The ground beneath us trembled as the power of the strike reverberated through the battlefield.

Prithvi, despite his injuries, managed a grim smile. "We did it," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the din of battle.

The general's sword fell from his grasp, and he collapsed to the ground.

Nerida, still injured but alive, managed to crawl over to us. "We won," she said, her voice filled with a mix of disbelief and triumph.

But surprisingly, the body of the deceased general began to vanish from the surface, dissolving into the air like mist. 

Arya, in despair, shouted, "Viraj, behind you!"

To be continued...