The Dark Arts Quest Pt. 3
Artemise and Sapphire tensed up when Crimson spoke with a grave tone, the air around them was a cold chill and heavy from the darkness that was coming from over the decaying coral. They silently crept in between the coral, keeping themselves hidden as they peered towards the empire and itâs castle.
âIt chills my bones to be back hereâŚâ Sapphire said, her hand over her heart. âTo think this was the birthplace of our peopleâŚâ
âThe magic hereâŚit feels wrong,â Artemise added with a shudder, pressing herself against Crimson. âThe amount of darkness and corruptionâŚâ
âThis is what it looks like when the Dark Arts has full control,â Crimson said with a frown, seeing the shadow soldiers in forms of sharktrolls patrolling the streets of the empire. âShadow soldiers. We must be carefulâŚcome. And stay close.â
Both females nod before they and Crimson started to head towards the castle. They managed to dodge the soldiers from spotting them, hiding into the abandoned homes of the sharktrolls and waiting it out.
âThereâs so many,â Sapphire worried as the soldiers marched pass their hiding place. âAnd there must be more near the castle.â
âItâs no surprise,â Crimson said as he carefully peeked out for the coast to be cleared. âThatâs where the Dark Arts andâŚTorrent are residing.â
Crimson strains out a gasp before he started coughing, hunching over in pain.
âCrimson!â Artemise gasps before she went to him, Sapphire looked more worried as the deep dweller started to use her magic to help him. âHold on, I got you-!â
Sapphire stared at the heaving great white. ââŚyouâre dying.â
Artemise stiffens, trying to hold back her tears. Crimson shuddered when the pain went away, glances at Sapphire before looking away. âThat isnât important right now.â
Sapphire was about to add before sensing someone in the room. Crimson and Artemise also sensed it before they quickly got into defensive mode. Coming from the shadows was none other than Nichole herself, her eyes red and cold as she stared at the trio.
âNicholeâŚ!â Artemise said with a sadden frown.
âWell, look who stopped by,â Nichole spoke coolly, looking at Crimson. âJust the one Lord Torrent is looking for.â
âNichole please,â Crimson tried to reason with her. âIâm trying to save my son, my family and friends. If the Darkness spreads, everyone will-â
âSave it,â Nichole hisses, using her magic to make a portal under the three. âYouâre coming with me.â
Artemise yelps as she held Crimson, they dropped right into the portal before Nichole follows in. They landed in some kind of cavern, Crimson going in front to protect his mate and Sapphire.
âDonât make me have to fight you Nichole,â Crimson warns the shapeshifter. âI donât want to hurt you.â
âWell, arenât you sweet?â Nichole chuckled, drawing in closer.
Artemise hisses softly, she and Crimson felt confused when Sapphire softly giggles. âNichole dear, he wonât hear us with your cloaking shield. You can drop the act.â
Nichole blinksâŚthen sighs out in relief. âPhew. I was scared that I would actually have to fight you guys.â
âEhâŚ?â Crimson blinked. âBut, I sense a Dark Seed in you, how did-?â
Nichole smiles a bit. âBeing a shapeshifter has its perks, including in tricking Torrent and the Dark Arts that I have the seed in my soul.â
âOh thank goodness,â Artemise said in pure relief. âThen, thatâs meansâŚyouâre undercover?â
Nichole nods, but looking worried as she spoke. âI am, but weâre running out of time. Just now, Torrent sealed Bellus away, and heâs about to send an army to Techno Reef!â
Crimson gets up with Artemise, looking at them all. âThen we havenât a moment to lose. I recognize this cavern. Or rather tunnel. If we keep going down this way, weâll reach to Razorâs old room.â
They started to head to said direction, the race into saving all of Trolldom is on and depended on them in defeating the Darkness and save Torrent and his trapped family.
Harper and Torrent were still in a deadly battle, the great white dodging her attack as his shadows continued to take swipes at her.
âTsk!â Harper hissed as she used her magic to block them, but just barely. âHow is this a fair fight you coward!â
âYouâre making less sense, halfbreed,â Torrent replied coldly. âThis is a battle, where you give everything you have against your enemy. You clearly donât have anything to show for your so-called strength.â
Harper snarls out angrily before she teleported right behind him, slamming her tailfin against him. âSo-call THIS!!â
Torrent skidded across the throne room, but quickly recovers as the shadows shoots out at her once more. With the anger induced feeling, Harper kept on blocking as she send out more of her own attacks. But the more she fought, the darker her black markings became.
âShe is succumbing to her darkness,â The Dark Arts whispered to Torrent. âPush her further in, let her rage take hold.â
Torrent glares slightly as she went for another attack, suddenly seeing someone wandering in.
âHarper? Is that you??? Look! I found Sapphy!â
Harper froze before looking at the voiceâs direction. It was RiffâŚholding a crystal that held their daughter. How in the world-?!
âRiff, get out of here!!â Harper said in a panic, shouting in pain when the shadows restrained her. âRUN!!â
âHarper!â Riff gasped, yelping when the soldiers surrounded him. He held the crystal of Sapphire close as he looked around nervously. âH-Hold on now man-!â
âI donât know what Zips sees in both of you,â Torrent said coldly as he stalked towards Riff. âHe deserves better than a halfbreed and a rock troll.â
âIf you touch a hair on his head Iâll kill you!!â Harper shrieked, her marks and colors darkens further. âLeave them alone!!â
Torrent grabs Riff by the collar of his vest, the poor troll panicking when he was lifted up and shadows started to take aim.
âTo kill a nuisance of a weed,â Torrent said as he had the look with a murderous glare. âYou go to the root.â
Suddenly, Torrent was rammed into by a great white, letting go of Riff.
âAck-!â Riff grunts when something shields around him, looking to see Artemise and Sapphire. âQueen SapphireâŚ!â
âWe got you dear,â Sapphire said as Artemise went to free Harper. âNow go, quickly!â
Harper broke free before she lunges at Riff to hug him, shaking a bit. âThank goodness youâre okayâŚ! But, how did you get here???â
âOh yeah! You left your portal open, so I went in and I found Sapphy. Haha!â
âYou two go now,â Artemise said to them as she watches Crimson and Torrent fighting. âWeâll take care of this.â
Sapphire gently touches the crystal of her granddaughter, smiling when it cracks completely and releases her. âThere. Sheâs free.â
Sappy whines a little, waking up to see her mother and father. âMâŚMamaâŚdadaâŚ?â
âSapphy,â Riff cuddles her gently as he tears up. âYouâre back.â
Harper smilesâŚbut then glares at Torrent as her magic darkens. âIâll kill himâŚhow dare he do this to usâŚto our daughterâŚ!â
Sapphire and Artemise tensed at the darkness from Harper, Sapphy whimpering from it too and hides into Riffâs arms.
âMama, youâre scaring meâŚ!â Sapphy whines, causing Harper to look at her and stop the feelings of the darkness in.
âHarper, letâs go home,â Riff said worriedly. âThe long you stay here, you wonât be yourselfâŚâ
Harper was quiet for a momentâŚbut then nods before making a portal. Both she and Riff made a run for it, Sapphire and Artemise protecting them from the soldiers using their light magic.
âYou wonât get away!!â Torrent snarled before he uppercuts Crimson away, but growls out when he quickly came after him to body him to the ground and kept him restraint. âLET GO!!â
âTorrent this has to stop!â Crimson said as he struggled to keep him down. He was relieved that Harper and Riff escaped with Sapphy before he made the move to touch Torrentâs heart symbol. âLet me help you, Iâll free you-!â
However, a huge burst of corrupted magic blasted Cirmson off, sending him crashing into one of the pillars.
âCrimson!â Artemise said as she swam to him, Sapphire created a shield around them to keep the shadows away.
âTorrent please,â Sapphire reasoned to her son. âThis isnât you, itâs the Dark Arts!â
âThis IS who I am,â Torrent replied, the shadows growing in masses around him. âYou canât stop me from my vision of a perfect world. Not even for you, mother. If anything, you should be cleansed!â
Crimson gets up, coughing out blood before he stands again with Artemiseâs help. âYou know that itâs wrong to force others under their command. I know that more than you think!â
âHoh? I thought youâd be happier that heâs this way, Your Majesty~â
Crimson, Artemise and Sapphire looked at the shadow mass that now had multiple red eyes and a wicked, malicious smile. Right before themâŚwas the entity of chaos and destruction. The being of death and corruption:
âItâs him,â Sapphire said with complete look of defiant anger mixed fear.
âYou,â Crimson growled at the shadow. Artemise grips close to Crimson, her markings glowed bright as she glowers at the entity angrily.
âYes me,â he chuckled darkly, tendrils of shadows surrounding Torrent. âWhy so angry now? Heâs exactly what you wanted, my former disciple.â
âI never wanted this for him!â
âOh come now CrimsonâŚor should I say, Hero? You knew EXACTLY what would happen when I gave you my gift that is the Dark Seed. How it would improve oneâs being to MY design. Darkness is in EVERY creature, I simply amplify their potential as I see fit. So if anyone should be blamed for turning your son towards my shadows, itâs YOU.â
Torrent suddenly attacked once more to break his motherâs shield, Sapphire using all her strength to keep him at bay.
âI canât keep this up forever!â Sapphire said to Artemise and Crimson.
Artemise hisses before she summons her echo flowers, sending out the petals into burst to disintegrate the darkness away. They shrieked and howled at the light, the entity growls. This deep dweller is a threat.
âYou are in the way,â The Dark Arts spoke. âNaturally you will be the first to DIE.â
Artemise didnât realize her own shadow started to move, Crimson soon realized before he dashes to her. âArtemise!!â
He takes the attack, the sharp tendrils stabbed through his shoulder and abdomen.
âNo!!â Artemise said in horror, Sapphire gasping when her magic faltered.
âDo stall them,â The Dark Arts chuckles, shadow soldiers destroying the pillars to cause a cave in over the three.
With that, the walls collapsed over Crimson, Artemise and Sapphire, Torrent showing no emotion as it happened. If that didnât kill them, they would die slowly from the lack of oxygen.
HoweverâŚTorrentâs hand twitched slightly. Deep inside, he was screaming in horror and despair from what he saw. And he couldnât do anything to stop itâŚ
âHow disappointing,â Torrent spoke when the rubble cleared. âHere I thought he would give me a good fighting. Then again, a dying troll hardly is a challenge.â
âIndeed,â the Dark Arts smirked before vanishing into Torrent. âBut perhaps the Reef will still have worthy subjects and convert them to my shadows. Now go.â
With a nod, Torrent and the soldiers left, leaving the destroyed rubble behind. There was silenceâŚand then there was movement before a shield pushed it away.
âOh thank gods I made it in time,â Nichole gasped out, Sapphire and Artemise trying to stop the bleeding from Crimsonâs wound. âAfter I freed Bliss and her sons and Bellus, I thought Iâd be too late.â
âYou made it before we were crushed,â Sapphire said. âIâm just relieved that you freed them and had them go to where Poseidon was hiding. Theyâre finally safe.â
âCrimson,â Artemise whimpered as she held his hand. âA-Are you alright? Are you hurting?â
âIâm fine,â Crimson wheezed and he slowly sat up, squeezing her hand back gently. âIâm not healing as fast as I use toâŚâ
âNow what do we do?â Nichole asked worriedly. âTheyâll leave any second to the ReefâŚ!â
Crimson looked down, then sighs heavily. âI knowâŚwhat must be doneâŚbut Iâll need your help. Three of you.â
âOur help?â Artemise repeated, Sapphire instantly knew. âWhat can we do?â
âYour light magic. Use them on me.â
âCrimson,â Sapphire cuts in. âYour body canât take that much magic, especially in your state. It will-â
âDestroy my body,â Crimson finished. âI knowâŚbut this is the only way to stop the Dark Arts once and for all. I was the once who released him, so Iâll be the one to erase him from this world.â
âThere has to be another way!â Artemise argued with teary eyes, Nichole looked just as distress as Sapphire looked defeated. âWe do this together! You donât have to be the one to do this alone! Please Crimson, IâŚI-I canât lose youâŚ!â
Crimson looks at his mate, cupping her cheek. âAnd I canât lose anyone else ArtemiseâŚif there any other way, I would do it in a heartbeatâŚbut there is no other wayâŚand you know that.â
Artemise hiccups a sob, hugging Crimson tight. Of course she knewâŚbut that doesnât mean that she agrees with it. She wanted to find a way to save his life somehow, someway. ButâŚthey were running out of time.
ââŚokay,â Artemise shudders out a sigh.
âCrimsonâŚâ Nichole sniffs, her appearance changed back to her true self.
Sapphire looks at the great whiteâŚsmiling sadly. âI always knew there was still good in you HeroâŚI just wishâŚâ
âI knowâŚâ Crimson nods, slowly standing. âMe tooâŚâ