Mar’Garet strode through the crumbling remains of the city, alone; she decided not to move along with the others, her spear in hand, the jagged ruins casting long, crooked shadows under the blood-red sky.
The city was now overrun by grotesque humanoid plant zombies, their bodies twisted with vines and flowers.
She grimaced, disgust written across her face as she eyed the abominations stumbling toward her.
“Out of all the places…” she muttered. “Reunited with my lord, only for him to send me off to deal with pests… and to talk with her, who is she?”
Alister had sent off all of his generals and his wyvern to go on ahead to hunt without him; he and Cinder would stay back to have a much-needed talk he had been putting aside due to the fact they were always busy or pressed for time back in the Wasteland Display Event.
One of the creatures lunged at her, its body crackling with energy as vines whipped out, aimed at her legs.
Mar’Garet sidestepped effortlessly, her movements too quick for the eye to follow. With a burst of speed, the ground buckled beneath her, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the earth as she vanished from sight.
“Shattering, Space Law,” she said, her voice filled with annoyance.
She reappeared in a flash of violet-black light, the very air shimmering around her as if reality itself had bent to her will.
A trail of dark particles followed her every motion, energy crackling and rippling through space like a fractured mirror.
She appeared behind the attacking monster, her spear raised high.
“You don’t deserve my time, only my lord does,” she said coldly, swinging the spear down in a clean arc. As her blade met the creature, an explosion of black and violet energy burst forth, tearing through its vine-covered torso.
Shattered energy particles shimmered like dark stardust in the air, slowly dissipating as the monster disintegrated into green sap and rotting petals.
Another creature stumbled forward, its arms grotesquely elongated with thorny vines that lashed out like whips. Mar’Garet clicked her tongue in irritation.
“Really?” she said to herself. “Why should she have his attention? While I get stuck with dealing with wretches instead?”
She crouched low, her eyes glowing with a dangerous light before launching herself forward with another burst of speed.
The ground cracked and shattered beneath her feet, sending a gust of wind that shook the nearby ruins. Her spear gleamed as it cut through the air, leaving a trail of violet-black energy that rippled and shimmered like the broken shards of space itself.
The monster barely had time to react before her spear pierced its chest. Energy exploded outwards, ripping through the vines and decayed flesh. The creature let out a twisted, garbled scream, but Mar’Garet didn’t stop.
“Be quiet,” she snapped, her voice filled with disgust as she twisted her spear. Another burst of energy followed, disintegrating the monster entirely, its remains evaporating into a cloud of dark particles.
She straightened, her expression a touch of frustration and disdain as more plant-zombies shuffled toward her. One of them had glowing flowers growing from its eyes, releasing waves of pollen as it drew closer.
“Her?” Mar’Garet muttered under her breath, watching the creature approach. “And what’s so special about her, I wonder? I fought by his side; I earned my place. And now he sends me away… to handle this filth.”
“My lord is so…”
She suddenly gritted her teeth. With another surge of speed, Mar’Garet vanished again, shattering space around her. She reappeared behind the flower-eyed creature, her spear already slicing through the air.
Her spear carved through the monster’s neck. Dark energy trailed behind her weapon, crackling like lightning, as the creature’s head flew from its body, its vines withering and collapsing in a heap.
“I don’t even know how to describe him,” she said with annoyance, more to herself. She whirled around as another group of the creatures approached, their bodies brimming with thorns and pulsing flowers. One of them had grown massive, its arms bulging with thick, vine-like muscles. With every step, it crushed the ground beneath it, sending tremors through the ruined streets. Mar’Garet’s eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a sneer.
“And here I am, wasting my energy on you worthless things.”
The massive creature swung its arm down, vines unraveling and stretching toward her like a net. Mar’Garet raised her spear, and with a flick of her wrist, she cut through the vines effortlessly. Violet-black energy rippled out from her weapon, sending a wave of force that shattered the creature’s arm into pieces. The earth buckled and cracked beneath her feet as she lunged forward, driving her spear into the monster’s chest.
The creature let out a final groan before collapsing into a heap of broken vines and decayed plant matter.
As the last of the monsters fell, Mar’Garet sighed, her irritation still simmering beneath the surface. She stood in the center of the ruined street, surrounded by the remains of the plant- infested monsters, their bodies reduced to nothing but green sap, broken vines, and shimmering particles of energy.
“Finally, some peace,” she muttered, her eyes flicking in the direction where Alister and Cinder were talking. A jealous look flashed in her eyes, but she quickly masked it with her usual cold demeanor.
“She better not waste his time,” Mar’Garet whispered to herself, her fingers tightening around her spear.
….
In the heart of the desolate city, Draven, Terra, and Alzuring faced a horde of humanoid plant zombies and skeletons that emerged from the twisted remnants of nature.
The air crackled with energy as Draven surged forward, his great sword gleaming with purple runes that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat.
With a swift motion, he swung his blade, and arcs of lightning followed his movements, illuminating the darkness with bursts of light. Each swing left behind a trail of lightning, slicing through the air like a celestial blade.
As he made his way through the throng, Draven unleashed arcs of lightning from his palm, each bolt striking down monsters as if it was honing in on them with pinpoint accuracy, igniting the zombies in explosive bursts of energy and intently destroying the skeletons.
Sparks flew as the undead were reduced to charred remains, scattering dust and debris into the air. The ground trembled beneath him, craters forming wherever his attacks landed, sending shockwaves that knocked back the surrounding zombies.
“Impressive work, as always, Draven,” Terra called out.
She stood firm, her eyes looking around the battlefield as she summoned the earth to her
command.
With a wave of her hand glowing with her blue mana, she transformed the nearby rocky terrain into fine sand, the grains swirling around her as if they were alive.
“But aren’t you curious who our lord will select as his sharpest fang?”
As Draven cleaved through another wave of the grotesque plant creatures, he cast a glance toward Terra, her sand swirling around her like a protective aura.
“Cinder, without a doubt. He seems more attached to her.”
Terra paused, her brow furrowing in thought. “But what about me? The Archi-Void have been advisors to the overlords for generations. Surely that counts for something?”
Alzuring, soaring above the battlefield with his wings spread wide, swooped down to join the conversation. He pulled back on his bow; as he did, a mana string was formed.