18 Chapter 18

Sera bolted through the dim forest leaving the grumbling Jeren to tail her from behind. The numerous torches in the distance rippled up and down, curbing her speedy advance. Crouching behind a bush and focusing her eyes on the creatures carrying the flames, she witnessed hundreds of goblins marching in haste towards the Ruins of Ardin.

"Sera... Please don't tell me you woke me up to hunt goblins." Jeren spoke flippantly bringing his hand to his face.

"No, there was a large explosion over the ruins. I thought-"

"Mil saeri, what are you doing here?" Tylin appeared out of thin air with a smile, interrupting and startling Sera.

"Sage Tylin." Jeren bowed politely.

"Father? We were on our way back to Setrhyn when we saw an explosion. What are you doing here?"

"Ah, i'm helping Aerwyn learn about his powers. The boy is truly fascinating, his power over the soul is something this world has never seen before!"

"Aerwyn? I don't see him. Where is he?" Sera stood and looked around behind her father to no avail.

"Ah the boy is in the Ruins of Ardin. He's waiting for those goblins to return last i checked."

"What?!? Are you trying to get him killed?!?!" Sera began to scream but quickly changed volumes. They were still fairly close to the horde of goblins and she didn't want to be forced to fight if she didn't have to.

"No, no, mil saeri. The boy has quite a bit of potential. When one of his brexil cats was in danger he exuded incredible strength, throwing his staff straight through nearly a dozen goblins. I'm attempting to put him under stress to force out any dormant power within him."

"Father, there are hundreds of goblins. He isn't you and he doesn't have any training, else he wouldn't have nearly died from mere brexil cats. We have to help him." Sera used a stern tone that was reserved for her life outside of home. Tylin exhaled a defeated sigh.

"...Come, mil saeri. I'll show you that he will be fine."

Tylin grabbed Sera's hands while chanting a short spell. A gust of wind encircled them before the two vanished leaving Jeren alone in the moonlit forest.

"...Really? It's like i don't even exist..."

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Aerwyn crouched behind a battlement on the walls as he watched the swarm of torches reach the gates. Velk was leading them and from what Aerwyn could tell, the hobgoblin was almost a head taller than both Bon and Kabba.

Velk wore nothing but some rags akin to a kilt and carried a rusty lumbering axe. His large muscles exuded strength with each step he took towards the city gate forcing Aerwyn to analyze his own scrawny body.

He made a mental note to eat more meat, not wanting to be out done by a simple hobgoblin. Aerwyn gave Bon the order to begin casting his spell as Velk entered the city along with a few dozen goblins in bone armor. Velk froze only a dozen meters inside the city and began sniffing the air erratically.

"INTRUDER!" Velk roared, his voice was bestial and hoarse matching the creatures appearance perfectly. A chill ran down Aerwyn's spine as he gave Bon a hurried look. A bright red ball of flames appeared before Bon's hands, shooting out and exploding into a group of goblins. The smell of burnt hair and fat filled Aerwyn's nostrils as he gave Bon more orders.

"Focus on the ones outside the walls now, we need to lower their numbers."

"Yes, master."

The two trolls rushed out from either side of the avenue, making a mad dash towards the gate. The unfortunate goblins in their path were smashed like melons by the massive tree trunks in the trolls hands, leaving behind piles of red goo wherever they struck. The tide of goblins rushing through the gates simmered to a small stream as the trolls blocked the entrance.

Aerwyn's chest pain began to fade as the souls of the fallen raced into his chest. Teek and the undead goblins were embattled with the living, while Kabba was fighting the brutish Velk with the direwolves.

He didn't like sitting on his hands while his undead fought but if he burned off too much of his soul and fell unconscious during this battle they would all die. Having no choice he simply watched the battle unfold as the souls poured in to nourish his own.

He focused on Velk as that would be the toughest bout of the battle. The direwolves were circling him taking swipes and bites at his back whenever Velk was distracted however they rarely connected as Velk was much faster than his size let on. Kabba was seeing some success, diving in and slicing Velk's flesh whenever he swung at a direwolf.

"ENOUGH!" Velk's voice boomed like an explosion across the ruined city. A direwolf was mid swipe as Velk's axe came crashing down on the beasts skull planting it into the ground instantly.

Not wasting a moment he immediately pulled the axe out and charged at another while swinging his axe at the beast head. The glancing blow removed a portion of the beasts skull revealing a dark purple flame that rapidly began to dissipate.

The direwolf didn't waste the opportunity despite the fact that its undeath had come to an end and bit down on Velk's shoulder as he recovered from the misplaced swing. The remaining direwolves darted over with each of them chomping down on a limb leaving the hobgoblin struggling to break free.

The flame inside the dying direwolf's skull began to sputter as if it was a candle at the end of it's wick. The bite holding Velk began to loosen as it's muscles went limp. When the flame seemed to be on its last leg it exploded out in brilliant display of light as if oil had been poured on it. Ethereal black smoke began to spew out and engulf the flame hiding its brilliance from the world.

Aerwyn had fallen in a trance like state the moment Velk had killed the direwolf. He was drawn in by the sensation which was far stronger than when the goblins had perished. In his mind he was surrounded by a smokey darkness.

The purple strings of light connecting him to each of his undead were the only source of light in this tenebrous space. He could feel their locations and see their souls connected to his own as if he was at the center of a spiders web.

When the second direwolf had its skull shattered he felt its soul begin to dissipate as if it were his own. Remembering what Tylin had instructed about moving souls to nourish his undead he looked for white souls to no avail. The only thing he could see was the smokey darkness and the purple flames connected to his own.

Looking down at the many tendrils of light connecting to his soul he got an idea. If he couldn't move the white souls then maybe he could use his own to save the direwolf. Concentrating on his own soul he attempted to recreate the soul tearing feeling he experienced when he brought something back to life.

He imagined tearing off a piece and sending it down the tendril and the darkness surrounding him immediately closed in as though it were alive. Black smokey tendrils from the darkness slithered up, grasping his soul. Fear overtook him.

His mind went blank and he could do nothing but watch in abject horror. It was as though the very essence of his being was screaming, pleading for him to flee as the tenebrous tendrils began rapidly encapsulating his soul. The moment the light of his soul was snuffed out in darkness, he could feel the soul shattering pain he experienced when he resurrected something.

He watched frozen, as the darkness shredded a piece off his soul and sent it down the string to the dying direwolf. He could tell that this thing had something to do with his power but that didn't stop the screaming he felt manifesting within him. It was as though this smokey darkness was the complete opposite of life, the complete opposite of the soul, eliciting fear down to ones very core.

The entire experience only lasted mere seconds but to Aerwyn it felt like hours had gone by. He snapped back to reality drenched in sweat completely forgetting about the current battle happening around him.

"What am i..." He whispered to himself, unable to let go of the fear he felt in the face of that darkness.

"Master! MASTER!"

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"KWEE! KWEE!"

"What? Why am i in your arms?" Aerwyn finally looked around and realized he was being held by Bon while Rin licked his face and Ren headbutted his leg. Aerwyn grabbed Rin and pet her before looking at Ren who still didn't realize he was awake. She must have felt his gaze because she immediately jumped back a meter and pretended like she wasn't involved causing Aerwyn to laugh.

"Master, you dropped to the floor with your eyes open and began screaming. I didn't know what else to do."

"KWEE! KWEE!" Rin cutely agreed.

"I'm fine now, continue killing the goblins outside the walls. I need to go kill Velk." Aerwyn left with Rin and Ren in tow.

Most of his undead goblins were now helping the trolls defend the gates. There were still a few living goblins behind the walls but they would be dead soon so Aerwyn ignored them as he made his way to the direwolves. The damaged direwolf was completely healed which brought him relief. If he had to experience that horror he hoped that he would at least gain something in return.

"Master! Master! Kabba did its!" Kabba gleefully jumped up and down pointing his dagger at Velk.

"Very good Kabba. You did well." Aerwyn assured him before looking to Velk. He was still feebly fighting against his fate, only serving to force the direwolves fangs deeper into his flesh with each vain struggle. Aerwyn raised his spear to the hobgoblins throat. Velk stared defiantly, refusing to give in until the very last moment.

"Don't worry Velk, like Kabba and Bon your life is only beginning now." Aerwyn assured him as he opened the warriors throat.