Chapter 463 The Light Fights Back

"Keng, the Curse has returned. Dad was taken and Chima is hurt and healing in Priestess Ro'sa's staff. We need to deal with the Curse before its too late. Come now!" Lily's voice echoed in his head. Keng stopped in place and looked around.

"Lily?" Keng muttered, confused.

"What's wrong, Keng?" Gorrum turned to look at Keng.

"I thought I heard Lily." Keng replied.

"Hmm, a communication spell. What did she say?"

"The Curse has returned. Fan'r was taken and Chima is hurt and healing in Priestess Ro'sa's staff? Who's that?"

"Priestess Ro'sa, one of the Priestess's close to becoming a High Priestess of Dahlia's Druids. A powerful woman." Gorrum explained.

"Ah, well Lily told us to hurry up. I think something bad has happened."

"Then let's go." Jyu'so waved. "My gut was right." Jyu'so, Gorrum and Keng ran into the black portal as it closed behind Keng. The three ran out into the thorny and vine-ridden forest spot where they originally came out of.

"It seems like something bad has happened." Gorrum sighed. He pointed at something, catching Jyu'so's attention. "Elder, look!"

"The Priestess's strongest binding spell. It seems like things have gone south. Where is she?" Jyu'so continued to look around. Sounds of rattling caught Keng's attention. He quickly turned behind and pulled a dagger out, creating a shield of water in front of him. Rattling thorns slammed into the shield of water.

"Seems like we were found." Keng announced. The rattling noises grew louder as more thorny snake-like creatures flew at them. Keng pushed away with gravity and watched as the thorny snakes fell like thorns onto the ground. A shriek exploded across the sky as the Yggdrasil tree began to pulse purple. The Cursed Dryad pushed herself halfway out of the tree, cursing as it stopped her.

"The Curse is bound to the Yggdrasil tree. You still have time to eradicate it," said Jyu'so. He motioned over as Keng turned to look. The vines and thorns whipped around, trying to catch its new prey as Gorrum made quick work of them with his scimitars.

"Where's Lily then?" Keng asked. Green leaves puffed into existence between Keng and Jyu'so. A woman with a white upper-body and sleeves and green lower-body dress appeared with an emerald staff. She slammed it down and watched as the fires grew bigger, purifying the corrupted nature all around her.

"Priestess Ro'sa, you're here." Jyu'so nodded.

"Elder, I thought I heard you were with this Savior." Ro'sa turned to look at Keng. "Keng, I presume?" Keng nodded. "Good. You can have Lily now." She lifted her staff and tapped the top end to the floor. Lily appeared standing in the spot she tapped.

"Huh?" Lily looked around. "Wh—"

"Lily." Keng's spoke. Lily's ears perked up as she turned to look.

"Keng! You're here! You got my message?" Lily asked.

"Yes, I did. Where's your dad?" Keng asked.

"He's at the base of Yggdrasil. Chima and I binded him to it but unfortunately the Dryad reformed within the Yggdrasil tree. I've done my best to hold out but most of my energy was spent protecting the Village from attacks." Ro'sa explained.

"Mmm, I guess now's a good time to try it." Keng lifted his hand and started to move to touch the Priestess when she jerked away.

"What're you doing?" Ro'sa asked, concerned.

"Just trust me on this. I can only do this to two people." Keng told her.

"What're you doing? I don't know you and I'm only trusting you because you can eradicate the Curse."

Keng sighed and looked at Lily.

"Elder Jyu'so, can Fox Spirits regain energy through devouring?" Keng asked.

"Mmm, it's an older Fox Spirit skill that hasn't been used since the War. Why do you ask?" Jyu'so asked. Ro'sa slammed her staff down, sending another wave of fire out to clear the corruption as Gorrum retreated back to the group.

"I have access to a skill that gives others the ability to do that. I can share with two other people and we can share energy amongst each other. If Priestess Ro'sa is low on energy, I can help with that." Keng explained.

"Do not worry about me, Silver one." Ro'sa brushed him off. "I have enough to sustain myself for quite a bit longer. I will continue to protect the Village while you two handle that." Ro'sa pointed with her staff at the Dryad. Her eyes found Keng and Lily and a wicked grin grew on her face.

"YOU!" The Dryad pointed at Keng. "You came back thinking you could handle me? Ha! I'll eat your Light and that little girls!"

"No more time to talk." Jyu'so cut the conversation short. "Do your jobs. You have the knowledge within your head to kill the Curse for good. Gorrum and I shall support you two. We'll make sure you two don't get hurt. Priestess Ro'sa shall defend the Village."

"Can you do it on your own, Ro'sa?" Lily asked.

"Don't worry, young one. I think Chima should be done healing by now. He should have regained enough energy within the staff." Ro'sa pointed. "I will be off. Kill the Dryad before Yggdrasil can't hold her anymore." Ro'sa disappeared, leaving a petal of roses behind.

"Does she always do that?" Keng asked.

"Yes." Gorrum nodded.

"Let's go." Jyu'so waved.

"What's the plan?" Lily asked. Keng looked at Lily as they began to move.

"There's a spell you'll have to know. I'll write it and give it to you through runic writing." Keng scrawled the spell in Fox tongue as Gorrum and Jyu'so cleared the way for them.

"Yes, come to me, little light bugs! Let me have another taste!" The Dryad chuckled.

"What does it do?" Lily asked as she began to pluck on the ukulele. The group's aura's began to shimmer with Lily's pink color as she buffed them.

"Radiant Bolt," Keng finished writing. He lifted his finger and tapped Lily's head, flooding her with the spell's information. "A spell made for eradicating Curses such as Vengeance. We'll have to make contact with the Dryad, somehow get her to keep herself revealed and get inside the Curse Dimension, again. There, we'll use Radiant Bolt and sever the Curse. It should kill her in one hit."

"Ah, interesting." Lily nodded. She switched tunes as Light began to form all around them. "I'll support you as best as I can."

"Alright, I'll give the signal when to hop in, alright?" Keng smiled.

"Mmm."

The four made it to the thickest part of the corrupted forest. Gorrum spewed fire around as Jyu'so deflected the attacks with ease. The Dryad cursed as she continued to swing her arms around, conducting the corruption to attack. Keng pulled his daggers out and watched them grow even larger. They shifted from their regular dager size to two swords.

'Another sudden change?' Keng thought. 'This'll do. I have a bunch of spells I learned from Jyu'so and Gorrum's info dump. Let's use them.'

,m "Mark 1." Keng whispered. A silver light shimmered as he quickly moved forward. "Twin Sun Form. Tails of Devour: Lily." One of Keng's tails split off of him, flying straight for Lily as it entered her body. Her body began to shimmer as Keng continued forward.

"Woah, what's this?!?" Lily shouted.

"My new skill!" Keng shouted. "I'll make sure to keep your energy up! Now, let's test these new spells in my head! Mark 2, dagger! Piercing Light!" Keng chucked his right sword, watching it turn into a dagger as it sailed through the air as the silver mark formed on his dagger.

"You think your Light will kill me?!? I've dimmed your Light, I can kill it!" The Cursed Dryad shouted. "Corrupting Nest!" A Shield of black bark flew out as the dagger collided with it, exploding in Light. The shield burned away as Keng continued forward.

"Displacement: Mark 2!" Keng blinked, pulling the dagger out of the burning wooden shield. "Altered God Art: Waves of Pure Light!" Blasts of pure light and water flew out of the sword as Keng slashed downwards. The wave of pure light and water washed over the shield, quickly destroying it and revealing the Dryad as Keng tossed his dagger, again.

"Mark 2. Piercing Light!"

"Oh, not again!" The Dryad started to pull into Yggdrasil as the dagger flew straight for her.

"Song of Vox'su!" Lily shouted. Instruments appeared all around Lily as she started to play. The moderate song piece wrapped around the Yggdrasil tree, binding the Dryad in her place. The Dryad struggled to pull her exposed chest and arms in as the dagger flew straight into her chest.

"Displacement: Mark 2!" Keng flashed, disappearing in his spot as he grabbed the dagger, mid air, and landed in the field of thorns.

"No!" the Dryad shouted as she broke out of the hold, sinking back into Yggdrasil. "You won't get to kill me! I won't let you! You don't have that annoying brat who Cursed me to kill me anymore!"