Page 49 of Whispers of the Magical Forest

Aislinn pushed against Argies until he set her on her feet. She swayed but steadied herself. "I'm good with that. Just don’t think you’re keeping me out of the final fight. I have a bone to pick with that arsehole."

Together, we pressed onward. The Backside of Forty was united again and ready to preserve the sanctity of the realm we held dear. As we rounded the next corner, I was struck by a sudden realization. "Wait," I said, holding up a hand topause the others. "What about the Shadowmere Pack? We can't just leave them as twisted abominations."

Gadross's brow furrowed. His copper artifact continued whirring softly. "You're right. The pack was corrupted by the Blackwood family’s centuries of work. We can't just abandon them to their fate. They're still living beings.”

“And they’re trapped in a nightmare of Marcus’s creation," Fiona snarled.

Thanos's expression hardened. "Then we'll have to find a way to undo the corruption and restore them to their true selves. We can't leave them to suffer. Nor can we allow them to continue as a threat to our world."

"Agreed. Gadross, can your artifact track their location and give us a sense of their condition?” I asked. “The sooner we can find them and begin the cleansing process, the better."

Gadross's brow furrowed in concentration as he consulted his device. "They're scattered throughout the tunnels. But I'm detecting a powerful relic. It could be responsible for Marcus’s hold over them. He would need something to keep control over such powerful people. If we can disrupt the artifact, it may weaken the hold Marcus has over them."

"Then that's what we’ll do next," Thanos declared. "As much as I don’t want to divert again, we have to free the Shadowmere Pack. After that, we are turning our full attention to stopping Marcus's ritual."

We went behind Gadross as he followed his copper artifice. I sighed as my senses remained alert. "I’m so tired of fighting. I hope the remaining corrupted shifters steer clear of us," I grumbled.

Fiona snorted and shoved my shoulder playfully. “Now you’ve jinxed us. We’re going to be overrun by those arseholes any second now.”

“Don’t saythat,” I replied.

We moved cautiously through the damaged passageways, Gadross's artifacts guiding us toward the source of the corrupted energy. As we approached a juncture, a cacophony of twisted roars and snarls echoed through the tunnels. Gadross's eyes widened, his devices pulsing with distress.

"They've detected our presence," he warned, his voice tense. "Be ready."

Fiona and I cast a shimmering shield before us as we pressed forward. We were all braced for the onslaught of twisted shifters. Their forms rippled and contorted as they snarled and lunged at us. The corruption had torn apart the core of their being and warped them into nightmarish versions of their former selves.

Beside us, Aislinn stood steadfast. Her elemental magic flickered weakly but determinedly. Despite her lingering injuries, she summoned bursts of elemental power. She even managed to push back the corrupted shifters with blasts of earth and wind. Though drained, she was still a badass and remained unbroken.

"We have to find the relic Marcus used to control them," Gadross called out. "It's the key to breaking his hold over the pack." We nodded in acknowledgment as we fought our way through the shifters.

His artifice whirred and spun. The copper device guided us deeper into the tunnels. "I'm detecting a concentrated source of the corruption across from us. That must be where he's channeling his control from."

My gaze skipped around the area. It was a challenge to see through the bodies. "Let's not waste any time."

Aislinn’s arm flew into the air. “It’s over there.”

I followed her finger and saw the black urn in an alcove to our right. Turning to Fiona, I nodded. "Together?"

Fiona nodded, and her magic swirled to life. The goldenenergy blended seamlessly with mine. "Let’s get rid of this shit," she replied.

As one, Fiona and I surged forward. Our combined magic lanced out towards the corrupted relic. The tainted object writhed and hissed as our purifying energies enveloped it. We poured energy into the thing for several seconds. Keeping our focus on the task was difficult with the fight going on around us. After several seconds, the dark magic that had clung to its surface withered and crumbled away.

The corrupted shifters stopped fighting. Their howls turned to ones of agony. Their forms wavered and distorted as the corruption's hold began to slip. Aislinn added her elemental magic and helped reinforce the restoration of their true natures.

"Keep going!" Thanos shouted. "It's fighting back. Don't let the corruption regain its grip!"

I gritted my teeth, pouring every ounce of my power into the task at hand. The phoenix within me spread its wings. Before I knew what was happening, the cleansing fire shot out of me and surrounded the relic. It burned brightly with each passing moment. Slowly but surely, the evil energy began to recede. And the shifters' natural forms reasserted themselves.

The three of us worked in perfect synchronization to sever the corrupted connection. The relic crumbled under the onslaught of our combined magic. The broken shards released the pack from Marcus's twisted control. The shifters shook their heads and blinked in confusion as they regained their senses. Gadross stepped forward, his copper artifice pulsed with soothing energy.

"Easy, now," he said in a calm and reassuring voice. "You're safe. The corruption's hold has been broken. It’s time to restructure your pack."

One by one, the shifters gathered themselves.They wore expressions of relief and gratitude. A surge of pride filled me. Knowing that we had saved them from the nightmare Marcus had inflicted upon them was highly satisfying.

Thanos placed a hand on my shoulder. "Well done, Vi. Now, let's see about Marcus."

I nodded, the phoenix within me settling back into a watchful state. "Lead the way, Gadross. We've still got work to do."

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