The Blind Witch
Chapter 35

Guilt is an interesting mortal emotion. You have regret mixed with internal pain. I wish I could have done things differently. But there were so many little flickers of hope and happiness that were created because of my actions. I can only hope that, in the end, you do not feel the guilt that I bear.

After a few hours, Clarissa stepped out of her tent. She wore a dark red dress that faded into black toward the bottom. Around her neck was the necklace that Aiden had given her a few years prior. Her unruly hair was slicked back into a braid, ensuring it would not get in her way. Around her waist was a belt, holding up her sheath and sword.

She took a second to look around at the different auras and magic that surrounded her. But she could feel the tension in the air that was building as the sun set in the western skies. Aiden stood a few feet away, waiting for her. When she was ready, he took her hand and led her to the frontline. Many had gathered in a line, facing Thresnora.

When Aiden released her hand, Clarissa looked around in front of her. There was nothing in her darkness. But she could feel it; there was a power that was building. She recognized the power. It was a god summoning his strength. Erebus was readying himself. As her hand went to the hilt of her sword, a rumbling shook the ground beneath their feet.

All of those around her could not withhold their gasps. In front of them was a cloud of billowing smoke coming from the volcano. The smoke went up into the sky, blocking out the light from the moon and the stars. It darkened the barren wasteland drastically. The only source of light was from the Great Chasm, which stood a fair distance away.

"Is the volcano about to erupt?!" Aiden questioned as he tried to pull Clarissa back.

"No," she replied, yanking her arm from his grasp. She took a step forward, her eyes looking up into the sky. She could see it was chaos, it was destructive, it was darkness. "It is Erebus! He is releasing his darkness upon this world!"

After she spoke, a loud screech emanated from within the volcano. It was the vampires; they were running out of the temple, rushing towards them. But they were not alone. Clarissa could see the auras of wolves and the magic of witches pouring from Thresnora.

"Release the fireballs!" Aiden commanded Clarissa.

"Luiasis Parairum Tasaetora," she whispered as she withdrew her sword. She pointed her sword into the air as fire consumed it. "Tasaeyoithe!"

Balls of fire shot from the end of her sword, flying high into the sky. The balls scattered around, providing light to those on the ground. Not only did the balls give light to everyone else, but they also provided Clarissa with sight. The fireballs slowly dripped magic onto the battlefield, illuminating the humans who fought with the vampires.

"Werelia Inttum!" Aiden and many other wolves yelled in unison. One by one, Clarissa could see wolves begin to appear around her. She held her hand out to Cyrus.

"Luiasis Parairum Tasaetora!" She yelled before she set him on fire.

Cyrus stood there, snarling as the flaming inferno spread across his body. Just like the last two times, he could not feel the heat. Several alphas stood behind him, all ready to push forward. Cyrus looked up to Clarissa. She was to give out the signal. But she was waiting until the vampires were close enough.

Before she could give the signal, humans that stood behind the vampires had readied and shot off arrows. They were barely visible in the fiery sky. Ophelia, Sybil, and several other witches from the Lode Star stepped up, quickly creating a wall of magic, protecting their side from the onslaught of arrows.

When the arrows stopped flying, and the shield dropped, Clarissa pointed her flaming sword forward. Cyrus growled as he lunged, leading the charge for the wolves. As he neared a vampire, Cyrus jumped on them, pushing his flaming paws into their chest. He did not even need to bite; his fire consumed the vampire, turning it to ash. Cyrus glanced to his left and watched as another wolf ripped the head of the vampire clean from its body.

Clarissa gripped her sword in both hands, bracing for the vampires that came for her. Behind her, Sybil and Ophelia called upon Tir, the God of War. Their white magic created swords in their hands and shields on their arms. Beside Clarissa was Victor. He stood watching, his eyes scanning the ground for shadows. Even with the light from the fireballs above, there was still plenty of shadows for him to slip into.

Clarissa lifted her left foot, and as a vampire came within striking distance, she slammed it to the ground. A wall of fire shot up from her foot, separating the vampire from her. She swung her sword through the fire, cutting the vampire's head from his body. She pushed her hands before her, sending the wall of flames forward. It caught several people in its heat, catching them and their clothes on fire. Once the fire was far enough, she closed her hand into a fist, causing the fire to disappear.

Though she could set the whole field ablaze, killing everyone who was attacking them, she needed to conserve her energy and strength. She needed to fight Erebus. Her eyes scanned around, but she could not see him among the people. He was still in Thresnora.

Sybil ran up beside Clarissa, blocking a sword from a human with the shield on her arm. She threw her sword into the air, using her magic to transform it into a pike. When it fell back into her hand, she threw it at the man who dared to attack Clarissa. The pike had gone into his chest and through his back. As the man fell to his knees, the pike dissolved into magic, returning back to Sybil.

Vi stood in the back with the humans that were fighting with Clarissa. They had arrows docked on their bows, ready to let loose. She ran down the line, setting each arrow on fire. Once all were lit, the arrows were set loose. They flew over Clarissa and deep into the enemy's lines. Vampires screeched as they were lit up, their bodies unable to fight off the flames.

Victor had melted into the shadows under Clarissa. His eyes were glued to the oncoming attackers. He then caught sight of a witch jumping from shadow to shadow, heading towards them. He smiled, waiting for the witch to move closer. As the woman materialized in front of Clarissa, he jumped out, sword first. His blade pierced through her heart, sending her gasping to the ground. After he retrieved his blade from the dead witch, he looked up, noticing that the fireballs were small.

"Clarissa! We need more light!" He yelled to her.

She stopped and looked around. Several beings were running to her; she did not have a chance to call for more fireballs. But then, in her peripheral, Cyrus came running in front of her, barreling through the enemies that were before her. She smiled as she raised her sword back into the air.

"Tasaeyoithe!" She yelled.

A dozen more balls shot from her sword, resting high in the sky. She took a moment to survey her work, ensuring enough of her magic was in the air. As her eyes moved around the horizon, they landed on two witches with strong, dark auras. Their magic was going in a frenzy, circling wildly around them. It was Dray and Teresa from the Requiem. She could see that they were killing many of her own people.

She gripped her sword and ran towards them. Ophelia was the first to notice her change course. It only took a moment for her to realize where she was going. The sight of the Requiem Priest and Priestess filled her heart with hatred. They were the reasons behind the early deaths of her sons and their mates.

As Clarissa neared Dray, she shot a fireball at his head. He was able to duck, the fire barely missing his hair. He stood straight, his fangs extending as he hissed towards the girl. He ran towards her, his blade in his hands. But before Clarissa could raise her sword to defend herself, Ophelia jumped in, pushing Dray back with her weapon.

Teresa ran over to help Dray, but Sybil and Craigen intercepted her. Craigen used his water magic to create water droplets, which he then froze into tiny ice daggers. He sent them flying into Teresa. She transformed into her bat, allowing her to avoid the ice. Sybil raised a hand in the air, creating a net of fire. She slammed it down onto the bat, forcing Teresa to the ground. She was able to shift back to her human form, but she could not get away from the flames that were burning her.

"Dray!" She called out.

Dray's head shot to her, seeing her scorch under the fire. He pulled away from Ophelia, aiming his sword at Sybil. Ophelia pointed her hand to the ground and called upon the magic of Frigg. As Dray neared her daughter, he suddenly stopped. His feet and part of his legs had been swallowed up by the ground, trapping him. He struggled to get free as he heard Teresa continue to scream his name.

Clarissa held out her hand, sending her magic into Sybil's fire net. This caused the flames to intensify, killing the witch quicker.

"No!" Dray yelled as he struggled around the ground. He used his fists to break apart some of the clay and soil that trapped him. Once free, he ran towards the ashes that were once his partner. He looked back to Clarissa, his eyes red with anger. He yelled into the air, calling for the vampires and witches to go to him.

Sybil and Craigen tried to run after him, but several members of the Requiem came running up, standing between them and Dray. Ophelia, too, was occupied with vampires that had surrounded her. Nothing stood between Dray and Clarissa. He picked his sword up from the ground and swung it at her. She blocked him with her flaming sword. As she pushed back against him, her fire intensified. The unbearable heat caused blisters on his skin, even though it did not touch the fire.

He yelled as he pushed Clarissa, trying to knock her off her feet. His blade kept slamming into hers, hit after hit. Her wrists and arms were growing tired of having to raise her sword to block constantly. With each hit, she could feel herself getting more and more exhausted. She was running out of strength fighting him.

There was a loud crack of thunder that rang out overhead. It deafened everyone on the battlefield, causing all to stop and cover their ears. Lightning flew from the clouds and down to the ground, striking the space between Dray and Clarissa. It sent Dray flying back away from her.

Clarissa's eyes instantly went up towards Thresnora. Standing near the top was Erebus. Her heart raced, and her breathing was shallow as she stood there. Cyrus ran up and shifted into Aiden. He stood before Clarissa as Lightning struck the ground in front of her, creating a path between her and the volcano.

"Erebus wants me to go to him," Clarissa stated.

"Are you going to be alright?" Aiden questioned as he turned to face her.

Clarissa looked at Aiden, then looked down as she thought. She could see Victor's aura down on the ground. She smiled. He was hidden away in the shadows under her feet. He could follow her into the volcano without anyone noticing.

"I will be fine," she reassured Aiden as her hand touched his cheek. She raised her sword in the air one last time. "Tasaeyoithe!"

Before entering Thresnora, she wanted to ensure that the battlefield was still lit. She knew the fighting would continue without her. She walked past Aiden, leaving him to turn back into Cyrus without any flames. She did not know if her magic would work with her so far away, and she needed every bit that was left within her. It was time. It was time to face Erebus and put a stop to this.

Another song suggestion!

Cyberhex by Motionless in White has been the main song that I've listened to. If you read and/or listen to it, think of it as being sung from Erebus' point of view. He thinks what he is doing is right. He thinks he loves Nyx, but he is not in love with her, just her powers.