1:24am
The forest floor erupted in chaos as Riptor unleashed its deadly attack. The creature opened its mouth, spewing forth a cloud of green smoke, a noxious mixture of poison and acid that hung in the air, a harbinger of death and destruction.
Any bird that flew into the cloud was instantly consumed, its feathers dissolving, its flesh melting away, leaving behind only a skeletal husk that plummeted to the earth. The trees and plants that came into contact with the green smoke withered and died, their leaves turning black and crumbling to ash.
Christopher knew he had to act fast. The poison was spreading rapidly, consuming everything in its path. He glanced at his reptilian companion, his heart aching with grief.
With a surge of adrenaline, Christopher leaped from the creature's back, landing on the ground just moments before the green smoke engulfed it. He watched in horror as the poison consumed his loyal friend, its scales dissolving, its flesh melting away, its eyes burning with unimaginable pain.
In a matter of seconds, the creature was gone, reduced to a puddle of bubbling goo, its life extinguished by Esse's cruel command. Christopher stood there, his body trembling, his fists clenched, his heart filled with rage and sorrow. He knew he couldn't stay here, couldn't mourn the loss of his friend. Esse was coming, and he had to escape, to survive, to find a way out of the forest .
Riptor landed on the forest floor with a chilling grace, its reptilian eyes fixed on Christopher, its massive frame radiating menace. Esse, with an arrogant swagger, dismounted from its back, her eyes glinting with sadistic glee.
"For years I've been wanting to do this," she said, her voice dripping with malice, "but since Mama linked our lives, I couldn't." She stepped closer, her eyes boring into Christopher's. "Now that you've lost your immortality, and our life link is broken, nothing is stopping me from killing you."
She twirled the two-sided spear between her fingers, her movements practiced and deadly. "I'm going to make sure you end up just like your father," she sneered, "disappeared from the face of the earth, as if you never existed."
Christopher's eyes widened, a wave of realization washing over him. So, it was Esse . It was her who had orchestrated his father's mysterious disappearance. All these years, he had blamed himself, believing his father had abandoned him, but the truth was far more sinister.
Before he could react, Erosa hurled the spear towards him, her movements lightning fast. Christopher closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable impact, expecting to feel the searing pain of the spear tearing through his flesh.
But the pain never came. Instead, a strange sensation washed over him, a feeling of suspension, of time slowing to a crawl. He opened his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest.
The spear hung in mid-air, just inches from his face, its tip gleaming menacingly. Then, with a sudden, unnatural force, it was pushed back, soaring past Esse and landing with a thud at her feet.
"Leave him alone!" Ehogsa voice rang through the forest, filled with righteous anger. "Leave my brother alone!"
Esse turned, her face contorting with rage. She stretched out her hand, and the spear obediently returned to her grasp. But her attention was now focused on Ehogsa , who stood defiantly at the edge of the clearing, her eyes blazing with fury.
Esse smirked, dismissing her sister with a wave of her hand. "You can't protect him, Ehogsa ," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "You're weak, always have been."
She scoffed, "Did you finally remember all those times Father use to train us and I beat you because you lacked talent in fighting and using magic? All those times I helped train you, still you didn't even come close to my level"
Her hand went behind, where two machetes came to life. Each blade was made of Obsidian. Pulling out those, she was ready for the fight.
Ehogsa stood tall, her voice resonating with strength. "I've been training," she said, her eyes fixed on Esse, "and I believe I'm better than you now. I'm here to fight for my brother."
Esse just laughed, a cruel, mocking sound that echoed through the forest. "It will be your funeral," she said, her eyes blazing with malice.
Then, with a whisper of a single word "Ihẹn," (Fire) Ehogsa's machetes burst into flame, the obsidian blades glowing with an infernal heat. With a battle cry, Ehogsa charged towards Esse, her burning machetes raised high, ready to defend her brother to the death.
The clash of obsidian machetes against the gold and steel spear echoed through the forest, a symphony of deadly intent. Ehogsa and Esse, sisters bound by blood but divided by hatred, engaged in a furious dance of death, their movements a blur of speed and precision.
Esse, with her years of training and inherent strength, wielded the spear with effortless power, her attacks relentless, each thrust aimed to kill. Ehogsa , however, held her ground, her burning machetes deflecting each blow, her movements fluid and graceful, a testament to her own dedication and skill.
They were evenly matched, their blades locked in a deadly embrace, the air crackling with magical energy. The clash of steel and fire was intermingled with bursts of energy and sounds that would stop a normal person's heartbeat in terror. The only sound here was war.
The forest floor became a battlefield as the sisters battled, each determined to triumph over the other. With her machete, Ehogsa managed to get a cut in Esse.
The weapons danced, twirling in the hands of the sisters and slashing. The blows were powerful enough to cut down a tree. A powerful thrust that barely missed Esse.
Realizing that this was going nowhere, Esse let out a battle cry and leaped backward, throwing her spear down to the ground and signaling that she wanted to move to something else. That they were more than strong hands and a sharp mind.
Ehogsa returned her gaze, throwing her swords also, her power pulsing back at Esse.
With a surge of power,Esse unleashed her green aura, a wave of raw magical energy that crackled with malevolent intent. Ehogsa countered with her own aura, a soft, comforting pink that radiated warmth and protection. The sisters then unleashed blasts of energy, trading blows of their own power.
The magical energy hit Ehogsa square in the chest, but she was able to take it. And with an equal amount of force, she sent a ray of energy that blasted against the barrier.
Growing frustrated, Ehogsa summoned the power of the nature that surrounded them. She pulled from the wind, the waves, and the trees. She made them all her army.
It was all of this that made Ehogsa 's fighting style all the more dangerous, however. Esse shouted "that's enough play ", she raised the stakes. Snapping her fingers, she summoned them into life. "Masquerade."
From the shadows emerged a horde of terrifying figures, conjured from the depths of the dream world. They were the embodiment of fear, their grotesque masks and distorted forms designed to instill terror in the hearts of all who beheld them.
A terrified look fell upon Ehogsa 's face. She stepped back, holding a hand over her mouth. Esse knew her fear of masquerades and wanted to use it against her.
The nightmarish creatures surrounded Ehogsa , their silent presence more terrifying than any scream.
They had come. Esse knew what the terrors were. The monsters were what she needed to win.
The horrifying masquerades closed in on Ehogsa,their grotesque forms and silent presence triggering a deep-seated fear she had tried to suppress for years. She stumbled backward, her breath catching in her throat, her eyes wide with terror.
Christopher, watching from the sidelines, his heart pounding in his chest, knew he had to do something. He couldn't let Ehogsa face this alone, but he also knew that if he intervened directly, he would be putting himself in mortal danger.
"Ehogsa !" he shouted, his voice ringing through the forest. "Don't be afraid! You can do this! You're the strongest, most amazing sister I know! Remember who you are!"
His words, though filled with love and encouragement, seemed to have a profound effect on Ehogsa . She took a deep breath, her eyes narrowing with determination. She remembered all the times Christopher had stood by her, all the sacrifices he had made for her. She couldn't let him down. She wouldn't let her fear control her.
Summoning her inner strength, Ehogsa pushed back against the encroaching darkness, drawing upon the power of the nature that surrounded her. She called upon the wind, the trees, the earth, channeling their energy, transforming her fear into a weapon.
A powerful gust of wind erupted from Ehogsa , sweeping through the forest, scattering the masquerades like leaves in the wind. Even Esse was caught off guard, stumbling backward, Riptor rearing up in protest.
Capitalizing on her newfound momentum,Ehogsa unleashed a torrent of lightning, sending bolts of pure energy crashing down upon Esse.Esse barely managed to raise a shield, deflecting the brunt of the attack, but the force of the impact shattered her shield, sending her staggering backward, stunned but not defeated.
Focusing her attention on Riptor, Ehogsa unleashed another blast of energy, carefully aiming to avoid causing any lasting harm to the magnificent creature. The energy struck Riptor, diverting its path, preventing it from attacking Christopher.
Then, as if responding to her call, a majestic creature emerged from the depths of the forest, its appearance both awe-inspiring and terrifying. It was a horse, but unlike any she had ever seen. Its coat was as black as midnight, its muscles rippling with power, its eyes burning with an inner fire. It was Sleipnir, a legendary steed of immense strength and speed.
Ehogsa turned to Christopher, her eyes urging him to escape. "You need to go now," she said, her voice filled with urgency. "You have to get out of here and save yourself."
With a flick of her wrist, she tore a hole in the green energy dome that surrounded the forest, creating a path for Christopher to escape. Knowing that he couldn't help her, but she needed to help him, he climbed onto Sleipnir. They left.
Esse, watching Christopher's escape, turned her attention back to Ehogsa , her eyes burning with rage. "I've played with you enough, Elsa," she said, her voice dripping with venom.
With a surge of power, she launched herself into the air, her eyes glowing with an eerie green light. Ehogsa , equally determined, soared upward to meet her, her own eyes blazing with a soft, comforting pink.
The sky became a battleground as the two sisters clashed, their magical energies colliding, their forms a blur of speed and power. Blasts of pink and green energy tore through the air, shaking the earth and shattering the heavens.
The battle raged in the skies above the forest, a furious clash of pink and green energies that tore through the air, shaking the very foundations of the earth. Ehogsa and Esse ,locked in a deadly embrace, unleashed the full extent of their powers, their faces contorted with rage and determination.
Esse,drawing upon the ancient magic that coursed through her veins, summoned forth a wave of darkness, casting a web of twisted energy across the forest, attempting to corrupt the very essence of nature itself.
With the magical prowess of a warrior, Esse cast magical runes across the forest, symbols of disruption and power that severed Ehogsa 's connection to the ley lines, preventing her from drawing upon the natural magic that sustained her. With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a concentrated blast of green energy, striking Ehogsa directly.
The impact sent Ehogsa spiraling downward, crashing through the trees, her body slamming into the ground with bone-jarring force. She tried to get up, her limbs trembling, her face contorted with pain, but Esse landed gracefully before her, her eyes filled with pity and determination.
"You just don't know when to give up, do you, Ehogsa ?" Esse said, her voice laced with sadness.
Ehogsa spat blood, her eyes burning with defiance. "I will never give up," she snarled. "I will never let you win."
Esse shook her head, her expression filled with resignation. She knew that there was no other way, that she had to end this here and now, before Ehogsa could unleash her nature powers upon the world.
With a flick of her wrist, she whispered a single word in Edo, her voice barely audible above the rustling of the leaves.
"Ọ̀wọ̀nlẹ́n" (Sleep)
As the word echoed through the forest, a wave of drowsiness washed over Ehogsa , her eyelids fluttering, her body growing heavy. She tried to resist, to fight against the encroaching sleep, but it was too powerful, too overwhelming.
With a final, defeated sigh, Ehogsa collapsed to the ground, her body limp, her eyes closed, her reign of peace finally at an end.Esse stood over her fallen sister, her heart filled with sorrow and regret. She had won, but at what cost?