Chapter 5: Guardians and Betrayers
The cave trembled as a massive figure emerged from the crevice: the Shadowborn. Larger than even Dreygor, it rippled and undulated with a grotesque fusion of ancient coral and spiraling shadows, sending shockwaves through the water with each movement. Islael felt the cursed Nexus quiver as she clutched at her pendant; the abomination was more than powerful; it was a shard of the darkest secrets of the deep from glowing embers called to awakening through Dreygor's corruption.
"I'll..." Looked Serin barely surmounting the force of the current. "What is that thing?"
"Shadowborn," the Echo Warden said in seriousness, the ghostly figure flickering. "An ancient guardian who, eons ago, was corrupted by treachery and now feeds on chaos while answering the call of Dreygor."
Dreygor grinned through the darkness that twisted about him. "In my presence shall bow all spirits of this realm. Now, Guardians, watch your hope be smashed!"
Before Islael could react, a blinding flare cut through the water. From the depths of the caverns, a being emerged: a merfolk, basked in bright silver armor and brandishing a trident that forever shimmered like a star.
"Steady now, Guardians!" cried the warrior. "The tide has not yet turned against you."
The newcomer was Tydral, a legendary sea warrior and protector of the ancient relics of the ocean-long presumed lost to history, and he now stood as a figure of hope. He charged headlong toward the Shadowborn, his trident cutting through darkness and coral with laser precision.
"Tydral!'' said Islael, his voice charged with recognition and relief. "We are in need of your help to defend the Nexus!"
"I know," he answered, his voice firm. "But the Shadowborn is merely the beginning. Another threat is rising."
Before Islael could utter a word, the rift widened, and another figure came forth. This one clad in spiraling firelike energy that did not belong beneath the seas. The figure's body flowed like molten rock into glistening obsidian scales.
"The Abyss draws many," the fiery being hissed, its very voice crackling with flame. "I am Vulcron, the Infernal Tide—I claim these depths as my own!"
Dreygor snarled, his power flaring. "Do you dare interfere in my conquest, Vulcron?"
"The chaos of the ocean bows to my command," murmured Vulcron, narrowing his molten eyes. "In my flaming wake, you are nothing but a shadow."
Then, it was chaos. Vulcron blasted through fireballs of superheated energy, boiling water around him, while Dreygor fought back with coils of shadow that blasted the caverns with every strike. Tydral battled the Shadowborn, his trident shining brighter with every blow, however, that vile creature was nothing shoddy; each time Tydral struck its back, there was a sickening sound-and before him, it regenerated.
Islael looked around, and as the energy from the Nexus was beginning to fade, she thought that they were outmatched. Turning to the Echo Warden, she said, “We must have the spirits! Tell me how to awake them without losing my connection to the Nexus!”
The Warden hesitated; paled, its form flickering. “There is...another way, yes, but it requires the strength of allies.”
At that time, two other figures arrived—Erynn, a wily sea sorceress with whirlpools of raw oceanic energy, and Kael, a rogue warrior with the ability to convert currents into a roaring bloodbath of deadly weapons.
“We heard your call, Islael,” said Erynn, her eyes aflame with magic. “Let's turn the tide.”
Kael grinned, spinning twin coral blades. “Always wanted to see if Dreygor could bleed.”
The Guardians joined forces, unleashing their powers. Islael's light, mingled with Erynn's magic, released dazzling beams of water and light that struck Vulcron and Dreygor simultaneously. Kael and Serin coordinated their efforts, pushing back Dreygor's soldiers, while Tydral landed an immense blow: a blow strong enough to crack the coral armor of the Shadowborn.
But this was not the end of the fray by any means. Dreygor could realize the Shadowborn were slipping from his control. He focused the little energy left in him to being entertained by the fissure. The ground beneath them had begun to crumble beneath the weight of the cavern.
"This is not the end!" Dreygor roared as he quickly vanished into the shadows. The Shadowborn, though weakened, still potent, fell back into the abyss along with him.
Only silence where once Vulcron raged at the advancing forces of the Guardians forced into retreat. "You have pushed me back, but the Abyss will rise. Mark my words," he rumbled before he was finally engulfed in some fiery rift.
Gasping, Islael turned to her allies-the friends she had fought hard to win over. The Echo Warden reemerged, its expression solemn.
"You have earned your place, Islael," it said. "The spirits will awaken, but this battle has scarcely begun. Dreygor and the forces of the Abyss shall return stronger than ever before. Prepare yourselves."
Islael knew that this pale pulse signified the beginning of something even greater. The fate of the ocean hung by a thread, and they would call on every ally and strength they had to face what was about to happen.
