Tales of Revenants

Chapter 9 – Glimpse of Light

When Laken was still not corrupted by the curse that befalls him of who he is in the present; he also traveled the land and sea as an adventurer who takes quests not to earn gold but to experience the scenery of various places around the world.

Throughout those golden times, he had a companion named Eirisse Cadence, a pureblood vampire who is always bashful but attracts Laken using an eccentric seductive methodology that always led her to naught.

Laken at that time had no interest in women and rather enjoys what is in the surrounding, freely living his life to the fullest. Appreciating the landscape he had witnessed during his adventure.

However, when the Dark Wars break out, Laken had no choice but to carry the burden. The same with those who have power had a responsibility.

He sought the assistance of Eirisse because of her overwhelming magic proficiency. She was one of the great archmages that is part of the Tower of Sorcerers where the talented spell casters study for more wisdom and intelligence.

The revolutionary overturn of events that almost brought the world to its end when Laken was cursed cause great suffering to Eirisse too.

Another birth of the cursed ones, Eirisse entered her Metamorphosis, turning her into a s******c vampire who only wanted blood and nothing else.

Eirisse's gluttony can't be satisfied by a glass of blood so whenever she had a victim, she skillfully butchers and plucks the heart of the miserable prey using her vampiric claws and devours the heart whole.

The satisfaction when she shallows the source of the blood itself is so gratifying for her she passes out.

Now in the present day, she is called the Heartless Revenant, and Laken knew she can be found in Jade City since her favorite heart flavor is of an elf.

Laken wouldn't lower his guard down in front of a thirsty vampire who drastically increased her physical strength when she became a Revenant. What Laken fears the most is that her forte is being a witch, meaning she has a lot of spells reserved.

Even in the Dethrim Kingdom where the vampire race resides, Eirisse's name is well known and illustrious among other aspiring mages but only in a different name. They don't know her true identity.

Laken understood he must take precautionary reckoning to defeat her in a duel.

The moment they became Revenant, Eirisse desired to have a duel with him, and the reward if she somehow won, is the heart of Laken itself.

“Hm...?” Eirisse smells the scent in the air as if she gets a whiff of something succulent. “Hey, is that girl behind you a half-elf?” She asked biting her lips until it bleeds.

Laken struck his sword to the ground. He glared at her with his fiery, burning eyes indicating the idea she had is a bad one.

“Don't you dare touch her!” Laken's voice resonated through Eirisse's soul.

Eirisse still remembered when she was that kind to her when they went on an adventure together. Such memories of him turn her more than ever.

“I know, but this time you are my dinner tonight!” Eirisse's thirst for slaughtering Laken wastes no time when she engages him head-on.

“Not so fast.” Laken groaned.

The claws of her are agile and flexible as she strikes so fast before Laken could even see an opening for a counter-attack.

The drawn back Laken is forced on a defensive stance, quickly deflecting the deadly claws of the ravenous vampire.

“What's the problem? Have you weakened over the past few years?” Eirisse mocked him.

The vampire Eirisse seriously wanted the blood of Laken without any remorse or whatsoever.

That's the curse that befalls on them; sacrificing feelings and reasoning for greater power.

“Have you forgotten I can use magic? Take this! Blood Chains!” Along with her repeated strikes, Eirisse cast a vampiric-type spell that strains the subject with chain-manifested blood.

Laken couldn't dodge it as he is busy fending off her attacks, unfortunately, he was caught off guard.

The chains then slowly drain the victim's blood, Laken was sprawled mid-air latched with his arms and legs on the chains. Unfortunately, his armor couldn't nullify the magic since the spell targets the open skin of the victim.

“And here I thought you lost your fighting abilities. It's a loss for me.” Laken sighed.

“Well, that was easy. Now thanks for the meal–” When Eirisse is about to take a bite onto Laken's neck, Luciella bravely rose up for him.

“Stop!” She's fidgety and afraid of Eirisse. However, Luciella's more afraid to lose Laken right in front of him. She thought no one would no longer desire her if she lost him.

But most importantly, she accepted Laken's hand means through thick and thin, no matter what is it, they must help each other out to fight the adversity they faced along with their path.

The answer Luciella sought is still not answered and the first step she must do is to get out of his petty cage.

“What could you possibly do, little girl?” Eirisse's caressing Laken's armored chest using her claws. Showing that any seconds she could easily extract his heart.

“I will... use this!” Luciella panicking and all, she inadvertently pulled the Shard of Creation out on her pocket.

“Is that the Shard of Nature? I don't know how you got that from Morgan, but that's just a stone. It doesn't contain any power!” Eirisse's irritated just seeing the shard. She forcefully swayed the wind with her claws as the gust drawn back where Luciella persisted.

“No... It has power, waiting to be wielded... I know it!” Luciella exclaimed. Firmly believing what she should.

“And the imaginary power you speak of will kill the man whom you called comrade.” The truth Eirisse speaks of discouraged Luciella into silence.

Her powerlessness made her realized there's something she couldn't do, and there's nothing you could never achieve even if you have a great source of power.

The cruel world that dictates what is right and wrong, the concept where the weak will die, and the strong competes to each other. The difference between evil and good, the justice they claim when it just sides with the virtuous one.

Luciella was maybe discouraged, but she refused to accept that there's nothing she could do.

It's possible as long as there is hope. Luciella held the Shard of Nature tighter. Her eyes were closed. The shards glows a glimmer of light. There she invoked a spell of her.

“Moisture gather around, be the basis of construction, reveal the magic before me... Aqua Geyser!” At the moment Luciella invoked her magic, the shard suddenly shone a light they have never seen before, along with the flow of water circulating Eirisse and Laken's proximity.

An instinct clicked through Eirisse's head immediately getting away from the torrent of water, while the remnants of the geyser purify the blood chains, the same water freed Laken from strangling. He is no longer chained at the clutch of her claws.

The senses of Eirisse knew that if the water of torrents hit a single bit of her hair, it would be shredded to pieces. Yet the kind control over the magic became mild when it rushed towards Laken. Such an impeccable magical control surprised Eirisse in amazement.

Most of all, the dumbfounded face of Eirisse couldn't believe that the spirit of the Shard of Nature let Luciella borrow a glimpse of its never-ending power.

In the history of the world, no one knew why the Heavenly Heroes had the Shards of Creation. But they themselves don't know what is it or where it came from. They can't begin to comprehend to think they can extract the shard's power.

The shards contained an infinite source of magic beyond the imaginations of archwizards studying in the Tower of Sorcerers, let alone commoners could fathom its grand magic.

For the first time in their lives, Laken and Eirisse witnessed someone who was able to conjure the infinite flow of mana surpassing the very fabric of magic.

Both were astounded to the point they stopped their petty fight. Laken's faith in Luciella's pure heart and determination grew.

The battle ended in a draw as they gaze upon Luciella's light ushering into the birth of new hope.