Rosie's Games

504  Assault

Elias and Valentin had been trapped in a snowy wilderness for weeks, battling monsters tirelessly.

"Do you see anything?" Elias asked from a dead tree branch. He looked around the area and sighed inwardly. He could not see any of those devious monsters.

Valentin who was standing below the tree scowled. "How could I see anything from down here?" he countered. "What do you see?"

Elias scanned the surroundings and sighed, "It is just snow." Nothing but snow. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Valentin rolled his eyes, growing frustrated. It had been weeks, and they had not uncovered the source of these elusive monsters. They not only had no leads but had also been busy rescuing people while fighting almost every day. He sighed in exasperation.

Closing his eyes, Valentin extended his senses again. Despite his efforts, he could still not feel a thing.

Elias broke the silence, "No progress?"

"None," Valentin sighed. As he was about to join Elias on the branch, an unexpected icy breeze brushed against his skin. He shivered, feeling like someone was watching him.

"What happened?" Elias frowned.

"Did not you feel that?" Valentin joined Elias on the branch. "Someone is watching us."

Elias, seemingly unaware, surveyed their surroundings. "I do not feel a thing. Do not tell me..." he frowned, suspecting another monster.

Valentin could only frown. Relying on his instincts, he declared, "We should leave."

Elias immediately agreed. To be honest, he was simply too tired to argue. The two of them immediately jumped down, running away from the tree. Suddenly, a dark, thick mass struck the branch they had been on.

Fear gripped them as they surveyed the snowy surroundings. They felt genuinely threatened for the first time in weeks.

Elias immediately encased himself in flames while Valentin conjured icy defenses, ready for action. Their weeks of fighting together had honed not only their individual abilities but also their teamwork.

However, they sensed something more formidable than anything they had faced before.

A sudden loud noise erupted nearby. They saw a flash but it was too quick for them to react. They turned to the source, discovering a dark liquid seeping through the snow.

Valentin was left speechless. He directed his ice towards the liquid, only for it to absorb his powers. Elias hurled a fireball, but the inky substance devoured it without hesitation.

14:22

"Run," Valentin urged. They had never encountered someone who could hide and use such a strange substance. Valentin's instincts hinted at a potential sorcerer.

"Unfortunately, running is no longer an option," a voice echoed from nowhere, and both of them frowned, their eyes fixed on a hooded figure that had appeared out of thin air.

The hooded figure's presence sent shivers down Elias and Valentin's spines. Their senses were on high alert as they faced this enigmatic adversary.

Valentin took a step forward, his voice steady but wary. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

The hooded figure remained silent for a moment as if considering their question. Then, in a voice that carried an eerie, otherworldly quality, it replied, "I am known by many names, but you may call me the Shadowweaver. As for what I want, I seek something that you possess."

Elias and Valentin exchanged wary glances. "What could we possibly have that you want?" Elias demanded, flames dancing around him in defiance.

"Hehehehe...." The hooded figure started giving them an eerie laughter. "Hehehehe... Oh, humans are so gullible. Naturally, I want your bodies!" Without any further warning, he unleashed more of the ominous black orbs in their direction.

Reacting swiftly, Elias and Valentin sprang into action. Elias conjured a blazing inferno to intercept the incoming orbs, attempting to incinerate them before they could reach their intended targets. At the same time, Valentin encased himself and Elias in a protective shield of ice, creating a barrier against the dark projectiles.

The orbs collided with Elias' flames, creating a violent clash of fire and shadow. Some were obliterated, but others managed to slip through, threatening to breach their icy defense.

Valentin gritted his teeth, pouring more energy into reinforcing their shield. "We cannot let these things touch us," he warned Elias. While they did not know the exact consequences of contact with the orbs, Valentin had a gut feeling that something ominous was contained within them.

"What the heck is that thing?" Elias exclaimed, his disbelief evident. Until now, he had been reluctant to accept that these monsters could actually speak.

Valentin shook his head, equally perplexed. With grim resolve, the two of them redirected their focus toward the hooded man, ready to confront this enigmatic adversary head-on.

Their combined powers, honed through weeks of fighting together, surged forth as they engaged in a fierce battle against the hooded figure. Elias unleashed torrents of fire, his flames dancing with unrestrained fury, while Valentin unleashed icy projectiles, each one carrying the chill of anger.

The hooded man, not bothered by their attacks, persisted in launching his dark orbs and utilizing perplexing abilities. He displayed an eerie knack for disappearing and reappearing around them, as though he were playing with them, challenging their every move.

This realization sent a shiver down Valentin's back. It felt like this guy was having fun with the whole situation, enjoying how they were struggling. Things had gotten even scarier, and Elias and Valentin needed to stay on their toes, facing an opponent who seemed to take pleasure in their fight.

"He is messing with us!" Valentin exclaimed. "This is not like those monsters! How can a creature be so crafty?" In Valentin's mind, it seemed this adversary was aiming to undermine their powers or, perhaps, was curious about their capabilities.

Elias's face darkened. They could not allow this hooded adversary to continue toying with them. They needed to take control of the situation and turn the tide in their favor.

Elias met Valentin's eyes before he nodded.

Valentin nodded back, his expression solemn. With a shared understanding, they synchronized their abilities, fire and ice intertwining like never before.

Their combined assault intensified, creating a whirlwind of scorching heat and icy blasts that engulfed their hooded foe.