My Shadow Monarch's System
Chapter 40: The Spirit Mage.

Chapter 40: The Spirit Mage.

"A spirit Mage?" Liora whispered, she had never seen one in her life, of course she hadn’t been allowed to go out much often, but being a Spirit Mage was even rarer than making a contract with a spirit.

Yet one stood in front of her, unbelievable.

"Why hide yourself from my presence? Why not offer your aide to the ones you called here? Such insolence" Shadow turned with a frown on his face, although Eryn couldn’t see it because she facing the ground with her head bowed.

"The spirits... They warned me... I couldn’t defy them" she confessed.

"Defy them? You? Who is given the authority over them are bothered with such frivolities?" Shadow walked towards her, raising his hand up.

Shadows surrounded Eryn, wrapping around her as a snake would it’s prey, squeezing her, attempting to squish her into a pulp.

"Please..." She cried out, choking and gasping for breath, but nothing changed.

"You dare... Risk his body? Bringing him to battle a demon? While you cower and hide in fear?" Shadow clenched his fist, the shadows tightened around Eryn.

At this point, she could do nothing but cough out splatters of blood, she strained and summoned some spirit magic to free herself.

Shadow snapped his fingers, the spell disappeared. "Arrogance!" She waved her hand.

Eryn was smashed into the walls of the cavern, her head falling to the side, seemingly weak and defeated. Her breathing was ragged as tears flowed down her face. She mouthed something inaudible, Liora felt true pity for the girl.

She remembered when Shadow said he had heard a voice, a woman’s voice telling him to come save the villagers, it had to be her.

A dim light began glowing from Eryn, not of her own accord. Soon a figure formed out of that light, the face of an old man appeared, he placed his hands together and bowed his head deeply in respect to Shadow.

"I greet the fragment of death. I am an Elder Spirit, Aravus, one of the many others, bound to this child. Please I beg of you, forgive her, she has done nothing but listen to the thoughts of this old man" the elder spirit pleaded.

Shadow looked at the spirit for a brief moment, then dispelled the shadows that bound her. "Careful Elder Spirit, if she tries something such as this again, there will be consequences". Shadow took a step, then faltered, he looked at his hand, the power slowly leaving him.

"It seems my time is up. I will not be here for much longer. Aravus, take care of this boy and the girl with whom he travels with, keep them safe at all costs" Shadow said, the feminine voice gradually fading away till Shadow fell to the ground unconscious.

The thick darkness that had covered the cave dispersed easily, like it never existed. Liora staggered as she tried standing up, she wanted to know if he was still alive, if he was still in there.

"Shadow, are you okay? Say something?" She ran to him, ignoring Eryn who coughed and held her bruised neck, she seemed tired and out of it.

Liora sat next to Shadow, feeling his pulse. Relief flooded her, he was alive and breathing. Nothing seemed wrong with his body, she smiled at herself, allowing the tears to fall freely.

They had made it out of this alive, she never saw this possibility at the beginning, she truly believed this cave would be their grave.

"Is he okay?" Liora heard begin her. She didn’t turn at first, taking the time to wipe her tears with this back of her hand.

"You!" Liora scowled.

Eryn took a step back, surprised. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you" she apologized quickly, clinging tightly to her staff.

"Didn’t mean to kill us you mean? Why the hell would you call us over here? To kill me? Him? Are you mad?" She shouted. "Whatever happened to keeping people out of your business?"

Eryn looked down at her feet, she seemed shy? No that wasn’t it, full of guilt. Liora stopped and observed the girl.

"Hey, look at me..." She commanded.

Eryn perked up, her eyes were red with tears, "I’m really sorry, I just... I didn’t know... I tried saving the villagers but..." She crumpled to her feet, crying.

Ooh what a bother. First me, then you?

"It’s fine" Liora sighed. She understood exactly what the girl meant, that fear was something completely unknown to her, she would rather give her life than put herself in that situation again.

"Come on. Get up cry baby, we have to get out of here before it gets dark" Liora said standing to her feet. She heard a moan behind her and quickly turned to face Shadow.

His eyes flickered open as he looked around confused. "Liora? What did you do to me? Where am I?" He groaned, trying to sit up. Liora couldn’t hold her excitement and jumped at him, sending him back to the ground again.

"We made it!" She said, trying her best to not cry again for the uptenth time.

"Ooii, get off me. What the hell?" Shadow pushed Liora away and managed to stand up. But Liora smiled, that was the Shadow she knew.

"And where the hell is this....." His eyes widened. "The demon, where is the demon?" He held his chest tightly, looking around in a panic.

But Liora smiled, pointing towards a section of the wall, filled with blood and lumps of flesh scattered about.

"Wha... What is that?" Shadow took a step to see what it really was. It didn’t seem human in the slightest. He edged closer and saw something that looked eerily familiar.

A skull face with tendons wrapped around it, the body was ripped apart into shreds, as though the demon had fought with a creature of unknown malice.

What the...

He turned to Liora. "I know you didn’t do that. Who did that? And who is she?" He pointed at the beating petite girl holding a staff.

"To answer the first question, you did that" Liora pointed at the dead demon. Then tired her attack to Eryn.

"And she, called you here".