Mother of Midnight

Chapter 113 – Tsunami

Rava stood there, her chest heaving, the electric arcs still crackling faintly around her knuckles as she stared at her hands. The power coursing through her veins was… wrong. It was too much. She knew her own limits, the depth of her reservoir, the cost of a spell like this. Yet, she felt no drain, no fatigue. The lightning hadn’t faded; it danced, alive and insistent, around her fingers, pulsing as if it had a will of its own.

Her mind raced. The empowerment spell was one she had used before, a calculated release of strength when the stakes demanded it. But this? This wasn’t just strength. It was chaos unleashed, untethered and voracious. She could feel it humming beneath her skin, urging her to strike again, to push further. It was intoxicating.

She barely registered the sharp, coppery scent of blood in the air before the pain hit her. Claws raked across her back, their jagged edges slicing through armor and biting into flesh. A searing heat flared along her spine as if the wraith had poured its malevolent energy directly into the wound. The pain jolted her back to reality, her body twisting instinctively away from the attack.

“Rava, darling, this is no time to get distracted,” came Vivienne’s voice, sharp and tinged with exasperation, cutting through the chaos like a blade.

Rava gritted her teeth, the sound snapping her focus back to the battle. She turned to see Vivienne, humanoid once more, her tail lashing furiously as she hurled herself at the wraith that had struck. The creature shrieked as Vivienne's claws raked through its translucent flesh, sending it recoiling into the shadows.

Rava growled, shaking off the haze of confusion as adrenaline surged anew. She reached back with one hand, feeling the warm, wet sting of her wound. The lightning around her fists surged in response to her anger, sparking fiercely as though it shared her indignation. Whatever this unnatural power was, she’d question it later—if there was a later.

She moved with renewed purpose, spinning on her heel and charging into the fray. The wraiths, emboldened by her brief pause, surged toward her like a wave, their forms flickering with malicious intent. Rava slammed her fists together, the crackling lightning igniting in a violent burst that sent the nearest creatures skittering back.

Her movements became a blur, raw instinct guiding her strikes as she plunged into the mass of enemies. The power coursing through her made her strikes feel effortless, each punch sending devastating arcs of energy surging through the wraiths, burning through their otherworldly flesh. For every one that fell, two more seemed to rise, yet she pushed forward, refusing to yield.

She could hear Vivienne fighting close by, her snarls mingling with the deafening hum of the lightning. Kivvy was somewhere behind her, recovering her footing, and Elira’s labored breathing carried faintly on the wind. The others were holding their ground, barely—but for how long?

“As much fun as I am having, where are all of these coming from?” Vivienne’s voice rang out over the chaos, tinged with irritation. Her tail lashed the air as she cleaved through yet another wraith with a swipe of her claws. “Shouldn’t we have won already?”

Rava’s gaze darted toward her companion, then back to the battlefield. She darted behind Ivor, who stood like an immovable wall against the onslaught, shield braced, his calm precision anchoring their defensive line. Beside him, Elira continued her incantations, though her face was pale and drawn. The air shimmered faintly around her, residual threads of her earlier spell clinging stubbornly to the atmosphere.

Rava scanned their surroundings, her breaths coming fast and sharp. It was darker than it should have been, the gloom pressing in as if the night itself had taken on a weight. Vivienne was right. They had been cutting through the wraiths for what felt like hours, their numbers dwindling only to surge again in waves. These wraiths were weaker than most, their strikes less coordinated and their forms less stable, but the sheer volume of them was staggering. It was a relentless, grinding war of attrition—and one they were unlikely to win.

Her stomach twisted as a thought clawed its way to the forefront of her mind. A beacon. The idea sent a shiver through her. If that was the case, their situation was far more dire than she’d realized. She pushed back, retreating further from the fray. With a single, fluid leap, she vaulted onto the canopy of the wagon. The wooden supports groaned under her weight as she crouched low to keep her balance, careful not to rip the canvas beneath her feet.

Kivvy, crouched on the driver’s bench below, let out a startled yelp. “You scared me there!” she said, lighting the fuse on another boom stick. With a practiced flick of her wrist, she hurled it into a knot of wraiths, the resulting explosion lighting up the battlefield in a brief, fiery flash.

Rava didn’t respond. Her focus was locked on the horizon, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the inky blackness for something—anything—that could explain this onslaught. And then she saw it: a faint, shimmering blue light in the distance, barely visible through the haze. It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat, steady and deliberate. Her throat tightened as she swallowed hard.

“I see a beacon!” she shouted, her voice cutting through the cacophony. “Everyone, hold your ground! Viv! You’re with me!”

There was a moment of hesitation, the tension palpable as her words registered. Kivvy paused mid-reload, her confusion evident, but she nodded nonetheless. Vivienne’s brow furrowed as she tore through another wraith, but she didn’t argue.

Rava jumped down from the wagon, the impact jarring enough to make the entire structure lurch. She landed in a crouch, the ground beneath her feet firm despite the churned-up mud. Before she could fully straighten, Vivienne was there, grabbing her arm and pulling her into a sprint. Their strides matched as they broke away from the main group, heading toward the faint glow on the horizon.

“What’s a beacon? Besides the obvious,” Vivienne asked, her tone clipped but curious, her black eyes flickering to Rava as they ran.

Rava didn’t look at her, her gaze fixed ahead. “It’s an aetherbeast,” she explained, her words curt and efficient. “It doesn’t hunt like most. Instead, it calls others to it—swarms of them—to overwhelm prey. Once the fighting’s done, it feasts on the aftermath. It’s a proactive scavenger.”

Vivienne snorted, though there was no humor in it. “Of course it is. Because this wasn’t bad enough already.”

“Focus,” Rava barked, her voice sharp. “If we don’t stop it, there won’t be an ‘already.’”

The glow grew brighter as they neared, its rhythm quickening like a predator sensing its quarry. The air around them thickened, oppressive and humming with a sinister energy. Rava’s fists clenched, the residual sparks from her earlier spell still faintly crackling against her gauntlets. She could feel it now—the beacon’s presence, heavy and malevolent, pressing against her senses like a storm on the horizon.

The steppe stretched out around them, rolling hills covered in brittle, golden grass rippling under an unnatural wind. The beacon loomed ahead, an otherworldly figure perched atop a rocky outcrop like a vulture waiting to pick at a carcass. It was a grotesque thing, its body shifting and writhing as though it couldn’t decide on a single form. Spindly limbs jutted out at odd angles, each one tipped with cruel barbs that scratched at the stone beneath it. The pulsing blue light emanated from its center, a churning, viscous glow that spilled out like a heartbeat made visible.

Rava skidded to a halt, her boots grinding into the dirt. Vivienne stopped beside her, her tail flicking in agitation as she took in the beacon. “That thing is hideous,” Vivienne muttered.

“Focus,” Rava snapped, her eyes darting across the horizon. “Beacons are never alone.”

As if summoned by her words, a low, guttural howl rolled across the steppe. Then another, and another, until the air was thick with the sounds of approaching predators. From the shadows of the rolling hills came the first aetherbeast. It was massive, its sleek, muscled form moving with a predatory grace that belied its size. Its eyes glowed with a dull red light, and its maw dripped with black ichor. Behind it, more beasts emerged, each more grotesque than the last—some with too many limbs, others with none at all, their twisted bodies propelled by sheer malevolence.

Rava clenched her fists, the faint crackle of energy around her knuckles growing stronger. The beacon wasn’t just summoning beasts—it was calling an army.

“They’re not stopping,” Vivienne said, her voice edged with tension.

“They won’t until that thing is dead,” Rava replied. Her voice was steady, but her heart pounded in her chest. This wasn’t a fight they could win by brute force. They needed to be smart.

The first beast charged, its bulk barreling toward them like a boulder rolling downhill. Rava didn’t wait for it to close the distance. She surged forward, meeting it head-on with a burst of speed that sent dirt flying in her wake. She ducked under its snapping jaws and drove her fist into its chest, the impact sending a shockwave of electricity through its body. The beast convulsed violently before collapsing into a heap, its glowing eyes dimming.

Another beast lunged at her from the side, its claws slashing through the air. Rava spun, bringing her arm up just in time to block the attack with her gauntlet. Sparks flew as the claws scraped against the metal, but Rava held her ground. She twisted, using the beast’s momentum against it, and slammed it into the ground.

“Rava!” Vivienne’s voice called out, sharp and urgent. Rava turned to see a massive creature bounding toward her, its gaping maw filled with jagged teeth. Before she could react, Vivienne’s tail shot out, coiling around the beast’s neck and yanking it sideways. It crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact, and Vivienne flashed Rava a quick grin. “You’re welcome.”

Rava barely had time to nod her thanks before another beast was upon her. This one was smaller but faster, a blur of sleek, sinewy muscle and jagged spines. It darted low, aiming to take her legs out from under her, its glowing eyes burning with predatory malice. Rava leapt back, her boots skidding across the dry, cracked soil, and brought her fists up defensively. The beast’s claws raked the air inches from her chest, and she retaliated with a jab that connected with its jaw. The impact sent a jolt of energy coursing through it, but the creature barely faltered.

It snapped its jaws, spitting out a low, guttural growl as it circled her, looking for an opening. Rava mirrored its movements, her body taut like a coiled spring. When it lunged again, she ducked low, narrowly avoiding the razor-sharp spines that lined its flanks, and drove her elbow into its ribcage. The beast howled in pain, but instead of retreating, it twisted its lithe body, claws raking across her thigh.

She hissed through gritted teeth as the pain lanced up her leg. Blood trickled down her armored pants, but she forced herself to ignore it. With a roar, she grabbed the beast by its neck, her gauntlet sparking with renewed energy. Lightning arced along her arm and into the creature, its body convulsing violently before going limp.

“Rava, move!” Vivienne’s shout snapped her back to the moment, and she threw herself to the side just as a massive paw slammed into the ground where she’d stood. She looked up to see a towering monstrosity, its body hunched and misshapen, with too many eyes blinking in unison across its bulbous head. Black ichor dripped from its claws, sizzling where it met the ground.

Vivienne was already engaging another beast nearby, her movements fluid and almost hypnotic. She lashed out with her claws, carving deep furrows into the grotesque form of her opponent. Her tail whipped out again, this time catching the creature by its hind leg and yanking it off balance. “A little help here!” she called, her tone edged with frustration.

Rava’s focus snapped back to the towering monstrosity before her. It lunged, swiping at her with surprising speed for something so ungainly. She barely dodged in time, the force of the attack kicking up a cloud of dust and scattering loose debris. She retaliated with a haymaker, her lightning-coated fist slamming into its side. The creature let out an ear-splitting wail, but instead of falling, it twisted toward her, one massive claw raking across her armored forearm. Sparks flew as the metal held, but the force of the blow sent her staggering.

The thing loomed over her, its many eyes narrowing as if it could sense her vulnerability. Rava planted her feet, grit her teeth, and lunged upward, driving her fist into the creature’s jaw. The impact sent a pulse of energy rippling through its grotesque body, and it staggered back, shrieking in pain. But it wasn’t down yet.

Behind her, Vivienne was grappling with her own foe. The creature she faced was serpentine, its long, coiling body slithering across the ground as it tried to encircle her. She danced out of reach, her claws slashing at its scaled hide. Each strike drew ichor, but the beast seemed unfazed, its glowing eyes locked onto her. With a snarl, she leapt onto its back, digging her claws in deep as she fought to subdue it.

The battlefield writhed with chaos. Rava stood amid the melee, her sharp instincts honed to a razor’s edge. Every motion was a calculation, every strike a desperate measure to stave off the horde of encroaching beasts. Yet, even her finely-tuned senses wavered as the ground beneath her feet began to hum with an unnatural resonance. She stilled, her ears pricking at the strange, discordant melody emanating from Vivienne.

Rava’s sharp eyes flicked toward her companion, catching the unmistakable shimmer in the air around her. Vivienne was standing over the corpse of the serpentine beast she’d just slain, its ichor pooling around her boots. Her shoulders rose and fell in heavy breaths, but her attention was elsewhere—focused inward, as though listening to some unseen force. The air around her shifted, fracturing like the surface of a broken mirror.

The hum intensified, a sound Rava felt as much as heard. It scraped against her senses, like fingernails on steel, setting every nerve on edge. Her fists clenched, sparks flickering as the remnants of her spell threatened to surge again.

“What the hell are you doing?” Rava barked, her voice sharp with tension.

Vivienne didn’t respond immediately. Her black eyes snapped open, and she reached out, her claws slicing the empty air with a deliberate motion.

Behind her, the steppe rumbled and cracked. From the fissures in the earth, crystalline forms began to rise.

Rava’s sharp gaze narrowed as the crystalline creatures emerged. They were jagged, angular things, their translucent bodies glinting with an eerie light that caught the glow of the distant beacon. A wolf-like beast, its faceted snout catching and refracting the crimson skies, prowled at Vivienne’s side. Larger constructs followed: a stag-like behemoth with antlers that gleamed like glass, and humanoid figures whose movements were too smooth, too perfect, to be natural.

Rava didn’t have time to process the unnerving beauty of the summoned creatures. From the distance, the ground trembled as something massive approached. The air grew heavy, oppressive, and hot, like the breath of a predator about to strike. Emerging from the shadowy horizon, the first beast loomed—towering, quadrupedal, and encased in hardened, obsidian-like scales that shimmered faintly with aetheric light. Its maw opened to reveal rows of jagged teeth that glowed faintly from within, and its roar sent a shockwave across the steppe.

“Here they come,” Vivienne muttered. The crystalline wolf beside her snarled in response, its hackles shimmering like fractured stars.

Rava squared her stance as the beast barreled toward her, each step shaking the ground. She met it head-on, her fists crackling with renewed energy as she launched herself forward. Her punch connected with the creature’s broad skull, sending sparks and jolts of lightning skittering across its armor-like scales. The beast staggered but recovered quickly, swinging a massive claw at her.

Rava ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the shockwave threw her off balance. The creature pressed its advantage, snapping its massive jaws toward her. She twisted away just in time, planting a gauntleted fist into its throat. The beast choked, stumbling back.

“Rava! Heads up!” Vivienne’s voice rang out.

Rava turned to see another aetherbeast joining the fray. This one was serpentine, its elongated body adorned with jagged spines that glowed faintly with a sickly green hue. It slithered toward her with alarming speed, its body coiling and uncoiling in the air as if it were swimming through the steppe.

“Deal with the lizard!” Vivienne yelled as she vaulted onto the serpent’s back, her claws sinking into its armored hide.

Rava gritted her teeth and refocused on the first beast. She ducked under another swipe and hammered her fists into its exposed underbelly, each strike reverberating through her arms. But its scales held strong, and her strikes left only shallow dents.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Vivienne grappling with the serpent, her crystalline summons converging to assist her. The glass-like stag charged the serpent’s flank, its antlers piercing into the beast’s coiled body, holding it in place as Vivienne slashed at its throat.

Rava’s attention snapped back to her own fight as the quadrupedal beast roared and lunged at her, its massive jaws snapping shut inches from her face. She snarled in defiance, her gauntleted fists sparking as she drove them into the creature’s snout. The impact forced its head back, but it retaliated with a sudden swipe of its claw, catching her across the torso and sending her skidding across the dirt.

She groaned, forcing herself to her feet as the beast advanced. “Stubborn bastard,” she spat, raising her fists again.

“Keep it busy!” Vivienne called.

The crystalline wolf darted past Rava, its angular body leaving streaks of light in its wake as it lunged at the quadrupedal beast. Its fangs sank into the creature’s neck, holding it at bay as Rava caught her breath. She seized the moment to charge back into the fray, her fists glowing with renewed lightning as she slammed them into the beast’s exposed flank.

The quadrupedal beast reeled from the impact, its skeletal head whipping around to snap at Rava. She ducked under its jaws, her instincts guiding her as she delivered another electrified strike to its side. Sparks erupted from her gauntlet as the beast stumbled, but its spiny tail lashed out in retaliation, catching her across the chest and sending her sprawling.

Rava hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from her lungs. She forced herself upright, ignoring the sharp pain in her ribs. The crystalline wolf continued its relentless assault, tearing into the beast’s neck with razor-sharp fangs, but the creature showed no signs of weakening.

Nearby, Vivienne battled the serpentine beast, her movements a deadly dance of fluid grace and vicious strikes. The serpent coiled and struck with blinding speed, its fangs dripping with a viscous, glowing ichor. Vivienne dodged, her tail whipping around to slam the creature’s head into the ground. She lunged, sinking her claws into its shimmering scales, but the beast writhed, its coils snapping tight around her body.

“Vivienne!” Rava shouted, taking a step toward her.

“I’ve got this!” Vivienne snarled, her voice strained but determined. She flexed, her muscles rippling as she pried herself free. With a guttural roar, she drove her claws into the serpent’s side, twisting as the beast let out a screeching hiss.

Before Rava could move to assist, a sound rolled through the battlefield—a low, resonant thrum that seemed to pulse from the earth itself. The vibration climbed her legs, coiling in her chest like an unspoken warning. She spun on her heel, fists raised, and froze.

The shadows ahead parted, giving way to a towering silhouette. At first glance, its shape seemed almost human—broad shoulders, powerful limbs—but the illusion shattered as it stepped closer. Its body rippled unnaturally, every movement a blend of fluid grace and jarring contortion. What should have been skin gleamed like molten metal, shifting and swirling as though alive.

A cold, piercing light burned in the hollows where eyes should have been, locking onto her with unyielding focus. Each step it took left the ground trembling, the faint glimmer of its form casting eerie patterns across the churned dirt. Around its misshapen hands, faint arcs of energy crackled and sparked, hinting at power barely contained within its hulking frame.

The hulking figure advanced, each step sending a ripple through the ground that nearly threw Rava off balance. Her knuckles crackled with residual lightning as she raised her fists, eyes darting to Vivienne.

Vivienne’s fight with the serpent raged on, her form a blur of motion as she tore into its scaly hide. The beast hissed and writhed, lashing its tail in wild arcs that gouged the earth and sent sprays of dirt flying. Despite her relentless assault, Vivienne’s focus seemed to falter for a moment. Her lips moved, faint at first but growing louder—a haunting, melodic tune that seemed to thread itself into the air.

The song was eerie, otherworldly, each note resonating with an unspoken power that hung heavy over the battlefield. As the melody spilled forth, the crystalline beasts at her side began to shimmer and fracture. Shards of their forms broke away, scattering across the field like falling stars, only to reform.

One by one, small creatures began to materialize from the fragments. They were angular, their bodies faceted like uncut gemstones, and moved with unsettling precision. A dozen of them scuttled into being, their claws glinting like knives under the faint glow of the beacon. They swarmed around Vivienne, their chorus of faint chimes echoing in rhythm with her song.

The serpent lashed out, its jaw snapping inches from her head, but one of the crystalline constructs leapt between them, shattering on impact to spare its creator. Vivienne didn’t falter, her voice climbing to an almost painful crescendo as the remaining creatures charged the serpent, climbing its writhing body and tearing into its flesh.

Rava didn’t have time to admire the spectacle. The molten titan was closing in, its hands raised as arcs of energy danced across its molten surface. She braced herself as it swung a massive fist downward. She barely dodged, the impact sending a shockwave through the ground that rattled her bones.

“Any time now, Viv!” Rava shouted, darting forward to deliver a crackling punch to the creature’s side. The blow landed, her lightning searing against its shifting form, but it barely staggered. The titan swung again, forcing her to leap back as it advanced with unrelenting purpose.

Vivienne’s song shifted, taking on a sharper, almost aggressive edge as her crystal beasts multiplied. Two of the smaller constructs bounded past Rava, hurling themselves at the titan’s legs. They clung to its surface, clawing and gnawing, their strikes leaving faint gouges in its shimmering skin.

Rava took the opening, charging in to land a heavy uppercut to the creature’s chest. Her lightning flared, and this time, the titan faltered, its burning eyes flickering for a split second.

The titan staggered back, its molten form rippling as though agitated by Rava's strike. A low, guttural sound emanated from it, resonating in the pit of her stomach—a noise that seemed less like a roar and more like the groan of an unfeeling machine. The crystalline beasts scrambled over its legs, chipping away at its shimmering surface with relentless fervor, their chiming strikes like a symphony of breaking glass.

Rava pressed her advantage, darting in again with a flurry of punches, each blow lighting up the battlefield with sparks of crackling energy. Her fists collided with its torso, leaving scorched craters in the molten flesh. She was aware of Vivienne’s song in the background, rising and falling like a tide, the summons around her forming a protective wall against the smaller beasts that surged toward them.

Then, a deafening crack.