The oracle rippled, its light pulsing softly. "The presence Ignis sensed was nothing more than a small part of the power of an ancient entity that had lain dormant for millennia. The Demon of Darkness, King, an entity of pure chaos that yearns for the end of everything. He exists between worlds, a shadow cast upon reality. His influence corrupts, consumes, transforms everything into despair and emptiness."
Ignis shuddered. "But how can we stop him? I felt his dark presence, it's immense! I would say he is invincible!"
The oracle replied: "Not invincible, but very powerful. The Demon of Darkness feeds on fear, doubt, and despair. Its power is a threat even to the gods. To combat it, it is necessary to balance the powers of the dark side and the light side, good and evil, light and darkness. Thus, someone who possesses this power will be able to defeat not only the Demon of Darkness, but even the gods."
Ignis stared at the oracle with a mixture of terror and determination. The revelation about the Demon of Darkness, and its immense power, was frightening even for a creature as ancient as itself, but the idea of balancing the forces of light and darkness, uniting ancestral enemies, seemed even more insane.
"But how to unite such extreme opposites?" Ignis questioned, its voice a low rumble that reverberated through the cave walls. "Light and darkness, good and evil, are forces that repel each other, that have clashed since the beginning of time." "How can we expect them to fight side by side?"
The oracle emitted a soft glow, its voice echoing in the vast chamber. "The key lies in the hearts of those who have walked the thin line between light and darkness. Those who have experienced pain, loss, temptation, and emerged with the wisdom of duality. Creatures of power, with one foot in each world. They will be the conductors, the catalysts of this unlikely union."
Ignis pondered the oracle's words, her claws lightly scraping the stone beneath her paws. She felt a shiver run down her spine. The task seemed monumental, almost impossible. Finding these creatures, convincing them to join such a desperate cause... It was a challenge that tested her like never before. But the alternative, the victory of the Demon of Darkness, was unimaginable.
"Who are these creatures?" Ignis asked, her voice laden with a newfound urgency. "Tell me, oracle, where can I find them?"
The oracle answered in a solemn and mysterious tone: "The names and locations of these creatures have not been revealed to me. Only when you and King stand before them will you know who they are. Trust your instincts, Ignis. You two will know if you can trust them. Your union will be crucial to the success of this mission."
The enigmatic answer left Ignis even more apprehensive, but the determination in her eyes did not waver. The uncertainty of the path ahead was frightening, but the threat of the Demon of Darkness was even greater.
"Then I must trust my instincts," Ignis murmured to herself, accepting the challenge. "King and I will find these creatures, and together, we will fight against the approaching darkness."
With a final bow to the oracle, Ignis turned and left the cave, the uncertainty of the journey ahead contrasting with the firmness of her purpose. The journey would be long and dangerous, full of unknowns, but she was ready to face it. The fate of all worlds depended on it.
As they emerged from the portal to the Earthrealm and left the cave, Ignis spread her wings, the vibrant membranes capturing the sunlight as she soared into the sky. The task ahead was monumental: to find mysterious people who could aid them in the fight against the Demon of Darkness.
The oracle had offered no names or locations, only the promise that Ignis would know when she found them. Uncertainty gnawed at her resolve, but the imminent threat propelled her forward.
Below, King watched her, his imposing figure standing out against the rocky landscape. He nodded, a silent gesture of support and confidence. Ignis felt a pang in her chest, the weight of her role becoming heavy upon her. She landed in front of King, her body glowing intensely, transforming her into her draconic form, a way to avoid drawing attention while they searched.
"Where do we go now, Ignis?" King's voice asked. Ignis hesitated, frustration evident in her mental response. "I don't know, King. The oracle didn't give us any names, any locations. Just... a feeling."
King's silence was heavy, laden with worry. "A feeling?"
"Yes," Ignis confirmed. "He said we'll know when we find them. That we should trust our instincts."
The two traveled for days, toward the capital Pritha. The landscape transformed into a blur of colors. Towering mountains gave way to verdant plains, winding rivers cut through dense forests. The sun began to set, painting the sky with fiery hues.
Ignis's heart raced. The feeling of imminent danger was palpable, a shiver down her spine. She sniffed the air, trying to discern the threat. It wasn't a smell, but a feeling, a strange vibration in the forest. "Careful," she murmured to King, her voice low and urgent. "Something is wrong." King's response was immediate, laden with silent recognition. "Yes... I noticed it too. It seems we've fallen into an ambush!" King nodded, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of his sword. The once tranquil forest now seemed to vibrate with a nervous energy, a silent anticipation.
Before they could react, small figures leaped from the shadows of the trees. They were a group of rogue halflings, their faces covered by their cloaks. Their eyes gleamed with predatory cunning, and their hands held gleaming, sharp daggers.
"Rogues!" King exclaimed, drawing his sword and entering his Rage Mode, striking the hilt of his sword into the head of one of them.
Ignis braced for combat, his claws extended. The partial transformation granted him extreme strength and agility, but the speed and number of the halflings were worrying. They moved like shadows, swift and silent, surrounding them in a tight circle.
The battle erupted in a frenzy of steel and magic. King, with the fury of a berserker, pierced a halfling's chest with his sword. Ignoring any sense of honor or pity, he seized the edge of the wound and ripped it open with a brutal tug, shattering the small body in a single grotesque blow. The violence shocked even Ignis, who conjured crackling lightning and exploding fireballs among the remaining halflings.
Despite the fury of King's attack and the potency of Ignis's magic, the remaining halflings fought with the desperate ferocity of rats. Their agility made them difficult to hit, their movements erratic and unpredictable. One of them, with a sadistic grin that contrasted horribly with his childlike face, leaped upon King, aiming for his legs with two sharp daggers. King dodged one blow, but the halfling was quick as lightning. A second blow found its target, tearing King's leg.
Strangely, King didn't register the pain immediately. Adrenaline flooded his system, numbing his senses. He saw the halflings approaching, their cruel grins widening as they anticipated the final blow. With a fluid movement, King delivered a devastating backhand to the halfling still clinging to his leg. The small body flew away, crashing against a tree trunk with a sickening thud, felling the tree.
Ignis, seeing King's danger, positioned herself in front of him. Her eyes blazed with terrifying power as she raised her hand. "Meteor Shower," she uttered in a cold voice. The sky above suddenly darkened, as if night had fallen in an instant. Dark, sinister clouds churned and swirled, and a reddish-orange glow began to emanate from within them. Then, with a deafening roar, flaming rocks the size of houses plummeted from the sky, raining down upon the remaining halflings. The ground trembled with the impact, as the fireballs exploded in a conflagration of heat and light. The halflings' screams were muffled by the roar of the firestorm, while their bodies were obliterated by the relentless force of Ignis's magic. As the last meteor fell, a heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the crackling of flames and the acrid smell of smoke.
The clearing, once teeming with life, was now a smoldering crater. The vegetation had been incinerated, and the air was thick with the smell of death. The halflings, once so confident in their numbers and agility, had been completely exterminated. Ignis's display of power was a terrifying spectacle, a brutal reminder of the devastating forces she commanded. King, leaning against a nearby tree, watched the scene with a mixture of awe and terror. He knew Ignis was powerful, but he had never witnessed anything like this.
The silence was broken by the sound of Ignis approaching. She was panting, her face pale from the effort of conjuring such powerful magic. "It's over," she said, her voice hoarse. King nodded, still speechless. He knew they had survived, but at a terrible cost.
The clearing, once a place of natural beauty, was now a scar on the earth, a testament to the violence that had occurred there. King used his medical kit to suture the wound on his leg. "It's getting dark, let's camp here tonight and continue tomorrow morning," King suggested. "You're right, we need to rest," Ignis agreed.