BXBX NOVEL Chapter 217 217
"Shhhh," Amelia's trembling hand gently pressed her finger to Adam's quivering lips, silencing him in the midst of chaos.
Adam's eyes shook as he surveyed Amelia's tattered appearance. She was trembling all over, her fingers straining to cast a wind barrier around them.
The wind howled fiercely, echoing the tempest within. She had expended a considerable amount of her power and mana to shield them from the raging maelstrom.
"W-what should I do now?" Adam stammered, his voice quivering as he looked down at Elsa, the Elven princess clutched in his arms.
Elsa was battered and bruised, far beyond her usual capacity. She had never been one to engage in combat, but the grim necessity of this fight had pushed her to her limits.
Mary, her face pale with determination, fought to stanch the flow of blood from her wounds. Any further loss could prove fatal to her. Helga, who had already lost a leg, clung to her last vestiges of strength. Adam, too, had lost not only his sword but also his dwindling mana reserves.
"First, calm down, soldier," Amelia implored, her heart a roiling tempest within. She endeavored to steady the young boy standing before her, desperate to quell his rising panic.
"You must get out of here," she continued, her eyes resolute. "Take your friends with you. I'll hold off the remaining dark Elves."
Vorith had fallen only moments ago, but not without exacting a heavy toll. His dying act had been to trigger a hidden teleportation chamber within the chamber, which led directly to the Dark Elf valley. The valley now disgorged a relentless wave of dark Elves—hundreds, it seemed. The onslaught was not swift but deliberate, as if the dark Elves reveled in their sadistic method of attack, taking their time to assail the beleaguered defenders.
Helga, with one leg already lost, and Adam and Mary, their resources depleted, had fought bravely but were teetering on the brink of exhaustion. It was only through Amelia's unwavering skill and power that they had managed to hold the dark Elves at bay, for the moment.
Amelia's resolute gaze bore into Adam, urging him to comprehend the direness of the situation. The gusting wind around them seemed to echo her determination.
"But you're injured, and your mana is nearly spent," Adam protested, his voice filled with concern.
Amelia smiled faintly, though her eyes betrayed the weariness that weighed on her. "I've faced worse odds, soldier. Now, I need you to promise me that you'll get Elsa and the others to safety."
Tears welled up in Adam's eyes, but he nodded. He understood the gravity of the situation. With great reluctance, he gently laid Elsa down on the cold, unforgiving ground and secured her to his back with a chain.
Mary and Helga gathered around, their faces etched with worry, and Mary's burden was the Royal couple, Elsa's parents.
Adam was now responsible for carrying three people, leaving no room for him to fight, and solely relying on his skills to fend off any attacks.
"We'll come back for you, Amelia," Mary vowed, her voice quivering. Even in the short time they had spent together, she had come to recognize Amelia's worth as a formidable swordsman.
Amelia nodded in acknowledgment. "Remember... Forget it." But she cut herself off when she noticed the barrage of attacks intensifying.
"I'll tell your grandfather and your family that you love them."
With a heavy heart, Adam and the others retreated, leaving Amelia alone to face the relentless onslaught of dark Elves.
As they made their way to the teleportation chamber, the sounds of battle continued to echo behind them. Their escape plan hinged on the use of the same portal Vorith had employed to transport the dark Elves. Amelia's wisdom had guided their decision, and Adam trusted her judgment.
They navigated the dark tunnels with haste, driven by a desperate need to reach safety. The underground chamber exuded a spectral aura, illuminated only by faint, mystical runes adorning the walls. The narrow corridor led them to the teleportation chamber, a circular room with an intricate pattern on the floor.
Adam knelt by the chamber's rune stone, his fingers trembling as he infused it with mana. The runes on the chamber's floor came to life, glowing with an eerie light, and a portal materialized in the center.
"Everyone, step inside," Adam urged. Mary, Helga, and Elsa walked through the portal, disappearing into the unknown. Adam hesitated for a moment, his gaze lingering on the shimmering gateway. He couldn't shake the feeling of guilt for leaving Amelia behind. However, he knew it was their only chance at survival, and with a heavy heart, he finally stepped through the portal, vanishing from the battlefield.
***
Back with Amelia, her magic abruptly came to a halt. Exhaustion, searing pain, and the relentless loss of blood made it increasingly challenging for her to maintain her balance.
The once-proud sword she wielded now lay in tatters, its blade shattered and broken, reflecting the state of its wielder.
A quiet, disappointed "Tut" escaped her parched lips as the weapon slipped from her weakening grip and fell to the unforgiving ground.
Amelia's gaze ascended, directed at the dimly lit expanse of the cavern's ceiling. It was adorned with countless ominous figures, the dark Elves, whose outward appearance only differed from her own kind in their skin color.
"For..." Her voice was strained, and every word required a herculean effort. But she steeled herself, realizing that she could not afford to be anything less than resolute now.
"For the one and all," she declared, her words echoing in the cavern, prompting raucous cheers from the dark Elves. Their intellect was as limited as goblins, if not slightly superior, which they compensated for with sheer brute strength.
Amelia emitted a weary, mirthless chuckle, her right palm pressed against the searing wound on her left side. Her eyes closed briefly as she prepared for what lay ahead.
"For the family and for..." This was the sacred vow she had embraced when she had taken up the mantle of a knight.
"For the honor of the mother, I live," she affirmed, but her reasons for persevering had been fulfilled. Her beloved princess and her cherished family were now safe, and the war could find its conclusion in this final act of defiance.
"And I die," she concluded with poignant finality.
*Screech* *Screech*
Amidst a cacophony of ear-piercing screeches, a group of dark Elves descended upon her. Amelia's heart, heavy with emotion, braced for the end as they moved to claim her life.
As the dark Elves closed in on her, Amelia braced herself for the inevitable. Pain, exhaustion, and a bittersweet sense of fulfillment coursed through her veins. She knew that her sacrifice was for a noble cause, and that gave her solace in these final moments.
Their twisted faces contorted with a cruel sense of triumph as they drew nearer. They saw victory within their grasp, the fallen knight whose strength had dwindled.
Amelia took a deep, labored breath and found a moment of peace amidst the chaos. She thought of her family, her beloved princess, and the honor of the mother-land she had sworn to protect. With her final breaths, she clung to the knowledge that her sacrifice was not in vain.
More and more dark Elves descended upon her with savage fervor, their weapons poised to strike. In the heart of the battle, surrounded by foes, Amelia closed her eyes, ready to embrace her fate.
*Silence*
-But then, a very ethereal voice interrupted the impending doom.
[Nah nah tch tch, this is why I sometimes agree with Svarog. He was right about y'all.]
The voice was incredibly soothing, almost angelic.
Amelia, stunned, opened her eyes to seek the source.
[Hello, don't plan on dying before talking to me. Even I can't defy death, you know... atleast I can't.]
The chuckling voice belonged to a small, fairy-like creature. It defied Amelia's preconceptions about fairies, as they weren't supposed to talk... or so she thought.
[I am Aine,] the ethereal being introduced herself. [I am the fairy Goddess, and I am here to give you a choice.]
"What?" Amelia asked in a daze, her mind struggling to process the surreal turn of events.
[Choose to be a chosen one or die.]
The benevolent facade of the goddess seemed to crumble, revealing a less gentle side beneath the soothing voice.
Amelia's heart raced as she grappled with the gravity of the choice before her. It was an offer of life, but at what cost? Her mind raced, and she had so many questions, but the time seemed to bend and stretch in this peculiar moment.
"What does it mean to be a chosen one?" she finally managed to ask, her voice filled with both curiosity and skepticism.
Aine's laughter was melodious but carried a sense of weight. [To be a chosen one means that you will carry a great destiny,] she explained. [You will become a guardian of the realms, a protector of the balance. Your name will be sung in the annals of history, and your deeds will shape the course of many worlds.]
Amelia felt a rush of conflicting emotions. The prospect of becoming a chosen one was tantalizing, a chance to make a lasting impact on the world, but the weight of responsibility it entailed was staggering.
[But, my dear, there is a price to pay,] Aine continued. [You will be bound by a sacred duty, and you can never return to the life you once knew. You will become a beacon of hope, but also a target for darkness.]
Amelia's mind churned with thoughts of her family, her princess, and the life she had known. She had always believed in the importance of duty, and this offer seemed like an opportunity to fulfill her oath to the mother on a grand scale.
After a moment of contemplation, she made her decision. "I choose to be a chosen one."
Aine's laughter filled the chamber once more, this time with a sense of joy. [Very well, brave soul. Embrace your destiny.]
In that moment, a surge of power coursed through Amelia. She felt herself being lifted from the ground, her wounds healing and her strength replenishing. She had made her choice, and a new path lay before her—one of responsibility, sacrifice, and uncharted adventures.
....but what she forgot to question was, Should being a chosen one meant only this much? Is it only being a protector? Or a...
[A/N: Or a what!??? Tell US! You can't leave me hanging!!! And wasn't she supposed to die!!!?]
[A/N: And kids a tip from the author,read your contacts before signing... coming from an author who's stuck in multiple foul contracts... I can tell you that it's not a good feeling.]