Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

24. Deathstalkers

Elaine charged through the dim passage way, her lungs burning with each ragged breath, as a primal terror stripped away the remnants of her confidence, turning them into fragile leaflets scattered by the howling winds of her racing thoughts. 

Behind her, the arachnid beast unleashed a horrifying roar, a high-pitched screech that reverberated off the vine-infested walls. The creature had materialized from the shadows, a ghastly apparition that lunged at her with jagged, oversized claws, nearly seizing her in its relentless grip.

She had been quicker, but this deathstalker was no ordinary predator. It moved with a terrifying agility, its eight legs skittering across the stone floor as it pursued her with greedy determination. Five minutes, she estimated, had passed since their deadly game of cat and mouse commenced. 

In the chaos, Elaine was uncertain whether her blind escape would lead her to safety or into further danger. The corridor twisted and turned like a labyrinth, merciless to one's sense of direction. Glancing over her shoulder, she was met with the sight of three pairs of violet-hued, multifaceted eyes glowing with predatory hunger, staring into her very soul. The deathstalker made its intent clear; unyielding in its quest to capture its prey.

Yet Elaine knew she couldn't run indefinitely; he had to find the exit before the lesson concluded, or she would surely fail. She glanced down at the wand resting against her waist, trembling with each frantic step she took. Yes, she was a sorcerer capable of casting magic. What good was that skill if she did not wield it to free herself from this dire predicament? Elaine snatched the wooden wand from its holster. 

The familiar weight felt reassuring in her hand as she used her momentum to pivot sharply on the ball of her foot, her shoulder cape billowing dramatically behind her. Her gaze locked onto the monstrous figure just a few paces away, as it emitted another spine-chilling shriek. The creature continued its advance, and in its persistence, Elaine found the inspiration she needed—the deathstalker wouldn't stop, and that was exactly what she was counting on.

Setting her jaw with a sharp crack, she gripped her wand firmly in her dominant hand. As she steadied her breath, a memory bloomed in her mind—an echo from the past when she had first performed the spell that now surged within her. That moment of surrender to an alien possession had illuminated her path to victory—an experience that was both thrilling and terrifying. It had saved her then, and she could almost feel its familiar, intoxicating power coursing through her veins again, promising to extricate her from the clutches of her present troubles. 

Shimmering rays of golden energy erupted from the tip of her wand, casting a warm glow that filled the dark surroundings. It resembled the strange glowstick she had once seen nobles brandishing during the rare occasions they bothered visiting their local festivals. But this "glowstick" was no ordinary trinket; it was not crafted from cold metal nor powered by a keystone. Instead, it had been painstakingly fashioned by a wandsmith from a secluded village nestled in the Misty Hills. The deathstalker closed in on her, readying to launch its claw in an attempt to crush her skull. Elaine inhaled sharply, and the name of the spell ejected out of her throat. "Light Magic: Icto Lumen!"

Like before, her magic had summoned a concentrated beam of light shaped to look like a javelin. Creaking open her eyelids that she'd squeezed closed, Elaine watched as the golden harpoon soared toward its target. It moved as quickly as a bullet from a runerifle. That is to say, had Elaine blinked or averted her gaze even for the briefest of seconds, she more than likely wouldn't have seen the otherworldly sight. 

The projectile parted sheets of dust, rock, and debris that scattered along its path, shooting them off to the sides in clouds of dirt. The deathstalker, who had one of its pincers stretched in front of it, paused as the javelin of light collided directly into its face, forcing the creature to arch its spine backward, relying on the strength of its hind legs to keep it from tumbling over.