Book One – Chapter 10

Midnight needed to think. This must not end like the encounter with the Rockshade Weavers, where instinctual combat had led to momentary victory but ultimate defeat. She could not allow the shadebeast to diminish her any further.

Assess your enemy

She needed to envision the future as her wizard did, understanding how she could alter the outcome of this battle. She needed to comprehend how the shadebeast restored himself. Midnight needed to match his size, to become more darkness — No, there was no need! She did not need to be more than him. She was not restricted to the darkness within her. All the darkness was her weapon.

As she dove downward to gain distance, Midnight tapped into the surrounding darkness currents. She had already done so when shaping them into extensions of her pathera claws. Hurtling towards the ground, she seized the swirling darkness with her front claws, compressing it into a concentrated mass. Just before impact, she swung around and slashed through the air with potent strikes. Though the shadebeast loomed directly above, in the fleeting moment of her attack, she remained just out of his reach.

With a fierce release, Midnight hurtled the compressed darkness towards him, piercing through the air before he could retaliate. The flying strikes collided with him, shattering his form, distorting his essence and severing several parts of him. In the blink of an eye, Midnight had already dashed beyond the icy ground, putting distance between them. Before he could close in, she unleashed another volley of flying strikes, aiming to weaken him further.