Chapter 133

The crystal tiger roared as its pearl white teeth seemed to glisten among the crystalized water surrounding the beast. Its eyes were centered on prince Leo and the wolf. Little attention was given to the others as they came running at the sound of the beast.

"Your highness, you should be careful." Daryl's voice could be heard from behind as the prince took a few careful steps back.

Before Leo had a chance to get closer to the others the tiger roared once more and ran across the water. The water crystalizing with every step it took beneath its large paws. Like shimmering specks of glass the water solidified and scattered among the air around it. A beautiful yet deadly beast heading straight for them.

"Leo!" Vorbuk shouted at the prince as he quickly knocked him out of the way as the tiger's body came for him with its claws drawn out.

The prince hit the ground hard as he glanced back and caught sight of Vorbuk. The wolf was pinned to the ground. Sharp claws from the beast had hold of the wolf's shoulder. Fangs hissing angrily down into Vorbuk's face as his body could not resist the urge to shudder under the intense pressure from the beast's high amount of mana.

BOOM!

A ball of fire struck the tiger from the side as Vorbuk caught sight of Bredret playing with fire in the palm of his hands as if he had not a care in the world. A faint sarcastic chuckle escaped his muzzle at the dragon's behavior, but in a wolf's body it only sounded like a sadistic growl.

The sudden strike was enough to cause the tiger to turn its head in Bredret's direction. In that moment it lost focus the blade of Ashley's Scythe came from the other side. As the blade tried to cut through the tiger it roared out. The scythe's blade crystalizing where it made contact with the beast's body.

"Tsk!" Ashley clicked his tongue at the sight of his blood scythe struggling against the effects of the crystalizing.

Sinking into the shadows Vorbuk quickly made his way over to the prince. Jumping out of the prince's shadow behind him.

There has to be something.. Vorbuk thought to himself as he watched the others struggle on with the tiger.

He could hear the clear sounds of the crystal tiger's claws colliding in their direction against the prince's and Daryl's swords. From behind the beast Bredret had firmly grasped hold of the tiger's tail so that it wouldn't be able to put all it's strength into its attack against the others.

At the far back behind Vorbuk he could hear the sounds of Zoe unsure of what to do with herself.

"That's it.." Vorbuk muttered under his breath as the prince glanced back at the wolf confused.

Vorbuk refused to hesitate to put his idea into action. He could not waste time in the face of the beast that could end their lives. Running quickly he made his way towards Zoe. Shifting into his human form as he came near her. Her eyes quickly locked on him with the obvious look of wondering why he had come to her.

"You're able to control light mana, right?" Vorbuk started the conversation with her calmly to try and keep her focused on his words.

"Y-yes.." Zoe nodded as she tried to follow his intention. Her light magic had always been a sensitive topic for her. Even if she knew their whole group was already aware after she came forward with it there was still a weight of nervousness that easily washed over her when it was brought up or used.

"Can you control barriers?" Vorbuk urged her to answer quickly.

"What? What do you-?" She wasn't sure she could understand the question properly.

"Can you make a large barrier confining his fire around that beast?" Vorbuk urged her once more.

"Y-yes! I can but I'm not sure how long I'd be able to hold-" She was cut off once more by his urgency.

"Just hold it for as long as you can!" Vorbuk shouted and shifted back into his wolf form. Running as fast as he could towards the crystal tiger.

"Bredret," Vorbuk shouted in his direction. Other then the prince Bredret was the only other person who could understand his speech as a wolf. "Go. Wild."

"Ahaha! My pleasure!" Bredret shouted back with a laughing, prideful, smile.

"Ashley, move!" The prince shouted out at the same time so that the vampire would not get caught up in the fire. Everyone knew instantly at the prince's words to put some distance between them and the beast.

A mesmerizing golden light began to envelope itself around the tiger, Bredret, and Vorbuk encasing them inside of it like a beautiful golden birdcage that nothing and nobody could walk out from.

A faint similar golden light could be seen from Zoe's eyes as she held her hands out trying to control her mana to hold up the barrier that caged them. It was not something she could easily control because such a barrier could easily deplete her mana in a matter of minutes.

"Zoe, hang in there." Daryl said to her as he stepped up beside her in order to help her brace herself where she stood. He could see the exhaustion she felt from the look in her eyes as she struggled to remain focused.

"Where is master?" Ashley glanced around for Vorbuk in order to make sure his master was safe. At the same time as the prince they both realized the wolf was inside the barrier with Bredret.

"Why did he lock himself inside as well?!" The prince went to move towards the barrier but found himself held back by Ashley.

"What use would you be in there?!" Ashley whispered in the prince's ears. He could not tell if the vampire was worried or simply mocking him.

From outside the barrier they could only watch as Bredret's fire burned and erupted within the barrier til nothing was left visible but the sight of burning flames. From the ground up to the top of the barrier it looked as if it was one massive tornado of pure flames.

They could not see in the way that Vorbuk did from within the barrier.

Where there is light, naturally, there will always be darkness.

Even a flame would have a form of shade. The shadow region is a region in light where there is less light than in the rest of the beam. The more he considered that thought the more he understood that even amongst the flames he could find ways to move amongst the scorching flames cast by the dragon.

Dark Blast. Vorbuk thought to himself while amongst the shadows of the dragon's fire.

As the wolf's dark ball of mana burst forth from his chest it was swept up by the flames. Mixing, swirling, and causing the once golden flames to morph into a flame of pure darkness.

Bredret struggled to keep the flames around himself pure from the darkness as he kept sending out fire. He was immune to the flames but the shadow mana that Vorbuk had mixed in was still enough to wound him if he was not careful. He could feel his own arm searing from pain that he forced himself to ignore. A faint smoke coming from his skin.

The crystal tiger roared and yowled in pain as its body began to grow weak. Collapsing where it stood. Crystals all around the inside of the barrier began to slowly melt from the flames including those that were merged into the body of the beast.

As the fire began to fade away inside the barrier Zoe could no longer hold on her consciousness. She was beginning to waver where she stood.

"Zoe!" Daryl shouted outside the barrier as the girl collapsed from exhausting her own mana for the barrier.

Daryl and Prince Leo rushed towards Bredret as they saw him holding an unconscious wolf in his arms. Two of them had completely depleted their mana and would need time to recover.

The prince glanced around where the barrier once stood and could see the scorched earth from all around where it held in the flames of the dragon and Vorbuk's shadow magic when they fused together. There was just once thing that was no longer visible to the eye... The Crystal Tiger had been completely melted away with the crystals til it was no more.