Chapter 27

As the trio slept the night, Ikky, with his keen sense of smell, stirred restlessly in his sleep, his furry ears twitching at the faint scent of danger that lingered in the night air. His canine instincts were rarely wrong, and this time, they were sending him a clear warning. He gently nudged Alara and Lysanna awake, his eyes reflecting a sense of urgency.

"Something's not right," Alara whispered, her hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of her sword as she saw the worry in Ikky's eyes.

Lysanna, groggily rubbing her eyes, tried to focus. "What do you mean, Ikky?"

But before Ikky could respond, a subtle rustling of leaves and a faint, eerie whispering filled the air around them. The three friends exchanged alarmed glances, realizing they were not alone in the darkness.

"I smell bones, lots of them" Ikky snarled and immediately transformed into a huge Dire-wolf. White in color as furs ran down his body with sharp claws waiting to gut out the throats of their assailants, and fangs dripping with saliva in wait for flesh. As one of them approached the entrance, bony structure with a sword in its hands, " Undead?" Alara retorted. 

Lysanna, who had spent her life studying the mystical arts at Ashwind but was yet to fully embrace the ways of the sword, felt a shiver down her spine. She had learned to fight, but the prospect of facing skeletal adversaries sent a chill through her heart.

Alara, a mage although a fair warrior, assessed the situation quickly. "Lysanna, stay close," she commanded, her voice steady despite the mounting danger. With a swift motion, she unsheathed her sword and took a defensive stance.

As the skeletal figures encircled them, their bony fingers clutching rusted swords, Alara knew they had to act swiftly to survive this supernatural threat. She lunged at the nearest skeleton, her blade flashing in the dim moonlight.

Lysanna, trembling with fear but determined not to be a burden to her friends, watched Alara's swordplay with a mix of awe and trepidation. 

Alara parried a strike, her eyes never leaving the circling skeletons. "Lysanna, do what you can, and stay safe. We need you alive," she replied, her words carrying a reassuring tone even amidst the chaos of battle.

Outside the circle, Ikky's dire-wolf form became a whirlwind of fur and fangs as he fiercely attacked the skeletal foes. His instincts took over, and he tore through the undead ranks with primal ferocity, buying his friends precious moments of respite.

The black magic that had summoned these skeletal abominations was their greatest enemy. It limited their assailants to the cover of darkness, and luckily, their tent had remained hidden until now. But the safety of the night would not last forever, and the trio fought with grim determination, their lives hanging in the balance as they desperately tried to hold out until the first light of dawn.

In the eerie pre-dawn darkness, Alara's sword glinted ominously as she faced the encroaching skeletons, her heart pounding in her chest. "Stay behind me, Lysanna," she urged, her voice steady despite the terror in her eyes.

Lysanna nodded, her trust in Alara unwavering. She watched in awe as Alara unleashed a flurry of expert sword strikes, each one shattering the fragile bones of the skeletal attackers. "How did you become so skilled with a sword, Alara?" Lysanna asked, admiration in her voice as she marveled at her friend's combat prowess.

Alara parried a skeleton's strike before replying, "I've had my time alone to practice far out the north. It's a harsh place, but it taught me to defend myself." She slashed through another opponent, her movements fluid and graceful.

Meanwhile, Ikky, now a formidable dire-wolf, lunged at the skeletons with a ferocity that left them in disarray. His jaws clamped around bones, reducing the undead assailants to piles of shattered fragments. "Ikky, you're amazing!" Lysanna exclaimed, her amazement clear. Although with the damage caused on the undead, they seem to be able to repair themselves and continue fighting.

With the first rays of dawn on the horizon, Alara and Ikky fought valiantly, pushing the remaining skeletons back. The rays of the sunlight hit them causing them to explode, the rest retreating finding safety in the dark side of the forest. Just as they longed for victory seemed within reach, a dark and ominous presence emerged from among them—a shadow of the sorcerer, Lord Alista himself.

"Your bravery is commendable, but you cannot escape my grasp," Lord Alista sneered, his eyes gleaming with malevolent power.

As Lysanna tried to gather all thought about the situation, she slumped and entered into a trance-like state. Shaking on the ground as she fought for life. Alara and Ikky tried to help her but were prevented by the bony figures with swords. 

Amidst the chaos, Ikky's voice echoed, "Save her, Alara. We have only each other, and together, we can overcome any darkness, I'll hold them off for you two to get away." His words fueled Alara's determination, and with renewed vigor, they continued their battle against the malevolent sorcerer's cohorts.