Spirit Game

The Elven Generals and the Goliaths fought with everything they had, but they could not afford even a moment's lapse in focus.

The Shadowborne were like a tide of darkness, and if they faltered, even for a second, that tide would consume them whole.

Every blow had to count, every spell had to land, and every step had to be calculated. It was a battle of attrition, and the Shadowborne had all the time in the world.

Rain had watching from afar, and could feel the tension in the air. The battlefield was a cacophony of sound — clashing steel, crackling magic, and the unholy roars of the Shadowborne.

The sight of the Generals and the Goliaths fighting with such ferocity was awe-inspiring, but it was also a grim reminder of the stakes.

This was no ordinary battle; it was a war of survival against an enemy that knew no fear, no pain, and no mercy.

The Elves and Goliaths fought valiantly, but the Shadowborne Legionnaires were like shadows themselves — impossible to fully grasp, always slipping through the cracks in their defenses.

The dark creatures moved with an eerie coordination, their attacks synchronized as if guided by a single, malevolent will. They struck with precision, exploiting any momentary lapse, any opening in their troops' defenses.

The strain was palpable. Elora's movements, once fluid and effortless, began to slow as fatigue set in. Rylan's illusions flickered and faded, his magic stretched to its limits. Kaelen's connection to the earth wavered as the sheer scale of the battle overwhelmed him.

Thorgar's hammer strikes became heavier, less frequent, and even Valara's storm showed signs of dissipating, the lightning no longer as sharp, the winds no longer as fierce.

Despite their best efforts, it was clear that the Shadowborne were not just a force to be defeated —they were a force of nature, an embodiment of darkness that could not be so easily vanquished. The Generals and the Goliaths were powerful, but they were mortal, and mortals could only hold out for so long against an immortal enemy.

Rain clenched his fists, frustration and helplessness gnawing at him. He had to do something, but from his vantage point, all he could do was watch.

They were the reinforcements, the crucial backup for when the gate finally opened. They needed to stay in peak condition, ready to unleash their full strength when the moment called for it.

The battlefield was a maelstrom of chaos, and any direct intervention on his part would only add to the confusion. The Generals and the Goliaths were holding the line, but for how much longer?

~Chi!~

Chi called out to Rain as he broke away from the formation.

"I'll be right back!" Rain shouted over his shoulder. "If the gate opens, go on without me!" He knew he wouldn't be much help anyway unless he could synchronize with Chi. Right now, he needed to do what he could.

Rain raced back to camp, struggling to stay on his warhorse as it galloped at full speed. He gripped the horse's mane instead of the reins, barely holding on as the wind whipped past him.

When he finally reached camp, Rain released his grip and tumbled to the ground, wincing as his shoulder dislocated. Chi and the others could heal it later — right now, he had to find Golly.

"Golly!" Rain called out, spotting him in his makeshift workshop.

As usual, Golly seemed oblivious to the chaos outside, completely absorbed in his inventions, his focus unshaken by the raging battle.

"Ah, Rain, back already? Did the fight finish early? It's not even dawn yet," Golly remarked, barely looking up from his work.

Rain shook his head. "Golly, you're one of the artificers and inventors of Clockwork City, right?"

"That's right. Though, I might be the last one. The others . . . well, they've likely perished by now."

Please don't kill your companion yet, Rain wanted to tell him, but there were more pressing matters at hand. "You're an inventor, right? Do you have something that could help us in battle right now? Like a robot or some kind of war machine?"

Rain had heard that Gnomes specialized in mechas, and he was desperate to see if Golly could provide such a creation right now.

Golly nodded, a proud smile spreading across his face. "As inventors, our duty is to push beyond the known into the experimental. Innovation is how we improve!"

"So, there are such things?" Rain's excitement surged.

Golly nodded again. "Indeed. But right now, all of them are locked inside the city."

Rain's hope plummeted like a stone.

"Ah, don't worry," Golly added, noticing Rain's disappointment. "I've got a few critters here that I've made. They're not as grand as the robots inside the city, but they're quite helpful in their own way."

Rain glanced over at the small, robot-like contraptions scattered around the workshop. They were cobbled together from scraps, tiny and worn. They looked like they could be squashed before even reaching the enemy.

They seemed more like Golly's loyal servants, fetching tools and tidying up his workshop, rather than anything built for battle.

Rain frowned, trying to hide his dismay. "These . . . critters — are they really going to help us? Looks like they would break at the slightest touch."

"My designs are flawless, I tell you — absolutely perfect!" Golly insisted, his voice brimming with pride. "I've combined the precision of gnomish clockwork with arcane magic to create inventions that move, react, and think in ways no ordinary golem ever could."

Despite his stubbornness, Golly was a good person at heart. Though not always the most pleasant, he detested evil and, even at his most self-serving, never wished harm upon others. Yet, his fierce pride in his creations made him nearly impossible to reason with, even now.

"Uhmm . . . , I'm not saying they're flawed, but maybe you could create something . . .

bigger and more powerful?" Rain suggested.

"With this cramped space and the few tools and materials I have? Do you really think I can whip up a giant robot on a whim?" Golly shot back, half-amused, half-exasperated. "I'm an inventor and artificer, not some miracle-working magician!"

Rain groaned inwardly, starting to think that coming here had been a mistake.

"Although . . ." Golly paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He took a deep breath before continuing, "There is a powerful clockwork dragon inside the city . . ."