The night air hung still, as if the world held it breath. Shadows bent and twisted along the edges of the ruined altar by lake orcas.
Ammon clutched the golden petals to his chest. Their glows were softer, dimmed as though they were aware of the exchange that was about to take place. Ayden stood silent, sword drawn but lowered, eyes darting between the lake's black water and the mist that crawled along its surface.
A faint hum rosed from the depth. It was not just sound- it was pulse, a voice beneath the Earth's breath. Then she appeared.
Nogard in the form of Elara's mother.
Ammon's hand tremble as he step forward. "We have what you asked for, release her along with her mother. He said quietly.
The mist was still, the lake quiet. In chains Elara was dragged to the exchange ground. Before Ammon could say a word, the Golden Petals were seized and Elara thrown to the ground.
The Golden Petals in Nogard palm began to wilt.
"Elara", Ammon whispered. "Stay back".
Too late. The figure before them convulsed, her gentle features shattering into something grotesque. Her limbs twisted unnaturally, her body stretching taller and broader. Her scream tearing through the sky, as shadows burst from her mouth like a dying flame.
Nogard has returned.
The beast form was both dreadful and magnificent. It's scales were crystal blue, eyes burning with ancient fury. The world dimmed around it- colors bled away until only the golden petals remain bright against the darkness.
Elara collapsed to her knees, horror etched into every line of her face. "No.... Mother, No..."
But Ammon could see it- the faint glimmers of release in the woman's eyes, for a fleeting moment under the beast corruption, her mother soul surfaced free.
Then it vanished.
Nogard gaze fell upon them. "You have freed me," it said, it's voice an echo of every nightmare buried within the heart. "And in return...I will grant you despair."
The lake erupted, the wind howled,the trees snapped and even the mountains seem to groan in mourning.
Ammon shielded Elara, as Ayden dragged them backwards, shouting over the chaos. "We need to run! now!"
But Ammon didn't move, his eyes were locked on Nogard, the creature he has unleashed.