With the power source of the totem destroyed, it began to slowly fall apart.
The unnatural darkness seem to retreat from the clearing and the air became clearer and less oppressive.
Storm put Leyocan down on the ground and changed into his humanoid dragon form again.
"Seems we are done here!" Said Leyocan.
They took combat ready stances again as a bright light suddenly formed in the clearing with them. The light faded, to reveal the girl that led them here in the first place.
But she appeared vastly different to before. Her skin was green and her head was covered in leaves instead of regular hair like before. Her dress had turned green and vines flowed up her arms.
"Thank you dragon! For banishing the corruption that was assaulting us!"
Her voice didn't fit her body at all.
It was deep and ethereal, with an almost musical undertone. Sounding more like an adult, than the child the entity resembled.
It contained the wisdom of a centuries old creature, weary of the world.
"Uhh umm." Said Leyocan as he cleared his throat.
The entity smiled in amusement.
"And to the overly suspicious fox as well, of course. "
"Right... I suppose I deserved that!
But you can't blame me for being cautious however considering where we are!" Replied Leyocan.
"Can you tell us now what you are?" Asked Storm.
"One of the few remaining forest spirits that have not yet been corrupted. That witch 'Omen' had these totems constructed all along the border.
They amplified the dark magic in the area, and eventually would have overwhelmed me and my brethren that are holding the barrier in place." Explained the spirit.
"What do you mean 'you' are holding it at bay? It's the wardstone barrier that is doing so!" Exclaimed Storm.
"We are part of it. We spirits realized that the magic of the dragon and his allies wouldn't be enough to hold it back.
So me and a few of my brethren bound ourselves to the stone after the initial magic was cast in order to reinforce it.
We acted as sentinels over the years, but the continued assaults have begun to wear us down.
By performing a series of extremely dark acts, they constructed and dedicated those totems to the deeds to increase the dark magic in the area.
The destruction and cursing of Darkmoor was just one of several such acts meant to weaken the barrier.
It made me so weak that I barely had the strength to contact you. That was why I appeared so ghostly to you before." Explained the spirit.
"So there are more totems?" Asked Leyocan.
"A lot more."
"And what of the village?" Asked Storm.
The spirit smiled.
The curse has been lifted, and the magic keeping them imprisoned is gone.But I sense that the spirits wish to remain a moment longer. No doubt to thank their liberators!" Explained the Spirit.
"So... what happens now? Has the threat passed?" Asked Leyocan.
"No... the danger may have passed here, but my fellow Sentinels are still under siege. I will go and seek them out and find the remaining Totems.
When the time comes, I will call on you again.
She held out her hands and a large glowing acorn appeared in her hands.
"Take this! It will allow me to communicate with you over great distances. "
"Why me?! What makes you think I am capable of doing this?!" Asked Storm.
"You carry the blood of Mimereus in you. As he is currently unreachable, it falls to you to finish what he started.
One last warning, dragon . Omen is still out there, and she will not be pleased when she hears that you are meddling in her plans.
She may send agents to stop you. Or she might even go after you herself. Do not engage with her directly!! She's more powerful than you can possibly imagine!
Not even Mimereus at the peak of his power would have been able to beat her!"
"That's just great!!" Thought Storm.
The Spirit reached out and touched Storm on the shoulder. A bright light suddenly appeared at the place where she touched him before it faded a moment later.
"I've placed a mark on you that will conceal you from any attempts from her to track you with magic."
"Thank you!" Responded Storm.
"Build up your strength as fast as you can. You're going to need it for when you face her one day!"
The spirit led Storm and Leyocan back to the border of the village, Augustus and the rest of the Nogitsune were already waiting near the border.
"What happened to you two! We heard Storm's roar and feared the worst!" Asked Augustus.
"It's a long story, but everything turned out fine." Explained Leyocan.
Storm looked up and saw every single ghost in the village walk out the village and towards them.
Everyone stood on guard as the ghosts got closer, but they stopped and assembled a few feet away from them and made no further attempt to get closer.
They all bowed their heads in silent thanks to Storm. A gust of wind suddenly passed through the field and the ghosts all faded away until nothing was left in the village.
"Seems like whatever held the ghosts here has been broken. This place has been purified now, maybe in time the scars of what happened here will fade completely. " said Augustus.
Storm was just about to order that his people get some rest, when a strange glow caught his eye in the grass where the ghosts had dissappeared from.
He walked towards it and picked up a strange key from the ground.
The metal of the key was completely black and a carving of a white skull was set in the handle of the key. Two small emeralds were set in the eye sockets of the skull.
Leyocan grumbled when he saw it.
"It's pretty, but what's the point of giving us the key, but not telling us what it is supposed to open?! Some reward for all the trouble we went through!" Grumbled Leyocan.
"I'll keep hold of it, we might still find out what it opens some day." Responded Storm.