"Melody!"
"Melody!"
"Melody!"
"Erin, you're sure this is the last place you saw her?" Chandra turned to the brown haired cross country runner.
Erin nodded vigorously, "This is where she disappeared! I swear it!"
"Did you see who took her?" Lilianna sounded exasperated and annoyed.
Erin shook his head, "No. I just saw...darkness. I mean it was just darkness and she disappeared and-"
He was cut off as the ground began to shake and tremble. Cracks opened in the ground and black lightning shot up towards the sky from those cracks. A chilling shriek echoed through the air hauntingly around them.
"Melody!" Chandra cried.
Jace, Hades, Izzy, Emalia, Jenny and Leisa bolted towards the center of the city.
Chandra grabbed Lilianna's arm and dragged the reluctant death mage after them. Erin, Alice, Jade, and Rick followed.
"Let GO!" Melody ripped out of Xerxes grasp and stumbled away from him. She scrambled to her feet and ran for the edge of the circle. If I'm not out before he activates it then I'll die and he'll be able to rip the rift open!
"Ha! Nice," Xerxes sneered, "But it won't matter."
Melody heard him start chanting. She squeezed her eyes shut and kept running. The circle encompassed the entirety of the rift. It took up the whole city square. She could feel magical energy surging through the area. However the circle was not yet active.
"Melody!" Melody opened her eyes to the sound of her name. Emalia was racing towards her, followed by Jenny, Izzy, and Leisa. Melody reached out towards them. Her cry was unintelligible. Almost there! Almost there! I'm not gonna make it! The symbols composing the circle began to glow. Melody felt herself begin to go still against her will. She felt someone grab her hand, pulling her out of the circle completely. Melody stumbled and crashed into the ground.
"You leave her alone you sick bastard!" Chandra snarled angrily.
Melody saw Hades standing in the circle in her place. The symbols glowed brightly but he was still able to move. Shadows flowed around him, following his command. His eyes glowed a terrifying red.
Xerxes studied him nonchalantly, "Well then. You won't work." The sickly glow of the symbols died and Xerxes put his hands up, "So you got me. However, a human sacrifice is not the only thing that can open a rift."
Chandra, Hades, Leisa, and Jace leaped forward for an attack. A brutal wind picked up out of nowhere and shadows exploded out of the rift, knocking everyone back. Xerxes' cackle could be heard over the roaring of the wind in their ears.
"Isabelle, Erin, Alice, take Melody to the Black Lotus."
Dizziness suddenly overtook Melody. Black crept in on the edges of her vision. As she collapsed she felt someone catch her and lift her up. She lost consciousness.
Alice turned to Isabelle, obviously waiting for her to decide what to do next.
"I'll cover the rear," Isabelle said. She looked at Erin, "Up front."
Alice handed him a small knife, "Just in case."
Erin nodded, "Thanks.
Chandra sliced through the hordes of shadows that raced towards her. The darkness was a crushing force that had a will of it's own. Each individual tendril was it's own entity, acting in it's own way. She could hear Xerxes cackling madly from the center of this mass but no matter what she did she felt as though she was moving backwards. She made no progress.
The Black Lotus have finished evacuating the city. Fall back. With the amount coming out of the rift we won't be able to hold here. Tessa's voice echoed in Chandra's head. She snarled but darted away from the shadowy mass. The black covered the midafternoon sun in complete darkness.
Ral Cain and I are with Echo. Cline's with Dawn. Jace's voice said. Echo's activating the Mana Blanket.
Sweetness. Could you act as a bridge? Chandra glanced over her shoulder. The shadows were spreading but at the same time losing density, "Good."
Sure.
Cool.
What Phoenix? Echo asked.
Hurry it up. I'd rather not die out here thank you. Chandra snapped.
Don't rush me.
Did you really ask me to be a bridge just so you could whine?
Chandra snickered. I'm going to rush you because we are running low on time here.
God dammit Phoenix.
Would you two shut up?! Jace pulled out, cutting the connection.
Chandra shook her head in amusement.
"Come oh stars and moon. Come down to earth light of the heavens. Be our guides in the darkness and be our hope in our despair. Come down to earth light of the heavens and aid us in our will," Leisa's voice echoed throughout the area. The asphalt underneath her cracked as the weight of her power created a crater. Bright white light erupted from the ground around her. That light formed a replacement sun in the sky that the shadows could not blot out.
Chandra felt the Mana Blanket cover the city completely. Bright angry mana from the nearby mountains flowed through her cleanly. She started cackling madly before clearing her throat, "That certainly evens the odds."
Lucelius has decided to retreat to the living realm. Elspeth's voice echoed through the telepathic channels the group had created.
Lucelius is retreating here?! But that's going to attract the main force to this realm! Jace's voice was dark with disapproval.
It's what he's decided. They'll be coming from a smaller rift on the edge of the city.
"Great," Chandra rolled her eyes. The instant Elspeth finished speaking the first of those retreating appeared. The protector god Ivory was among them. His eyes were dark as he looked around at the ragtag fighting force in front of him, comprised mostly of kids. Chandra ignored him, "Take the wounded to the Black Lotus Hotel!" It was the most secure building in the city. Nothing had gotten past it before. She doubted it would happen this time. And if it did the wounded would be protected at all costs.
An angel nodded to her, "Let's go!" I don't need Ivory's approval. The angel looked at her, "Is the path clear?"
Mostly. Jace's voice said. Ral's clearing it now.
"Yeah," Chandra nodded, "The way is clear. Help get the wounded to the Lotus!"
Instantly every single student, whether engaged in combat or not, helped support the wounded and made their way to the hotel.
"You make a nice field commander," a woman with dark brown hair and purple eyes commented.
"Me?" Chandra almost squeaked, "Nah. I'm no commander."
"Really? Alright then." She spun her lance above her head and turned her attention to the approaching shadowy mass.
Chandra glanced at the wounded. Most were similar to Michael and David and were beings composed of light. Others seemed to be emotion incarnate. Literally. Chandra turned her attention to the shadowy mass. Well if it doesn't like light then it shouldn't like fire. She formed a massive fireball and sent it flying into the mass. The shadows hissed and writhed. Leisa wrapped her sword in a bright sheen of light and leaped forward. The brown haired girl followed her, along with Sakura. Chandra formed three more fireballs and sent them flying. It was nice to finally be able to wield mana. She grinned excitedly, "Let's play." She leaped into the shadowy mass wrapped in a sheen of bright orange-gold flames. A large sword appeared in her hand and she sliced through many beings. She could see the chaos that was the beginnings of a very large scale battle devolving even further into chaos.
According to Cain we have to make it to the center of the mass within the day or we will not stand a chance.
