Author's Note: I do not own W.I.T.C.H., etc.
Chapter Ten – Then Black
Haritus laughed as the mages fled from his shadow spells. At last, he could walk the halls of Kep'Mordos and the last place he was denied, well no more. Those who fought against him didn't put up much of a fight as they were destroyed or fled with the others.
"Run, Mages! Once I destroy your magic shield projectors, there will be no place for you to hide!"
"We can't allow this! Matulak! Evirwyn! Zeluuc! Gerbo, with me!" One of the archmages shouted, jumping from the hallway on the second floor to stand in Haritus's path.
"You think you and your students can stop me, Clarimore?"
Clarimore didn't turn from his opponent, he took the shoulder of a passing elf woman, "Setara, take the younger students away from here. My students and I will buy you time."
"That's right, elven wench! Take the kids and run while your hero sacrifices his life and those of his pupils!"
"Ignore him, Setara, he's not the Haritus you knew, not anymore."
The elven maiden looked into the face of the fallen paladin. As his wicked smile widens, a tear escaped her eye and she left to do what she must. Haritus cackled and threw a shadow arm forward.
"Clarimore, jump!" Gerbo shouted from the second floor.
The archmage did so, avoiding Haritus's attack and countering with a frostbolt. Haritus blocked it with a shadow shield that froze over. When the shield was dismissed, the ice blocks shattered as they fell to the floor.
"Matulak, strike! Evirwyn, Zeluuc, whenever you're ready!" Gerbo yelled.
Hearing the mechanical gears whirling, Haritus turned to see a half-orc mage inside a large metal exoskeletal frame. Throwing a fist forward, Haritus flung across the air, hovering safely to the ground. Turning to his opponents, Haritus angrily threw several shadow bolts.
"Clarimore, sidestep right! Matulak, right arm block!" Gerbo shouted, his companions evading damage doing so.
Suddenly, Haritus found himself wrapped in growing tree limbs that sprouted through the marble floor. From the corner of his eye, he saw a young moon elf standing there, the elf's hand having struck his back to conjure the spell.
"See, Zeluuc. Once again, druidism has proven itself over shamanism."
The young forest troll snorted, striking Evirwyn's back as he did with Haritus. However, the green energy traveled through his friend's arms and into his spell. With a flash of green light, the growing tree was transformed into a jutting stone boulder entombing Haritus.
Zeluuc removed his hands and dusted them off.
"Is he dead?" Evirwyn asked, tapping the stone.
"Don't you worry, I felt da stone swallow him whole. He's done, come on, let's get some talhana wine on me."
As they smiled in their victory, Gerbo's smile was short-lived as a migraine spiked in his head, "No!"
The stone boulder cracked as first and exploded seconds later, Haritus stood unscathed against the duo's attack.
"Hmph...an archmage, an artificer, a druid, a shaman, and a diviner. Do you really think you could defeat me?" Haritus concentrated as shadows engulfed him. A moment later, the shadows shot up and numerous shadowy tendrils sprout forward and two large shadow arms came to be. The five magi looked up to a fifteen-foot monstrosity of shadow. In his larger more monstrous form, Haritus jumped into the fray once more.
In a flash of light, Will found herself in an alley. She was back in her normal clothes, the first time she's seen them in days.
"Okay, everything's fine. I will use the Heart and get back to Veluria, meet up with the girls, and save the day. You know, the usual routine."
However, black lightning coursed through her when she used the Heart.
"I...I can't get back? Wait, the Shades...their spell must be keeping me from going back. Then, how did the girls get there?" She moved into the street, recognizing it was truly Heatherfield. Hurrying to the only place she knew she'd find answers.
"This must be how they did it!" Will reviewed the spellbook laying in the clearing of the floor in the bookstore basement, "They couldn't use our portal because they didn't have the Heart, maybe if..." She raised the Heart to the portal, "Veluria!" Black lightning shot from the portal, throwing Will back, her landing softened by the piles of books strewn about.
"No teleportation, no portal, the Shades' spell is preventing me from returning to Veluria...I...I can't go back."
A wave of despair like none before had hit her. It only worsened when she tried removing the binding spell with the Heart, which was to no avail. She figured the Shade, having been exposed to the Heart before, must have found a way to circumvent it.
Haritus already got what he wanted from her, so there was no chance of him getting her back. It seemed all options were exhausted as she was, there seemed to be no means of returning.
All she could do was go home. By the time she got back, it was nearly eleven at night. Her mother was asleep with Dean by her side. Will sighed, getting ready for sleep. When she was ready, she slithered under her bed sheets, resting her head on her pillow.
"Home, sweet, Home." She said sadly.
"No match whatsoever!" Haritus laughed at the five defeated opponents, the magi were all unconscious from the battle, "There is no one on this planet who can challenge me!" He exclaimed and a boulder smacks him across the room before shattering into rocks.
Cornelia stood there with a smile, "How about us?"
Haritus stood up slowly, but he smiled, "Ah, just the girls I wanted to see."
"GIRLS! GET OUT OF HERE! HE'S..." The True Shade psychically screamed.
"Enough out of you! Shad Cucara! He shouted, cutting off the psychic connection.
Hay Lin blew a strong wind that knocked Haritus off his feet.
Still he smiled, "Shad Impara!"
And just like that, Hay Lin disappeared. The wind ceased, Haritus landed firmly to the ground.
"Hay Hey? What have you done with her?"
He turned to Irma slowly, "She's fine...for now. But why don't you see for yourself? Shad Impara!"
She disappeared. Cornelia and Taranee laid it on thick with dislodged golden pillars, marble flooring, and fire. The storm of earth and fire swarmed down to their opponent. As the smoke and dust cleared, they saw no Haritus, only scorched marble and molten gold. Taking a moment, they breathed in victory.
"Shad Impara!" And Cornelia disappeared.
"What?" Taranee asked, Haritus tapped her on the shoulder from behind, causing her to flinch.
"Shad Impara!" The last of I.T.C.H. was captured. He laughed in victory, getting an archer in the back that seared him badly. Turning, he saw Del high between two marble pillars in the rear of the room, he notched an arrow and aimed to fire.
"Shad Sewara!" Several strands of shadow shot from Haritus's arm toward the elven ranger, who let go to drop down, the strands missing him completely. Bracing his legs against the pillars to slow down, he fired another arrow piercing Haritus's chest, searing him as Del slid to a halt.
Ending with a loud scream, Haritus vanished. Delthion kicked off the pillars into a somersault, landing just short of the molten gold. The Shade clones soon rematerialized and made their way to the elf's side.
"Is he...dead?" Del asked, looking where Haritus stood.
"Unfortunately, no. He's retreated for now. Thank goodness, Shad Cucara ended when he left, so I could return. What were those arrows?"
"Light arrows, the sun elves gane each moon elf archer a quiver of these when he began attacking villages. I would have used this..." He pulled a golden tip arrow that had a fiery aura about it, "The sun arrow, but it would have hurt you, too."
"Thank you. But next time, use it regardless. Haritus is heading back to the mountain, we must stop him immediately!" The six Shade clones merged into one, "All of us! At any cost!"
Del knew what he was asking and yet he nodded, knowing the alternative. Together, they dark shifted away, leaving Kep'Mordos behind.