Chapter 9: Shadow's End
- The Forest -
Hadriel stopped dead. Draconum was gone. He just wasn't there any more. The angel began to slowly back away and bumped into something hard. He spun around.
A fist connected with his stomach. if he had been a mortal it would have winded him for sure, but his angelic powers protected him for the most part. The angel snarled and jumped back using his wings to gain extra speed. Another fist connected with his back sending him flying towards the ground. Just as he was about to hit he did a hand plant and rolled to his feet.
Draconum was standing right in front of him. He lashed out with his sword. He grinned as he felt it impact into the monsters side, but his grin turned to a horrified grimace as the blade of light simply bounced of the blacker then black scales. He cart wheeled back just as a clawed hand slammed into the ground that he had just been standing on.
'Blast it, how do you defeat this monstrosity.' Hadriel thought calmly to himself, 'There has to be a weakness! everything has a weakness.'
He dodged another lightning fast attack that probably would of killed him had it actually connected.
'I suppose the problem is finding that weakness before I get killed.'
Draconum vanished again. That's when Hadriel realized what was actually happening. Draconum wasn't moving so fast he couldn't be seen he was using the shadows of the forest to teleport around. Hadriel's eyes widened in sudden realization. Vlad had tricked him! Vlad had used him to get another chance to fight Draconum, but had picked an area with a high concentration of shadows that way even if he injured Draconum the monster was in an area that he could easily deal with the angel! That double crossing demon had tricked him into fighting Draconum in a location that gave the monster the advantage!
Another punched landed in Hadriel's lower back. This wasn't good! He wasn't suppose to be this powerful!
Draconum grinned as he teleported away from another of the arch-angels sword slashes. He was starting to realize he didn't stand chance here it seemed.
"This is why you should never trust a demon, Hadriel. They have a habit of being evil." Draconum laughed mockingly at the angel who snarled in response and suddenly vanished.
Draconum blinked. He spun around and caught the fiery sword in his hand. It hurt to say the least, but it was better then getting his head cut off.
"This is hardly over, Draconum!" The angel spat.
Draconum concentrated and darkness began flowing into his hand. The white winged man back flipped to gain distance then launched forward again raising his sword in a graceful arch. The light forged sword met with shadow crafted blade.
Hadriel stumbled back and Draconum brought his own sword down in an axe like motion at the angel. Hadriel saw the blow coming and barely managed to raise his own blade to parry, but the overwhelming power of the blow knocked him back again and numbed his entire arm.
"Sernus Burz!" Hadriel yelled and raised his hand toward Draconum.
A beam of star fire erupted from his palm and raced toward the monster. Draconum raised his own hand.
"Vorpus Revus!" Draconum roared back.
A swirling vortex of darkness opened before him and the fire was pulled into it. As the last of the flames faded the dark whirlpool reversed it's spin and spit the flames back at the angel. Hadriel's eyes widened in shock and he shot up into the sky to avoid his own spell.
Draconum smiled wickedly. "Vorpus Cretus!" He thundered and pointed at the angel.
A vortex of darkness appeared below the angel and began to grow. The vortex began to pull the white winged man down into it. Hadriel snarled and pointed at Draconum.
"Sernus Burz!" He shouted again.
Draconum frowned, the same spell twice? That wasn't very smart. Then Draconum realized that the angel was looking behind him not at him. Draconum glanced back and saw Danny and Ember standing wide eyed within the shield. That barrier couldn't' take a hit from spell like that! Draconum released his own spell allowing the angel to fly skyward once again and raced for the his two friends.
He made it just in time and raised his blade to block the fiery bolt. The sword drank the fire in hungrily and transfered some of the energy to its master, giving Draconum a small power boost.
That had been underhanded even for an angel. He glanced back at Danny and Ember.
"Look out!" Danny shouted.
Draconum spun back towards the forest just in time to block the blazing sword of light. He snarled again and countered aiming at his opponents neck. Hadriel blocked easily and countered with a slash at Draconum's sword arm. The blow landed and this time the blade didn't bounce off. It bit deep into Draconum's lower arm. He roared in pain, but grabbed the small angel with his other hand and raised him into the air.
Hadriel raised his legs and kicked off of Draconum's chest hard enough to leap away and yank his sword out at the same time. The wound instantly began to heal as soon as the glowing sword was no longer present. Draconum smirked as Hadriel growled in frustration.
"What does it take to kill you?!" The angel shouted at him.
"More then you." Draconum replied mockingly. He raised his free hand and made a swiping motion. Shadows suddenly lashed out from every direction. Hadriel back peddled out of their way and they crashed into a tree slicing it to pieces.
The angel raised his own hand in response and a beam of light shot out from his finger tips, vaporising the shadowy blades. He turned back to Draconum just in time to feel the Shadow Fang sink into his shoulder. The angel screamed in agony as the blade began to devour his life force and drain his magical energy. He lashed out with his own sword and caught Draconum across the chest forcing the monster back.
Hadriel knew he had to end this fast or else he was finished. There had to be a weakness. If he could just land a mortal blow he was sure it would kill Draconum. Even he needed a brain and heart, Hadriel just had to hit one of them!
Draconum launched back at him using his free hand to lash out at him with his claws. Hadriel used his wings to fly backward out of the way, but his eyes widen when Draconum hurled his blade at him like a missile. The angel dodged backward just in time and held his hand out again shooting the beam of light, this time at Draconum.
The monster didn't even bother dodging he just raised his hand and blocked the beam with another dark vortex. Hadriel snarled in rage as his spell was reversed and shot back at him again. He flew higher to avoid the beam, but just as he was getting ready to attack again he felt something cut him across his back.
He screamed again as Draconum's sword flew by like a boomerang and returned to it's owner, slashing him in the lower back as it did.
'Blast it all! How in the name of...' Hadriel's eyes fell to Danny and Ember, 'That's it!'
Hadriel lurched towards Draconum who got into a stance to block. The angel smiled. He suddenly veered straight down towards the two mortals on the ground. Draconum's eyes widened. He took off after the angel knowing he would only barely be able to make it in time if he went full speed.
Hadriel felt the monster flying after him. Perfect. He landed on the ground and just as Draconum was about to slam into him pivoted around raising his sword as he did. Draconum's speed impaled him on the angelic blade straight through the chest.
"Die you bastard!" Hadriel snarled. He could feel the sword vibrate as Draconum's heart beat. The ancient monster suddenly coughed, blood running out of his mouth.
"I win..." The angel began, but was cut off as Draconum's hand grabbed the hilt of his sword. Hadriel expected the creature to throw him away, but he didn't he held the blade and his hand in place. Draconum dropped his own sword and used that hand to grab the angel's throat.
Green runes suddenly surrounded them and Hadriel's eyes widened when he realized this was some kind of spell ritual.
Draconum's voice came out as a weak rasp. "Within the darkness will you wait."
Shadows began to swirl around them. Hadriel struggled to escape Draconum's gripe, but he couldn't even budge his sword.
"Sealed by the shadows and my burning gaze."
Draconum's green eyes flashed red and the angel felt his power being drained away. Slowly the light around him began to dim.
"Until the world is brought it's final pain."
Hadriel felt his wings begin to change painfully, he could feel his feathers falling away. His eyes widened in horror as his connection to the Light was severed.
"Weep, for you now bear the shame to see it end, yet still remain."
Nothing of his angelic power remained. His blazing sword turned to cold steel and his once glowing armor was dim. Hadriel shivered as cold began to over whelm him, numbing cold that turned his hands blue and froze his ears. He realized he was screaming though he wasn't sure why.
"For in the end all light will fade and only darkness shall remain."
The glowing runes began to pulse and Hadriel could feel shadows slithering across his skin. His armor began to turn black and his sword was starting to resemble Draconum's.
"Bound by chains of rage and hate your deeds fore tell your gruesome fate."
The runes flowed from the ground up his body until they were directly over the angels heart. They flashed once and pain seared through his entire body. Draconum yanked the sword out of his chest and released the angel. Hadriel fell to his knees as Draconum collapsed onto the ground. Slowly he raised a trembling hand to gaze at his now night black armor.
"Weep," Draconum whispered quietly, "for you now bear the shame to see it all end, yet still remain."
Hadriel slowly looked over his shoulder. His feathered white wings were no more, they had been replaced by two charcoal black bat wings. He looked down at Draconum, at the Overlord of Shadows.
"What did you do to me?!" He whispered hoarsely. "What did you do?!"
"I hope you enjoy darkness, Hadriel." Draconum said in a raspy voice. "You'll be spending the rest of eternity in it."
The fallen angel's eyes widened in horror. Draconum laughed mockingly.
"It looks like we both kept our promises, doesn't it Hadriel?" Draconum laughed again.
The angel rolled the ancient creature over. "Change me back! Change me back!!" He screamed.
"There is no going back, not for you, not now, not ever Hadriel..." Draconum whispered. Suddenly a glowing white orb appeared from the wound on Draconum's chest then another and another.
Hadriel stared. "No..."
Draconum coughed and blood poured from his mouth. "Tell me Hadriel, which of us is truly cursed?"
The fallen angel simply sat there a look of unrecoverable shock on his face. Danny was suddenly right next to them, Ember following close behind. The angel glanced at them then dismissed them, staring off into space hopelessly.
"Drac!" Danny shouted. He fell to his knees next to his friend. He glanced at the horrible wound on his chest.
"Dracy..." Ember whispered quietly, kneeling next to him.
"I suppose this is goodbye hatchlings." More of the white lights broke away from his body and flew into the sky.
"No... Draconum please you can't die! You can't!" Danny whispered.
Draconum smiled sadly. "In my case little brother it is more of a gift."
"Dracy, no please don't leave." Ember sobbed wrapping her arm around the ancient creature's neck.
"Are those tears for me?" Draconum asked lifting Ember's face to look at her. "Do not cry for me little one."
"I can't help it! I don't want you to die!" She sobbed ever harder.
Draconum chuckled weakly. "What did I tell you before, Danny?"
Danny shook his head. He was trying to reach the man mentally, but suddenly realize that the connection was gone. He stared down at Draconum.
"What did I tell you? Remember?" He repeated.
Danny nodded slowly. "Death is the price we pay for living, a price we all have to pay..."
"You should not feel sorry for me, this was my choice in the end. Besides, I can see my family again." Draconum looked up into the clear sky. "In fact I think I already do. I had to sever our connection little brother. I had to give you a part of myself, but you still have too much to live for to die just yet."
"Dracy..." Ember sobbed again.
Draconum glanced at them one last time. "Goodbye, Danny. Take care of her and take of yourself. Goodbye, Ember. Be strong, you mean more to him then you will ever know. Goodbye, until we meet again and we will meet again, some day."
Draconum looked back to the sky and slowly raised one clawed hand. His body vanished in an explosion of tiny white lights that bolted into the sky. Danny stared up at them for a moment, then they vanished in a flash of gold. Danny felt tears running down his face and felt Ember wrap her arms around him. He held her tight.
'Goodbye... big brother.' Danny thought sadly as Ember cryed into his chest.
"This is all your fault." Hadriel suddenly whispered. He looked at Danny.
"What?"
"This is your fault! Yours! ALL YOURS!!!" The fallen angel shrieked as he stumbled to his feet raising the now black sword over his head.
Danny rolled to the side, dragging Ember along with him as the blade slammed into ground. The earth buckled under the power of the blow.
"I WILL KILL YOU BOTH FOR THIS!!!" There was nothing, but hatred and insanity on the man's face.
Rage suddenly consumed Danny. This was the same man that had killed his friend! This was the man that had cost Draconum his life! And he was blaming them!
Danny's eyes pulsed with green light. He clenched his fists and stood slowly. Green fire appeared around his hands.
"I can never forgive you." He said quietly. "I'll make you pay."
He looked up at Hadriel and even in his insanity the ex-angel flinched. Danny wasn't really sure why his gaze could make this creature, that was as strong as Draconum had been flinch, but then again Danny couldn't see the green fire that burned in his eyes...