Chapter 14

Tatum, the elements, and Spyro ran through the hallways until they came to the flight of stone steps that led down into the torture chambers of the fortress. As she led them down the steps, they noticed the temperature was getting colder; they could almost see their breath. Tatum quickly placed the clear crystal on the top of her staff, illuminating the dark corridor. She led them through the corridor, all the while sensing a very negative presence. She stopped when they came to the secret door in the wall of the fortress and looked behind them for the mysterious presence following them.

The time is drawing closer, she thought, hopefully I will not have to experience such a battle... She tapped the wall with her staff and the secret door moved to the side, letting them out. Tatum stepped out, but stopped when she saw something move beneath the sand. The tremors were still out there. She nodded at Devon who crawled into the sand and used his power to create a stone path for them to a safe teleportatione zone so they could escape.

As they began to step out onto the stone path, a shadow burst out from the corridor behind them and encased them all in darkness. Tatum shouted out a spell and the crystal erupted light causing the shadow to shrink and take form. It became a ghostlike creature with long, black, sharp fangs, whitish/grey eyes, and fierce, black claws. Its saliva dripped from its mouth, neither liquid nor gas, disappearing when it hit the sand. Its breath was slow and heavy.

It began speaking in a foreign tongue to Tatum. Its tone sounded threatening. (A/N: For this part, I thought it'd be easier to add both the foreign conversation and the translation in parenthesis.)

" Haveh a shikantes goveku (give up the elements, Keeper)..." It said in a whisper/echoic voice.

" Becho viganta tuchetos michas (Not within a thousand years)..." Tatum answered, glaring at it. All but Tatum and the shadow wore confused faces. Apparently, only Tatum and the shadow could understand each other. The shadow narrowed its eyes at Taum and said, " Thecas veracados (Then, we fight)..." With that, the shadow lunged at Tatum who blocked with a light spell from her staff.

It backed up, paused trying to consider other attempts, then dived into the sand and disappeared. It appeared as if they won for a few moments, but Tatum kept stiff and alert. Obviously, it was waiting for the right moment to ambush them. Tatum turned to the elements and Spyro and said quietly, " Get to the teleportation zone...if I don't join you in ten minutes, leave without me..."

Sydney was shocked. Just leave her, she thought, she must be crazy... She searched her face for any sign of reconsideration, but she had never seen Tatum more serious about a decision. She sighed and went with the others to the teleportation zone. They watched as they waited for any sign of her to come with them, but she remained motionless on the spot.

Suddenly, it came up from beneath her and surrounded her in a dome of pitch-blackness. She muttered a spell and slammed her staff into the sand, creating a burst of light, causing the shadow to withdraw. It hissed and narrowed its eyes at her. It then stretched out its arm, forming a sharp blade out of it. Then it detached the blade to reform its arm.

It smirked and said, " Joba tiye sekero dubeka getero vukano (I hope you know how to play with blades)..."

Tatum then threw her staff to the side and concentrated on it so that it didn't fall. She began to chant a spell and the staff glowed a white aura. Slowly but surely the staff turned into a long silver sword with a silvery white handle bearing many elaborate markings on both the blade and the handle. It floated back to her hand and she tore off her white cloak, revealing many markings on her body similar to the ones on her sword. Without her cloak she wore something like that of a black bikini with a golden necklace around her neck bearing a tiny vial with white ashes inside.

" Degas hibarte kume tiye nibe sekoma (Much better than you will enjoy)..." She said smirking back. The shadow glared at her for a few moments then lunged at her with the blade. She blocked upward, slashed the blade free from the catch, and then went for an upward slash. The shadow blocked this and slashed outward towards her. She dodged backwards and slashed downward, causing the shadow to separate in half in order to dodge the hit.

While it dodged, it brought its blade down on Tatum cutting into her left shoulder. She cried out in pain, backed up, and clutched at her wound. It took this opportunity to lunge at her, but she quickly blocked and struck back, wounding its right arm. It bled a dark violet colored blood, which dripped from its arm and stained the desert sand. Tatum used this opportunity to blast a jet of light at the shadow, blowing a hole in its torso.

It screeched an earsplitting screech and clutched at its wound. It was weakening. It then lifted its left hand, causing a cloud of darkness to surround Tatum, forming a dark ball. Dark purple energy surges were shocking Tatum from inside the ball of black. Tatum then slashed an X into the side of the ball to escape and burst out in a bright light.

Just as she was landing, the shadow snuck up and drove its black sword into her abdomen. She paused in shock for a few moments. Crimson blood dripped down the shadow's blade and onto the ground. She fell to her knees, blood beginning to drip from her mouth. The shadow hastily removed its blade and watched her almost fall to the ground. She used her sword for support and closed her eyes. She began to chant softly a sort of spell.

It appeared as if a wind was circling around the shadow. At that point a pure white cloud formed above the shadow and began to glow. The shadow hissed at the light and began to weaken even more. Tatum continued to chant as she started to glow a white aura. A glowing, white ring formed around the shadow and it seemed as if it were trapped in some sort of shield.

Tatum's aura began to glow brighter as a blast of blinding light shot from the cloud, covering the shadow completely. It emitted a deafening screech as it slowly disappeared in the light as if it were burning to death. The white cloud disappeared as well as the ring and Tatum's aura as the light dimmed and the elements and Spyro could see better. Afterwards, Tatum raised her left hand and teleported them back to the Dragon Worlds, leaving herself behind. Tatum then fainted and lied motionless on the desert floor.