Traci: Eh, sorry about that. I probably should have clarified that. The metal cylinder was hollow, and in essence a straw, so when I refered to them I meant the same thing. :/
As we slowly floated down toward the huge palace
of the Lord of the High Magic, I couldn't help playing ominous music in
my head.
Ector gave us a debriefing of our mission.
Alhan was the ruler of the High Magic, but he was shrouded in mystery and
Ector wasn't sure what our battle would consist of. However, he knew that
the High Magic had created a rift into another world, which they had planned
to escape into when man used the four orbs and annhilated Earth. The orbs
were too powerful for them, and they needed a way out. But not even Alhan
knew exactly WHAT would be revealed through the rift. Alhan was hoping
that it would lead somewhere empty, where he could begin anew... They had
made it so that the rift would begin to close automatically as a response
to the energies of the orbs. They would have just enough time to get through.
Of course, this plan was pretty much abandoned.
The orbs had been taken into custody by Ector and the three Wild renegades.
Ector was sure Alhan knew by now, since Craig had not cut off any bonds
with the High Magic as Ector had done. Now that Craig was dead, Alhan wouldn't
be able to track us any longer.
All this went on in a silent conversation
telepathically while we swam down, deeper and deeper. Alana was in her
element, so to speak. Traci, on the other hand, prefered to use her wind
powers to push the water away from her. Fire and water dont mix.
I, on the other hand, was pretty neutral to
the water. Smoke and Ice aren't really helped nor hindered by water. Metal
rusts in it, but Lightning conducts in it, and I guess it just canceled
out.
Ector? I could never tell what emotions were
behind his calm face.
Will and Bran stayed behind for the most part.
Being part of the Circle, I'm sure they had no troubles.
I allowed my mind to doze like this for awhile. Pacman. I was
thinking randomly. That's how I get when I'm bored. Bright green paper-mache
cups. That kind of murky green that-
"We're here."
Ector's words sliced and diced the silence
into little pieces which were washed away by a coming wave. I saw before
me the wavering image of a silver half-orb. It wasn't wavering in the sense
that it looked like that through the water-no, I saw quite clearly in the
water. It was wavering like heat coming up from a barbecue and making the
image behind shimmer, making it all look partially real...
It was too bad we were here on unpleasant
business. I could have liked this place.
Immediatly, as we swooped downward, we found
ourselves at the opposite end of a long hall. At the other end was quite
an ornate throne. But we weren't looking at that.
Because floating in the air above the head
of the king Alhan was a crack in midair. It was about ten feet in length
and five feet wide. Through the crack was nothing. Not nothing as in 'the
room was empty', and not nothing as in emptiness of space. Just like the
black, swallowing emptiness of the old orbs, inside the crack was a FEELING
of nothingness.
Alhan was cloaked in a mist-like substance.
The hood revealed nothing but a bent nose and a startling white beard.
The lines on his face that disappeared into shadow as they moved up were
vaguely reminscent of Merriman, Will thought. Only lacking the kindess...
Alhan then spoke. "The leader of the Old and
Wild Magic comes to assault me?"
Suddenly I felt a great power eminating from
Ector. He seemed to grow taller and wiser, gaining power slowly. "Indeed
we have!" he cried. Then silently, he called into our minds. "The orbs!
Activate them NOW!"
Traci, Alana, Ector and I concentrated on
the orbs we held in our hands. Suddenly, Ector held a huge sword, glowing
with power. He raised it up in front of Alhan.
Alhan seemed simply annoyed. "Do you not think
I would prepare myself for something like this?"
Ector pointed the sword at Alhan. "This blade,
made by the energies of the newly reborn Orbs, is growing already. It removes
you, strips you of the powers you have. Right now you are nothing more
then a shell."
Alhan laughed. "I was prepared." He opened
a capsule to his right and removed a glass orb. The energies contained
were white. "I may not be able to kill you myself. But it is a simple task
to bring someone who can."
Alhan threw the orb to the ground. "REKRAD!"
he cried. An illusion, a mist seeped from the orb in the shape of a man.
Alhan looked at it in the eyes. "Mordred." he whispered.
There was a bang. Suddenly, Craig stood there
in the place of the white orb. And in his hands were the Evil Wind, Earth
and Water orbs!
Alhan laughed crazily. "KILL THEM, RIDER!
GET YOUR REVENGE!"
Craig stood for a moment, and then turned
back to Alhan. The light flickered over his face and illuminated his age.
"No." The one word seemed to be the only human speech we had heard in years.
Disbelief flashed over Alhan's face. "But-"
"You are a fool, Alhan." Craig spat out. "You
were always a fool. I knew you before you became lord of the most corrupt
leadership any universe has known. You could never get a spell right. Resurrecting
me does YOU no good. You forgot about who controlled me then. The Black
Rider. You totally forgot about the Rider!"
Alhan roared back. "But they KILLED you!"
"They didnt kill ME. I wasn't held accountable
for my actions. There was one way to stop the Rider. And as it was, that
way was to stop ME."
Ector grinned widely. "The time has come."
he whispered softly. He lifted the sword higher.
Alhan's face twisted in rage. "GUARDS!"
From the ground burst seventeen huge trolls,
weilding huge spiked maces. They charged at the six of us!
I opened my hand and willed the metal in the
mace to obey my command. The weapon flew up into the air and crashed into
the ceiling. A crack appeared in the metal ceiling, which began working
its way up...
Water poured in through the crack. I used
it to my advantage and sent a bolt of lightning through the water and into
four of the guards. They sizzled, and collapsed.
In the front, I saw Ector and Alhan dueling.
Alhen weilded a blade as black as Ector's was white. Craig was making mincemeat
out of a troll in the far corner. Will had already obliterated three with
a single spell, and Bran was cleaving flesh with Excalabur. Alana and Traci
were combining their abilities to rain meteors down at the guards.
And so, I was the only one who saw Alhan pin
Ector against the wall, his black blade at Ector's throat.
The water continued to flow from the crack
in the ceiling. Concentrating hard, I froze some of it and sent it for
Alhan's head. He stumbled for a moment, enough for Ector to strike!
Alhan cried in pain as the blade knocked him
backwards. He would have merely hit the wall. But Craig grabbed his Wind
orb and sent a gale of wind at the Lord of High Magic.
Alhan flew up and into the floating crack!
Ector cried telepathically, "USE THE ORBS!
HURRY!"
Each of us let out the white power of the
elemental orbs. The crack wavered, and slammed shut. Caught between the
edges was a hem of a mist-woven cloak.
The remaining trolls were blown away like
dust sculptures in a hurricane. Not a trace was left. The High Magic had
finally departed this world. The battle was over.
A/N: Like it? Or did it make you think I'm just stark raving
mad? Or both?