Chapter 12

Confrontation

Author's Notes: I'm sorry for not posting this chapter sooner. I got cought up in college stuff and baseball. Sorry for those of you who have been waiting. It's a little late, but here it is.

Vane. All of those cocky sorcerers think they're so much better than me. I'll show them. I'll show that Guildmaster, that premier, but most of all that boy. I'll kill them for messing with To . . .

Foom A pillar of fire shot from the ground a few feet away. Three figures could be seen within the flame. Torach ran behind the tree to avoid being seen. As the flame dissipated, the figures came into full view.

Sweat dripped from Mia's brow, as she now knelt on the ground.

"I'm sorry . . . if it was . . . a little rough." Mia looked at her two passengers. Both Steve and Nash clutched their stomachs and had turned green.

"Excuse me," Steve said, running for the bushes.

Nash quickly chocked down a healing nut. He then went to help Mia up. "Let's get you to Althena's statue. That teleportation spell looks like it took a lot out of you."

Mia let go a small laugh. "It looks like it took some out of you too."

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Hurk "This never happened when Azoric was with me." Hurk Steve started taking deep breaths. He sat back in the grass, by the bushes. He looked around the city one last time before he left. He had to admit, he was going to miss it. Then he saw it.

A lance of ice flew from the roof of the guild mansion.

"Look out!" he yelled.

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The yell came loud, and without warning. Nash looked up at the javelin of ice coming down upon them. With all of his strength, Nash pushed Mia from the path of the flying ice.

The spike sunk deep into Nash's stomach. An ear piercing scream was heard throughout the city of Vane. The entire city stood still and fell silent. They all watched in horror as their premier fell to the ground.

"Get a healer!" Steve yelled. He ran as fast as he could to where Mia sat crying.

"Nash, hang in there," Mia said between sobs. He tried to speak, but Mia quieted him. "Save your strength."

"Look out," he barely chocked out.

Mia turned to see Steve squared off against a dark armored figure. She slowly stood up and drew her staff.

"Well, well. One down, two to go." The sinister boy hovered before them, pulsing with dark energy. He drew a staff with small blades on the very end. The staff was as dark as night, and it too pulsed with dark energy.

"Torach, you have no place here. Leave or be destroyed."

"Now who's the cliche?" Torach mocked.

"I've killed demons stronger than you. This is your last chance."

Torach waved his hand and muttered something that neither mage could hear. A spike made of solid rock jutted up from under the boy. Steve jumped, barely escaping the deadly earth spell. He landed to the side of the evil boy. With the little power he had left, Steve cast his Blade Barrage.

The daggers did little against Torach's magic barrier, and his sword was blocked by Torach's staff. The boy just laughed, as Steve appeared back where he had been earlier, breathing hard.

A blue light flew from Steve's feet. He felt a small chill and then his body toughen. Torach glared at the young magess.

"Your Ice Shell' shall not save him." His eyes were as black as night. Ebony fire spewed forth from Torach's body, scorching the ground and dispelling Steve's Ice Shell.

"Now for you," he said, gesturing to the ground in front of Mia. "Ripple."

Mia screamed as she was knocked to the ground by the wave of earth. When she regained her senses, Torach stood over her. His bladed staff was aimed straight for her heart.

"You Ausas have held a power over me since I came to Vane. I finally hold a power over you. I want to hear you beg for your life." Mia's face grew stern and defiant. She wasn't going to give in. She wouldn't let him win.

Mia sat defiant. Suddenly, Torach spun. "Dark Hand." A hand of pure black energy grabbed Steve in the middle of his sneak attack. The fist that held the boy floated down beside Mia. "Dark Hand," he said again as another hand grabbed Mia and the two were hoisted five feet in the air.

"Congratulations. You just ensured that you two will have a very painful death." The two screamed in agony as the hands squeezed them with incredible force. It was hard to breathe. Both felt the life, slowly being squeezed from their bodies.

"Thunderbolt!"

A sudden bolt of lightning cut through the sky. It broke through the magic barrier and sent waves of electricity through Torach's body. The two captives fell from the fading hands, and landed hard. Mia was the first to see their savior.

"Nash!"she screamed. "But how?"

A wave of relief washed over her. Amy stood next to the young magess, finishing her Heal Litany. She gave Mia a wink.

"What's the matter Torach? You can dish out magic, but can't take it?" Nash taunted.

Dark energy shot out from Torach's eyes, but deflected off of Nash's magic barrier. Then Nash called for a Thunder Thrust as Torach prepared to defend himself.

The shots of lightning crackled through the city of Vane. A split second before one of the bolts struck, Torach raised another shield. A dome of dark magic now shielded him from the element. "I'll teach you to attack me," Torach shouted, as he slowly walked toward Nash.

"To steal a line from Chico Marx," Steve yelled from behind. He used the silver light that Amy had given him. "'You don't have to teach us. We know how.' Earth Spike!"

Shards of rock flew from all sides shattering the shield. "Flame Bomb!" Mia's flame spell flew from the side, and hit the boy full on.

"Isn't this a little unfair?" Torach asked.

"We'll give you a choice then," Nash replied. "Face all of us, or leave Vane for good."

Torach glared at Nash, then raised his staff over his head. It took a second for Mia to realize what he was chanting. "Nash, we have to do something," she yelled, as she ran over to him.

Steve heard her and leapt into action. He flew through the air, then turning a flip, he slashed with his sword. The blade easily cut though Torach's dark staff. As the top of the staff fell away, dark energy shot into the already blackening clouds above. Torach was now flailing wildly, as he was lifted into the air, still clutching his staff.

"Oh, no. He's lost control of the spell," shouted Mia. Beams of purple light started raining down from the sky, destroying all they touched.

"Oops."

The three mages put up shield after shield around the magic city. They were shattering just as fast as they were being cast.

"Shouldn't this spell have ended by now?" Amy shouted, tossing star lights to both Steve and Mia.

"He keeps feeding it power," Mia yelled back.

Steve cast another shield. "Well, we have to do something soon. We can't keep this up forever."

Thwang Ffffffffffttt

The three turned to look at torach. The butt end of an arrow struck out of his heart.

Torach slowly tumbled to the ground as the purple beams started to taper off. As he touched the ground, a beam of purple light, bigger than the rest, came crashing down on top of him.

All four shielded their eyes, as the light hit the boy. When they looked up again, Torach had been reduced to a pile of ash.