Author's Note: Wait, do you want to use the character Rayen, or just the
name? Yes, torturing Lloyd is fun, mweehee...
It might have been a Dragon, but remember, the guy at the end of Chapter 60 said 'expendable'. One would think Dragons would be more valuable than that.
Grand Spire is actually Oraeus's own spell. I realize that it sounds a lot like Grand Stream, but the spells are a little different. Meh. Yeah, Astral Assault, Grand Spire, Dying Star, and Freezing Pulse are all my spells. As are Parasite Blade, Rage of Gaia, and Cleansing Flame, but that's obvious.
Chapter 62
Rayen was still swearing under his breath when the towering behemoth reached the clearing. In their inexperience, a good portion of the recruits charged early, hoping to overwhelm the beast early. They paid for that mistake early when the Virage swung its gigantic left hand, knocking several out of the air and out of action. After several fell from the sky, their wings crushed, the others made a wise decision to back off. Magic was running low, and there was only so much the Silvers could expend on healing.
There was one, however, who had purposely held out using magic. Kyra sent lightning surging through her claws, the bolts dancing along the curved barbs. "Power Surge!" Lunging forwards, she slashed viciously with incredible speed, shoving the Virage backwards. Then, slamming her feet into the Virage's chest to distance herself, she brought both claws together, letting the electricity combine, then released it in a crackling wave that made the Virage go staggering, struggling to keep its balance.
Immediately Rayen recognized what needed to be done. Reaching into the swirling vortex of the elements, he brought the eternal flame forward, and the crimson stripe devoured all the others, one by one, until he was clad in the blood-red armor they all knew so well. Focusing intense heat into the tip of his shoulder, Rayen rammed into the teetering Virage, knocking it off its feet altogether. The enormous ebony body fell to the ground with an earthshaking crash.
Again, several of the rookies got overly excited, diving in, hoping for an easy kill. The Virage thrust its right hand upwards, entangling them in its countless tentacles. It hurled them backwards, knocking several other Dragoons to the snow in the process. The Virage appeared to know everything they were about to do, as if it had been studying them. Or maybe the inexperienced Dragoons were simply predictable; it was impossible to tell.
Knowing that the Virage would be much easier to defeat if it were kept from getting back up, Oraeus and the remaining Golden Dragoons, being the largest and most physical of all, led a charge to ram the Virage yet again. The line of golden-clad warriors kept spread apart, so they could not fall to the same fate as the last rush, but the Virage had another surprise ready for them. A huge white beam shot from the hole in its right hand, mowing them all down.
Rayen swore. So that's what that gap did. He felt his spirits sink as he watched his warriors being cut down. He needed to do something and fast. He reached into the whirlwind of magic yet again.
This time, not one, not two, but three stripes overwhelmed the others, blue, green, and violet. Rayen lifted Birathion, with the magic raging unchecked through him. His voice cut through the sounds of battle like a knife. "The storm rages overhead, and with the wind, thunder, and driving frost, it weeds out the impudent and the weak. Tempest Fury."
Rayen felt the winds rip around him with intense speed, and he flared his wings, allowing the gales to catch him and propel him forward with unbelievable speed, the Protector flashing, as if the blade was reflecting the storm's pure energy. Birathion moved in a dizzying blaze, and before the Virage could respond, the Guardian Dragoon had already blown past it in the blink of an eye. Rayen did a quick about-face as the winds died, bringing the sword's tip to rest on the heavy plate of his shoulder armor. Biting cold focused in Birathion's blade, until the Protector visibly shimmered with the bluish-white frost.
Rayen released the pent-up magic in a beam that froze the Virage solid, the abomination encased and sealed in a coffin of ice. It was a coffin; Rayen would make sure it became a tomb. He leapt into the air, and the winds grabbed hold of him again, hurling him bodily into the pillar of ice like a nail on a coffin, which shattered on contact and drove the helpless Virage into the snow, which crackled with a sickening noise as the heavy creature slammed into it.
But Rayen wasn't done yet, not by a long shot. As he beat his wings, he lifted Birathion into the air, where a bolt of lightning struck it. The thunder flooded through his armor, making his hair stand on end. As the Virage attempted to get to its feet, he channeled the electricity into his open left hand. When the shadowy creature finally turned its three bulbous eyes to the Guardian Dragoon, it was only to have them open wide as Rayen released the magic in a final enormous sizzling bolt that dragged the Virage off the ground and into a nearby mountainside, causing a miniature avalanche to work itself loose and come cascading down upon its misshapen head, burying it beneath layers of glistening white snow.
Rayen smiled in grim satisfaction and slid Birathion back to its sheath. He turned to leave, but his ears picked up a rumbling sound behind him. Surely it wasn't possible...
He whipped around, only to see the snow tumbling from the Virage's fallen body. It was still alive! The black mutation shook the remaining snow from itself, raising its arms in the elation of triumph. Rayen watched in hopelessness as it approached. He reached desperately into the elements, but it was no use. He couldn't even light a candle flame with what he had left.
The Virage let out a roar of victory that was soon turned into a hollow shriek of pain as a line of razor-sharp teeth sliced along its shoulder. The three night-blue eyes shifted to this new antagonist only to glimpse a young Red-Eye Dragon soaring upwards in victory. Balaeris grinned toothily before swooping downwards, aiming for a leg. It was quickly entangled by the Virage's tentacles, but that was exactly what the Red-Eye had intended. The grip was released quickly as Ikarus ran a claw along the beast's bulging chest.
The Red-Eye and Jade Dragons briefly beat one wing in each other's directions in an almost congratulatory manner before they sped back into the battle, knowing that the other five Dragons would be soon to follow. Indeed, Merindel, Jineraq, Kujura, Pacina, and Razeroth were already visible, and coming in fast. The Dragons had grown rapidly, as prophesized by Samovar, and had matured from the size of a chicken at the time of their birth to the size of a small horse. Together, despite their youth, the Dragons were a force to be reckoned with.
However, the Virage was no pushover either, having sustained a blast from the Guardian Dragoon and making it out alive. There were none else that could make that claim yet. In fact, it wasted no time picking the Dragons off one by one. Merindel was the first to go down, the Sea Dragon caught in the tentacles and put into a merciless strangle hold and thrown to the ground, body crushed, barely clinging to life.
Jineraq lowered his crested head and rammed into the Virage, knocking it backwards, but not off its feet. The Golden Dragon was rewarded with a blast from the Virage's hand, and he fell from the sky, wings singed. However, it mattered little. The Dragons had accomplished what they had come for. The one who had sent them would surely make his move now.
The shadowy figure hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. No, it was now or never. It was time to take hold of his new destiny.
The insidious creature lifted its enormous left claw to crush the fallen Golden Dragon, but then halted and stumbled forward as if struck by some unseen force. The Virage visibly shuddered for a moment as the magic rampaged unchecked through its massive body, then exploded into huge clouds of shadow that revealed its destroyer.
Shade immediately recognized their rescuer. The Dark Dragoon gave a smile that could not be seen, but was mirrored on a face that had once been his. Eclipse withdrew his blades from where the Virage had once stood, but slid only one back into its sheath. The other he kept firmly in hand as he floated gently to the earth.
He walked slowly towards Rayen, sword still in his gloved fist. Some cautioned the Guardian Dragoon, but Rayen made no move. Eclipse stopped before the leader of the Dragoon Army, legs together, and raised his sword, but not to attack. The tip of the serrated blade moved to the Dark Dragoon's brow in a salute. Giving the first real smile Rayen had felt in a very long time, he nodded. But he turned to the fallen, the Dragons and Dragoons who would need immediate healing if they were to survive to fight another day.
There was still much work to be done.
Author's Note: Yuppers, another chapter over and done with. Yes, Freefall, Eclipse came back to save everyone. However, we are left with a serious problem. When something that can be hit by a three-element spell from Rayen and not die is considered expendable, then what are they holding back? Meh. Nevertheless, Tempest Fury is a kick-ass spell. No, seriously. Anyway, I managed to finish it even though I was watching the Super Bowl. Go me.
It might have been a Dragon, but remember, the guy at the end of Chapter 60 said 'expendable'. One would think Dragons would be more valuable than that.
Grand Spire is actually Oraeus's own spell. I realize that it sounds a lot like Grand Stream, but the spells are a little different. Meh. Yeah, Astral Assault, Grand Spire, Dying Star, and Freezing Pulse are all my spells. As are Parasite Blade, Rage of Gaia, and Cleansing Flame, but that's obvious.
Chapter 62
Rayen was still swearing under his breath when the towering behemoth reached the clearing. In their inexperience, a good portion of the recruits charged early, hoping to overwhelm the beast early. They paid for that mistake early when the Virage swung its gigantic left hand, knocking several out of the air and out of action. After several fell from the sky, their wings crushed, the others made a wise decision to back off. Magic was running low, and there was only so much the Silvers could expend on healing.
There was one, however, who had purposely held out using magic. Kyra sent lightning surging through her claws, the bolts dancing along the curved barbs. "Power Surge!" Lunging forwards, she slashed viciously with incredible speed, shoving the Virage backwards. Then, slamming her feet into the Virage's chest to distance herself, she brought both claws together, letting the electricity combine, then released it in a crackling wave that made the Virage go staggering, struggling to keep its balance.
Immediately Rayen recognized what needed to be done. Reaching into the swirling vortex of the elements, he brought the eternal flame forward, and the crimson stripe devoured all the others, one by one, until he was clad in the blood-red armor they all knew so well. Focusing intense heat into the tip of his shoulder, Rayen rammed into the teetering Virage, knocking it off its feet altogether. The enormous ebony body fell to the ground with an earthshaking crash.
Again, several of the rookies got overly excited, diving in, hoping for an easy kill. The Virage thrust its right hand upwards, entangling them in its countless tentacles. It hurled them backwards, knocking several other Dragoons to the snow in the process. The Virage appeared to know everything they were about to do, as if it had been studying them. Or maybe the inexperienced Dragoons were simply predictable; it was impossible to tell.
Knowing that the Virage would be much easier to defeat if it were kept from getting back up, Oraeus and the remaining Golden Dragoons, being the largest and most physical of all, led a charge to ram the Virage yet again. The line of golden-clad warriors kept spread apart, so they could not fall to the same fate as the last rush, but the Virage had another surprise ready for them. A huge white beam shot from the hole in its right hand, mowing them all down.
Rayen swore. So that's what that gap did. He felt his spirits sink as he watched his warriors being cut down. He needed to do something and fast. He reached into the whirlwind of magic yet again.
This time, not one, not two, but three stripes overwhelmed the others, blue, green, and violet. Rayen lifted Birathion, with the magic raging unchecked through him. His voice cut through the sounds of battle like a knife. "The storm rages overhead, and with the wind, thunder, and driving frost, it weeds out the impudent and the weak. Tempest Fury."
Rayen felt the winds rip around him with intense speed, and he flared his wings, allowing the gales to catch him and propel him forward with unbelievable speed, the Protector flashing, as if the blade was reflecting the storm's pure energy. Birathion moved in a dizzying blaze, and before the Virage could respond, the Guardian Dragoon had already blown past it in the blink of an eye. Rayen did a quick about-face as the winds died, bringing the sword's tip to rest on the heavy plate of his shoulder armor. Biting cold focused in Birathion's blade, until the Protector visibly shimmered with the bluish-white frost.
Rayen released the pent-up magic in a beam that froze the Virage solid, the abomination encased and sealed in a coffin of ice. It was a coffin; Rayen would make sure it became a tomb. He leapt into the air, and the winds grabbed hold of him again, hurling him bodily into the pillar of ice like a nail on a coffin, which shattered on contact and drove the helpless Virage into the snow, which crackled with a sickening noise as the heavy creature slammed into it.
But Rayen wasn't done yet, not by a long shot. As he beat his wings, he lifted Birathion into the air, where a bolt of lightning struck it. The thunder flooded through his armor, making his hair stand on end. As the Virage attempted to get to its feet, he channeled the electricity into his open left hand. When the shadowy creature finally turned its three bulbous eyes to the Guardian Dragoon, it was only to have them open wide as Rayen released the magic in a final enormous sizzling bolt that dragged the Virage off the ground and into a nearby mountainside, causing a miniature avalanche to work itself loose and come cascading down upon its misshapen head, burying it beneath layers of glistening white snow.
Rayen smiled in grim satisfaction and slid Birathion back to its sheath. He turned to leave, but his ears picked up a rumbling sound behind him. Surely it wasn't possible...
He whipped around, only to see the snow tumbling from the Virage's fallen body. It was still alive! The black mutation shook the remaining snow from itself, raising its arms in the elation of triumph. Rayen watched in hopelessness as it approached. He reached desperately into the elements, but it was no use. He couldn't even light a candle flame with what he had left.
The Virage let out a roar of victory that was soon turned into a hollow shriek of pain as a line of razor-sharp teeth sliced along its shoulder. The three night-blue eyes shifted to this new antagonist only to glimpse a young Red-Eye Dragon soaring upwards in victory. Balaeris grinned toothily before swooping downwards, aiming for a leg. It was quickly entangled by the Virage's tentacles, but that was exactly what the Red-Eye had intended. The grip was released quickly as Ikarus ran a claw along the beast's bulging chest.
The Red-Eye and Jade Dragons briefly beat one wing in each other's directions in an almost congratulatory manner before they sped back into the battle, knowing that the other five Dragons would be soon to follow. Indeed, Merindel, Jineraq, Kujura, Pacina, and Razeroth were already visible, and coming in fast. The Dragons had grown rapidly, as prophesized by Samovar, and had matured from the size of a chicken at the time of their birth to the size of a small horse. Together, despite their youth, the Dragons were a force to be reckoned with.
However, the Virage was no pushover either, having sustained a blast from the Guardian Dragoon and making it out alive. There were none else that could make that claim yet. In fact, it wasted no time picking the Dragons off one by one. Merindel was the first to go down, the Sea Dragon caught in the tentacles and put into a merciless strangle hold and thrown to the ground, body crushed, barely clinging to life.
Jineraq lowered his crested head and rammed into the Virage, knocking it backwards, but not off its feet. The Golden Dragon was rewarded with a blast from the Virage's hand, and he fell from the sky, wings singed. However, it mattered little. The Dragons had accomplished what they had come for. The one who had sent them would surely make his move now.
The shadowy figure hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. No, it was now or never. It was time to take hold of his new destiny.
The insidious creature lifted its enormous left claw to crush the fallen Golden Dragon, but then halted and stumbled forward as if struck by some unseen force. The Virage visibly shuddered for a moment as the magic rampaged unchecked through its massive body, then exploded into huge clouds of shadow that revealed its destroyer.
Shade immediately recognized their rescuer. The Dark Dragoon gave a smile that could not be seen, but was mirrored on a face that had once been his. Eclipse withdrew his blades from where the Virage had once stood, but slid only one back into its sheath. The other he kept firmly in hand as he floated gently to the earth.
He walked slowly towards Rayen, sword still in his gloved fist. Some cautioned the Guardian Dragoon, but Rayen made no move. Eclipse stopped before the leader of the Dragoon Army, legs together, and raised his sword, but not to attack. The tip of the serrated blade moved to the Dark Dragoon's brow in a salute. Giving the first real smile Rayen had felt in a very long time, he nodded. But he turned to the fallen, the Dragons and Dragoons who would need immediate healing if they were to survive to fight another day.
There was still much work to be done.
Author's Note: Yuppers, another chapter over and done with. Yes, Freefall, Eclipse came back to save everyone. However, we are left with a serious problem. When something that can be hit by a three-element spell from Rayen and not die is considered expendable, then what are they holding back? Meh. Nevertheless, Tempest Fury is a kick-ass spell. No, seriously. Anyway, I managed to finish it even though I was watching the Super Bowl. Go me.