Chapter 11: Shadow Charge.
~~~
"I asked you, where is he?"
Mia, who was checking Celestia's wounds, looked up. "I suppose you are talking about Celcior. I... I think he's gone."
"What do you mean?"
The other adepts glanced at each other. Then, Isaac said "He isn't who you thought he was."
Celestia saw the others looking at the battle field. She noticed that none of the archers was firing any arrows, and not one adept was casting a spell. They were all just staring at the area.
She jumped up.
On the field, Celcior was still fighting, but it was obvious he was getting tired. Still, he fought with the ferociousness of a wild animal: a slash here, a stab there.
But the next thing she knew, he was hit.
Celestia watched it from afar, but it was obvious. The young men wouldn't last for long.
"Oh, no... Celcior, why..."
Felix heard it. He turned to the crying girl. "You knew, didn't you."
The villagers turned, too. They all looked at Celestia now, waiting for an answer. But then, one of the village elders stepped forwards.
"He is evil itself. Let them fight with the monsters. He has killed many, and he will kill a few more before he himself will die. Then, let us destroy those that remain."
"No!" Celestia's face changed from sadness to anger. "How can you say that? Look at what he has done for this town!"
Isaac stepped beside her. "She's right. If it wasn't for him, Vale would have been destroyed. I say we help him, and decide whether or not he is dangerous afterwards."
"But what can we do, Isaac? We can't risk an all-out assault. Our troops are too weakened for such a thing!" Felix said.
Celestia glanced at the battle field. She thought for a moment, and then turned her attention back to her friends. "That won't be necessary. Celcior still has an ace up his sleeve. It is the ultimate attack. But it'll drain all of his strength. If he'd be at complete health, it would still leave him defenseless for the next 2 weeks, and that's only in the best case. Using it now would kill him."
"Then how is it supposed to help us now? We can't heal him from here. Our adept healers have to be within at least 4 meters."
The girl turned to Isaac. "Isaac, you will have to do it. Destroy all the monsters in a direct line from here to Celcior."
Isaac looked at her as if she had just grown another leg. The girl had obviously lost her mind. "Kill all of them? From here to... to Celcior? Are you nuts?!"
"No. You can do it. Ever since the last lighthouse was lit, you've become more powerful. Or should've become."
"Hang on, how do you know about that? Almost no one knew that we did it."
Celestia shook her head. "That's not important right now. You can do it, trust me."
Isaac walked to the edge, facing the field. The distance between him and Celcior was easily 500 meters. "And I'm supposed to be able to cover this distance? How could I possibly -"
Before he could finish his sentence, Celestia interrupted him. "Focus. Use all you've got. Imagine the blast reaching that far."
The blond haired adept decided to give it a try. As he focused all his energy, he called out "Mother Gaia!" But what appeared next was not his usual Mother Gaia. The effect went on and on and on. Monster after monster felt the burning rain of rocks, and they were swallowed by the gap, leaving the ground wide open. It ended just before Celcior, who had turned around to see what happened, just like every monster on the field.
Not one person on the wall could believe it. They all stared at Isaac, who looked just as stunned. Everyone, but Celestia that is. She started to chant softly. Celcior was wounded. Mortally wounded.
Then, she started to emanate a light, so pure that it almost blinded all that looked at it.
She transformed. The light was her skin, the beams turned into her long, flowing, golden hair. Her eyes where as blue as the sky and deep as the ocean. A song companied her, as if the beating of her hart was an orchestra. She had become light itself.
A boll of energy formed between her hands, but it did not struck fear in the harts of who saw it, as it usually would. It was calming and soothing, yet impressive at the same time.
She graciously swung her hand back, and tossed the ball in the direction of her fallen love. It turned into a beam, which struck him.
Celcior instantly recognized the effects. She was alive!. Celestia lived! She wasn't dead, unlike what he had thought.
This thought gave him even more power. He had to finish this. Quickly, so they wouldn't hurt her. That was all that mattered now. He knew it.
Celcior sheeted his blade, surprising the monsters. Then, the warrior kneeled, and started to fade. He turned into a dark shadow, emanating a dark, purple light. Next, it turned into a force field. It slowly began to move outwards, speeding up as it made progress.
The beasts, as if feeling the power, began to run. But there would be no escape for them.
The field hit its first victim. It was as if the meat was ripped of the bones, the blood extracted from it's veins. The tiger-like creature fell down, existing only out of a few bones, which in turn changed to dust.
This happened to all the monsters. One by one, they fell.
The only ones left were the two humans.
Tasha trembled when she saw her master's monster fall. She wanted to do nothing more than flee.
"Tasha, where are you going?" It was her master. "You must defend me!"
"Are you crazy? Did you see what he did? How can we fight him?"
The older man pointed to the center of the crater, left by the attack. Celcior laid there, his clothes shredded. He did not move, and out of his mouth there was a trickle of blood running. His arms were covered in the red substance as well.
"He can't defend himself. At least kill him to avenge our defeat."
The young girl pondered for a moment, then drew her sword. "Quickly!" Her master called out.
Tasha stood over the fallen warrior. He could not see her, hear her or even notice anything. 'Too bad.' She thought. 'I wanted to see his fear.' She raised her sword.
"Ragnarok"
Tasha dropped the sword. She turned to see who had hit her. There, in the distance, people were running to them. The golden-haired boy in front lowered his hand. It was he who had cast the spell. The girl fell on her knees, her hair a red-black mess. 'But they were...out of range.' It was Tasha's last thought.
She hit the ground.
Her master looked at her, not even the slightest sign of sympathy in his cold eyes. The man turned and ran away.
The adepts came to the place where two body's lay, dead silent.
"Celcior? Celcior?" Celestia hurried to the man's body .She lowered her head to his chest. A slight pulse. "He's alive." She said, with tears in her eyes. Tears of the utmost happiness.
The others joined in her relief. Only Felix did not jump in a fit of laughter. "There still remains a question: who and what you two are..."
~~~
Okay, short chapter, I know. But I felt like it could end here, very well. And this way, I can update much sooner. I am finally rid of the Author's block. I hope the next one comes out soon. (Chapter I mean.) Review, please! It would make me happy beyond believe.
BTW, this chapter has been Beta-read by Annashari, A.K.A. my lil' sis.
~~~
"I asked you, where is he?"
Mia, who was checking Celestia's wounds, looked up. "I suppose you are talking about Celcior. I... I think he's gone."
"What do you mean?"
The other adepts glanced at each other. Then, Isaac said "He isn't who you thought he was."
Celestia saw the others looking at the battle field. She noticed that none of the archers was firing any arrows, and not one adept was casting a spell. They were all just staring at the area.
She jumped up.
On the field, Celcior was still fighting, but it was obvious he was getting tired. Still, he fought with the ferociousness of a wild animal: a slash here, a stab there.
But the next thing she knew, he was hit.
Celestia watched it from afar, but it was obvious. The young men wouldn't last for long.
"Oh, no... Celcior, why..."
Felix heard it. He turned to the crying girl. "You knew, didn't you."
The villagers turned, too. They all looked at Celestia now, waiting for an answer. But then, one of the village elders stepped forwards.
"He is evil itself. Let them fight with the monsters. He has killed many, and he will kill a few more before he himself will die. Then, let us destroy those that remain."
"No!" Celestia's face changed from sadness to anger. "How can you say that? Look at what he has done for this town!"
Isaac stepped beside her. "She's right. If it wasn't for him, Vale would have been destroyed. I say we help him, and decide whether or not he is dangerous afterwards."
"But what can we do, Isaac? We can't risk an all-out assault. Our troops are too weakened for such a thing!" Felix said.
Celestia glanced at the battle field. She thought for a moment, and then turned her attention back to her friends. "That won't be necessary. Celcior still has an ace up his sleeve. It is the ultimate attack. But it'll drain all of his strength. If he'd be at complete health, it would still leave him defenseless for the next 2 weeks, and that's only in the best case. Using it now would kill him."
"Then how is it supposed to help us now? We can't heal him from here. Our adept healers have to be within at least 4 meters."
The girl turned to Isaac. "Isaac, you will have to do it. Destroy all the monsters in a direct line from here to Celcior."
Isaac looked at her as if she had just grown another leg. The girl had obviously lost her mind. "Kill all of them? From here to... to Celcior? Are you nuts?!"
"No. You can do it. Ever since the last lighthouse was lit, you've become more powerful. Or should've become."
"Hang on, how do you know about that? Almost no one knew that we did it."
Celestia shook her head. "That's not important right now. You can do it, trust me."
Isaac walked to the edge, facing the field. The distance between him and Celcior was easily 500 meters. "And I'm supposed to be able to cover this distance? How could I possibly -"
Before he could finish his sentence, Celestia interrupted him. "Focus. Use all you've got. Imagine the blast reaching that far."
The blond haired adept decided to give it a try. As he focused all his energy, he called out "Mother Gaia!" But what appeared next was not his usual Mother Gaia. The effect went on and on and on. Monster after monster felt the burning rain of rocks, and they were swallowed by the gap, leaving the ground wide open. It ended just before Celcior, who had turned around to see what happened, just like every monster on the field.
Not one person on the wall could believe it. They all stared at Isaac, who looked just as stunned. Everyone, but Celestia that is. She started to chant softly. Celcior was wounded. Mortally wounded.
Then, she started to emanate a light, so pure that it almost blinded all that looked at it.
She transformed. The light was her skin, the beams turned into her long, flowing, golden hair. Her eyes where as blue as the sky and deep as the ocean. A song companied her, as if the beating of her hart was an orchestra. She had become light itself.
A boll of energy formed between her hands, but it did not struck fear in the harts of who saw it, as it usually would. It was calming and soothing, yet impressive at the same time.
She graciously swung her hand back, and tossed the ball in the direction of her fallen love. It turned into a beam, which struck him.
Celcior instantly recognized the effects. She was alive!. Celestia lived! She wasn't dead, unlike what he had thought.
This thought gave him even more power. He had to finish this. Quickly, so they wouldn't hurt her. That was all that mattered now. He knew it.
Celcior sheeted his blade, surprising the monsters. Then, the warrior kneeled, and started to fade. He turned into a dark shadow, emanating a dark, purple light. Next, it turned into a force field. It slowly began to move outwards, speeding up as it made progress.
The beasts, as if feeling the power, began to run. But there would be no escape for them.
The field hit its first victim. It was as if the meat was ripped of the bones, the blood extracted from it's veins. The tiger-like creature fell down, existing only out of a few bones, which in turn changed to dust.
This happened to all the monsters. One by one, they fell.
The only ones left were the two humans.
Tasha trembled when she saw her master's monster fall. She wanted to do nothing more than flee.
"Tasha, where are you going?" It was her master. "You must defend me!"
"Are you crazy? Did you see what he did? How can we fight him?"
The older man pointed to the center of the crater, left by the attack. Celcior laid there, his clothes shredded. He did not move, and out of his mouth there was a trickle of blood running. His arms were covered in the red substance as well.
"He can't defend himself. At least kill him to avenge our defeat."
The young girl pondered for a moment, then drew her sword. "Quickly!" Her master called out.
Tasha stood over the fallen warrior. He could not see her, hear her or even notice anything. 'Too bad.' She thought. 'I wanted to see his fear.' She raised her sword.
"Ragnarok"
Tasha dropped the sword. She turned to see who had hit her. There, in the distance, people were running to them. The golden-haired boy in front lowered his hand. It was he who had cast the spell. The girl fell on her knees, her hair a red-black mess. 'But they were...out of range.' It was Tasha's last thought.
She hit the ground.
Her master looked at her, not even the slightest sign of sympathy in his cold eyes. The man turned and ran away.
The adepts came to the place where two body's lay, dead silent.
"Celcior? Celcior?" Celestia hurried to the man's body .She lowered her head to his chest. A slight pulse. "He's alive." She said, with tears in her eyes. Tears of the utmost happiness.
The others joined in her relief. Only Felix did not jump in a fit of laughter. "There still remains a question: who and what you two are..."
~~~
Okay, short chapter, I know. But I felt like it could end here, very well. And this way, I can update much sooner. I am finally rid of the Author's block. I hope the next one comes out soon. (Chapter I mean.) Review, please! It would make me happy beyond believe.
BTW, this chapter has been Beta-read by Annashari, A.K.A. my lil' sis.