Chapter 27
Tal awoke in a strange place. The place was similar to the place in his head where he resided when the beast took over him. Tal was confused at his surroundings until a torrent of memories flooded his mind and clued him in on what had just happened. The place then warped and Tal had a feeling of nausea run to his stomach as the place swirled and became a violet hue. Tal looked around saw nothing but violet crystal walls and a smooth violet crystal floor. Tal was about to yell out when a mirage appeared in front of him with the faces of the Crones looking at him. As Tal watched the mirage he saw Milla looking directly at him. Then he saw himself standing behind Milla with folded arms and closed eyes. Tal was about to shout out to them when he heard a familiar laugh behind him. Tal turned to see a distorted image of himself. The eyes that were glowing red jogged Tal's mind and Tal knew who it was as soon as it laughed again.
"Beast. . ." Tal drawled looking at the elongated limbs and claws warily.
"Yes," it answered in a voice that was full of malice.
"What do you want?" Tal asked in a blasé manner and turned to watch the mirage.
"A fight," the beast said seriously "To see who is better; you or me,"
Tal laughed throwing his head back. The beast's lip twitched dangerously but it didn't react. When Tal calmed he noticed the frown on Milla's face in the mirage and turned slightly to see a serious face on the beast.
"Are you serious?" Tal asked loosing all his mirth, to Tal it seemed ridiculous that the beast could harm him when he was only a bodiless entity.
As if reading Tal's thoughts the beast spoke.
"We are now in a realm where anything is possible," the beast said moving closer to Tal.
Tal looked around unphazed by the beast's approach. Judging from the violet hue Tal believed that he was inside the violet keystone. No other place would look this way. When Tal sensed the beast's impatience Tal sighed and faced his counterpart with his eyes closed reaching for the destructive powers of his sunstone. When he couldn't reach it Tal opened his eyes to look at his sunstone. It wasn't there! Tal patted himself down frantically searching his pockets and when he couldn't find it his face went white. Fear gripped him. How was Tal supposed to fight a creature without a weapon? The look of despair soon replaced itself with acceptance and Tal got into a fighting stance that he learnt from the Codex. The beast laughed at Tal and his bravery.
"A noble trait bravery," the beast mused "It won't save you,"
"Just try me," Tal said recklessly.
If Tal was to end his life here he would go down fighting.
"I will," the beast said and vanished.
Tal's eyes widened in surprise as he looked around frantically for the beast. Tal heard a small chuckle and turned to see the beast face to face. The thing smiled and punched Tal in the stomach sending him flying into the violet wall. Tal hit and got the wind knocked out of him as he crumpled on the floor. Tal shook his head as he propped himself up on his elbow ready to get up. This was going to be a short fight. Tal got to his feet and doubled over from the sudden pain he felt in his gut. The beast laughed his evil laugh.
"This is it? Somehow I had pictured this to be a longer battle," the beast said shaking his head but keeping his grin on his face.
Tal coughed as he got up fully ignoring the pain in his belly. The beast vanished once again and Tal looked around again but this time he saw a blur go past him and come around again. Before the blur came at him again Tal looked down at his chest to see five red lines. Tal stared at it dumbly while the beast came in for another swipe. This time Tal felt the pain rake across his back and arched in his back before stumbling over in pain. Before he could fall the beast swiped at him again and made Tal go reeling back wind milling his arms to keep his balance in vain. As another line made itself known on his leg, Tal fell to one knee. The beast then came to a halt in front of Tal and smiled.
"Having fun?" the beast taunted.
Tal fell backwards in answer and sat there with his arms supporting him as he put his outstretched legs in front of him. He sat there breathing hard trying to cope with the sting of the scratches he had sustained. The beast breathed out in disappointment and uttered the word pitiful. Tal sat in a leisurely fashion with his arms behind him and his legs outstretched in front of him. Tal was just stalling for time. He needed to have a weapon and the only weapon he wielded with talent was his sunstone but he was inside his sunstone so how could he use it?
"What would Ebbitt do?" Tal thought as he sat there feigning laziness.
Tal then closed his eyes and pictured himself with his father and Ebbitt talking about sunstones.
"Think boy, you're inside your sunstone," Tal's father said.
"The place where all the power is!" Ebbitt said eccentrically.
Tal shrugged visibly and thought of his sunstone. He thought and concentrated hard on trying to find the most destructive colour of the spectrum; violet. As Tal thought of the properties of the colour he opened his eyes and found himself holding a violet ball in his hand. Tal stood and looked at the ball curiously. The beast eyed the ball warily and looked a little afraid. Tal sensed his fear somehow and looked at the beast. It was the beast's turn to cringe. Tal took aim at the creature and threw the ball at it. The beast dodged it but the ball slowed and came back at it and hit its head sending the beast forward where Tal kicked it and sent it reeling back again. Tal motioned the ball to slam the beast repeatedly just as the beast had done to Tal. As the beast fell to one knee Tal yelled out a taunt.
"Having fun?" Tal said with a grin on his face.
The beast glared at Tal and spun in time to catch the ball. The beast struggled with the ball but eventually it broke the weapon crushing it to the bits of violet dust. The beast smiled and felt his superiority swell up again. It still had the upper hand. Tal simply smiled back and that made the beast's victory short lived. Tal was now confident he could destroy the beast. Tal knew he could do anything he wanted inside his sunstone. The information just slipped into his mind and it didn't even disturb him, Tal had done weirder things anyway. Tal thought of healing his wounds and it happened as a blue light washed over him from the walls. Tal was instantly healed and at that point the beast finally knew the meaning of fear. Tal had learnt quickly and was making arrows out of red light he had summoned. The beast couldn't die from these but he would feel the pain. The beast was torn in two. On one hand he wanted to give up but on the other hand he was ready to crush Tal at any cost to preserve his honor.
Tal finished making a dozen arrows and held them in front of him in a row. He would teach the beast a lesson he would never forget. Tal would turn it into a pincushion. The beast stood his ground firmly and awaited the onslaught. Tal shrugged and let loose his arrows. The red arrows rushed forward at the beast and left a light trail as they screamed across the room. At the last moment the beast ducked and the arrows hit the violet wall and dissipated. Tal raised an eyebrow in disbelief and saw his mistake. The beast smiled and lunged at Tal covering the distance in blinding speed. Before the beast hit, Tal raised a shield of orange light and as the beast hit Tal countered by shattering the shield and sending the hard shards straight into the beast. It howled and fell back in pain. Tal then remembered what it was about to do Milla when it last escaped and fury made its way into Tal's mind. Tal stared at the beast picking out the shards from its body with a grunt of pain as it removed them. As Tal watched it he unconsciously made a sword of green light and yellow light. Tal was surprised as he felt a weight in his hand and looked at the long broad sword he had made. Tal's gaze went to the beast then to the sword. There was no mistaking what Tal would do next in the mirage Tal saw everyone cheering for him to slay the beast while it was weakened but Tal hesitated as he raised the blade over his head. Then before he could swing the down upon the beast pity and mercy filled his mind and made him lower the sword to his side.
The beast stared stunned at Tal's actions and got to all fours ready for an attack. Tal simply stared at the beast and spoke in a calm voice.
"You don't have any choice in what you are do you?" Tal asked rhetorically.
The beast was now acting like his namesake, on all fours and growling, all charisma lost.
"I want to be rid of you but at the same time part of me knows that you cannot help yourself for being bitter," Tal said more to himself then to the beast.
Tal walked over to the window where the Crones and Milla were standing and spoke with to them.
"We need his help. His strength is an asset if it is controlled and contained," Tal said and looked back at the beast.
The thing picked out the last of the shards and glared at Tal after standing on its two feet again.
"Mercy, a confusing trait," it said and moved over to Tal so fast that for a moment he vanished.
"But a noble trait none the less," the beast said and breathed on Tal's face as it reappeared behind him.
Tal fell instantly unconscious.
Tal awoke in a strange place. The place was similar to the place in his head where he resided when the beast took over him. Tal was confused at his surroundings until a torrent of memories flooded his mind and clued him in on what had just happened. The place then warped and Tal had a feeling of nausea run to his stomach as the place swirled and became a violet hue. Tal looked around saw nothing but violet crystal walls and a smooth violet crystal floor. Tal was about to yell out when a mirage appeared in front of him with the faces of the Crones looking at him. As Tal watched the mirage he saw Milla looking directly at him. Then he saw himself standing behind Milla with folded arms and closed eyes. Tal was about to shout out to them when he heard a familiar laugh behind him. Tal turned to see a distorted image of himself. The eyes that were glowing red jogged Tal's mind and Tal knew who it was as soon as it laughed again.
"Beast. . ." Tal drawled looking at the elongated limbs and claws warily.
"Yes," it answered in a voice that was full of malice.
"What do you want?" Tal asked in a blasé manner and turned to watch the mirage.
"A fight," the beast said seriously "To see who is better; you or me,"
Tal laughed throwing his head back. The beast's lip twitched dangerously but it didn't react. When Tal calmed he noticed the frown on Milla's face in the mirage and turned slightly to see a serious face on the beast.
"Are you serious?" Tal asked loosing all his mirth, to Tal it seemed ridiculous that the beast could harm him when he was only a bodiless entity.
As if reading Tal's thoughts the beast spoke.
"We are now in a realm where anything is possible," the beast said moving closer to Tal.
Tal looked around unphazed by the beast's approach. Judging from the violet hue Tal believed that he was inside the violet keystone. No other place would look this way. When Tal sensed the beast's impatience Tal sighed and faced his counterpart with his eyes closed reaching for the destructive powers of his sunstone. When he couldn't reach it Tal opened his eyes to look at his sunstone. It wasn't there! Tal patted himself down frantically searching his pockets and when he couldn't find it his face went white. Fear gripped him. How was Tal supposed to fight a creature without a weapon? The look of despair soon replaced itself with acceptance and Tal got into a fighting stance that he learnt from the Codex. The beast laughed at Tal and his bravery.
"A noble trait bravery," the beast mused "It won't save you,"
"Just try me," Tal said recklessly.
If Tal was to end his life here he would go down fighting.
"I will," the beast said and vanished.
Tal's eyes widened in surprise as he looked around frantically for the beast. Tal heard a small chuckle and turned to see the beast face to face. The thing smiled and punched Tal in the stomach sending him flying into the violet wall. Tal hit and got the wind knocked out of him as he crumpled on the floor. Tal shook his head as he propped himself up on his elbow ready to get up. This was going to be a short fight. Tal got to his feet and doubled over from the sudden pain he felt in his gut. The beast laughed his evil laugh.
"This is it? Somehow I had pictured this to be a longer battle," the beast said shaking his head but keeping his grin on his face.
Tal coughed as he got up fully ignoring the pain in his belly. The beast vanished once again and Tal looked around again but this time he saw a blur go past him and come around again. Before the blur came at him again Tal looked down at his chest to see five red lines. Tal stared at it dumbly while the beast came in for another swipe. This time Tal felt the pain rake across his back and arched in his back before stumbling over in pain. Before he could fall the beast swiped at him again and made Tal go reeling back wind milling his arms to keep his balance in vain. As another line made itself known on his leg, Tal fell to one knee. The beast then came to a halt in front of Tal and smiled.
"Having fun?" the beast taunted.
Tal fell backwards in answer and sat there with his arms supporting him as he put his outstretched legs in front of him. He sat there breathing hard trying to cope with the sting of the scratches he had sustained. The beast breathed out in disappointment and uttered the word pitiful. Tal sat in a leisurely fashion with his arms behind him and his legs outstretched in front of him. Tal was just stalling for time. He needed to have a weapon and the only weapon he wielded with talent was his sunstone but he was inside his sunstone so how could he use it?
"What would Ebbitt do?" Tal thought as he sat there feigning laziness.
Tal then closed his eyes and pictured himself with his father and Ebbitt talking about sunstones.
"Think boy, you're inside your sunstone," Tal's father said.
"The place where all the power is!" Ebbitt said eccentrically.
Tal shrugged visibly and thought of his sunstone. He thought and concentrated hard on trying to find the most destructive colour of the spectrum; violet. As Tal thought of the properties of the colour he opened his eyes and found himself holding a violet ball in his hand. Tal stood and looked at the ball curiously. The beast eyed the ball warily and looked a little afraid. Tal sensed his fear somehow and looked at the beast. It was the beast's turn to cringe. Tal took aim at the creature and threw the ball at it. The beast dodged it but the ball slowed and came back at it and hit its head sending the beast forward where Tal kicked it and sent it reeling back again. Tal motioned the ball to slam the beast repeatedly just as the beast had done to Tal. As the beast fell to one knee Tal yelled out a taunt.
"Having fun?" Tal said with a grin on his face.
The beast glared at Tal and spun in time to catch the ball. The beast struggled with the ball but eventually it broke the weapon crushing it to the bits of violet dust. The beast smiled and felt his superiority swell up again. It still had the upper hand. Tal simply smiled back and that made the beast's victory short lived. Tal was now confident he could destroy the beast. Tal knew he could do anything he wanted inside his sunstone. The information just slipped into his mind and it didn't even disturb him, Tal had done weirder things anyway. Tal thought of healing his wounds and it happened as a blue light washed over him from the walls. Tal was instantly healed and at that point the beast finally knew the meaning of fear. Tal had learnt quickly and was making arrows out of red light he had summoned. The beast couldn't die from these but he would feel the pain. The beast was torn in two. On one hand he wanted to give up but on the other hand he was ready to crush Tal at any cost to preserve his honor.
Tal finished making a dozen arrows and held them in front of him in a row. He would teach the beast a lesson he would never forget. Tal would turn it into a pincushion. The beast stood his ground firmly and awaited the onslaught. Tal shrugged and let loose his arrows. The red arrows rushed forward at the beast and left a light trail as they screamed across the room. At the last moment the beast ducked and the arrows hit the violet wall and dissipated. Tal raised an eyebrow in disbelief and saw his mistake. The beast smiled and lunged at Tal covering the distance in blinding speed. Before the beast hit, Tal raised a shield of orange light and as the beast hit Tal countered by shattering the shield and sending the hard shards straight into the beast. It howled and fell back in pain. Tal then remembered what it was about to do Milla when it last escaped and fury made its way into Tal's mind. Tal stared at the beast picking out the shards from its body with a grunt of pain as it removed them. As Tal watched it he unconsciously made a sword of green light and yellow light. Tal was surprised as he felt a weight in his hand and looked at the long broad sword he had made. Tal's gaze went to the beast then to the sword. There was no mistaking what Tal would do next in the mirage Tal saw everyone cheering for him to slay the beast while it was weakened but Tal hesitated as he raised the blade over his head. Then before he could swing the down upon the beast pity and mercy filled his mind and made him lower the sword to his side.
The beast stared stunned at Tal's actions and got to all fours ready for an attack. Tal simply stared at the beast and spoke in a calm voice.
"You don't have any choice in what you are do you?" Tal asked rhetorically.
The beast was now acting like his namesake, on all fours and growling, all charisma lost.
"I want to be rid of you but at the same time part of me knows that you cannot help yourself for being bitter," Tal said more to himself then to the beast.
Tal walked over to the window where the Crones and Milla were standing and spoke with to them.
"We need his help. His strength is an asset if it is controlled and contained," Tal said and looked back at the beast.
The thing picked out the last of the shards and glared at Tal after standing on its two feet again.
"Mercy, a confusing trait," it said and moved over to Tal so fast that for a moment he vanished.
"But a noble trait none the less," the beast said and breathed on Tal's face as it reappeared behind him.
Tal fell instantly unconscious.