Okay I got 2 reviews I can update now though you guys didn't give me very many. In less than a week I will be starting speech class so I won't be able to update very much for the next month but I'll try if you guys review. Oh yea before I forget again go check out the review page I posted some notices up there.
NOTICE- Anyone who wishes to be my beta reader please email me at the address on my biograghy page and please put a subject on it so I don't get confused, I would much appreciate it.
Disclaimer I don't own, and do not claim to own, any of Tamora Pierce's characters, setting, or ideas. She was the one who came up with the creature called a stormwing but I came up with the character for Sythrak. I came up with the plot.
Dedicated to my Aunt Susan who has read my stories and encouraged me to continue writing.
Okay these are the thank yous for chapters 5 through 7
rootless californian – I had to separate Yuki and Neal so Neal could be with Kel and I decided to use Dom to do that so that he wouldn't go after Kel I also liked that part in chapter 6 about what Neal said I put in chapter 7 and am updating now so be happy.
Wake-Robin – Yea it is a Kel/Neal pairing and I thought that Kel caring for Neal would be a good thing. Thanks for being my only internet reader (not to mention person who has actually read the books and doesn't know me in person) to review chapter 7 I think the rest might not know I updated.
Rhiannon (rhiannon20036hotmail.com) - Yea Rhino I hope to be a great writer some day but not quite yea and your welcome for the address though I don't remember whether it was a internet site or an email address whatever don't try to kill me next time you see me because I called you Rhino. Lol.
Starlit Niphredil – Yea that was a twist in chapter 5/6 but I wanted Neal to be with Kel if you read chapter 7 that explains it.
Ossini – I don't think of Dom and Yuki as bad hats but I didn't want this to be a Yuki/Neal story.
Dom's Lover – Yuki is okay but I would rather have her with someone else in this story.
Mr. Hurley – Matt I'm not a kid just because you're my boyfriend doesn't mean you can call me that or a foo but I'm making these chapters as fast as I can so there, but thanks for reviewing.
Clare – Hey Clare thanks for reviewing I meant to tell you earlier about this story but you got off AOL before I could remember to tell you. Did you know Liz is going to be 6 on today (Sunday June 6, 2004) just thought you would like to know because you think she is soooo "cute".
Thanks for all the reviews if I forgot anybody I'm sorry just tell me in a review or something and I will give you a special thank you. Whatever nobody reads these so I'm going to just get to the chapter already.
Chapter 8
Battles
Neal and Kel were sitting at Kel's table, finishing their breakfast, when there was a crackling sound. Kel and Neal race to Kel's window, opening it quickly. There was some kind of black barrier forming all around the Palace. It appeared the crackling sound was coming from the forming wall.
"That almost looks like Numair's magic, but I thought he wasn't at the Palace," Neal said confused.
"Oh that isn't Numair's magic Nealan of Queenscove. It is my magic silly mortal," a black ugly stormwing said from the doorway to Kel's room.
"Who are you and what do you want stormwing?" Neal asked.
"I am Sythrak, the Queen of Chaos's servant. I was sent here to destroy the Protector of the Small, and bring my Queen to her rightful thrown by disrupting your stupid balance. If you stand in my way I will kill you too. Though I doubt you will fight me after me breaking up you and Yuki, and almost killing Kel several times already," the stormwing stated hatred filling both his eyes and his voice as he took in Neal.
"You'll have to get through me before you can touch Kel, no matter what you've done already," Neal said bravely.
"Fine, but I'm going she'll be paralyzed until you are dead or unable to fight, or as unlikely as it is, I die," Sythrak said evilly.
"Fine," Neal said grabbing his sword and advancing on Sythrak.
Neal thrust his sword forward cutting Sythrak across the cheek leaving a trail of blood running down his cheek. Sythrak in return brought his wing up and made a large cut across Neal's left side with his razor sharp metal feathers.
The two continued to fight with neither gaining an advantage except the rare occasions when Sythrak used the precious little magic he had left. Kel watched the battle horrified and unable to move. No matter how hard she tried, her muscles wouldn't respond to her commands. She, Kel, was as paralyzed as she had been when she was afraid of heights.
I have to get myself free of Sythrak's spell, Kel thought still trying to free herself to no prevail. I can't let Neal risk his life for me. I won't have him die trying to save me. If Sythrak came here to kill me he should be fighting me, not Neal. When I break free I will slay that stormwing, and send him back where he came from.
Sythrak threw a blast of black lighting at Neal, who hadn't used any of his magic, throwing Neal against the wall. With another blast of power Neal was knocked to the floor, unconscious and bleeding heavily.
Suddenly Kel was released from the binding that had held her prisoner. She looked at Neal and then at Sythrak a burning rage filling her. Neal had protected her as best he could now it was Kel's turn to keep Sythrak from finishing her off.
Kel reached for her sword, Griffin, placing her Yamani mask on to make her face bare of any emotion. With Griffin in her hand Kel looked at Sythrak coldly her rage only showing in her eyes. "Are you ready to die stormwing," Kel said.
Sythrak looked at Kel stumbling back a step at the coldness and rage that showed in her eyes. Her blank face unnerved him. For the first time in his hundred years of life Sythrak was afraid. Shaking him self he threw a blast of power at the girl who claim she would kill him.
Kel dodged it easily, rolling behind Sythrak. Standing Kel brought Griffin down and across Sythrak's neck. Kel quickly ran to the left of her enemy and prepared to strike again. Her target cursed and shot a ball of black flame at Kel causing her to drop Griffin.
Kel reacted quickly by grabbing her glaive from the rack of weapons behind her. Charging Sythrak Kel knew how she would destroy the threat to her existence. She slashed at Sythrak's neck barely being denied by him jumping back. Kel brought the metal shod end of the glaive down on Sythrak's head instead. Then quickly she began to twirl the glaive till it was only a blur in the air. Kel finally brought the glaive down using the move Broom Sweeps Clean to kill Sythrak.
Sythrak the stormwing, who she had known but a few moments was dead. He had ruined her friendships with two of her closest friends. Sythrak had tried to kill her with assassins and with her own appendix. Now she had killed her unknown enemy, and all she had to show for it was the dead body and Neal being severely wounded.
Kel rushed to Neal's side, he was bleeding badly. She ran to her bedchamber and came hurrying back with a bundle of cloth to use for bandages. Quickly she tightly rapped Neal's bleeding wounds with the rough bandages.
When she was finished she was extremely dizzy. She hadn't noticed that Sythrak had made a long cut from her knee to her ankle with one of his blasts of power. She quickly covered her cut with ripped pieces of the bed cloth, noticing it was deep and bleeding almost as badly as some of Neal's.
Tenderly she pulled Neal's head onto her lap. Not having any more strength Kel sent up a silent prayer to the Goddess, and then fainted against the wall.
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'One Hour Later'Dom and Yuki raced up the temple district at a gallop. It had been about an hour since the black wall surrounding the Palace had vanished. They weren't sure if it was a good thing it was gone or a bad thing. Kel could be dead, or Sythrak could be dead were their only explanations.
Speeding into the Palace courtyard Yuki and Dom didn't wait for servants, still shaken from the black wall, to take their mounts. They ran down corridors, sprinted down halls, and quickly climbed stairs to get to Kel's room. Both their hearts were pounding as they neared Kel's rooms.
Kel's door was open. Dom and Yuki froze at the sight that besieged them when they entered Kel's suite of rooms. Sythrak was dead on Kel's floor while Neal and Kel lay against a wall bleeding through rough bandages.
Dom was the first to come out of his stupor by saying, "Yuki go fetch the nearest healer you can find I'll do what I can here."
Dom watched Yuki run out of the room in the direction of the healer's wing. Then he set to work rebandaging the pair of bloody bodies. He knew it was up to him and Yuki save Neal and Kel. He was going to do his part as best he could because it was partially his fault they were in this mess.
A couple of minutes later Yuki came running back with Duke Baird on her heels. By this time Yuki was quite out of breath. Duke Baird however wasn't and he set to work once again working on Kel and this time Neal too.
A/N Okay I know kinda another cliffie but I have to get offline soon. I was going to make it a cliffhanger before the part with Yuki and Dom but I changed my mind so here you go. Please go review or I'll have to track you down and tell you in person. Whatever bye bye.
-Krissy-