(Issue 6, Elyon after she attacks Will at the gymnasium)
"Excuse me do you know any bookshop here in Heatherfield?" Eric asks as he races his motor scooter from to Heatherfield in a span of an hour and a half. Earlier Eric was about drive on his way to Heatherfield when Nigel texted to him to remain silent and listen through his phone. He heard the static yet clear conversation, alarmed when he knew the location and time of the Meridianite's army, he shuts off his phone. He wanted to tell Ray on the immediate problem but there was not time to waste as he races down on the slopes to Heatherfield.
"There are a ton of bookshops here in this city." replies the grunted old man. "You need to be more specific!"
'Darn it!' Eric says to himself. The only information he heard was a 'bookshop' and not the name of the store itself. 'Now I have to search all Heatherfield's bookshops to find the where they could be entering!'
"But if you want to find that old bookshop owned by that long hair blondie—called that Ye Olden something-something." He describes and thinks.
"You mean Cedric?" Eric asks.
"Yes, yes good fellow but weird—"
"Sorry sir, but it's an emergency." Eric explains as he cuts him off. "Can you tell me where his bookshop is?"
The old man makes an annoyed gesture by Eric's behavior, he then points. "Two intersections ahead then turn right. That's all and if you meet-" The old man says.
"Thank you!" Eric says as he revs his bike, screeches his tires as he rides away and leaves a dust and a sputter of smoke behind.
"What rudeness! The youth has become more ill-mannered nowadays!" coughs the old man. "If it's some kind of alien invasion I would understand!"
Eric races as he squeezes every opportunity in the more dense vehicles on the road, dangerously racing in between cars. During stoplights, he dares to go up front and dashes the along the avenue when the stoplight hits green. "Boy! I seem like an agent in an alien invasion movie." Eric says as he stops at an intersection as he notices his plain jacket and loose pants. "Yet without the black suit!"
As he reaches the old medieval style designed bookstore, named the 'Ye Olden Bookstore'. "Darn how could I forget!" Eric slaps his forehead. "This was one of the places where the portal shelters!" He parks a few feet away from the bookstore as he wears his face mask on and covers his sword with his hood. With his hands tucked to the pockets of his jacket, He walks cautiously inside the small bookshop. The door to have a display window next to it, glances through but no evident harm is to be seen. He enters as the bells above the door rings. Surrounding is only him and the walls are full of cabinets of shelved books, with a counter at the left.
"Sorry sir, but you have to leave now." The employee's door opens as a blond and beautiful girl with twin braids steps out of her quarters. "It's almost closing time."
"Please give me time. I need to select—umm—a book." Eric says as he takes some books and as he takes quick glances at the girl for a few moments as she looks strikingly familiar. She looks like from the picture from the confidential file from Nigel's. 'It's Elyon!' Eric double checks on her to make sure 'There's no doubt about it! And now she's sided with Phobos.'
He then discretely takes a marker out draws a magical circle on his hand. 'I think she knows something about the invasion, but asking to her directly isn't a solution and a surprise. I think I need to lighten the situation a bit, a magical spell I use to memorize my lectures!'
"What book do you need, sir?" Elyon asks irritatingly as she watches the clock.
"I prefer to make a selection." Eric replies.He takes a book and opens it as if he is reading; he thinks and decides on his next move. Elyon is truly the savior and Light of Meridian yet her mind is clouded with deceptive lies told by his brother. "May I borrow this book?" Eric closes the book as he holds up the book at Elyon from the door.
"Wait, sir I'm coming." Elyon approaches him, takes the book and writes its title on the log sheet.
Yet there's another for her to know the truth. "You are Elyon am I right?"
"Yes." Elyon gives the book to him. "How do you know my name?" she asks surprisingly.
It's to open her eyes. "Sorry but say hi to Phobos for me!" Eric then grabs on Elyon's wrist and pulls near him after Elyon recognizes the trap. He uses his dominant hand on her forehead; thumb on her right face and the other fingers on the other side. Because, Eric learns a few basic spells he was at the academe, he hurriedly recites the spell. 'Senses of owner, Transfer Encounter!' Both of their eyes gleam as Eric's experiences and emotions channels to Elyon's mind; the feelings and sufferings of the people of Meridian, its pillages to the people and its poverty and unjust life.
"E-enough…" Elyon says teary-eyed as she tries to resist from him, because of the channeled visions, she also feels sympathy the sufferings of her people. As the nightmares continues her body trembles with fear and hate and finally anger. "Enough!" A blast of lighting aura explodes out of her body like shock waves as the book fly off from their shelves, counters begin to move and Eric is thrown to the other end of the room.
"Urrghh!" Eric yells.
"Who are you? And what was that?" Elyon cries. "And what was all that?"
'So this is what Ray told me about of Elyon's power.' Eric says as he gets up consciously from the floor. "I'm a legionate, Elyon. What you saw are injustices in Meridian because of your evil brother Phobos! It's because of him that your people wanted to leave Merdian!"
"You're lying! How dare you say that to my brother!" Elyon as she creates energy spheres around her hands. "You think you could manipulate my thoughts to hate my brother? Then think again!" Elyon blasts her energy beams at him.
Eric dodges as he pulls out his sword. "Me? Manipulating thoughts? It's what I've seen Elyon, with my very own eyes!"
"Liar!" she shoots continuous energy beams at him, as Eric quickly dodges and flips in the air as he leaps from one place to another to avoid the beams.
'That was easy! Her aims are sloppy!' Eric says as he does a backflip on the table.
Elyon then commands the books to levitate from its shelves and fires at Eric. The thousands of books around him begin to fly to him like a bullet. "I didn't know she could levitate a hundred books all at once?!' he says to himself as he once again tries to dodge the books. But the dense number of books begins to hit his body hard. He swings his sword around to cut the books into pieces but the distraction causes Elyon to blast an energy beam at him. The beam hits a good land on Eric and falls to the table. 'I think that large hard bound dictionary hit me hard on the chest than Elyon's good landing final blow.'
"Why are you doing this to my brother?" Elyon says as he approaches him.
"I showed you what I have seen. That's the reason." Eric says as he slowly gets up and stands on his fighting pose.
Elyon blasts a continuous energy beam at him, and in the heat of the moment, he blocks it with the side of his sword as it absorbs all the energy. The powerful beam pushes the sword and Eric back as he slowly retreats. "You think you could defeat me? I am Princess Elyon! Surrender now, so I could spare your sword and your dear life."
'She's too powerful! I can't handle the pressure!' Yet Eric's motivation pushes him further as he looks angrily on Elyon's eyes. He staggers his steps slowly forward to Elyon's beams. 'but my sword can!'
"Impossible! No one has ever resisted my powers from a mere mortal!" she shrieks as she pushes her forward to its limit.
Eric withdraws from her powerful push, but continues forward with an ounce of strength left. "Lesson, never underestimate us!" the pressure becomes stronger as he steps forward until his sword and her hands are only inches apart from each other. The Elyon's energy cannot handle the stress as it bounces back and creates an explosion of light and waves as it dispersed throughout the entire room.
"Aaaahhh!" Elyon cries as her energy is reflected back and she falls back to the ground.
As the light fades out once again, Eric's blinding eyes recover and sees the helpless and unconscious Elyon lying on the ground. He has won over his powerful opponent, yet he doesn't get the mood of a triumphed victory.
Suddenly, his phone rings and answers, "Hello, Nigel?"
"You're not at the bookshop are you?" Nigel static voice asks.
"I am. Why?"
"Oh never mind, meet me at Golden's."
"But the portal—" Eric explains yet is cut off.
"And there's another one and you have to help me find it!" Nigel says. "Alright, see you!" he calls off.
"Hey Nigel—great he cuts me off again!" Eric says as he shoves his phone to his pocket. He then hears moans of Elyon as she wakes up.
"Y-you won. S-smite me down if you want!" she coughs and stutters in defeat. "I'll never tell you where the other portal is!"
Eric notices her hands that took the shock the most, walks to her and kneels on front of her. He gently grabs her red, burnt and injured hands.
"Ouch! What are you doing?!" She tries to pull away but his hands gripped tighter.
Eric silences as he whispers a chanting spell as an alchemy circle appears on top of her hands. 'Heal thy wound, channel my energy.' After a few moments, her skin regenerates and covers the wounds as the burn begins to fade away. "This injury will worsen if not treated immediately." He says. As he watches Elyon vulnerable gesture as she looks in wander and ease as she gazes her healing hand.
After the ritual ends as the light disappears from the ritual, Elyon reverses back to her angry mood quickly removes her hands from his grip. "T-Thanks-But I won't tell you anything!" Elyon yells at him. "I also don't believe anything from you!"
Eric stands and walks away to the exit door replies sternly as he leaves the door. "Then why don't you see the outskirts of Meridian yourself."
'This isn't true my brother can't be evil!" Elyon reflects then tries to get her feet back up though exhausted from the battle as she hears footsteps coming closer to the employee's door.
"Elyon!" Cedric exclaims as he opens the door and sees the mess of destroyed books and unarranged tables and shelves. "What happened? And who did this?" he snaps his fingers and causes the objects around the room to levitate back to its original place and walks to support her.
"I-I didn't see his face. He wears a black mask and a casual outfit" She replies. "He has a large and broad sword and he says he's a legionate."
"Atlas!" Cedric throws his fist to the counter. "And he did this to the shop and to you, your highness? What a disgrace from these pathetic Earthlings! Shall we send a hunting party to catch him?"
"There is no need, I'm fine." She shoves he hands clean. "We must prepare for the Guardians arrival. Have you prepared the labyrinth below?"
"Yes—But Atlas—"
"Stop Cedric! I said I'm fine! Leave him alone." She yells as she walks toward the window and sees the three guardians outside, waiting for Will and Irma to arrive.
