Ben X Chapter 36
Abominatrix Arc
Pandemonium part 2
Eon trudged through the verdant forests of Pandemonium. His mind awash in confusing emotions and memories. He did his best to ignore such thoughts and move forward. He had done this once before after all, long ago. Or no? No that was not his memory. That belonged to Addwaitya. He glanced down at the Abominatrix on his wrist. Even before entering Pandemonium he could hear the screams of his victims echoing in his head. Their cries for vengeance taunted him in his sleep and invaded even his waking moments. But it was no matter. His sanity was a small price to pay for ultimate power. And that power was so nearly in his grasp. His only remaining obstacle was the accursed landscape of the Gardens themselves. The Gardener's constant interference made navigating the jungle a more challenging task then it otherwise would have been. That and the fact that his mind was tormented on two fronts, by the pyschic assualt of the gardens themselves and the cries of his captives, made his journey arduous. Even with Albedo's Galvan form providing him with enchanced intelligence every now and then, he still had difficulty. But he could feel the Alpha Rune calling out to him. He was near to his goal, and he would stop at nothing to achieve it.
Ben stood in the small clearing of the grassy field, eyes darting between the different directions that his friends had all run off in. By now they could be anywhere. To add insult to injury it seemed the mana streams which had previously been providing them with light had been shifted away from them by the Gardener. Or was it more accurate to say the land they stood on was moved away from them? Either way, the forest now loomed dark and foreboding around them. The numerous shadows concealed the paths of their friends and would make even moving forward in any direction challenging. As Ben pondered their predicament he finally registered the sounds of harsh arguments behind him. He turned around to see both Kevin and Charmcaster up in each other's faces, pointing and gesticulating wildly.
"We need to go after them!" Kevin argued.
"No, we should stick to the plan!" Charmcaster countered.
"How can you say that? Weren't you the one who said they could end up lost forever here? Is that what you want?" Kevin waved his arms frantically.
"No of course not! But we'll have better chances of finding them once we get the Alpha Rune." Ben finally decided to approach the two causing them each to turn to him with incensed expressions.
"Ben tell her I'm right and we should go after Gwen first. She'll be able to help us track the others by their mana." Kevin argued.
"Uh, newsflash idiot, I can do that too." Charmcaster rolled her eyes. "But it doesn't matter because there's too much mana here it would cause interference." She explained.
"Well then we should just follow their trails!" Kevin began to storm off in the direction of where Gwen ran off to, only to pause as he struggled to remember where she went.
"See we don't even know where they went to!" Charmcaster pointed.
"I thought your uncle was supposed to be casting a spell to help us keep our heads. It didn't look all that effective to me." Kevin changed tactics, but Charmcaster simply rolled her eyes again.
"It only works at keeping us from getting lost and only if we all stick together." She explained. "I'm sure he's realized something's wrong by now." She added.
"I don't believe this." Kevin threw his hands into the air.
"Okay enough." Ben finally interrupted, putting a calming hand on Kevin's shoulder. "We need to figure out a plan now, not worry about what's in the past." He said. The two heroes deflated somewhat at that but Ben could tell the stress was still high. He knew that Kevin was worried sick about Gwen and although she hid it, he could tell Charmcaster was worried as well.
"Charmcaster." He addressed her. "If you get the Alpha Rune will you be able to use it to find everyone else?" He asked her. Charmcaster nodded seriously.
"Then it's settled. We'll find the Alpha Rune first and go after every one else later." Ben said and started to step away.
"What? Ben you can't be serious." Kevin said incredulously.
"Look I know you're worried but the fact is that Eon's somewhere here too and the faster we can get the Rune the faster we can save everyone else." Ben reasoned. "Look I'm worried about Julie and everyone else too but I'm sure they'll be fine." Ben said reassuringly, more for his own sake then Kevin's. The Osmosian looked Ben in the eyes before turning away and letting out a deep sigh. He clearly wasn't a fan of the idea, but it seemed as though he had finally given in. As much as Kevin wanted to go charging after Gwen he knew to do so alone would put him in just as much risk. Their only hope was to stick together.
"Fine, lead the way I guess." Kevin bregrudgingly spoke.
"Good question, where do we go from here? It looks like the Gardener turned the whole landscape upside down." Ben turned to Charmcaster with a questioning glance. Charmcaster looked around their surroundings as well, a frown on her face as she realized she was equally as lost.
"I think first things first we should try to find some higher ground to figure out where we are." She recommended. Ben thought the idea was a good one, but unfortunately they seemed to be surrounded by only flat forests. Ben sighed as he thought through their options.
"Hmm, what if I turned into Waybig? With his size I should be able to see all of Pandemonium." He suggested. Kevin and Charmcaster exchanged glances at each other.
"I don't have any better ideas." Charmcaster admitted with a shrug. Kevin nodded his assent as well. Ben motioned for them to stand back as he pulled up Waybig's profile on the Omnitrix. In a flash of emerald light Ben surged to immense heights literally. As his transformation subdued he found his new height brought him above the tree tops which only reached to his hips. He scanned the landscape which he indeed could see the entirety of Pandemonium from his new vantage point. In the distance he spied the central temple which rose above the hills and jungle surrounding it.
"I see the temple. Climb on and we'll be there in a few short steps." Waybig called as he bent down to pick up both Hope and Kevin in his outstretched hand. Safely carrying the pair in his palm Ben took a step toward the temple, only to have the ground crumble under his massive weight. This resulted in his foot becoming trapped in the ground. Ben grunted as he struggled to retain his balance. Using his free hand he attempted to find purchase to pull his foot out, only to have his hand plunge through the ground as well. Both Kevin and Charmcaster cried out in panic as they were jostled some hundreds of feet in the air. Ben continued to struggle, but his massive weight and scale seemed to prove too much for the unstable landscape of the Gardens and so he only proceeded to entangle himself further.
"Ben this isn't working change back!" Kevin screamed out.
"Quickly, before you destroy everything!" Charmcaster added in a panic. Reluctantly Waybig set his pair of friends on more solid ground before he changed back to human form. He soon climbed up a rocky path to join them on top of a grassy and dirt topped hill.
"Well that was a disaster." Kevin quipped as Ben finally rejoined them.
"Man, I really wish that my flying aliens worked in Ledgerdomain." Ben sighed. "Whatever, I at least know which direction we need to head in now." Ben said as he led them down the opposite side of the hill.
The group continued on foot through the vast wilderness of Pandemonium. The trail they were currently on seemed to parallel that of a small stream and was lit by criss crossing mana streams above them. As they walked along they noted that multiple other paths seemed to split off from theirs, almost as if the Gardens themselves were trying to tempt them off the main road. As they wandered on, they eventually came to disagreements regarding their directions. It seemed that Hex's spell had weakened to a point where Pandemonium could finally have an effect on their psyche. Charmcaster seemed sure that they were heading in the wrong direction even though they could all see the Temple hang in the distance. Kevin also ended up walking in circles multiple times. Once or twice Ben got turned around himself. But overall the group seemed to keep their heads about them. Hope had even remarked that she became lost much more easily the first time she had been here.
But relentlessly, the trio trudged onwards. As they continued to walk they eventually heard the sound of giggling and laughter. Ben held up a hand urging them all to stop as they listened to the childish giddiness of the voice. The laughter seemed to echo around them, confusing their sense of direction further. Finally Ben pointed upward and to their right. The stream which they had walked beside eventually opened up to a wider lake where sharp stalagmites jut upwards at fierce angles from the water's surface. This would not have been a problem in and of itself except for what hung above the lake. Jumping, pouncing, and skipping from hanging rock to hanging rock was Julie. She giggled with a carefree attitude as she leaped from the narrow floating stones which hung suspended above what seemed certain death. Behind her Ship did his best to follow dutifully and cried out in worry and concern. It seemed he had been immune to whatever emotion altering effect the Gardener had. But Julie, heedless to her pet's worries, continued to play about the precarious stones like a child. Still though, the group was somewhat relieved to see her. Finally Julie seemed to spot the trio and waved at them.
"Hey friends!" She called out before jumping her way towards them. "Whoops!" She cried as her foot slipped on the next stepping stone and she began to plunge towards the sharp rocks below.
"Julie!" Ben cried and immediately sprung forward. On pure thought alone the Omnitrix responded to his whims and he transformed into Stinkfly. The bug like alien surged forwards, keeping low to the surface of the water to avoid the nausea inducing disorientation that came with trying to fly in Ledgerdomain. His wings carried Stinkfly swiftly to Julie who he caught in midair just before she was impaled by the jagged stones below her. He carried her bridal style in his arms to the bank of the lake while she giggled happily, seemingly ignorant of the death she had narrowly avoided. Behind them flew Ship, who had taken on the form of an RC drone and followed relieved behind them.
"Oh hi Ben!" She exclaimed happily in his arms. Still befuddled by her apparent lack of self-awareness Ben could only stutter back.
"Uh, Hi Julie. Are you… feeling okay?" He asked.
"I feel great! Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, you always said that Stinkfly grossed you out. You said you didn't like the smell." He said.
"Oh…" Julie whispered as though the she picked up on the odor for the first time. Her nose wrinkled slightly and her ever present smile fell from her face for but a moment. But as soon as they landed and she spotted the rest of her friends the sudden clarity seemed to disappear and her bubbly energy reasserted itself. She jumped from Ben's insectoid arms and ran to give crushing hugs to both of her friends. Ship followed behind her nervously as she babbled like an excited toddler.
"Well, it looks like whatever the Gardener did it didn't have an effect on Ship." Kevin noted as the little mechamorph beeped in a sad but confirmatory tone.
"I'm not surprised, Ship is more machine than organic. Magic would have little effect on him." Charmcaster noted.
"Ugh, Ship was being really annoying earlier. He kept stopping me from playing in the forest! There's so many wonderful plants and landscapes here. It's just so majestic and beautiful and happy! I don't know how you guys don't see it." She said stretching her arms out wide.
"Uh, Julie. I know this place really is great but I think we should stick together from now on. That way we all get to see how amazing the Gardens are and we can have a fun time together!" Stinkfly suggested. Julie gasped in excitement.
"Oh that's a wonderful idea. I knew that giving you a second chance was a good idea. You're the best boyfriend ever!" She said wrapping her arms around Stinkfly's neck. Ben felt immensely guilty at those words for he knew that he had been nothing of the sort, and neither had he a chance to prove it to Julie, who evidently, had second thoughts about their renewed relationship. But he had no time to dwell on those feelings as he felt the young woman's lips press against his. What occurred next took everyone by surprise, as no sooner had Julie kissed Stinkfly's slimy lips then she had recoiled coughing in disgust.
"Oh god, bleeeggh, I think I'm going to vomit." She heaved and spit trying to get the rancid taste from her mouth. "What happened? Where are we?" She asked confused. Before either of the boys could react to Julie's sudden turn in behavior, Charmcaster was on her supportively.
"What's the last thing you remember?" She asked. Julie paused as she thought back.
"The last thing I remember was being hit by the Gardener… and then… everything seemed so pretty and perfect and I just felt so joyful I couldn't control myself." She recounted. "Oh man…" Julie whispered as she realized how badly she had been affected by the beam and how many dangerous situations she had put herself in.
"Well at least now we know we have a cure." Kevin responded with a coy smile as he turned to Ben.
"Ugh, no I am not kissing anybody else in our party for a whole host of reasons." Stinkfly emphasized.
"I think the effect is only temporary anyway." Charmcaster spoke. "As we continue deeper into the heart of Pandemonium it will continue to subject us to its pyschological properties. We should move while you still have your wits about you Julie." The sorceress spoke and Julie nodded, instructing Ship to not let her do anything unsafe no matter what she said. As the group reconvened Ben transformed again with a thought. Where once stood Stinkfly was the multi-eyed alien Eyeguy.
"I'll keep an Eye out as we go. That way Eye can spot the other members of our group." Ben spoke and the rest nodded. Soon the group started once more along the path. True to his word Eyeguy's various eyeballs were constantly shifting about him. With this alien form Ben had a nearly 360 degree view of their surroundings. What's more, Eyeguy's enhanced vision let him see in infrared, xray, and even ultraviolet spectrums so that he could more easily detect any movement. As they walked along the path Ben's multiple eyes scanned over every inch of the landscape. It was thanks to this superior scouting that in only a mere half an hour he noted a peculiar disturbance far below them. Turning, he surveyed the anomaly and focused his vision on it. Through multiple lenses he could make out a heat signature in the shape of a person. But the immense aura surrounding it suggested to him only one possible person.
"Hey! Eye think I found Gwen!" Ben called to the group and pointed. They all looked to see a meandering path descending down through rocky ledges and high cliff walls. They glanced apprehensively at each other as they considered the path. It was quite narrow and grew darker the further down they went. Cautiously they descended down the dangerous path in single file. At first the progress was slow going due to the treacherous ledges and uneven footing of the path, combined with the slick water which dripped from the cavernous walls of the canyon onto the flooring. Soon as they descended deeper, the light from above them disappeared from sight casting them in relative darkness. But this was remedied rather easily, between Ben's glowing eyes, Charmcaster's mana orbs, and Ship's natural luminescent circuits, the group had enough light to navigate them forward. The various sources of lights bounced around the solid stone walls, casting eerie shadows but also illuminating more wondrous scenery. The walls were coated every so often with fluffy mosses and lichens which stretched outward. Natural veins of ores and precious gems and metals ran through the stone, flashing brilliantly as they passed. Julie's pyschological effects seemed to reassert themselves as she delighted in the fantastic sights. Thankfully though, the narrow pass effectively prevented her from running off.
Eventually the passage way opened up into a large domed cavern. From above, a single opening in the craggy stone acted as a skylight which shone down on an outcropping of grassy dirt and stone overlooking a small still pond. There sitting at the edge of the outcropping illuminated by the spotlight sat Gwen. She sat facing away from the group, hunched over and apparently crying into her hands as the light sobs echoed and reverberated around the chamber. Her hair which she had recently been keeping up in a pony tail again now hung loose around her. Her stockings had some rips and tears in them and they could see the collar of her button up shirt was dissheveled. They sat looking upon her, as the overall atmosphere lended a sad and depressive mood to the scene before them. All but Charmcaster seemed moved by the scene as she proceeded to roll her eyes.
"I know we're friends and all now but even this is a bit too melodramatic right?" She asked half sarcasticly. Kevin pushed past the group with a gentle sigh.
"Stay here, I got this."He said simply before walking over the short outcropping. There was scarce enough room on the ledge for him but he sat down beside Gwen anyway. He knew that she had sensed him approach long before he sat beside her but he didn't speak a word, simply sitting silently beside her, watching from the corner of his eyes. At last Gwen lifted her head to look at him, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. A face which he noted had streaks of her makeup running down it from the multitude of tears she was crying. Kevin was somewhat surprised as he had rarely seen Gwen cry so fiercely, usually those moments were reserved for when the people she cared for were in serious danger. But to his credit, Kevin did not let his surprise show on his face. Instead he looked to her with a tilted head and a gentle smile.
"Hey." He spoke simply. And despite the intense emotions of sorrow she had felt just a moment before she could not help the smile that came to her face.
"Hey…" She replied quietly. He glanced backwards at the rest of the group which stood several feet away and out of earshot.
"So, do you wanna talk about what's bothering you?" He asked quietly. He knew that his reputation would never recover if the others had heard him, but Gwen seemed to be hurting, and he couldn't stand that. Gwen's head turned from him and she stared at the still pool of water that lied below.
"I don't know. It's just… I feel like I'm such a failure. All my life it was like I raced to be a grown up and I missed out on friends and fun and there have been so many times when I messed up so bad and I just… I feel like I don't see the point in anything anymore." She said the last bit quietly. Inside Kevin felt panic in his chest but he remained cool and resolute.
"Hey come on, you know none of that is true. It's just this place, messing with your head." He said.
"I know that. Rationally my brain recognizes that but I can't help feeling what I feel. Its like this voice appeared in the back of my head when I never had it before. And now it's making me relive all of the worst moments of my life." She said as she cradled her face in her hands and held back tears. Kevin put a gentle hand on her shoulder and Gwen looked up to him again.
"Hey, I know what it's like to be in a dark place like you're in now." He spoke quietly. "You helped me out of it before, and you always are there to keep it at bay. So now, I'm here to do the same thing for you." He said and planted a loving kiss on her forehead. Gwen once again felt her spirits lifting, and this time the aching sadness that buried deep in her core seemed to abate, just a little. "So whattaya say we get out of here?" Kevin said offering a hand.
A moment later Kevin and Gwen returned to the group hand in hand. Gwen rubbed at her face to clean it of the streaks of dark make up which stained them. Wordlessly, Hope passed her a handkerchief from her satchel which Gwen took with an appreciative smile. When she was finished cleaning her face she felt much better.
"So you good?" Hope asked her.
"Yeah."
"Good because I don't think I can deal with a sappy Gwen Tennyson." Charmcaster teased her. Gwen scoffed and rolled her eyes. Their newfound friendship wasn't enough to stop them from tossing good natured barbs every now and again. And for once, Gwen appreciated the levity it brought. Soon the group climbed up and back out of the passageways.
When the group emerged again they had found that the Gardener seemed to have altered the landscape yet again. They arose into a bamboo forest. The light green stalks of bamboo surged upwards in varying heights. Some copses were only a little taller than their group while others towered high above their heads. Soft loamy soil squished beneath their feet as they walked. All evidence of the previous trail they were following seemed lost and so they looked elsewhere for guidance. Above them a mana stream weaved in, out, and around the bundles of bamboo trees. With no other clues they decided to follow the stream, not knowing if it lead them closer to their destination or farther away.
Eventually the bamboo forest gave way to a wetland. Tall grasses and reeds sprung up from a flooded plain. Unusually, the wetlands seemed to occupy multiple different layers around them. As they walked through the ankle deep water they noted that around them floated large islands of the same wetlands, sometimes above and some below. They were separated by small waterfalls which occupied parts of the edges. It was here that they also noted more of the mana streams converging above their heads, a sure sign they were getting closer to the center temple. They trudged through the wetlands, their footsteps stirring muddy water about their feet. They proceeded in the direction of the lights, sometimes having to cross onto higher or lower platforms. The wetlands seemed large and stretched onwards for quite a distance but they could make out a return to normal forest lay before them. Julie splashed about in the water happily while Kevin carried Gwen on his shoulders.
Suddenly in the distance they heard great shouting and screaming. Rushing forward, they made their way to the edge of the current platform. They stopped just before a waterfall and looked down on the platform some ten feet below them. There they saw a strange sight. Kai was chasing Rook all about the isolated little island. She held her sword high above her as she shouted obscenities at the fleeing alien who was the picture of fright. Occasionally she swung Excalibur which released a great arc of white energy which scarred the landscape as it carved deep gouges into the soil. Luckily, Rook's great fear did nothing to dull his sharp reflexes, allowing him to dodge the immense strikes with ease. His continued evasion of her strikes seemed to make Kai all the more furious as she chased him each time with renewed vigor.
"I don't remember Excalibur being that powerful before?" Said Ben who had reverted back to human form upon finding them.
"It's probably because we're in Ledgerdomain." Charmcaster explained. "The sword is fueled by magic so it would make sense that it's even stronger in here."
"More importantly shouldn't we stop them?" Kevin asked.
"It's true, what if all their fighting draws the Gardener's attention again? Then we'll all be doomed again." Gwen spoke morosely.
"Aww but they look like they're having so much fun!" Julie observed.
"Gwen's right." Ben said and transformed again. He floated down to the side of Kai and Rook as Ampfibian. So preoccupied were the pair that they had not noticed his approach. Ben hovered just above the water, electricity coursing through his body. With but a small touch of the water he sent a light shock into their bodies causing the pair to jump in pain. When the current ceased the pair were kneeled in the watery ground.
Kai was the first to jump up. "Agggh! Ben I'll kill you for that!" She said, her ire now apparently turned straight onto Ben.
"Way to go genius." Hope called as she jumped the distance to the ground with the remainder of the group quick behind them.
"I thought it would shock them out of it like Julie!" Ben replied, eyeing Kai's sword warily.
"Snapping out of the spell requires us to introduce them to an opposite emotion than what they're already experiencing." Hope explained as though it was obvious. "Therefore, shocking her and making her angrier won't work."
"Oh well excuse me for just trying to help." Ampfibian trilled sarcastically as Hope stood in between him and the furious Kai. Her eyes blazed with wild fury as she approached with sword in hand.
"Hey Kai, let's just take it easy okay." Hope said gently with hands held placatingly in front of her. "Look! I brought your favorite desert see!" Then she proceeded to pull from her satchel, of all things, a slice of chocolate cake. At first Kai merely looked at the cake with confusion, as did the rest of the group. But then suddenly Hope shoved a piece of the confection into Kai's mouth and her entire expression changed at once. Her eyes softened and her arms, once tense with anger, relaxed and dropped downwards as she savored the delicious baked good.
"Chocolate cake?" Ben questioned.
"Yeah, Kai told me it was one of her most favorite things in the whole world." Hope explained. "I had a feeling something like this would happen so I packed up some just in case."
"Mmm, this is so good. Umm what were we doing?" Kai said in a calmer tone as though waking up from a slumber.
"Okay that's great but what about Rook?" Ben asked pointing at the other alien with one of his tentacles.
"I got it." Kevin then plucked Rook's proto-tool easily from off his shoulder as the panic stricken plumber continued to run around wildly. He gave a sharp whistle, grabbing his attention.
"Hey Rookie! Look what I've got." He said as he waved the weapon carelessly in the air. "Would be a real shame if something happened to it right?" He said as he began to experimentally bend the weapon close to its breaking point.
Rook looked on the scene first with the same fear that had assailed him all day. Then his face twisted in a grim scowl. He leaped over to Kevin with cat like speed and snatched the weapon from him. "Kevin! Do you have any idea how expensive and delicate these weapons are? Torquing it in the wrong way could make it irreparable!" He shouted in the young man's face who simply smiled smugly. Then just as soon as the anger appeared it dissipated as Rook seemed to come to his senses.
"Ah, a most ingenious tactic Kevin." Rook praised him. "But please don't try it again." He warned. Kevin shrugged his shoulders.
"Great, looks like we're all back to normal for the time being." Kai observed. "So can we please go get the Alpha Rune so we can get out of here? I can already feel myself getting annoyed again."
"But which way do we go? We're still lost aren't we?" Gwen observed with a negative thought.
"Maybe not as lost as you might think." Charmcaster stated as she pointed ahead of them. There in the distance where the wetlands ended they noted that the wilderness of Pandemonium seemed to give way to more orderly hedges and flower beds. Most strikingly of all was a similar archway to one they had passed through at the beginning, and a mana stream directly above it. The group exchanged nods, this must be the way to the central temple. And so they set out once more, determined to keep their group together this time.
Ben Tennyson and his retinue walked deeper into the heart of Pandemonium. It was here, as they neared the center, that the strange landscape truly earned the nickname of Gardens. They stared around them in bewilderment as they took in the sights. Orderly stone paved pathways weaved around in seemingly random directions. All around them stood tall neatly trimmed hedges. Beds of strange yet colorful flowers bloomed around them eternally. Fluffy verdant green bushes stood sentry over the different pathways. Lawns of neatly manicured grasses bordered the more orderly gardens. The mana streams flowed over head much larger and vibrant then they had previously encountered. Strange stone statues dotted the greenery at infrequent intervals. Many of them seemed to bear resemblance to the stone creatures that Charmcaster used to summon. Others appeared to be more like carved visions of faces of both humans and aliens alike. Still others, rarely, were abstract objects that seemed to be carved by unnatural means. The wild untamed beauty slowly gave way to the the neatly ordered splendor of reverence for nature.
As they passed deeper into the stately landscapes of the central gardens they saw their destination in the distance. Rising high above them was the central temple which housed the Alpha Rune. It was held almost precariously in place by the roots of a massive tree which supported it and grew through the landmass on which the temple sat. The trunk and canopy of the enormous tree grew up and to the side of the ancient building. A massive lake sat at the base of the roots. Floating stone platforms wound their way up to the temple, acting almost like an ethereal staircase. The temple itself had a rectangular base and was composed of the same gray-brown stone which seemed so common in the Gardens. Multiple domed towers rose from the base, each with window like openings set about carved ledges and reliefs. But the central tower rose highest of them all. From each of the four cardinal directions, massive swathes of mana and light poured into the windows, clearly indicating the treasure which laid inside to all outsiders.
"So, this is it huh?" Ben noted as they all stared at their destination looming ahead of them.
"Yes, we're in the heart of Pandemonium now." Hope replied. "Legend has it that this is where Bezel unlocked the secrets of magic and forged his charms." She added. "But we have to be careful from here on out. We're in the middle of the Gardener's turf. Any disturbance might…" She trailed off as the ground rumbled beneath their feet.
As if summoned by his name alone the massive stone faced Gardener appeared from over a hedge. It seemed the Gardener had been waiting for them. The heroes and the magic construct faced each other off, as they each prepared to do battle.
A/N: This chapter and the next are much longer than the usual ones but I hope you'll agree it is well worth it. I actually have taken what I originally wrote for the beginning of the next chapter and jammed it onto the end of this one to help cut down the word count. Next chapter is still undergoing some revisions but I hope to have it ready before the next update.