by JW Baccaro
Suddenly, Magnus, in his transformed state, jolted up from a trench partially behind Abaddon and fired two streams of blue-green energy, pouring out his stretched arms like shooting water.
The energy struck Abaddon's wings, scorching them badly. He fell forward.
Then came Minevara from the opposite side, blowing a storm of ice out from her mouth, the blistering cold air freezing Abaddon's wings in place, and changing the ground under him to that of a frozen lake; unable to stand, unable to fly.
Next, Nayland sprung forth at his father's side, unleashing a storm of wind, blowing Abaddon into the higher rocks, the Fallen Angel smashing to and fro, landing, then slipping on the ice, striking his head, disoriented enough to keep him from teleporting.
Like a shadow, Caelestias now appeared, jumping atop a colossal sized boulder his eyes flashing green. He threw his arms forward and a ‘shell’ of green flames covered Abaddon in a triangular shape, the forest-like elements within the flames, flashing gold, erected his form, keeping him still, straight like a solid tree.
The triangular flames went out, but the Fallen Angel couldn't move, golden sparks cracking off his body, and he felt a terrible pressure throughout his innards, crushing and suffocating him.
Finally, the High Wizard materialized the energy of the Four Magics, converting each element into an attack of their own. Onward stormed a red sphere, waves of shining blue, streams of forest-green, and to finish it all, a few massive bolts of yellow lightning; the explosions ran high, bursting apart the mountain under Abaddon's feet, and he disappeared in the smoke.
"Is everyone all right?" Caelestias asked, making sure they avoided the scattering debris.
Before any answer could come, an unexpected voice from the rising smoke spoke, “If you are all so anxious to die, I shall not disappoint you.” Abaddon released a transparent type of ‘force’ that struck them all, hurling their bodies away like simple twigs in a breeze. As the remainder of the smoke rose, there Abaddon stood, or rather hovered, his wings were not in the best of shape, but they were still strong enough to take flight. He looked burned and bruised, but hardly ‘damaged’ enough to stop him.
Suddenly, a storm of arrows pierced his wings, tearing them to shreds, accompanied by two battle axes whistling in the air, striking the limbs that connected the wings to his back, severing one completely and nearly lopping off the other.
He fell, just barely catching himself on the ledge of the recently split mountain. The Centaur Leriana and the other Centaurs, along with King Sirach and Queen Judith had entered the battle. As for Captain Baruch, he stormed toward Abaddon, seeing him pulling himself from the edge onto the mountain. Raising the axe, Baruch hurled it straight for the enemy, chopping off his right arm from the elbow down as the Fallen Angel stood up. Abaddon roared like a mad beast, his eyes turning to fire as he looked at the attackers.
"Fire!" Leriana commanded a second time, a new set of arrows flying Abaddon's way.
"Mindless fools!" he shouted, then formed an energy shield around himself, the shield taking the shape of a dome. Arrows ricocheted off as he conjured his next attack. Once the sky cleared, he withdrew the dome and taking advantage of where his enemies stood, he released an attack of sound, the roaring noise shooting out from his lungs like a dozen mad lions.
Reddish waves struck the large plates of rock above the Centaurs and Dwarves, splitting them apart and spawning an avalanche, rising up a heavy cloud of brown dust and dirty snow, the noise like an earthquake. As the stampede of boulders drew closer, death was just moments away—they knew they had nowhere to flee and little time if they did.
King Sirach looked to his Queen as if to say goodbye when the next moment, the avalanche slowed its pace until finally stopping completely, down to the last pebble.
“I can’t hold it for long!” hollered a voice from afar. They looked to their left and about five hundred feet across was the High Wizard Olchemy, his staff raised in the air, the tip glowing a beautiful white. “Get out of there, hurry!” he shouted.
Leriana forcefully grabbed Sirach’s hand. “Climb on!”
Two other Centaurs offered the Queen and Captain onto their backs and as fast as they could, the Centaurs stormed for the Wizard’s side of the mountain, being careful not to stumble over the rocky elements beneath them, leaping when they had the chance—and they reached Olchemy.
The High Wizard released his spell and the avalanche continued its way, rolling and crashing down the mountainside, stirring up a heavy cloud they could all taste.
“Abaddon is going for the Guardian,” Leriana informed him, “And I cannot tell whether Loreus has reached him.”
“We must stop him!” Minevara exclaimed.
“Understand—the next time we approach Abaddon will be our last,” Caelestias noted. “Most assuredly, he will strike fiercely.”
“If that’s what it takes, then that is what must be done,” Magnus commented.
“I have no quarrel with that. Let us move!”
“Wait, hold on,” Nayland interrupted. “Kaylis, remember the Bonnsag, how you defeated him?”
Kaylis could not help but to laugh. “Bonnsag. Yeah, of course.”
“What’s so amusing?” Caelestias asked.
“Nothing really, I just get a chuckle out of that word—”
“Can you attempt the same attack against Abaddon, were we to give you our powers?” Nayland asked, keeping the subject strict.
“I—I am not sure,” he said, sliding down off Astra, admittedly interested.
“Yes—yes! The ability of Connection,” Magnus agreed. “Your brother told me you have this gift!”
“But, I understand very little about it.”
“It is a technique that comes naturally, my boy. The elements within your body take hold of another’s energy, converting the power into your very being, materializing into spherical energy. When you defeated that Bonnsag the energy you unleashed was equivalent to both you and your brother, as one.”
“But I have no ‘Nasharin’ energy. I can’t even transform.”
“You don’t need to, you never needed to.”
Kaylis said nothing, didn’t even laugh at the word Bonnsag this time around, only looked toward his father.
“It gets even stranger, my son. That energy is what the Ancients have called ‘the One,’ or ‘the Everlasting Field,’ the deepest energy in all of existence. Powers in harmony with your heart help you to tap into this field.”
“Like Nayland’s?” Kaylis thought of his battle with the Bonnsag, and how he welcomed Nayland’s energy into his spirit, absorbing it, and at the time felt a deep connection with his brother—deeper than normal.
Magnus nodded. “If mastered, you’d have no limits.”
Kaylis looked overwhelmed as he took in his father’s words.
“Nayland, Minevara, Caelestias, Olchemy,” Magnus called, “Give all that you are able to my son. I will hold Abaddon off.”
“Are you mad?” Minevara shouted.
Facing the direction of the Fallen Angel, the look on his face reminded both Olchemy and Nayland of Mirabel, determined to do whatever it took to save another, and if all goes well, bring about a little justice against the evil, against Abaddon. “He's wounded. I will hold him off, if it be the last thing I do."
“Father?” Kaylis said, reaching out his hand as if to say ‘don’t leave.’
Magnus looked back at him. “Kaylis, my son…” He smiled tenderly. “How shameful it is that I underestimated you, if you only understood more about our race, you'd understand just how rare and magnificent your gift is."
"But—I don't think I can do—"
"Of course you can, you've always had the power, my son. Just remember, this attack, it can only be performed once. You’re not a Master, therefore your energy will be next to nothing after it is completed. Do it, but do it carefully!” Magnus shouted, raising his energy, the wave-like turquoise ripples elevating high and then, he stormed off.
; Kaylis glanced back to the others—all eyes upon him. For the first time in his life, an expression of confidence and control dominated his face. “Let us begin,” he said, closing his eyes.
"Let me attempt this first," Nayland said to the others, admittedly a little concerned for his brother. He shot forward a light breeze, the elements traveling straight for Kaylis as if they were being called.
It surrounded him, taking the shape of a cone and Kaylis could feel the energy knocking at his pores, wanting to come in, then a strange tingling sensation began to flood his every nerve. He raised his arms and the wind disappeared, storming through his body, and a host of fiery golden sparks began to crackle above his palms, eventually taking the shape of little sphere. It felt as if separation between him and his brother was an illusion. They were one in energy. "More," he shouted. “Give me more!"
Smiling, Nayland unleashed a heavy gust, sending nearly half his energy with the element…Kaylis' sphere grew three times larger. Next, Minevara unloaded on him a breath of ice, Caelestias his Aryeh abilities, and finally Olchemy casting forward powers amongst the four elements.
Kaylis felt all of this, the energies bringing him into a state of ecstasy, releasing a feeling—no—a hunger he’d never experienced, a hunger for energy, strength and battle. The sphere had ridiculously grown into an enormous sun star, having a diameter of at least a hundred feet. "More!" Kaylis repeated. "I need—I must have more!"
"That should be enough," Caelestias said. "This is not the time to be greedy, Nasharin." He turned sharply to Nayland. "Your brother is experiencing the Nasharin frenzy. Stop him!"
Suddenly, Minevara ran toward Kaylis, the winds covering her head from the scattering debris, for Kaylis' sphere was stirring up the mountain elements.
"Minevara what are you doing?" Nayland shouted.
She ignored him, and did not share the belief of Lord Caelestias. Who was he to understand Kaylis, anyway? There must be something more to Kaylis' cry for more energy, but no one could spare another dose, already they'd given more than they should have—except for her. She grabbed Kaylis' arm, closed her eyes and began to convert her other abilities into him, her freezing touch and forbidden elvish fire. The powers poured into the young Nasharin like a shooting spring.
He began flashing gold, the light causing them to turn away their eyes, at least directly.
Minevara collapsed to the ground, exhausted, as everyone else was.
Kaylis began to levitate, ascending high into the air, his eyes a golden fire.
"Do it brother," Nayland urged.
~~****~~
Prior to Kaylis forming the sphere, his father Magnus had been searching for Abaddon. He wasn't difficult to spot, but still awfully far from him. He sped up, racing across smooth layers of rock, jumping whenever the elements became sharp, jagged or trench-like. It was only moments before he would come face to face with the Demon, or rather—the Fallen Angel, which was odd, for as long as he could remember, sitting around bonfires beside Mirabel as a child, the stories told about Abaddon were always that he was a Demon. Never in a thousand years, did he imagine such a creature once stood in the high realms of Heaven. Though, he above all, could understand what turns a creature evil, bitterness and selfish pride, as he himself once experienced.
“Blasted elvish magic!" Abaddon balked, attempting to transport over to Darshun, but the spell was failing. Each time he tried, parts of his body would begin to disappear, only to reappear a few moments later. "That Caelestias has damaged my ability to transport distance, accursed Aryeh! I should just crumble that side of the mountain to be rid of the Guardian." He grinned. "But I want him to suffer longer, witness the death of his friends."
He then, heard the sound of running footsteps behind him, approaching fast. "Now what?" Sharply, he turned around and saw but a glimpse of a figure leaping into the air, fancifully flipping over him, then landing on the rocky path. Again, Abaddon turned, his gaze falling on a creature with shinning greenish-blue eyes and matching hair, icy blue skin and turquoise wave-like lights surrounding his presence, Magnus. By his energy, Abaddon knew the nature. "Seems Nasharins are coming out of the woodwork. What do I have to do to destroy you all?"
Not caring to exchange words, Magnus attacked immediately, rushing forward, sword out.
Grinning, Abaddon drew his weapon with his left hand and swung at an arch. Because of his long arm and deathly speed he was sure he'd cut the Nasharin in half at the torso before he would reach him.
Unexpectedly, Magnus threw up his arm and caught the blade, impressively stopping the power, the steel sparking, then he countered with a fast kick, striking Abaddon in his ribs.
Abaddon toppled over, snarling, only to find the sword of the pesky Nasharin coming straight for his skull.
Quickly he rolled aside, the sword striking the rock. Abaddon tried getting up, but Magnus kicked him again, this time smashing the heel of his boot against the Fallen Angel's face, returning him to the mountain, then threw another swing. Abaddon rolled aside, ignoring the pain of the jagged rocks piercing his body; the Nasharin was fast, so he needed to be faster, and continued thrashing to and fro, left to right, right to left over the hard elements, each time avoiding the heavy thrusts and quick jabs driven by Magnus. "Rather inconsequential, don't you say Nasharin?" Abaddon mocked, dodging another blow, Magnus’ sword chipping away an additional rock.
No matter how fast or hard Magnus tried, Abaddon remained untouched, and only seemed to be toying with him. Finally, Magnus made his mistake, or perhaps, attempted something so unwise Abaddon had no choice but to react. He raised his sword, drawing his arms above his head, attempting to hurl the blade down with great force— only, this left his chest wide open. Abaddon saw the moment, bent back a leg, and kicked, the Angel’s colossal foot covering Magnus’ mid to upper belly, his diaphragm and the beginnings of his throat.
Spitting out saliva and blood, the blow shot him into the air. He landed onto a flatbed of rock some twenty or thirty feet away.
Delightfully smiling, Abaddon jumped to his feet. Before him was Magnus' sword, which he’d dropped from the blow. Grabbing it by the handle he walked over to Magnus, the Nasharin barely managing to stand, his body trembling. With what little strength he had left, he called forth a mighty energy from within, shaking the rock beds beneath them; his eyes flashed, his aura elevated—causing the sword in Abaddon’s hand to spark and crackle with power.
Unexpectedly, a pure energy shinning aqua launched out from his palm, the stream shooting straight for Abaddon, except, Abaddon welcomed it with a grin! The energy struck, the explosion of aqua flame ran high, but as a mist of white smoke rose, Abaddon had yet to budge from his ground, undamaged and untouched.
Out of energy, Magnus fell to his knees.
“Your race always was a fascinating one,” Abaddon smirked. “A bit different from the others, seeing more to this world than merely black or white. And the power Nasharins are known for, the amount of energy unleashed? Well, let’s just say you are in a class of your own. Impressive, I admit—for a mortal, of course. But like all inferior creatures, you die just the same.” He tossed Magnus’ sword high into the air, then it drifted back down while he drew his own blade, enflamed in red, swung and shattered Magnus’ to pieces.
A smile came to Magnus’ face. “I never thought I could defeat you, wicked one, just give a fellow warrior enough time.”
Abaddon raised his bows. “Enough time for what?—what foul are you speaking?”
Just then, a golden light began to overshadow them, Magnus shifted his eyes to the sky, overjoyed at his son’s accomplishment.
Abaddon spun on a heel to see what was amusing the Nasharin so much—and could barely believe it. For in the heavens hovered a new warrior, one he’d never witnessed nor felt before, his body flashing gold, arms extended high, and above him hovered what looked like some type of golden sphere or sun. The energy it contained felt—unnatural, at least for the physical realms. “What madness is that
?” Abaddon shouted, turning back to Magnus.
"Your destruction."
Abaddon snarled, and raised his sword to swiftly end Magnus’ life in order to focus on this new threat. Before he could, came the sound of hooves storming across the mountain, behind Abaddon, and over an embankment of stone jumped the Unicorn Astra, meeting Abaddon’s gaze with a bright yellow light shooting out of her aurorally horn. The light blinded Abaddon.
Astra galloped to Magnus, motioning her head back toward the others. Magnus understood and with what little strength he had left, climbed atop of her and they stormed out of there, just barely avoiding Abaddon’s sword as he blindly swung in all directions, cursing the Unicorn.
“Do it Kaylis!” Magnus shouted.
Wielding the energy as if it were a sword, he extended his arms downward and the golden sphere fell in motion.
Abaddon, rubbing his eyes, finally regained sight, only to witness the mass of energy descending his way. Too close to make an escape, neither could he transport nor fly. He withdrew his sword, raised his arm, ‘felt’ the outskirts of the energy and began to slow its course.
Kaylis could feel the disharmony, the pressure beginning to build against him. He fought back, unleashing additional strength into the wielding of his sphere, pushing forward like trying to push through a mass of stone, every muscle in his members burning.
“It’s just not possible!” Abaddon shouted over the winds, debris hurling past him. “Not—possible!” With all his might, he could do no more to push back this phenomenal of energy. It sunk closer, and closer, beginning to singe his hands, his face, then alit his entire body to flames, golden flames, and he could hold no longer.
The density of the attack struck, and an explosion of vivid light and roaring thunder dominated the sky…All took cover.
CHAPTER TEN
THE LAST STAND
Darshun, lying in a crater of stone, had been sensing every event, from the beginning of his friends lending a hand, to Kaylis’ finishing attack. He knew they were trying to help, but feared for their lives. Abaddon was not dead, his energy may have vanished, but his lifeforce still lingered. And while for the moment the battle seemed finished, it was only a matter of time before the darkness once again—resurrected. “If there was only something more I could do—something more I could lend, but my body is destroyed. I can’t even more one square inch. Heh, I never thought it would end this way—” His thoughts were disrupted by the sound of hooves traveling atop the rocky elements.