by Sariah Skye
You can do it, Leo. Do not give in!
“Well?” Cyril growled.
“Hell no!” I hollered at him, leaping to my feet in a burst of strength and light. I pushed the Shadow magic off me, as I were brushing off a coating of dust, and tossed it to the ground in a slimy puddle, stomping it out with my feet.
He roared, throwing his head back in maniacal laughter. “So be it!” Another crash sounded around us followed by the noise of a dozen or so growling, snarling voices.
Gabriel, with the help of my magic had summoned an electricity ball in front of himself, exposing the forms before us being released now from the portal.
“Oh shit,” he muttered. Daniel drew his sword again and pointed it out in front of him. Gabriel's magic was somehow snuffed again and the growling grew closer.
It was completely dark—even darker than before. We could make out the dim outlines of several creatures around us but we could not guess their movements. Daniel cut slices in the air where he thought they would be only to be disappointed when the sword touched nothing.
I caught some movement from nearby, closer to where Kiarra and my brother were standing. A brief, dark purple flash and then a sharp whirring sound of muffled metal as the flash slammed into one other dragon standing with my brother and Kiarra.
He—one of the white dragons—let out a pained howl when I watched the flash high above their heads.
“Kiarra, move!” I yelled. I could see the dim outline of my brother's massive form slam into Kiarra and shove her backward, into a couple of other dragons, out of the way of the mysterious creature before them.
“I'd be more concerned with us.” Gabriel, Daniel and I circled each other as I listened closely to the quiet slicing of what I assumed was some sort of a Shadow weapon wielded by each creature.
“They're like Shadow ninjas or something! How can you fight what you can't see?” Daniel wondered aloud, his sword still drawn in front of him.
“That's it!” I said, “Gabriel—fire ball!”
He didn't question it, he just summoned a fire ball in his palm and, with my magic I blew it with force into his brother's outstretched sword. The metal caught fire and spread quickly up and down the metallic shaft, illuminating the area directly in front of him.
“Thank you!” he called, swinging the sword nimbly in front of him, hoping to catch some movement. The Shadow form—which was surprisingly human in appearance with a head atop shoulders, arms, legs and a torso with the same choppy form as all the others. It was in mid swing of its dark weapon when Daniel saw this and countered with a block.
The Shadow growled as the sword's firelight lit up the gnarled face; it was human all right. Or… was and covered in Shadow, but with deep purple orifices where the eyes, nose and mouth should be.
I heard Gabriel pulling out his dagger from his side and before we could light it up it already hummed brightly with the white light of the metal. It must have been because he was magical. Still, I bolstered with my own magic and the light it now gave off now lit directly around him. He summoned a plasma ball in his free hand and attempted to help his brother counter the Shadow human in front of him. Gabriel wasn't terribly agile or accurate with his physical weapon, but deadly accurate with his magic. In the light of their weapons they managed to get off a couple hits that made the creature cry out.
I heard the now unmistakable sound of a shadowed weapon nearby whizz closer by my head. Out of luck I happened to duck the blow, but I wasn't so lucky as another creature I hadn't seen, managed to land a blow that grazed my skin.
I cried out in both surprise and pain, my eyes darting back and forth as I backed up closer to Gabriel but upon a quick glance, I could see that the creatures had somehow parted us.
Frustrated, I blew my fire out in front of me, hoping it would contain enough light to see around me but it wasn't enough. I took another couple of steps back and willed the change back into a human so I could properly hold the dagger magically sheathed on my front left leg. I knelt as I shifted to make myself a smaller target, thankful once again for Finnian’s magic as I felt the leather cuff on my arm. I looked down briefly to see myself fully clothed. Sweet. As I drew my dagger and held it in front of me, it hummed with energy and let out a little explosion of light; like I was carrying a large torch.
The Shadow form in front of me seemed surprised. In the light I watched it feint to the ground and with agility tumble out of the way of the brightness.
“Gabriel!” I called from feet away as I stabbed the dagger into the air, hoping to connect. I failed of course; Maxxus’ fighting techniques lost on me. Damn, where was he? I tried not to dwell on him right now because Gabriel was becoming overwhelmed.
He was throwing fireballs at two Shadows in front of him. He spun around briefly as unbeknownst to me a Shadow had leapt over my head and was somersaulting, shadow weapon poised to kill. I let out a little shriek and, out of reflex I held up the dagger. With my free hand, I conjured a ball of whatever magic I could think of, which for some reason was water magic. I cursed, but Gabriel called out, “Catch!”
And like magnets, a ball of his light magic joined with my water, and with a large breath I turned it into a small mass of rain and lightning and threw it up at the Shadow quickly as I lost my footing and collapsed to the ground.
Thankfully, it let out a horrible, pained hiss as it was hit and imploded in on itself, like a black hole collapsing, it was gone.
Unfortunately, I had distracted Gabriel from the Shadows in front of him. I turned just in time to see him watch a Shadow from the corner of his eye, drive its Shadow weapon from in the air, straight into his back.
I will never forget the sound Gabriel made right then. It was the single most anguished, horrifying, painful scream I have ever heard in my entire life. It pierced my very heart and rattled my soul. Gabriel's eyes widened at the sudden realization of what just happened and his knees went slack and he collapsed in a listless heap on the ground.
“Oh my god! Gabriel!” I shrieked and I attempted to run to him, but was blocked by another Shadow from out of nowhere. I didn't even hesitate this time; I pulled at the anguish inside me and summoned a mass of pure, angry energy inside me. It was a ball of white light, tinged with black along the edges. With the tip of the dagger I pulled the magic out of my grasp and stabbed it right at the Shadow reaping its death magic on top of me.
It cried out—like the other—in a pained shriek, but instead of dispersing on it like the other, it exploded in a mass of blackened magic and torn, slimy tendrils and showered all around us, trailing to the ground like ash.
“Serves you right, fucking asshole!” I yelled defiantly at it in dragon, satisfied that it had been obliterated.
Weakly from nearby I heard someone call out my name. I shook myself out of my bloodlust and remembered…
Gabriel.
I rushed to his side. He was breathing heavy and raspy; his heart pounded in the walls of his chest. He turned his head and reached out his hand as I knelt at his side.
I tossed my dagger to the ground beside me and reached for his outstretched hand with one hand, and with my other hand fingered the sticky substance below me. I cried out in surprise as my knees landed in warm, thick liquid.
I cried out again, realizing it was Gabriel's blood.
Tears immediately pricked at my eyes; I wiped them away with my bloody hand, leaving a streak across my forehead. I didn't care.
“Gabriel,” I whimpered, stroking his palm, looking into his eyes. They were becoming glassy as the moments went on, a sure sign of impending death. With horror, I cried out for Daniel, or anyone to help me. But with a quick glance around me I could see that everyone was in the midst of fighting no less than two Shadow forms each. And the battle wasn't going well.
Daniel was a force to be reckoned with, spinning and stabbing and slicing deftly all around him, barely wincing as the Shadows sliced at him with their weapons. His leather jacket, now torn, hung in tatters on his sh
oulders; his T-shirt underneath slashed and blood soaked. I craned my hearing in his direction and heard his heart pumping normally; the wounds were superficial for now.
“Leo...” Gabriel said weakly, licking his dry lips now, breathing shallowly. I could hear his heartbeat slowing and erratic in his chest.
I had to do something.
“Stay with me, Gabe! It's going to be fine! I'm going to—I'm going to heal you!” I struggled to get Gabriel's heavy form on his side to get better access of the wound. I cried out, seeing the large, gaping hole in his back, just under the rib cage. If a major organ hadn't somehow been punctured, he was losing a lot of blood and I knew his chances weren't good. I struggled to compose myself through the panic encapsulating me to find the healing magic from deep inside.
From seemingly out of nowhere, I heard another familiar cackle, followed by a loud crash and a loud, menacing growl.
I briefly looked up from my healing to see Maxxus in his green dragon form, leaping out from the balcony on the southern side of the throne room. Like some sort of superhero, he shifted in the air from his dragon into his human form and landed deftly on the ground, sword raised. His T-shirt in tatters on his chest and arms, marred with blood-soaked cloth from gashes he'd somehow received and leather cuff on his arm, black jeans torn in places but otherwise he appeared no worse for the wear.
I had little time to marvel at him or his extreme acrobatic act of flying out of the balcony and not killing himself before he shouted:
“Leo—watch out!” He warned, and I noticed that he'd been chasing Nicodemus, who was bearing down on me right then. I yelped and out of instinct, I flicked a hand open and summoned a ball of light and tossed at him in a panic, just as Maxxus landed his death blow right into Nicodemus's form; impaling him with his sword from back to front all the way through.
Nicodemus's eyes went dark—blank, even—and he blinked from his normal form to his Shadow form as he collapsed to the ground.
Maxxus grinned momentarily, satisfied at himself as he stood over Nicodemus' form triumphantly before he saw my horrified expression.
“Maxxus!” I cried out to him desperately, and Maxxus suddenly looked horrified and fell to his knees at Gabriel's side. “Help me!”
Maxxus grunted in agreement and helped me to gently turn Gabriel over on his stomach. Gabriel let out a gurgle and gasped for air, but Maxxus reached over and picked up Gabriel's head gently and knelt down, setting it gently in his lap. “Come on, friend, knight sir. Stay with us; let Leo work her magic.”
“It's...” Gabriel choked out, struggling. “... late.”
“No!” I cried out defiantly. “I've got this!”
Maxxus placed a solid, strong hand on my shoulder, steadying me. “You can do this, Leo. Take a breath; draw from my strength.”
I nodded slightly in his grasp, thankful for his presence.
“Man...just let go. You... you just take care of her. Because… I couldn’t…” he coughed violently, a trickle of blood escaping from his lips and trailing down his chin onto the ground.
“No!” Maxxus said, his tone undaunted. “No, not like this, brother. Not like this. Don’t leave us like this!”
Gabriel forced a slight smile.
“What can I do?” Maxxus turned to me solemnly, his own eyes welling with emotional tears.
“Cover me,” I said. I heard the sounds of battle and cries of defeat and victory from both sides all around us. “They can't be far away.”
Maxxus nodded, setting Gabriel's head gingerly on the ground, careful to not strangle the airway; his gaze facing me. Maxxus stood tall, sword drawn in one hand, and summoned up a mass of Earth and gleaming elements from under him and stood, waiting.
“Leo... I...” Gabriel gasped, speaking a small voice. “Love you...”
I choked back a desperate sob, but forced a smile. Whatever happened, in whatever capacity, I knew I did too. “Love you too. Now... let me heal you!”
“Too-too far... gone...” Gabriel began coughing again, another drop of blood escaping his mouth.
I shoved the sounds around me out of my earshot and closed my eyes. “Shut the fuck up, it's not too late!” I shouted, trying to convince more myself than Gabriel. I inhaled and breathed out my magic and pulled at the place inside, from my very soul and willed for him to heal. I placed my palms over his wound and felt the warmth emanating from them and pushed it into Gabriel.
He let out a strangled noise, but sounded more relaxed after a moment. Feeling a bit of confidence now, I pulled more magic from inside me and willed it outward, concentrating on the wound, picturing the bleeding stopped as I was interrupted by an anguished howl from beside me.
My eyes flew open as I watched Maxxus being shot with a blast of Shadow magic, coming directly from Cyril, right into Maxxus' heart.
“No!” I screamed, and without realizing it, interrupting the healing magic as I watched Maxxus clutch his chest. I cried out to anyone at that moment.
“I told you they'd suffer if you did not join me!” Cyril's voice boomed with rage as he poured more of his shadow magic straight into Maxxus.
“No!” I cried out again, watching Maxxus fall to his knees, his ocean blue eyes turning dull as he struggled to get to his feet.
I heard the unmistakable noise of a shadow blade from out of nowhere and I looked up in enough time to see a shadow from behind attempt to jump over me and slay Maxxus. I realized my light magic was still emanating from my hands and I shot them outright at the Shadow, blasting it with everything I had. I hit the Shadow square in what I assumed was the chest and I watched it's shocked, empty expression as it fell to the ground.
Another cackle from Cyril nearby. I narrowed my eyes at him and feeling an inferno of fiery rage inside me, I got to my feet.
“No. More!” I yelled out defiantly and with a wide gesture of my hands, wings stretching I summoned up all the magic I had inside me. A mass of lightning, crackling light, wind and hail formed before me and, I exhaled deeply, shoving the mass of magic towards him with a defiant battle yell.
Cyril's expression was one of stun as it crashed into his Shadow form, and it surrounded him as a paralytic shield and encompassed him in a magic amber. Satisfied, I turned back to my friends—or loves—on the ground nearby. My family. No matter what happened before, or after… they were family.
Maxxus managed a smile as the magic from Cyril ceased, allowing a pained but still very alive Maxxus to slowly regain his composure and rise to his feet…
… when I heard the eerie noise of a Shadow blade and a gasp from Maxxus, followed by a twang of metal as Daniel spun like a tornado coming out of nowhere, slicing his blade straight through the form, distracting it from Maxxus momentarily.
But the damage was done. The Shadow had stabbed its blade straight through Maxxus's rib cage; right near the heart. Or maybe a lung. Whichever, it was not good. I watched as blood immediately pooled there, soaking what was left of his shirt. Maxxus looked at me, stunned, and began to fall.
I let out a cry of confusion and sorrow, watching Maxxus fall to the ground.
“No...” I whimpered, scuttling myself over to him. Besides the chest wound, he was severely battered and torn; the Shadow magic had left a dark scar over each of his wounds prohibiting his body from doing any sort of rejuvenation. I cried, raising my hand over him and summoning my magic, placing one hand over him and the other over Gabriel. I listened to both of their pulses; Gabriel's was erratic and Maxxus's was weakening by the moment. Had he not been struck with Shadow, he might have a chance to heal himself, but clearly the Shadow was messing with his natural dragon abilities and he wasn't healing fast enough—or at all—to prevent the blood loss.
Feeling the tears fall openly down my cheeks, I breathed shallowly. “I need a healer! Please!” I pleaded to anyone around me that would hear me; but I knew everyone was currently engaged in battle; I was alone. It was up to me.
I turned to each one, evaluating their conditions in my mind.<
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Gabriel was in dire straits. He wasn't as blasted with Shadow like Maxxus was but, the wound had bled out quite a bit. He had little blood left, he barely had a pulse and his breathing was shallow.
Maxxus on the other hand was already battle weary. Dragons could heal fast, but he'd been battling Nicodemus for awhile now—I couldn't know how long, being pulled into the time warp that Finnian cast. Nicodemus' powers were strong; perhaps not rivaling Cyril's but, still much more strong than the average Shadow form. If shifting like he had hadn't healed the injuries or, at least slowed them down, he too wouldn't make it in his current state.
I couldn't let them die. I couldn't let them both die; they were both here because of me. Because they tried to help me; maybe because they loved me.
I had to heal them both. But how? By the time I summoned up all my magic to take care of one, the other might be gone.
Choking back despaired sobs, I willed my healing magic from inside into both. I heard a relaxed sigh come from each of them and it gave me a boost of confidence, and I breathed out and pulled up more magic.
Heal... heal please... you can't leave me... you can't. Either of you!
I felt a hand on my shoulder, squeeze gently. I swatted it away with mine and continued pouring my magic into both, concentrating, pulling from a place deep inside. I didn't realize I was holding a breath and I let it go and felt myself wobble, slightly.
“Leo... it's not working.” A voice from beside me quivered. “It's not working. You… you can't do both. It's not going to work.”
My eyes flew open and I saw Daniel standing above me. I looked down at both men and evaluated their injuries once again. Neither had been healed, but both appeared more relaxed.
“Heal him,” Maxxus raised his head slightly and spoke earnestly. “I'm Dragon, I will be fine,” he said, forcing a very sluggish and altogether unconvincing smile. “Heal him first... Please.”