FanFiction.Net - unleash your imagination 
mobile edition|
Author of 119 Stories |
Awakening
"Oh, thank goodness," The girl smiled. "You're awake."
"Where am I?" Isaac asked faintly.
"The palace in Kalay," The girl answered. "There was some kind of explosion. Some people found you and your friends lying on the ground among the rubble and brought you here."
"The explosion," Isaac sat up sharply, wincing as he felt an ache in his back. "Is everybody else okay?"
The girl opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off as a blue-haired girl bounded into the room, her eyes sparkling with delight.
"Isaac! You've awoken!" Mia exclaimed, rushing over to the bed and wrapping her arms around him tightly. "Thank goodness! I was worried about you."
"How long have I been out?" Isaac asked concernedly.
"A day and a half," Mia answered. "Do you remember what happened?"
"Yeah," Isaac pushed back the bedcover and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Mia sat down next to him. "That elf girl… she ran up and kind of exploded. I remember Sheba screaming that she was going to explode. That Elf Queen flew away before she did, so that means there's still one Elf left. The world is still in danger!"
"I just hope no damage has been done already," Mia frowned. "Kalay is safe, thank goodness. It's strange. A passerby told us that he had actually seen Ivan send Tolbi's troops fleeing."
"Ivan?" Isaac's eyes widened. "I wonder… so Ivan is okay. How about everybody else?"
"You were the last one to wake up," Mia brushed back a strand of blue hair. "Everybody else is okay. There weren't any injuries I couldn't heal."
"Thank goodness," Isaac felt a wave of relief rushing through him. "In an explosion that serious, I thought we were done for."
"It's a good thing we were found and tended to quickly," Mia bit her lip. "I'm sure that if we'd just been left there, some of us could have died."
"Well, I'm pretty sure that explosion wasn't meant to just send us flying a little bit," Isaac laughed dryly. "I'm glad you're okay too."
"Of course," Mia smiled. "Well, now that you're awake, we should go and meet everybody else. Do you feel okay?"
Isaac got to his feet and walked steadily across the room, before turning around and nodding. "I feel fine. Let's go." He left the room with Mia and they found everybody else conferring in the ground floor of the palace.
"Hey, you're awake," Garet smiled. "You sure slept a long time, Isaac."
"Believe me, I would have woken up sooner if I was capable of doing so," Isaac smiled back.
"I hope Ivan really is okay," Hama fiddled with her plait. "Somebody said he chased Tolbi away, but he may still have been injured, even if I shielded him from the blow."
"I should have seen it coming sooner," Sheba said guiltily. "Then we would have had time to run away."
"We may still have been hit," Piers shook his head. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Sheba."
"Why are we standing here and talking?" Jenna said crankily. "We should find that elf queen and kick her butt."
"Now why didn't I think of that?" Felix muttered sarcastically.
"I heard that!" Jenna shouted.
"Whoah, time out," Isaac gulped. "Any idea where we're going next?"
"How about Vale?" Sheba suggested.
"If the Elf Queen is as mad at us as I think she is," Alex speculated. "Then she'll want to strike somewhere to get her own back, and where better than an Adept settlement?"
"And we were all hanging around Vale," Isaac looked pensive. "Not to mention that some of us live there as well."
"Then we should go to Vale and make sure it's okay," Mia said urgently. "She's had a day and a half to do something."
"Oh no," Jenna gasped. "Not after we rebuilt it and everything…"
"Worrying about it will only waste time," Hama cut her off.
"Then let's go!" Felix exclaimed. "Is everybody ready?"
"Definitely," Sheba clenched her fist.
"Need you ask?" Piers smiled.
"… I'll take that as a yes," Felix headed towards the exit. "We'd better hurry."
"Kalay was hit quite badly," Mia warned Isaac as they left the palace. "So be prepared for what you might see."
"… Yikes," Isaac said in dismay as they approached the part of the city that had been hit. Buildings had been torn down, and there was rubble littering the streets. "I'm amazed that we all survived that explosion."
"Not everybody survived it apparently," Garet told him. "A few people living here were killed, usually the ones inside the buildings."
"Oh…" Isaac sighed. "Still, at least Kalay is okay. If Tolbi had attacked, it would have been as good as murder, butchery."
The group exited the city and vanished in a swirl of Psynergetic lights, which headed towards Vale.
"Well, I need great power," Queen Synthabel smiled. "When Vale is destroyed, I will have to proceed to attack every settlement around Weyard and destroy them. I am the only Elf left, and I will make sure that my friends do not go unavenged."
"Great power?" Ivan echoed. He swore that he could hear a sound in the distance, that reminded him of teleportation, but he wasn't sure.
"Like… the power of Alchemy," Synthabel grabbed Ivan's arm. "I will have it! Wise One, transfer the power to me!"
"As you wish," The Wise One flashed and the golden light sprung up around Ivan and traveled along his arm, being absorbed into Synthabel. Cries of shock rose into the air from nearby, and Ivan almost cried in shock himself. He was too taken aback to turn around and see who it was.
"Now that I have Alchemy," Synthabel chuckled, releasing the horrified Jupiter Adept. "I no longer have need of you."
"Huh?" Ivan swayed on his feet, wondering what was going on. He felt like a huge burden had been removed, but he couldn't quite remember what it was. He didn't get any time to recover before the strange winged being in front of him drove a ball of plasma into his chest and sent him flying. Ivan screamed as he sailed into the air before striking the ground. Now he remembered… the Elves… destruction…
"Ugh…" Ivan rolled over, his chest searing in agony. "Oh no…"
"Ivan! Hold on!"
Mia was next to him, rolling him onto his back. She held her hands out above him and whispered. "Pure Ply." Her hands glowed with a blue light and Ivan saw a little fairy flying above him, sprinkling light onto him. The pain subsided and the chest wound closed up.
"What's happening?" Ivan sat up. "It's a blur… I remember hurting people and…"
"It's okay," Mia patted his shoulder. "You were under the influence of Alchemy…"
"We've got you now!" Isaac pointed his Fire Brand at Synthabel.
"Foolish boy!" Synthabel chuckled. "I have Alchemy. What can you do against me?"
"We're not going to let you destroy Vale!" Felix brandished the Sol Blade.
"You are already too late," Synthabel smiled cruelly. "Wise One. Destroy Vale."
"What? That's horrible!" Garet exclaimed.
"Don't do it, Wise One! You're supposed to protect Vale!" Jenna hollered as the floating rock turned his eye towards the village.
"What are you waiting for?" Synthabel put a hand on her hip as she stared up at the Wise One. "Hurry up and destroy that pathetic village!"
"I… I cannot," The Wise One closed his eye.
"Then I will do it instead-"
Before Synthabel could take any action, a shining blue barrier appeared around the village.
"What is this?" Synthabel snarled. She leaped forwards and struck the barrier, but it sent her flying backwards. "Impossible! I am now the most powerful being on Weyard! How can this barrier stop me?" She flung a bolt of lightning at the barrier but it dissipated. "Well… even if I cannot destroy Vale, I can destroy you, Adepts!" She turned to face the group, laughing menacingly.
"You actually want to destroy us? I never saw that coming," Alex said in a deadpan voice.
"Witty, huh?" Synthabel formed a large fireball in her hands and flung it at the Mercury Adept, who calmly doused it in mid air. Steam rose up into the air and vanished.
"Dim-witted, huh?" Alex lowered his hand. "I think you have something of mine."
"And mine!" Isaac charged forwards. "I don't care how powerful that you think you are, but you're not getting away wi- ugh!"
Isaac grunted in pain as a volley of sharp rocks met with his belly and sent him flying onto his back a few feet away. He slowly levered himself up, casting Cure on the wound before it could get infected.
"Stone Spire!" Felix called out.
Synthabel looked up and simply shattered the falling cones of rock with sharp wind blades before they could even hit her. The rubble landed neatly around her and she chuckled. "Nice party trick!" Synthabel spat, flinging a ball of plasma at Felix and knocking him off his feet.
"Hey, that wasn't fair!" Jenna exclaimed. "Dragon Fume!"
"Pyroclasm!" Garet shouted, joining Jenna in casting fire Psynergy.
"I barely feel this fire at all," Synthabel said coldly, as the flames licked around her. "Feel the chill of ice!" She cried, raising a hand. Jenna and Garet immediately found themselves imprisoned in ice up to their necks.
"I can't move!" Garet complained. "And it's so c-c-cold!"
"This isn't working," said Piers desperately.
"I'm not giving up!" Sheba ran towards the Elf Queen. "Spark Pla-aaaah!" She was cut off quickly as a few large rocks landed on top of her, knocking her flat to the ground.
"You play dirty!" Mia exclaimed.
"Intercepting a warrior before they get the chance to strike is hardly foul play," Synthabel swiped her hand through the air. Mia gasped as she felt forceful gusts of air strike her, knocking the wind out of her. One stray breeze even cut her cheek. "Just call it convenience."
"SPARK PLASMA!"
Synthabel sniffed in contempt as the lightning bolts rained harmlessly on her, and turned her malevolent gaze towards Ivan.
"That was for the people of Vault, and those in Kalay who were hurt by that explosion," Ivan gritted his teeth. "You used me as a tool for your petty revenge against humankind and we're going to make sure you go down before any more humans get hurt!"
"You put my little brother's life at risk and used him as a killing machine," Hama stepped forwards. "And I don't appreciate that at all. Destruct Ray!"
"Give me a break…" Synthabel growled.
"Psynergy isn't working!" Piers said in frustration.
"How observant of you, Lemurian," Synthabel pointed a finger at him. Several orbs of pulsing shadow flew out and struck Piers rapidly in succession, causing him to fall to the ground, coughing up blood. "The shadow poisons you and forces your body to react by getting it out no matter what. The more poison you have, the more likely you are to die."
"Nobody is going to die today," Isaac marched towards her. "Except you."
"Oh shut up," Synthabel whirled towards the Venus Adept, her hand morphing into a vine which shot towards Isaac and penetrated his torso. Isaac gasped in pain, fully aware that a vine had just gone right through him and was even sticking out of his back.
"Isaac!" Mia cried out in horror.
The Wise One started flashing with Psynergy and a golden light trailed along the vine, stopping when it came to Isaac. The golden light enveloped him and the vine withered away, falling out of Isaac. Synthabel drew the remnant away and morphed it back into a hand. Isaac fell to his knees, staring at his deep body wound, his eyes widening as it closed up and the golden light faded away. He felt old power returning to him.
"The Wise One's returned Alchemy to Isaac?" Hama realized what was going on.
"Not all of it," Isaac sighed in relief. "Just what I originally had."
"No!" Synthabel snarled. "Well, I am still powerful! As punishment upon you for taking my power, I shall kill the girl you love!" She flew into the air and darted at Mia, her eyes blazing with fire. Mia hurriedly flung an Ice Missile attack directly into Synthabel's eyes, causing her to flutter around blindly. Just as her feet touched the floor, a sword pierced her back.
"I'll take back what's mine now," Alex held the hilt of the sword. He welcomed the golden light that flowed from Synthabel, along the sword and into him, and his returning power.
"This… this isn't how it should have happened," Synthabel cursed as the sword was withdrawn. She fell to her knees, looking sorrowfully at her wound. "We were blinded by rage and the lust for revenge. Because of that… elvenkind is no more. Curse you all!"
"She just has to go out with a bang," Jenna sniffed contemptuously, brushing ice shards off her clothes.
"Curse… humans…" Synthabel fell forwards, her eyes closing. A swirl of sparkles surrounded her disappearing body and spiraled into the air, disappearing from view.
"And that is the end of elves," Felix stood up. "I never would have guessed they existed before, and now they really don't."
"How about we don't tell Kraden about this?" Piers tilted his head, thinking of the scholar's reaction when he learned they had finished off an entire race lost from the world.
"Isaac, are you okay?" Mia hurried over to Isaac.
"I'm fine, Mia," Isaac smiled. "Are you?"
"Yeah," Mia smiled back.
"Everybody," The Wise One suddenly spoke. "I am sorry for what has happened."
"Yeah, me too," Ivan looked down at his feet.
"This must be especially hard for Ivan," The Wise One looked at the Jupiter Adept, blinking his bright blue eye. "He has to carry the burden of knowing that he has killed people. However, it was not of his own will. That should be a small comfort."
"I wish I could go back, bring the people of Vault back to life, and say that I'm so sorry," A tear rolled down Ivan's cheek. "But I can't. They are dead, killed by my own hands. Sure, we caused the deaths of Saturos, Menardi, Agatio and Karst. Isaac and Jenna's parents could have died because of us on the Mars Lighthouse. But this… it was me alone. I alone have to deal with this. It hurts. I can't share the pain of killing the people of Vault."
"But you saved Kalay," Sheba walked up to him and put an arm around his shoulders. "You chased away Tolbi's troops, you saved a city that had no time to prevent for war. Even if you were still influenced, you did it."
"I should be partially to blame for it," The Wise One said. "The Elves used me to use the power of Alchemy to corrupt Ivan's mind. So it is as much as my fault as it is Ivan's."
"It's not your fault or Ivan's," Garet protested. "It was the Elves' fault. So why bother feeling so guilty about it?"
"Let us go into Vale and rest," Hama suggested. "We are all very tired from the past couple of days, and Ivan has a lot to deal with at the moment."
"Yes, that's a good idea," Felix agreed.
"Let's go then," Mia took Isaac's hand and they walked into the village together. "You haven't eaten in ages, Isaac. You must be hungry."
"Hey, I'm hungry too," Ivan realized, as his stomach rumbled. "I haven't eaten since… before… the elf got me…"
"Come on then," Sheba pulled him towards Vale.
"It's tragic to think that a long lost race came back to Weyard's surface," Hama looked pensive as the group walked into the village. "Only wanting to get rid of humans. Who knows what other races will return? Will they be friendly or hostile? Only time will tell."
