Dominions

Chapter 26: Selena

Ander stood with his blade in hand watching the five teenagers with a bloodthirsty expression. Upon first glance, Ander was almost silly. A monster dressed to impress and doing everything they could to appear normal was humorous. Something you would see in a children's story.

He slashed his blade in practice. With each whizz of his slice was a gush of wind that would whip around the five of them. Selena didn't know if it was part of the sword, or if Ander was simply that strong and able to swing his sword at that velocity.

"I was hoping you'd make this hard, kids," said Ander. "I have wanted to fight you since we invaded your castle all those years ago. When you ran away like cowards."

Selena felt her cheeks flush red in frustration upon his words. Knowing her memories made things weird now. She remembered that night vividly, but it seems like it was another lifetime ago. In a way, it was. Everything about her past was something that felt like it happened yesterday, but also years ago. She wondered if it was something that everyone was feeling or if it was simply her insecurities as to who she was.

The awakening of her past left a lot of questions that she didn't know how to answer. Was Aria still her sister? Was this world something that was created by the spell? Selena wanted to talk to the others about it. She wanted them to tell her that she wasn't crazy. That they were struggling with these thoughts as well, but now was not the time. Not with an evil war general trying to kidnap them.

Get your head in the game, Selena.

"You needed a whole army to take on five children, but we're the cowards?" asked Elle defiantly. "You're a real piece of work."

Elle raised her hand and without warning, the walls of the gym began to shake. Straight down the middle of the gym a fissure wide enough for someone to fall into split into the floor. Selena jumped over it and grabbed Judah's arm for support as Ander flew over it. He glared at Elle and then back at the floor.

"You could have made me break a wing!" Ander pouted as he raised his arm into the air. "Don't just stand there like idiots! Harplies, get them!" he screamed at the monsters surrounding the gym.

So that's what they're called. Selena thought.

She watched as the Harplies each lifted the base of their robe, and a purple aura leaked out from underneath it. It was inching forward at a lightning-fast pace, and Selena yelped as she jumped to avoid one.  She watched as the others danced around the floor of the gym as they avoided the touch of the monster's power. If they were going to beat Ander, they first needed to take out the Harplies.

As if reading her mind she watched as Asher sent the first bubble over the Harplie's head. It instinctively reached out its hands to scratch away at the water surrounding it. Selena watched as the aura around her feet disappeared, and the monster fell to its knees struggling for breath. Then as suddenly as it attacked it vanished into a cloud of dust.

Things were getting chaotic.

Selena watched as trees sprouted up from the ground, as liquid bubbles shot over the monster's head, and all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball. This wasn't what she wanted for herself.

Yet here she was, watching as her friends each fought a monster and all she could do was watch.

As Selena surveyed the scene, she felt a gush of wind come down from behind her. She twirled around and stood face to face with Ander. He smiled a sadistic smile as she stepped forward and attempted to grab onto her. Selena moved out of the way just out of his reach and attempted to run, but before she got very far he flew above her and landed directly in her path again.