DEMI! (Battle Book)

Ch. 29 Tolan Preach

"I. SAID. NOOOOO!!!"

Jai placed both hands on the ground which materialized an ice wall blocking the fire. He panted and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Jai: Mahl's gonna give me so much shit for stealing his move.
Hey! You still with me?

Tolan: Yeah. Not that I'm not grateful but who are you? Did my crew send you?

Jai: I'm a friend of Yusuke's. He and the rest of your crew are working really hard to free you. I admire that, so me and my friends helped. That thing you're attached to is called siphon. it sucks the life force from you and turns it into power for others. I'm actually surprised you're still conscious.

Tolan: Yeah, so are they. I guess you could say I've been, touched by an angel. Could you help me get out of this thing? I heal faster than normal so if I could get out of this thing, I could probably help, or at least not be in your way.

Jai: Yeah. I've seen them before. This one is a bit more advanced than the others. But I think...CLICK.

The siphon dislodged Tolan and he gathered himself. As he said, the lesions on his blood-caked body began to slowly close.

Paracelsus: Dammit, he's escaped. Break through that barrier and end this!

Understood.

He slammed his weapon into the ground and its scales filleted outward

"It's time to awaken, Dragon Blade!!!"

Its scales shifted outward once more, then maneuvered themselves to the sky. A dark-hued smoke spilled out from the blade as it made its transition to its new form. Instead of facing downward, the scales of the blade now pointed upward to the sky, making the weapon appear even bigger. The essence emanating from the weapon was so thick it could be visibly seen as it hovered above the ground.

"Now, SCORCH IT ALL, DRAGONBLADE!!!!!!"

SWINGING THE WEAPON CADMUS UNLEASHED A WAVE OF BLACK FIRE WHICH OBLIterated Jai's ice wall. The impact produced a wall of steam from the evaporating water, out of it, Jai and Tolan rose. They were now on the offensive.

Running toward Cadmus on both sides, the two began to engage the King.

Tolan: So what's the plan?

Jai: You go low, I'll go high.

Tolan: sounds good to me!

They weaved through the roaring black flames in the laboratory until they were face-to-face with the Cadmus. Jai led the assault with a roundhouse which was parried and countered by the king, sending him flying. He was then met with two punches from enlarged fists from Tolan, before Cadmus could recover the pirate captain had wrapped him up in his right arm with had now grown 10 times the length of itself.

Jai: Wait, you can stretch?!

Tolan: Uhhh that's a gross simplification, but yeah! My body is elastic. I can shrink or enlarge it to my will as well. I'm still figuring it out, but something is the first thing I learn.

Jai: Hehe. You guys are a circus. Here I come!

From above Jai hammered down on an ensnared Cadmus. His attack connected directly propelling Cadmus to the aft wall.

Cadmus: Hahahahahaaa. Aren't you two spry?!! All this energy reminds me of my grandson, Dion. Oh, I miss him so. I shall complete this labor so I can get back to him. You two are in my way!

Seeming unfazed by their first set of attacks, Cadmus grabs his weapon and charges them. Tolan attempts to stretch his arm and grab Cadmus once but the heat from the black fire surrounding him is too hot to touch.

Tolan: He's created a barrier of fire around him, I can't get close.

Jai: That sword carries the essence of a dragon, a strong one. That fires protecting'em.

He grabbed a small sturdy piece of brass from the floor of wreckage.

Tolan: real dragon fire huh? Nasty stuff, guess we'll have to improvise. You can freeze stiff right?

Jai: I'm not entirely sure. Looks like it, but that could be a gross simplification.

Preach: Great. Here he comes.

Jai created another ice wall, when Cadmus evaporated it it created more mist
obscuring his vision.

Over here old man!!!

Now with frozen solid fists, Tolan began to repeatedly strike Cadmus. The layers of ice Jai produced on Tolan's fist managed to briefly protect him from the black fire's burn.

MAN, THATS HOT!

Tolan shook his soot-covered hands blowing on them.

Tolan: Think I got em a couple of good times thou-ugh

Cadmus: You were saying?

Before he could finish his sentence, Tolan was staring down at a dragon scale covered in his blood.

CL....CLONES....fcuking clones.

He dropped to his knees. Then face first into the ground.

Cadmus: You're much more durable than that. It is because of you that they came. Doctor, have you concluded your research?

Paracelsus: I have all the data I need. End them.

With both hands, Cadmus raised his dragon blade to deliver Tolan a final blow.

end of chapter