The Nation Charmer-Book 1

Chapter 24

Picture of Dahlia on the side again. :)

Chapter 24
          “Jump!” yelled Luna.  

          She was still exhausted, Dahlia could tell, but she was determined to help them. She gestured with her hands.

          They scattered as Dracklon released a mouthful of poisonous fumes. Dahlia ended up at one side of the alley, next to a locked iron door. Troy and Cedric, who was carrying Luna, scrambled over to her.

          Troy’s clothes were smoking. He ripped off her new jacket and stamped on the flames. Apparently, he had been caught by some of Dracklon’s flames.

          “Cover me,” Luna hissed, struggling to her feet.

          She strung her silver bow and raised it, carefully hidden behind Dahlia, Troy and Cedric. She aimed for Dracklon but before she could shoot, Cosmo flew up behind them, his staff drawn.

          “Wsahfir ghefm,” he intoned. (Air twist)

          Two enormous tornados, twice the size of Luna’s cyclones at the castle, swept towards the two groups, whisking back their hair and making it hard to keep standing.

          Kayla, Verne and August crouched at the other end of the alley. The necromancer raised Excalibur, ready to summon some spirits.

         Kayla shouted across the alley. “Luna and I will take care of the tornados. Dahlia and Troy, you two know what to do to Dracklon.”

          She stabbed Excalibur into the cement like it was made of butter. The pavement cracked but Kayla began chanting.

          “Hsiwer el khule, ikalui hsiwer, Uxilr Arthur, fhukiel. Oul eguik kxiy. Fhukiel vhi hsiv,” she snapped. (Spirits of the dead, shadow spirits, King Arthur, rise. I command you. Rise and come.)

          Kayla continued her chant, beginning to rise the rest of the Knights of the Round Table. Luna drew her staff too and closed her eyes.

          “Wsahfir phify,” she murmured. (Air calm)

          One of the tornados began to die down, the air obeying Luna’s commands but Cosmo had the air under his control. He continued to churn the air with his magic.

          Dahlia turned toward Dracklon. What had Kayla meant, she wondered. How could she and Troy defeat the most powerful half-an-half monster in the world?

          Dracklon blew another mouthful of flames at them.

          “Move!” yelled Cedric, shoving Dahlia and Troy out of the way.

          They landed sprawling on their backs. Cedric dropped to the ground just in time as the flames whistled over his head and hit the wall which burst into flames.

          Dahlia glanced up, her eyes catching sight of Verne and August protecting Kayla from Cosmo’s arrows. Another volley showered at them and one caught Verne on the arm.

          He spun a circle and stumbled backwards, joining Dahlia and Troy on the ground.

         “Get up!” yelled Luna. “He’s going to barbecue you!”

          The small part of Dahlia’s brain that was still working responded and she lunged out of the way, narrowly missing a fireball sent by Ash.

          As she looked up again, Dahlia saw the shadow below Dracklon, covering the alley in brief darkness. In one instant, she realized what Kayla had wanted her and Troy to do.