The Elemental Chain Saga Book Two: Dragons Ascending

Chapter Twenty: Greg's Last Stand

"Do you take me for a fool? That was quite a ruse you tried to pull, should I applaud?" Shadows hissed off his amber robes, gathering into a dark fog around himself. The shadows wreathed, a noise like a cove of hissing snakes disturbing the air. The darkness contrasted sharply with the bright white of the room.

Greg was so spooked, he didn't even try to hide the fact he was an enemy anymore. He pulled his staff out and took a defensive stance. "I had you going for a minute, don't lie." Greg tried for a jibe, desperately looking for an opening.

The Andanobian's voice rose slowly, like an orchestra's crescendo "I do not fall for trickery! I am above your tricks, elemental warrior. I am Stadulus Solace, leader of the Andanobii. Now, no talk, I'll have you bow before me."

Greg gritted his teeth "And if I don't?"

Stadulus raised his hand, gathering power in his ring "If you don't bow, you'll die," and he attacked. Shadow swords ripped at Greg and he dived out of the way, cursing his battered body. He rolled to his feet and snapped his palms, sending wind shooting at his foe. The wind caught Stadulus in the side, sending him skidding backwards. Greg leaped into the air, spinning his staff in Soaring Eagle Stance. Greg's aura billowed around him as he blasted a volt of lightning down at Stadulus. But the man was not to be triumphed over so easily, a twisting void already opened above him like a shield, swallowing the lightning in a flash of light.

Stadulus released the void in an explosion of darkness as Greg stood on a square of solid air "Hmm, you're a sly one, but you're hurt. This will be your end." Stadulus slashed his hand through the air and a wave of darkness slammed into Greg and he spiraled to the floor. Greg hit the floor with a grunt and then was knocked back by another wave of cold darkness. Greg spluttered as the black waves receded and began to shiver.

Greg looked up as yet another shadow sword sliced at him. Kneeling, he pressed his palms to the floor, shooting himself into the air by redirecting the wind currents beneath him. He landed on his feet beside Stadulus and twisted, striking out with his staff, the weapon whistling through the air. Stadulus snapped a whip of shadow around the staff and ripped his arm back. The staff was pulled from Greg's grasp and Stadulus let it roll across the room, far out of Greg's reach.

Stadulus turned and sneered at Greg, lashing out with his shadow whip. Greg ducked under the whip as it cracked at him and then spun away from a second attempt, spinning behind Stadulus, finding his opening. Realizing his mistake, the Andanobii began to turn but Greg splayed his hands and the wind slammed into Stadulus, shooting him off his feet and in the opposite direction of his staff.

Greg ran at his staff, running low to the ground to present a smaller target. He neared his weapon and reached out for it-a blast of darkness slammed into his side and he called out as it wrapped around him, lifting him off the ground. His fingers grasped at-nothing-the shadows enclosed around him completely, cutting off his air.

"Mrgblmeble," his words came out muffled, nonsense. The shadows tightened around him and he forced himself not to breath in the darkness.

Greg lit his stormy aura but all around him was black, the light didn't help. He tried to manipulate the wind, to expand it, to explode the shadow confines, but the shadows snuffed the wind, wrapping and stretching with the air and all he managed to do was consume his own oxygen. He gagged for breath but all he swallowed was darkness, all that filled his lungs and mind was dread, horror, anguish, and most of all, pain.

A voice penetrated the darkness "You have failed, so now, you are mine." Greg wished he could drown out the deep voice, Stadulus' voice, as it ridiculed and berated him. He wished he could drown it out.

But still he persisted "I saw more in you, I guess I was wrong. I was impressed by the lightning, that I must admit, grudgingly. Only wind elementals with a rare gift can use this powerful force of destruction. And even then, only those with a powerful grasp over their aura can muster the power taken to use lightning. Still, they all fail in the end..."