Elysian (A Kotlc Fanfic)

Chapter 10

Long chapter after not updating for so long! Surprise😅🥳🥳 "What's going on?," Sophie asked, rubbing her eyes as Elysian's dim lair finally came into view.  Her mind was still hazy from when Elysian had struck them unconscious, and she struggled to recall what had happened. That was when she felt pain coursing through her limbs, clearing her senses once more. Looking down, she realised that she was tightly bound, with ropes coiled around her arms and legs. She winced, already feeling the bruises from her unconscious struggle.
Wait...if she was tied up, then where were the others? "I see you're finally awake, moonlark," Elysian's voice echoed throughout the underground tunnel. "I've been dying to meet you," she continued with a snarl.
"If so, why did you tie me up? I would certainly be more willing to talk if you hadn't knocked me out before I could react," Sophie called out, trying to buy time.
"Looking for your friends?," Elysian whispered, and Sophie shuddered as Elysian suddenly appeared behind her.
"Over there," Elysian said, tilting Sophie's chin forcefully such that it was angled towards the other corner of the room, where Keefe, Marella, Jensi, Tam and Maruca were still unconscious inside a cage with multiple creatures. Goosebumps dotted her skin at her cold touch, and she gasped in horror.
"Yes, that cage is where I usually lock up the animals under my control, but since this space is awfully small, it'll have to make do for your friends too," Elysian said cheerfully, and Sophie glared at her.
"You must be thinking why you regained consciousness unlike your friends. So listen carefully, and any wrong move from you, and I'll unleash my creatures and kill every single one of your friends," Elysian threatened.
"I know why you're here. You want some of my power for that boy to wield against his mother, don't you?," Elysian asked, pointing at Keefe.
"I've known Gisela ever since she joined my brother in an attempt to bring down the council. I suppose I can no longer count on my brother's word. Why not give you and your friends a try? As long as I am rid of this burden, I really don't care which side wins," Elysian explained.
"What are your terms?," Sophie asked, knowing Elysian wouldn't give up her power so easily.
"You need to prove yourselves deserving of such a great power and being able to use it with caution. I want to see what the moonlark can do. Choose another friend and that boy to battle alongside with, and if you manage to beat me, I'll give you some of my power. However, if you lose, your other friends will be held captive here with me as punishment," she says.
Sophie thinks carefully, and decides that Maruca's abilities as a psonipath would be the best choice. "Okay, I'll take Keefe and Maruca," she answers.
"Very well. Then the other three of your friends shall remain here to give you proper motivation," Elysian says, snapping her fingers and waking her friends up.
"What happened?" Her friends waken, stiffening and immediately going on high alert upon noticing the creatures surrounding them.  "Elysian wants us to fight her for her power and she'll let us go with it if we win. Keefe and Maruca, you're up. The rest of you, stay alert and make sure Elysian doesn't try anything and break the deal," Sophie told them.
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"Let's see what the three of you've got!," Elysian exclaimed, her fingertips already pulsing with energy as they prepared for the battle.
'Listen, we need a plan. Keefe, use your abilities if you have to. Maruca, be ready to shield us. Let me know if you need me to enhance you guys," Sophie instructed, and the fight began.
Elysian struck first, beams of light shooting from her fingertips. Fortunately, Maruca was quick to throw up shields to protect them, but they also needed an opening to return the attack.
However, Elysian was faster than they were, and they could hardly anticipate her attacks. Constantly on their feet to dodge, the trio was overwhelmed in no time.
"Do something!," Keefe and Maruca gestured at her. But Sophie was just as helpless.
"Is that all you can do?" Elysian taunted, her beams of light shooting towards them once more. Before Sophie could react, one of them hit Maruca on the shoulder. She felt an sense of impending doom as Elysian ordered, "Shield me,".
Uh oh. That was all Sophie could think of when Maruca walked away from them and towards Elysian, throwing up a force field. Great. Elysian could control both humans and other species too? Now none of their attacks could get through, either.
"Just the two of you left?," Elysian asked menacingly. The force field lifted momentarily as she continued to shoot her light beams towards them.
"Watch out!," Keefe shouted, tackling Sophie and sending the both of them tumbling as they barely dodged the light beam. "Thanks," Sophie mumbled.
"Hold on, what if I try and enhance you? Is there any chance you can use your abilities on her but not the rest of us?," The brief moment of contact suddenly gave Sophie an idea.
"I mean I can try, but it would be risky," Keefe reasoned.
"Yeah well, we're out of options," Sophie countered, deciding for the both of them as she grabbed his hand, channeling as much energy as she could to him.
"Freeze!," Keefe shouted, but Elysian continued to move, attacking them. Sophie shook her head. It was no use. "Maybe your fear is subconsciously suppressing your powers," she tried.
"Try and pretend that there are no stakes right now, but the person you want to stop is someone you don't mind freezing. Like Lord Cassius!," Sophie suggested.
"Breathe, breathe, breathe," Keefe muttered to himself before calling out again, "Freeze!,". This time, the command was directed at Elysian, and Sophie closed her eyes, feeling chills spreading throughout the room. When she opened them, she realised that Elysian was indeed bound by the invisible force. Sophie heaved a sigh of relief.
However, Sophie could still feel the extent of Elysian's power, and it thrummed throughout the lair with the pulse of an invisible heartbeat. "We might not have much time," Keefe warned. "I'm not sure how long the command will hold,".
Right now, she only had one trick left. And it was an extremely reckless one. Tiergan had taught her and Fitz how to do it before, but right now she was already drained and without her cognate. Even still, she had to try.
Pooling what was remaining of her mental reserves, she entered Elysian's mind and pulled with all her strength, trying to detach some of Elysian's energy from her core. Even in her weakened state, she could still feel Elysian trying to resist, and that made it even worse. She felt like she was dragging infinite pounds of weight, and it weighed her down in the murky depths. If she didn't let go now, she could end up trapped in Elysian's mind. Already Sophie's strength was depleting, and Fitz wasn't there to boost it.
Sophie could feel her mind retreating, but she yanked with all her might one final time, and finally, the energy came loose.
When she opened her eyes, she saw that Elysian had broken free from Keefe's command. However, she wasn't attacking them anymore. Light no longer shot from her fingertips, and even Elysian looked drained. Though Sophie was certainly sure she herself felt worse.
"Wait, why didn't you attack me after you broke free?" Sophie asked despite the fogginess of her mind threatening to drag her under, fighting to stay awake.
"I wanted to see what you were doing. I can't believe you took away my power," Elysian commented.
"It worked?," Sophie asked incredulously. Wait, but if she took all of Elysian's power, how was she going to give some of it to Keefe?
"Only temporarily," Elysian clarified, noting Sophie's frown. She didn't seem angry, though. "All this time, I never knew my power could be taken away," Elysian whispered to herself as though in wonder.
"Today, you and your friends have shown true strength. I shall grant you the power and let your friends go as promised. But remember to be cautious with it, for even the strongest can lose themselves if they go too far," Elysian warned, her palms shining with magnificent light as she channeled some of it to Keefe.
"May we meet again, moonlark," Elysian says to Sophie, who barely registered the sentence as she ordered her trembling legs to move as she and her friends left the dark lair with relief. However, that was all she could go in her tired and drained body before her legs gave way, and she fainted promptly in Keefe's arms without the adrenaline keeping her awake.