The Shadow Of Magic

Chapter 17

June's face fell. "I'll go. This is my responsibility. You stay here and deal with him."Eiran told them, following the guard. Suddenly, someone grabbed his wrist, holding him in place. Eiran turned to find Felix with a very determined look.

He didn't have to say anything. Eiran knew what he wanted to say. "I'll be fine. You have to stay here. No one is following me. Understood?"He looked between the others. Felix nodded and let Eiran's wrist go but both Lola and Josephine stood like statues.

"Be careful. My father likes to cheat. Remember that."Lola finally looked at him. Josephine closed her eyes and turned away. "As long as June does her job...I just...I can't"She seemed to be struggling to get her words out.

Eiran picked up on what she was saying. "Don't worry, my Watcher doesn't seem too bad."He smiled at Josephine and then June. That seemed to help Josephine. "Fine. Go. Just be careful, okay?"Josephine looked at him finally. Eiran nodded and ran after the guard, who was already half-way down the hall.

Eiran ran into the village to find it in havoc but not yet destroyed. "They haven't made it through the passageway yet."Eiran looked to the guard. He seemed terrified,like he never expected to actually have his life in danger. "Hey!These people are in danger right now. The president is right out there about to destroy your home! We're going to protect this place and everyone here okay!? So snap out of it and be a man!"He scolded the man then ran for the way he came into the small civilization.

A large rumbling was coming from the end. The darkness and noise was terrifying. The man who he was meant to defeat, to kill, was right there. He had no idea what lay at the end of the tunnel, but he was sure as hell willing to find out. If not for these people, then for his friends who were waiting for him.

He stepped into the tunnel, running back through the old drawings that now seemed ominous rather than beautiful. The end of the tunnel was still intact, but a small sliver of light shone through the rock, then and noise and shaking. The crack was growing and Eiran was alone. It quickly occurred to him that this was his job now. He had to stop this.

Before he had time to think, he was using magic. He didn't know how or why but his body was reacting. Not him, his body, like it had done this before. An instinct. He moved little rocks that lay haphazardly on the ground to full in the gap. That won't do anything if he keeps drilling into the rock. Eiran though to himself.

He didn't know how he did it, but he could almost feel the world around him, even outside of the rock. He grabbed large boulders and put them in front of the door. Thud. He had never manipulated something he couldn't see before.

When the drill started again, the door didn't budge. Then Eiran saw red. Bright, glowing red. Lava. He has Lave users.

Eiran pushed up Earth from the ground to act as a shield. "Tell us where the Shadow is and we'll spare your life."The tall man said with a scruffy voice, knocking down the wall Eiran put up.

"You know, I think he went that way, or maybe that way? You know, I get confused sometimes."Eiran said, pointing to his left then his right with a proud grin. The man's face scrunched up and he charged for Eiran.

Eiran quickly dodged and put up a strong wall behind him, blocking the man away from the Watcher's city. He then put up another wall behind the man, trapping them both in the tunnel. When the man turned around, Eiran also realized he had just trapped himself in a confined space with a Lava user.

"Look kid, I don't want to hurt you. You don't want to hurt me. Just tell me where he is and we can go out separate ways. I know that you know him. Just tell me."The man stepped closer. Eiran walked forward confidently. "Well I like the confidence but you're wrong about two things. One, I don't know the Shadow. I am the Shadow. And two, I really do want to hurt you."

A wall of water surrounded the Lava user. "Wha- what are you doing?"He asked, looking around him. Lave rose from his hand. He tried shooting it at Eiran but it was futile. The lava dissolved into nothing, leaving the man confused.

"A little trick I learned from your boss. Lightbane water can be produced by any water user if they are skilled enough. Never had a great knack for using water but it sure is handy every once in a while."A smirk spread across Eiran's face.

"Great Shadow. Please release me and I shall tell the president to stop his endless search for you. I'll tell him not to continue sending my men out to find you. Just please. Please do not reduce me to a Lightbane prison. Anything but that. A life with no manipulation is not one worth living."He pleaded and begged.

"You will stay in a prison like this here. You will stay in the Watcher's city. You tried to destroy them to get to me so you are their responsibility. They choose your fate, not me."Eiran picked the large sphere of water up and the man along with it. He made his way back down the tunnel with the man, who was still pleading to be let go.

"Eiran!"A familiar voice rose from a crowd of the Watcher's people. Felix. Eiran was greeted with a hug and a very proud look from Josephine. Lola was too busy laughing at the irony of the guards being in a Lightbane prison.

"So, what are you going to do with him now?"Felix asked, standing by Josephine now. "He will stay here. His prison will be the very place he tried to destroy. He will serve as a warning to never try to bring down the Watchers."Eiran looked up to the man. He now sat still, as if contemplating something.

"We shall keep him in this until the cell is made."June stated. "Oh don't worry about that. I'll take care of it."He claimed, walking with June to their cells.

They used an empty cell towards the end of the row. Eiran sprouted grass on the bottom, then created the moat. He then filled it with water, Lightbane. Eiran informed June about the password required to let element manipulators through the water safely.

With that, they had a guard of the president's to interrogate and the city was perfectly safe. Eiran could finally start his training to contact the past Shadows. Well, right after June and Josephine were done punishing Jensen.