AXIUM

CHAPTER 26

A third person view of Lord Shan appeared on the screen as he sat on his throne in the giant dome, opening and closing the small ring case just like he had been doing the other day but this time when he opened the case the third time he stopped and fingered the ring he had tried to give XRenia. He frowned and pulled the ring out of its case then looked at the ring on his own finger after a moment he formed two Scryings in the air displaying intricate 3D patterns.

"There different," Lord Shan mumbled out loud. "They shouldn't be." The frown on his face turn into a full on scow and he raised the female version of his ring to the light as he examined. Then he slipped it on his left pinky.

The Lord of Shantopia collapsed to the ground then a moment later jerkily got to his feet and pushed open a rift. He took an oddly forced step forward and fell through it.

The camera followed him as he came out on the edge of the lake where she and Verin now stood. He then once again stood to his feet as if a foreign entity was controlling his body and took several wobbly steps forward towards the water. But right before he stepped into the lake a rift opened up beside him and headmaster Alton flew out of it tackling him and ripping the ring off of his pinky.

"What do you think you're doing?" Headmaster Alton barked angrily.

Lord Shan sat up and looked around apparently very confused. "What?" He muttered then his eyes fell on the lake and he shot to his feet as he shouted, "What is that thing?"

"None of your business," the headmaster said as he took the ring met for XRenia and put it back in its case closing it with a sharp snap.

Lord Shan's eyes darted from the lake to the ring case and back again then suddenly he shot into the air as he shouted, "You used me! You were trying to kill her!"

"I don't have time for this nonsense," the headmaster answered his voice laced with agitation. "I have a war to stop thanks to your failure."

Alton turned to leave but five white strands of magic tinged with orange exploded from Lord Shan's hands and wrapped themselves around the headmaster's upper body like an old fashion lasso.

"Do not challenge me boy!" The headmaster warned turning back towards Lord Shan.

"Why? Why would you use me like this!?"

"Because the girl is an abomination her and her whole family," headmaster Alton declared.

Lord Shan's magical grasp on the headmaster loosened. "What?"

"Archlend was no great mage as history declares. No, he was a Lilliputian a one-of-a-kind magic less runt," the headmaster answered. "And because of his lack of magic the devourer could not detect him so I and hundreds of others helped formed a weapon and gave it to him. He swam through the outer façade the beast used to protect itself and found its core where he was supposed to land a killing blow but instead of killing the beast it he bonded with it! Then he had the gall to produce offspring with it while I and everyone else thought he had slew it."

XRenia stumbled back as recognition of the headmaster's words hit her, that couldn't be true could it?

"XRenia and her entire family line are nothing but abominations that must be destroyed. Now as I was saying before I have a war to stop," Alton said and once again started to turn away.

But as he lifted his hand to brush away Lord Shan's magical rope the young ruler suddenly shouted, "No," and tightened his magical grasp on the headmaster.

"What?"

"I said no!" Lord Shan shouted again. "Mathis his son and even XRenia have done nothing but good for this world. I don't care who or what their parents were. They could be offspring to the devil himself for all I care."