Elize burned. The town was in chaos. Angela didn’t know exactly when it started but for her, it started when yelling could be heard beyond her insulated crafting area. When she poked her head out of the room her nose was flooded with the smell of smoke and blood. She looked toward the portal building on fire and then quickly shut the door. Her immediate escape was cut off from her. She didn’t know what to do. She needed to think.
Angela's heart pounded in her chest like a drum, the rhythm echoing the chaos outside. She retreated into her crafting room, her sanctuary, her mind racing. The room was filled with the familiar scent of wood and metal, a stark contrast to the acrid smoke that was beginning to seep in from under the door. Her eyes scanned the room, landing on her tools scattered across the workbench.
She quickly moved to her workbench, her hands shaking slightly as she picked up her hammer and other tools. She grabbed her bag and shoved all the items she could into the bags. She collected her materials and slung the bag on the back.
Elize was a town ablaze. Buildings were on fire, their once beautiful structures now nothing more than charred skeletons. People were running in every direction, their faces etched with fear and desperation. Angela took a moment to take it all in, the reality of the situation sinking in. She was alone, in a town under siege, with no immediate escape. She looked in all directions. A man floated above it all. He was focused and determined as his hands focused on those grouped up the most. They were thrown into the fires and pulled into walls. Blood flowed out of his victims and fueled more of his magic.
<<<>>>
Alex exited the portal and immediately choked on the smoke in the air. The building around him was falling apart. Wooden beams had fallen, and the roof was on the verge of complete collapse.
“He is destroying the city,” shouted the Archer.
“There he is,” said Brutus. He pointed up in the air as they exited the building. Alex pushed aside rubble and followed Brutus’s finger to Adrian floating in the air.
Archer pulled his bow and drew the string back. Alex slid his knives from their sheaths.
"Stay behind me," Alex commanded, his eyes never leaving Adrian. The archer nodded, his fingers firm as he held onto his bow.
Alex nodded, turning his attention back to Adrian. The man was still floating in the air, his hands glowing with magic as he continued his assault on the town. Alex felt a surge of anger. He had to stop Adrian, no matter what.
With a determined look on his face, Alex started running towards Adrian, his knives held tightly in his hands. The Archer, meanwhile, took a deep breath, steadying his aim. His fingers moved with practiced ease, nocking an arrow, and drawing the bowstring back to his cheek. His eyes narrowed, focusing on Adrian.
The first arrow was released, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle. It was a perfect shot, aimed straight at Adrian's heart. But just as it was about to hit, a shimmering shield of magic appeared around Adrian, deflecting the arrow. It spun off into the distance, its deadly intent thwarted.
Undeterred, the Archer reached for another arrow. His movements were swift and precise. He let the arrow fly, and again, it was deflected by Adrian's magical shield. The archer's brow furrowed in frustration, but he didn't let it deter him.
One after another, arrows were loose, each one aimed with deadly precision. But each time they were repelled by the magical shield, their lethal trajectories altered, and their targets missed. The Archer's face turned to anger.
Adrian laughed, the sound echoing around the burning town. He raised his hand, and a wall of fire erupted in front of Alex, blocking his path. Alex skidded to a halt, the heat from the fire making him squint.
The Archer, seeing Alex's predicament, redoubled his efforts. He layered abilities from his path onto the arrows. His fingers were a blur as he knocked and loosed arrow after arrow. The shield cracked but did not fall.
"We need to break through his shielding," said the Archer. "Get Adrian focused on his shield and us instead of burning the town.”
“Got it,” said Alex.
He scanned the area and maneuvered his feet around fallen bricks and uneven terrain. Alex made a new path past the fires. He felt the other people around him running away and getting out of the danger as fast as they could. The people here were all under level 15 from what he could tell. They were not a match for Adrian and would just be fodder and sources of mana for him to absorb. Alex watched as another climber rose into the air and their body started to drain of mana.
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Alex reached out with his power, but he was too far. He tried throwing a brick in the meantime. Adrian turned to Alex dropping the half-dead man to the ground.
“I am not interested in playing games with you. There are goals in my way, and I must achieve them without your interference,” said Adrian as spit left his mouth at his final words.
“How does he have so much magic and range within magic?” Alex asked himself. “He is levitating above us. Has started these fires and letting them grow and to top it off he has blood magic which seems to be a source of mana for him. We need to get him away from people. If he can’t grab anyone then he won’t be able to siphon power from them. There is also the possibility of more types of mana he can use. We will need to be careful.”
Within his mind Alex began considering options to break through the mana barrier and accomplish their goals. “We need to evacuate people. Brutus, start working on that while Archer and I fight Adrian. Without a source of blood, we can limit the sources of mana regeneration he has.
“I’m on it,” said Brutus, “You two need to deal with him quickly though. I’ll see what I can do.”
The Archer’s arrows slammed into the mana barrier once more. It’s energies rippled and pulsed with energy. Cracks formed once more, and he grew frustrated. He was forced to pause his attacks as balls of fire came his way. The Archer looked at Alex and they knew what they needed to do.
Alex held his daggers firmly and felt for his magic. He let a little electricity charge in the blade a kept it there as he aimed a dagger at the shield. At the same time, the Archer drew back his bow and charged up layers upon layers of his bow skills. The Archer used his perception to fire his arrow at the right moment. The two attacks hit the shield at the same time.
Alex stood below Adrian ready with his powers. The shield shattered and Alex pulled on all the electricity in the air and mana within him. Adrian froze as Alex yanked at the electrical signals within the man. With a sharp jolt, Adrian stopped what he was doing and focused on Alex. The control that Alex had dissipated but seemed to work.
Adrian now stood among the rubble and moved to engage with them more directly.
Despite his superior abilities, Adrian appeared shaken. Flames swirled around his clenched fists as he strode forward, his steps reverberating through the devastation. Now and then, he would manipulate the surrounding ruins, telekinetically tossing the debris to confound Alex and Archer. For each attack, he mixed fire magic into his melee strikes, creating terrifying weapons such as flaming swords.
Alex dodged and parried, growing increasingly weak and weary. Each successful blow Adrian landed would illuminate with a dark red glow, as Adrian utilized his blood magic, leeching off Alex's strength to replenish his mana and vitality. Adrian's savage grin widened at Alex's predicament, but his attention was soon diverted as Brutus began to evacuate the innocent bystanders, effectively cutting off Adrian's blood magic source.
Alex could barely keep up, battered and drained. He was only given a break when the Archer was able to intercut enough arrows. Most arrows were blocked by Adrian's returning shield. Alex felt the fire burn his skin as he fought. He felt weak from his magic use and wished he had more mana, more electricity to work with. He pushed away every attack, but it still did not feel like enough.
Rubble rose around Adrian and created a barrier around himself as he fought. The pieces exploded into smaller shards and dust as Archer peppered the field with arrows. Adrian attacked Alex causing cuts and small injuries to form. Each of which stung, and Adrian used it as fuel to energize his attacks. The blood floated up into the air and was absorbed slowly into the shield.
Alex used his mana mainly for echolocation and then secondarily for the reduction of pain and stress. His wounds were numb, and he felt little except exhaustion as he pushed through. Adrian was simple in his moves but powerful. He knew when a fireball would form because the air would distort around the heat for a moment before being fully formed. The flying rubble came after a wave of Adrian’s hand. He knew though that the only reason he wasn’t dead already was Archer’s assistance.
Alex felt like he was back in the Gavros mines once more. Against an opponent much stronger than himself and no clear way out of the fight. He needed to come up with a solution and fast.
His mind raced, frantic for a solution. He looked at Archer in the brief moments he could. But, amidst the turmoil, a shred of hope materialized. They silently came up with a plan of action. Now all they needed to do was voice it and act. "Archer!" he barked over the din of the raging battle, "Now!"
With perfect timing, the Archer released an arrow imbued with layers of magic energy towards the mana barrier surrounding Adrian. Simultaneously, Alex channeled every bit of his own mana into his dagger, electrifying the blade before thrusting it towards the same target. Their combined attacks collided with the barrier in a spectacular explosion of energy.
Adrian's protective shield shattered under the onslaught. Seizing this brief moment of vulnerability, Alex summoned all the residual electricity in the surrounding atmosphere, focusing it on Adrian. The sudden shock caused Adrian to momentarily lose control of his abilities, his concentration solely on the unexpected interference from Alex. Alex felt his senses return sharply and quickly in one rush. His body felt weak and numb not just from pain but from over use. He knew that if he kept using his powers while drawing on his internal sources then his magic would start to hurt him more than it currently helped him.
However, this was merely a temporary disruption. In a matter of seconds, Adrian regained his bearings, his power returning tenfold. Adrian took a step back still not defeated. He looked at the duo with anger and disgust. Blood dripped from Adrian’s arms and then swirled around him. The blood started to fade away the wounds healing themselves. Alex tried to run forward but was stopped by the mana shield once more.
In spite of their efforts, Alex and his companions were running out of options and time. The once-flaming sky was now draped in darkness, echoing the grim atmosphere that befell their battle. Smoke filled the air as did ash as the fires that burned throughout the city were dying out. Finally, as the battle reached its pinnacle, Adrian summoned his remaining energy and took to the skies once more.