Around a hundred kilometers away from GEOS Academy, The First Street in the Witchcreek was settling into the stage of their fight. Dark gray clouds of smoke that stank like charred goat's skin, burnt star anise and liquorice concentrate filled the busy alley of coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Hal almost gagged at the stench of his concealing spell.
"Pucha naman, Reeg, can't your cigars smell any better? They're worse than Byagi's attempts in cooking class!" said Hal.
"Hey! At least, my cooking is still edible! I won't even bite his crazy concoction!" said Byagi. He ignited his lighter, hoping the smoke from his flames would diffuse the horridity, but it barely cloaked it.
"Luctor et emergo." said Reeg as he blew his last cigar. The whole area now looks like it's under twilight, where the skies are blanketed with a pitch black overcast and an eerie moon.
Hal stared blankly at the horizon and the moon was freaking her out. This all felt like a grandiose dejavu set up by fate to shock her. Ascending sounds of flaps whirled in the sky and finally Lizard hit ground.
"Folks! She's here!" signaled Lizard. His dragon wings spread out as prepared on attack mode.
"At last." said Reeg indignantly.
Reeg breathed out a wide spreading non-detection light gray smoke that reeked of horse manure and chicken feed. With Reeg's power, they were undetectable by any magic, as if they stood in another plane. As the smoke darkened and settled, two crimson eyes emerged; blood rushed into Hal's head as she began breathing rapidly. She clenched her fist and wished this was over.
"Ready?" Lizard declared arrogantly with a slight raise of his claw. He sauntered closer, his palm opened with his fingers stretched upwards. Sparks of energy gathered around his hand, his fire abilities heightened.
"Yes." said Neon. She stood still, her crimson eyes unrelenting. She barely moved when Lizard and Byagi charged at her with a spiral flame. Her skin may be charred, but she stood her ground.
What the hell! Is she pulling a Naiara D'Aigua right now? thought Hal.
Reeg waved his hand, producing a jet of orange clouds that rushed to Neon's nostrils. His hands flew in the air like a conductor's that led his smoke inside Neon. She writhed, wiggled and curled as her breath was forcefully pulled out of her. Once the smoke returned, Neon stood her ground again as her insides weren't affected.
How could that dark elf survive all that? She shook her head, as Reeg arched his back in a prouder position, his fingers playing in the air. As he raised both his hands together, green coils of haze strangled her legs until they changed into a darker version of her skin color.
Yet, in that flurry of a display, Hal swore she saw Reeg's fingers glitter in gold, the color he despised, that the mere sight of it would make him snarl.
She shrugged that thought off and returned to their target. She wanted to attack, but her mind screamed otherwise. She needed something from her, and attacking her might ruin that.
After Reeg, Byagi and Lizard lashed her with dual flamethrowers; The dark elf again stood as she reverted to her defensive stance; Neon was losing her balance. As she was about to slip, Hal reacted with a quick wave that almost lifted the dark elf of the ground. Her toes were just a few centimeters off, and fell back to the ground.
Why can't I fight? Why won't you let me? Hal screamed in her head.
Hal was breathing in through her teeth, as she lifted her arms for another shot. Instead of a psychic rampage, tears came out of her. She didn't understand why, but they were tears of a woman struggling to survive.
YOU ARE READING
Luines - Book 1
FantasiaHal Cruz thought that the Luines were just folktales, as well as their neverending conflict with the moon hungry Bakunawa. Until one day, she saw that story meld into her reality, starting with a murder at a church and a wand. Now, it's up to her to...
