Axel Light Trilogy: Wands and Shield

Chapter 22-B

'Elliot! Go back to the cave!' shouted Axel desperately.

'I... can't! Incido!' Elliot tried to hit a hand that was grabbing at his bloodied ankle.

Axel rushed to Elliot, but before he could reach him, he was hit by a curse, landing on his side. He just realized that his shield was gone as well.

'Fool! No one can hurt him!'

Axel quickly picked himself up and saw that a few of them were hitting curse after curse at Elliot, who seemed to be helplessly lying on the ground now.

!

Axel pointed his wand at Elliot and casted a protection spell at him, but the Elites just bounced it off. Axel's anger was pounding furiously – he hit menacing curses at them, and they retaliated; amidst shouts from their leader to stop.

Axel could feel blood on his face when one of the curses slashed at his cheek. His heart was stabbing in pain – nothing to do with any curse. He knew it was because he was angry, and he had exerted too much Magical Quotient.

He tried desperately to reach Elliot, but he was kept back by curses that hit him and he crashed to the ground. Again, and again. He just could not reach Elliot who was now motionless on the ground and covered in blood.

Tremendous fear engulfed Axel.

'ELLIOT!!' cried Axel distressingly.

'You don't need to kill him,' said one of the Elites in a rough and calm voice, one that had spoken for the first time that night; he grabbed at the Elite's hand who had been attacking Elliot ruthlessly.

'We have to leave now,' said the same voice grimly.

Axel saw that the Elite with the calm voice made his way towards him, a wand pointing at him. He could see a burst of a spell rushing at him. He was in a shaky Shifter Shield, and it broke at the speed of the spell.

The Elite casted another spell at him. Axel tried to cast his shield, but he could not anymore – he could not even breathe.

However, the spell did not reach him. He had vaguely heard someone shouted 'Praesidium' before he had crashed to the ground. A soft glow of purple surrounded him. Axel did not care who had casted it, as long as he was not dead and could still move. He crawled on all fours towards Elliot, who happened to be in the same Praesidium. He could feel people Translocating in and out around him; it was too dark to see, and he could not be bothered to know.

He only wanted to reach Elliot.

'Elliot...' muttered Axel in between clenched teeth.

Someone had reached Elliot and had stooped over him. Axel recognised the silhouette – the hat, the cloak, the pose.

MaxPol.

Lights were lit up brightly as sudden as the Elites had appeared. He could see the people around him clearly now.

MaxPol had arrived.

He reached Elliot and touched his arm and his face.

Cold. Sticky.

Axel looked at Elliot's legs and one of them was gone from the knee down; blood was drenching the ground where the leg was supposed to be.

Axel nearly fainted. The smell of blood made him wanted to puke.

'Elliot! Please, please!' whispered Axel frantically.

Axel pressed his hands hard on Elliot's knee, trying to stop the blood from flowing; he was shaking badly himself, 'Please Elliot, PLEASE, please don't die...'