Intertwined

Chapter 16: Unmasked

It was a trap.

Logically, I should have known that from the beginning. In the heat of the moment, though, it's hard to stand around and analyze anything. The urge to get things done, to move along, and to rush headlong into battle clouds your rational mind and leaves instinct to shift for itself as best as it can.

We were surrounded by the mind-controlled villagers of Seirelenne on all sides. They didn't have any magic powers, but only a kind of brute strength, and it was hard to resist them because we couldn't hurt them. They were innocent, acting under the nefariousness of another. This kind of diversion tactic could only mean one thing: that Lux was indeed the real target.

"What do we do now?" Jardin shouted, dodging a punch. "We can't use magic on them!" He was transformed into his Melfinx persona, River, with the cool blue of his garments complimenting his dark skin and bright blue hair. It suited him well, I thought idly.

I glanced around, summoning my shield to ward off a sudden kick to my person. Grinding my heels in the earth to stay upright, I waited until the villagers had receded a little before replying. "We'll have to split up and go after Professor Argencourt. Aeronique, River, you two wait here and distract the villagers. Luka-I mean Flamethrower, Verona, and I will try and stop the carriage."

Zenia nodded, her wispy, ethereal attire floating around her like a wandering wind. "I want to be at the scene of action, but I'll listen to you just this once."

"Then let's go! Verona, tie them up, but try not to hurt them."

"Alright." Ginette sent strong, plant-like tendrils flying towards the people, and it surrounded their bodies, coiling around them like ropes. They would break free of it soon, but now we had a chance to make our escape. After a last nod of determination towards Zenia and Jardin, we ran through the village.

"He must have intended for this to happen," Luka grunted, knocking down a person I recognized as the huge, hurly-burly baker of Seirelenne. I winced, apologizing to him in my mind. "They just keep on coming!"

"I still can't believe that its him," Ginny commented, climbing onto a barrel and leaping down on the other side to escape the groups of people chasing us. "We were so sure it was Arcane."

I stopped, dodging a crate that came flying towards me, and flew up into the air. "Zee said it wasn't him, and it turned out to be true." It wasn't a normal recipe, as Seraphina had so innocently commented. It was a recipe for human souls. The number of deaths- thirteen in all- had cinched it right away.

"She'll never let us live that down, will she?"

"I see a carriage near the village archway!" I shouted from my elevated position in the air. "We won't make it in time! I'm going to fly ahead."

"Be careful!" Luka admonished me worriedly, as I geared up and shot forwards even faster than I'd been flying before. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, making me feel almost invincible. The final battle was here, and we were all there to confront it. Above us, the sky was clouded over with a dim, grim intensity of dullness, throwing a mantle of gloom and uncertainty over the whole atmosphere. Today would be an important day in Glassgalia's history-if everything turned out the way it was supposed to.

The carriage had halted near the village archway, waiting for the guard to roll up the gates. I had to stop it from going through it at any rate! "How far can my magic go?" I tried to remember the classes on distance magic, which had been ironically taught by Professor Argencourt himself. "No time to think!" Raising my hands into the air, I focused on summoning an immense amount of power and magic energy. It glowed like a large, luminous ball, and with all of my strength, I flung my hands out, directing the power towards the iron gates.