The Lands of Ralosia & Ranuulo (Books 1-3)

Khalm Chapter 6- Invading the Link Temple

~Chapter 6- Invading the Link Temple~

The path leading up to the Link Temple had many weathered stone columns leading to large ascending staircases. There were several platforms strewn with vines leading up to the temple's entrance.

Ordinarily, the temple would be abandoned, treated as a relic from the past. But ever since King Zantii and his army passed through, a sizable militia was stationed around the temple. Hundreds of soldiers followed the Arachna General Edi and the Ranuulan Commander Ujiic.

Jirro, Aero, and the others took up positions where they could see the temple across the jagged terrain leading up to it.

Gweneva knelt beside Jirro and asked, "Are you sure we can handle this?"

Jirro took a moment to look over the formation of the militia, how they were structured and how best to strike. He turned to her and confidently declared, "We can do this!"

Iggy curled his tail and brandished his claws, "Okay boss, what's the plan?"

Jirro took a deep breath, "We're going to charge straight down the middle. Aero and I will take vanguard while you and Gweneva back us up. Valr and Nega can fly overhead. Attack from above to soften them up and draw their attention. We've got to stick close together too."

"What about General Edi?" Gweneva asked, "He's stronger than any one of us."

"Aero and I can take him," Jirro looked to his friends, "Everyone ready?"

Valr cracked his knuckles and shrugged his shoulders with bravado, "Let's do this!"

The six approached on foot, charging directly towards the army that lay before them. A few Focus Beams were fired from the enemy to deter them, but they kept coming.

They nearly reached the weathered columns when flashes of light erupted from the army. A series of Focus bursts rocketed towards the group.

"Get behind me!" Jirro shouted. He raised his hands, and a wall of blue light formed in front of them. A Focus Shield. Nega raised his hands, and the Focus Shield began to turn into a mix of yellow and blue. He was lending his own strength to it.

Focus bursts bombarded their shield, and the light emitted from it grew brighter with each successive strike. Jirro and Nega roared, and the shield bounced back every attack that had hit it. The enemy militia was bombarded with their own Focus bursts.

"Move forward!" Jirro shouted. They began down the path lined with weathered stone columns, and soldiers rushed to meet them. Nega and Valr took to the air, bombarding the enemy with purple and yellow light.

Soldiers met Jirro and Aero, and the two batted them aside with ease, felling each of them with singular blows. Swords struck them and shattered on impact. Gweneva shot a strand of webbing from one of the columns and swung from it, kicking into droves of enemies and knocking them away.

The group reached the staircase, and soldiers manned at the top of them fired more Focus bursts. Iggy elongated his arms, grabbed them by the legs, and pulled them down. A group of soldiers tried to charge him, but a swipe of his tail was enough to topple them.

Valr swooped down, grabbed soldiers, and carried them into the air before tossing them back down. The group climbed the staircase and reached the platform that waited at its top. They were surrounded on all sides.

While the others staved off the mob of soldiers, Nega flew down and raised his hands over his head. A yellow orb of light formed there that grew in size at an astonishing rate. With a shout from him, the orb burst into spears of light that rained down on the enemy around them, shaking the foundations of the area.

Commander Ujiic was among the soldiers. He charged at Jirro, but with two quick jabs and a kick, Ujiic was down.

At the top of another staircase was the entrance to the temple where General Edi waited. He had a black body with white accents. He had large muscular arms, and spider-like limbs sprouted from his back. He descended the stairs to meet them. Jirro and Aero were ready.

Edi fired webbing from his hands at a nearby column, pulled it to him before tossing it at the boys. Aero kicked it in midair, and it ruptured into dust. He and Jirro met Edi on the staircase with a flurry of blows.

Even though Edi was stronger, swifter, and more skilled than them, the boys handled him well. Aero landed a knee into Edi's stomach, Jirro delivered an uppercut into his chin. Edi swung back, but the two ducked under it and struck him in his sides.

They fought in perfect rhythm with one another. When one attacked, the other covered him. When Edi attacked, one would defend while the other looked for an opening to counter. Edi couldn't land a single blow on them, but each of their strikes impacted with a thud.

Aero threw a kick across Edi's face, and the muscular Arachna reeled back, only saving himself from falling by using his spider-like limbs. Edi looked at the boys with a terrified expression across his face.

Edi jumped over them and shouted, "Fall back!"

With that, those that still stood fled from the temple. The six youths had managed to defeat Edi's entire militia on their own.