Dawn of the Elements - Book 2: The Hand of Threngar

Chapter Six: The Master vs. The Hand

Silver walked up to the massive door, leading to Mechaba Temple's courtyard. Looking over his shoulder, at the Castle he'd just left, he knew this what had to be done.

He opened the door, and was met by a voice he hadn't recognized. "You came!" A man, with a metal gauntlet on his right hand, walked out of the shadows, on a balcony above the courtyard. "I feared you wouldn't understand my message."

"You used the same tactic we used to summon the Elder Gods." Silver said, readying himself. "Even Terry would recognize your message, had it been for him."

"You know, The Mistress of Wind's Powers truly are interesting." Loran said, using The Hand's powers of wind to fly down from the balcony. "Were you aware that she could fly?"

"Yes. She however isn't." Silver said, "I hope you enjoyed having all that power, cause you won't have it much longer!" His hands ignited.

"I've done my research on you, Dr. Drachma." Loran said, taunting the young Master. "You have ways to beat each of the Masters of Water, Earth, Wind, and Shadow. There's one missing from that list. Why would that be?"

Silver sent a blast of flames at Loran. "Because you know I would never harm The Mistress of Light!" He hollered. Loran smirked, using water to deflect the flames.

"This battle will be legendary." He smirked. "But I don't think I'll kill you here." The Alchemist stroked The Hand of Threngar, obsessively. "It'll be much more of an impact, if I get to watch your family squirm."

Silver and Loran fought ferociously. Every blow Silver tried to land, Loran met in kind. Silver found several close opportunities to take The Hand, but every time he got his hands on it, Loran would move.

"I know how this played out last time, Silver." Loran explained. "The Original Elemental Master of Fire used his flames to heat The Hand, burning it off Threngar." Loran revealed that during the fight, he'd been using Water to cool the gauntlet down. "You'll never remove it the same way twice."

Silver hated thinking it, but it was true. He walked right into this fight, no plan, no backup, no weapon, and no clue about what to do.

"As I said, I won't kill you yet." Loran stated. "But what I will do, is give you a taste of the only element you refuse to face!" The Light imbued piece of Thrik Alloy on The Hand began to glow.

Silver had no time to react, as a beam of pure light tore through his body, tearing straight through the scar tissue left, from when Caius stabbed him in the back.

Silver collapsed into a heap. Loran knelt next to him. "Soon everything you own, everything you love, and everything you will have, will belong to me." He then looked toward the gate, as he heard Silver's name being called.

"It would appear, that I've overstated my welcome." Loran said, chuckling. "Until next time, Master of Fire." Using the Shadow Powers of The Hand, he slipped away, into the darkness, as two boys entered the courtyard.

"SILVER!" Terry shouted, running to his brother. He tried helping him up, then saw there was blood on his hands. That's when he saw a gaping hole in the young Master's chest.

"Gerry!" Terry shouted. "He's hurt pretty bad! Go find something we can use to get him out of here!" Gerry ran off, into the Temple, and came back carrying a ladder.

The two Masters managed to get Silver onto the ladder, and carried it together back to the castle. They ran inside, and straight past Gold, and a now awake Lyna, who gave out a bloodcurdling scream.

Terry and Gerry ran to the medical room, and got Silver on one of the beds. They hadn't realized how much blood he was losing, until this point, because the bed became soaked in it. They let the Medical Team start their work, as Lyna and Gold entered, in a panic.

"SILVER!" They both hollered, getting as close as Terry and Gerry would let them. The two boys could see tears in their eyes, and they didn't blame them.

"What happened to him?" Lyna asked, her energy having returned, since seeing Silver enter, wounded. "Why won't you let us get closer!?"

"Princess, calm yourself." Terry said, trying not to cry. "You can't get too close. The Doctors are trying to stabilize him. He's lost a lot of blood."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Terrence!" Lyna shouted. "He's lying there, because he blamed himself for what happened to me! I feel responsible!"

Terry looked past the clearly angry Princess, at Gold. Her long black hair covering her face. "Gold?" He said. "Why would he do this?"

Gold moved her hair out of her face, revealing a heavily tear stained face. Her cerulean eyes bloodshot and puffy. "Because he thought it was what was best." She stated, in between tears. "He must have thought that, if by some strange miracle, that he could get The Hand off of Loran now, he could end this."

A doctor walked up, and whispered into Lyna's ear. Her sobs intensified, as she started hitting the doctor. Gerry grabbed her and held her back.

"Let me go, Gerald!" Lyna screamed. "They have to save him! They just have to!" She turned, and started slamming her fists into Gerry's chest. "He has to know I'm okay..."

Lyna broke free of Gerry's grip, and ran to Gold, pulling her into a hug. "He has to come back to us. He just has to." Terry watched as the two girls cried.

"Let's give them some space." Terry stated, making an adult decision, which was weird for him. "They need this time together." Gerry nodded, and they both left the room.