Starwalker | The Alura Trilogy, Book 2 [She-Ra 2018] ✔️

29 | We Must Be Brave

Emeth Auctor was obsessed with leveling the power disparity between sorcerers and princesses, often citing the idea of the princesses being the oppressors and the sorcerers being the oppressed. His followers even went so far as to suggest that violence against the ruling class was justified as long as it freed the oppressed from the oppressors.

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Nell pushed anxiety to the back of his mind, remembering Alura's strength. Picturing the resolute, stubborn gaze in her green eyes, he downed a vial of magic and cast a protection spell around himself and Talyn. Weapons pounded at the forcefield; the sensation was like someone poking his stomach from the inside. But Nell held the line.

Talyn typed furiously, her prehensile braid reaching up to scratch her head. "Master Nellith, if we get out of this alive, I will personally ensure that you are rewarded."

"Princess," Nell returned, "it is an honor to serve beside you." He wouldn't let Micah shoulder the burden of ending the war on his own.

We must be strong.

We must be brave.

Love for Micah pulsed in Nell's heart. The forcefield became stronger; the Horde's weapons bounced off uselessly. Nell's moondust was running out, but he downed another vial. His stomach protested with nausea.

Talyn opened the door. As Nell dropped the spell, they rushed inside, and she jammed it shut. "I rigged it to stay closed," she panted. "We're stuck in here until we can get the all-clear from Her Majesty of Salineas that it's safe to leave."

Nell nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. He'd been brave – he'd moved forward, proved his father wrong about him.

And thank you, he added silently to Alura. Thank you, for reminding me of true strength.

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Shadow Weaver and Micah's battle continued. Parry, thrust. Parry, thrust. They danced in a ring of fire, a waltz of death and destruction.

And by the moons, she was enjoying it. The damp smell of sweat propelled Shadow Weaver forward; she landed a stab on Micah's shoulder with the butt of her spear. He swung back with a grunt. Blocking the shot, Shadow Weaver careened backward with the help of the Black Garnet's power.

She wasn't even close to fatigue. This had been a mere ground fight, and neither of them used much magic. Micah grinned at her as he struck again. The thrill of the fight consumed Shadow Weaver; Norwyn had been wrong, all those years ago. She was a warrior, and she would protect her side of the war.

But...wasn't something off? Shadow Weaver ducked another swing from Micah, twirling her staff around and locking it with his. Why was he taking such a long time to duel her? Usually their fights were over quicker than this...

Shadow Weaver met Micah's dark eyes; an emotion she'd never seen before rested within them.

Guile.

Something is terribly wrong, she realized. Shadow Weaver's badge beeped. "My lady!" Carmen cried from the other end. "You gotta get to the coast! I can't make it in time –" the comm crackled, and her voice cut out.

Shadow Weaver couldn't answer her anyway without revealing her identity. In that moment of distraction, Micah slammed the butt of his staff directly into her nose. The metal jabbed harshly, and her face numbed as she slammed into the ground.

I have to get to the coast. Micah smiled at her knowingly. Shadow Weaver tried to teleport, but he pressed her to the ground with a kinesis spell. Shadow Weaver cast her own, and he flew ten feet away with a grunt.

She turned to run, but a current of wind picked her up, and Shadow Weaver couldn't levitate out of it. Gritting her teeth, her eyes turned to Angella's sister – Princess Spinnerella, the commander of winds and one of two Transcendentine angels on Etheria.

What was happening at the coast? Why couldn't Shadow Weaver escape? And why wouldn't her powers work?

Spinnerella dropped her, and Shadow Weaver fell ten feet, rolling on her back before groaning and laying in the sand. Micah stood over her, gripping the angel's hand. "Congratulations. You've lost."

He and the angel took to the skies, flying far, far away from her.

Shadow Weaver inhaled, the wind knocked out of her. Staggering to her feet, she gazed toward the Fright Zone; she had to know what was wrong. There was no time to waste.

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Did you know...

- I came up with the idea for Angella and Spinnerella being from the same race because Spinnerella has similar features to her. However, she's not from the same angelic bloodline. There's some more lore with this in Seraphite, but we've still got a little while before that happens.

Tell me what you think...

- Does Shadow Weaver enjoy fighting Micah? Why or why not?