The Shadow Liberator Series [1]: Omens Of Fate

Chapter 10: Awakening

Zeradon closed his eyes, willing to accept his fate. Moments passed and he realized there was no impact. Opening them once more, he turned to find Collin standing beside him. "Sorry I'm late."

"Collin?" He coughed, struggling not to collapse. Collin manipulated his sway over the magical arcane power within the environment, dispersing the mass beam of dark amethyst energy upon them. A spherical bubble of pure raw magic absorbed the brunt of the explosive impact.

"You're alright now." He refused to avert his attention from the deviant. "How could you?! You're an Ardourian! Yet you betray the very people you swore to protect, by throwing your lot in with the deviants?!"

"Ah, Lord Withrow." The cackling hag squealed in an ungodly laugh. "How long did it take you?"

"You know this thing?" Zeradon found it hard to breathe each word.

"That 'thing' is Lady Sarah Hemmingway." He replied sternly. "She's been in league with the deviants this whole time. No doubt the cause of several other troubles, we currently face within Amberdine as well." She hissed at him, shifting in an unnatural way. "Recognize these documents?" He whipped them out of his robes, between two fingers maintaining a deadpan expression. "Deeds and wills regarding the mines, passed down through the Vindley Family. Yet when these problems arose, what better way to rid themselves the responsibility of dealing with it and shunning their glorious family name, than by transferring custody of this quarry?"

"We are not interested in you, 'fake thing'. We only want that shadow liberator's essence for our Mistress." Sarah hissed yet again. Came as no real surprise to Zeradon, learning that ominous old woman who first dispatched him here was behind all this.

"Once the mine's ownership was signed off and ready for transfer to the Hemmingways; you murdered them to ensure this couldn't be altered. Once dead, you took it upon yourself to seize the deed. All the profits would then go toward funding your own sick and nefariously twisted projects residing down here."

"I can see why Sky hates politics." Zeradon felt a painful stinging in his side as he tried to laugh.

Collin gave a soft giggle himself. "Take it easy. You've done enough." He slammed his staff down on the ground as powerful teal and lilac arcane forces, surrounded them both. "You want Zeradon? You'll have to go through me hag!" He smiled smugly at the deviant as she sneered vulgarly. She unleashed another unrelenting blast, determined to shatter Collin's defenses. Only he showed no signs of weariness. Gripping Zeradon under the arm at the last moment his arcane shield gave way, they nimbly evaded being roasted alive. Collin wasted no time instantly teleporting the pair of them to the right side of the blast, to which Sarah cancelled and redirected her aim. Warping again as another torrent was about to collide with them. The second teleport landed them directly behind Sarah while she kept firing wildly in the wrong direction.

Taking a moment to inspect him, Zeradon realized Collin was a different person. He'd never seen this side to him. Collin wasn't as shady and abrasive now. Helping to bring down this crone was all that occupied his mind presently. Zeradon couldn't put his finger what it was.

Leaving him there to recover, Collin teleported again near the base of the ramp to Sarah's left. Catching wind of him, she cancelled her attack and redirected once more with a barrage of powerful dark amethyst volleys at him. Reappearing atop the ramp, he shot several bolts of arcane magic raining down upon the deviant, conjuring them in concentrated forms via both ends of his staff.

He shifted his body with such grace and flawless precision, striking his target on every swift yet firm action. 'Thank the holy force I got here in time!' Relief seeped into Caretha's heart as she kept assisting Zeradon with everything she had. This damned monster was going to pay for nearly eliminating the one person she cared for.