Strangers (Fighting the Darkness series)

Battle royale

I COULDN’T BELLIVE WHAT I WAS SEEING AND WHAT I WAS FEELING. I PUT MY hand onto my stomach, but it felt numb. I looked down but it was still there. I hit myself square in the middle, but I wasn’t even winded, I couldn’t feel anything. How was Louise still standing? The air around me felt cold, but that tint of anger sent gusts of fiery wind swirling around me.

I looked out of the screen and saw Louise lunge for Guko. He feinted right towards Red, then noticed the sword in her hands and ducked before she could get a good swing. His hands shimmered and another energy ball was forming in his hands. Red saw it this time and jumped left as he released. The ball hit the wall, a huge crater was left by it. That was some powerful magic. And it was quick, which was Reds’ downfall. Hers was stronger, but slow meaning we’d have to distract him to help Red with her swings, which weren’t exactly warp speed either.

Louise lunged again, this time catching his side as he feinted right again towards the door. He flew back, trying to escape, but he stopped short, hitting an invisible barrier where there should have been air. He spun on his heels as Red charged at him. He ducked and Red hit the door instead. But the sword passed right through it, not even leaving a scorch mark.

Guko kicked her in the side as Louise swung and grabbed a chair from the corner. She threw it and it connected with the Guko’s head and smashed as he let out an oath.

“You little-” he said as he recovered. Then he got knocked from behind and was sent to the floor. Jordan had recovered and attacked from behind pulling his cloak off as he tried to grab for him; revealing more tattoos and symbols that floated on his body, inches from the skin. There were scratches on his back that looked fresh, but the scabbing would indicate that Jordan must have inflicted them.

He spun on his hands and knees and flicked the floor. A huge hole was left and he started to scramble through it. Jordan grabbed his beard that trailed behind him and pulled it back, smoke floating into the air as his hands started to burn, his eyes glowing once again.

Louise mumbled something I couldn’t make out and I noticed Red was changing. She started to become searing white and I could feel the heat from her through Louise. The symbols on the swords started to change rapidly as Red lifted the sword up into the air, her eyes wide with frustration. Jordan raised his fist and hit Guko in the face, again leaving red welts of heat. Then he threw him into the air and Red brought the sword down. Guko touched Jordan’s arm and he screamed in pain. He dropped him to the floor as the sword connected with the empty space where his head was.

Jordan clutched his arm as Red recovered and kept aiming the sword to the floor where Guko was laying. It connected with Guko’s neck as he turned to cast. Before he could scream, his eyes became dull and something separated from his body. Louise walked over and stood atop Jordan, protecting him from another impending attack, which I doubted was going to come.

Then I started to feel a tingling sensation in the pit of my stomach. I ignored it and kept looking out of the screen, watching as Red grabbed Guko’s spirit from the end of the sword. She said she’d be back soon. She swept a hand in the air, spreading a black mist onto an invisible canvas and stepped into it, disappearing into what I assumed was a portal to some other Realm.

Louise looked down suddenly at Jordan and dragged him to his feet. She pulled him into the other room and threw him into the bathroom. She turned on the shower onto cold and thrust his arm underneath it. She the turned and went back to the other room. Louise walked around the bed that we had moved and found Teddy on the floor underneath it, praying something, her hands clenched together, eyes shut, mouth moving as if reciting another spell.

Louise bent over her and placed a hand on her back. She stopped and tensed, waiting for an attack, her eyes still closed. Louise bent down to her ear and whispered something.