The Zero Hour | #Wattys2016

Chapter 21 - The Last Stand (Part 4)

The Lighvel sparked to life and energy surged into Amadeus's entire being as One and him charged forward into the fray. Fire balls glanced off One's body as some of the battle-wizards started to focus their attacks towards him to slow him down. He roared as he caught one of them by the neck and slammed him towards the ground.

Time started to move in slow motion once again for Amadeus. Raising his hand, he released a whip of lightning energy which arced and electrified a group of battle-wizards who were pummeling the front lines with plumes of fire. No time to waste. Amadeus pressed on with the attack as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He pointed his left palm towards a group of battle-wizards who were surrounded by glowing blue energy, sending out a blast of forked lightning at them. They raised up a wall of ice to defend against the attack, but the lightning went through it with ease and they were flung backwards by the power of the attack. Silly Nobles, don't they know lightning passes through water? Amadeus thought with a grin. That's exactly why parents don't allow their kids to play in the rain during a thunderstorm.

He leaned to the left as a fireball soared next to his head, missing him by inches. He felt the heat of the flame on his cheek as it passed him. He sprinted towards his attacker and slid across the snow to release a concentrated arc of lightning. The bright beam pierced through the attacker and the flame on his fingertips fizzled out before he dropped to his knees.

The energy that enabled him to move at an incredible speed was running out. Amadeus felt the world around him speed up, and he was no longer seeing things in slow motion. That was when he saw shards of ice rain down upon him. The ice affinity battle-wizards must have attacked while he wasn't taking notice; it was too late to dodge. Is this it for me? Amadeus flinched as he raised an arm to shield his face.

There were sounds of ice shattering upon rock and Amadeus realized that One had used his own body to shield Amadeus from the barrage of ice shards. "Stay back Nobs," he warned. "One not allow any of you to hurt master!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Amadeus pumped more of the Lighvel's energy into his body. He felt a renewed sense of confidence as it filled his veins with power. Regaining his super speed, time began to pass in slow motion again for him. He leapt into the middle of the battle-wizard army and released an immense shockwave of energy which pushed back those around him, knocking them unconscious. All at once, the remaining battle-wizards turned to face him. He had their attention now. They finally saw him as a major threat.

Fire, ice, and lightning attacks came at Amadeus from all directions while the earth beneath his feet trembled and shook, reaching up to grab him. He instinctively leapt up high into the sky to dodge the attacks. Some of the battle-wizards watched in awe as their attacks missed Amadeus who soared high above them. No magic they had ever seen could enable someone to achieve the supernatural speed and agility that Amadeus had just displayed.

High above them, Amadeus had a bird's eye view of the battlefield. He quickly scanned the battlefield for Izumi. He spotted her fighting alongside Rei, their icicles had almost run out and they were now relying on their frost daggers to dispatch their enemies. Thankfully, she was safe.

In the distance, the Avianath riders were ferociously picking off battle-wizards from the ground, but were taking heavy fire from the stronger battle-wizards. They weaved around fire pillars which erupted from the floor, threatening to overwhelm them from all sides. Onyx and One fought side by side at the other end of the battlefield, but the overpowering numbers of the battle-wizards started to swell as more and more of them emerged from the shadows. The commoners below him were getting slaughtered as well, their shields torn asunder by the force of the battle-wizards wind attacks. Things were starting to look very dire indeed.

As he started to descend in towards the ground, things continued to move in slow motion for him as the energy coursed through his body. Amadeus glanced at his Lighvel. The sparks on its surface were starting to die out and the waves moved weakly. It was over. This was his last attack. He knew he would have to make it count. Summoning every ounce of courage from his heart, Amadeus aimed his descent for where the fighting was most desperate. He saw a multitude of battle-wizards walking over corpses of commoners and slaughtering those in their path. They were pushing towards the barricaded doors of the building. It was only a matter of time before they reached the women and children.

Amadeus said a silent prayer as he descended towards the mindless slaughtering below. Fear started to rise from the pit of his stomach and he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. With the power of the Lighvel, he landed gently upon the bloodstained snow.

"Get behind me!" he shouted at the commoners and saw them dive for cover. A surge of lightning shot out from his left hand and took the form of a lance. The lance extended from him by about ten feet. With determination in his eyes to make his last stand count, he let out a shout of pure conviction.

"YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT US!"

With those words, he swung his lance and the lightning sliced through several battle-wizards who fell to the ground one after another. The other battle-wizards looked at each other hesitantly for a moment before turning back to focus on taking Amadeus down. Their hands glowed brightly with the color of their elements. With a fierce roar, Amadeus charged forward and swung his lightning lance towards the next group of battle-wizards.

Some of the Nobles managed to dodge while others fell to his lance. Several others released quick fireballs, and one collided into his shoulder, pushing him back a step. He gritted his teeth and swallowed the pain. With another roar, he continued to charge on, bringing down battle-wizards left and right while his other enemies continued to pummel him with elemental attacks. An air current cut through his right arm, causing blood to flow down it. An ice shard embedded itself into his side, but he refused to submit to his injuries and fought on.

It was then he saw it – fear. The battle-wizards had fear and uncertainty in their eyes. To fear a commoner was unheard of. The Nobles fancied themselves to be gods. No one would defy them. No one could. Not until today. After today, the Nobles would think twice before they attacked the commoners. Today, he would wake them up. Today, they would realize that they aren't immortal. Today, they are flesh and blood. Today, they are human.

The pain dulled his senses as he continued to swing wildly in large arcs. The Nobles backed away as he continued to press forward, his lightning lance running through several battle-wizards with each swing. He had them on the retreat.

Finally, the last spark of life from the Lighvel faded and the lightning lance on Amadeus' left hand receded into nothing. Breathing heavily, he stood there and looked around, taking in the fearful looks of the Nobles around him. All of them were silent and motionless, watching him with caution. Standing back, they had various defenses made from earth, air, ice and fire raised. Amongst his enemies, there was not a single ally in sight. He had strayed too far from the group. Not that it mattered. They were too severely outnumbered. Soon, his allies would be overrun as well.

With that last thought, Amadeus collapsed to the ground.

Author's Note: Sorry I was one day late on the update. Have been busy with real life and been taking a break. With this, we end chapter 21 and head to last chapter (not counting the epilogue). Hope you guys liked it, if you did, please vote and comment :)