The Legends of Dawn ~ Book 1. Chained Ice

Chapter 9

Zion made a heavy stomp on the ground, the earth around the tree he was facing lifted and toppled the tree over. As the tree went down with a slow crackling of wood. That's when the mysterious cloaked man appeared seemingly from nowhere.

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Both sides stood silent. Shayla held Iris in her arms, her ears twitched and she stood ready to run at any moment. Zion's eyes lit with a violent icy blue. All that could be made of the mysterious man through his cloak was a strong jaw and the faint glare of goggles. The wind blew, his cloak flowed faintly with it. Zion blinked, even before his eyes opened the man was in front of him, glaring at Zion through the goggles. The man spoke.

"Stand down.....and you will not be hurt," Zion hadn't noticed before but the man's voice was gruff and low. "Hand over......the girl." He hesitated between some of his words as well.

"Not a chance," Zion said blankly. In a flash, the man had appeared to just wave his hand but Zion knocked back into the waterfall so quick.

"I tried...to...warn you." A gruff laugh escaped the man's mouth. Zion took no time in getting up. He flashed stepped towards the man, throwing a punch. Sadly the man was faster than Zion.

"Your flash step is weak." Zion planted a foot in the ground and tried again. The man dodged again in blinding speed, much faster than Zion.

Zion growled. "Are you getting mad Zion?" The man laughed again. "Did you already forget why this fight is happening." At that point, the man disappeared. "Time to stop playing games. You chose wrong.....now get ready...."

Zion at this point was slammed into the ground by an unseen force. Then knocked to the side.

What the hell! Zion thought to himself, trying to get a hold of what was happening. Zion's body morphed into obsidian. A loud burst and a shock wave were sent out as the force tried to hit Zion again. Zion held his ground and stood up.

"Heh, how's that for you."

"I'm not done yet." The voice said from nowhere. Soon enough rapid burst hit obsidian Zion. Zion planted himself firm, but the hit grew faster and faster until a loud crackle was heard. Zion was sent flying again at this point. His chest crumbled as he flew back. He hit a tree trunk with a pounding thud, and the crackle of the truck breaking in half.

The mysterious man sat in a tree next to the one Zion flew through.

"Had enough yet?" The man had a smug tone in his voice. He slowly walked over to Zion. Zion slowly sat up against the tree, his body slowly regenerating in the process. His obsidian form faded as he regenerated.

"You kidding me...." Zion said with a small laugh that was almost a cough. "I'm just starting."

Under the hood, the man smiled a grin that could match a devil's. "That's what I like to hear!" He bellowed. Zion slammed his palm against the ground, a slab of iron shot out hitting the man's side. Zion got up quickly dashing in front of him while he was distracted. He looked up to see Zion readying a punch, he only smiled. He caught Zion's punch.

"Heh........nice try." He grabbed the sword from his pack. "Let's just end this now.... I don't think this is getting anywhere." He swiped the sword at Zion but Zion brought another slab of iron up knocking the sword up into the air.

"That wouldn't do much to me anyways...." Zion kicked the guy away and jumped back. While he stood off with the guy, he tried to think of different ways to approach him so this battle could end. He looked up, only a few minutes till the sword would be back in reach.

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While Zion battle the man Shayla and Iris had retreated into the forest.

"Miss Sinkari, where are we going?" Iris said, still clueless to the situation at hand.

"Don't worry about it little one, we are just going as far away from that danger as we can." She leads Iris by the hand, walking at a fast pace. The deeper they went the fewer words were said. Iris didn't know what was truly happening, and Shayla could only worry about Zion.

He'll be alright.....he's strong, I know he can win. She continued to think to herself. Iris looked up at Shayla, then turned her head looking back. ".....Miss Sinkari?"

Shayla didn't notice Iris calling her, she was focusing on finding their way back to town. Night had fallen, and the forest had become dark. Shayla's night vision capabilities allowed her to see far enough ahead. Iris turned back to Shayla, then looked back again.

"They're coming......" Iris mumbled. Her steps grew heavier. Shayla noticed the change in pace. As she turned to look back at Iris, Iris slowed to a complete stop.

"Iris, why'd you st–" Iris was staring back at the way they came. In Shayla's vision, the area around a group of trees she was staring at was pitch black. Almost as if someone poured black tar over them.

"What...the...hell..." She took a step back. She had to be ready to old at the first sign of danger. Like a pool of odd black water the area seemed to flood into a larger radius. Shayla blinked, as soon as her eyelids lifted there was a figure standing in the area. The figure stood there in a cloak, the cloak seemingly made out of the darkness itself. With the hood on his eyes were not visible, all that could be made of his features is a strong chin, and a sly and devious smile.

"W-w-who are you." Shayla stuttered.

"Don't worry about that. Just hand over the key and no one gets hurt."

Shayla smiled and laughed hysterically. "K-key? What are you tal-"

"Don't play games child! Hand over the girl and I'll spare your life."

Shayla froze, her body went completely numb.
"I-I......"

"I don't have time for this!" The man said in clear anger. He'd bring his hand up and rest it on top of his hood, his hand a very pale white. He'd bow his head, at that moment he began to shake and laugh.

Iris held onto Shayla's leg, confused but feeling frightened. The man raised his head suddenly, a single eye glowing a blood red glow showing. "No one denies's Zet what he wants......"

The inky black around him formed tendrils, they shot up out of the pool wriggling for action. The guy, Zet, thrust his hand in their direction and the tendrils shot towards Shayla and Iris.

Everthing went black from there.......

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