The Elemental Song

Chapter 16 Farewell

As the first soldiers attacked there was a quick glint of light and the soldiers fell short from reaching Eryk. There he stood holding his deadly glaive dripping with blood. Eryk spoke, his voice oozing with malice, "don't you dare touch the princess." The rest of the soldiers attacked with all kinds of weapons and powers. Eryk took down all the soldiers who attacked him with weapons head on and used his 'Wind Generation' power to blow the archer's arrows off course. Now there were only the soldiers that were focusing on their elemental powers to deal with.

Skyrah kept struggling against Zayd. "I demand that you release me at once!" "I'm sorry but I can not allow you to return to that man's side. Just let him go and come with me! Look at him! There is no way that he is going to survive. And besides, what could you do?" Skyrah paused and stared at Eryk who was valiantly fighting against the Fire Tribe's soldiers. He was surrounded by the the Fire Tribes elemental power soldiers. Skyrah set her mind on her decision and replied, "I cannot leave him. The one who has risked everything, including his life for me, I cannot turn my back on him. " Skyrah closed her eyes and concentrated.

Eryk focused and took out his opponents little by little. With his continuous 'Wind Generation' he didn't have to worry at all about the archers and the soldiers that fought him head on were already dead or in the very least fatally injured. His main focus were the elemental power soldiers. He saw three of them. He knew that one had the power of pyrokinesis, to create, control, and manipulate fire. The second had the power of pyroportation, the ability to move through fire, And the third Eryk was still unsure of. He fought the two evading and countering their attacks.

While Eryk fought Skyrah was buried deep in concentration. A wolf's howl echoed through the border land. The sky darkened and the wind started to pick up. The ground started to shake and rifts started forming. The howling continued and the soldiers stopped fighting, unsure of what was happening. A lightning bolt tore through the sky and headed towards Skyrah and Zayd. Skyrah shoved Zayd out of the way and after the lightning bolt hit, she was gone.

Lord Zayd was stricken with a wave of emotion. The princess is gone. Was that her doing all of that? There was a sudden glow that caught Zayd's eye. He looked up and standing on the place where Princess Skyrah was presently standing was a strange man. He mumbled something and disappeared. Immediately everything went back to normal. That man must have been responsible for all this, including the princess' death. I will avenge you princess! Zayd looked at Eryk who was now very close to a rift in the ground. With a heart that was filling with grief, Lord Zayd muttered, "kill him." At the command a man dove towards Eryk who was still numb from the shock of Skyrah's death. The third elemental soldier contained the rare power of 'Self-Detonation,' which was the ability to explode and then reform. Before Eryk could move the man exploded. The force through Eryk over the edge of the rift and he fell into the dark abyss. Zayd numbly strode over and looked into the never ending hole. With a heavy heart he said. "our work is finished. Burn the dead bodies then let's head for Zosima. I must report back to King Zhenya."

"King Zhenya, Lord Zayd has come and wishes to speak with you." "Show me to him." "Of course your majesty. This way." Zhenya followed the servant to the front of the castle. "Your majesty." "What are you doing here Lord Zayd?" "I have come back to make a report on the princess and the 'Thunder Beast.'" "And?" "We tracked them to the border of Aura and Chama. Eryk has unnaturally strong powers for his position, and he has great strength. He took out all of the soldiers that attacked him head on with weapons, he summoned a great wind which blew away all of the archers arrows, and he was able to evade the elemental power soldiers attacks very well. A strange man appeared and used his powers. The ground shook, the sky darkened, and the wind picked up. Somewhere was a wolf howling." Zayd fell to his knees, face conflicted with grief and sorrow. "The man sent a lighting bolt towards where I was holding the princess." Zayd's voice cracked and he said, "the princess shoved me out of the way and the lightning hit her. She's... gone. Former General Eryk died falling into a large rift in the ground made by the strange man, after being hit by my 'Self-Detonation' soldier. So both the 'Thunder Beast' and the princess are now dead."

Zhenya stood silently, shocked by the report. Although on the outside he remained passive, on the inside he was very conflicted. General Liam who accompanied him to hear the report spoke first, "your mission was to capture Eryk and Skyrah! Not kill them! This is an act of treason to the king!" Zayd remained on his knees, tears coursing down his cheeks. "I-I-I'm s-s-sorry." Zhenya spoke, "General Liam, let him be. Lord Zayd, please feel free to stay here for a few days. I'm sure that you must be tired from your journey." General Liam was about to argue but with one look from Zhenya he stood silently. Zayd himself protested instead. "No, please! I do not deserve such mercy! Please punish me!" "You are not to blame. Please be at peace. My servants will see to your needs." Some of Zhenya's servants took the weeping Zayd to his room and General Liam left to see to the needs of the remaining soldiers that arrived with Lord Zayd. 

Zhenya retired to his room and was left alone to his thoughts and memories. "Eryk! I heard that you became Skyrah's bodyguard." "Yup, I accepted King Ryan's proposition a few days ago." "That's great! I wish that you could have been my bodyguard though." Zhenya donned a sad face. "Then become the next king." "Huh?" Eryk smirked, "marry the princess and become the king. Then I'll be your right hand man! Just imagine it! You the king, Skyrah the queen, me the right hand man, and Ziff our mighty wolf!" Zhenya gave a sad smile, gave Eryk a hug and mumbled to himself, "if only that fantasy could come true." Even when he was young he knew that he wouldn't become king through marriage, he had to become king through force. A few tears slipped down his cheeks. Now my right hand is gone and that young girl who was the light of my world is gone as well. I will not hesitate anymore, the time has come and there is nothing in this world to hold me back. Zheya wiped away the tears, and with a determined look in his eyes, got up and left. Farewell Eryk, Skyrah, I wish it didn't have to end up this way.