The Elementals : The Dawn of Darkness

Chapter 11 - Someone call the Dream Guru!

I didn't pass out. Not quite anyway. I was in one of those grey areas where you're not unconscious yet but you're not conscious enough to be anything but a human slug; slow, grey and a nuisance to your friends and family. After the orb crashed into my head, the flames surrounding me seemed to disappear. It must have broken the connection between me and the flames. Either way I was out of the frying pan and into the mob that wanted me dead. The 'Eye for an eye' policy seemed to be a mutual understanding amongst the Army.

They threw themselves at me but didn't get much further than that as a solid wave of darkness hurled itself at them, carving its way through soldier after soldier like they were blade of grass. Then there was a sudden burst of light, a bright purple light. It seemed we were portaling again. Miraculously, I couldn't feel any of the side effects this time, I must have been too out of it to sense anything. Not that I minded. 

I didn't have the remotest clue where we were going, but I didn't have a very good view all things considered as I was staring straight at the ground from being carried in a fireman's carry. Shadow must have thrown me over his shoulders when we left the portal. I say Shadow because he was the only one who could lift me. I'm not Sheira wasn't strong enough, that girl could break my neck if she ran at me fast enough, I'm saying she wasn't tall enough. She was five four, I was five eight or thereabouts while our good friend commodore grump was well over six-foot-tall (Its funny to think about the thoughts that prioritise your brain when you've got a concussion).

Either way, I must have passed out for real not long after as I woke up to find myself in a bed (Waking up in strange rooms was becoming a habit). Miraculously I didn't get any more night-time visitors from Molly's magic dream machine. Perhaps I was too out for it to dream of anything. Again, not that I minded. I moaned quietly and, like a piece of gum on the bottom of my shoe, the image of Josh crashed into the front seat of my brain. His body lying in a pool of blood, the burning wound cutting open his chest, his dead glassy eyes gazing at me, blaming me for what I'd done. I decided to keep my eyes open, at least that way I couldn't see him.

The room looked like a cheap hotel, what with the bright yellow wall paper and deep green carpet that made your head spin, but hey, beggars can't be choosers. It was warm at least, even though there was a weird smell in the air, kind of like sushi. Oh my god Shadow must have given me a concussion if I'm rambling on about sushi.

Now I think about it, it must have been Shadow who hurled that ball of darkness at me. Point A) It was a dark elemental attack, duh and point B) he was the only one who seemed powerful enough to punch through that firewall. Even then, that was pretty damn strong. Unnaturally so.

I groaned again and tried to force myself up into a sitting position, only to be shoved down again as Sheira tackled me into a bear hug.

"Oh my god oh my god oh my god you're alright you're alright you're alright!"

I wheezed for breath. This girl really doesn't look strong, but she has the grip of a god damn boa constrictor. "Can't...Breathe..." I gasped which did the trick of loosening her crushing hug. I gave her a quick hug back.

A snort came from across the room which could only have emanated from the moody, brooding figure huddled in one of the beige nylon armchairs (It also seemed that we'd been transported back to the eighties while I was out for the count). "Honestly, you two are like an old married couple, you're bickering like housewives one second and snuggling and making up the next. Your relationship is weird, you know that?"

"Morning Shadow," I grunted, finally untangled from Sheira.

He snorted again, "I would hardly call this morning. Its two in the afternoon."