Passion (Book 1 of "The Fantasy of Life" Series)

Chapter 48

Ashanaya

We walked through the smoke all together. Against the back wall I saw all the Ashen cowering, trying to get away from the smoke. There were about 23 Ashen, and Valerie in the middle. She wasn't cowering away from the smoke. She stood proudly behind a auburn, wooden desk, with ripped papers scattered across it.

The cave around was overgrown, the grey colour of the rock inside the mountain was practically non-existent behind all the green. The middle of the ground was just a circle of dirt for whatever reason while all around everywhere else it was covered in green.

"Oh, the unfulfilled daughter of the Matriarch finally arrives." An evil grin spread across Valerie's face. She looked to her sides. "Pets, kill them, turn the ones you can, but leave the elven girl. I want to deal with her myself."

I glared at her. "You should know, I'm not as weak as you think."

She began to rise from the ground, similar to the way Shirajiin had, except she didn't have wings, then she lunged at me. Pinning me to the ground outside the cave. She waved her hand behind her and the entrance to the cave was covered in rock. She started to look back at me but I put my feet to her chest and launched her into the air. She didn't go up that far, but I had enough time to roll out from under her.

I grabbed my bow from beside me and propped myself up on one knee, I pulled out an arrow and pulled it back quickly. I smiled and a large rune appeared in front of my arrow. "Undalava'ad, jilla mente'en."

I spoke the ancient elven phrase for 'this goddess and I, we shun your disgrace.'

Valerie hit the ground and began to stand. I let the arrow fly but she caught in her hand, smiling at me.

My smile didn't falter. "Inca vi'in." 'Now go.'

The arrow exploded blowing Valerie into the sky. She came falling down, but just before she did she shouted. "Fenikuun." 'Wind.'

She landed gracefully, though she was still shaken up. She used the current word for wind, ancient elven is much stronger in magic.

She looked at me unimpressed. "How stupid." She flipped her hair.

I glared at her. I had an idea as she began walking toward me. I pulled out three arrows and repeating the words I said before, they each had a rune form over the front. I let all of them fly and one stabbed into her shoulder, another in her neck and a last one in her leg. She doubled over and fell onto the ground.

"You think a short explosion is all I have?" I began walking toward her. One by one the arrows exploded, leaving her in pieces all around. I stopped and began walking back toward the cave, happy with myself.

"Of course not." I heard her voice. My eyes widened and I spun around and saw her pieces slowly coming back together. After about a minute she was whole again, laying on the ground smiling at me. "I thought you'd have more than that though."

"Wha-"

She waved her hand and I flew up into the air, slowly I came crashing back down, hitting the ground hard. I felt some ribs break but that was about it. I limped up carefully, holding my side. I felt like I was going to cough up my kidney.

She rolled her eyes as I stood. I glared at her. "Avanashe juinahaav."

She was risen about a foot from the ground and she began to cry out in pain. I'd said 'Avanashe end this.'

I smiled weakly at her. "After everything- I went through- to get here- I'm not dying- yet." I had to keep catching my breath.

Valerie screamed out in pain. I looked around, my bow was to my left on the ground, the string snapped. My quiver was closer and it had most of the arrows in it. I pulled one out and I walked up to Valerie slowly, I shoved the arrow through her eye but then she screamed and the power in her voice pushed me back. I fell hard against the ground beside my quiver. I felt more bones crack. I looked at the quiver, Valen's mother's quiver. I put my hand on it and closed my eyes.

Voices flushed in my mind, my own and Valen's from years ago.

"Here. I want you to have this."

"But this is your moms quiver." I had protested.

"Yeah, I kept it because it belonged to someone I cared about, but now you're the only person I care about. It's best you keep it 'Naya. You'll keep it safe."

A tear rolled down my cheek and I opened my eyes. Valerie was standing over me, an angry look on her face.

I'm sorry, Valen. I thought. I knew what had to be done. If I couldn't kill her, maybe I could muster up the power to weaken her enough so that one of the others can. It'd take all I had left in me.

Valerie reached down and grabbed my shirt, yanking me up and holding me just above the ground, glaring at me. I leaned my head back and whispered to the sky as light began to shine from my body and radiated around.

"Forgive me." My voice came out very quiet and weak, almost inaudible. An explosion of light began to shake the world, launching Valerie backward. I started to fall slowly to the ground, the light grew, and grew. I didn't feel myself hit the ground, I felt like I floated away. The last sound I hear is the crumbling of rock and screams, then everything stops. I feel a very light sensation of something leaving me, then it ends.

Nothing.