The Adventures of the Junior Phoenixes, Part 4: The Pendant of Light

Chapter 31: Light and Darkness

Chapter 31

     The ground below Rain Fox shook as buildings all over the ancient city of Lyonesse were reduced to rubble by the rolling war wheels of the Merpeople. She kept her feet as steady as possible as she continued to duel Violet Cobra upon the rooftop.

     Argent, Maltheus Grond, and Cerulean grabbed brooms and took to flight. Alligus Crock ran and leapt from one roof to the other, taking down two of the Embers that guarded Argent and snatching one of their brooms. Crock mounted the broom and gave chase to the villains.

     Rouge saw Argent and his brother Cerulean fly towards the temple in the center of the city. He veered off of his course, away from a quartet of Embers who were hurling curses at him. He followed behind Crock and pursued the villains as well.

     Meanwhile, Rain Fox and Violet Cobra clashed their swords over and over again, both with deadly intent upon the other. Rain Fox jumped in a parabola over Violet Cobra and swung the Orihalcon sword hard at Cobra’s scimitar. She hit the scimitar out of Cobra’s hand and was about to bring the sword down upon her when Cobra spun and gave Rain Fox a roundhouse kick. The kick caught Rain Fox in the neck and spun her, disoriented. Her neck flashed with pain, the sword flying out of her hands. She turned to see Violet Cobra draw her wand and take aim. Rain Fox drew her own wand and put a Shield Charm up moments before a curse nearly hit her. The two Shadow Dancers attacked each other furiously, dueling with their wands, curse after curse flying towards each other. They were in mid-cast when the ground beneath them shook violently. The building they stood upon was hit by one of the war wheels of the Merpeople. The walls gave in as they were smashed to bits. The two witches ran, grabbed their swords, and jumped over the ledge of the building as it crumpled beneath them. Violent Cobra managed to make it to the next building but Rain Fox fell short. She smacked into the side of the building and hung over the ledge. Violent Cobra walked back over to where Rain Fox hung as was about to swipe her scimitar at her but Rain Fox let go of the ledge and fell to the street below.

     Rain Fox got back up and found herself surrounded by Inferi, still bent on tearing her apart. She cut through them, swipe after swipe. She struck them down and ran towards the main streets. Over her head she could see pirates and Embers fighting on brooms in the space above the city under the dome. A herd of Inferi approached Rain Fox but were run over by the weight of a fast rolling war wheel. She stopped in the nick of time before she was almost run over. As soon as the war wheel passed she ran the direction she knew the temple was located. She could see Violet Cobra hopping from rooftop to rooftop in the same direction.

     All around her the din of battle roared. She could see Embers throwing curses down upon the war wheels. The dome was still under attack by the cannon-toting Sea Serpents. One of the Sea Serpents managed to smash its way through the entrance to the city and slithered along the ground with several bubble-like vessels attached to it, along with a pair of cannons. The cannons fired huge balls of concentrated water at the city and its villainous inhabitants. The Sea Serpent wound its way towards one of the light beacons in the city, unhindered by the curses and spells inflicted upon it by the Embers of Easter. It shrieked shrilly at the beacon as the Merpeople fired a pair of water balls at it. The beacon was blown to bits and collapsed. The nearest part of the dome shook suddenly and cracked, leaking water through the cracks.

     “That’s it!” Rouge yelled at Crock as they flew towards the temple after Argent. “See that, Crock? Those beacons are what’re keeping the dome up! Smash those beacons and the whole place will come down!”

     “I see it!” Crock yelled at Rouge. “I’ll inform my men and the Merpeople! You got them?”

     Rouge grinned as he continued his pursuit. “I got ‘em!” Crock broke from his pursuit and flew back towards the city and where his men were still running on the street. He managed to get them to safety aboard a few of the bubble vessels before he, his man Rudder, and a couple other pirates mounted brooms and flew towards the temple.