The Ethereal Saga - Volume One - The Child of Light

Chapter Nineteen - Apotheosis

They breached the inside of the shadowy wall together and found themselves face to face with Kurt and Christian.
"Where's Lestrat?" Alex asked cautiously.
"He's in his shadow form," Lucy explained, "He needs to form the wall to protect the orb. He can't do anything else without stopping."
Christian and Kurt snarled at her, the two of them demonstrably startled to see the intruders. They made a quick motion of their hands knocking Alex and Lucy off their feet in separate directions. Alex rolled to one side and avoided a second stronger blow. He jumped to his feet and ran at them. Kurt fired his grey aura toward him which was blocked by a red aura summoned by Lucy. Her aura overpowering Kurt as she tackled him to the ground. Alex took his opening, he remembered Aaron's trick and willed the earth beneath them to his aid. As he felt the force rushing through his body, Christian attacked. He pushed Alex, who stayed upon his feet. Christian raised his fist and fired his aura toward Alex. Sheer willpower to survive made Alex think fast. A small green aura appeared from Alex's hand and briefly shielded him from it. The shield broke seconds later and the resulting aura hit Alex, hard. He was pulled off his feet and landed face first tasting the dirt beneath him. He realised the green aura had just about saved him from the attack and had pushed Christian to the ground himself. He could see Kurt overpowering Lucy. She wrestled from his grip and they stood about three feet away from each other facing one another. Lucy's lip was split from a full fist Kurt had evidently given to her. Kurt made a move towards her. Alex willed the earth to his aid once more. Roots grew from the ground and covered Kurt to the ankle, pulling him to the knee. Kurt raised a hand toward her, about to fire his aura. Alex practically screamed inside, begging for help. A root shot out of the ground and grabbed Kurt by his arm. He yelled in surprise as his second arm was grabbed and he was held there. Lucy stumbled, evidently more shaken from the fight with her possessed ward than she had initially let on. Christian got to his feet and made his way toward him. Alex maintained focus on keeping Kurt restrained, he was determined to give Lucy the time she needed to recover. She looked hurt. Alex could see Christians movement in his peripheral vision, and he could tell what he was carrying. It was the blade that had severed his arm.
"Lucy!" he shouted, "Get up!"
Christian got closer and Alex averted his attention from Kurt. Christian forced the blade down toward Alex's heart who grabbed his arm by the elbow trying to force the blade away. They wrestled like that for some time before Alex realised his bipedal advantage. He let one arm go of Christian's and opened his palm to summon the aura. Christian reacted quickly and disposed of the blade, pulling away and using his single arm to block the aura with his own. The grey and green auras rayed at each other, each attempting to overcome the other. Alex felt himself getting weak with the sheer energy and force the act required. The light of his aura weakened, and the grey slowly covered it until only a small flicker of green remained.
"Ugh," groaned Christian.
Alex opened his eyes and saw blood spilling from the man's mouth. The same blade protruded from his front, retracted and he was booted to one side by Lucy.
"That's two you owe me now!" she said.
She reached out to try and pull him to his feet and he took her hand. As he did, Kurt moved swiftly with the same tailwind as before toward them. Lucy barely had time to stop looking at him as Kurt swooped up the blade from the ground and moved to drive it in to Alex's abdomen. He yelled, anguishing as the blade was removed from his side. Kurt made for a second blow as Lucy grabbed the arm attempting to stop him. Alex hugged his side as blood seeped from his wound. Powerless to do anything but watch, he saw Lucy wrestle with Kurt once more. She moved to hit him with an aura, but he was quicker. Kurt sliced expertly through the outreached arm. She screamed and grabbed the severed stump in terror. Kurt didn't hesitate and drove the blade forcefully in to her abdomen. She screamed again, and Kurt snarled.
"I am very disappointed in you," he repeated.
"No!" Alex shouted.
Kurt outreached his other arm to Alex without looking and summoned a wind that pinned him to the floor, "I'll deal with you in a minute!"
Kurt forced the blade inches deeper in to her and she spit blood on to him. Incredibly, she smiled.
"You're free now, Alex." she coughed.
She placed her remaining arm on to Kurt's shoulder.
"You did this to me!" she shouted.
Kurt, taken momentarily aback by her bravado, places both hands on the blade, dropping Alex, and driving the blade fully through her. Her hand remained on his shoulder.
"ALL MY LIFE!" she continued, "YOU."
More blood spilled from her mouth and she spoke softly, "One."
"What?" Kurt said angrily in confusion.
His shoulder began to burn beneath her hand. He yelped as smoke appeared below it. She tightened her grip and the shoulder melted becoming severed at the collarbone. He screamed in torment.
"Two," she said louder.
Kurt let his other hand go from the blade and turned to run. A circle of fire summoned around the two of them as Lucy called from every remaining piece of strength in her body.
"Three!" she shouted.
Kurt fell to his knees, "Darling, please! Don't do this!"
"FOUR!" she screams at the top of her lungs. The circling flames moved inwards.
Kurt attempted to blow the fire away but succeeded only in moving the flames faster.
Lucy laughed, "Your powers won't help you now."
"It's me!" he begged, "It's dad!"
Lucy staggered over to him and joined him on his knees. The fire swirling around them as Kurt tried hopelessly to save himself.
She looked him in the eyes, his own full of terror and dread. Hers, cold and fixed on his. She moved her mouth to his ear.
She whispered, "Five."
The flames erupted toward them unstoppably. Kurt's anguished screams filled the air.