Sons of Ironstorm - Book 4: Griffon's Stand

Another Close Call

"Damn, Shawn and Shiana, where the hell are you?" he found himself growling out loud, burning the last Kaal Eran in front of him down before turning to begin running towards the portal with the intention of lending some assistance. Patrik too stood from where he was crouching beside Ciradaan, eyes focused on the portal, gathering the runes around him in preparation to face whatever maelstrom now churned on the distant end of that portal.

A heartbeat before Lawrence could launch himself through the portal, Shiana burst through, her armor glowing with the magic necessary to keep a powerful protective shield in place. With good reason; even as her feet hit the ground on the other side, several forks of killing black lightning licked out through the portal to hammer in her and into Lawrence's hastily erected shields. 

The lightning, not the mere tendrils cast by Kaal Eran, but the full forks of destruction fuelled by an abysslord, hammered into the shields like battering rams, knocking Shiana from her feet with a strike to the center of her back. Somewhat better braced, Lawrence wasn't sent flying but found himself dropping to a knee in the effort to keep his shield from being breached.

"I see you, Wielder of the Tree," Calandris' hate-filled voice erupted through the portal, making the ground quake with its power. "I see you and your siblings. Mark this day, human. For this is the day you will all d- ...!"

The cold voice was abruptly cut off as several bright flashes of light became visible through the portal. At the same time, there were a number of sharp, ear-numbing barks of discharging energy. Then the ground shivered again as a deafening howl of pain erupted all around them, forcing a good number of those still standing to clap hands over ears in a vain attempt to hold back the sound.

With a flash of light, and glowing so brightly that he rivaled the brilliance of Ri'im at high noon, Shawn darted through the shifting portal and twisted to send the rune that closed it. And, with a snarl, the sa'anish portal began to collapse. But not before a giant hand reached through it, the long, pale fingers nearly reaching the running Wielder of the Star before the collapsing portal severed it at the wrist.

Another howl split the air then the hand vanished before it could hit the ground, taking with it the portal and leaving the hilltop strangely silent.

<<Frost me,>> Shawn husked hoarsely, obviously exhausted as he stumbled to a halt and dropped first onto his knees then onto all fours. <<That was too close for comfort!>> Then the indigo armored elf and Shiana were beside him, pulling the weary young Wielder to his feet.

<<As much as I want to battle by your side, my beloved,>> the elf quietly whispered, embracing Shawn tightly despite the armor they both wore. <<This day I came too close to losing you once again. Please, please, let us not do that again for a very long time.>>

<<I wish I could promise that, Dezi, my dusky dove,>> Shawn husked in reply, the glow around his body diminishing by orders of magnitude until his armor had the same muted glow Shiana's and the elf's did. <<But we're too close to the Final Battle for that.>> Then, a bit louder: 

<<Ladies of the Covenant, how do you fare after your first battle against the masters of the Abyss?>>

Their answer was to cluster around the young Wielder, their voices filled with anxiety and worry as they all spoke at the same time.

<<Your arrival was timely, as always, Shawn,>> the slender elf that had led the retreat from the north, rasped, sketching a salute in Shawn's direction as he was joined by another of his company, an equally wiry fellow who pulled off his helm to reveal a greying but still handsome face.