Elements of Earth: The Element Trials

Synchronous 10; The Brutal Trial: Part 3 - The End

I come to on the ground, body weak. I try to blink, open my eyes, but I can't. A sound. It could be a far off scream or a whisper in the dark. I slide my hand up my back, expecting seeping welts from the lash. My arm feels ghostly, sensationless, I don't even feel it move. But I can plainly feel a hand moving across my back. I feel the small lines carved in fingertips as they brush over tender skin dotted with goosebumps. No welts or scars, but a wide ache from my spine to my skull. My leg too. A dull stabbing that jolts out if I attempt to move. I hurt all over in fact. I've always felt Kira's pain in internal memories, but nothing when they've ended, nothing residual. To determine when and where I am, I continue checking for injuries and find more of myself, than I'd expected. My persona had returned to me.

"Here I thought the hard part would be to get you alone." A male voice interrupted my meandering thoughts. With sound, light erupts from the dark. Dim, but the contrast clouds my sight. A blurred shape from the direction of the voice. My attempt to focus on it is broken when another voice, my own, replies.

"Noble Niobium. What are you doing here?" My hands tighten. Their holding something. Something cold and smooth, covered in roots and crevices that swirled, not unlike the fingerprints of that ghostly hand. I can tell it must be a long weapon, only from my two-handed grip and that it's pointed at Noble.

"Why, I'm here to kill you."

Alone, Noble is wrong. I am not alone. A friend is coming to help me. Time, I just need a little more time. "Is it because you're tired of being called a coward?" No reaction. "You've been hiding from the action for so long. You used to be so honorable, successful even, with your challenges and duels. But look at you now. Ganging up with two other tens to kill one element. Maybe you really are the coward everyone says you are."

"Are you done?" He said as if he had no need to justify himself before doing just that. "Purge passes run out. I've still got people I need to protect. As for my allies, you have only yourself to blame. You inspired everyone when you traded your purge pass to Silver. Fluorine was kind enough to let me join his league in exchange for one of the two purge passes I will receive." Two? Hadn't the judges promised the victor only one? Niobium was still talking. "Don't worry though. He won't be jumping in. Part of our deal is that I am the one who gets to kill you. I slay a five and everyone will remember Niobium is an element to be feared. But seeing your unfortunate state, I'll need another stage to make my scene. Time to say goodbye." As he spoke, things came into focus. I could see him standing above me, just out of reach from the tip of my lance.

"Goodbye." A voice behind Noble says. A small, unexpected splashing sound is quickly drowned out by Noble's screams as he collapses to the ground. His back burned, but there was no flame. Amongst the blackening skin were frothing bubbles. Acid.

"You're a traitorous bastard Fluorine." I said.

"Antimony's useless on her own." Fluorine interjected with what seemed an inconsequential non sequitur. "But she gave me her entire element supply." He continued as he walked up from behind Noble. He threw his hands up into the air to either side and cried out. "And now I am become Fluoroantimonic Acid, melter of elements! All will bow or die before me!" The depravity in his voice smoothed over Noble's cries of pain until Fluorine stomped on the fresh wound. "You were wrong Noble. I will be the one everyone will fear. But you were right about one thing; her alliance with Silver inspired us all. Too bad your allies aren't here now Silicon."

"You're wrong." I smiled, looking past him. "I'm not alone."

Fluorine hesitated. His ear twitched, but he refused to turn around. "You think I'm going to fall-" his words were literally cut off and Fluorine clutched his torn open throat as he fell to the ground.