Walking Dollar Bills

Chapter 25: An Undeserved Fate

PART III

Storm clouds devour as much of the night's sky as they can. Growing heavy, the clouds pour their wells of water down upon the earth as rain. Thunder laughs at the destruction lightning causes with each quick crack. A powerful wind bullies the trees within the forest. The trees helplessly bend to the force of the wind.

As night continues to settle in, a figure moves swiftly through the forest. Its feet slap the earth and its body moves so fast that the rain drops fail to touch it. Fast and hungry gasps for air bloat the belly of the figure, then starve it.

Toure zips through the forest. His ears listen for the rumble of the Freedom Flyer that rolls beyond his range. Unfortunately, his legs fail to move as fast as his thoughts.

"All those soldiers couldn't have just disappeared. Wherever that sound is going... I know that's where Amara must be" says Toure.

Out of the corner of his eye, Toure sees Gumbo fly right beside him. The dark energy that consumes Gumbo's left side produces a bow made of darkness that he holds. The light energy that consumes Gumbo's right side produces an arrow made of light that he slides into the bow. All of this happens in an instant. Toure tries to counter Gumbo's imminent attack, but Gumbo fires the arrow.

Boom!

A vicious white light explodes throughout the forest. Toure's momentum pushes him back as he stumbles and flips over on his head. Toure rolls through tree trunks, vines, and mud. Finally, his body stops and he lays flat on his back with his arms and legs spread out. For the first time in forever, apprehension fills Toure's eye.

"This power..." says Toure

Gumbo flies over the trees and spots Toure below him. Thirty arrows of white light materialize within the bow of dark energy. Gumbo pulls his arm back and releases a volley at Toure.

Toure rolls over to his left. The tips of the arrows bury themselves into the ground as Toure successfully evades one arrow after the other. Toure thinks he's safe as he observes the straight line of light arrows in the ground.

Then, the arrows explode. Like a minefield, arrow after arrow detonates and sends a wave of light energy out in all directions. The shockwaves smash into Toure's body and sends him flying backwards. His back slams into a tree as shockwave after shockwave pounds into his gut. Toure opens his mouth and spits out blood.

The thirtieth shockwave smashes into Toure. The tree finally snaps from the impact and tumbles backwards. Toure falls back with the tree and slams into the ground.

"Curse you" says Toure.

Before Toure even thinks about running off, the bark of the broken tree morphs into a snake -like figure and binds itself to his arms, legs, back, and throat.

"You forgot about me, huh?" says Earl emerging from the forests' shadow.

Earl curls his finger and the tree bark raises Toure vertically.

"Let me go!" yells Toure. A dark aura begins to swirl around him again.

"Never" says Earl.

A fallen tree branch floats in the air and begins to peel. Layers of tree bark peel faster and faster until the branch morphs into a sharp lance. Earl holds his hand up as the sharp tree lance steadies itself a few feet behind Toure's back.

Next, Gumbo lowers himself to the ground. He pulls an arrow of light as far as he can and aims at the front of Toure's body.

"So this is the power of a god" says Toure.

The dark aura around Toure swirls in a fluid motion around him.

"But it's not the power of my past" says Toure.