The Realm Hero Chronicles: Round 2

Chapter 39: Control

"LAVAL!!!" Cragger shouted and ran for his best friend. He tightly gripped his friend's crystal shoulders. "No, no please." He checked for a pulse, relieved to have found one. "Help, someone, please!"

Another portal opened up. A black dragon with rainbow wings arrived, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, Andolar's Mirror."

"Dahlia!" Leona yelped. "What are you--"

"How do you think he got out of the mirror in the first place? You need to a dragon to escape. I just manipulated the mirror's interior to allow him to open a portal." Dahlia held up her hands as rainbow energy swirled from her fingertips. The rainbow swirled around the crystal Lion Prince, lifting each icy jewel from him.

Finally, Laval staggered back, lowering his arm. He grinned at Dahlia, the same playful grin as ever. "Thanks, Dah--"

His eyes widened as he caught sight of his father's unconscious form. Immediately, Laval rushed over. "Dad! Dad!" He checked for a pulse, eyes wide in fear and fright. His breathing rapid and twitchy as well.

Then he turned toward everyone, slowly rising as if he was a machine. His jaw was still open, though his eyes were still dilating, pupils contracting and expanding.

"Uh, Laval?" Eris asked. "Are you okay?"

That was the wrong thing to ask.

With a near-demonic shriek, Laval raised his arms. Bolts and waves of purple energy exploded around him. The Realm Heroes. Elders, Gemma, Dahlia, and Leona flew across the room, striking pillars and the wall was they tumbled.

"Geez, what the heck, Laval?!" Jay complained as he got up, but another bolt of energy knocked him into Cole. Cragger stared at his best friend and felt himself gasp.

Laval's eyes, normally a rich golden-amber, were now a demonic shade of purple.

"Laval, what's gotten into you?" Cragger muttered.

Lavertus lunged forward to take on his nephew, but was knocked through a yellow portal. Macy spun her mace and flung it, but Laval caught it, knocking it aside like it was nothing. Dahlia spread her energy into whips, trying to strike Laval, but ended up flying into Eris' ax attack.

"How do we fight our friend?" Naida shouted.

"Easy, as a team." Cole rallied the ninja, all of them spinning into a multi-colored line of tornadoes. They charged, but Laval dodged the attack, sending matching elemental blasts.

"Laval!" Leona fired a blast of energy, trying not to hurt her son. "Laval, listen to me!" With a snarl, Laval deflected the blast and sent one back.

"I think he's losing control." This was nothing that Cragger had seen when Laval had first demonstrated his powers. This gift was now consuming his best friend in rage and passion. Even now, Laval had swirled the energy around him into a tornado of purple energy.

"Now what?!" Azari shrilled. "We can't land a hit without getting clobbered back!"

Lavertus, having escaped the portal, shouted again. "Laval! Snap out of it!"

"I don't know if he can." Gemma punched another blast. "If we don't do something soon, he could level the entire temple."

"And that's not good." Lloyd turned back to Laval, who was swirling the energy around him into a tornado of his own.

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Nothing beats waking up and hearing yelling. At least that's what Lagravis decided.

When he got up, he caught sight of the scene and although he knew better than to ask questions when the Realm Council was involved, he did so anyway. "Brother! What is that?"