The Elementals | Book 1. The Cliffs of Immensi

Chapter 23

"Finally." Andrea sighed, ecstatic that the trip was over.

"That was the easy part, Andrea." Cascade glared down the length of the cliff. There was a little bit of mist flowing across the dry ground. The only thing that she could see were a bunch of large boulders and rises in the ground, along with a few trees. But no Sephtis. And certainly no creatures he could use to fight against them with.

"So... I was under the impression that we were going to fight something here?" Andrea raised an eyebrow.

Cascade did not reply. She walked forward, looking around as she went, looking for anywhere that Sephtis could be. Maybe he's behind one of these boulders? He could be invisible as a result of his illusions, but I would think he would have attacked by now if that were the case...

Omar and Andrea followed behind Cascade. They wandered atop of the cliff for several minutes.
"I just don't understand what could have happened. Sephtis should be here." Cascade shook her head. She bit her nails. If she was wrong, then they would have come all this way for nothing. She mentally berated herself for not considering the consequences of what would happen if she was wrong. "But this is the only way that he could succeed. He couldn't have gone anywhere else." Cascade was pacing back and forth now.

"Calm down, Cascade. He'll be here somewhere." Andrea smiled at Cascade.

Cascade didn't hear Andrea's words. Her thoughts were too far buried in her worry of what she had pulled them into.

"Plus, Cascade, huge rocks were thrown off a cliff at us! He's definitely here."

"It could have just been a landslide of some sort. Maybe a slight earthquake or something of the sort."

Andrea sighed. Cascade, once more, had managed to gain the better of her in an argument. I wish I could think of a better argument, just this once.

Little did they know, Sephtis was watching from not too far away. Slightly behind them and to the left, Sephtis stood, his hand held out to tell his stone soldiers not to make their move yet.

The Elementals could not see him, for he had created the illusion that he was not there. They could see the stone soldiers, but they had simply ignored them, passing them off as rises in the ground or large boulders. That was why they were such an effective defense for the cliffs. Now that Sephtis had control of them, they were a useful tool for his victory. He did not need to attack them himself. He could simply use his soldiers.

As Cascade turned away, and so did the others, Sephtis held out three fingers. Then two. Then one. Then he closed his hand into a fist and brought it down.

The ten stone soldiers, or the Iscoren, as they were called, suddenly rushed forward.

As the Iscoren sped towards them, Omar gasped. "They're coming!" he yelled, but the stone colossi were already starting to come down upon them.

Suddenly, two huge figures, made of thick, strong roots rushed between the Elementals and the Iscoren.

Cascade swung around. "Hythalus!" Her jaw dropped as she saw the huge root-creature step in front of them.

"Forget about Mindara, you should not." His bright blue eyes sparkled with a smile as he and the other creature, who looked nearly identical to himself, stood their ground against the continuous barrage of stone limbs which attempted to shove them out of the way.

Omar smiled. Hythalus really had saved them in a time of need, and even without them calling him. He called a friend to join him as well, it seems.