Battle of the Elements
Chapter 34 Titania

There were too many deaths that day to focus on. Too many screams. Too many men and women dying to protect something that had been a sanctuary for us all. It was best not to focus on those everlasting deaths, the bloodshed that followed them.

Instead, I focused on the large animal that was fighting for its life. The magnificent beast in all its beauty. A large leopard creature with the antlers of an elk, was battling against a creature of pure darkness. The creature of darkness wasn’t any animal or Beasta, but a large, black thing made from liquid shadows. The leopard swiped at the creature with its paw, narrowly missing its slimy black skin. The darkness leapt at the creature pinning it to the ground. A deafening roar erupted from the black thing as it conquered the leopard. But the leopard didn’t give in. It writhed and struggled, gathering its hind legs underneath the darkness and flipping it off him.

Getting up, the leopard roared with triumph at the darkness, warning it not to cross him. The darkness lunged at the leopard. The leopard lunged at the creature, slamming into it halfway. They fell to the floor, clawing and snarling, in a wurr of black and gold. Then, the leopard threw its head back and sank its large fangs into the creature’s throat.

I expected the dark creature to go limp, or at least let out a cry. But it did nothing but let out a bloodcurdling growl of slight glee. Then, the leopard leapt off the creature, roaring in pain and agony. It clawed at its face, as is trying to swat away at the gnawing pain. It turned to face me and my blood went cold. The leopard, once huge and magnificent in all its greatness and pride, was now being enveloped by a thick, black liquid that slowly covered its face. The leopard thrashed and writhed, but deep down, I knew it would never recover from the darkness that was taking over its body.

The leopard stopped struggling, as if accepting its fate, and instead collapsed to the floor, letting out cries of pain and defeat as the black creature stood, triumphant. The creature growled with pleasure, watching the limp leopard as it struggled. Then, a voice echoed from the back of my mind, “Oh Titania. I admire what you tried to do. But you fought against our master, and for that, you have brought this upon yourself, and all the people here. These deaths, they are not because of the Black Magi. They are because of you. Now, look at me.”

I turned and gasped at the sight in front of me. The large landscape which I had just been standing in, was now deserted except for three people. Me. Radha. And a little woman whom I had seen many times before, with her three children and husband.

Radha smiled, “You have one last chance. Tell me where our master’s fledgling is, and we will let some of your people live. If not, well I don’t need to tell you what will happen next.”

I felt torn. While I knew it was selfish of me to let this woman die for the sake of my own child. She had children of her own, and a family. She had done nothing wrong. It was me who had caused all of this. Yet, I could not have the strength to hand over my baby.

“You will not touch my child.” I said in a calm rage as I remembered Shane. Haley was his child as well as mine. And I knew Shane would never want his child to go through the hell he did when he was a boy.

I felt the ground underneath me shake as I focused my rage on this woman. This woman who had lead an army into my home, my kingdom, without any reason except wanting my child to suffer. Then, I was lost. All I saw was a beckon of light and darkness exploding from the ground, burning everything in sight.

I had done it. I had killed the queen of the Black Magi…

‘Not quite Titania’

Luna

I watched, stunned as the queen of nature, light and darkness fell to her knees, unconscious on the dungeon floor. Radha scowled at her as the guards left her there, “You had a choice Titania. You chose wrong.”

At that moment, Titania opened her eyes and I could see all hope leave her body as she realised what had happened. Her kingdom was gone. Destroyed.

And maybe it was all she had been through – her lover dying, her best friend sending her away to her death, her child being taken from her. Or maybe it was just exhaustion. But she just stared at the stone wall and mumbled something over and over.

“The darkness that is light…”