Shadows
Chapter Twenty Three: The Dying of the Light

Kel blinked awake and found herself staring at the night sky. So – not dead, then, she thought to herself as the stars drifted by overhead, occasionally eclipsed by the branches of a fir tree. Kel became aware that although she was lying still her body was moving, and it seemed she was in a cart of some kind. Her head was pounding and her mouth felt very dry, but if that was the worst of her problems after touching an Orb that had incinerated everyone else who’d placed their hands on it she considered herself quite lucky. Well, Robert hadn’t had any difficulties when he’d touched it, Kel added.

Robert!

Kel groaned and tried to sit up but found her hands bound behind her. For the first time Kel properly took in her surroundings. She was in a cart as she’d first suspected, a makeshift one of wood and iron. She thought it looked like it might belong to the bandits – had they caught her? Kel gasped, trying to remember what had happened before she’d blacked out. Where had Robert and Angie got to?

“Father?” she whispered to herself, hoping to hear the familiar voice of her father. There was nothing. “Father?” she tried again, but again her mind stayed silent. Even when he hadn’t been talking to her a few days ago she had been able to almost sense his presence, but now her mind felt truly empty. I hope touching the Orb didn’t do anything to mess up the spell... The void left by the absence of her father’s voice was decidedly unnerving, and Kel fidgeted nervously, a cold sweat forming on her forehead. Pushing up against the metal bars of the side, she manoeuvred herself upright and glanced around.

There was another occupant of the cart. He must have been middle aged, but looked aged with stress – he had long silvery hair which was dishevelled and hang about his face like seaweed, and wore muddied and torn yellow and orange robes. Kel couldn’t help but feel he looked familiar, like she should know him somehow.

“Hello?” she called out quietly, hoping she wouldn’t attract the attention of her captors. “Sir? Hello?” Kel struggled against the bonds holding her hands together but they didn’t want to budge. She shimmied over towards the man, and nudged him with her feet. “Hello!” she hissed, as loudly as she dared. Finally the man awoke with a startle, his piercing blue eyes opening wide and making Kel jump.

“Keliashyrr?” the man smiled, a mix of happiness and weariness.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” asked Kel warily. His voice was familiar, but how did he know her name?

“Oh I’m sorry, I should really introduce myself. My name is Ambriel. I’m your father.”

“My father,” Kel gasped, her jaw dropping. Of course! His voice sounded different now it wasn’t coming from inside her mind, but it was unmistakably her father’s voice. “My father? I thought you were…” she trailed off, her mind going blank. “How are you…? Did you… somehow get out of my head?” Kel asked, confused.

“No,” Ambriel smiled, shaking his head. “I was trapped elsewhere. But not dead. And neither are you…” the man breathed, his eyes growing watery. “I’d hug you but my hands are bound behind my back,” he laughed.

“Mine too,” laughed Kel in response. It felt so natural, so familiar, yet this was all new – speaking with her father properly for the first time… “I suppose I could try and blast them off with magic?” Kel suggested.

“I’m afraid they’re magical handcuffs – not only do they keep you restrained, they drain your magical power so you can’t use magic to escape. Pretty annoying, really…”

There was a pause as Kel appraised her father and smiled.

“I thought you were dead,” she said eventually.

“Yes, so did I. When I cast that spell on you when you were a baby I didn’t think I’d ever get the chance to see you again. But here you are,” Ambriel smiled, welling up. “I can remove that copy of me in your mind now. I imagine it must have got quite irritating, your father being in your head all the time!” Ambriel chuckled to himself.

“A little,” Kel shrugged, and they both chuckled again. “I got kind of used to it though. I’m not sure I’d want you to take… you away, if you understand? Though that said, I can’t seem to hear the version of you in my head now anyway. My mind feels a lot emptier at the moment. Lonely, almost… Do you think touching the Orb had anything to do with that?”

“It’s possible,” nodded Ambriel sadly. “An overload of magic could well have overpowered any spell I laid on you.”

“That’s a shame,” sighed Kel, struggling to hold back tears. “I’ll miss your voice in my mind.” It had only been his voice, Kel told herself. Just his voice. Your real father is here now, in the flesh. You don’t need it anymore.

“Well, you’ve got the real me now,” shrugged Ambriel, smiling. “Though I’m afraid to say I don’t know for how much longer. We’re not in the best position here, unfortunately.” Kel’s head snapped up again.

“We’ve only just be reunited! I can’t lose you now! What’s going on? All I remember is touching the Orb, and then there was an intense flash of red, and then I was here. Where are Robert and Angie? Did you see them?”

“Well, to cut a long story short – the King of the Olossa, Fortis Arcturus, the Lord of the Earth Spire Varkun Ferrinus, my sister and citizen of the Water Spire Marielle Aquall, and myself of course, have been hidden away inside the Orb since our race was nearly destroyed. Fortis hatched a plan to return however, and that involved luring you in to touch the Orb. As you’re half Olossa you’d be able to form the gateway to allow us to return, which is exactly what happened.

“Fortis and Marielle are set on destroying all of humanity. In their view there’s nothing left for them than vengeance. I don’t know what Varkun’s thinking – he’s intensely loyal to Fortis out of his sense of duty, but I can’t imagine him wanting to kill all humans. As for your Robert and Angie,” Ambriel paused. “How do you know them?”

“They’re my friends,” replied Kel nervously. “Why did you pause? What’s happened to them?”

“Well,” gulped Ambriel, “I must say I’m happy you made friends with humans. I’m very proud of you.”

“What’s happened to them?” repeated Kel, terror rising in her voice. Ambriel gulped, and bit his lip.

“I don’t know how to say this. Fortis wanted to know where the nearest human settlement was, so he could head there and set about killing all the humans in the vicinity. He tried to replace out from your friend Angie, but she refused to tell him.”

“Is she dead?” asked Kel, her heart stopped.

“No,” said Ambriel. “But I fear Robert might be.”

“What?!” gasped Kel. “What happened?” Not Robert! Not poor, sweet Robert!

“Angie wouldn’t tell Fortis where the settlement was, so he threatened to kill Robert if she didn’t. She told him, but… Fortis stabbed Robert anyway. Through the stomach with a magical blade. I’m so sorry.”

“…Where are they now?” asked Kel, her head spinning. She felt detached from her body, like she was watching some stranger speaking with her voice.

“I… told Angie to run. I did my best to fight off Fortis and Marielle whilst she fled carrying Robert with her. I didn’t do too badly, but I didn’t last long before I was defeated and knocked unconsciousness. Then I woke up here, and you know the rest. I’m afraid I don’t know what’s happened to Robert and Angie since, but it doesn’t look like too much time has passed since I blacked out. I imagine we’re on the way to this settlement called Alderbay.”

“Alderbay? That’s where we were planning on heading to. It’s supposed to be a day or so travel from here.”

“Then… then the people of Alderbay have a day to live.” Ambriel sighed, slumping down against the wall of the cart as it rocked along.

“Is that it?” asked Kel, aghast. “You’re giving up? My friends are out there – they need our help! The people of Alderbay need our help!”

“I’m afraid there’s nothing else we can do, my dear Keliashyrr. I’m not going to be much help to anyone right now. I’m not the best fighter anyway, as was proved in my brief tussle with Fortis and my dear sister. Varkun didn’t step in to help so I doubt we can rely on him. Do you have any magic?”

“I can conjure arrows,” nodded Kel. “Though… that’s about it, I’m afraid.”

“It’s not a bad starting point at all,” acknowledged Ambriel, “but if that’s the case then I’m not letting you near Fortis or Marielle. We can’t do anything more to stop them.”

“What about the humans? What about Robert and Angie?” Kel asked. “The humans defeated our race before, why can’t they do so now?”

“It’s possible,” shrugged Ambriel, “but at the time our race was overthrown the humans knew our people well, and had armies ready to rebel against us. This time we’re catching the humans unawares. Maybe in time the humans will be able to marshal a defence against Fortis and Marielle, but until then I’m afraid many humans will die.”

“So that’s it, then?” gasped Kel exasperatedly. “You fight once and decide it’s all hopeless?! You’re just giving up?” How could this be? Kel groaned to herself as Ambriel slumped down against the side of the cart, nodding despondently. How can he be like this? How can my father just give up?! “I thought my father was a better man than that.” Kel growled.

“How dare you!” snapped Ambriel, pained eyes focusing on Kel. “How dare you say that to me? You have no idea what I’ve lived through! What I fought for! What I’ve lost!” Kel shrank back as her father’s rage and despair spilled out in heaving cries, tears streaming down his face. “My friends, my family, my wife! All dead! I tried my best to protect you, my precious daughter, and nearly ended up sacrificing my principles! If that poor Robert boy dies it’s because I refused to act until too late, and if the people of Alderbay die it’s because I’m too weak to stop Fortis and Marielle! There’s nothing we can do, do you understand me Keliashyrr? I’ve done everything I can, and it made no difference! I’m spent…” Ambriel sighed and slumped back down into the corner, exhausted by - and ashamed of - his outburst. “All we can do now is try and minimise casualties. And I don’t see how we can do that from the inside of a cage.”

Kel and Ambriel sat in silence for a while, both staring off into the distance as the cart rode on. As long as she could remember Kel had wondered what her real father was like. Sure, she’d had his voice in her head guiding her and talking to her, but she’d never really known her real father. Now she’d met him for the first time, and he was… disappointing was perhaps too cruel. But she’d imagined him as this powerful magical sorcerer! This wise man who knew the solution to everything. Instead, he was this beaten and broken man sitting before her who had tried his best and failed. Who had lost almost everything.

He was just like anyone else would be in the same situation, really, which made sense now Kel thought about it. It was unfair to judge her father for not being infallible, because when you got down to it – human, Olossa, or as in her case, half and half – everyone was just a person. Trying their best. Sometimes succeeding, and sometimes failing…

“I’m sorry,” said Kel quietly. “That was unfair of me. I… I just… I only woke up less than a week ago, and all I wanted to do was have fun. To enjoy myself; to enjoy life. But it’s not as simple as that. There’s so much more to life than just messing about and having fun. It’s so much darker, and so much sadder… but it’s so much better than I could have ever dreamed of! I can’t just let Fortis and Marielle take such a gift away from so many people. There has to be a way to stop them!”

Ambriel bowed his head and thought quietly for a moment. Then he raised his head and stared into Kel’s eyes with a mixture of sadness and pride.

“I’m so happy I got to meet you, my daughter. I’m so proud of who you’ve become, and I’m sure your mother would be too. I’m sorry too. Despite circumstances, I’ve done my best to be a good father; a good man, but it hasn’t been enough.”

“Don’t say that, father – you’ve been more than a good father to me! You’re a fantastic man. It’s not your fault there’s nothing that can be done.” Kel paused for a moment, then her face lit up. “What if… what if we managed to use these magical handcuffs on Fortis and Marielle? That would be able to stop them, wouldn’t it?”

“That implies we’d be able to break out of these handcuffs and somehow subdue Fortis and Marielle long enough to imprison them. Even if we did manage to do so, what would we do with them then? I fear they’re too far gone to be redeemed.” Ambriel paused, and sighed. “There is something else that can be done. There was always something more that could be done.”

“What?” Kel gasped, sitting bolt upright. “What is it? What can we do?”

“The Orb.” replied Ambriel solemnly.

“What do you mean, father?” asked Kel, and then she realised. “If we destroy it-?”

“If we can destroy it, our race will cease to exist. In theory, at least. Fortis, Marielle, even Varkun and me – we’ll die and disappear forever. The humans will be safe. But-”

“But what?”

“But… there’s a chance you could die too.” Ambriel stated sadly. “You’re half Olossa. Destroying the Orb could well kill you as well as us.”

“I know that,” nodded Kel. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“What?!” gasped Ambriel, snapping round to focus his eyes on Kel. “No! You can’t just throw your life away like that!”

“Even if we don’t take the chance, it sounds like Fortis will kill us anyway. If we do risk it, then maybe we can save countless humans from being massacred.”

“I know that, and if it was my life on the line, and my life alone, I’d lay it down in a heartbeat – but I can’t ask you to risk yourself too!” Ambriel replied.

“You’re not asking me, father. I’m choosing to do this. But… I don’t want to lose you. There’s only a chance I could die, but you’ll die for sure if this works. I’ve only just met you for real, and without your voice in my head anymore if you die… you’re gone. I don’t want to lose you.” Kel said, her head dropping forwards as her eyes began to tear up. More than anything she wished she could break off the handcuffs and embrace her father. To bury her head in his arms and feel like she was home… properly home, for the first time in her life.

“I know, Keliashyrr, I know. I don’t want to lose you either, especially having only just met you properly too. I know this might not be any consolation, but if things hadn’t worked out the way they have we never would have met. If it hadn’t been for Fortis’ spell summoning the Olossa into the Orb I would likely have died on the mountainside, killed by dire wolves. This time now that we’re spending together is a gift.

“But you’re right,” nodded Ambriel solemnly. “If we take this risk we might be able to stop Fortis and Marielle killing countless humans. Stop them tearing apart thousands of families.”

“Now we just need the Orb,” said Kel.

“Now we just need the Orb,” nodded Ambriel.

“And to replace a way to escape this cart.”

“Yes, that too.”

The Orb glowed with a red tint as it nestled on the chain around Fortis’ neck. He stroked it tenderly, revelling in the familiar comfort of the magic that flowed forth from it, rejuvenating his spirit.

“To think we were stuck inside this for so long…” he mused to himself. “Even now as I breathe the air of the true world again… I almost miss it.”

“I don’t miss it at all,” replied Marielle, swinging her legs idly off the edge of the wagon. “There weren’t any humans to play with. Much better now we’re out amongst a whole world of playthings,” she grinned to herself. “Subjects to experiment on…”

“Even so,” thought Fortis, gazing at the swirling runes dancing across the Orb’s surface, “There was a certain… beauty to the chaos inside, don’t you think?” Marielle turned her head to look at Fortis, who was entranced, staring at the Orb. She was beginning to get worried about him. He’d always been intensely passionate about his plans and desires – that was something she had always admired about him. Well that, and the fact he had promised her free reign with her magical experimentation on humans if she helped him seize power. It was the sort of gift a girl found hard to refuse.

Now, however, Fortis seemed to be losing the plot. As passionate and proud as ever, with enough drive to turn the world, but lacking focus. Marielle didn’t mind too much – she enjoyed moving with life’s flow – but right now Fortis was threatening to become a swirling maelstrom of madness that would suck in all and sundry, and destroy them. Marielle had always felt she knew her place with Fortis, but some of the things he had been saying lately made her uneasy. Who in their right mind wanted to go back inside the Orb?

Varkun sighed from his seat atop the wagon the trio had commandeered. The horses had run off at the sight of them so Varkun had enchanted it to be drawn forwards by magic – the empty harnesses floated outwards in mid-air, glowing a soft red. Varkun turned back to look towards the cart trailing behind them, where inside he could see Ambriel and his daughter Keliashyrr talking quietly between themselves. What they were talking about Yrr’Dari alone knew. Some plan to defeat Fortis and Marielle? Varkun wondered where he stood in all of this. His loyalty was to the hierarchy of the Olossa, and that meant Fortis. He was a man of his word and had sworn to follow Fortis, that was true, but that was long before the war, before their imprisonment within the Orb. Varkun had always doubted Fortis would go through with his plan to kill all of the humans once they’d returned to the world – and even their return had been doubtful. He never thought he would actually be sitting here having to make this decision.

So what do I choose? thought Varkun. With every moment they moved closer towards this settlement of Alderbay, and potentially the deaths of hundreds of humans.

Ambriel hadn’t been able to stand by and watch as Fortis had killed that human boy. The cries of the red haired girl had been enough to crack even Varkun’s steely exterior. Would he really be able to stand by and watch as the same thing happened again, multiplied by a factor of hundreds? Of thousands? Where did he draw the line?

“What are you thinking about, Varkun?” glared Marielle, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you standing idly by whilst my brother betrayed us.”

“Yes, Varkun,” added Fortis, tearing his eyes away from the Orb. “As for asking for Marielle to stop torturing him as well? I’m beginning to doubt where your loyalties lie…”

“I assure you, my king, my loyalty has always belonged to you.” Varkun replied.

“Has it, now?” sneered Fortis. “It had better, otherwise you’ll be joining Ambriel and his half-breed daughter in the cart. Can’t you hurry this contraption along?” he growled, gesturing angrily at the empty harnesses. “I grow impatient to reach this miserable human settlement. It’s been far too long since I’ve been at the head of a conquering force. We may have lost the last war against the humans, Varkun, but we will not lose this one. Today is when we strike back.”

The moon was high as Angie and Robert stumbled into the abandoned farmhouse Angie had searched with Godfrey what seemed like an eternity ago. The thatched roof had long decayed and caved in, letting the moonlight shine in through the holes. The ancient woodworm infested timber creaked in the cool night breeze as Angie dragged Robert inside. Angie propped him up against a wall as she swiped her arm across an old dining table, clearing it of debris. She returned to Robert, panting and grunting as she hefted him up onto the makeshift operating table.

“Come on, come on…” she muttered under her breath as she pulled Robert’s jacket aside. She groaned to herself as she saw the blood soaking into his shirt, the large crimson stain spreading wide. Reluctantly she unbuttoned his shirt and ripped it free of the wound, the shirt unpleasantly sticking to the weeping gash where Fortis had stabbed him.

Robert groaned and grunted feebly as Angie exposed the wound to the air and she tried her best to sooth him with a shaking hand on his shoulder. It looked bad. Bad was an understatement. Blood was leaking onto the table from the exit wound on Robert’s back, and even though Angie could hardly see anything properly under the pale moonlight, she could see it was beyond her ability to repair. Even if she was back at Mrs Gable’s Apothecary and had all her tools it would have been difficult. There was so much blood…

“Stop the bleeding, come on,” Angie murmured to herself, ripping the hem of her underdress into padding that she pressed down into the wound. Robert winced and flinched under the compression and Angie soothed him as best she could.

“Robert, I need you to work with me here, okay?” she asked, grasping his cold, clammy hand and pressing it against the wound hard. “I need you to hold this padding as firmly as you can, okay?” Robert’s body shook and he nodded his head weakly. Angie felt him press down onto the wound and she gave a nervous smile as she moved round to compress the exit wound too. Then all she’d need was something to tie around his waist and hold the padding in place…

And then what? She thought to herself. There’s too much bleeding; too many lacerations in his abdomen… I don’t have my sewing kit, and even if I did I can’t see anything! Angie groaned as a cloud passed over the moon, plunging them into deeper darkness. I’m not trained to repair this sort of wound! She wept. I can sew up cuts on arms and hands but I’m not a surgeon!

“Why does everyone I try to protect end up dying?!” she screamed to the heavens.

“We’ve stopped,” stated Ambriel warily, peering out between the bars of the cart. “Are we here?”

“I don’t know,” replied Kel. “Although we were planning on heading to Alderbay I never actually saw it. I don’t know what it looks like.”

“Looks like more forest to me,” commented Ambriel. “But why have we stopped?”

“Why have we stopped, Varkun?” barked Fortis, rounding on the man.

“Have we reached the humans?” asked Marielle hopefully.

“I thought I saw Ambriel and his daughter plotting something back in the cart. I wanted to interrogate them and replace out what they were saying.” Varkun replied.

“It doesn’t matter what they’re doing!” groaned Fortis impatiently. “They’re chained up and stuck in that cart – it doesn’t matter whatever they plot, it’s not going to change anything about their fate.”

“Apologies, my king,” replied Varkun deferentially. “I wished to prove my loyalty further to you by replaceing out what they were planning.”

“Hmm…” mused Fortis. “Very well. But I shall come with you to keep an eye on you both. You’re one of my most trusted and longest serving men, Varkun. I would hate to see you throw away such a long standing honour for the humans like Ambriel did.”

“I understand, my king. All I wish is to serve our people as best I can.” Varkun nodded, bowing his head.

“Angie…” Robert groaned weakly.

“Yes, Robert?” Angie answered, looking down into his eyes, the brilliant blue fading by the second.

“If I die here,” he coughed, spluttering flecks of blood onto his chin.

“You’re not going to die!” Angie cried, tears streaming down her face. “I won’t let you!”

“I’m afraid I d-don’t think it works that way,” Robert grinned faintly, “but I appreciate the g-gesture.”

Angie sniffed as salty tears ran over her dry lips, which formed a weak smile in response. The moonlight re-appeared, shining down upon Robert, his messy curls lighting up like a halo.

“If I die now,” Robert continued feebly, his voice almost a whisper, “I just wanted to say… I wanted to say…”

“No no no,” Angie interrupted, her body shaking. “There’ll be time to say that later. You’re not going to die here, I won’t let you!”

“Angie,” Robert said. “If I die… I j-just wanted to say… I’m so happy I got to meet you…”

“I’m so happy I got to meet you too,” Angie sobbed, leaning down towards Robert’s face, her tears dripping onto his cheek. Angie remembered when she’d first met Robert back in the attic room of Mrs Gable’s Apothecary… she thought she’d never seen a boy so grey...

Now, as she looked upon his ghostly pale skin, she thought he looked greyer than ever…

Another thick cloud covered the moon, plunging the pair into inky blackness.

“What’s happening, Fortis?” asked Ambriel as Fortis and Varkun appeared round the side of the carriage. “We don’t seem to be at a human settlement yet. Did you get bored and decide to torture me a little more?”

“Watch your tongue, Ambriel,” growled Fortis. “Not quite I’m afraid, but don’t worry – there will be plenty of torture in your not too distant future, that is for certain. No, Lord Varkun here thought he heard you and your mongrel pup conspiring and thought he’d come to interrogate you and replace out what your plan is.”

“That is correct,” nodded Varkun.

“Well?” asked Fortis impatiently, crossing his arms. “Go on Varkun, interrogate them then. Prove your loyalty to me.”

Varkun stepped closer to the bars of the cart and brought his face close to Ambriels. Despite being sat on a cart several feet off the ground Varkun was still almost on eye level with him.

“What is your plan, Lord Ambriel?” asked Varkun. “You and your daughter are both imprisoned, restrained with magic-draining handcuffs, and at our mercy. How can you possibly imagine escaping?”

“Oh, we can’t,” shrugged Ambriel, “so we’ve just been catching up with each other. Some father-daughter bonding after all these years apart. I hope we didn’t concern you with our idle chatter.”

“So you’re not planning on escaping, then?” repeated Varkun.

“I’d love to, really,” sighed Ambriel. “But the pair of us have no way of getting out of this, do we?” Kel shook her head as Varkun gazed over towards her, shrugging her shoulders. “So if that’s all you had to ask?” Ambriel questioned, looking intently at Varkun.

Come on, come on… Ambriel thought to himself, willing Varkun to understand. Please, old friend, please be on our side in this…

“Very well, then,” nodded Varkun, and turned away.

“Well, that was a waste of time!” growled Fortis, throwing his arms up in the air.

Varkun punched him in the face, knocking the King flat on his back.

“Ha-ha!” smiled Ambriel, his face lighting up. “Now that’s more like the Varkun I know!”

Ambriel and Kel watched smiling as Varkun strode round to the back of the cart and dispelled the bars surrounding them. They shuffled to the edge of the cart and jumped out, where Varkun quickly removed the magical handcuffs around their wrists.

“Varkun! You traitor!” Fortis boomed, rising back to his feet in a frothing rage.

“Quick! We need to leave!” yelled Varkun, throwing a powerful blast of magic towards Fortis who blocked it, sending it ricocheting back over Varkun’s head where it hit and ignited a tree. Ambriel raised a hand to throw a magical blast at Fortis too but felt too drained to generate anything significant. Instead he turned and shielded Kel as they began to run down through the forest, Varkun following behind and repelling Fortis’ furious assault.

“We need to get the Orb!” called Ambriel over the sound of magical crackling. “If we can destroy it we can defeat Fortis and Marielle!”

As if being summoned by her being name mentioned Marielle entered the fray with a familiar salvo of ice shards that rained down on the fleeing trio. Several punctured Varkun’s shield and lacerated his arms, but he didn’t flinch.

“We can’t get it now!” replied Varkun. “I can’t fight both of them and neither of you are up to fighting at the moment! Let’s get out of here and we can return for the Orb later!”

“Do you really think they’ll just let us go?” shouted Ambriel as a combined blast of magic from Fortis and Marielle exploded around them, knocking Varkun back.

“Do you really think I don’t have a few tricks up my sleeve?” grinned Varkun, deflecting another blast. “Do you remember when we fought together at Risen Ridge?”

“Oh no, not that again!” groaned Ambriel.

“What?” asked Kel, stepping clear of a stray gout of fire. “What is it?”

“I wasn’t able to get the mud out of my ears for weeks!” Ambriel shouted.

“What is it?” cried Kel.

“Take a deep breath!” yelled Varkun as Fortis launched a raging fireball towards them.

The fireball soared over where Varkun, Ambriel and Kel had been a few short seconds ago. All that was left there now was bare earth and grass.

“Where are they?!” roared Fortis, his eyes burning with fury.