SECRETS OF ELVENDALE II

CHAPTER IV

"IT SEEMS THAT YOU'VE LEFT THE DRAGONS CONVENIENTLY OUT FOR ME, HOW NICE!"

Raganna commented dryly, and cackled yet again. Emily went up to Raganna, determined, and she was already clutching her amulet, ready to fire. "Don't count on it, Raganna, we'll be ready-!" Emily was cut off by flames that the dark elf had slashed, and jumped back to avoid it. The elf sneered, and sparked another flame.

"I would avoid this, if I were you. I have a few new tricks up my sleeve, and my fire burns hotter than ever."

"But you don't have sleev-" Sophie was cut off by another raging fire that Emily pulled her back from. "QUIET, or your dragons will get worse than what I have planned for them."
Raganna snapped her fingers, and shackles appeared, large enough to shackle the dragons paws. She aimed for Elandra first, the shackles immediately flying to her paws, but the shackles flew back and hit Raganna in the face.

"WHAT! Why!" The dark elf screeched, and prepared another shackle, but she was promptly lifted up by a vine, which flung her into the forest shadows. The elf got up, searching angrily for the perpetrator. Her eyes gazed around, before she found them.

Cronan was holding Farran's hand, and his staff in the other, channeling Earth magic through his veins. He panted, though his eyes were stormy and determined. He let go of Farran's hand, and stormed over to Raganna with the fury of a thousand suns.

"Don't you dare touch the dragons, you filthy witch wannabe, or I will personally rip your fucking chest apart."

The dark witch laughed and sneered yet again. "And how will you do that, mummy's boy? Remember, I actually committed to the Shadow."

Cronan snarled, and Earth magic swirled furiously around him, before it crawled around his staff, covering it entirely with magic. The simple wooden staff with a single Earth Emerald set into it was transformed, the wood turning darker and richer. It was carved like the wood of an old, wise tree, and the emerald was transformed into amethyst quartz, with gold finishings sparkling around it.

"You forget, Raganna," Cronan hissed, "That this boy was one of the Five Sisters' son. So you better skeddaddle away from our dragons, especially my dragon, before I make good on my threat."

The group went silent. They had seen Skyra and the other Sisters' power, but they had quite forgotten that Cronan could also be powerful, literally being the strongest Earth elf in Elvendale, now that his mother had faded and he had inherited her power.

Magic began to flare threateningly around him, and his hair whipped around, and for a second, they caught a flash of the old Goblin King, but it went as fast as it came.

Raganna gulped in fear, quivering at the angered elf before her, clearly knowing that this wasn't her day. She yelled out, before fleeing away in a cloud of green and black smoke, she would be back. But for now, she looked fearfully at Cronan, and his display of power.

As fast as Raganna left, Cronan heaved a sigh, and the Earth magic began leaving him and his staff, and he faded back to dear old Cronan. The group began rushing to him, worried about his health. The amount of magic he used could not be healthy, especially when he had just begun to get used to using his powers. He leaned on a tree, and rested his head.

"Are you... okay, Cronan?" Nadia asked, and the elf shook his head. He looked guiltily down at his feet, refusing to look up to the group.

"No, I'm not- I'm feeling dizzy and want to faint- and worst of all, I became Mother. I- don't feel good at all, and am definitely not okay."

He then collapsed on the floor, and the group gasped.