Battle for Keltorea:Sun Warrior Chronicles Book 2

Chapter 4:A Spark of Light

A few months passed. The Keltorean armies have been driven back to Vanraael and Felluria, and the Ring Wielders and the Sun Warriors have depleted much of their strength. Keltorea has been weakened. And now, the darkness prepares to deliver the finishing blow...

...

Talaeos, Juralen, Jorna, Jukira, Lumaira, Nurama, Paellor, Toren, Telja, Dailen, Kraeta, Lateira, Caelorn, Ernea and Laita spread out in Vanraael and Felluria.

...

Mandraesyr's army surged forth. His fleet sped at the Keltorean ships. Aboard his flagship, Mandraesyr gathered his power, and released it. Ice spears flew at the Keltoreans, destroying their battleships and their aerial defenses. Jets of fire and beams of dark energy, and torrents of lightning followed, tearing into the Keltorean army. Talaeos, Juralen, Lumaira, Jukira, Jorna, Caelorn, Ernea and Laita combined their energies, creating a bright golden shield, to meet the elemental storm.

From within the enemy flagship, a deep, thundering laugh sounded. Mandraesyr was toying with them. The elemental storm abated, and the two armies collided. Mandraesyr's dark forces surged into the Keltoreans. The group turned their attention on the darkness, shredding the nearest creatures.

Dark mist settled over them, and dozens of Keltorean soldiers collapsed. The Mist Reapers had come.

Talaeos blocked his foe's attacks, and responded with light, but the Mist Reaper evaded, and transformed into the dark mist, and converged on him. Talaeos conjured a shield of light around himself, preventing the mist from touching him. It swirled around him, seeking a weak spot in his defense. Talaeos sent out balls of light, but the mist dissipated, and returned, reforming into the Mist Reaper. The creature growled, and attacked with its sword. Talaeos blocked and pushed it away with telekinesis, and electrocuted it. He used the moment to attack, but the Mist Reaper recovered and evaded.

Their fight continued, neither able to take the other down.

Suddenly, silence spread across the battle field, as everyone was instantly frozen in place. A figure garbed in green and silver armor appeared, the blue Crystal in its breastplate glowing, pulsating with power. Mandraesyr had joined the battle. Talaeos, Juralen, Jorna, Jukira, Caelorn, Ernea, Laita and Lumaira were unfrozen, as were the two armies. In a flash, the Mist Reapers were gone. The Sun Warriors faced the figure together, their weapons at the ready.

"Talaeos Aceltor, I see Haarzen has failed to end you. As I knew he would. No matter. None of you shall survive this battle. Stand together, die together, just as your Ring Wielder friend, Xular" Mandraesyr said. "You shall pay for his death" Talaeos stated, and attacked head on. The others backed him up, but Mandraesyr was faster. He flung Ernea and Laita aside with a burst of dark energy, and shattered Jorna's bones with telekinesis. Caelorn released a screech, but Mandraesyr was unaffected, and the young Athol joined Ernea and Laita on the ground.

Jukira channeled lightning through her sunspear, sending a torrent of gold energy at the elemental knight. Mandraesyr repelled the lightning back at her, sending her skidding back. Lumaira and Talaeos hit him with their own green and purple lightning from both sides. Both attacks landed, knocking him off balance for a split second. Juralen and Jukira took advantage of the momentary distraction, and the former released his gold eye beams, while the latter called down a lightning strike from the sky. Mandraesyr released his own wave of lightning, the pure white bolts scattering the four Sun Warriors.

Fire, ice and earth projectiles were hurled at them, along with light and dark energy. White eye beams launched at Talaeos. He conjured a shield of light, and strengthened his body. As the beams collided with the shield, the shockwave jarred his bones, but he was able to maintain the defense, and sent lightning through the ground, distracting his foe. He released his own eye beams, and Juralen did the same from behind the elemental knight. Both attacks were blocked with dark energy, and the two brothers were sent to the ground.

Mandraesyr heard a crackle of lightning behind him, and turned, just as Jukira's sunspear slammed into him. The halo of light and lightning, combined with the force of the impact, sent him hurtling several meters back, before he managed to halt. He seized Jukira in a telekinetic grip, but before he could kill her, Lumaira blasted him with her pistols. He unleashed a telekinetic blast, sending them all back.

The four Sun Warriors attacked him together, but he did not hold back. Dark energy and lightning exploded against them. His might crashed into them.

"Talaeos, the Stone!" Lumaira called. Talaeos hesitated, his mind frantically searching for other options, without success. "Talaeos, the Stone is our only chance! Use it now, before he kills us all!" Lumaira urged. The Hunter sighed, and out of the folds of his robe, withdrew the Stone. As Mandraesyr approached them, lightning and dark energy crackling around his hands, Talaeos tapped into the white Crystal, his body pulsating as the power seeped into him. The flow of energy threatened to overwhelm him. As Mandraesyr raised his hand, Talaeos directed the power out of his body, in a concentrated beam of light. The energy slammed into the knight.

Mandraesyr's hands met the blast, and the power exploded in his chest. His armor cracked and melted from the heat, and the blue Crystal in his breastplate pulsated, emitting waves of energy. Then, his lightning coated hands repelled some of the energy, and it struck Talaeos, sending him tumbling to his back, where he lay, still. Mandraesyr huffed, and in a flash of light, disappeared, the rest of his army retreating back.