The Dark One

Part Four NINETEEN: JADE

I turned around and walked back after Vilgefortz but found him nowhere, I turned to the room where the other mages had overpowered the soldiers. "I need all mages to the courtyard! Scoia'tael and Nilfgaard are here." I shouted as everyone grabbed the nearest weapons or conjured their own conduits of their Chaos.
"Who's side are you?"
"Tissaia's. I would die for Aretuza." I growled, turning on my heel and marching back the way I'd come; changing my attire to that which I wore at Sodden.
As I walked through the halls, I heard the Elven Queen talking to Tissaia, "Today, we reclaim Aretuza as our own and we bring the Elder Blood princess home."
"You will never take Aretuza." Tissaia scoffed as we all arrived, weapons drawn or conduits ready. The magic flared around everyone, my sword ignited as Tissaia put her hands out and made a forcefield.
"Archers! On my go! Now!" Cahir shouted as the archers let go of their arrows, they pierced the forcefield and struck mages.
"Help! We need help!" Someone shouted as Tissaia glanced at me before she spun back and walked back to those behind us.
"Dimeritium tipped arrows. The archers are the priority! Disarm and deflect!" Tissaia commanded as I spun my sword in my hand, my eyes now flaring red and changing my vision to thermal.
I turned back to Tissaia as she cast a spell and turned to me, her hair now loosened from her ever-tight bun. "Jade. I really need the darker side of you, the one that massacred the soldiers in Sodden."
"Yes mistress." I whispered, my voice dropping an octave as I discarded my cloak.
I turned around and charged the nearest soldier, catching him off guard as I lopped off his head with ease. A soldier turned and began to run at me, he leapt into the air before I dragged him to the floor and impaled him on the sword. 
I summoned my powers and threw a group of soldiers backwards into the walls, smashing the bricks. I darted forward with unbelievable speed and killed an elf before he could even raise his sword. Cahir turned and looked at me, gobsmacked by my speed and ability. "All spare soldiers on Jade." The soldiers spread out, two elves were the closest to me.
Cahir couldn't engage due to the restricted space, but that was my plan, I knew he was a superior swordsman than the others. I easily held my own against the two elves, forcing them into the narrow hallway where I struck down one with a sweeping blow.
I then quickly moved towards Cahir, slicing down the other elf with no trouble. Another elven soldier was evidently disoriented, finding it hard to believe he was fighting the woman who reconstructed their home. But that was weakness, and I overpowered him, killing the elf in a flurry of strikes.
I turned to my side, as an arrow hit my armor and bounced off, leaving nothing but a small scratch. I launched myself up onto the corridors above the main fight as I saw Tissaia disappearing into the main building. I decapitated one soldier before disemboweling another, their bodies dropped as I turned around as an arrow hit my shoulder with a clink.
"Damned elves." I growled, spinning my sword and summoning them towards me; slicing them across the chest. I jumped down back to the fight, my boots sending dust and smoke around as I swirled through the bodies that dropped in my wake; only stopping once I'd killed everyone in my way, no memory of their deaths in my mind but their blood on my clothing was enough evidence.
Thunder rumbled over head as wind howled, "Mages! With me!" I shouted, disappearing into the shadows of the colonnade.
More thunder rumbled as a younger mage stood beside me, "What's happening?"
"Tissaia is summoning Alzur's thunder."
Thunder crashed as an explosion boomed, another explosion racked the building; debris collapsed and fell around the remaining elves.
"Tissaia's life's mine." The Elven Queen growled, covered in someone's blood.
"Then take her." Fringilla replied as there was more rumbling.
A mage gasped as the covers began to break and collapse around us. "Out. Stay away from the lightning!" I roared, as thunder crashed and screams echoed around us.
"Take cover!" Energy crackled as the thunder rumbled, as lighting shot down onto elves with a soft whoosh.
"Tissaia's using Alzur's Thunder." Fringilla muttered as the Elven Queen wailed, "It will kill anyone she lays eyes on."
The thunder crashed as I dragged a body of a mage into the building, before darting out again and retrieved another. I stopped when I saw Yennefer, lighting struck around the courtyard covering everything in a pale blue light.
Yennefer grabbed my arm and dragged me back out nodding once, "Let's end this. One last stand. We keep what's ours. Come on." Yennefer growled, as the remaining mages coughed in the cover of the stairwells.
"Stand back or die." Fringilla warned as I shifted my weight from foot to foot.
"No!" The elven woman shrieked as Fringilla pushed her to the side, away from a bolt of lightning.
"You will not take what is ours." Yennefer shouted as Fringilla stood opposite her.
"You're outnumbered. You have no choice."
"I could snap you all like a twig." I growled, dropping my sword to the floor and summoning my chaos, pushing them all back as Stregobor joined me, toying with fire magic.
"He's tapping into fire magic." Fringilla gasped.
"Go. I'll buy you some time. I've been waiting for this moment." Stregobor stated, launching a fireball at an elf.
"Go! Triss, find Geralt." Yennefer commanded as the thunder crashed overhead, Stregobor's fire magic burned those closest to us as I closed my eyes and channeled my full power. The flames engulfed those nearest to us as my whole body heated up, like I too was burning before it all went cold.
The thunder crashed and the wind howled, "Die, abominations!" Stregobor shouted as I felt my chaos ebbing out of me, the man turned to me and nodded once. "You're blonde now. The magic has been drained from you, go. Go to your wife." He stated as I turned and left the screams behind me.

I wheezed as I limped through the remains of Aretuza, I had no memory of how my leg had been injured, but knew it hurt all the same. I shuddered as I got out the entrance and saw the other mages on a hill far from the school; I concentrated on using telepathy to talk instead of wasting my breath, 'Yennefer? Can you hear me?'
'Jade?'
'Stregobor told me to leave. He's still in there, I should go back.'
'No. Tissaia needs you.' I saw her hand Tissaia to another mage and began running down the hill towards me.
The wind whistled as Yennefer stopped in front of me, "You and Tissaia have matching hair. Kinda. She's more white, you're just blonde." She chuckled, wrapping her arm around me and mine over her shoulders.
"I'm wasted. I need sleep and healing." I groaned as she smiled, helping me to the hill on which was a very weakened Tissaia.
"Jade." She turned and moved slowly towards me as I limped to her and embraced her in a hug. I dropped to my knees as my leg gave out, dragging Tissaia with me to the floor, "Your armor held then." She whispered, running a hand over a large gash on my chest.
"I didn't even know it was there." I replied as she rested her head on my shoulder.
"What now?" Tissaia asked, looking up at the headmistress of Aretuza.
"We wait for them to leave then go back. Together we can clear the rooms and work out what to do after."
"Yeah, one issue. Neither Tiss or myself have any chaos left. I mean look at us, we can't stand on our own two feet." I muttered, mentally hitting myself for using Tissaia's nickname.
"Point taken but... we have other strong mages. Like Yennefer."
"Mmm. For your information, someone is going to have to catch me in a minute." I muttered, closing my eyes; "I'm going to pass out now."