The Underground Palace

Chapter Twenty-One - Fire and Lightning

Alex opened her eyes and found herself in the woods surrounded by the other Seven Children.  One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.  They were all together.  She turned around and looked at her cousin.  He looked tired, beaten, a little older but thankfully alive.  She hugged him tightly and prayed that they would never separate again.

'You're safe now,' he whispered.

'Noooooo!' yelled out Marco with fury.  Alex jumped and looked through the woods to find the road she was just on a mare twenty metres away.  Richard stood calmly next to his car.  He appeared to be smiling.

'Tell her to come back here or else you're dead!' screamed Marco.

'No,' spoke Richard.  'Her life is way more important than mine.'  Alex hugged Glen tighter and buried her face into his jumper.  She couldn't watch this.

'I will find her.  I will find all of them and rip out their hearts with my knife.  They don't have the right to rule this world.  I was the one who earned it!'

'In just a few hours they will be the Rulers of All Good and Evil, and when that happens you will be powerless to fight them.'

'Tell me that you're fine with them ruining our community.  You've heard the prophecy, you're going to let that happen?'

'They're children.  They'll need guidance.  Kill me and they won't have anyone to turn to for advice.  Let me live and I'll show them how to rule this world.'  Alex glanced at the road and saw Marco smirk in response.

'Like hell I will let that happen.'

Marco clapped his hands together and fire appeared.  It slithered out of his hands like a snake and towered above him.  His hissed and stared down at Richard.  In response Richard stepped forward and clenched his fists.

'You don't want to do this,' he told Marco.  Marco sneered.

'I do,' he simply replied.  Marco yelled and the fire snake lunged.  Richard yelled and concentrated on his own power.  He pointed to the sky and lightning shot down.  It pierced through the snake's neck and it screamed with fury.  Alex looked on amazed.  After all this time, she realised she didn't even know what her own father's power was.  He could control lightning.

The snake quickly recovered and went to lunge again.  Richard raised both his hands and sent another lightning bolt down followed by three more.  The lightning stabbed the ground in front him like spears.  It was acting like a shield.  The snake couldn't advance.  Richard sent more lightning bolts down, it rained upon the creature until Marco faltered and it diminished with a wisp of smoke.  The lightning bolts continued to rain and Marco with renewed energy pushed his power forward and created a shield.  The lightning rocketed off the wall of fire and hissed in anger.  Marco laughed and forced his shield of fire to grow to an enormous size.  It was as large as the road!  

'We need to help him,' cried Alex.  She looked upon the scene tearfully and Glen softly rubbed her back.

'We can't.'

The fire crackled and parts spat out at Richard.  His lightning kept protecting him.  The fire grew and expanded until it hovered over the entire road, it looked like an umbrella.  Marco twisted his hands and obediently the fire obeyed and formed itself into a cone shape, like a tornado.  It was massive.  Marco bellowed out a cry and the spiral of fire charged at Richard.

Richard took a step back and yelled.  Lightning from the sky darted to the ground and create a wall of light just in time.  Red, orange and white crashed together in a fury of anger.  The fire pushed and shoved but the light was holding its ground. Beads of sweat appeared on Richard's forehead as he used every strength he had to keep his barrier up.