Duality : Book 1 of Codex Elysium

Chapter 49 (edited)

Chapter 49

Neither side moved. The rain continued to fall, and time seemed to stand still. Titus glared at Jason and he glared right back.

"The stupid crow isn't going to back down," said Tina. "I say we start a slow advance, see if we can break them."

Titus grunted his agreement then gave the order to advance. The Passus line began to inch its way across the street towards the stairs. Jason sheathed his sword. Cassie hissed at him in disbelief.

"What the hell are you doing? You're going to need that!"

Jason ignored her and turned to Tiberius.

"You can throw fire balls like me? I think magic might be our best shot at slowing them down!" "Might be worth a try," Tiberius acknowledged. He then turned and winked at Alexia,

"plenty of water around too!"

Alexia grinned and stepped up next to the old druid. Jason went to work hurling emerald fireballs at the right flank of the Passus line. Tiberius began hitting the left flank with scarlet fireballs. The Passus line halted and staggered under the impact but the formation held. Puddles rose in waves and slammed the Passus line as Alexia went to work.

"Shall I try opening the ground under them?" Cassie asked.

"No! You stupid fool!" roared Tiberius. "You'll bring the ruins down on our heads and no wind either!"

Eva muttered a curse and took up her bow. She began threading shots through the small gaps in the shield wall.

Tina and Titus were ducked down behind their own shields. Explosions rocked the ruins around them while waves washed over them.

"Cowards!" Titus roared over the din. "Fight us fairly!"

"Why should we?" Jason shouted back. Titus growled out his fury and punched the ground. "Can't we get some archers on them?"

"No, they are all in the shield wall now!"

The blows continued to rain down on the shield wall, but the Passus held their line, the ones behind shoving into the backs of the front line.

"We need a plan!" Said Tina.

"I am open to suggestions?"

The sounds of cracking masonry made the twins look up, dust began to rain down on them as cracks in the wall above began to grow.

"I can't keep this up much longer,"

panted Tiberius. Jason glanced across at the old druid, sweat poured from his brow and his face was set in a grimace. "I can keep going," said Alexia as she raised yet another massive wave to hammer into the waiting Passus. Jason frowned and hurled another fireball, he too felt fine so why was Tiberius struggling with the magic?

"Fire is not his element." Brutus sent the thought to Jason answering his unasked question.

"I don't understand?"

"This isn't time for a magic lesson, your element is fire, you could channel it until your last breath if you wanted to, and his is not, so it will kill him in the end."

"Okay hold you fire!" Jason shouted.

"But I feel fine!" Alexia protested. "I can keep up the magic."

"Good, I want to try something different, I think I know how to break their line!"

Jason frantically whispered instructions in Alexia's ear, judging by the way she was grinning Cassie assumed she liked what she was hearing. Jason then gave instructions to her and Eva, he then paused and looked at Brutus, clearly, he was talking to the cat.