Blade(Part 1): Dawn

Chapter 28: Zabaia

There wasn't as much resistance in Xerxei's camp as Zabaia expected there to be. Maybe because most of his forces were attacking Eleus' gates. The Guardian could feel Xerxei's darkness from the very edge of the camp's perimeter, and could hear shouting from several Skaolan soldiers. Zabaia warped himself to the other side of the perimeter's fence, then formed his scimitar-shaped aura blade. With the cover of night aiding him, he crept towards the largest tent, feeling Xerxei's aura grow stronger with every step he took. He hid between every tent he could when he heard soldiers coming as he went further into the camp. The ones that Zabaia was the most concerned about were the ocean-scaled draconians. Every kind of draconians had a sense of smell that was twice as strong as that of any other race. If Zabaia got too close to one, they would find him instantly. Suddenly, though, he was grabbed by the shoulder and thrown out into the open behind him. It was a draconian. Zabaia was then surrounded by human and Undying soldiers from Skaola, and ocean-scaled draconian warriors from Efryae. He sensed anger from every single one of them, but could also hear words such as "traitor" and "criminal". When he tried to stand, the same draconian that threw him from between the tents shoved him to the ground.

"Get the Commander!" one Skaolan ordered. Now, there was no point in hiding. Zabaia threw the draconian off of him with an aura blast before rising to his feet and blasting lightning bolts from his fingertips. A dozen soldiers dropped dead from the sparks, then the rest charged forward with their blades. Just as the hundred soldiers that surrounded him raised their blades, Zabaia crouched down as a golden light surrounded him. A powerful aura blast was unleashed from his entire body, sending every one of the enemy soldiers into the air, to die as they crashed to the ground. A few more Skaolan soldiers remained, but there was a feeling of absolute dread from them, and they ran from Zabaia as fast as they could. The Guardian formed his aura blade when he felt the darkness of both Xerxei and the other Shadow he was with approaching him.

"You are quite powerful, Zabaia," Xerxei observed, forming his long, two-handed mace in his hands. The other Shadow that was with him was smaller, wearing a dark cuirass of the Stalker class, and held a long staff with black blunts on the ends for a dark aura blade. The Stalker suddenly lunged forward, swinging his staff at Zabaia. The Guardian raised his scimitar to block his attack before throwing the Shadow back with a blast of lightning bolts. His aura shield then suddenly shattered as a strike from Xerxei's mace sent him flying across the field. The Guardian was caught in a net above a rack of Skaolan swords and spears, then he warped to the ground in front of it to face Xerxei as his aura shield recharged. The Shadow charged at him, swinging his heavy mace, and he warped behind him and swung his scimitar. Xerxei quickly turned around and grabbed Zabaia by the arm before throwing him across the ground again. Before he landed, Zabaia warped in front of Xerxei, launching himself at him, and swinging his aura blade. Xerxei threw him into the air with a dark aura blast before his attack landed. Zabaia saw the ground rushing up towards him, and he straightened his body and blasted fire from his palms while he had them facing downward. He still ended up bending down on one of his knees when he landed, but his flames slowed his fall. When Xerxei raised his mace, Zabaia knocked him to the ground with a weaker aura blast, then formed his aura blade to kill him. Before he could bring his scimitar down, the staff from the other Shadow blocked the attack, then he was knocked to the ground as the staff struck his aura shield. Zabaia warped himself backward and stood as the smaller Stalker class Shadow rushed towards him, twirling his long staff above his head before taking another swing. Zabaia deflected the Shadow's attack with a parry from his scimitar, and then two more before throwing him backward with an aura blast. As the Shadow staggered, he warped behind Zabaia with his staff raised. The dark aura blade bounced off of the Guardian's aura shield, then Zabaia swung his scimitar at him. The Shadow parried his attack with one blunt of his staff, then swung at him with the other. Zabaia ducked under the Shadow's attack, then blasted lightning bolts at him from his fingertips. The Stalker raised a dark ward in front of him to absorb the sparks. Zabaia gave a loud shout, and his lightning became stronger. The Shadow's ward began to weaken, and it shattered against Zabaia's sparks, throwing both the Shadow and Zabaia away from each other. Zabaia landed on his chest, then groaned and coughed as he rolled himself over to see Xerxei standing above him, raising his black mace. The Guardian quickly projected a ward with both of his hands to protect himself from the Shadow's dark aura blade. Xerxei's mace then smashed against the barrier. Zabaia felt it weaken. The ward wouldn't be able to withstand much more abuse. With another crash from Xerxei's mace, it turned red. One more swing and it would break. As the Shadow raised his mace one more time, Zabaia charged an aura blast with every bit of power he could muster, then brought his ward down and threw Xerxei all the way to the edge of the camp. He sent the Shadow rolling across the ground, crashing into a large stack of wooden crates. Before Xerxei could stand, one of them fell on him, and he was knocked unconscious. Zabaia felt his legs shake as he struggled to rise to his feet. Attacking with such a powerful blast must have drained him of his energy, and only one of the Shadows was out of the fight.

"This ends now, Guardian," the second Shadow growled, stomping towards Zabaia with his staff-shaped dark aura blade. Zabaia felt weak, and when he tried to blast lightning bolts, the sparks didn't leave his fingers. Fire was only embers, and ice was only mist. As the Shadow stormed further forward with his staff, Zabaia warped away with what little power he had left, finding himself on the bank of a river under the stars. He couldn't even stand after the warp, as much as he tried to. His strength had faded, and it would take until daytime to regain his energy after using his powers so much. Zabaia's exhaustion, weakness, the night sky, and the soothing sound of the flowing river, put him to sleep in just minutes.