Six

Razed

Pestilence and Famine stood firmly in front of the Luminosity. The guardians regrouped but Sithandra was nowhere to be found. The flying Dratites hovered overhead with the guardians. Shade-Marie clung tighter onto Discordia as they gained altitude. "Don't look down," Aria advised softly. "It's worse when you look down. Just breathe and think of it as a really unpredictable rollercoaster."

Shade-Marie's elbow length hair blew behind her as the blood red mist of Pestilence and Famine's grey mist swirled around the Luminosity's front. Discordia growled lowly as she formed a protective wispy cloud with the other Ryujawn Dratites.

Aria took deep breaths and Shade-Marie's hair went static. The crystal terns chirped angrily as Aria made the clouds grow thicker. Shade-Marie slid slightly backwards. "Aria," she whispered. "Darkness and light counteract each other. Your lightning won't be as effective."

"I'm counting on it," Aria replied. "I'm going to need as much darkness you can create."

Rune hovered up to them and purred at Shade-Marie then looked down. Below them were their shadows. Using their shadows, Shade-Marie formed her purple mist around her and Aria. Rune let out another purr and black mist started radiating off of him.

The black mist tinted dark purple as it slithered towards the darkness guardian. Aria's hair became more static and her chariot started rocking from her turbulence. The crystal terns hovered swiftly, despite their rider's growing momentum.

She turned to Shade-Marie with a nod and the darkness spread like a blanket over them all. Aria let out a monstrous roar and a lightning storm mercilessly attacked both the Horsemen and the Luminosity. The white beams of energy struck as bright purple bolts.

Phoenix inhaled deeply then then released a hurricane of fire around the Luminosity. Onyx evaporated the clouds with sun rays and blinding light dissipated the clouds. Quinn harnessed what she could of the clouds and the ocean down below.

Raquel and Rune wove through the lightning strikes and the darkness dragon burrowed deep into the garden at Pestilence's feet. The ground rumbled violently and the Luminosity began to crumble even more. The white palace was being demolished slowly by the very people vowed to protect it.

Famine roared as she smote at the crystal tern-drawn chariot that circled her and Pestilence. Aria's lightning storm ceased as she crashed through a demolished wall and into Lau. The portal was still sealed off but Famine grinned broadly. "Sister," she called gleefully, "I found it!"

Lau dragged Aria out of the way but she broke free from him. She let out a shriek that sent Famine's grey mist into an amorphous mess. "Raquel," Aria called through her shriek and the soundwaves summoned the darkness dragon from underground.

"Quinn," Raquel called and the water user dove from Fyrian and was caught in a ball of rocks. The earthquake resurfaced and the ocean grew unsettled.

Famine ignored them and turned back on Aria. Discordia struck her with her lightning magic and Aria drew some if the lightning to herself. Lau knew what she was planning on doing so he grabbed her wrist. He immediately let go of the volts of energy circulating throughout her body.

Fyrian landed protectively in between Famine and Aria and kept her at bay. "Aria," Lau called from behind her. The air user inhaled deeply as she faced the portal. "If you destroy it, you'll be stuck here forever." The lightning around her and the static air vanished as Fyrian snarled and flung his tail. "You would never be able to go back and neither would they."

He rounded her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Aria turned to her friends and allies. Discordia and Shade-Marie were aiding Onyx, Phoenix and Honor fend off Pestilence. Quinn, Fyrian, Raquel and Rune were holding off Famine. Through all this, Sithandra was still missing and the Luminosity still degraded with every tremor, every lightning bolt and every tidal wave that struck it.