The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2 novel Chapter 30

Part 6

Vanakit emerged from the trees nineteen meters below the peak and paused, and he held his spotter back as well as he waved the rest forward and upward. The rock was craggy and steep there, and the Sylvan had to climb with one hand as they made their way up, weapons at the ready in their free hands.

To the twins, peeking past the peak, all of the glowing golden slitted eyes looked like fireflies moving up the slope, and they realized that they could now see the Sylvan visually. They were no longer bothering to remain hidden behind the gift of their god.

As the Sylvan came within seven meters of the peak the rock was only eight meters wide, and they began to bunch up, having to wait for each other to find a path to climb on.

As they came within four meters, the twins attacked.

They cast an Illusion of Fire three meters deep, encompassing the top fifty or so Sylvan.

It was incredibly realistic in sight and sound, roaring around the Sylvan who were immersed in it. They couldn’t see anything for the fire in their faces, and the fear of inhaling fire struck all of them. The twins even managed to convince the weaker-minded among them that it hurt.

As they cast the fire, the twins popped up from behind the peak and began throwing darts, Scout swooped into the precarious crowd of blinded Sylvan and began pulling them off the rocks, and Stripe leaped into them from the side and began laying waste to them with claws and teeth.

“Fight!!! Advance!!!” Vanakit screamed in rage. “The fire isn’t real, damn it! It’s just two babies and two animals! Just kill them!”

The twins took their time and made every dart count, despite the overwhelming excitement of it all. They had thirty darts, and they hit thirty Sylvan in the eye, but then they were reduced to throwing rocks, at which they were far less effective. The Sylvan kept swarming up the rock toward them. They moved the wall of Illusory fire up and towards themselves to keep the lead Sylvan within it.

Stripe was now between them and the Sylvan, just in front of the peak, killing and maiming any who came near, roaring and snarling with deafening volume. But he’d taken many small wounds, and a couple that were more serious.

Then one of the Sylvan got lucky and cut off most of Scout’s left foot. He wanted to continue fighting, but the twins sent him away, and he hurt so much that he went.

“This is it!” Reggie cried.

“I’m going to GET Vanakit Lamitkeze, if it’s the last thing I do before I die!” Helemia vowed.

They let their rage take them, and let the fire Illusion dissolve, and struck with psionic attacks.

Helemia struck Vanakit first, crushing through his psionic Shields and shredding his mind, while severely injuring six Sylvan at the pass who had been bolstering his psionic Shields.

In the next minute they attacked the highest seventy-two Sylvan on the mountain, leaving them with broken psionic Shields and crippling, blinding headaches.

And then, suddenly, the twins were too exhausted to continue.

Almost eighty Sylvan remained of the attacking formation, all of them filled with their battle rage. They screamed their hatred as they surged up the hill, sensing victory.

Stripe roared his defiance as he prepared to meet their rush, Scout gave a piercing cry and turned back toward the battle despite his pain, and the twins grimly stood together, looking over the peak and panting for breath, waiting for the end.

“That’s quite enough of that, I think.” Quewanak stated as he appeared hovering just above the slope between Stripe and the advancing Sylvan. He froze them with a glance, held them immobile long enough to make them realize they were helpless and for their emotions to cool a bit, and let them go.