Page 49 of Crown of Flame
My flames do not work against them. I can’t lift them into the air.
For the first time in my existence, I feel helpless.
There’s only one thing I can do, I think.
As far as I know, they’re not immune to mental attacks.
As Serena remains muffled in one of the men’s arms, I emit a high-pitched scream, feeling my rage fill their minds.
It has some effect, but not nearly as much as I had hoped. Instead, the dark elves grit their fangs together, their eyes squinting in annoyance.
“Can’t you shut that thing up?” one of the men asks. “It’s really giving me a headache.”
“Not a worry,” another dark elf says.
I watch as, only vaguely irritated by the intrusion, they ready a blast of light, sending it hurtling in my direction.
The blast knocks me back into a tree, which catches fire immediately.
I am woozy from the impact.
They walk off into the distance, and I am left alone with my pain.
I am alone with the realization of how badly I’ve failed her. Clearly, they weren’t allying themselves with her. They were merely leaving her alive because she was useful to them somehow. Why, I’m not sure.
But I can’t give up. She’s still within reach. If I just move quickly…
“What a useless thing you are.”
Glancing up, the creature in front of me looks down at me with his chin slightly upturned and his upper lip curled. He wears the same armor that the rest of his soldiers wear. But there’s something about him that seems especially disgusted.
As I look up at him, I notice Serena’s amulet hanging around his neck, the runes glowing bright red.
“So you’re the monster who killed Arcanis?”
I try to rush away, back toward Serena. I can still sense her pain.
But the dark elf knocks me back down to the ground, white magic pushing me to the charred rock.
I pointlessly send a large flame casting toward him, but as expected, it hits the armor and flies off into the distance, crashing against the mountainside.
“You’ll find we’re a lot more prepared for you than we were when you first arrived here,” the man says, his voice slow and toxic. “Arcanis was a fool. I was wrong for trusting him to carry out our mission.”
“Who are you?” I ask, speaking directly into his mind.
He grits his teeth.
“It’s a pleasure to meet the creature who has so badly stalled our research,” he says, not immediately addressing the question. “I’m Aldris. Aldris Elruca. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?”
I harden my form, ready to launch another unsuccessful attack.
I just wish he’d shut up.
“No matter,” he says, smiling widely. “You know, I wanted to congratulate you. Good job. You won a vital battle against my men earlier. But your girl–”
He pauses, looking at me with utter indifference.
“Oh, what was her name again?”