Shadows of Pride

Finally, the met of Thomas and his uncle, Lecthor, who is said to be the killer of his mother. While, in the Palace, the treachery of close ones can be fatal to the High Advisor, Siara Kronus

The Black Room
She stepped in the black room. Through the window, the external sunlight entered, but it was cold. The blizzard outside turns the room into a creepy place. The man was in the chair, bleeding from his nose. His hands, handcuffed. He widened his eyes when looked to her

She was using dark-green pants, and a military jacket, with a white scarf and a bra, letting everybody see her great red tattoo

- Hello, Mister Rebel – She said

She picked up another chair and putted it in front of his, and then, sitted

- Some of my boys talked to me about a new gossip – She said – That a rebel was infiltrated inside my little Fort Ruffus

- I… I know nothing about this!

- Dear, I will do nothing to you – She said – If you is not the rebel. But if you is, I will slash you apart

- I… I don’t…

- Yeah. You don’t. I don’t. Anyone ever don’t. But we know that someone is the culprit. Can be you, can be not, but I know something: I spended a half of my life protecting this place from the problems of the external world. If some fucking rebel appear and think that can mess this, I will kill this darling

- But I… I…

- You… You…

- I – His tears started to fall – I… I…

- TELL ME THE TRUTH!

- IS NOT MY FAULT!

She looked direct to his eyes, while he was crying

- I swear… They captured my family… They said that, if I want to see they living again, then I will need to do something to them

- Something like invade my Fort?

- No – He said – I will serve as a cover up to the true rebel. If someone caught him, they will see me. But I didn’t know who he is

- Intelligent – She said – But wasn’t prepared to the Wind Lady

- What… What you’ll do?

- If I release you, you will be killed by them, and the spy will know that I’m aware of him. But, if I keep you in, he will be thinking that the strategy worked, and then, I will had the chance to capture and kill that bastard. Thank you, little boy – She said, raising from the chair and turning back – Now, that rebel will suffer the fury of Colonel Milla Caelum

Lecthor Cliffe
The child with black hair opened the door, letting Thomas, Lina and Damien pass and enter in the house

Lecthor’s house was, in really, a manor in the top of a hill, with a great view to sea around the City of Zeus, the greatest city in the Storm Bay. Honoring it’s name, the sky is now clouded, and almost everybody can sense the incoming rain

- Mister Cliffe is waiting for yours inside the house – Said the kid

- What’s your name? – Asked Lina

- Lucian – He said – Lucian Farrow

- You work here? – Asked Damien

- No – He said – I’m only here temporaly. The butler of Mister Cliffe suffered a little accident. He recommended me to substitue him

- Interesting – Thomas said

- Here – Lucian said, opening the doors ahead them – Mister Cliffe, these people want to talk to you

- Why? What peo… – He turned, and saw Lina and Damien, who smiled

The two runned in his direction. He opened his arms as Lina jumped in him

- Lecthor! – She screamed – Hi!

- Lina! Wow! Hey, you isn’t ridiculously short anymore!

- WHAT! I’M NOT SHORT!

- She was short before? – Asked Thomas

- Yeah, she was a dwarf – Damien

- Wow! – Thomas – But, if you think, she didn’t grow so much like that…

- Ahn… BITCH! I’M REGRETED OF NOT KILLING YOU!

- Kill? You not ended a mission? – Asked Lecthor – Why?

- He – Damien said – Was searching for you

- And who you is, little boy? – Asked him

- Your nephew – He said – Thomas, uncle

- I think that you is being much personal to him. You never saw him before – Lina said – I recommend more distance

- Nephew – He said – Son of Zether?

- Adoptive – He said

- I thinked in this – Lecthor turned away to the wall – And Luke… My little boy… How he is?

- Good – Thomas said – Luke helped me to escape, and gave me your address

- Yeah. Luke visited me, but… He stopped some years ago – Lecthor said – Now is only me, alone in this dark world… What you want with me… Wait, you said escape?

- Yeah. I’m run away from home – He said – My Father… He is not hearing me, my siblings or my aunt. The is giving the fuck to this Kingdom. To his Kingdom. And any true King will do something like this to his Kingdom

- Yeah. You’re right – He said – You Father is crazy

- I came here… To ask if… You can give me… – He bited his lips – Some kind of home

Lecthor looked to him

- Why I will do this for you? I never saw you before!

- I know! But… I don’t want to stay in home anymore. Not in that home

Lecthor stopped, and sitted in his chair. He started to think about his brother, and then, about his times as a soldier. Then, he thinked on Luke, and the mother of his son, and his own mother…

- Thomas – He said – Answer me something

- What?

- You… Believe that I killed my mother

Lina and Damien stared at each other, the two thinking the same things, and communicating through their eyes. Thomas, however, was sincer:

- Yes. I think you killed your mother

Lina thinked: How he can be so stupid?

Damien putted his hand on his forehead, in frustration

Lucian widened his eyes

Lecthor doed a enraged expression, raised from the chair, and approached him, and walked in his direction. Three Steps. Each step created it’s own crack on the ground

- Stupid boy – He said, with his voice carrying a great anger

Everybody was scared, however, he smiled:

- Only someone very sincere or someone very crazy will say this to me. Yeah. You can stay

- YAH!!!

Thomas screamed and jumped in the air

Lucian and Damien calmed themselves, and Lina smiled, alivied

- Huh… Lecthor – Lina said – Me and Damien were planing to stay in the City for a while

- We are!? – Damien

- Yeah. We are – She said – And we want to know…

- We want!?

- DAMIEN! – She screamed – We want to know if we can stay in your house

- Yes, of course – He said – The two can stay how time you want

- Yeah, but will be only for some days. We cannot stay for too long

- Okay – Lucian said – Mister Cliffe, is lunch time. Please, come with me to the dining room

Garden of Betrayal
Siara was sitted in the middle of the garden, looking to her special red rose. She remembers the old times, when he asked she and her sister to come to the Palace of Albus. And, when they came, they created this. She and Hailin

- Master – Luke said – You called me?

- Yeah. I call – She raised from the ground and turned, to look at his eyes – Luke, say me the truth: Why do you helped Thomas?

- What?

- Don’t do this face. I know that you was his helper. Thomas will never pass through the guards. The only one who has the Magic to help him is you. I’m wrong, Luke?

- Siara – He said – You truly think that I’m capable of helping him to run away from his home? You truly think this?

- Yes – She said – Luke, I want to know why you doed this!

- But I doed nothing!

- DON’T LIE TO ME! – She screamed, scaring him for a while, but he rapidly recovered his apathetic state – Luke, I trained you since your childhood. I truly think that you is more skilled then me in Magic, but I want to know why you helped him…

Luke was silent for a while, however, he finally said:

- I’m more powerful then you?

Siara stranged the question

- Yeah… I little bit, but yes. Why you’re asking this? I want to know…

- Interesting, Siara – He said, and then, smiled – So, the necessity of being silent doesn’t exist anymore

- What…

- Prepare to die, Siara Kronus – He said – '''Evil Proeminence'''

He opened his hand and a gust of flames bursted in her direction. Siara was without reaction in the first second, but soon, screamed:

- Arc of Time – She pointed to the ground – Germination

The ground of her front shined, and broke apart as a tree germinated from it direct to its adult state, forming a great barrier. The flames shocked against it and burned it to ashes

- Intelligent – Luke said – Use the Arc of Time to make a tree grow. You specialized in this?

- I had many battles to train

- Me too. Dark Ascension

He applauded, and a dark glowing light surrounded him. Everything around him cooled, and a cold wind started to gust

When Siara saw the attack, was to late

The dark light transformed into pure darkness, which he released as meteors against her, in a great wave. Siara jumped back, as the darkness collided against the ground. However, one of them goed in her direction

- Shit! – She screamed – Time Stop

The darkness stopped in the midair, freezed, as she jumped backward and the darkness advanced, with she avoiding this

- You is cheating, Siara – Luke said

She opened her hand, and then, her Magic Sword appeared. She holded it with force, and looked to him

- What you will do with this sword, Siara? – He asked – Play with your dead sister, huh?

- I will teach you respect! – She throwed the sword in his direction – Flash Forward!

The sword shined in blue, and then, moved faster in his direction, finally reaching his right arm. The blood spilled in his face

- Hell! – He screamed – I WILL KILL YOU!

- No if I kill you first – She yelled – Why you is doing this, Luke!?

- I don’t need to give any satisfaction to you!

- LUKE!

- Storm Warning!

His body released a golden light, and then, several lightnings bursted from him in her direction. She picked up her Lacrima Orb, and said:

- Degenerate!

The lightnings suddenly stopped, and their light was transformed into nothing. Luke streited the vision and saw the air different

- Lightnings are generate from plasma – She said – The Arc of Time does honor to its name. I can make the things turn back into their original forms. Now, its only plasma on the air, but, with a snap of my fingers

She snaped the fingers

- Detonation!

The plasma exploded into flames, who exploded in his direction. Luke screamed:

- Evil Shield!

A great barrier of darkness appeared and absorbed the flames

- Fire and Lightning are made of plasma. Did you see? I transformed your lightnings into plasma, and then, to fire. This is the trick

- Doesn’t exist any tricks. Only your death! '''Moonlight Slash'''!

A great wave of darkness bursted from him, and advanced in her direction, finally achieving her. She tried to germinate a tree to protection, but the darkness was more rapid and she was fully attacked by it, and then, fell inconscient in the ground

- Ah… Dear Master… You was so fool… Now, you will die! – Luke smiled – Goodbye!

- LUKE!

He turned away, to see the boy. Raiten was passing through the Palace, came to here, and now, he was crying

- What… What you doing?

- Rai… Shit! Another person to die today!

- Die… What you saying?

- Dark Cappricio!

He pointed to him, and a darkness meteor advanced, drilling the air in his direction. The Sixth Prince protected his front with his hands, waiting for and attack, and closed his eyes

However, it didn’t came

- Ridiculous – Said a voice

He opened his eyes. His sister was in his front. Luke’s attacked was stopped by a giant gust of powerful winds, who dispelled the darkness of his attack

- Elaria… – Raiten said

- ELARIA! – Luke screamed

- Your fucking bitch – Strong winds bursted from her hands – Kill me brother? Kill me aunt? I will kill you!

- Dark Cappricio

- Strong Gust

The Arrogance of Pride
The lunch was silent. Everybody eating, in silence. And then, Lecthor break up the silence saying:

- So, Thomas, how you escaped from the Palace?

- Luke – He said – He helped me. He gave me your address and send me here. I was helped by a man. He was a merchant, or something like that. He bringed me here

- But the soldiers? – Asked Damien – That didn’t noted you

Thomas smiled, and said:

- I don’t know

Everybody looked at each other, and then, Lecthor said:

- Thomas, I had a little question – He said – You dispisted any kind of searcher?

- What?

- You know… Someone you father sent to search and capture you…

- No… He will not do this

Everybody stopped eating, and looked to him. Then, someone knocked on the door, and Lucian raised from the chair

- I will attend

He runned into the hallway. Then, Lecthor eyes widened

- LUCIAN, NO!

It was too late

The shadows bursted from the hallway. Shadows with great mouths and sharp teeths, and great red eyes, looking to them with malice

- Shit! – Screamed Lecthor

- WHAT THE HELL IS… - Thomas was pushed to the ground by Lina, who raised her hand

- Ice Wall!

A barrier of ice appeared, but the shadows simply assimiled it and destroyed the wall. Damien attacked:

- Fire Wave!

The wave of flames was also absorbed by the everlasting shadows. They finally reach the trio, encircling them with darkness, mouths and eyes

- What kind of Magic is this!? – Screamed Lina

- Shadow Magic – Said a voice, inside the darkness

Red eyes shined in the shadows, and a little mouth too, below them

- ''Hello, darlings. My name is Pride. You can call me Arrogant, Lina Lior''

- How you know my name!?

- Ridiculous! – Lecthor said, breaking the glass exposition in the wall, and catching his sword – Steel Slash!

He slashed the air, and a cutting wave advanced. The shadows’ mouth opened and engulfed the attacked, finally devouring them

The shadows advanced to him. Desespareted, he attacked the shadows with several magical slashes, however, the shadows avoided it and then, achieved him, merging with his shadow. In it, a big red eye opened, and then, several mouths

- Shadow Merge

A black form rised from his shadow. A man, protected by a great armor of shadows, with several mouths, and a single giant eye in the center. The eyes were shining in red

- ''Goodbye, Mister Cliffe. Shadow Absorption!''

A great mouth appeared below him, and then, opened, engulf Lecthor

- AH! HELL!

- Yeah. You is going to hell

- Explosion!

Around Damien, the great explosion generated light, who maked the shadows go away from them. Lecthor was being completely absorbed

- Shit… - He said, with his last forces, rising his hand – Abyss

When he said this, the earth started to shake. The ground. The rooftop. The walls. Everything started to crack. And then, everything break

- WHAT THE… - Thomas not ended to talk

- Sphere of Defense!

A great sphere of ice started to materialize, enveloping her, Damien and Thomas. Then, Lucian suddenly jumped in the sphere, beforing it completely envolving them. The house was destroyed, and they are falling to the ground. The shadows dispersed in the fall

- What he was!? – Screamed Thomas

- Pride! – Screamed Lucian – One of the Lost Paradise

- WHAT!?

Then, they reached the ground. The Sphere breaked, and they stayed in the ground, as the pieces of the destroyed house was falling down

- Lucian… - Thomas said – What you…

- The door. The shadows exploded when I opened it. I tried to run, but they catched me. And then, I saw the defense. I jumped without hesitation – The boy said

When the people started to arrive, Lina raised from the ground, and she said:

- Let’s go

- What?

- Yeah. You heared, Thomas. Let’s go!

- But Lecthor…

- Lecthor will be fine. But the Soldiers will arrive. We need to go before this – She said – You can go with us, if you want. You and Lucian can. But we need to go, now!

Thomas looked to Lucian, who approved with the head. Then, he looked to the reunited crowd. And smiled

- Okay, let’s go!

Fort Ruffus of the High Mountains
The falling snow and the cold wasn’t a problem to Mira. She climbed in the top of the Fort Ruffus. The rebel forces, coming with their red flags and weapons. However, she was not afraid

- People of the Fort Ruffus! – She screamed, to her soldiers – These rebels think that they can invade Nidavellir! However, they forgot that the walls that protect the Militar Fortress are Fort Ruffus! Let’s go, boys and girls, and teach these rebels some good modes, cause we! We are Fort Ruffus of the High Mountains!

Everybody screamed in approvation, as she picked up her sword

- Wind Slash!

And then, she attacked