The Power of the Crystal
Noctis was on the brink off falling asleep on his throne, his head rested on his hand. The back of the stone seat was connected to the top of the tall palace, with strange symbols running up it. Behind the royal chair was the very thing he was protecting: The crystal. This crystal was of great magical power. It had the power to fuel the whole of Noctis’ city; Baranalum. It was floating above a pillar, which sucked the energy out of it. Noctis was protecting the crystal within a stone palace. The temple was completely open, the only protection from the outside being the pillars that circled around him. Outside the palace were ancient carvings of a lion-type creature, jutting out of the pillars. The roof was narrow and came to a flat end. On top of this flat end was a metal carving of a symbol, which Noctis recognised was the same symbol as one on his throne. This palace was in the centre of the city, with huge circular steps leading up to it.
Noctis feels powerful from up here, not only because he’s king, but because he can see everything from up here. He could see the masses of skyscrapers that occupied the whole of his city, and beyond that, the endless stretch of deserted land.
No-one knew where this mystical crystal came from and how it got here. Noctis’ ancestors have been tasked with the protection of the crystal, and this task has been past too him after his father died of cancer. It can provide the city with enough energy to light the whole city, so it is not only a valuable possession, but an essential one too. Noctis’ city is entirely dependent on this crystal, without it, the city would become a dark jungle of tall, black rectangles. Scientists in other cities have forever worked to try and find another source of energy, but all have failed.
Noctis is a descendant from a long lineage of kings. Being a member of the royal family, he is granted with the power of magic, but this is also a burden. He must spend day and night keeping a watchful eye out for any thieves with their eye on the crystal. But there were never any intruders. Not in Noctis’ time anyway. Noctis thinks it’s safe to sleep on duty, as he did many times, but today he will learn a valuable lesson.
Noctis’ eyes instantly snapped opened when he heard gunfire – firearms were forbidden in the city. He quickly pushed himself off his throne and looked out from between the pillars. It was the middle of the night, but he could see fairly well. He looked down into the moonlit streets below him. His heart started pounding when he saw bodies lying on the ground, covered in blood. Their formal clothes were now stained with blood. He decided to investigate. He started to walk down the steep steps leading into the streets. He stopped with fear when he saw a group of armoured soldiers with guns running towards him. The soldiers stopped at the base of the stairs and raised their weapons. Noctis acted quickly. He raised his hand and a shield formed around him. The soldiers unleashed a heavy stream of bullets. The bullets sunk into the shield and disappeared, creating ripples. Noctis was now a blur behind the masses of ripples. He raised his unused hand and a massive sword materialized out of the thin air. It was right above the soldiers, the point of the sword facing downwards. The gunfire stopped as they looked up with fear. Noctis lowered his hand and the sword rapidly stabbed the ground, slicing a soldier clean in half. Others were either blown back from the impact or hit with a piece of churned up concrete.
The surviving few staggered back with fright as they saw Noctis approaching. Noctis telekinetically grabbed the closest soldier, and sent him flying into the other soldier. There was one left, still attempting to run away. Noctis raised his hand a black icicle formed. He threw the icicle and it pierced his black armour and struck his heart, killing him instantly.
Noctis looked around. There was no-one left. He took a look at the armoured soldiers. That’s when he realized where they came from. They were from a nearby city, he could tell by symbol on their armour - it matched the symbol on his throne. His father once told him about the symbol, before he died. Noctis was also told about the city. It was called Loverin, Noctis recalls. This city was old-fashioned. This was because they were in an everlasting war. They had no time to put money towards advanced technology like Noctis’ city, so they poured money into defence systems and weapons. Noctis’ city was never subject to war - no-one would try to take over Noctis’ city when he had the power of magic. But it seems the hunger and greed for his magical crystal has led them to extreme circumstances.
Noctis made his way back up the stairs, and disappeared behind the darkness of his palace. It was strangely pitch-black in there; the only light being the faint glow of the crystal. Light seemed to stop outside the temple, even though there was nothing to block it. It was like there’s some sort of magical barrier blocking the light. Noctis was well camouflaged; he was suited with a long, black robe passed on by his father, along with black boots. Noctis’ short, black hair didn’t stand out too much either.
Noctis wouldn’t be sleeping tonight; he was too busy thinking about the intruders, and why they were there.
‘I’m surprised they attacked in such a small force - Loverin has a huge army. Their coming for the crystal – I know it.’ He thought. ‘Well they’ll have to do more than throw a few of their men at me – have they forgotten about my magical prowess? Maybe it was some elite stealth team, here to nick the crystal behind my back. That’s weak. They’ll come back later with more. I may be able to protect myself, but if they come back with large enough army some of them could easily grab the crystal while I’m dealing with their other men. I’d better alert Volgin – he’ll notify the government. I may need an army at my side.’ Noctis thought.
Volgin was Noctis’ assistant. Being king was a hard job; he had to make a lot of decisions. The government was in a state of chaos and a lot of the decisions fell to him. Volgin was always there to advise him what to do when in need. Noctis took out his mobile to call him.
“Hello?” Volgin said in a half sleepy half angry voice – Noctis forgot it was the middle of the night, but this was no time to wait.
“It’s Noctis.” He said as he sat down on his throne.
“What’s wrong?” He sensed Noctis worry.
“I was attacked.” For a while he didn’t reply, he wasn’t prepared for such news.
“...By who? Are you OK? What happened?” He started to panic.
“I’m fine; I managed to deal with them. They came in small numbers, obviously a stealth group. It looks like they’re going for a sneak approach. But they failed so I predict a full on attack. They were from a city my father told me about. It’s just outside here, Loverin.”
“Aye, I knew they would attack us one day. I’ll need to put the city on full alert – they’ll attack again. Keep guarding the crystal – that’s what they’re after.’ He slammed the phone down in a rush.
Volgin hastily walks through the crowds of people down the street. He accidentally barges into a lot of people, but he has no time to say sorry, so he just seems ignorant. After Volgin caught some sleep it was morning rush-hour and he was making his way to alert the city of the danger of another attack. He was walking to the seat of the government: Eden. Eden was a huge white-stoned building on the outer rim of the city. It was quite a long walk – the number of people on the streets in the morning didn’t help – but soon he arrived. Eden was a beautiful building; it had stairs leading up to a huge double-doors. Flames flickered at the starting of the stairs. He was free of the masses of people and was walking with intent up the white-stoned stairs. He didn’t seem out of order heading to a government building; he was wearing a suit. No tie though, he was in a rush after all, no time for formalities.
He thought it would be silly knocking on the huge wooden double-doors so he just opened it and hesitantly stepped in. The door opened into a very posh reception. A neat-looking lady with glasses was behind the counter, eying him slightly suspiciously. Volgin was breathing hard – it was a long walk. He started for the other door, hoping to find someone of high authority. The formal woman had other ideas.
“Excuse me.” She said sternly. Volgin stopped and sighed as he turned to face her. “Where do you think you’re going?” She said with her eyebrows raised.
“Look; I need to see someone fast – I have no time to explain.” The woman kept her eyebrows raised. Volgin decided to dismiss her and quickly went for the door – only for his hands to crumple and walk straight into it. He tried again. No luck. He kicked the door in anger. She looked less than impressed.
“Sir, only I can open the door, with a button. But you still can’t go in there; there’s a meeting commencing.”
“Look.” Volgin said, anger and stress building. He was seriously considering throwing a nearby lamp at her. “If you don’t let me through, the city could go down in ruins. I just wouldn’t want to be in your position when you’re boss, or anyone else for that matter, finds out you were to blame.”
Although she didn’t seem to believe him, she pressed a button and walked through the door with him. As soon as the door opened they could hear people arguing. Several people were talking loudly and quickly at once, about something indistinct to Volgin. The room was full of around twelve people, all seated round a massive circular table made of marble. This was a room for formal debate, but stress levels were clearly rising and so were the voices.
The government was in a state of chaos for a reason unbeknownst to Volgin. All debating stopped and they turned their attention towards Volgin when they entered the room. A man that looked very serious at the far end of the table was clearly not very pleased with the disturbance. The back of his chair was higher than the rest, making him stand out. The receptionist cleared her throat before she shyly spoke out.
“Eh, sorry to interrupt sir, but we have a man here; he says the fate of the city is at stake – I think you might want to have a word with him.”
“Linda, we’re in the middle of something,” The man snapped in an intelligent tone, “This is not time to interrupt. You shouldn’t just let anybody in. This better be good.” His voice echoed through the large room. He raised his eyebrows at Volgin, waiting for him to speak. Volgin took no time to wait. He spoke very quickly.
“Sir, King Vaelin was attacked.” And the man’s attention was instantly switched on.
“Why haven’t I had any word about this sooner?” He said furiously. Some other people round the table had already started dialling numbers on their phone. Tension rose throughout the room.
“It was a stealth attack, though they were caught in the act and killed a few civilians. I think Noctis is an extreme threat from this. He may be able to defend himself, but the crystal can easily be snatched when he has his back turned. We need an army protect the crystal as well, at least until the threat is over. They probably come in numbers as well, so this won’t be a stealth attack. I presume a full-force attack, so they’ll probably take some of the city with them as well.”
Silence fell throughout the room now. Volgin watched as he picked up the phone. Volgin could just make out the conversation.
“Hello...Yes, this is Henderson...Listen closely; your men need to be stationed at the centre of Baranalum and around the outskirts...Yes now!” He said impatiently. Volgin guessed he was calling an army official. The call went surprisingly fast. The army was obviously prepared for an emergency call from the government. Henderson put down the phone. His stern face was more worried now; he realized the threat the city possessed. He had a quick word with a man seated next to him, before he turned to Volgin again.
“Thank-you for contacting me, I didn’t realize you were King Vaelin’s Consoler. I advise you to go to the city hall; an emergency shelter has been placed there and should be guarded by some men. You’ve done a fine job; let’s just hope we stay in possession of the crystal. For, if it were to be in the wrong hands...” He shakes his head at the thought. Volgin didn’t need to be told. He nods and makes his way to the safety of the shelter.
In less than an hour after the meeting the whole city was swarming with confused people as tanks made their way to the palace. Some people thought this was an attack. Word hadn’t reached the public yet. Noctis’ army were desperately trying to explain to the public to go to the shelter. It was a hard job explaining it to lots of people and so little time to explain, but after a while most everybody was rounded up and put in the emergency building. It was hard to fit the whole city in one building so they had to squeeze some in other buildings.
Cars were just left on the streets; they had no time to park it anywhere, the attack could be at any minute. The tanks trampled over them, leaving them completely wrecked. Sirens filled the city as police had to help out with the massacre. The confusion led to a lot of car crashes.
While Noctis looked out at the ruckus from the palace, a woman in a white dress approached him.
‘What’s she doing here? She’s supposed to be in the emergency shelter.’ He thought. She walked up the steps with a smile on her face, hands behind her back. She was very pretty, and also very formal. She spoke politely.
“King Vaelin.” She bowed her head. Noctis was unsure as to how to respond.
“...You shouldn’t be here you know...” He said with uncertainty.
“I shall go to the shelter later. But right now I have something you need to know.” She said, and her smile dropped. “Don’t expect just a horde of tanks and the likes; there’s something else you should fear.” Noctis just looked at her, bewildered. She explained in a soft, shy voice.
“You have a brother.” She said, looking at him, gauging his reaction.
“No I don’t...I can’t, that’s impossible.” His father had said he was an only child. “How would you know this anyway?” He said.
“I knew you’re father.” She said simply. Noctis didn’t believe a word she was saying.
“Why would he tell you that and not me?” Noctis challenged.
“He trusts me – he trusts you as well it’s just...let me explain. His names Kailin, and as you’ll already know a member of the royal family possesses magic. When you were young, and you’re father was getting older, he had to make the decision as to who to give the throne too. Kailin was sure he would be King of Baranalum and was shocked that he chose you to be king. Kailin did not take this well lashed out at your father. Kailin had better physical prowess than you but you showed better mental potential than him. Although Kailin was older than you, he was not very smart and solved his problems with action. This cost him the title. In Kailin’s anger, he hit your father. Father banished him from the city and Kailin fled to Loverin, where he is now king.” She said. Noctis couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
‘She sure knows a lot about this’ Noctis thought. He found it slightly suspicious.
“If he’s king of Loverin then he’s the one-” Noctis started.
“-Yes, he is the one leading this attack.” She finished. This is what I wanted you to fear; not only do they have a bigger army than you but they also have a descendant of the royal family. And he’s older than you, probably more experienced, but there is hope – I have something that could aid you in battle.” She held out her hand, revealing a ring. The ring had some sort of carving on it; Noctis thought it looked like a lion.
“This ring was given to me by my father – before he died. He said it would help me in a time of need, one that would alter the fates of many lives. I guess he somehow meant this day. How he predicted this I do not know, but we have no time to investigate.” She walked towards Noctis, who took the ring from her hand and examined it closely. It was silver and seemed to fit on Noctis’ finger perfectly. He felt a nice vibe from the ring; he liked the lion.
“I do not know if it will even help you. But I think it will. My father was a very intelligent man, and very trustworthy. He seemed to know a lot about you’re families past, and of ancient legends. He knew a lot about Loverin as well, it didn’t surprise me that he predicted an attack.”
Noctis was grateful for the gift. Even if it didn’t help him in anyway, it would bring him confidence that he had someone behind him.
“Thank-you...eh...-”
“-Oh – Stella.”
“Stella...” He said with a smile, still looking at the odd carving on the ring. He gets back to the matter at hand and his smile fades. “He’s here for the crystal...isn’t he? Noctis said, saddened by what his brother would do to him and his city.
“I would think so I’m afraid.” Stella said bluntly. “If he were to possess such a powerful object, who knows what he could use it for. A weapon of mass destruction is my guess.”
“Why would he do this though?” Noctis asked.
“He longs for the power of the crystal, Noctis. Power does bad things to you; you keep on wanting more and soon you want to rule the world. Listen; you must defeat him.” She said. This was all too much for Noctis.
‘There’s no way I can defeat him...Like she said – he has more men than me and has magic by his side, which is inevitably more powerful than mine...’ Noctis thought.
She sympathetically smiles and then walks back down the steps to the shelter, leaving Noctis to fearfully wait for the upcoming battle.
More hours pass and still no assign of an attack. It was getting late and the sun was hidden behind the skyscrapers, creating an orange glow around the clouds.
A man approaches Noctis this time, a group of men behind him.
‘What is it this time?’ He thought. He was getting impatient. The man was wearing a black suit with bullet proof armour, as were the rest of his men. He had had a large rifle strapped to his back. Noctis could tell he was a man of high importance by the badges on his right arm. He walks quickly up the steps with a face like stone.
“King Vaelin.” He saluted. Noctis didn’t quite know what to do after that but the man carried on.
“My group and I are here to secure the perimeter around the palace. Everyone else is stationed around the outer-rim of the city.”
“...Thank-you.” Noctis said as he judged the men, seeing if they’re fit for the job. There were about five men including their colonel.
‘They better be good’ Noctis thought. The man waved his men over, who stationed themselves around the palace. Noctis could hear the rattle all the armour was making. They looked very elite. They hid behind the pillars for cover. When the man past Noctis he said:
“My names Col. Miller, just say my name if you need me.”
He didn’t reply – he was deep in thought – but he nodded and the man joined his comrades behind the pillars. Noctis looked out in the distance, fearfully anticipating the attack.
After a while he spotted something coming over the horizon. When it came closer he realized it was a horde of tanks which seem to stretch from one end of the horizon to the other.
‘This is it’ He thought. Noctis thinks he’s doomed, which it would seem he is, considering the size of the army approaching him. This would be the first time he would see his brother (that he can remember anyway) and also the last time.
Some tanks drive on the unused road that leads directly to Loverin, parts of it cracked and broken off; no-one uses it. Noctis’ army brace themselves for defeat; they were far outnumbered, but they still stand they’re ground. Fear builds in Noctis as the tanks approach rapidly.
“This is it men!” Colonel Miller shouted, more than loud enough. The first tank fires and takes a huge chunk out of an outer skyscraper. Noctis’ army instantly fire back and soon explosion after explosion were being passed back and forth, churning up bits of concrete and the walls of the skyscrapers.
Soon Noctis’ tanks had to retreat as the opposing army pressed on. Noctis’ army had their tanks positioned in the street that joins to the road, with their men using the skyscrapers as cover. The opposing army had a disadvantage in terms of cover, as their men had to use their tanks as cover. This led to their tanks being the main focal point for firing from Noctis’ side, and so soon the tanks were bombarded with a heavy stream of bullets. But Kailin’s army had the advantage in terms of numbers, and soon the outer skyscrapers were reduced to a crumble. The top half of a skyscraper falls and lands on top of one of Noctis’ tank.
Noctis felt stupid being the most powerful here yet sitting back and watching it all happen, but he had to protect the crystal; that was his main priority. The tanks entered the city and forced Noctis’ army deep into their own city.
Noctis looked out at his own city crumble. He expected to see his brother. He guessed he would recognise him when he saw magic tear up the city. Then, just as he thought his brother was not leading the attack, a voice spoke from behind him.
“Brothers reunited at last.”
Noctis strangely recognised his brother’s voice, even though he could not remember him from his past. He had a quite a soft voice, much like Noctis’.
Noctis slowly turned. Kailin looked much like Noctis, only he had short brown hair rather than black. Other than the hair their facial features and height almost matched. He was wearing a white cloak similar to Noctis’ in all but colour, and a red cape that seemed to glow in the night. It appeared to float horizontally from his shoulders, even though there was no wind blowing in the still night. Noctis couldn’t believe what he saw. Kailin was wearing the exact same boots as Noctis, even though these were tailor-made from his father.
The elite squad all raised their guns at Kailin, who showed no fear. Kailin could see some of their guns shaking with fear as they wondered whether to shoot. They looked at their Colonel for help, only to find him looking at Kailin with dismay. They knew they wouldn’t stand a chance against someone with magic; they were just here to fend off against any stealth troopers. They didn’t expect to see the other royalty until after the horde of tanks. But Kailin seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“But I’m afraid the time we have together will not last if you don’t give in to my demands, or should I say: favours” He spoke with an intelligent tinge. He clicked his fingers and he teleported behind the colonel, who looked at Noctis with confusion and saw the fear in his face. Kailin raised his hand and a sword appeared in his clenched fist - the same sword that Noctis summoned. He slashed it down, easily cutting through the man’s neck and half-way down his back. He didn’t even have any time scream. Both halves of the body drop to the ground, a pool of blood quickly surrounds the body. The other men didn’t shoot at Kailin, they just watched him with shock as he teleports randomly about the palace. Noctis couldn’t help them – they were doomed.
Then Kailin suddenly disappeared. He was on the roof of the palace, his red cape flapping in the cool night, but the men couldn’t see this. Once he lined himself directly above a soldier, he jumped off and raised both hands above the man, and another sword appeared in his hands. Kailin thrust the sword down straight through the man’s head. The sword faded away when he let go of it but the wound was still spurting blood. He turned to face another man who winced with fear as Kailin shot him an icy look. The man shot his rifle, albeit useless. The bullet just stopped in mid-air. The man tried to run but it was too late. Kailin raised his hand and pushed it forward slightly, and the bullets turned in the other direction. He clenched his fist and the bullet fired, sending the man flying down the stairs.
The other two men were making a getaway down the stairs, but Kailin saw this. He impaled the closest one with a huge blue spike. Kailin just watched the last one flee for a while, taking pleasure in the poor man’s fear. He sprinted into the moonlit streets. Kailin telekinetically grabbed a street sign, churning up bits of concrete as he pried it from the ground. Hearing the loud noise it made, the man snapped his round; only for the sign too whack him in the face. The blow probably didn’t kill him, just knock him out, but Kailin didn’t seem too care. Kailin flashed back to the position he was in when he was talking to Noctis. Kailin had a slick smile on his face; he enjoyed the killing.
“See that, Noctis.” He spat every word. “That is my power. That is what I could easily do to you if I pleased.”
“...Why...” Kailin was shocked at what he just witnessed. “Why are you doing all this?”
He took no time to consider his answer, he expected the question.
“Father was foolish, you see. Although he may have seen through my demeanour, he failed to see that with the crystal in my hands, great things could be accomplished. You’ve got to play mean if you want to gain the greater good. I’m sorry Noctis, but if you do not comply, I’m afraid I’m going to have to take the crystal from you by force.” He did not sound sorry for Noctis; he was quite content with what he was doing. Noctis saw through his facade, he knew that Kailin would abuse the power of the crystal for only more power.
“What exactly do you want to use the crystal for, a weapon capable of mass destruction, perhaps?”
“Why ever would you think that?” He said with a slight laugh, “Because daddy said so?” Kailin looked at Noctis, no hint of remorse for him. The power of the crystal made him forget about love. He was his brother.
“But its true though isn’t it...you just want the crystal for your own cruel intentions.”
“Depends how you define ‘cruel’...” He said as he walked further up the steps. “I plan on using the crystal to end a long, cold war between my city and another not too far from here.”
“And how exactly did this war start?” Noctis asked.
“All I wanted was to join forces with them, but they didn’t take the offer kindly and responded quite aggressively.”
“Why did you want to join forces with them? Too create a greater army that could destroy my city?” Noctis began to get angry, angry that he was related to him.
“Noctis, my dear brother, you are greedy. You could not help even your own brother in times of need.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Take a look at your city, Noctis.” Noctis hesitantly looked left and right. All he saw was a sea of skyscrapers, a bright light shone from each window. Life was buzzing in Noctis city. He turned back to his brother. The little smile on his face was replaced by a sad, regretful one. Noctis didn’t know if it was the reflection of the moonlight but he thought he saw Kailin’s eyes well up. Kailin looked out at the skyscrapers like Noctis did. He could hear the noise of the streets in the distance. He had distant look in his eyes.
“This is what I wanted...” Kailin said. He had a much softer tone to his voice now. “...but father gave this too you, and gave me a shabby old city that’s now in a cold war.”
“...Well you did start the war, Kailin. And I think father made the right choice, I mean, look what you’ve done here. Think what would have happened if he left you in charge of here. You’d try and take over other cities, and you’d get in over your feet. I think the power of the crystal is too much for you.”
Kailin’s head instantly snapped round. Kailin’s piercing green eyes locked with Noctis’.
“Too much for me?” He shouted. “I’m capable of much greater things than you Noctis. Once I gain control over your city and all the others, I’ll have so much power I could rule the world. And there’s only one thing that’s in the way from that power – you.” He pointed his hand towards Noctis and lightning flew from his fingertips. Noctis was knocked back from the force. Noctis was surprised by the force of his magic. Maybe Noctis father was right – maybe he was to be defeated here - in his own city. Kailin raised his hand to finish him off, but Noctis was prepared and raised his hand to form a shield. The lightning strikes the shield. Jagged red lines appear across the blue shield like lightning, but it holds. Was the ring the king gave Noctis helping him at all? It didn’t seem to increase his magic. Or was there another power the ring held?
Noctis struggled to hold the shield; he could tell it would break any second. He had to do something – and soon. He forced the shield forward and it flew into Kailin, knocking him back. He falls down the stairs until he manages to get too his feet again. His head snapped up and shot Noctis a fiery look. Noctis should have took the time to attack again but Kailin beat him too it. He raised his hand in an upward motion and the ground before Noctis exploded, sending him flying into the pillar where the crystal stood. Noctis couldn’t see properly now, he was about to go unconscious. Just as he was about to stagger to his feet, a thin, purplish crystal impaled Noctis. His body went numb, and limped to the side.
No...The crystal...
Kailin looked at his brother, he was glad of his defeat; he would have the power of the crystal now, but in his eyes you could see the sympathy.
He heard footsteps running up the stairs and he shrugged of his regret. He didn’t want to look bad in front of his right hand man. Men in suits and shades entered the palace. They had surprisingly formal clothing considering where they came from; a shabby old town. The first man to enter nodded at him when he past him. They were Kailin’s henchmen, here to take the crystal. A man that was last to enter held a huge glass cylinder; it was for the crystal. He opened it up and waited for the other men to place it in. They looked at the crystal with awe, as did Kailin. This is what they came here to get, and they succeeded. They attempted to place the crystal in the glass case. It was surprisingly light at first, but when they pulled it from the pillar they nearly dropped it. They finally managed to put the crystal in. It took four men to carry it out, even though it was only about three feet long.
Then all the lights went out in the city, and it got remarkably darker. They realised just how powerful the crystal was. The whole city was dead. All that was left of the city was tall, lifeless skyscrapers.
It was complete chaos back in the emergency shelter; the power had gone off and the only light was battery powered torches. These batteries could harness some of the crystals energy, but run out after a time. It was also very cold as heaters were not functional.
The windows were boarded up; just in case somehow they might not find the civilians and they could escape the city. Everyone realised that Noctis had failed and were saying there last goodbyes to loved ones. They realised that after they had got the crystal, they would probably come and finish them off; they wouldn’t want to risk a counter attack. The soldiers guarding the shelter struggled to keep everything under control in the dark. Children cried as the noise was too much, and some had lost their parents.
Volgin and his bride-to-be Marissa were sitting on the cold hard floor of one of the huge buildings, crowded by tons of people. They had no space to move.
‘He’s failed...’ He thought. ‘Baranalum is no more...’ They could still hear tanks firing and gunshots in the distance, but it was less consistent than before. ‘Loverin’s army is probably finishing off the last of our men...’ He looked at Marissa, who was wrapped in a blanket, shivering form the cold. She was trying to sleep. ‘...then they’ll come for us.’
Then the noise suddenly seized when they heard a roar that seemed to shake the building. That’s when the real chaos began.
Kailin took one last look at his brother before escaping with the crystal. He noticed a faint glow coming from the ring. All of a sudden, there was a deep thump that shook the earth. Kailin held his balance, but his henchmen fell to the ground, leaving the glass case to tumble down the stairs. The strange force seemed to have come from the ring.
“Get the crystal!” Kailin snapped. After all this time he finally had the crystal in his hands, he couldn’t lose it now. Just as they made their way down the stairs, a black beast suddenly appeared in the sky, and they all turned their attention to it. It let out a mighty roar, showing its unimaginably long teeth. They seemed far too long too even fit in its mouth. Realistically, they should be stabbed through the bottom of mouth. Dozens of what looked like triangular shards of glass ran down the beasts back and down its long, thin tail. Blood dripped from the base of the glass; it looked like they had been stabbed into the dragon. The bright teeth were the only thing that stood out about the beast. They glowed like the moon before it. It was shaped like a dragon and its wings were surprisingly big. Its whole body was black and blended in nicely with the night sky.
It swooped down towards Kailin, who began to run back to the palace for cover. The dragon-like creature was heading at an extremely fast speed towards city centre; towards where Kailin’s guards were now picking up the crystal. They had only a split second to look up before the dragon snatched the crystal with its mouth. The man that was holding it had to fall back to avoid his hands getting chopped off. The dragon narrowly missed scrapping its underbelly of the steps. The black beast rose to the top of the palace where Noctis lays dead. With a quick flick of its wrist the carving on top of the palace was gone. When it landed far away the noise stung the night air. It took the carvings place on the small flat of the roof. The roof began to crack and when it stomped its heavy foot that was more than enough to make a huge hole. Parts of the roof fall and narrowly miss where Noctis lay dead. The dragon let the glass case drop from its mouth, revealing its large teeth. The case slowly dropped from its mouth down to the pillar. When the crystal starts floating again above the pillar, the glass case around it smashes.
The dragon turns its scaly head when all the lights come back on, creating an eerie glow from the city. They could see the light reflecting off the silky scales now. The dragon pushes off with its feet, muscles bulging, and flies out into the night sky.
Kailin and his men still stood on the stairs; they were just looking at the dragon, unsure as to what to do. They considered attempting to steal the crystal again while the dragon flew away, but no doubt the dragon would come back and finish them off. They decide to flee instead. The black beast flew above the skyscrapers, heading towards where the fight on the outskirts of the city was beginning to die down. The two armies had almost balanced each other out, with only a few tanks left and only a dozen men left.
There was nothing left of the outer skyscrapers as the dragon flew past it; the destruction had almost spread to the centre of the city. Noctis’ army did surprisingly well considering the size of the army. They could use their very own skyscrapers as cover, while the opposing army had to settle behind their tanks. The dragon swooped down low so it’s almost level with the ground and blows fire over all the last survivors of the war, even Noctis’ men. Although the dragon worked in Noctis’ favour, it was a beast of destruction, not protection. The night creature flew to a skyscraper, where it sliced it with its tail. The top half of the skyscraper fell and landed directly in the middle of the battle field, killing many. The dragon landed in the middle of the fighting. Gunfire turned towards the dragon now. The dragon roared with pain as bullets ripped at its scaly skin. It lashed out at a nearby tank, sending it flying into a man. The dragon turned and jumped towards Kailin’s army, and landed heavily, causing nearby men to fall to the ground. It turned round again and breathed a heavy flow of fire from left to right, disintegrating Noctis’ army. A tank fired at the dragon, and the beast flinched. It landed on a destroyed tank, grabbed it with its feet and flew into the air. It hovered above the firing tank, and let the tank go, crushing them both.
As the dragon finished of the last of the fleeing men, Kailin was making a break for it out the other end of the city. After a while they thought they escaped, but one of the men pointed out the shadowy creature flying high above them.
“Kailin, stop.” He said in a calmed voice, even thought there was an immediate threat. Kailin turned to see the dragon getting closer.
“Stop? More like run!” he shouted angrily. But the dragon stopped them in their path. It swooped down and landed heavily on the ground in front of them. Kailin stopped instantly. The beast rose above them, ready to strike, but Kailin unleashed a ball of energy at it, momentarily halting it. They run back in the palaces direction. The dragon breathed flames and set the slowest man alight. The others escaped the fiery wrath. As the man was trying to wriggle free of the flames, the dragon slashed the man, and he flies into a nearby car. The force of the blow leaves a huge dent in the car, and smashes the windows.
Kailin and his group run faster now. One man tries to flee down an alley way, but the dragon saw this and slams its claw down on the ground. The concrete broke into pieces and the man fell to the ground from the force. The man tried to get back up but with a quick swipe of the dragon’s claw the man’s head was clean off. The dragon took flight again and sped towards where Kailin and his crew were now heading up the palace steps.
When it reached Kailin and his suited henchmen, it breathed a heavy flow of fire upon them. The suited men managed a short scream before they completely disintegrated to ashes. The wind blew them together in one pile. They majestically danced across the stairs and flew over the moon until they blended into the dark night sky.
Kailin still stood, withstanding the fire with his blue shield. The fire hit the shield, and spread across it. The shield flashed all different colours. It looked as if it was going to break, but the fire subdued. The dragon flew over Kailin and turned to face him, standing in the way of Kailin and the crystal. Kailin threw an ice shard at it, but it swiftly ducked over it and glided towards him. Kailin nearly fell back with fright when it let out a huge roar. The dragon’s mouth was wide open, clearly showing Kailin its fierce jagged teeth. Kailin created another sharp ice shard and launched it at the back of the dragon’s throat. It let out a small yelp and jolted back with pain. But the ice shard was small and after a while of chocking the dragon managed to swallow it down.
The dragon was only a few metres away from him, and it stood over him like a skyscraper. The dragon had its neck hunched in a swan-like position, threatening Kailin. He backed up the stairs as the dragon unfolded its huge black wings and let out a mighty roar. The force of the roar caused Kailin to wince. Kailin realised that if he didn’t act now, his bones would be ash. He outstretched both arms, a ball of magical energy in each. He brought both hands together, combining the energy. The ball was swirling with all different colours, and a strong glow was coming from it. Kailin had to wince it was that bright. Then, a strong beam of light came from the ball. It blasted right through the dragon, and through one of the pillars that connected to the top of Noctis’ palace. The ancient pillar fell down the stairs with a heavy thud and thick smoke rose from it. Suddenly light seemed to slowly seep into the temple, revealing the inside. The ancient carvings that ran up the throne seemed to glow. The symbols were the same on the armour of the soldiers.
The beam seemed to travel all the way to a star. Kailin could see right through the hole in the dragon and all the way to the star in the sky. He could just see a small explosion of light coming from the star. The dragon let out a weak roar before one last breath of fire. This time, Kailin was too late to bring up a shield, and he was engulfed by the fiery wrath. As Kailin struggled to shrug off the flames, the dragon dragged itself towards him. It lifted up its heavy paw and slashed Kailin right in the face, snapping it to the side. His face was a distorted mess now as blood instantly wept from his face. Blood splattered to the ground, and so did Kailin.
The beam had struck the dragon’s grey underbelly, the soft grey part of the dragon. The dragon feebly attempted to fly, but its wings refused to take him anywhere. Its knees buckled but still managed to stand. It unfolded its wings and let out another roar, this one signalling its death. The dragons scaly feet started to turn grey and mould with the stone stairs it was standing on. The grey colour ran up its leg and blood-stained underbelly. The colour totally covered the dragon. When it reached its head, the deafening roar was replaced by a strange echo.
Suddenly, a ton of people were freed from the shelter, and poured into the streets. They were in awe when they saw the massacre outside; all the broken tanks and dead bodies lying on the ground. They were in even more dismay when they saw the statue of the dragon.
The crowd watching now was massive, as they looked at the strange statue, feet forever glued to the steps leading up to Noctis’ palace. You could see right through the hole in the dragon’s stomach and see the star beyond. The star stood out against all others – it was much brighter and had a slight blue tinge to it, from the power of Kailin’s beam.
And so the dragon statue served as a reminder of the day Noctis died protecting the crystal...
Soon the whole city was on the streets off Baranalum, all circled round the steps leading up to the palace. Off that crowd was the woman in white who gave Noctis the ring. She walked up the stairs, hands behind her back, much like she did with her first meeting with Noctis. The mutters throughout the crowd rose when they noticed her walking up the steps. The taps of her white heels created a loud echo.
When she got too the top she noticed Noctis’ lifeless body, lying beside his throne. The first thing she noticed was that the ring she gave him was still glowing purple. She bent down and held up Noctis’ hand which had the ring on it. She carefully pulled it off and placed it on her own finger, as a reminder off him. The glow faded. A tear ran down her cheek and landed beside him as she looked at his still face.
Goodbye Noctis...
