Chapter 23

Merlin
Gwendydd - sister
Morgenau - brother
Morial - brother
Morien - brother
Mordaf - brother - Naci’s father

New Council Members

Pikon
Corth
Groton
Tydeth
Docal
Clondal - female
Lyndeth - female
Creton

“I need all of you out here right now!” Ukobach was growling as he concentrated. “We can end the last obstacle to the council ruling the magic dimension forever!”

I looked at Ukobach, almost feeling sorry for him, almost. What he had just said was an impossibility. Many had tried only to be utterly destroyed. The amount of power they attempted to achieve seemed far more than their bodies could hold. They had burned up from the inside out.

“So, since no one is coming, I get the honor of destroying you. I also have a message for you, though I think it can wait,” I said as I powered up to almost full power.

“As I said before, boy. You are going to die. I will so enjoy taking all your power as my own.” Ukobach boasted to me. Little did he know that I was nowhere near my full power yet.

“You talk far too much, you know that? Much like a certain tree, I remember in the dark range. A place I am sure you’d feel well at home in.” I taunted Ukobach. I had to have him make the first move so I could gauge what power he had left.

“HA! Here you say that I talk too much. Just to let you know, I am a demon, not a pathetic magical being such as yourself. I am sure my old master will welcome your soul with open arms. Now, you should do all of us a favor and DIE!” With that, Ukobach released a massive ball of energy that I just yawned, caught, and fizzled out as if it were nothing.

“Here, I thought you were a powerful demon, but with that pitiful display, I am doubting it now.” I threw in a smirk just to push him even more.

With a huge, growling roar, Ukobach suddenly shifted to his demonic form as he formed another massive ball of energy. “You feeble piece of human trash! I hope you like my full power, as it will be the last you ever see!”

I could see Ukobach had put much into it, though not all of it, as I hoped he would have. Again, I stood there as the vast ball was slung my way. Though not that powerful, it still had a good punch. I felt a punch when I caught it, which drove me back a few feet.

Shaking my head, I suddenly clapped my hands together, making the ball grow smaller and smaller. Then I clapped them again, completely extinguishing it.

I look at Ukobach disdainfully, “Is that all? I felt stronger in the dark realm. I can see that destroying you will be far too easy.” I then sneered at him, seeing that his anger was finally starting to rise to the surface.

Ukobach launched toward me, roaring even louder, only to bounce off my shield. Then, to add insult to injury, I reached out and cuffed him with enough force to knock him back. Ukobach flew ‘til he rammed into the front of the council building.

Screaming out in an almost blind rage, Ukobach sprang from the building straight toward me. Almost too late, I remembered that a furious demon was even more powerful.

I had just started to turn when Ukobach penetrated my defenses, catching my side. I felt my shirt shred as he almost grazed my skin. Shit, I had to concentrate because if he hit me, I was done for. A scratch was deadly with the highly poisonous toxins on his clawed hands. I wasn’t even sure I had that much power to heal it.

“So,” I heard Ukobach start to laugh. “The boy has grown some. Too bad it’s too late to save your worthless human ass!” Ukobach hissed as he made another pass at me, barely getting halfway through.

Bouncing a few feet from me, I saw that Ukobach was surprised. “I’ve grown far more than you think, you pathetic excuse for a demon. Here, I thought you said I would be so easy to defeat. Now, you seem to be having doubts. What? Are you afraid of a mere human?” I said, taunting him further. I knew I was on dangerous ground, but I had no choice with the situation.

Ukobach stopped, looking at me, “So you have boy, so you have. Thing is, do you possess enough knowledge to use it before I kill you,” he asked as he started to laugh. “I have heard many of your kind boasts, as you have. Merlin is the only one who was true to his word. Well, almost, he never destroyed me.”

I smiled back at him. I already knew the answer to that. Was he going to try to keep winning when he knew I had him beaten? I guess I was about to find out as I released a half-powered blast at him.

I saw him smile as it hit, then bounced off his shield. Next, I went up another fourth of my power, and this time, I saw him strain a bit and shake it away.

I then saw him smile as he looked me up and down. “So the boy has the power of a man now, good, good, I wouldn’t want the nothing power of a child to add to my own. Yours though will do quite nicely!”

He then streaked toward me faster than I thought he could move. As he again penetrated my shields, he was more than halfway to me when repelled.

Ah, I thought that was more like it. I needed to lull him into a false sense of security. Then, when it was right, I would destroy him.

“Not so cocky now, are you, boy? No matter, you’ll be dead soon enough.” Ukobach said with a broad smile as suddenly Pikon appeared.

Ukobach’s smile, now broader, nodded to the low council member. Then, just as suddenly, Corth appeared with an evil smile.

“Ah! As you can see, they are assisting the council leader. After you die, all this ‘evidence’ you have shown everyone will be of no consequence.” Ukobach boasted as Groton, and then Tydeth also appeared.

Oddly enough, I also noticed that they were not doing anything to help Ukobach, which I also found strange. If, as he said, they were coming to his aid, why weren’t they doing anything?

As I looked closer, I swear I could almost see something familiar about all of them. These four were no problem, even adding their power, which I felt was low, to Ukobach’s. If the rest of them joined in, then I might have a problem, though, as I said, they had made no move.

Even as I sent another blast at three-fourths my power, I was wary to watch the others. This time, Ukobach caught my blast, pulling it toward him. Perfect, I thought, as I suddenly increased the blast’s power.

Ukobach started to scream as the blast slowly ate away at his defenses. With me forcing them upon him, he was having a lot more trouble evading the blast.

With a small smile, I pushed harder, hearing Ukobach start to scream, and then the blast fizzled out.

“Not bad, boy, a trick worthy of your small and insignificant power. I will show you true power.” Ukobach was yelling across the area. Turning, he saw that Docal and then Clondal had also appeared.

‘Shit, this was bad,’ I thought, ‘what I was feeling added to his power was almost the equal of my own. I had to end this and Ukobach if I had any chance of surviving this.’ I was about to send an even more powerful blast at Ukobach when Lyndeth appeared. I blinked as I stared at her. Why in the hell was she so familiar?

“Ah! It is good that the council is behind their leader. Together, we shall crush him, and then we will rule the magical dimension!” With that, Ukobach laughed a deep-sounding demonic laugh. “Prepare to die, boy! Councilors attack!”

I was at the ready, fully powered up, prepared for anything. Then, the most curious thing happened: the seven councilors made a ring around us. All at equal distance with a space left open. It was then that the last of the new councilors appeared, Creton.

Ukobach, with an almost giddy look, pointed to me, “Kill him utterly!” He was shouting, then he stopped, his mouth dropping open as Creton took the last space the others left. Ukobach started to sputter as he could only stare at what Creton had in his hands. The heads of the previous three council members.

“What have you done?” Ukobach shouted as he advanced upon Creton, only to be knocked back by a familiar shield.

“You are done. One way or another, it ends today.” Pikon stated.

“Judgment has been passed for all the crimes you have committed.” Corth’s voice said.

“You will not pass any of us.” Groton hissed.

“Know that today, your reign is finished.” Tydeth spit out.

“For everything, we will see your end,” Docal commented.

“For the endless suffering you have brought to all the families, today you pay,” Clondal said, her eyes flashing.

“The sons and daughters that no longer have parents, their debt will be paid,” Lyndeth growled.

Finally, all turned toward Creton as he spread his hands, then arms. Funny, I thought; that was also familiar. “With a pact we seal, no one passes ‘til we repeal. Within the circle, they must stay in the dark or brightest day. Til evil is no longer here to terrorize, bringing fear.” Here Creton, then the rest of them turn to stare at Ukobach, “So be it!”

Ukobach laughed out loud, almost so much that he was about to fall. Then his face turned serious as he sneered at all of them. “An eternity capture ring? Please, there would have to be one as powerful as...” Ukobach said as he walked straight toward Creton, then was knocked flat on his ass! Still smirking, he tried again, only to be pushed back.

I looked at the seven councilors, “May we take this out of the city?”

They all only turned to look at me with disdain, then nodded. We both appeared in a large field outside the city. I started to fire at Ukobach with several powerful blasts. I heard him scream as I saw that one had been closed.

Through the dark billowing smoke, I tried to see what was happening, and finally, it would end. I took a step ... Oh, here we are at the beginning or perhaps the end. For Ukobach and me, it was most definitely an end. It was a new beginning for the rest of the magical dimension.

At least now, all the families could go on. Family, ha, I thought no real chance of that for me. For my mother, though, I could bring back my father. Not so lucky for Naci. Even saying her name made me feel like I had been dropped off at the end of the world.

An errant blast ripped out of the smoke, bouncing harmlessly off my shield. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Ukobach was tiring. Although I knew better, I could still wish.

I heard another of Ukobach’s roars as it started to come closer. Suddenly, Ukobach broke from the side of the cloud to blindside me. Making a backhanding motion, I sent him flying into the ground, none too gentle.

Standing up, Ukobach started to snicker. “I know you have control of your wild magic. I also know that you can’t keep up these levels all that long. All I have to do is tire you out, and then you are mine!” He then sent a mammoth blast toward me, and I batted back toward him.

“You are more of an idiot than I thought. If I have control, I can only use what I need to. Any first-year magical being knows that. I guess it goes to show just how stupid you are!” I shouted as I directed another huge blast toward him.

I saw that Ukobach was struggling with this new blast this time. I had put more power into it, though I knew it wasn’t enough to destroy him. It would be the start. Screaming in anger, I saw him catch the new blast as it started to move him backward. Then he screamed louder as it ate through his shields even faster.

“NO! This isn’t possible! You were only gone for nearly a year. There is no way that you could have increased this much.” I heard Ukobach yelling.

Laughing, I pushed the blast harder, “I was in the dark dimension for only two weeks. Here, though, it was almost a year. I have increased many levels up to and beyond yours.”

“I am a demon,” Ukobach was shouting angrily. “No magic user has as much power, even you wild magic users!”

“You might want to recheck my power,” I told him, then saw that my blast was inching closer. “Oh well, looks like you won’t get the chance,” I said, then sneered at him. “I also have a message from the leader of the dark realm. He said that they await you, that you will pay for the many that were destroyed.”