“Break Of Dawn”
Dahuri stood in front of Tharne, motionless with the book in hand. lowly she began to sway and fall. Tharne moved forward bu Jadeis was already there, cradling the girl like a child in her arms.
Tharne stood and looked around, every pair of eyes in the camp was staring directly at him. varying emotions played out on the faces of those in the group, Hope, fear, distrust, excitement and apprehension all directed at him. He wasnt even sure if his plane would work! his body threatened to collapse in on itself into the deep dark chasm of emotional anguish and let the earth swallow him up.
“No” he thought, “These people, my friends, are relying on me”
“It will work, It has to work”
Looking up again, determination emanated from him like sunbeams out to cover the world with his brilliance.
“We haven’t got much time!” he called, “So everyone pair up with the person or people who you feel closest to”
He thought for a moment and added “quickly! It should work in a group of three for what I can tell, but after that it might be too complicated a force to control”
Above him a large black talon was tearing through the Bubble, ash falling softly as a counter stroke to the darkness of the outside began to litter the ground and wilt and suffocate the clover and trees around them.
“Get yourselves into pairs or threes quickly! and watch what Ivy and I do” thinking quickly he motioned to Erim and Nima. “You two better move together too”
Ivy moved quickly to his side and soon the whole group had arranged themselves. Nima and Erim stood together ready and waiting. Blake, Mia and Ryan all grouped together stood with determination, their power, radiant around them, glowed in steady, rhythmic pulses. Dahuri, now awake, stood clutching her book
under one arm and holding to Jadeis hand with the other. Vasius stood taller and straighter than Tharne had ever seen him do before, Something about the man was different, he was no longer the curious muttering man, but instead was a beacon of energy. Next to him stood Yuri, Her blade of frozen Pine drawn and sharp as a razor. Finally, Tomu and Nym crouched together, Nym casually returning Tomus energetic high five.
“Alright” he said motioning for Ivy to come closer and ignoring all the tearing sounds as the beasts tried to break through the last of the shielding bubble above them. “What you want to do, is try to focus your energies together into something new and tangible, understand your partners abilities and work together with them to create something stronger”
With that Tharne began to search outwards with his energy, just as he had done when he and Ivy Battled the Demonic Ivy below. His mind touched something there in the space between them and he could feel the barrier between them, all he needed was to tell it what to do. Ivy’s mind was there too, pushing the energies into
shape, he worked along with her, bending the power into form and function. the work built stronger and faster until it burst with white light and blue crystal and their combination was complete. Standing tall before the others stood the changed Ivy and Tharne. Now he could feel her as though she was an extension of himself. he saw through her eyes and she through his, Their height had increased to make them stand now a head taller than the others, both their hair had changed to pure golden white and encasing each of them was a matching suit of Armor brilliant blue crystal lined with bright white rods of pure white metal with a great shield each. Tharne now stood with his staff, a curving bladed speartip protruding from the top, forged of the same white metal of which Ivy’s sword was made. Together they stood, looking angelic in form and function as Archonic Warriors.
The others looked on in awe. Tharnes voice spoke in both deep and melodic tones, coming from both his and Ivy’s mouth simultaneously. “Hurry now” he commanded, “We have not much time”.
The others moved quickly at the sudden command and began focusing their powers together.
Blake’s Blue white lightning cracked across Mia as Ryan’s flame red waves entwined with them, forming rippling vortexes around Mia’s beating maple wings. The vortexes began to combine, and from the raging tornado of fire and lightning which engulfed them all, emerged a beautiful three headed drake. Wings of thousands of green leaves beat effortlessly as the three heads each blasted forth a wave of energy, the first a wave of sonic flame, the second a blast of razor sharp, wind torn leaves, and the third, erupted with crackling lightning.
Nima and Erim joined together, hands held, and as Erim’s flowery coat began spreading over her body, arrows began to grow frantically towards Nima from the petals. Then with a sudden burst of growth, the petals began to consume Nima as well and soon, there stood together, two identical beasts which could only be described as human-wolves with coats of hundreds of flowing petals. great arrows burst forth from their
backs, giving the impression of vicious spines. Together they howled, and the stone beneath their feet erupted into a growth of new grasses and sprouting trees.
Vasius began to fade as his energies were spread thinner around the vortex of icy winds in which Yuri was now surrounded. Then as his final essence and form disappeared, globes of ice, like giant hailstones began to form around the Icy Queen and she was barely visible in the blizzard around her. As the winds died down and the final stages of the transformation were complete, Yuri stood as a ghostly apparition of wispy blue ice and snow, clutching her sword of frozen Pine, her eyes frozen globes of deepest winter, and around her, twelve icy faces, expressions varied from fury to comedic laughter and everything in between, floated the face of Vasius, each and every one of the twelve glowed with immense power.
Tomu, immediately began to grow when his energies fused with Nym’s, his skin began to grow hard and dark, scales like hardened iron sprouting like grass across his form. His immense sword, absorbed by his growth
erupted from his now reptilian body, as a great cleaving set of horns across his lizard like face. Nym’s bamboo guns evaporated into the flow as he himself poured his energy into the transformation of his friend. A great saddle appeared to grow like vines around the four legged monstrous lizard, and from it, a great multi barrelled gun of raw metal and growing wood. The lizard Tomu, turning with a smiling, tooth filled gaze, lowered himself to the ground as Nym jumped into the saddle and stationed himself for battle.
Finally Dahuri and Jadeis, sitting together, Jadeis pushing her power into Dahuri’s as she read fervently from her book, twisting and inverting the massive pages as though the words were twisting and evading her eyes as she sought them. beneath them the ground began to stir, and from the earth itself sprung forth great spiny thorned tendrils, weaving and braiding into an ever more complicated shape, until the two had disappeared into it. struggling and straining, the mass of vegetation heaved up, and lifting itself onto a mass of newly formed legs, the great spider-like structure of living plants stretched and prepared for battle.
Tharne could feel their power multiplied, they were stronger now bonded than they ever could have been apart. relief played on his mind and Ivy answered, their thoughts linked in their new found bond.
“I knew it would work” she sent to him, meeting his eyes with admiration and heartfelt compassion.
Above them, the splitting bubble gave way, and the dim light of the campground extinguished, leaving them in darkness.
Immediately Light erupted from each of the thirteen companions, their auras of power echoing with glory and fury at their enemies. Huge beasts descended onto them from all directions. with a final moment of understanding, they all looked at each other powers glowing and pulsating to the same rhythm and song.
They were as an orchestra, together playing a symphony of incredible complexity and beauty, each playing their own instruments to add to the whole something beautiful with their differences.
Then, the battle began.
dark shadows fell from the surrounding areas upon the group from every side, lashing tongues of burning black flame and fierce claws reaching and tearing towards their flesh and bone. Hundreds of forms in varying states, shapes and sizes leapt downwards to rend their enemies apart.
Flashes erupted from somewhere nearby, as Tharne and Ivy leapt in unison forward, slashing and spinning with lightning speed and pure, perfect form, the beasts feel at their feet in seemingly slow motion as they danced their warriors dance through their enemies, towards the great doors. Beside Him, Tharne saw the wolves of Nima and Erim, their howls carrying ferociously through the sea of demonic entities as the pair leapt forth, throwing great arrows like javelins from their backs and tearing the monstrosities apart with their sharp claws and razor teeth.
Blasts of of burning lightning and tearing wind rained down from above, as the great hydra of Blake, Ryan and
Mia, flew aerobatically diving and swooping, taking hold of leaping and winged demons in its talons, claws and teeth.
A huge thorny foot fell between Tharne and Ivy, crushing beasts and scattering their dust in great clouds as the looming beast, encasing the forms of Dahuri and Jadeis strode forth, its shape glowing above them as a behemoth of living vegetation. Close by, the frozen lances and swinging blades of the Wisp Queen Yuri and her Vasius Orbs cleaved through the beasts, freezing and slashing the creatures as they now danced around, cautiously leaping forth in fetid, rabid fury, attempting to inflict their death blows and being strewn again and again by the powerful onslaught of the heroes combined might. shadowy beasts flew from the ground nearby in great waves as Tomu’s horns threw them apart and Nyms bursts of penetrating bullets ruptured them to smoke and dust.
Together they fought, gaining ground and battling through the oncoming tsunami of vicious teeth and cruel intent, blacker than terror and fiercer than a storm.
The great doors approached and Tharne and Ivy leapt upon the fiery burrowing beast as it continued its assault on the great heavy door. Leaping atop its head as Ivy leapt beneath it, his spear and her blade reaching through and cleaving the great beast in two, its body screaming and burning as it erupted into ashes and burning flame around them. The other minions screeching and falling to the blades and claws of the other heroic companions fled backwards towards the depths again, their echoing cries and calls deepening and drowning into the silence until the dark hall and its many stairwells and alcoves dropped into silence and the soft resonance of a battle not long since passed.
Turning back toward the door, Tharne moved forward, his energies and form reducing and returning to his original dark hair and soft yet stern features, behind him, he felt the others reversing back to their true forms, the great powers diminishing until they stood as thirteen separate and powerful companions.
Holding his hand firm on the thick doors surface, he felt a power surge forth and as the great doors flexed and
strained he drew upon his inner strength, allowing it to fill the voids in the door and its every crevice.
The doors lurched forth as the companions moved forward expectantly, awaiting that which was beyond the cloistering breach of these great doors.
Blackness and bleak damp air enveloped them.
Shattered Cosmos 
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