Elemental Blitz

17

Rael stood on the outskirts of Masonford, his eyes scanning the town from a distance. His power hummed beneath his skin, the familiar pull of shadow and elemental forces dancing just under the surface. Word of his destruction of the Grey Hawks had spread fast, just as he expected. Now, every bounty hunter, mercenary, and mage in the kingdom was after him, hoping to claim the reward on his head. He almost felt bad for them. Almost.

“Fools,” Rael muttered, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “They’re coming to their deaths, and they don’t even know it.”

You could make them understand, the Shadow whispered in his mind. But it’s more fun this way, isn’t it?

Rael’s grin widened. “You’re right. Let’s make it fun.”

He stepped into the shadows, letting the magic carry him silently through the town. Masonford had grown since he last passed through on the way to the Academy, what seemed like an age ago. More merchants, more houses, and more soldiers. That last one was thanks to Manfred Foxx, a noble with connections to the Azure Sky. The Shadow had whispered Manfred’s name to him days ago, revealing his allegiance to the faction that wanted Rael dead. Manfred was hiding behind a small army of mercenaries, thugs, and mages. That wouldn’t help him.

Rael was about to make his move when he felt it—a familiar presence, one that made his blood boil with anger and a bit of amusement.

“They sent Raslyn,” Rael whispered. “Perfect.”

Captain Raslyn Olysia had been his combat instructor at the Academy, a fierce and uncompromising warrior, but also someone Rael deeply respected. She had saved his life once, during the Ghostwoods trial when a shadow beast attacked him. Raslyn had always believed in him, and Rael owed her. He liked her, she had always treated him well, unlike most others. But this? This was different.

Along with Raslyn, several other Academy instructors had come, likely pulled into this mess by Manfred’s desperate attempt to protect himself. The Academy was always willing to serve the nobility when it mattered.

The wind shifted, and Rael felt the presence of Rozlyn. She had always been different, part of that mystery group that had their eyes on him even before all this began. If they thought they could still play games with him, they were dead wrong.

He moved like a shadow through the narrow alleyways, slipping past guards and mercenaries without so much as a whisper. When he arrived at Manfred’s estate, the smell of arrogance hit him as hard as the sight of the massive stone mansion surrounded by well-armed guards. It was a fortress, but Rael wasn’t impressed.

“I’m getting bored,” Rael said to himself. “Let’s get this over with.”

He raised his hand, the prismatic patterns of the elements flaring to life around him. Dark energy mixed with the brilliant colors of fire, wind, and earth, twisting into something far more dangerous. He smiled as the elemental energy solidified, forming the first of his Elemental Blitz—sentient constructs of pure elemental power. Towering figures of stone and lightning emerged, their forms crackling with destructive energy.

“Break them,” Rael commanded.

The Blitz surged forward, their massive forms slamming into the estate’s defenses with terrifying force. The walls trembled and cracked as the constructs tore through the outer defenses. Guards screamed, desperately trying to fight back, but the Blitz were unstoppable. Stone, lightning, and fire obliterated everything in their path.

“Manfred!” Rael called, his voice booming over the destruction. “Come out and face me, or I’ll burn everything you own to the ground.”

There was no response, only more mercenaries pouring out of the mansion, charging at Rael in desperation. Rael rolled his eyes. “Fine. Let’s do this the hard way.”

Rael raised his hand again, summoning a cyclone of wind and lightning that tore through the enemy ranks. The mercenaries were thrown into the air like rag dolls, their weapons shattered by the storm of prismatic energy.

“Get out here, Foxx!” Rael roared, his patience running thin.

Finally, the large iron doors of the mansion creaked open, and Manfred Foxx stepped out, flanked by a small squad of elite mages and several Academy instructors, including Raslyn. Manfred had the look of someone who thought their money and power could protect them. Rael almost felt bad for him. Almost.

“You’re a dead man, Rael,” Manfred spat, his voice shaking but defiant. “I’ve hired the best to protect me. You won’t survive this.”

Rael raised an eyebrow. “Oh, is that what you think?”

Raslyn stepped forward, her sword gleaming in the dim light. Her face was filled with conflict. “This is your last chance, Rael. Surrender now, and it doesn’t have to go any further.”

Rael’s expression softened slightly. He respected Raslyn. She had saved him once, and he would never forget that. “It’s already gone too far, Captain. You know that.”

Raslyn’s jaw tightened. “You don’t have to do this.”

Rael sighed. “I do, and you know it.”

With a determined look, Raslyn charged, her sword moving faster than most could see. But Rael wasn’t most. His Prismatic Cognition flared, and he caught her blade with a wall of shadow-infused stone. Raslyn’s eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t stop. She pressed the attack, her enchanted blade cutting through the shadows.

Rael dodged effortlessly, his movements almost lazy. “I don’t want to hurt you, Captain.”

Raslyn snarled and unleashed a flurry of attacks, her sword cutting through the air with deadly precision. But Rael barely moved, letting the shadow and prismatic forces guide him. With a flick of his wrist, he sent her flying backward, slamming into one of the mansion’s pillars.

“I told you, Raslyn,” Rael said, his voice calm but firm. “I don’t want to hurt you. Stay down.”

Raslyn groaned, struggling to her feet, her sword still in hand, but she hesitated. She met Rael’s eyes, and in that moment, she knew he was holding back—because of her. Her grip tightened, but then she lowered her blade.

“Damn you, Rael,” she muttered, stepping back.

The rest of Manfred’s guards and mages charged Rael at once, their weapons glowing with enchanted power. Rael sighed and let the full force of his magic loose. The Elemental Blitz tore through them like a storm, their sentient forms crushing anything in their path. A wave of shadow and lightning crashed into the remaining mercenaries, disintegrating half the force in an instant. The survivors screamed in terror as Rael summoned another storm, raining fire and stone down upon them.

In moments, the entire estate was engulfed in flames, the once-mighty mansion reduced to rubble. Only Raslyn, Rozlyn, several Academy instructors, Manfred, and Manfred’s family remained, huddled in the ruins.

Rael stood over them, his eyes burning with power. “I’m only letting you live because I respect you, Raslyn. And the rest of you? You’re here because of her.”

Raslyn’s gaze met his, and for a moment, there was something unspoken between them—a bond that went beyond words.

He turned to Rozlyn, his expression hard. “Tell your little group that I’m not playing your games anymore. Stay out of my way, or I’ll add you to my list.”

Rozlyn, who had watched the entire m******e with an unreadable expression, nodded slowly. “Understood.”

Rael’s gaze shifted to Manfred’s wife and children. “You should thank Raslyn for sparing you.”

Manfred’s wife sobbed quietly, clutching her children close. But Manfred? Rael wasn’t done with him yet. He turned his cold gaze back to the noble, and a smile devoid of warmth crossed his face.

“You, though, are going to feel everything,” Rael said, his voice cold as ice.

Manfred’s eyes widened in terror. “No—please! I have money—power! I can give you anything!”

Rael shook his head, raising his hand. “You have nothing I want, Foxx. You can't bring my father back to me.”

The prismatic light and shadow twisted around Rael’s fingers, and with a simple motion, he sent tendrils of dark energy wrapping around Manfred’s body, squeezing until bones cracked and blood spilled from his mouth. Manfred screamed in agony as Rael’s magic slowly tore him apart, his body breaking inch by inch, every nerve on fire with pain. His family screamed behind Rael but their grief meant nothing.

“You and your friends are all garbage and I will grind you all to dust,” Rael said quietly, watching as the life drained from Manfred’s eyes.

Manfred’s death was slow, agonizing, and merciless.

Rael turned his back on the crumpled body of the noble and walked into the night, leaving the burning estate behind him. The instructors, Raslyn, and Rozlyn stood in stunned silence, knowing there was nothing they could have done to stop him. Manfred’s family wailed over his body. With a flick of the wrist he releases the constructs letting their forms resolve into the night.

They tried, the Shadow whispered. Now, let them know pain.

Rael smirked, his eyes fixed on the horizon. “They will all learn the true meaning of pain.”