Burning Hope

Chapter 29: Showdowns and Secrets

Was this real? This has to be some sort of dream. Madoc was the traitor? How could this be possible? He was the one that I had least expected to betray me! Maybe that was the whole point, but I think you still get what I mean. I had to snap out of this. This person standing in front of me wasn't Madoc. Madoc probably never even existed in the first place. This was just some beast inhabiting an innocent boy that needed to be freed. I didn't know who he was, but I had to save him. I reached for my back to pull out Blazewing from its sheath only to realize it wasn't there.

Crap! I had left it in my room! This was the absolute worst time to forget something in my dorm, especially something as essential as Blazewing! I cursed under my breath. My thoughts began to fly at light speed. How was I supposed to save the boy that Skarn had taken over? Come on, Scarlett! Think of something! Oh, why did I have to be the one to do this?

Madoc—sorry, Skarn—pulled out two pistols from the inside of the glittery overcoat he was wearing. With the flick of a wrist, large wisps of shadow began to form around the entirety of his arms. He pulled the trigger and I watched as a burst of shadow whizzed right past my ear.

"That was on purpose." Skarn warned, his form flickering between what I had come to know as Madoc and that of a shadow creature that looked like a male version of Kage. "The next time, I swear you won't be as lucky."

I grit my teeth. How was the time to play my defensive strategy. I swept my hands in a circle, which formed a shield of fire around me. I watched as the shadow bullets began to deflect off of my shield. I knew it wouldn't hold for long, but at least it would buy me some time. It was better than nothing. Damn, if only I had Blazewing with me, this would be so much easier. It also would help if the heels I was wearing weren't so uncomfortable. I kicked them off, and watched in horror as moments later, the shield shattered like stained red glass into a million pieces, which went up in smoke.

Great...what in the name of Sciana was I supposed to do now? Skarn gave me a look reminiscent of a predator that knew he would win against the fight with his prey. No. I wasn't going down yet. This fight hadn't even started, much leads had I lost. I wouldn't allow myself to go down without trying. I closed my eyes and allowed the power of my dragon to flow within me. Once I felt the familiar feeling of transformation flood my body, I channeled my Ena into the choker that I had received from Drake. I watched as the armor began to form around me, looking slightly different than it did in the dream.

"The armor of the legendary Ronkai?" Skarn mocked me. "The Eternal Flame must be extremely desperate to revive his chosen ones if he gave a half-baked, good for nothing Prince of a country of cowards! I can't believe that you are his chosen one!"

I felt a familiar growl rise in my throat. "Get out of that body now, or I swear I will force you out!"

Skarn smirked. "I'd like to see you try, hot head." He aimed one of his guns at me, firing a shot. Instead of bouncing harmlessly off of my armor like I had hoped it would, the shot sent me flying back a few feet, enough to cause me to land on my back. Ouch. I had to get up. I couldn't let something like pain stop me from doing what I needed to do. I flapped my wings, which gave me enough momentum to get on my feet. I ran up to Skarn, raising a hand to strike him across the face, but he reacted too fast for me. He merely punched me in the stomach, sending me flying an additional thirty feet. Why was he so strong?

Skarn slowly made his way towards me, a smirk on his face. Once he was about five feet away from my body, he just stood there and laughed.

"Is that all you've got?" He asked in disbelief. "Fight me! Don't just lie there like the worthless piece of crap that this one is!" He yelled, gesturing to his body. I couldn't believe it. He was insulting the boy he was inhabiting. That made me mad. I rose to my feet and grit my teeth. Skarn placed his pistols side by side, so they magically combined into a sniper rifle. "Come on! Show me the true power of the Prince of Sciana!"