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PART TWO
Mud splatters Damon's face as his chest hits the ground, just in time - the beam of light passes inches above his head. Who in Per-a'a Nakht had light manipulation? A wave of fear sears through the young man - surely... surely not Mallos himself? If only they knew more about the opposition's powers! If not for the occasional snap of the twig and low voices up ahead, Damon would have cursed aloud; why weren't Intelligence on this? They should have drawn up a list of all the enemies along with drawings of them and a database of their powers, skills and abilities... Set-Merut may have more numbers, but they aren't equipped to deal with an attack, especially since Per-a'a Nakht has a tendency to attract the more powerful fairies in Shaman. Most of the army are fighting in either Sunburst Coast or Shingle Brook - only himself (as the army representative) and several members of the Intelligence were here to guard Apeliotes Island.
'At least if it's Mallos, he can't get beyond the border,' Damon thinks grimly to himself. Small comfort, considering the rest of Per-a'a Nakht can cross over at any time... but Mallos himself has yet to find a way past the magical barriers being upheld against him. Aura is here on the island - she should be able to employ her divinity against intruders, which is partially reassuring and partially worrying. Reassuring because invaders can be stopped, but worrying because if these are invaders... why hasn't she stopped them already?
Mud, everywhere. Quiet escape is impossible. Damon grits his teeth, takes a deep breath, jumps to his feet and starts to sprint back towards the town to raise the alarm. Something clatters behind him, and he sees the wooden bench to his left tear itself to shreds before diving behind the thick-based tree to his right. Machine guns? In Shaman?
A beacon of light spits itself into the air in the town up ahead, and the wail of a siren reaches his ears. The alarm has been raised... but by whom? They must be being attacked from different angles.
"Damon!"
He knows that voice. Trusting in his fellow islander, Damon hurls himself forward through the mud, wincing as he hears the clatter of machine gun fire behind him. This time, the marksman's aim is true - or would be, if the bullets didn't simply bounce off the invisible shield surrounding him. Grateful for his friend's power, Damon grabs Ewan's outstretched hand and together they race back towards the town, where the women and children left behind by the war are emerging from their doorways. Every face is resigned. Every face determined.
The light is coming from a central, instantly recognisable figure in the centre of the town. For a moment her sharp blue eyes lock onto Damon's, and he sees something click in them - a brief wave of relief, perhaps. She lifts her hand to the sky and two things happen simultaneously; firstly, Arthur, Joel and Adonis all appear suddenly from nowhere. Secondly, a glimmering blue sphere glides from the tip of Aura's outstretched finger and swells in size until it encompasses the central town, but no further. Damon reaches out with his hand and touches it experimentally, but it's like pushing a wall. It must be some kind of extremely powerful forcefield - additional protection.
"Apeliotes Island is under attack," Aura is saying to Adonis, Joel and Arthur, who are demanding explanations for their removal from the battle in Shingle Brook. "They're not fairies. They're some kind of monster - or machine - fuelled by Mallos' magic. I can't stop them."
All eyes turn to Arthur. The young king takes a breath. "Meeting, now. Patrick, Aura, Adonis, Joel - mother," his worried eyes seek reassurance in her unharmed form, "and you, Penguin - you'd better come too. The rest of you - " he hesitates for a moment, takes Lilith's hand and squeezes it. "I'm leaving you in charge. Organise them."
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