World Between: Chapter 8 part 3

“So ya came up, after all,” Kalhdig said as he sat up from the mountain’s edge. “When I was first picked to guard I didn’t anyone would get this far out, anyway.”

“Well, we’re here,” Aaron replied.

“You’re here… He’s here too.” Kalhdig pointed to Jared. “Those two are somewhere quite a ways away.”

Aaron turned around, and look at the group standing next to him, from Anna, to Cain, and then Jared. Jared doing the same, except finishing with Aaron. “I don’t understand,”  Aaron said as he turned around.

“I didn’t think would,” Kalhdig stood swinging his axe in a circle above his head. Many smaller rocks from across the mountain’s outskirts clumped into each other forming one massive boulder. He took a deep breath and brought his axe down catching a boulder 20 times his size with one hand. With a fearsome roar, he grabbed the boulder with his other hand as well before throwing it.

“Of course he has the unbroken magic,” Anna said, swing her left arm forward. She became a purple mist. Blowing away with the very wind she summoned moments ago.

“Really not the time, Anna!” Cain steadied himself into the ground and crossed his arm into an X in front of his head. Shifting just one leg and the mountainous boulder slammed into the mountain. 

“We might just have a fight on our hands,” Kalhdig said excitedly, as he jumped forward. Landing on the stone after stone as they broke apart and fell to the ground. “Ah!” He kick-off of a beam of light, and backflipped before facing Jared. “So Light found its place, after all.” Kalhdig laughed. “Glorious!”

Jared panted. “Certainly, could’ve used that sooner. Feels like I’m adjusting all over again.”

“Ya know it is strange,” Kahldig grunted as caught a rock thrown by Aaron. “You seem to be the only one that needed— to!” launching the bolder back, and grabbing the shadow cloud. “This lass learned, right fast.” He said tossing the cloud and sending Anna flying out. Only for her to poof back into a shadowy cloud. 

Cain charged in as Aaron pushed the boulder back into Kalhdig. Kalhdig grinned and made his stance wide as he pumped his fist down. 2 forces of immense power blocked by a single hand each. “I wonder just what you told her… if this is the best the rest of you can do.”

“For the last time… I told them the truth!” Jared fire a beam of light straight into Kalhdig, who threw Cain into it. Getting pushed forward by the rock on the other side of him. He pressed the stone firmly into the ground, so he could come to a halt. The earth crumbling to the ground.


Anna watched the fight mostly from the shadow. Waiting for a chance to strike. Shadow magic was getting a bit heavier. Harder to swim through, but it didn’t feel too different until Kahldig threw her out of the shadows. She went back in the same way as before but understood more what changed. Waiting for a moment when all of them were busy, if only for a single second. Seeing Jared about to shot into the battle she swung a streak of shadow across the Earth Gem. only a small indent at first as she waited, and hoped, some magic would leak out first. That moment never came, but she saw the Earth Gem flash briefly as Kalhdig slam a stone into the ground. Streaks of a light purple cutting straight through the Gem, each streak striking higher than the last as the Earth Gem ceased to float, and collapsed to the ground in pieces. “You didn’t tell us anything” Anna replied.

“Just not where he got the—” Cain began.

“No not just where he got that portal thing from!” Anna yelled. “He was a cop, right? He knew there was no actual plan. Knew nothing about this place, which must be evil. Had no idea where Skyla or Jill were. I don’t know what he thinks he saw when we first started this whole mission, but it wasn’t how these gems work.”

“That flower said they would it ended the hold on these people.” Jared rebutted.

“Then what’s holding them, here?!” Jen asked.

“Whatever remains in the Dark and Soul Gems,” Jared replied.

“Even the ones unconnected to either of those elements?” Kalhdig asked as he stood up. “End the hold…” He sighed. “Then they were right… good” He collapsed waking up under the stars.

“So they’ll be okay?” Anna replied. “You’re not starving right cause I ate a lot of the food.”

Kalhdig slammed his fist into the ground. “No dwarf worth their stone is starving for cold food!” He grunted as he stood up. “It just ain’t right. You’re not going?”

Anna shook her head. “I don’t think Cain is either, but he got something to see through still.”

“I’m surprised they didn’t ask,” Kalhdig said.

“About me?” Anna asked.

“Naw, about how Sofia—” Kalhdig began.

“Oh…” Anna stared up into the sky. “Honestly, I kind of thought that was her thing to tell. I’ve might’ve said something, if I wasn’t mad at them though.”

Kalhdig’s low snickers grew to a hearty laugh. “Right surprise that’s gonna be.”