Chapter Twenty-One

Meeting with Alester; The final battle ensues!

"So, this is it." Drake said as he looked around the room.

The room was large with a deep red carpet leading towards the back of the room. Tygra took a step forward. "This room looks just like the one Caleb-" she gasped as her gaze fell to a throne set at the far end of the room. "Who's there?"

Sitting within the throne was the man known to be Alester. He placed his hands to his knees as he pushed himself upward, eying each of them cautiously with his ghoulish hazel eyes. Alester was a tall man dressed in black attire; a sleeveless top with cotton pants and booted feet. His dark blond hair was tied loosely back; the tips reaching just past his shoulder blades. A long wooden sheath hung from his belt; a sword with a golden hilt encased within.

"I never expected you to make it this far." He stated in a cool tone, stepping towards the group and off of the platform. His eyes then locked onto Gina. "But then again, you did have help, I see."

Gina swallowed back her fear as she walked out towards Alester. "Gina what are you-" Jade began but Drake held her back, his eyes telling her to wait and see what happens.

Gina made her way to the Dark Lord a cool collective smile crossing her features. "I was able to bring them to you after all my lord." She said her voice hard as ice as she looked back to the group. Her eyes told them a different story before she turned back to her lord, her gaze now as icy as her tone.

"So it seems." Alester said bemused as he looked over the group. "However it seems two of the Guardians are missing."

Gina closed her eyes for a brief second to hide her pain before opening them once more. "They are fighting my parents."

A smile came over Alester's cool features, hearing the pain the young girl was unable to hide within her tone. "Yes, your parents." He turned away from her. "They seem to be fairing rather well."

"Yes, they are. And I would like to have them remain that way." Gina said following after him with her gaze. "I would hope you will be releasing them soon-"
"Release them?" Alester questioned his smile growing wider as he looked back to her. "What ever made you think I'd be releasing them?"

Gina's eyes widened, outraged, as she took a step forward. "B-but you said that-"

Alester cut her off with laughter before locking onto her with a hardened gaze. "I wouldn't be much of ruler if I made agreements with peasants such as yourself." And in a flash Alester unsheathed his sword at his side, slashing Gina deeply across her chest. Jade’s eyes grew wide as Tygra let out a startled cry. Drake was the only one able to scream her name as she fell to the floor face first. Alester re-sheathed his sword as he looked down to Gina, her eyes already loosing their light of life. "You think you could fool me? You are nothing but a mere child."

"Alester you b*****d!" Tygra yelled furiously, finally being able to form audible words. "You are no different then Caleb! Using people as your pawns!"

He smiled re-sheathing his bloodied blade. "I may have some of that weakling’s traits, but my powers are far more prevailing then his.” He raised his hand. "Would you like to see what I am capable of, my dear?"

Tygra and Drake jumped at the sound of an agonizing scream from behind. They turned to see Jade down to her knees pressing her hands tightly against the sides of her head.

"Jade!" Drake called rushing over to his friend in need. He knelt down beside her, placing a hand on her quivering shoulder. "Are you alright? Jade?"

Tygra turned back to Alester pulling her whip free of its clip. "What did you do to her?"

Alester laughed as he switched his gaze from Tygra to Jade, lowering his hand to his side. "Come to me."

Jade's quivering suddenly stopped as she slowly lowered her hands back to her sides and stood to her feet. "Jade?" Drake questioned again as he stood as well. She took a step forward, ignoring his concern. "No!" He yelled grabbing her wrist. She glared back at him before bringing back her hand and slapping him across the face, causing him to stumble back releasing his grip. Tygra rushed over to Drake as Jade continued to walk towards Alester, stopping only inches before him.

"There we are." Alester said with a quiet laugh. He placed his hands on her shoulders, gradually turning her around to face Tygra and Drake. "This is much better." He said resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Get your hands off of her!" Drake yelled angrily taking a step forward.

Alester laughed again. "Is she that important to you? The both of you? To put your lives on the line for hers?"

"She's done it plenty of times for us." Tygra said now aside of Drake. "We won't let you hurt her!"

"Hurt her?" Alester questioned with amusement. "I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing." He pulled a few strands of hair from her face sticking them delicately behind her ears. "She's my new brilliant warrior."

"Like hell she is!" Drake yelled. "She would never-"

"Never is such a strong word. But enough of this," Alester said taking a step back from Jade. "Kill them."

Jade took a few steps forward, removing her weapon from its holder behind her back along the way. She held her spear out before her, readying herself for an attack.

Tygra took a cautious step forward searching her friend's vacant eyes. "Jade," she called hoping for some sort of response, "Jade answer me. Please."

Jade took a few steps towards her, her spear held tightly at her side, Tygra's words not having the least bit of an effect on her.

"Jade, I don't want to fight you." Tygra said lowering her whip.

"Don't waste your breath." Alester said. "She can't hear you."

Tygra glared at him with pure hatred before looking back to Jade. They were a few feet away from each other as Jade leisurely circled around her. Jade then swung down at her legs quickly nearly tripping her if she wouldn't have jumped out of the way.

Drake came behind Jade, wrapping his arms tightly around her, pinning her arms to her sides. "Jade you have to fight this!"

Without a word Jade dropped her spear and slammed the heel of her foot onto the top his. He cried out as he loosened his grip giving Jade the opportunity to grab hold of his left arm and flip him over her back. He landed hard on the wooden floor before her with a painful thud.

Jade instantly bent down and grabbed her spear as she watched Tygra move closer towards her. She soon placed the tip of her spear to Drake's throat stopping Tygra in her tracks. There was an eerie silence as the two girls watched each other cautiously. Jade pushed lightly on the spear, cutting Drake‘s throat slightly.

Alester laughed as he moved closer to Tygra. "Seems to me you're having a little trouble." He said in amusement as he walked passed her, stopping midway between her and Jade. He looked from Tygra to Jade then back to Tygra. "Doesn’t it just kill you to know I hold your friends' lives in my hands?"

She glared at him with narrowed eyes, giving Drake cautious glances as he looked up at Jade.

Alester turned to Jade. "Kill him."

Jade stared down at Drake emotionlessly as he stared up into her eyes. She brought up her spear, slowly at first before quickly raising it and threw it at Alester impaling him in the chest.

She glared at him furiously as he grabbed hold of the spear his jaw slack in awe. "You think you had control of me, think again." She said walking towards him, she stopped a few feet away from him.

"Jade." Tygra said quietly with relief.

Drake stood to his feet rubbing at his throat. "This was all an act?"

Alester began to laugh. "An act?" He echoed laughing a little harder. With his one hand holding the spear, Alester pulled the spear out, throwing it onto the floor behind him. "There’s a lot of that going on." He glanced back to Gina’s still form placing a hand on his wound and it began to heal over.

"No," Drake said taking a step forward.

"That's impossible!" Tygra cried in shock. "He is the same as Caleb!"

This only heightened Alester laughter. "No you twit. It is simple." He said patting his abdomen. "A secret has been past down through the demon race for generations. Only that imbecile got his hands on it before I was able to." He smiled as he remembered his last meeting with Caleb. "He was ever so kind to give me the stone after your dealings with him."

"No, Caleb is dead! Asha killed him!" Drake said angrily through clenched teeth.

Jade shook her head. "He was dead." She said her voice low. "But there was something that brought him back."

Alester smiled in her direction. "Even with a scrambled brain you were able to figure that one out." He clapped briefly. "I am impressed."

"Really?" Jade said happily. "That's nice to know." With one quick motion, Jade dropped to the floor grabbing her spear and lunged at Alester. She rammed the spear into his stomach, causing the spear head to come out the other side. There was a loud clank as something hard hit the floor behind him.

Alester grabbed the spear looking Jade in the eyes. "This won't work girl! Not as long as I-" he stopped in mid sentence at blood came from his mouth.

"That stone is no longer residing within your wicked blood." Jade hissed as she pushed the spear further into his stomach. Alester grasped the spear's handle tighter before yanking it from his abdomen, against Jade's will, and pulled her closer, twisting so that she stumbled forward landing hard on the floor behind him as she lost hold of her spear.

Alester stumbled back a hand to his stomach as the other grasped her spear tightly. "W-where is the stone?" He questioned more to himself then to her. He looked to her left, seeing a bloody mass which was the stone.

He trudged over, throwing the spear off to the side, and reached for the stone when it began to sink into the floor. His eyes grew wide. "No!" He yelled desperately reaching for it but all his hand touched was the hard cold floor.

He turned back to Jade and watched as she stood to her feet. She smiled deviously at him. "You should really be more careful with such things."

Alester took a few steps forward stopping before her and without a word he unsheathed his sword stabbing her within the chest. He pulled the bloodied blade out from her chest as she fell to the floor.

"Jade!" Tygra cried motionless as she watched Jade fall back, Drake catching her before she could hit the floor. Everything had happened so fast, there had been no time to react…did she really see what she just saw? She blinked rapidly finding that yes, she really had, and was then finally able to rush over to them.

Alester backed away, his hand to his bleeding stomach. Yet, there was something within his eyes as he watched the three before him.

"Jade!" Drake said urgently helping her down to the floor. He held her looking into her eyes. "Oh, Jade."

"Is is that bad?" She said with a small laugh. Her laugh turned into an agonizing cough as blood began to drip from her mouth.

"Jade." Tygra said kneeling down beside her. She grabbed her already cold hand. "Jade, I'm going to heal you."

"No, there's no use."

"But Jade-!"

"No." She said sternly clasping her hand tighter. "I'll die in the middle of it." She coughed again, this time more painfully. "You need that energy to defeat Alester."

"Jade," Drake began wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. "You shouldn't talk."

"When did I ever listen to you?" She asked quietly with a weak smile. Her smile soon faded as she looked to Tygra. "I love you guys." She said a painful look crossing her face. She tightened her grip on Tygra's hand. "I just need you to know that."

"Jade-" Tygra began softly but stopped. She looked into her frozen eyes. Tears began to form in her eyes as Jade's hand slipped from hers, falling to the floor in a deadly silence.