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I'm incredibly bored and lonely at the moment, so I decided to revise a particularly interesting part of my story, Destiny of the Runed. Enjoy, peoples!
Dazzling whiteness surrounded Faerdin on all sides as he hurtled up, accelerating rapidly, until he thought his neck would be unable to bear the strain-
He gasped as his feet struck the floor with a clang due to his greaves, dropping to one knee. Gleaming, golden sword still in hand, he quickly scanned his surroundings as Constantine stirred.
Once more they were in the silvery throne room of Falimond, from what he could tell, but Faerdin nudged Constantine, asking, "Are you well?"
Constantine nodded, then jolted as he raised his head. "It's him! Him!" he whispered frantically, blood draining from his face.
Faerdin shifted his gaze to the ornately crafted throne to see his most hated foe: Draxieus, the almighty Dark sorcerer. Clad in long, flowing robes of the deepest, darkest black, he eyed Faerdin with curiosity. His staff, made of bone with a dark, glittering jewel at the top, was clenched in his hand.
Bellowing, Faerdin sprinted toward him, his sword raised in preparation to use magic. His stomach did a backflip as he was lifted effortlessly into air and thrown into a wall. Pain shot through his back, causing air to rush out of his lungs. Fear threatened to engulf him as darkness seemed to shoot through the room. Opening his eyes, he let out a moan of anguish.
Constantine lay spread-eagle across the sparkling floor, his eyes as wide and fearful as they were in life, yet empty from the cold embrace of Death. A voice broke the silence, like the arrival of dawn washing away the darkness of night.
"You unbelievable b*****d, you-!" Looking to his left, he willed himself to not believe it, but Faerdin could not mistake her raven-black hair. Reylana roared a steady stream of curses at Draxieus, who merely laughed coldly.
With a wave of his hand, Draxieus silenced Reylana. Turning his gaze to Faerdin, Draxieus exposed yellowing teeth in a feral grin. "You acted just as I thought you would, Chosen One," he murmured in a deathly quiet voice. "For that, the punishment has always been death, to you people..."
Draxieus smoothly took a step toward Faerdin, his differently colored eyes glinting with malice. "Join me, and I let you live. Join me, and this little girl's death will be quick and painless... join me, and we can conquer all!”
Suddenly, a fierce, defiant energy burned within Faerdin. Anger, the desire to avenge his fallen villagers, the desire to defend his love, all coursed through his veins. A towering fury matched by no other overwhelmed him. Faerdin shouted to the heavens, determined to be heard even by whatever gods there were.
The runes upon his arm glowed brighter than ever before, and something snapped. Released from the magic, Faerdin fell to the floor, landing gracefully on all fours. He leaped up, calmly pointed his sword at Draxieus, and effortlessly willed for magic to aid him, shouting, "Love conquers all!”
A dazzling, white jet of light erupted from the tip of his sword, flinging itself at Draxieus. The force that emanated from the spell was such that Draxieus’s own dark hair stood on end as he narrowly dodged the spell, which sent deep cracks running through the stone.
Glancing at the wall, Draxieus called, “So, you wish to test yourself against me? I, the most powerful sorcerer in the world?! Then SO BE IT!"
Draxieus pointed furiously at Faerdin, a tendril of shadow extending from his arm. Surrounding himself in bright, golden light, Faerdin attempted to ward off the darkness. Grinning, Draxieus bent the darkness to his will, causing the tendril to splinter and web itself around illuminating shield like foul, cursed vines. Eyes narrowing in concentration, Faerdin severed the shadows and focused the light into a radiant beam that would have burned a hole in Draxieus’s chest, if he hadn’t deflected it at the last moment. Draxieus scowled, his face contorted by rage and, possibly, fear.
His face was the last thing Faerdin saw before the glittering chamber became pitch black. Cautious, Faerdin raised his sword, prepared for anything.
Maniacal laughter echoed from all sides as light returned, revealing a scaly dragon made entirely of ice. Eerily floating in mid-air, the spell charged, intending to crush Faerdin on Draxieus’s command.
Focusing with all his might, Faerdin conjured fire to fend off the dragon. His eyes widened as the sapphire flames rose from the glittering floor to form an intimidating yet beautiful phoenix, which flew forth and smote the icy dragon in the chest. Steam filled the room as the two elements spectacularly obliterated each other.
Panting, Faerdin wasted no time. Binding the steam together, he made a long, thin jet of water, guiding it to twist around Draxieus. Glancing around as Faerdin conjured ever more crystal-clear liquid, forcing it to surround him from all sides, Draxieus roared, converting the water to molten rock that redirected itself back at Faerdin.
Pointing his sword at the lava, Faerdin shot chilling water at the molten mass, cooling it so it hardened, completely unable to shift.
His frustration apparent, Draxieus flung himself to the top of the rock formation with magic, a writhing beam of darkness bursting from his outstretched hand. Faerdin countered with a shaft of blinding light, and both fighters were at a complete standstill as the spells collided and they fought to gain dominance over the other.
Faerdin blinked sweat out of his eyes as he fought to maintain the light, demoralized by how Draxieus’s magic only seemed to grow stronger as each second passed. Certain that this battle would end in his defeat, he prepared to end the magic and pass into the abyss beyond.
A clear but nervous voice rung in his ears. “Don’t let him beat you, Faerdin!”
Reylana’s fear steadied him. Something locked into place within Faerdin as he remembered the warm glow within her auburn eyes, how her dark hair shone, and the feel of her lips on his. Warmth blossomed in his heart as he calmly thought, This hollow shell of a man will not tear me from my love. If he plans to, I shall finish him. I shall crush him like a foul insect, all for my love.
And just like that, the battle subtly changed. Draxieus snarled as minutes passed and Faerdin did not relent, or show any signs of tiring. Draxieus’s darkness grew ever more feeble as Faerdin's magic only seemed to glow brighter and stronger, and Draxieus averted his gaze as Faerdin's firey eyes burned into his own-
There was a deafening bang as Faerdin’s spell shot toward Draxieus unchallenged, seeming then that he was about to be slain once and for all-
Draxieus disappeared with terror and shock clearly etched upon his face. Ending the magic before it damaged more of the castle, Faerdin collapsed, utterly spent. Before drifting into the realm of slumber, Faerdin had one last thought as he distantly heard Reylana dash over to his enervated form: We are safe, at last.
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