The two fighters grappled atop the Hippogriff, locked in a brutal stalemate. The beast beneath them squawked and flapped its wings, struggling to maintain flight with the added weight and chaotic movements on its back. Eamon was trapped, unable to cast, unable to defend properly, and yet unwilling to go down without a fight.
With no other options left, Eamon pressed his bloodstained fingers tightly against his own forehead, ignoring the throbbing pain and the taboo that haunted every mage: 'the forbidden art of spiritual magic.'
Desperation blazed in his eyes. 'He had no choice now.' He needed to tap into the volatile power of the mind; an ability most wizards feared, one that could unravel even the strongest of minds if mishandled.
Purple light flared between his fingers, a flicker of raw magic surging straight to his brain. Eamon's pupils dilated as he opened himself to the power of the 'spiritual realm', a place where thought became reality and willpower ruled.
Leon didn't notice the change at first, too focused on prying Eamon's fingers apart to land another punch.
But then, just as Leon forced Eamon's right hand away, the wizard snapped his head toward him, eyes burning with an unnatural purple glow.
For a moment, Leon froze, caught off guard by the sudden shift in Eamon's expression. The wizard's eyes were no longer human; they gleamed with a sinister light, swirling with magic from a place beyond ordinary comprehension.
Eamon's lips twisted into a wicked grin. "Got you."
Before Leon could react, Eamon's voice roared, deep and distorted, as if a hundred voices were speaking in unison.
"Guluoleite!"
The command thundered through the air, vibrating with ancient power. Eamon's dark purple gaze locked onto Leon's eyes, drawing the boy's consciousness into its depths.
"Ordinary mortals..." Eamon's voice boomed, every word heavy with power.
"Submit to me!!"
The words hit Leon like a tidal wave, the force of the magic assault crashing into his mind. His thoughts fragmented under the pressure, scattering like glass shards across his brain. For a moment, the world around him dimmed, and it felt as though invisible chains were wrapping around his consciousness, tightening with every passing second.
Leon gritted his teeth, fighting the overwhelming compulsion that was trying to drag him down, to smother his will. His heart pounded violently in his chest, adrenaline coursing through him like wildfire. 'This is mind control. He's trying to take over.'
Leon knew if he didn't break free now, it would be over; he'd lose his body, his mind, everything.
"Not... today!" Leon snarled, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. 'He wouldn't give in. Not like this.'
His hands, still locked around Eamon's arms, squeezed harder. 'If Eamon wanted to play dirty, Leon would answer in kind.'
With a defiant shout, Leon pulled back his fist, drew in every ounce of strength he had left, and smashed his gauntleted hand directly into Eamon's glowing, cursed eyes.
'CRACK!'
Eamon let out a howl of pain as the blow shattered his concentration. The sinister glow in his eyes flickered, then faded entirely. His spell unraveled, leaving his mind vulnerable and exposed.
Leon grinned through the pain. "No more tricks, wizard."
The Hippogriff wobbled violently, struggling to stay aloft with the weight of the two fighters. But Leon didn't care. The tide had turned and now, 'Eamon was at his mercy.'
With one final surge of strength, Leon drove the wizard back against the saddle, pinning him there with unrelenting force. 'This fight was far from over, but now, the advantage was his.'
The surging chaos magic coursed through Eamon, igniting his soul and bridging the divide between the spiritual realm and the tangible world. The dim, unsettling light swirling in his irises expanded outward, a hungry force that latched onto Leon's consciousness. It slithered into the boy's mind through the windows of his eyes, breaching his thoughts with overwhelming intensity.
And then—
'A scream.'
A blinding flash of white-hot light.
'Then darkness.'
It was a vast, impenetrable void, swallowing everything. For a long moment, Leon drifted in the silence, weightless, disconnected from time and place. His body seemed far away, lost to the void as if swallowed by the endless night.
And then; something changed.
The chaotic magic in his veins cooled, dissolving into a gentle hum, reshaping itself into softer elemental energy.
"--Ahhh!!"
Leon's lungs burned as he sucked in a ragged breath, his body snapping back to life. His eyes flew open, taking in the world around him. The cool night air hit his skin, sharp and crisp, filling his senses.
He sat up slowly, his limbs heavy and aching. 'Where am I?' His head throbbed as if he'd just woken from a fever dream.
The dark sky above was flecked with stars, and the familiar song of insects buzzed in the distance. The wilderness stretched endlessly around him, shadowed and quiet, with only a faint breeze whispering through the trees. He blinked in confusion, trying to piece together the fragmented memories of what had just happened. 'The fight. The wizard. The Hippogriff.'
Leon's heart leapt into his throat. 'The battle! Where's Eamon?'
Panic jolted through him as he scrambled to his feet. His eyes darted around the empty field, searching for any sign of his foe, but there was nothing; just the soft hum of night creatures and the moonlit stillness of the forest.
The only thing in sight was his black warhorse, standing calmly a short distance away, as if waiting for him. Leon recognized the beast immediately; it was the same horse he'd released before the ambush, but how had it gotten here?
'Did Corvis bring it back?'
Leon frowned, wiping the sweat from his brow. 'Something's not right.'
He patted down his body, checking for wounds, expecting broken bones or worse. But other than a few dull aches and scrapes, he felt surprisingly intact. 'There's no way I walked away from that fight without serious injuries.'
'So why am I still alive?'
He swallowed hard and turned, only to spot a familiar figure lying motionless on the grass nearby. His heart skipped a beat.
"Corvis!"
Leon dropped to a knee beside the blond boy, his pulse racing. "Hey! Corvis! Wake up!" he shouted, giving his friend a rough shake by the shoulder.
When Corvis didn't respond, Leon slapped his face lightly, then harder, panic beginning to bubble beneath the surface. 'He can't be dead. He can't.'
Leon leaned down, checking the boy's breath and pulse. His fingers hovered over Corvis's neck, and, thank the gods; he felt the faint thrum of life. The boy was breathing, shallow but steady.
Leon exhaled a deep breath, relief washing over him. 'Not dead. Just unconscious.'
But that relief was short-lived. His gut twisted with unease as he scanned the area again. 'Where's Eamon?' The last thing he remembered was grappling with the wizard in midair, locked in a life-or-death struggle on the back of a bucking Hippogriff. 'How did they end up here?' Had Eamon knocked him out and fled? Or had they both crashed somehow?
Leon's thoughts spiraled. 'None of this makes sense. If Eamon survived, why didn't he finish us off?'
He glanced down at Corvis, his brow furrowing. 'Did Miss Lola intervene somehow?' But that didn't seem possible, Lola couldn't interact with the mortal world, at least not directly. And even if she could, 'why couldn't Leon remember anything?' The fight felt like a half-forgotten dream, foggy and distant, as if the memory had slipped through his fingers.
Frustrated, Leon ran a hand through his hair. 'There has to be a clue.'
Without another thought, Leon grabbed the edge of Corvis's armor and pulled it open, searching for the rune that marked the boy's location. 'If Corvis's rune was still active, it might tell them what had happened or at least confirm that Eamon hadn't won yet.'
Beneath the armor, the glowing rune pulsed with bright, rhythmic light. Leon frowned. 'So Corvis's tracker is still functioning... but that means Eamon must still be out there.'
His stomach dropped. 'If Eamon's alive, this fight isn't over.'
Leon's mind raced. 'We can't stay here. If Eamon's still out there somewhere, we're sitting ducks.' Whatever strange miracle had spared them so far wouldn't last long if the wizard decided to come back.
Gritting his teeth, Leon slipped his arms under Corvis and lifted him off the ground. The blond boy was heavier than he looked, and the effort sent a dull ache through Leon's limbs, but he managed to hoist him up over his shoulder.
"Alright, buddy. Time to get out of here."
Leon staggered over to his waiting warhorse, every step weighed down by exhaustion and the nagging fear that Eamon might reappear at any moment. With great effort, he boosted Corvis onto the saddle, grunting with exertion as he settled him in place.
The horse shifted under the added weight but remained calm, its dark eyes gleaming in the moonlight as Leon climbed up behind Corvis.
Leon took a moment to catch his breath, glancing up at the night sky. The moon hung low on the horizon, casting a pale glow over the wilderness. 'North.' He needed to go north. They had to put as much distance as possible between them and this place before Eamon could regroup.
With a sharp nudge of his heels, Leon urged the horse into motion. The warhorse snorted and began to trot, carrying the two of them deeper into the shadows of the forest.
Leon glanced down at Corvis's unconscious form, his mind still spinning with unanswered questions. 'What really happened up there? And how had they survived?'
Whatever the truth was, Leon knew one thing for certain: 'the fight wasn't over yet.'
And if Eamon was still out there, Leon would be ready.