I braced myself, ready for the attack, fire in both of my hands now. One of the guards stepped forward and a moment later there were ten of him. I gasped, turning on the spot, looking at the duplicates.
‘He’s a multiplier,’ Bran growled, throwing his fist at the closest copy, but to no avail. His fist passed right through the fake Mage and hit the wall leaving a sizeable hole. This didn’t seem to hurt Bran.
The duplicates laughed, the sound reverberating around the small room. I’d had enough of games. Only when I sent the first fireball crashing into another guard did pandemonium break loose.
Elise flit around the room, discovering the original multiplier-Mage within seconds. Bran followed her and grabbed the guard by the scruff on his neck, sending him crashing into the wall so the entire room shook.
Maria and Robert manipulated the stones and bits of wall that had fallen to the ground and sent them bouncing around the room like bullets. I ducked just in time, as a large piece of debris went whizzing over my head, hitting one of Martinez’s cronies in the temple.
Helena and the other Humans cowered in the corner, shielding their faces.
The largest guard, at least seven feet tall, advanced on my mother and father, flexing his rippling muscles. He got onto his hands and knees, his skin bubbling as he began to transform. I stared, transfixed as the Mage began to mutate before my very eyes. Seconds later he was covered in dark fur, with bulging yellow eyes. He had transformed into a wolf.
My reaction was instinctive. I ran forwards and launched myself at my mother as the wolf-man lunged for her. I sent my mum crashing to the floor as the beast flew over us, colliding with the stone wall behind. My father helped us up and grabbed me by the shoulders.
‘Get out of here,’ he said urgently. ‘Take your friends and go-’
‘I won’t leave,’ I said.
I turned from my father and caught Jack’s eye. He was currently healing a gash on Maria’s cheek that was bleeding profusely. I looked around the dungeon, searching for R?ven. I found her flying in circles around the shockwave guard that had winded her. She was dipping and swooping, her beak sinking into his flesh. He flailed and tried to swat her away, finally becoming annoyed and sending another shockwave at her with a clap of his hands. R?ven was thrown through the air, her feathers sticking in odd directions as she hit the opposite wall.
‘Hey!’ I shouted at the shockwave-Mage. He looked my way just in time to see a perfectly aimed fireball coming towards him. He had no time to react; the fireball hit him in the face and he collapsed to the floor, howling in pain.
‘Jack! Help R?ven!’ I shouted. I saw Jack charge across the room, dodging various attacks, until he was by R?ven’s side.
A yelping noise caught my attention. I spun around and saw that Hawthorne was in physical combat with the wolf-man. They tore and sunk their teeth into each other’s flanks. It was violent.
I ran forwards, intent upon breaking up the vicious fight between the two animals, yet I was stopped mid-way.
One of the slimmest guards stepped in front of me, a manic gleam in his eyes.
‘Allo darlin’ He said as he gave me a yellow-toothed grin.
‘Get out of my way,’ I demanded.
‘Pretty fing, you are,’ he looked me up and down, approvingly.
I had no time to waste on this creep. I could hear Hawthorne’s deep growls filling the room. I lifted my arms, palms facing outward, towards the guard. A blaze of fire erupted from my hands, like a volcano exploding. The inferno shot towards the enemy Mage, intent on destroying everything in it’s path. The guard was quick and sent a powerful jet of water to meet my attack. Ribbons of red and blue entwined before my eyes as fire and water competed for dominance. I could tell by the force of his attack, that this man was a much higher level Mage than I. Nevertheless, I put all of my concentration into matching him.
It was no easy feat. I panted with the effort it took me to hold him off. I desperately hoped someone would notice that I was struggling to match the Water-Mage.
My mother seemed to sense that I was in danger and was by my side in an instant, flames surging from her own hands. It was too much for the Water-Mage. He may have been a higher level than both my mother and I, but together we had beaten him.
My mother turned on her heel and went to assist my father who had taken on a Mage capable of producing force fields. It was here that I found Martinez, protected by a glowing orb. My parents were struggling to penetrate it.
Hawthorne’s yelp made my heart jump into my throat. I spun on the spot and saw that Hawthorne was pinned to the ground, overpowered by the black-haired, yellow-eyed beast. I ran forward and launched myself onto the wolf-man’s back, grabbing fists-full of fur in my searing-hot hands. The wolf howled in agony, the cry sounding both Human and animal. He stood on his hind-legs and tried to shake me off, but I held on for dear life.