Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21: Conflagration, and Anger of the Same Type

The look on Sarah's face was all that Nicolai remembered before he fell unconscious. Why are you so incredulous? Sarah...

Nicolai woke up in Jaem Tuung, with a group around him. Nicolai immediately felt himself embraced by Sarah, who was closest. Uriah, William, Urza, Philinus, Travis, Jeremiah, Phineas, and Primo were all nearby.

"Whoa, where am I?" exclaimed Nicolai.

"Jaem Tuung, although we've already obtained Galgamath." replied Philinus.

Sarah, still speechless, went over to a nearby bed and collapsed on it.

Momentary silence, then,

Phineas suddenly noticed something.

"Guys, is that a fire?" asked Phineas, pointing the Galgamath in the distance.

"Wait, I think it is, by chance!" replied Urza.

"We better check it out!" shouted Nicolai. "Before Galgamath burns down!"

But then the fire spread to Jaem Tuung via some wooden rooftops.

"Wait, we have to protect Jaem Tuung first!" screamed Sarah over the townspeople and others panicking.

By the time the fire was put out, half of Jaem Tuung had vanished, with Galgamath completely gone. A dark figure walked through the ashes, stopping and aiming an arrow.

Jeremiah cried out in pain.

The elves turned around to notice Jeremiah pulling an arrow out of his leg, and... Nicolai shot the arrow?

Wait... Me? thought Nicolai. How is this me? Unless shadowbinding causes shadow clones?

"My name is Nicholai." growled the figure. "Prepare to die!!"

Primo drew back his crossbow and let loose an arrow. It missed Nicholai by an inch. Nicolai fired an arrow. It missed too. Travis and Urza drew pikes and stabbed at Nicholai. The combined pikes, along with the spears of many other bystanders who had noticed, pinned Nicholai to a wall. Nicholai, enraged, broke free and shattered all the spears, every last one. Uriah decided now was the time to use his special ability.

"Special Ability! Thundersmash!"

The smash struck Nicholai straight in the head. He fired a death bolt, missing tit's intended target Uriah and blasting into a three-floor hotel. The hotel collapsed.

Nicolai drew his bow once more, this time using his special ability.

"Special Ability! Arrow Rain!"

A variety of arrows pinned Nicholai to the ground. An arrow pierced Nicholai in the throat, and the gargling and choking Nicholai vanished into a puff of smoke moments later.

"How is this possible?" murmurs Philinus. "Unless... Unless... Nicolai hasn't been shadowbound?"

That's how! They captured me and utilized my likeness to create evil clones!

One mystery less to solve, but one more is created in Doom City...

"YOU!! YOU!!!!! YOU FAILED ME!!!!!!" pouts a livid Doom.

"M-my leader, I t-told you, I d-d-d-didn't know it w-would fail l-like s-so."  squeak a trembling and clearly terrified Rahcaz.

"ENOUGH! YOU HAVE FAILED ME ONE TOO MANY TIMES! DIE!"

Rahcaz was dead before he lay on the ground, as a small orb fell out of his hands...