Page 194 of The Last Syphon

A bright, golden shield exploded from the centre of Inara’s chest, and the balls of energy smashed against it. Pressure built in her head, but it vanished not a moment later.

Above them, their Guardians engaged in battle. Talons and claws ripped into scaled skin as the beasts grappled with one another in the air. Streams of fire and ice shot through the sky, but Tibierus blinked out of their path, swooping down to swipe his talons at Fraener and Tydus before disappearing once more.

Inara and Balthus continued to hurl things at each other, him balls of pure energy and her shield discs. Shields popped in and out of existence as they both blocked each other’s attacks. Inara threw one last shield disc and jumped, appearing behind him as her disc flew through the air. Her axe materialised in her hand and she swung, trying to cut his head clean off his body.

A pulse of pure power burst out of him, swiping her off her feet. She flew black, landing harshly on her back. Pain shot through her body, but she ignored it, quickly standing up again. He jumped in front of her. His foot came flying towards her face. She blocked it with her forearm and wrapped her shield around her fist before punching him in the kidney.

He grunted but took the attack well, not even flinching. His energy sword appeared out of thin air and he swung upwards in a powerful arc. Inara only just managed to rear back, the blade whistling past her chest. She sent her shield out in a strong, concussive burst and it smacked into him, sending him flying to land hard on the harsh, unforgiving ground.

Inara caught her breath as he moved to a stand. They stared from across the field, eyeing each other up. Sweat beaded on her forehead, dripping down the side of her face.

Balthus seemed no worse for wear. If anything, he seemed even more energetic. His lips curled, a dark expression taking hold. His hands moved to his front, staying several inches apart and he focused.

Something terrible skated across her skin; a deep, impending doom.

Energy materialised, appearing in the open space between his hands. Inara switched to her syphon sight. He was pulling power from all around him. From the air. The ground. His Guardian. Her shield wall behind her. Everything. He was pulling so much power and it took form as a giant energy ball in front of him. The amount he was channelling…It was more than she could handle on her own.

Inara did the same. She assumed the same position and called all the power swirling in the air around her to her aid, syphoning it and manifesting it into a corporeal form.

Balthus tensed and shot the energy forward. It wasn’t a ball, like she had first thought, but a constant stream of pure energy pouring out of his hands. It came hurtling towards her, and even though she had yet to draw enough power to beat it, she shot her own energy forward.

The two forms of energy clashed with a trembling boom.

Pain gripped her tight in its clutches, like claws digging and cutting into her mind. Inara gritted her teeth and continued to push forward with all her might, funnelling as much power as she could into her energy stream. Her hands shook with terrible force, every inch of her body screaming in protest. It felt like she was trying to lift a heavy weight that she was in no way strong enough to lift.

Then, slowly, Inara noticed something that had her heart racing.

Balthus was moving forward.

Inara growled, shoving another burst of power into the energy stream, but it made no difference. Balthus continued to advance. Inara saw it, clear as day through her syphon sight. His magic was eating hers. Consuming it.

Her magic was doing the same thing, but it wasn’t doing it fast enough. Balthus’s magic was eating hers faster than hers could eat his.

He was too strong. She couldn’t beat him.

Inara screamed, falling to one knee. Fraener’s panic slammed into her, and she sensed him, high above, trying to get to her. But Tibierus would not allow it, blocking his path at every turn. He sent a strong stream of power rushing through the soul-link, but it did nothing. Balthus just consumed it, syphoning it right from her.

Her entire body trembled from the unwavering force bearing down her. Balthus approached slowly, each step he took eating away another chunk of her magic. He came to a stop a mere few feet away, and that was when Inara noticed how pointless it all was.

He was smiling. Laughing.

This whole time, he had merely been toying with her. Playing with her. Allowing her to think she had a chance when really, she had none.

He was always going to win.

“I have to say, Inara, I am somewhat disappointed.” He thrust his hands, and his magic slid forward another inch.

She screamed. It took every ounce of willpower she possessed to keep her hands up. To keep the magic flowing. To try to stop him. If she didn’t, if she allowed her hands to fall and her magic to vanish, that stream of energy would burn her alive.

“I expected so much more from you. So. Much. More.” He goaded. Balthus stood almost directly over her now, his magic smothering her from all sides. Her hands were up, protecting her face from the hot, burning energy but she was almost completely depleted.

Inara didn’t have the strength to respond. She was going to die. She couldn’t hold it back anymore. Darkness danced at the edge of her vision. Blood seeped from her nose, mouth, and eyes. It was killing her keeping it up.

Inara looked behind her. Prince Walder and Felix stood on the other side of the shield, pounding at it ferociously, trying to get through.

She mentally pleaded for the prince to look at her, and, as if he had heard her plea, beautiful violet eyes clashed with hers.

“Run,” she mouthed.