Meanwhile

Kyle:

Xao and I ran through the trees, doing our best to just ignore the explosions tearing out on the hill above us. According to Xao's device, Tyrin was still a good distance away, but, fast as he could move, there was no telling how long that would hold true.

After running a good distance Xao and I dropped down near two conveniently parallel upturned tree stumps.

Xao breathed heavily. "So... when we actually face Tyrin... your ideas?"

I swallowed down several gasps for air myself- I was probably more exhausted than him considering my smaller legs. "Um... Jaden said to just run so- dodge. Dodge like crazy. We got nothing to hurt him."

Xao held the temples of his head. "Ya know what? I refuse. Did we all pray like that for nothing?"

"What in the world is this now?" I asked with a chuckle. "Don't go weird on me now. Even IF there is a god, no guarantee he's gonna do anything." I really didn't want to go down this line right now.

"Well, what do you think faith is for? All I got is this dumb pulse cannon- but maybe I have more than that. Either way, if we let Tyrin get past us while those two try to rescue J-Star he'll be able to just bulldoze them. We want to win, we have to hold him ourselves."

"With what exactly? Jaden gave orders and-"

"And who is in charge out here exactly? No faith in god, fine- but you gotta at least have faith in yourself out here."

I closed my eyes. I so hated that he was right. "Ya know what- Last time we fought he had to rapidly switch his field between different settings to block our attacks. Seems I could shoot metal at him with my magnets while you blast him with the energy cannon."

"It occurs to me, just about anyone could take that guy out with a well-coordinated strike," Xao said.

"A bullet timed with an explosion? Yeah. Anyone COULD do that, good luck pulling it off." I looked down at the scanner again. I sighed, my stomach sinking. "Something's moving in- and your thing finally reset- weird how quiet a guy that size can be."

Tyrin walked out from behind a rather large tree. I looked at him, dressed in a large overcoat and with a black wool hat, a feather extending from the right side of its brim. Under his jacket, I could see a fitted suit with a green tie. His pants were black denim but were probably more khakis than anything formal. Finally, I saw leather steel-toed boots as I slipped back down to hide.

My mind was now reeling. We needed to run. We needed to run like the wind and... and leave Jessica and the others to their fate?

We both continued to look at him from behind the roots of the stumps. He gave us both a half-smile and put a foot up on the end of the stump I was behind. On his left side was his sword and the right side of his coat bulged under the weight of a gun. Under his left coat sleeve, I couldn't see, but I had to wager he still had his old pulse cannon, similar to Xao's. "Truth is I'd rather face the goddess without you two little snots around. I'm perfectly willing to give you my attention." The man said.

As he was speaking we heard a series of explosions in the distance, men screaming and thunder rolling out. "Can't blame you for being scared," I ventured to taunt. I listened as his sword started to lose from its scabbard.

Xao and I both jumped up and used our powers to zip away from the tree stumps just before the one I was sitting behind was torn apart by a wave of energy that continued forward and carved a large hole in the dirt.

As we both dived behind trees, Tyrin just laughed. "I am curious if you two have any last words."

In my mind, I had to make a decision. Who was right, Xao or Jaden.

Run, or fight?

I closed my eyes. As Tyrin blabbered on I counted on my fingers so Xao could see. I hit three and we both rolled against the trees we hid behind, me pointing my magnet at him and Xao pointing his pulse cannon. A metal shard and a pulse of energy fired at Tyrin.

I would fight.

The pulse impacted a field of some kind, ripping into the turf around him and the projectile simply bounced off, dropping to the ground. Tyrin sighed. "It was so much more sporting. I miss my old shield," he said, re-sheathing his sword. He jerked his handgun from his jacket. We both ducked behind the trees. "Well, now that we all understand what the other has- let's start the dance of death, shall we?"

I raised my magnet device slightly, taking some of my metal dust and tossing it in the air, magnetizing it to the device. The man walked forward, moving slowly. I wagered that wasn't just to taunt us, his shield likely wasn't perfect and I wagered I knew what its weakness was. He moved past my tree first and pulled out his gun, pointing it at me on his right. I quickly ducked down as he fired, the dust flying off my device straight for his face.

Some of the dust was blocked- but not all of it. Some hit his face. He blinked and sputtered at the dust, but as he finished, his eyes grew wide, me pausing to give him a snicker before I jetted off to hide behind another large tree.

Tyrin turned to the tree Xao was hiding behind quickly, pulling on his sword as Xao rolled on the tree and took his shot as the sword was coming out. This time the pulse was not blocked, as Tyrin was tossed back and rolled on the ground.

Tyrin himself quickly opted to hide behind a tree as well. "So..." he said, swallowing a few gasps for air of his own. "Clever little boys. You now know my shield isn't always up. If it blocks attacks coming in, it can't very well discriminate against attacks going out." He chuckled. "Good luck only firing on me the split second before I fire at you."

I pulled out Rita, Jessica's gift from when we first came to earth. Jess herself wasn't here, but if we stood any chance at hurting this man, my own lightning blade was pretty much the embodiment of that chance. The tent stakes I carried could do damage if I got them past that shield, but he would be able to see them coming.

I blinked, suddenly realizing- I quickly shot away from the tree I was hiding behind, catching a glimpse of Tyrin as he had rolled around his tree and was now facing my tree. Before he realized I had dodged he drew his sword, a wave of energy ripping through the tall reeds in front of him like a blade and cutting straight through my former cover, the mighty birch careening as it came crashing to the ground.

Xao shouted to me. "Head for the train tracks, hurry. There should be metal all around for you to use. We'll just have to hope we're up for a game of dodge." Xao and I both dashed to the top of the hill, Xao just missed by an energy pulse from Tyrin's right hand, it sailed through the trees, branches and leaves scattering as it just missed him and passed just in front of my face.

Xao and I both engaged a jump the rest of the way to the top of the hill. Once at the top, we both turned, Xao pointing his pulse cannon and me pointing Rita at the trees below us where Tyrin was. We both opened fire, lighting, and pulses of energy slamming into the foliage below us, debris falling all around.

My ears picked up as rocks and dust were kicked up, Tyrin appearing to my far right. Xao and I both shot away, Xao along the side of the hill and me towards the two sets of tracks as Tyrin fired his handgun in our direction two times, missing, but keeping us on our toes.

I clenched my fist, iron scrap starting to float into the air all around me. This probably looked pretty intimidating but... well if Tyrin turned to fight me I would have to drop the act as I was really taxing my brain to regulate the magnetism to make this display.

Tyrin grinned looking over at me. "So- what kind of a game should we call this? Cat and mouse? But you're out and fighting so... hmm..." he scratched his chin. I walked slowly around him, noticing Xao's head just over the hill as he was doing the same in the opposite direction as me. "So, we're all trying to think this out eh? Pharaoh duels- they happen more with the mind than the hands," he tapped his head.

The display of metal around me dropped, only a few items continuing to float as I slowed my steps. What was my next move to be? I couldn't just jump at random. Rita was out and ready to be used, arcs of electric energy dancing down her blade. If Tyrin ventured to use one of his weapons, Xao and I would both fire on him, him being fried and knocked for a loop from both sides. However if we fired ahead of time, he could take advantage of our fast yet not non-existent recharge times.

Tyrin's eyes were staying on me, most likely because I carried the more lethal weapons.

If he tried to fire, should I dodge or try to race him to answer his attack before it launched? Tyrin slowly raised his hands, looking at the two of us, his two hands moving with us as we continued to slowly walk around him, both pointing just below our feet. He slowly closed both hands, his left hand facing me.

Why didn't it click in my mind what he was doing?

I was rocketed into the air along with dust and other pieces of debris.

I crashed down onto the train tracks, my head missing the metal rail by a few inches. My sword clanged off in the distance as I heard Xao's pulse cannon fire.

I looked up, my head and back aching, just able to watch as the dust around Tyrin sprayed out, his shield up in time to stop Xao's attack, but just barely. I crabbed walked backward, keeping my right hand up, and pointed at Tyrin, two pieces of metal floating in front of me.

I could take a chance and try to magnetize Rita. The trouble with that, Cyra had a lower iron content than the steel around me so the metal debris around her would come screaming at me long before Rita and I would have a hard time concentrating like this.

I cringed, looking at Tyrin's left hand still pointed in my general direction. If he pulled his gun or sword, I could anticipate that attack while looking around at him, however, his pulse cannon seemed to be triggered by a mental link, me having no idea how to read when he would attack. Why hadn't I thought this through better? Another blast and Tyrin could embed my skull in the metal rail behind me.

I closed my eyes... at least I would go out having fought.

Dust and rocks flew out in a flurry in front of Tyrin's left side and I suddenly felt myself pulled into the air- then I was jolted forward.

Xao plopped me down on my feet. I saw the dust clearing from where Tyrin had tried to fire on me anyway when Xao distracted him with a pulse blast to the dust and rescued me. The large man turned his head to us.

"Behind the flatbed!" Xao said, moving quickly and launching himself over a flatbed train car just a few feet from the both of us. I opened my hand, temporarily freed. Debris flew towards me as I ducked down catching Rita as she sailed to my hand. I bolted forward in a jump, leaping behind just after passing the cart. A pulse of energy hit the train car, but like Xao probably guessed, it wasn't powerful enough to move the cart.

I dropped behind the cart. "Pretty sure his sword can get through this- maybe it has a short-range though, he doesn't just fire it at a distance I've noticed."

"He's had the chance to do that?" Xao said, his voice sounding just as unsure as my statement had been.

"I don't know, it's a thought-"

"Just alternate fire!" I peeked my head and right hand over the rail car, a metal shard tearing up from the ground around me and flying at where I quickly sighted Tyrin.

I ducked back down as Xao repeated my movement, firing a pulse down the field at Tyrin as well.

Tyrin disappeared in a blur of colors, covering the distance to us at an angle. We both jumped to our feet as he appeared and aimed his gun. I engaged my magnet in that second.

BANG! The shot rang out, but the gun had been forced to the right, following my magnet the second his shield disengaged.

I held up my device. I glared and spoke. "Your advantage isn't as overwhelming as you might think Tyrin. Good luck aiming that gun at us while I have this- and I kinda doubt that pulse cannon is made of pure Cyra like your sword."

Xao jumped up on the cart as I moved in the opposite direction.

"Your magnet can't be engaged forever."

"Same for your shield," Xao noted, aiming his pulse cannon. "You'll suffocate if you never put it down." His cannon was also probably affected by my device, but it was an area of effect weapon. Realistically I was bluffing that I could do anything about Tyrin's cannon, its area of effect too large for a minor movement due to magnetic influence to keep it from being effective at close range, but I hoped Tyrin would buy it.

I couldn't believe it... Xao and I were actually fighting Tyrin ourselves.