I turned towards the approaching enemy, having freed each other from the blades of wind I had used to restrain them while I claimed the twin lion swords. They now prepared to attack us once more, but this was where it ended for them.

Panting, my vision blurring in and out of focus. I staggered as I stepped forward but stood strong, moving in front of Tigra and Brendan.

“Alex.” Tigra rushed to my side with Brendan concerned.

“I’m okay,” I responded. The battle with the lions had taken most of my strength, but that wasn’t going to stop me from defending my friends.

“I am surprised you are still standing after that,” commented Arata, appearing on my left.

“You should refrain from using our power or the others in your weakened state,” advised Raziel as he appeared on my right.

“The winged lions,” gasped Tigra.

“Stay close, we’re getting out of here,” I said. I wasn’t sure if I could get us out of here without anyone getting hurt, but I was going to try.

“You can’t do this on your own,” argued Brendan.

“Just do as I say, please.” I glanced back. “I have never used this power before. I don’t know what I am capable of.” They both nodded.

“I see,” nodded Raziel. “These are the ones you drew our power for.” I glanced at him for a moment. “Very well, master.”

I felt weak but we needed to get out of here quickly before Dumah returned, or any of his clones reported us to him. I wanted to give him a nice big surprise when he found out I had claimed the lions power not him.

The cloned knights got closer, the front row breaking into a run, their weapons bared ready to kill us, but they would get no further.

Without hesitation I moved forward swinging Raziel’s sword, sending out a wall of fire that burned anything it touched.

The defeated cloned knights let out screams as they were burned, which I found strange as before they had showed no signs of showing they knew what pain was. Each one I hit dispersed in a puff of smoke; they had never existed in the first place.

It made me wonder what they really were, perhaps I would mention this to the king, see if he knew what was going on, that was, if he told me.

The clones had no emotions of fear as most attempted to run through the flames to reach us, but it was for nothing as they too burned in the ferocious heat.

The last few stayed back, but I could not let anyone of them escape, not now they knew I had their power. I swiped Arata’s sword sending out lightning directly from the blade at those who remained.

I was amazed by the power of the twin lions, and I had only used a small portion of it. I wondered how long it would take me to learn to master their power too as I could already feel the strain getting almost too much for my body.

I could sense both the lion’s power, they were separate in strength but at the same time, they somehow drew on one another, which was unsurprising seeing at they came as a pair.

“Move!” I shouted as I willed the fire to burn out, before heading towards the main doorway. Tigra and Brendan quickly followed behind me, followed then by the lions, almost like they were making sure we were not followed by any I may have missed, I doubted with their power no one could survive.

“Almost there,” said Brendan.

The doors were still being forcibly held open, and more clones were starting to come, most probably heard all the commotion from inside, thinking it best to investigate what was happening. How many had he created?

I raised Arata’s sword before I had even got outside and swiped in downwards, summoning black lightning to strike outside the temple, taking out most of those outside.

“Just a few more,” pointed out Tigra. “Please be careful.” I could tell she was worried about me, and to be honest so was I, using such raw power was becoming too much for my already strained body.

“One last push!” I yelled swiping both swords, creating an onslaught of fire and lightning, twisting together, almost like a tornado as it wiped out the last of the clones, who had been standing outside guarding the place from intruders, but now the real intruders were all gone.

I headed straight out of the temple, stopping to face the doors. As soon as Tigra and Brendan were out of the temple I destroyed what was holding the doors open, Dumah would have no access to this place anymore.

As the doors closed themselves, they sealed themselves with a handprint appearing in the centre.

“Only you our master are permitted to enter now,” informed Raziel.

“Good,” I nodded as I made my way towards the forest that surrounded the temple. Brendan and Tigra were close behind me. “We need to get out of sight before anyone else shows up and sees us.”

“I doubt anyone is going to see us, you just wiped them all out,” commented Brendan. “Man, you are getting scary with all that power.”

His words fell short as just as I reached the edge of the forest, I just stopped dead in my tracks. As every bit of remaining strength, I had left disappeared from my body and I collapsed forward, losing consciousness.

“Alex!” I heard both Tigra and Brendan shouting my name.