ART BY:
 aricub

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REAK-EAK-EAK-KIK!
TICK-TACK-TICK-TACK!
SKRSH!
KA-THUD!

Emino burst through the large wooden door that Snu had been guarding. It looked a lot like a gallery of sorts. However, there was very little to be seen. About all his eyes could catch notice of was a very large open window along with a massive stone tablet that took up nearly the entire back wall of the room. On it, he could clearly make out depictions of a variety of creatures that he had personally encountered on his cosmic travels.
“I don’t like this.” he thought to himself. Despite not seeing anyone within the chamber, he could clearly detect the presence of someone very close by.

Closing his eyes, Emino focused his mind in an effort to mentally pinpoint the source of the presence of whomever was in the room with him.
“There,” he thought while his psychic senses pointed him toward the large open window. “I know you’re there Emphina! Show yourself!”
“Grah!” she snarled while her body began to reappear. “How dare you call me by that name?”
“Whoa!” cried Emino as he leapt suddenly out of the way of Apathina’s mighty tail.

Having missed in her swipe, the snake queen lunged out toward where Emino was standing in an attempt to tackle him.
“You’ll pay for that!” she exploded while she flew through the air like an arrow.

Emino was just able to dodge the incoming assault by the snake queen.
“Well done mentalist!” praised Apathina as she prepared to cast a spell.
Emino prepared himself for psychic combat as he stated, “How do you even begin to justify your actions Emphina.”
Apathina’s eyes burned as she glared towards the bird-like psychic.
“Emphina is gone!” she exclaimed as ethereal energy started to swirl around her in all the colors of the rainbow. “There is only Apathina and I seek vengeance for what has been done to me!”
“By now you must realize that Snu has been behind all of your misery!” Emino firmly stated. “Let go your hate and his influence and all can be well again!”
“Even so,” she hissed. “Nobody cared to stop him! They allowed my husband to die! They banished me to this city of solitude and took my throne for their own!”

Emino was taken aback by the answer he had received.
“Speechless?” she questioned with a laugh as runes formed all around her. “Wait until you see what’s next for you mentalist!”

Emino took a few steps back as he watched not just one circular layer of runes surround Apathina, but three.

Apathina laughed with sinister glee as she took in Emino’s surprise.
“I thought as much!” she exclaimed. “Prepare yourself to feel the full force of a master rune caster!”

POOM-POOM
POOM-POOM-POOM
WHOO-OOOO-HISH!

There was little Emino could do as he watched each set of runes erupt in plumes of colored light. When the light cleared, she had a number of mystical attack orbs orbiting her body and was surrounded by an ethereal shield.
“Shocked?” she asked, preparing to have her orbiting orbs send surges of highly charged magical energy towards the bird-like man. “Not even your mental powers can penetrate through this barrier!”

Emino tested to see how true Apathina’s words were. However, as she had stated, there was nothing his psychic powers could do to get through her ethereal barrier.
“No matter!” he shouted toward the snake queen. “I’ve come to put an end to your tyranny and that is just what I’m going to do!”