The Most Powerful Lightning User

Alara Elding, Princess of Alloria was among the greatest lightning users of all time. She had proven herself time and time again in the tournament arena.  It was an Alloria tradition that the strongest fighters compete in one on one skilled combat every year and each year since she was eligible, Alara had come out as the champion. 

They say that she moved with such speed that her lighting step was literally followed by a clap of thunder. She also had shocks so powerful they would literally melt armor, but the true trait that impressed thousands was her absolute ferocity. She would literally take people down without mercy, shock riders and their mounts, and even discharge electricity right into the helmets of her opponents.

This tenacity often led the princess to get herself into serious predicaments. Her temper was short and she tended to act aggressively before thinking. She was brought into her father's chambers by the police often because she got into a fight with a drinkard or thug and caused damage to buildings or property. She would enter with her head held high, her long and straight blonde hair tousled and confess that she was not sorry. Of course in those fights the one thing she didn't do was use her magic because people would be dead if she did. She had enough sense to do that. 

The squabbles that she got into were about justice most of the time so how just would it be if she obliterated all the offenders? This sense of justice is what got her locked in her room after the priestess took the king’s arm. Alara's green eyes were focused on only revenge and restoration of her father's honor. The king knew she would rush to the battle grounds so he preemptively put her on room arrest.  

In fact, while he was still cradling his arm he yelled out to the guards, “Secure the princess. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid!”

Lucky for the remaining palace guards, the princess was already in her quarters or they would have been in for one hell of a fight. Alara was taking a nap when everything in the chamber room happened, but as soon as she heard the bolt of the door close the the metal shutters enngage over her windows, she hopped out of bed and rammed the door with her full body weight. At nearly 6ft and about 85kg she was quite formidable and made the entire door shake.

 The reinforcements to the door would not hold up long as Alara used her lightning to heat up the metal. Already in her royal, red, riding coat with golden tassels draped across her shoulders, black hems, and white buttons, she was already dressed for a fight. Alara didn't know what happened, but if her father locked her up, it meant there was something that he was keeping her away from. That wasn't something that Alara would take without rebelling.  

She bent down in her black trousers and black laced boots, and when the hinges of the door were red hot, she tossed a vase of flowers at the metal. It rapidly cooled and became brittle before Alara rammed into the door with her shoulder shattering the hinges. Most lightning users did not have the control to concentrate their magic in such a precise way but to Alara the skill was nothing special and doors and traps usually did not last more than 20 minutes or so against her. Why her father kept trying to imprison her was beyond everyone's comprehension at this point because it just slowed down the 20-year-old's inevitable escape. 

Once Alara was free, the first thing she did was corner one of the guards on watch. At this point he knew better than to defy the feisty princess, but he also tried to maintain his loyalty to the king.

“Oi, you there. Guard, you are on duty in the royal chambers, correct?”

The heavily armored guard who was in a full suit of metal with a knight's helm, lowered his head and shrunk down, “Yes your highness.”

Alara twirled a piece of her hair before standing in front of the guard and putting her hand on his shoulder. “Good, then I presume you know why my father locked me up this time right?” Alara flashed her eyes golden and the guard could feel his hair begin to stand straight up as static filled the air around him.

He took a big gulp before stuttering, “Yes your highness, but his majesty swore me to secrecy…” he took another look at Alara's grave expression. “I guess it would be ok to tell another member of the royal family though. You see, the meeting between your father and the Isaz priestess did not go as planned.”

Alara's brows furrowed, “What happened? Spit it out already!”

The guard let out a little squeak as he was zapped with a little bolt, “The king lost his arm!”

Alara's face changed again to outright fury, “He what?”

“His arm. The high-priestess took his arm. The healers have nothing to reattach!”

“Where is she? The priestess?” 

“She fled to the dungeon. Troops should already be there now!”

Alara lowered her hand and punched the guard square in the face, knocking him out. As his body hit the floor, Alara whispered the activation spell for her fastest mobility booster, “Flash Skip”!

Lightning engulfed her body, and it was suddenly as if time stood still. She was moving so quickly that all other movement appeared to be in slow motion, the flicker of the flame in the palace entryway moving exaggeratedly slow as Alara flew right past the remainder of the guards. They hadn't even had time to react before Alara was outside very rapidly, closing the distance between herself and the entrance to the dungeons. 

Meanwhile troops dressed in red and black uniforms, which was the signature look for Elding lightning users, were in a fierce battle with ice users. To their surprise, they were being steadily pushed back. Since the Isaz had never fought back, the lightning user's were not accustomed to their attacks or fighting styles and found themselves being out maneuvered. The pale skinned ice user's blue glowing eyes were the last thing they saw before their limbs were frozen and they were imprisoned in solid ice. Unlike the Elding, the Isaz did not have fancy garb and instead wore simple white or tan blouses and matching trousers which were usually not in good repair. Even the Elding soldier's attacks were easily deflected with ice shields, plus the cooler temps were making it hard for the lightning users to move with their usual swiftness. 

From a small ledge at the end of a high tunnel, the priestess sat, eyes purple, resting casually on her perch. One of her legs dangled off the edge as she looked down at the battle ground. She was calm, but she was ready to step in at any moment if things got too dangerous for either side. Her youthful face and short black hair was covered by her worn and stained hooded robe. On a normal sized person the robe would have been shin length, but the priestess was so short that the edges of the robe were frayed from dragging on the ground. Though there was animosity between the Elding and Isaz, she did not want blood to be spilled. It appeared as if they would successfully push their oppressors out of the dungeon until SHE arrived. 

In a flash of light, the thick shields of ice all shattered at once. To the average person, they would not be able to keep up with the sonic speed of Alara, but right before she landed a blow on an ice user, the priestess appeared out of nowhere and bumped her wrist, sending the bolt meant for the ice user into the dungeon ceiling. The princess swore that for a second, the hooded figure's eyes flashed golden. The two squared off; about 10m apart from one another the two locked eyes. 

Alara was entirely unimpressed by the small stature of the priestess and immediately assumed an attack stance. She took in a deep breath and decided that she would end it all with a single decisive blow, gathering all her magical energy into her palms, Alara whispered, “Spear of Zeus”. A powerful and concentrated blast came out of her palms headed at high speed towards the little priestess. To Alara's surprise the priestess erected a thick ice-shield just seconds before her attack landed. 

She tried another method. If sheer force wouldn't be enough to get to her, Alara would try speed instead. She tried again, and used her flash skip instead but was alarmed to see the priestess calmly running next to her, expressionless. Alara was starting to get pissed. She could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks as she decided to use an attack that no one would be able to avoid. In the center of the battle field, Alara raised her hand to the sky and began to gather mana in her hand. After a deep breath, she let out a roar, “Lightning storm.” 

Before the powerful bolts began to rain down on all the troops on the battlefield, the priestess released a strong gust of snow without an incantation, that blew all of the those on the field back about 50M. She grabbed tightly onto princess Alara and pulled her close as the dungeon floor collapsed beneath their feet, sending them tumbling into the abyss. The priestess whispered, “Ice Tomb,” before the two lost consciousness and were engulfed in a thick cocoon of ice.