[Nogrod]

After the more or less private discussion with his mom the phantom stood out from the crowd and called for everyone’s attention. “Ah, what fun I've been having, bossing everyone around. But perhaps it is time to step aside?”

He made a rhetorical pause not thinking anyone would indeed answer him.

“I think things would be much more entertaining for most of you with mom and I out of the way.”

Rikae came forwards meeting her son at the well surrounded by all the villagers.

“So let’s do it, shall we? This has gone on for too long…” She replied and stared at the tp.

”Okay. You have two possibilities. Surrender, give up your minion for me to scry back to normal and leave for good… or die.”

“Even if I’ve not lived up to my expectations… or yours… do you really think I will give you that choice now that you have disgraced my name and the name of our family as one that doesn’t hold together?”

“No I don’t. But I thought of offering it to you to look like I was ready to be fair with you. We have been thinking eerily similar throughout this ordeal and I sense you’re ready to go as well.”

“That’s convenient for you to say so...being so gracious now. And yes, I’ve remarked the same thing. We in the family seem to be alike. But remember that even if you feel you’re on top of things now doesn’t mean all those “yes-men” of yours will be up to the task with my last pet with only a ranger helping them.”

“That’s a risk I’m quite willing to take…”

“You’re a chicken phantom, my son! You were never a decent man! Take it then!”

A deep darkness gathered around Rikae and she was no more. A ray of blackness, or should it be described a lack of light deeper than the night’s darkest hour, burst towards the phantom.

But where tp had been just a moment ago there now was a dazzling sphere of light deflecting the bolt of unlight charging towards him.

The light and the darkness swirled to and fro. The villagers ducked to safety not so sure whether to run or to watch. the But this fight of powers much greater they had ever seen was much too interesting even if they knew they were risking their lives. So they all just held their breath and hoped for the best.

It went on a minute or two. At times it felt like the unlight got the upper hand and everything went darker around the village. At times it felt like the light called the shots and everything was getting brighter.

Then it started raining… raining heavily. In no time there was a storm. The thunder and lightning accompanied the duel of the wizards trying to steal the leading role to itself.

But finally there was a blast which deafened the ears of everyone present and even faded the thunder of the skies. All the colours and shades they knew – and also those they didn’t – blasted on them. It was light and dark at the same time. All the shades of grey twinkled on and off and it all felt like a fairytale or a dream.

Then the villagers were again able to look more closely. There were just two tornadoes in the receding rain. Or some things which looked like tornadoes. It seemed like all the surroundings had lost their colour and… being. Even the heavy rain and thunder seemed to have faded somehow even if they were there. The one was composed of the absence of light as it seemed to absorb all the light into it to turn them into their non-existant mirror-image. The other one was of pure light, colourless and shadeless just undescribably bright trying to suck all the light from everything around it into a great dazzling burst of light no one had seen before.

The two tornadoes swirled a moment gathering strength and then clashed for the final time.

Dark and light, black and white, flashed one after another with a bang.

Then it was silent and grey.

There was no sun and light but no darkness or night either. There were no colours. All was grey.

Then the rain had started falling again pounding the ground and all those on it heavily.

The tornadoes had disappeared and the villagers stood up one by one braving to have a closer look.

The colours were slowly coming back to the world around them and they looked around as the rain slowly faded away after that last show-off.

The phantom and Rikae had disappeared.

There were no wizards any more.