The trap Amaro found himself in was intended for a wild animal. One who didn’t fully understand the tricky magic behind its bindings. Amaro did. He had read all about trap magic in the hopes that it might help him escape the Xirxus manor.
The snow was designed to trap a panicking animal and keep it from running. The faster Amaro tried to move, the more the snow got out of his way.
If this had been a real hunt, Kaara would have killed him like any other prey by now. That’s what those snowballs likely represented.
But why pelt him with three?
No time to get distracted. Amaro moved his arms as slow as possible. Just as he thought, the snow was easier to pack when he moved slow. It would take a bit of time, but by remaining calm and moving slow, he could worm his way out.
Bit by bit, inch by inch, he climbed his way out of the snow trap, and onto solid ground. He wondered if Deka had managed to get out of his bindings yet. As much as he hated him, he knew a magical trap wouldn’t be nearly enough to contain the prince.
Amaro observed the ground. Either Kaara was intentionally leading him to find her, or she had exhausted her mana creating all of those golems.
Both could be true at once, but Amaro didn’t know if it was for the purposes of leading him into another trap, or helping him out.
Regardless, he followed the trail cautiously.
Amaro checked his senses. He couldn’t pick up any of the golems from before. What happened to them all?
When he saw the white and black of the forest illuminate in a flash of red, however, Amaro threw caution to the wind and took off.
“So that’s how it is.” He heard Deka say, standing before the final golem, “I had to break open nearly every single one of your toys, but I finally found you. And don’t worry, I have not broken any rules. Your wulviir will wake up in a few minutes.”
The golem said nothing to him.
“The gate of your soul is rather large. And if you knew how to properly wield your Ux, you might have won.”
Deka was a cat to a mouse. Toying with her and gloating as she tried to find a way to escape, “But I’m afraid this is a checkmate.”
Amaro lurked behind. He had one shot to steal victory from under their nose.
“Fufufu!” The golem said, revealing that it was Kaara, “Seems like you’ve figured me out…However you forgot one thing.”
Amaro paused. Did she still have more tricks up her sleeve? She had expected this to happen hadn’t she?
Even Deka was cautious to take his victory now, “And what do you think I’ve forgotten? I know you’ve injured your soul to cast so much magic at once. Even if you have dispelled the golems, you won’t have enough to evade me no matter how hard you try.
“Well for one, you’ve forgotten about Amaro haven’t you?”
Deka smirked, “You mean the eavesdropper over there? I haven’t. He won’t stop me, nor will I let him win.”
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Amaro clicked his tongue, stepping out on the opposite side of Kaara.
The xia had a smug look on her face, “Tsk tsk, Deka. The two of you have underestimated me and one another for this entire game. But you’re not coming after me now, and why is that?”
“You’ve got one last trump card, is that right?” Deka said.
Kaara stepped out of her golem’s shell, the snow copy mimicking all of her movements. She crossed her arms, her slender white tail swishing about mischieviously, “I don’t need magic to defeat either of you. Maybe I should remind you of the rules I put in place.”
“You’re stalling for time, aren’t you?”
“Are you willing to take that chance, Prince?” Amaro said, “If you’re wrong and you fall into her trap again, then I win.”
“Exactly!” Kaara added, “Do you remember the rules I put in place, Deka?”
Deka clicked his tongue, “Of course I do. No killing, stealing, permanent bodily injury, or anything below the belt. Your words exactly. What does it matter?”
“I never said those outside of the game couldn’t break the rules, did I?”
Both Deka and Amaro became immediately aware of their surroundings. Was that a threat?
“Are you planning to ambush the two of us and kill us or something?”
Kaara paced about, drawing a circle in the snow with her tail, her golem still mirroring her to complete the other half of it, “You can listen to the beat of my heart if you want.” She said, standing in the center.
Amaro listened carefully, honing his senses in until he could hear the beat of her heart.
“I don’t need magic, or strength to beat either of you. Malaki are drawn to me, did you know that?”
Amaro’s own heart skipped a beat. He could see a cold sweat rolling down Deka’s head, “You’re bluffing,” Deka said. Though Amaro knew he must have heard her heart as well.
She hadn’t lied.
“Am I? I’ll say it again. Malaki are drawn to me. Do you know what that means?”
Deka scanned the forest, now paranoid of the monsters that may lurk in the fog, “You’re planning to have them kill the two of us and act like it's an accident? Are you some sort of Malaki yourself?”
Kaara giggled, not answering his question.
“Speak! What are you?”
“I’m cursed.”
“Why tell us this now?” Amaro asked.
Kaara put her thumb to her lip, replying with a long silence, “Do you think it makes me a bad person?”
Amaro racked his brain, what did she mean by that?
His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of several creatures approaching them. Had Kaara lured the two of them into a trap to watch them both get slaughtered by Malaki?
Amaro and Deka turned to face their foes. Neither of them had weapons. Maybe they could run, but what about Kaara?
Even if she attracted them, she never claimed she could control them. Was she looking for someone to confide in?
“No, I don’t think it does make you a bad person, Kaara,” Amaro answered.
“You’re both lunatics,” Deka growled.
“Well I’ve only got one more thing to say…” Kaara said, “Gotcha!”
She dispersed the fog, revealing the foes they hadn’t been able to see until now.
It was the Venator Knights. “Ah, there you all are! We’ve come to get you for dinner.”
“Hooray!” Kaara said, trotting past the utterly bewildered pair of prodigies.
“So it was a ruse! But how?” Amaro started.
“Did you know I can also make my heart beat at a different pace with blood magic?” Kaara said.
Amaro heard it, there was no lie in that either, “So that’s what it was.”
“The two of you look like you’ve been put through the ringer.” One of the Venator Knights said, “If you come with us, we have a water magic user who can clean your clothes up before dinner.”
“No need,” Deka said sternly, “Let them know that the prince of Itaro keeps his word. I and Amaro made a deal.”
Amaro was a shocked at Deka’s honor, but he couldn’t agree more with him, “Deka’s right. Kaara beat the both of us fair and square, and so we’ll wear that embarrassment like we promised.” He chuckled, “We’ve not even lived with the Tibur one day, and you’ve already humbled the both of us, huh?”
Kaara grinned at him, “Looks like my lesson plan worked out after all.”