Why do people waste so much time on words?

My father once told me that words are like coins. They could cost you your life as much as they could buy your freedom. And the more foolishly you spent them, the more dangerous they became. Each word becomes progressively more meaningless when a person goes on and on. One well-placed word was more worthwhile than a thousand. I've often found that people spend more time talking than they do listening. And when I spent my energy keeping my words to myself, I found that people speak even when their lips are firmly closed.

People thought I was good in a fight because of my experiences. But they were wrong. I was a good fighter because I paid attention to the things that were important. Words were least among them.

So why was Rowena bothering to talk to the Chosen?

I struggled to my feet, this mystic plane thrumming with power from every crevice. Rowena and our enemy were already squaring off against one another. Like two wolves preparing to tear one another apart.

"We're in my Purgatory now. I'm about to show you how outclassed you are," Rowena said in her raw voice, wasting another precious second to attack and finally end this. Gods damn it, Rowena. Why did she always have to say something? And now of all times? Taunts and boasts wouldn't win this fight.

"Says the woman who has failed to save anyone she holds near to her shriveled little heart," the Shifter shot back is his new deep voice, settling into his Behemoth form. He stood at more than double my height, each of his arms thicker than a tree trunk. His skin had gone a pale white, and his eyes were gray as the sky before a snow storm. A thick white beard now clung to his chin, and power radiated from every single inch of him.

I wasn't going to let him attack first.

I sprang up on silent feet, gathering blue fire into my palms as the energy of my Elemancer blood danced on my skin. Pivoting on my feet, I aimed an attack at the Behemoth's back, dipping right and left and keeping my eyes locked firmly on him. He was facing Rowena fully, as if he had forgotten I was here. His head was canted to the side, and his arms hung down loosely. The perfect mark.

My heart jumped with the thrill of the justice this would bring to all the murdered Deified and their families. Why was this man so much trouble up until now? I knew he must have been formidable if Rowena hadn't been able to kill him until now, but that didn't seem to matter now. My flaming fists raced toward him, while he made no move to defend himself.

Perhaps Fate itself would smile on us at last and make this an easy fight.

The corner of his mouth hooked upward in a smirk right before I struck. That was my only warning before his bucket-sized hand reached out for my head.

On instinct I lifted my legs beneath me, sliding on my side with my forward momentum as the flames extinguished. The giant hand closed on empty air inches from me with the sound of clapping thunder. I immediately rolled to the side just as the Chosen's foot came crashing down where my skull had been. I pressed my hand beneath me, push-pressing myself to a crouch.

Changing tactic, I shot a fireball at his ugly face as my other laid on the grass and changed the energy to call to the ground itself . If I couldn't sneak up on him, then I would-

"-Crack the ground beneath my feet?" the Behemoth asked with a low laugh, glancing at me over his shoulder. I froze, keeping my face blank as I coiled more energy into my palms. The Chosen's posture was relaxed, his feet returning to an even stance as grinned at me.

"Is that going to be your next trick? I must say its an effective choice for someone larger and heavier like I currently am," he went appreciatively when I didn't respond. Rowena chuckled, drawing his attention again.

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"Reading minds again are we? Life must be very boring for you," she said, giving him a small clap. The Behemoth swiveled his massive body more fully to her as I stood slowly, keeping my weight in the balls of my feet.

The second his eyes left me I raced forward again, calling water to my hands and spreading it beneath him. I then froze it as he grunted, slipping with a curse. I created a sword of ice in each of my hands next, and was a fraction of a moment from driving it into his skull before he kicked out. I jumped out of the way, but not before his hand closed around my chest.

Pain soared through my ribs, and it felt like my soul was being crushed. I could only manage a grunt as I called more fire to my palms, laying them on his fingers. He hissed, but kept squeezing all the same, his lip curling back in a snarl.

A spear made of shadow pierced his forearm just as I was about to pass out.

He released me with a grunt of his own and I landed hard, but I didn't have time to recover. I brought another hand up just in time to deflect a stone-shattering kick to my head. It flung me back several feet all the same, fiery pain crawling up my arm.

"Stop!" cried the Chosen, holding a hand out to me and Rowena both as we both panted. I glanced at Rowena quickly, seeing all color drain from her face as she stooped her hands on her knees.

The Chosen grunted again as he resumed his feet, looking at me like a cougar would look at a wasp with his brow pinched in annoyance.

"That's enough, Elemancer boy," he said dimiisively, and I felt my nostrils flare as anger coursed through me. Gods, I wished this coward would stop his endless babble and simply fight us so we could all go home.

"And keep your offensive thoughts about me to a minimum," he said quietly the corner of his mouth hitching upward, "My ego can only take so much. Now sit there and wait for your turn to die. Let the immortals speak,"

He glanced at Rowena then, his hands clasping behind his back.

"Or is my lady Chosen still trying to delude herself into believing she's just a normal human? That she can having normal things like love and simplicity?"

"Oh?" Rowena asked, cocking her head, "I thought you could read my mind, but apparently you've misread me."

Shadows began to spread over her skin as her eyes blazed a radiant blue. They spread just like my Elemancer tattoos in stark contrast to her pale skin as she curled one around her fingers like a snake. She looked...evil.

"I know exactly what I am. I was born a monster. Care to be my next meal?"

Frowning, I spread my palms over the grassy ground and pushed to my feet, sending Rowena a confused look.

Why wasn't she fighting him?

The Behemoth's eyes tracked my movement before Rowena barked a laugh. She stood in the simple dress of Purgatory, her hair uncoiling with the gentle wind that swept through the flowers and trees. She stood straight with her shoulders back and her fists clenched, looking ready to punish the bastard who had caused so much hell.

But then I saw her more clearly.

Her eyelids hung low and thee was a slight shake to her palms. But it was more than that. I could sense the magic within her, a gift I had always possessed. I could feel her control on her abilities slipping. That darker energy lurked within her like a wild animal pacing in it's cage. It was whispering in it's sleep when she first came back, but now it was throwing itself against the doors of its cage. And now that she had stopped time, her defenses against it were low.

She wasn't fighting, because she couldn't. She needed me to buy her time to restore some energy.

Rowena and the Chosen said something more, I was distracted as a laugh floated to me on the wind.

I pivoted in an instant, gazing all around. The night sky stared at us pitilessly with an all-consuming oblivion, but I was able to spy two figures within it. At first they simply looked like constellations, but as I gaze further at them, the stars reformed and merged with the blackness into two humanoid shapes. They had huge wings extending out their backs, and I could see one was male and the other was female. They didn't respond to my attention, seeming content to hover above us.

Puzzled, I hesitated as I felt their eyes on us. What were they? And why were they here? I could sense their magic even from this distance, and I pulled in a sharp breath as I felt a seemingly endless ocean of power inside each of them.

The female form suddenly descended to the ground, landing with catlike grace. Her wings grazed the ground behind her as folded them back, her male counterpart not far behind her.

Calling wind Elemancy to my palms, I sank into another fighting stance as they approached. The female laughed again, her wings spreading as she did.

"Believe me," she said as ashen hair fell into black eyes, "That would be a mistake."

"Peace, Lera. Our mistress said he is not to be harmed," said the male, who stared at me with pity in his eyes.

My mouth parted as I thought about asking them what they meant, but nothing came out.

"Don't mind us, Boy," the female named Lera said, "Your friend over there needs you more."

She smiled again as she reached behind her back and produced two short swords of glistening obsidian metal.

"And I have a feeling things are finally about to get interesting."