Legion

Legion had attacked because it was the right thing to do. Azeroth would have died otherwise. He just wished he could muster the same power that he had fought Ghetsis with. His spells fizzled in his hands. Death’s End was somewhere strewn amongst the bodies and rubble.

Billis ran at him. She wouldn’t stop crying. Her blade gripped tight enough to be a part of her. She was like a wounded predator. Terror tightened Legion’s throat. He took that terror and channeled it into a desperate spell. A spear of red light escaped his hands. Billis jumped out of the spell’s path. She landed on the throne platform with a heavy thud. Legion lost his grip on the throne and fell. Billis’ falchion glared light at Legion as she raised it to kill him.

Someone shouted. It wasn’t Azeroth or Vedek. Billis looked to her left. A body crashed into her, someone who had leapt with both knees outstretched. The two fell from the platform. They knocked aside chairs as they tumbled over each other. The first to recover was Billis. She pounced back to assess this new arrival. Legion pulled himself up to the throne again.

Mercenary Maya stood to her full height. Her hair was tied into a ponytail. Her shortsword and sickle were equipped in hand, ready for combat.

“You’re alive!” Legion cried. “What are you doing here?”

Maya pointed at Billis. “I’m your bodyguard. I’m guarding your body. Granted it took me three weeks but…”

She looked at Legion with hard, but happy, eyes. “I didn’t know if you were alive either.”

There was a dozen questions he wanted to ask her, but Billis wouldn’t allow them. The two women rushed to each other, clashing blades hard enough to spark. Legion had never seen fighting at this speed. There were only brief moments that he could glimpse what was going on: who had scored a hit, who was on the defensive, who had the advantage. Legion flicked his eyes to Azeroth and Vedek in turn. Both were watching with the same stunned expression. They were in awe of the martial display before them, but also reserving their fear that a single mistake could end Maya.

Needing relief, Maya disengaged. A quick boot to the shin unseated Billis long enough for Maya to slide across a feasting table near the edge of the chamber and take a defensive stance on the other side. Legion thought Billis would immediately pursue, but she was taking advantage of the breather as well. She was panting. The first sign that she was mortal and that Dirk’s healing had removed some of the Severed conditioning. She still had a look of tragic fury. Defiance to all around her.

“What’s she on?” Maya gasped with a gesture at her opponent. “She fights like a blind berserker.”

“Her mind is broken.” Legion tried to explain before Billis recuperated. “We tried to heal her but…”

His eyes drifted to Dirk’s body. Maya understood. “Well, I’ve dueled crazier. I’ll put her down. C’mon you busted puta!”

She moved before Billis did. She jumped onto the feasting table, encouraging Billis to join her. Billis screamed as they re-engaged. Legion didn’t understand why Maya chose to fight her on the table until he saw the difficulty Billis had keeping her feral movements contained within the tighter space. After jerk too far to the right she slipped landing on her back hard enough to stun her.

Maya didn’t relent. She hopped from the table and landed both of her leather boots on Billis’ face. Stepping off, she looked to Legion.

“What did I teach you? Fight dirty.”

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Billis stood. She seemed insulted by the dirty bootprint on her cheek. Her screaming and tears ceased, leaving only the rage. Her next strike split the stone of the wall behind Maya. Maya could no longer deflect her blows, only avoid them. She vaulted over the feasting table again. When Billis followed Maya kicked a chair into her path. Billis crashed, shattering the chair and sending her tumbling to the ground. Maya darted forward and sunk the front half of her shortsword through Billis’ middle.

Each person in the room gasped, including Billis. Content, Maya stepped back.

She looked to Legion and thumbed to the rear of the Keep. “Remember that horny asshole from the library? I think he’s waiting for you back there.”

“It may take us a while.” Legion smiled.

With a sad expression he observed the carnage in the room. Not all were dead, but it would take time for them to come to. Vedek and Azeroth stayed where they were. Neither wanted to upset their respective injuries.

A sharp, strangled breath turned their attention back to Billis. She was pulling herself up.

“This bitch…” Maya held out her sickle.

Billis leaned from side to side like a drunk. Both hands took the hilt of Maya’s sword. Inch by inch, she pulled it out of her gut. She didn’t look in pain, only annoyed by the impairment. She walked towards Maya as if their fight had only been in intermission.

“You’re dead!” Maya barked. “Why doesn’t she realize she’s dead?”

“She can’t feel the pain, or the shock!” Vedek answered. He was straining to pull himself to his bow. “She won’t die until she’s bled out.”

“Which is more time than I think I can buy.” Maya muttered. She looked to Legion, realizing that he had heard that.

Legion gaped. Maya was admitting that she wouldn’t survive if this duel was drawn out much longer. He struggled to make a spell, but it was a futile effort. Maya and Billis re-engaged. Billis had forgotten her falchion and was only using Maya’s shortsword. The sickle was a useful offhand weapon, but as the main tool Maya could only deflect. Legion clenched his teeth. Tears overwhelmed his eyes.

The doors to the courtyard opened. Two minotaurs entered the chamber. Onakie Karnataka looked weary from the day’s events, but she stepped with quiet confidence. Her father, Nosib Karnataka was bleeding from a hip wound, but he paid it no attention. The wind picked up. Scattering dust into the throne room. Behind them the skies were turning grey.

“It seemed the battle was resigned to completion.” Nosib announced. He pulled the mace-tipped chain in his hands taught. “But I felt static in the air. Seems this old cleric and his daughter still have work to do.”

Legion’s eyes were wide with hope. “Please! Help her!”

It was a foolish request. There was no doubt that Nosib wouldn’t help him. Relieved, Maya skipped back from Billis. Billis was too absorbed to acknowledge the new arrivals. She turned to the stomping hooves approaching her, but had no defense in time for when Onakie bashed her with her shield. Billis’ entire body rung. She dizzily swiped her sword through open air. Maya crept up on her. She hooked Billis’ shoulder with her sickled, then kicked out her legs. She looked about to cut Billis’ throat, but then she snapped to Nosib.

“Heal her!”

Nosib didn’t ask for explanation. His hand enveloped Billis’ face.

“Pashindra, turn these wounds to scars!”

The sky rumbled like a castle collapsing. Lightning broke through the flanking windows, striking Nosib and transferring to Billis. Legion stopped breathing as he watched. Maya released her hold to step away from the overwhelming electrical energy.

The lightning pulled away from Nosib and Billis. It receded like fishing line, out the window and back into the sky. Legion suddenly felt very religious.

Nosib took his hand from Billis. “I have done what I can.”

Billis was taught as a statue. Gradually, a tremble overtook her. The tremble turned to a full bodily tremor. She started crying again. It was not the same tears as before. That was fury. This was regret.

“What…” She whispered. Her voice was tight and raspy. She seemed shocked by it.

She passed her eyes over the room then looked to her bloody hands. Her tears doubled. “What did I become?”