Cold fury pumped through Vaela as blood dripped from her Ice-encased fist. Kaverlna, still hovering over Adyr’s bleeding body, her knife wet with Adyr’s blood, faced Vaela. Adyr’s breathing came in shudders as the blood trickled down her sides from the long cut on her chest. The sight of her bleeding heightened Vaela’s rage. How dare she? How dare she even think about dying?

Only anger swirled within Vaela–Alnea’s Sight and Hermit’s Shadow were both burned away. Even Adyr’s Ice dwindled away. She’d only gotten a little bit from the sleeve and that had gone into the Ice fist. Not enough left to Flow through her body anymore, not enough to numb away the throb of her broken arm. Pain stabbed through the misaligned bones of her forearm. Vaela retrieved her shield and threaded her arm through it. The handle caught against the tender flesh of her arm and a fresh wave of pain shot through it. The pain was clarifying and sharp like a breath of fresh air, a splash of cold water, the taste of warm blood. It evaporated in the heat of her anger and she jerked the shield the rest of the way on.

Kaverlna tilted away from Vaela and held the knife over the left side of Adyr’s chest. Adyr groaned and reached for the knife. Kaverlna caught her wrist and flung it out of the way. “You may try to kill me, Champion, but your life isn’t the one that will be spilled today. I am owed a blood debt.”

Blood pounded through Vaela’s fingers, beating warmth against the metal shield. Madame Gavora’s last protection, that she may fend off the cruelty of the world. But was it? Her broken arm ran through it, weakly gripping a handle. The shield–maybe it wasn’t for Vaela. Her arm had always been shield enough for her. So maybe the shield wasn’t for her. It, like her, was a cover. For when the blood of the world, like pouring rain, hailed down on her, she might raise the shield overhead and shelter those she loved. She released the handle and the shield slid away from her arm.

Kaverlna dropped to one knee, the knife raised over her head. Vaela dropped her stick and caught her shield. She screamed at Kaverlna, at the knife, as it ascended towards Adyr’s heart. It would rip through her flesh and release everything–her blood, her life, her love.

Vaela hurled the shield and it sliced through the air for the back of Kaverlna’s head. Kaverlna spun and rolled to the side. The shield whipped past her and slammed into the wall of the tent before it clattered to the ground. Kaverlna jumped to her feet, knife at the ready, eyes boring into Vaela’s. Between them, Adyr gasped in a wet breath.

Vaela snatched her stick and sprinted forward. “Get up!” She charged Kaverlna, every step sending pain through her arm. The Ice melted from her arm leaving her empty of blood, empty of others’ Powers.

Adyr’s eyes jolted open. Blood covered her torso and she rolled to her side. Vaela ran past her towards Kaverlna. She couldn’t let up, not for a moment. Outside the tent, the sounds of fighting drew even closer. Metal clashing against metal, punctuated by the occasional shout of pain.

Vaela closed the distance to Kaverlna and swung for her head. Kaverlna twisted away, but before she could approach, Vaela slashed again. She unleashed a fury of strikes, cutting off any attempt for Kaverlna to get close. Her stick stabbed towards Kalverna’s cheek and Kaverlna slipped past it. The blade of her knife whipped out. Vaela jumped back and the knife tore through her tunic, cutting a thin line across her abdomen. She didn’t dare retreat too far. Every step she ceded, Kaverlna edged another step towards Adyr. It would only take a moment for her to deliver the fatal cut to Adyr.

Vaela launched herself fully at Kaverlna. The momentum of her attack took them both to the ground. Agony stabbed through her arm, but she desperately struggled as Kaverlna rolled on top. Kaverlna drove the blade down towards Vaela’s chest and Vaela caught her wrist. She brought her other arm up and weakly supported her left hand. Kaverlna added her other hand to the blade and leaned her weight down. Vaela’s arms shook as the blade slid towards her chest. She grunted and tightened the grip of her broken arm, though her body struggled to cooperate.

Kaverlna released a hand and the pressure lessened unexpectedly. Vaela shoved the knife back a few inches in a jerk. Kaverlna’s fist smashed into the broken bones of Vaela’s arm. She cried out and her hand released in a betrayal of agony. Kaverlna’s hand flew to the knife and she resumed leaning her weight onto it. She forced the blade down towards Vaela’s right shoulder. The sharp tip split the fabric of Vaela’s tunic, then bit into the flesh of her shoulder.

Vaela strained against it, her arm trembling violently. Kaverlna jerked down and the knife, already slick with Adyr’s blood, sank into Vaela’s shoulder. Blood streamed out as it slid an inch in.

Vaela choked out a scream and twisted her right arm up. The movement tore the blade around her shoulder and she smashed her fist into Kaverlna’s face. Sharp pain shot through her broken arm, her bleeding flesh. Kaverlna reeled back and the pressure of the knife lessened. The knife slid out of Vaela and her arm fell to the ground, no longer responding to her commands. Blood soaked from her shoulder and into the ground beneath her.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Blood. Let it go. Let this blood be her Sacrifice. To a lifetime of pain, to an eternity of anger. That every second she took longer to bleed out, she kept Kaverlna from Adyr. Let her heart pump every drop of blood, let it release her life, her love, out. Anything to save Adyr.

Kaverlna pounced on her and brought the knife back down towards her neck. Vaela caught Kaverlna’s wrist once again. Even these few seconds were precious. Maybe enough time for Adyr to get up, to walk, to crawl away from the tent. For Hermit and the others to arrive and save her. The knife descended towards Vaela’s body once again, this time faster than before. Vaela strained all her dwindling strength against it. Every moment, even before her ultimate end, might be the moment that helped Adyr survive. She twisted her head. “Get… out!”

Kaverlna steered the knife towards Vaela’s chest. She leaned forward, her spittle dripped on Vaela. “I won’t kill you, Champion. You will bleed in your weakness and watch her die.”

Adyr appeared behind Kaverlna, swaying on her feet. She clutched her chest with one hand and held Vaela’s stick with the other. “No.”

Vaela gasped out to Adyr. “Leave!”

“Never.” Adyr swung the stick in an arc down at Kaverlna’s head. Kaverlna contorted away from the attack she could only sense. The stick smashed into her head, whipping her neck to the side. She rolled off of Vaela, moving with the momentum of the strike, and staggered to her feet. A line of blood dribbled down her cheek from a small cut the strike had opened up. Her eyes radiated fury. Adyr stumbled, unable to fully recover from the swing. Fresh blood oozed from between her fingers on her chest, the gash split open once again. Vaela jerked to her feet–her arm broken, her shoulder butchered. Blood dripped fully to the ground.

Adyr and Vaela edged back while Kaverlna prowled towards them, circling to cut off the exit. Vaela and Adyr retreated to the wall of the tent. At her feet, Vaela’s shield laid on the ground. No escape, not with Kaverlna between them and the exit. No hope and yet… Vaela grabbed her shield where it had fallen. The world spun with the surge of lightheadedness from leaning over. She jerked upright, the shield in her left hand, and fell back against the wall of the tent. The fabric of the tent caught her and she panted as her vision wavered. The world appeared as if it were a reflection in water that had been disturbed. Rippling, wavering, and unsteady.

The sounds of fighting outside the tent were so close, it was like they were next to her. Kaverlna snarled and charged. Adyr flung the stick out wide, her balance reeling with the strike. Kaverlna ducked under it, her knife flashing towards Adyr’s neck. Vaela shouted and dove forward, thrusting the shield out. The knife clanged off of the metal and Vaela spun back towards Kaverlna. The world spun with the motion, blurry images bleeding away without definition. Something darted at her and she battered the shield out again. Kaverlna’s boot smashed into it and Vaela stumbled back, hitting into Adyr. Kaverlna charged and Vaela sprung forward. Adyr whipped the stick past Vaela’s shield and the tip slammed into Kaverlna’s hand, sending the knife flying into the dirt. Kaverlna lunged for it and the stick cut off her movement. Adyr stepped around Vaela, panting heavily, her head drooping. It looked like she could barely stand. But even with her head down, her eyes burned towards Kaverlna. Frost plumed her mouth once, twice, then at a steady rate. Her stance stabilized and she raised her head. Her chest wept blood, her face pale.

She couldn’t keep going like this, couldn’t keep fighting. The Cold numbed her pain, but didn’t keep the blood from pumping out of her body. In pain or not–she’d die from the blood loss.

But her ice-blue eyes were hot with anger. Vaela shuffled to the side and joined Adyr, shoulder-to-shoulder. Yes. They might bleed to death, but never again would they bleed apart.

Kaverlna spat on the ground, this time, her own blood coloring the dirt in front of her. She stumbled back a few steps. “Very well, Champion. You think you’re strong, you think yourself worthy to stand against me.” Her face contorted with disgust. She reached to her belt and pulled out a vial of blood. “My Power is not fully recovered. But I have more, now, than you ever will. And this will be your death.” She ripped the cork from the vial and downed the blood.

Vaela backed towards the wall of the tent and pulled Adyr beside her. Kaverlna outstretched a palm towards them. Static filled the air and Vaela’s pulse accelerated, sending blips of pain from her arm and shoulder with every beat. Lightning–just like Kaverlna had used back in Xufont. That power–instant death. Only one thing had stopped that before. Hermit’s Shadow, strong enough to neutralize even that powerful attack. Lightning danced around Kaverlna’s fingers and a ball formed at her palm. At first, just a bubble, but it grew until it stretched beyond the size of her palm, all the way to her fingertips.

Vaela reached within herself for the Power to stop it–but no Shadow answered her. She was empty now. Every heartbeat sent more blood from her shoulder to weep on the ground beside her. Adyr’s heart beat through the contact between them. It was already weak, full of pain. And full–like Vaela’s–of love. A shout rang from the fight outside the tent, then silence hung through the entire area. They’d succeeded, no doubt. Hermit, Jace, and Alnea. They’d fought through all the priests and priestesses, but they were too late. Too late to save her and Adyr.

Vaela stepped in front of Adyr and raised the shield up. They were too late–but she wasn’t.

Adyr put a hand on her shoulder and tried to pull her back. “Don’t.”

Vaela glanced back, one final look into Adyr’s cold, cold eyes. She forced a smile and mouthed, “Shadow.”

Adyr’s eyes widened with understanding and she released Vaela’s shoulder.

Kaverlna shouted and strode forward. Vaela returned the shout and turned. She shoved Adyr away from her. Far away. Let her fall far away where the Lightning wouldn’t hit her. Adyr stumbled back, flinging an arm towards Vaela, desperately trying to reach her as she fell to the ground. Eyes full of hurt, full of betrayal. Vaela drank in her last look into Adyr’s eyes.

Let her be angry. For a long, long life, let her be angry.

The Lightning arced towards Vaela.