Audra
Vasuki was visibly tired, his hair disheveled, his body was bruised despite the healing speed of his ascension, and yet he still held The Wilted Flower in his grasp.
The ground beneath them was slick with the inky rain, and the blood of demons slain. The Manor had been situated on a hill, its white paint had been stained and chipped to where the color was almost unidentifiable. A ruined wall of brick around the building to keep people away from the place had been destroyed. Around the base of the hill were long destroyed buildings stretching out to the outer edges of the city.
Vasuki ran towards them, quickly handing Liz the artifact.
“Not sure how to use it, maybe you’ll have better luck.” He quickly explained before forming his blade from ice and getting ready to fight Felix and Zadkiel who stood maybe a dozen meters away.
“Well isn’t this a big family gathering!” Felix began, “You must be so happy to see your big brother again, Eliza-” He side-stepped a spear of ice that Audra had commanded towards him, she wasn’t here to listen to pleasantries.
She let the Rift swallow her, before spitting her out right behind Felix and bringing her saber down on him, only a little surprised that he managed to catch the blade in the palm of his hand.
“Hope you don’t mind if I take a lot of power.” Audra thought to Faust before letting her soul light ablaze. Bringing the blade down further, breaking his grip and cutting deep into his hand. He led the blade downwards at break-neck speed. She barely saw him spinning mid-air before his boot kicked the top of her forehead, pushing her to the ground. When she looked down she saw him tensing up, lightning bursting from his body while Vasuki held on to him.
Breaking through the lightning he grabbed onto Vasuki’s neck and lifted him from the ground before body-slamming him against Audra’s back.
“I’m going to show you children how a real Royal Knight battles.” He shut up when Cabana appeared behind him. Her hair was as black as the rain falling against them. Her dagger pierced through his hand, retreated then cut into his leg before she vanished into the rift.
Vasuki rolled off of Audra, letting her get to a stand, the dark rain turned hot white before firing off at Felix a giant explosion of dirt and mud hid their view of him for just a moment. Ice left Vasuki’s palm, no doubt aiming at Felix, and when the mud had settled his right arm and left leg were being twisted. Blue flames erupted from him, just as Cabana’s dagger began to stab his neck. The force of the blast forced all of them to the ground. Only the sound of Liz and Zadkiel clashing their own weapons somewhere else on the property was all that remained until the rain from the sky began to hit the ground once again.
Audra could already feel her body beginning to cramp, so she absorbed more Etherea along the lines of the contract. But Vasuki was already getting into deeper issues, no doubt he had been holding back but the way his back popped as he came to a stand was enough to tell her he didn’t have much more from his ascension.
“Two children and an amputee really think they can kill me…how ridiculous. And it’s a shame I actually have to put effort into killing you three.” Felix claimed, steam coming off of every raindrop that dared attempt to touch him.
Cobalt ice snaked by Audra, quickly slithering to Felix’s feet before erupting into a powerful spear. Felix was sent several feet into the air and before Audra could realize it Vasuki was already at the Phoenix, swinging his sword downwards at him. The sound of metal against metal clanged through the air, Felix hit the ground hard from the force of Vasuki’s attack. He bounced back up and steadied himself before swinging Birthright wildly, crescent-waves of flames shooting out at all three of them. A wall of ethereal ice blocked all of them only for it to melt and fall against the flames. Audra got to her feet, commanding every drop of water her power could reach to listen. The black sky turned white in color before she brought them down on the man that jumped over the collapsed wall. She got one look at his surprised face as he looked at the sky above before each raindrop came down like a hot and holy blade. She felt herself grow weak before Faust pushed more Etherea into her body.
“Stop using yours, use mine so you don’t falter.” Faust complained. She looked up to see Felix on one knee, blood pouring from countless marks on his body, though the injuries were quickly vanishing. Cabana appeared next to him, this time her dagger stabbing through his neck before quickly retreating. Rapid winds began to sear through each one of the holes in his body, expanding the wounds. He let out a gurgling scream, as the flames flickered around his body. Black lightning began to shoot outwards from the pores on his body, cleaving the land around them. Audra jumped over one of the blades of lightning. Vasuki summoned a circular wall of ice around him, some of it was clearly normal ice. She looked at his bulging eyes, blood was dripping from his lips and nose, but he was able to keep the lightning at bay to some extent. When the flames appeared again they destroyed the ice before vanishing.
When the steam from the melted ice vanished they could see Felix breathing heavily, massive wings had ripped out of his back. Vasuki fell to his knees, white hair turning brown as his Ascension stopped.
“About time.” He went to kick the man only for Cabana to appear from the Rift. Her dagger stabbing into his knee. Audra jumped through the darkness of the Rift appearing on the other side of him. His wing blocked her saber. He swung Birthright at Cabana only for her to back up, ducking and weaving under his attacks. All the while using his wings to focus on Audra’s attacks.
The Phoenix was fast, too fast for Cabana to find an opening or for Audra to actually hit his defenses. The heat was beginning to take her breath away, and was getting so intense that she could feel her clothes drying off and every ounce of humidity around them evaporating to nothing.
Cabana ducked under another slice, she came back up to have his palm striking the front of her neck. He quickly turned to face Audra, parried her attack and brought his blade deep into her right shoulder. As his boot pushed her off of his blade, Vasuki jumped past her and brought his blade down against Birthright.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Vasuki no!” Cabana wheezed out between coughs, her black hair fading to crimson. Felix pushed his blade back, spun around and kicked the side of his head.
“I tire of you!” Felix shouted, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small crystal from his pocket and crushing it in his palm. He seemed to glow with magic for a moment, before rushing forward, dropping Birthright to the ground. Audra stood up to see Felix holding Vasuki by his throat, the blade.
“You are not needed for the next part of my plans!” He yelled, anger flowing through every syllable.
Lightning, the same lightning that had cleaved the land appeared in Felix’s other hand. Audra felt the Rift take her in, and she appeared right next to the Phoenix. Even a foot away she was too slow to stop him. Her Saber just barely began to cut into Felix’s arm when his hand hit Vasuki’s chest. Power shot away from the contact, tearing at the ground they stood on. The shockwave sent Audra a few feet and to the muddy ground on her back. Vasuki tried to scream out, but the electricity kept his body tight. Audra tried to stand but was kept down from the pure pressure of the magic escaping Felix’s hand.
Four seconds, four seconds was all it took for that power to take the light out of Vasuki’s eyes. Four seconds was all it took to tear apart the front of Vasuki’s shirt and leave a crawling scar over his torso, with the epicenter of the streaks of lightning over his heart. Four seconds of extreme power to rip Vasuki out of everyone’s life.
All was silent when the lightning stopped flowing. Vasuki’s limp body hung in Felix’s iron grip.
“You’ve had your fun. I’m done toying with you three.” He said, tossing Vasuki’s body to the side. He looked back at Audra and Cabana, both of which were too shell-shocked and exhausted to move. Felix’s eyes seemed to go through every color Audra could imagine. He snapped his fingers at Audra, a spark of darkness shot out of the contact. Audra felt pain ripping through her body and something large grasp on her torso. Cabana appeared next to her trying to rip something away from her until a large, black, slender hand bound her in its grip.
“I didn’t expect to get both of you. Guess I don’t have to worry anymore.” As Felix finished his sentence the world went dark, the Rift swallowing Audra’s vision whole.
A moment passed, then another, then finally a third, she had expected to be spit out by now instead in the Rift she remained.
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Liz
Zadkiel jumped back from the Wilted Rose in her left hand. He was bleeding from already a dozen deep cuts. Three cuts on his arms shot blood out of him and at her like rapiers traveling at the speed of the fastest kind of demon. Erefus formed a shield in front of her and deflected each hit while she simply walked forward.
When she was within a few meters of him she began to sprint. He flung blood out to his sword she had disarmed him of just a few moments before that powerful burst of power from Felix. She felt her eyes burning as his curved blade whizzed by her neck, she grabbed the blade and cut the string of blood holding the ring around the base of the pommel. Erefus quickly created a black mass around her hand, acting like a giant glove of some kind, while she crushed the blade in her grip.
“Shit.” He mumbled, his breathing becoming more and more labored, “You don’t want to actually do this, right? I mean, can you really commit Fratricide?” Liz met his eyes.
“Why wouldn’t I? You killed my brothers and sisters in the home that I found.”
“You left me! I looked everywhere for you!”
“I left because you killed our parents!”
“They neglected you!”
“No, they starved us because they couldn’t afford food! They were starving more than us!” Liz retorted.
“How would you know what they did! You were too young to understand.”
“Maybe pull your head out of your ass for once, Zad!” She began to sprint at him, he got ready to jump away until a sudden realization came to him, and his eyes were one’s she had only known when they were kids.
The Wilted Rose entered his chest, stabbing him all the way to the hilt.
“Now the Southern Isle can rest.” Liz claimed. He coughed before he spoke.
“Liz…it wasn’t me who…did that…” She looked up at him. His face spoke of sorrow and regret, “Felix…he controlled me.” She wanted to believe him but she wasn’t going to fall for his tricks.
“He’s right.” Liz looked back to see Felix standing a few meters behind her, “I took control of his mind and made him do it.” He said, a chaotic smile plastered on his face. Realization hit her like a brick to the jaw. She attempted to remove the sword but her brother held it in place.
“I…deserve this…” he said breathily, “I knew…the whole time I knew…but I couldn’t stop it…”
“Zadkiel?” She asked, tears forming in her eyes.
“I’m glad to see you…so strong…for…give…me.” He begged before falling forward in her arms.
“No…no-no-no, Zadkiel. Please. You’re back to normal right? Please stay with me! You can’t die! Not now!” She screamed, while holding him.
“He’s gone, Liz. Give it up.” Felix claimed, grabbing the handle of the blade in his chest and pulling it from him before stabbing it into the ground.
Felix began to walk away when Liz decided to speak up once again.
“Why…why did you do this?” Liz asked. He let out a humored snort.
“Because I can.” Felix said, looking back at her with such familiar rainbow-colored eyes, “You can see through me. To the real me? Can’t you?”
“You’re going to pay for everything you’ve done.” Liz stated, neither confirming or denying his question. Yet he smiled all the same.
“I’ll blame it on that traitorous mutt, that after 300 years you were the first being to figure it out. Go ahead. Tell the world who I am then.” Liz’s lips quivered.
“Just leave…” She ordered, her tears beginning to fall like the rain.