Tainted

Chapter Seventeen

Kleitos pulled my father in his direction, making him trip over his own feet. He stepped in front of him "The bultungin will not hurt your wife. Arianna here hasn't asked for him to, so please calm down. You're going to cause someone to wake up or wander over here." Mark looked him in the eye and then focused back on my mother.

Martha looked at the two of them with her sparkling curiosity of the unknown, "I'm sure Kleitos is right. I think he would have already if that was the case. Plus, when we were coming up here, we spent a couple hours with him. I didn't know he could do that though. Mark, don't be scared." She stated as she looked right back at him. "You said he was a bultungin?" She questioned out loud waiting for a response.

Bomani was the one to answer this time with a cool expression on his face, " I am, and thank you for arguments around my being. I serve my demon Arianna and if she hasn't advised anyone to be killed there is nothing to worry about. Maybe unless you piss me off." He chuckled approaching my mother. He had lifted a piece of hair that was in her face with his pinky and then set it behind her ear. He looked up and he smiled at us watching on.

Arianna was the next to break the silence. "So, are we going to argue all dawn about my beast, or did we come for a fight?" She said standing beside both of my fathers. She placed both her hands on either of their shoulders and pushed them apart. She broke the connection Kleitos had with my dad and Mark stumbled to the floor. Kleitos on the other hand didn't move an inch.

That was the first time I made the decision to walk over to Mark and offer him a hand with a smile. I wasn't cold and I would never turn my back on him. I was just hurt. I whispered to him in his ear as he pulled himself up to me. "Whatever you got, make sure he doesn't kill you."

"Of course,' he smirked. I reached in for a quick hug. No matter how much I was upset with him I missed him. He had been the best man a child could have wanted for a dad.

Valentina was the one to interrupt with a hand on my back, "Alexander," she said in her velvet voice. "Come with me for a moment."

As on command I smiled at my father and took her into my arms, "Good luck," I wished and turned my attention to Val. Her eyes were glowing with affection and her smile was gleaming off the white snow. Without a word she led me over to my mother and Arianna. Bomani was in the middle of the field, and it gave me Deja vu but instead my father was looking at my dad and he was in the middle of them.

I could hear Kleitos say, "I won't hurt you too much, I can see my child has affections towards you. I want to measure your strengths purely for if we ever go to battle. I want you to be able to protect him like you say he is your own. This is my own. I would lay my life for him." His words were low but just enough I was able to hear it.

Mark walked over to Kleitos and took him by the neck with his hand and he allowed it to come down to his height. He then whispered something that was so low I couldn't distinct it from the wind. It was brief and then the two parted ways with each other. Mark returned to his spot as before.

My mother approached my side wrapping one arm around my waist and adjusting her head, so it was leaning against my shoulder. Valentina was still under my other arm. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be there Alex," she whispered as she kissed the side of my face.

I adjusted my arm, so it was around my mother, and I warmed her arm by rubbing my hand against her. "No worries, let's just hope dad doesn't get hurt."

That gained a chuckle from all the women even Arianna who was keeping her distance from the crowd.

The wind picked back up and it fell dead silent for a moment. We then focused back on Bomani who was instructing them how it would take place. His deep voice traveled through the whistle of the wind, "You are not to leave beyond the trees, and this is not a battle to the death. Both parties can use their abilities. Blood is all in good fun"

He counted them both down and then ran over to us.

The first to charge at other was Mark. He pushed off the snow at the direction of Kleitos lunging his full body towards his torso. You'd thought they would have collided but before they met Kleitos did a sidestep. It allowed Mark to run past him and Kleitos to grab back hold to his hood as before. He pulled on the hood violently enough that it almost ripped and jolted the full-grown man to the ground. He gave no room to react as his fist collided with Mark's face then his foot jabbed him right in the chest.

Mark's body laid limp for a second in the snow as Kleitos processed to bend down and to take hold of him by his neck. He pulled him up effortlessly and placed him down to his feet so Mark could stand up.

I could hear Mark's crazed laughs as he started to gain some of the wind back into him. "Oh, that was a good one." With all his might he pushed Kleitos in the chest for him to loosen his grip around his throat. He had success because he did get loose of his grasp. In the next second Mark's palms started to emit two white, blue lines one in each. They sparked and licked the air burning so bright it made the snow look off white in comparison.

Kleitos ' face was in awe staring him down with almost a glint of a smile across his lips. It only lasted a second before Mark balled his fist and struck him in the stomach making him for the first-time stumble back. The intense heat that radiated through Mark's fist burned a hole in Kleitos' jacket. Kleitos even let out a moan as the burn seared his skin under Mark's brief touch. " Fuck," He wailed and then he eyes started to turn a bright glowing red.

He chased Mark because he had started to back away so he could catch his breath. They were so fast I could barely keep up with them striking each other. Kleitos took hold of one of Mark's wrists and twisted it back making the ray beam point directly to face. My dad's head movement was quick, allowing him to dodge his own beam. He then with his free hand pointed the flame near Kleitos hand making him free him.

Mark took it as his chance to run past him and near the forest edge. He then made his way up the first tree until we couldn't see him. Kleitos followed soon after.

I looked over to Bomani breaking my way from Valentina and my mother instantly when we couldn't see them. Bomani and Arianna both turned to me at the same time, "What the hell are they doing?" I asked, "How far is the next town over from these tree beds?"

Arianna answered coolly, "We don't have much to worry about. The sun doesn't usually set for a couple of more hours. There may be guards out doing regular routine checks. They didn't come near the last time I was out, but I was a lot quieter than them." Her gaze followed the sound in the distance where they were panting in the trees. There were even sparks of white in the distance and smoke where drift caught flame.

"Want me to go get them," Bomani questioned, ready to join in himself.

"Ari, can't you like tell the future or something can't you see if this is safe or not?" I asked her in wonder. I hadn't seen her use her powers much, so I was honestly curious.

Her eyes flickered back over to me, and she gave a smug laugh, "I could, I suppose." Her eyes then flicker into the back of her head then rolled back out pure as white with no pupils in them. It was just a clean round ball of flesh.

Valentina walked up to me with my mother besides her and she touched my arm. "I'm going to get the two they've been gone far too long for comfort."

Before anyone was able to respond Arianna calmly advised, "Two guards are on the trail up here. Get Alexander out of here."