"You're mimicking that Traveller's ability," said Cimerus.
Kerela narrowed her eyes and drew another arrow. The comment had irked her, Cimerus could tell. The point of the arrow quivered. She released it. The arrow split into three copies, their tail feathers ruffling convincingly in the air. Cimerus dodged them with ease.
"Come, now. Moorin had his talents with that, but in your hands it's nothing more remarkable than in a human's."
Kerela's jaws tightened at the comparison. She sent out another set of arrows. Cimerus caught sight of the real one before it duplicated. The illusions passed harmlessly through him.
Cimerus lifted a chunk of rubble with his mind. It flew towards Kerela. She leapt back. As she landed, Piricca appeared from behind her and slashed at her face. Kerela raised her arms and blocked it, dropping the bow and arrow in the process. Piricca snarled, golden eyes gleaming. She slammed her long leg into Kerela, who took the attack sideways-on. Piricca's limb curled around Kerela's waist – and Piricca twisted.
The Sentinel's feet left the ground. Kerela tucked her legs in and added to the spin. For a fleeting second, the two became a blur. They landed on the ground in a wrestling heap. Piricca extracted her head and snapped at Kerela's face. The redhead kept her at elbow's distance before the two snapped apart. Piricca shot at her. Kerela struck her head-on. Dust and chunks of dirt flew into the air.
Kerela's armour protected her from most of Piricca's attacks, but the latter was relentless and ruthless. They tumbled, each aiming for the other's weak points. Piricca rolled to her feet first, hackles raised. She coiled and sprang. Kerela didn't have time to draw her longsword. Piricca landed a few blows to the shoulders and aimed to bite at Kerela again. Her fangs landed on metal. It withstood her jaws.
The two kept at the assault, Piricca with long teeth and claws and Kerela with armoured arms. Neither yielded. Kerela punched Piricca into the abdomen, sending her reeling away, hissing. On the armour-clad forearm there were deep teeth marks.
Piricca snapped at the Sentinel again. She switched her trajectory at the last minute, appearing behind Kerela.
The Sentinel drew her sword.
Piricca spun and slammed her calf into the side of Kerela's head. Kerela let out a 'phuh' as it connected. Her legs buckled under the strength. Piricca kept a steely leg lock around Kerela's head. They fell again. Kerela's sword turned and pierced Piricca's flank.
They were in a heap once more. Kerela's red hair came out of its neat plait. She had a split brow and blood coming from her lips. Piricca locked her leg tight around Kerela's neck, squeezing. The sword was thrust halfway down its hilt into her side, exacerbated by their fall. Blood trickled along its edge. Piricca's arms clamped Kerela's legs, pinning them together. The Sentinel's arms were wedged beneath, one hand barely clutching the sword.
Kerela gasped for breath, face down on the ground. Her cheeks turned red and were heading to blue. Her limbs trembled but showed no sign of relenting. Her fingers clutched the handle still. She managed to summon some semblance of strength to twist it despite the awkward angle. Piricca shrieked, letting go enough for Kerela to free her other hand. She jabbed her fingers at Piricca's thigh around her neck. Fresh blood oozed when she removed her fingers. Piricca let out another scream.
The Sentinel took the chance and released her sword. In one movement, she'd wrenched her arms free and jabbed all ten fingers into Piricca's exposed back. Piricca's scream died in her throat. Her body let out a spasm.
Kerela kicked. Her heel narrowly missed Piricca's face, but it was enough to throw her off-balance. Piricca swung off, stiff and gurgling. Kerela tugged the sword out of her and swung it high in the air.
The sword fell onto the ground with a clatter. Kerela yelled, bent double. An arrow pierced through her dominant hand.
"That was a low blow," she growled, twisting to Cimerus with a glare. Blood dripped onto the ground. She wrenched the arrow out.
Cimerus chortled, lowering the stolen bow and arrows.
"That has to be the most amusing thing I've ever heard: a Sentinel berating me on honour!"
Cimerus stopped sniggering after a few minutes. He wiped his eyes.
"This reminds me of a human phrase... what was it..." He snapped his long fingers. "Oh yes – I'm pissing myself."
"I don't know what's worse," spat Kerela, "your species or your fascination with humans. Filthy Shifter."
"Oh, but we were useful during your revolt though, yes? All these Lyre weapons you seem to wield with such proficiency – it's all thanks to us."
"Pity I didn't manage to erase more of you." Kerela scowled. She spat out a mouthful of blood and wiped her lips with her uninjured hand. "But I'll be sure to tidy up this time."
"I wouldn't be so cocky, Kerela. You may stop us from Shifting, but it'll take more than that and some stolen weapons to kill us."
Beside him, Piricca clutched her injuries, gritting her small, sharp teeth. She was evidently torn between humiliation at being incapacitated twice in a single battle and agony from whatever was imbued in Kerela's last attack. Cimerus kept a wary eye on Kerela. Talos was a relatively young Sentinel, but he had no intentions of treating Kerela the same.
"Tell me: where did these additional abilities come from?"
"If you're so curious, you'll have to find out for yourself."
"Talos made that mistake. That's why she's dead. And also Eildon."
Kerela's eyes narrowed.
"Eildon's little show was a diluted replica of mine. With Talos's little vanishing trick and your Traveller imitation... I'm sensing a pattern here."
Kerela said nothing.
"You see, back before the Frostites came, there was a group of humanoids who fought demons that wandered too far from the veil. I believe they called themselves Seekers – a group of friends. One is a Traveller. One is a Celestial. One is a Thuriel. One is a royal Shifter. And the last one is a Sentinel."
"Am I supposed to be interested in this, Shifter?"
"You probably should. I'm just curious how your spy managed to mimic his 'friends'' gifts."
"And you think I'll tell you?" she sneered.
"No. I just want to tell you these creatures existed, and I've fought these Seekers, so..." Cimerus grinned. "Try your best."
Kerela circled Cimerus, her longsword held in both hands. Her eyes were bloodshot and black bruises blossomed around her neck like a choker. Her mouth was half open, taking deep breaths.
She stepped forward. Cimerus leapt, closing the distance between them. Her blade flashed.
Cimerus slammed the blade aside with a forcefield. The impulse sent a shudder down Kerela's arms. With a grunt, she placed weight behind her blade, forcing Cimerus aside. He dug his heels in. Each held their own.
Cimerus dropped the shield and ducked Kerela's swing. It sailed over his head, exposing her belly. He sprang. Kerela let go of her heavy sword.
He rammed into her abdomen, knocking the wind out of her. She punched him in the shoulder, sending pain piercing through. He slammed her to the floor and tumbled over, landing on all fours.
He growled, picking one of the bent needles sticking out of his deltoid. They were of fine, durable material. Even landing on them didn't cause them to snap. A sticky substance oozed out of the end. His entire left shoulder was on fire, sending waves of pain spiralling down to his fingers.
Kerela dashed at him, swinging her sword. They clashed. Cimerus barely avoided being decapitated. Her strength was overwhelming. He retaliated, but she'd darted out of range. She shot forward again. Just when he pushed back, she withdrew, like an on-off switch.
The Sentinel panted. Her chest plate was cracked. She took careful steps, watchful of Cimerus's next move. Her blade glowed. She tore forward. Cimerus backed up, his dead left arm swinging. Just as he'd expected, her rush stopped and she leapt back again. He picked his move.
Kerela's reaction was sluggish. The sword flashed; the flat of it blocked Cimerus's kick. She shuddered again, fatigue trembling in her fingers. Cimerus groaned, golden eyes flashing. He dropped his leg. Kerela swung her sword, but her aim was off. One casual punch sent her tumbling to the ground.
Panting, Cimerus ran his hand through his yellow hair.
"Exploiting our weakness in shifting, huh? Nothing less than what I expected."
Kerela pushed herself onto all fours, gasping.
Cimerus removed the rest of the needles from his shoulder and stabbed Kerela in the back of the neck with them. She arched, shrieking.
"A taste..." he panted, "of your own medicine."
Kerela convulsed as Piricca had. Her arms twitched madly in her desperation to remove the needles. Her face flushed crimson as she let out another scream, unable to reach high enough with her fingers.
Cimerus knelt down on one knee. His left arm was steadily getting number. The tips of his fingers turned black. The pain continued to spread, making his eyes water and any chance of concentration impossible. He cast an eye on Piricca. She sat on the ground, the needles finally gouged out of her leg – along with quite a few chunks of flesh. The open wounds pulsed blood, some revealing bone. Her slit pupils were dilated in pain.
Cimerus forced himself onto trembling legs. He picked up the abandoned longsword. His own powers flowed into it and came back in waves. His energy peaked and troughed as he clutched the heavy handle. So this was how Kerela held her own so well – and why she was now such a pathetic sight.
The sword troughed. Cimerus could just about hold himself upright. He tasted blood in his mouth. His ears rang with a distant cacophony. That eventually faded, replaced by energy coursing through his body anew. His left arm became good as new again.
The surge was incredible. Cimerus felt like he had shifted, but without draining his energy reserve. Kerela watched him with defeated eyes, awaiting her execution. He lifted the sword over his head and swung.
A screech annihilated all of Cimerus's senses.
It was as if an explosion had set off inside his skull. His face spasmed, his eyes bulged. A wave of pins and needles crashed into him. His vision disappeared.
His aim went off-kilter. Kerela's screams filled his ears.
Blood sprayed over Cimerus, but he barely registered it. He clutched his head whilst stumbling backwards and swinging the sword wildly. He couldn't feel it connecting with anything. He just wanted it to stop. It was worse than when they'd set off the Fae of the Greens' trap and the Faes had covered them in hyper-stimulating powder. The overwhelming pulses of light, bloody taste, pungent stink of Sentinels and decaying demons, and screams didn't stop.
And just as rapidly as it had come, it stopped.
He let go of the sword.
Cimerus could see again, albeit through a scarlet mist. The strength ebbed from him, but at least he was pain-free, undistracted. He used the last of the remaining strength and morphed into the only form he had energy for: human.
The cuts zipped sluggishly. His bloody eyeballs cleared. Shattered eardrums repaired themselves. The poison from Kerela's needles vanished. It was harder now to draw a big enough breath in.
Cimerus kept a sharp eye out. Now was the best time for the Sentinels to strike him, in his vulnerable morph. His baggy t-shirt flapped in the wind. Golden hair stuck flat to his head with perspiration.
Kerela propped herself against one of the fallen watchtowers, her face ashen. A smoking dismembered arm lay in a puddle of her blood a few metres away. She clutched her right shoulder, where her armour ended smoothly and blood poured. She trembled all over.
"It is not like you to keep prey alive for so long," said Cimerus over his shoulder.
Abaddeon cast a shadow over Cimerus, his diamond-tipped legs landing in silence behind him.
"Has he kept you busy, my friend?"
"Irritating cockroach."
Cimerus's lips twitched at the fury emanating from the usually-stoic general.
Siaten, the last Sentinel Lord on the field, stood some way away. His helmet had been knocked off. The lightning staff trembled in his hands, its tip still crackling.
Cimerus cast a casual eye over the cracked chest plate and wrist guards.
"Come, Abaddeon: he is but a discount Celestial."
"You felt his interference just now."
Cimerus's mouth snapped shut. So that was what the attack was.
"I saw Lilitha enter this world with the Traveller."
"Moorin's replacement is here?"
"No."
Several Shifters jumped at Siaten, who stumbled, just about managing to deflect the attacks.
"Lilitha and we share a common enemy. The Sentinels killed her close ally and destroyed this world she called home."
Abaddeon said nothing. Cimerus got to his feet, his golden eyes coldly watchful of the fallen Kerela and Siaten.
"Azyazel will be watching over her, so please do not concern yourself beyond this battle."
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