Kane pulls me to my feet. Everywhere I look in the room, there's a mirage version of Ryu, an entire army of his clones, just like when we sparred in the arena.
"Ode," Kane clutches my face in his hands, wiping the blood from my eyes. "Ode, can you hear me?"
I nod, pulling away, my hand on my scimitar. I swing at one of the mirages, and it disappears. I swing again, but another Ryu clone replaces it just as quickly.
"It seems you took away my pretty singing voice, darlings," Aziz's voice penetrates our very thoughts, "but now I can use my handsome Champion's powers. Did you forget I took his body? And what is Ryu of Hakim good at, let me see... oh right! His little red concubine necklace carries the power of illusions."
I swing again, nearly falling to the ground from the momentum, my mind unfocused. That hit I took to my head will be the end of me if I don't finish this battle soon. Kane, seeing my fatigue, also starts tearing into the illusion clones, to no avail.
"Oh, darlings, it's so sweet. You're working together." Aziz laughs again. "But it's not the first time you've joined forces, so to speak, is it, Kane? Tell me, was your Champion a virgin when you bedded her?"
Kane makes a very rude gesture to the sky. I fight with even more ferocity.
Which tires me out faster.
"Yes, darlings. Gods always prefer virgin sacrifices. Speaking of sacrifices..."
Someone grapples me from behind, pulling me into his body. I twist my head around and see Alef, eyes crazed. "Witch, I'll kill you for real this time!" His breath rots.
"Ode!" Kane rushes towards me, just to have the real Aziz pounce on him from behind, strangling him with Ryu's Diviner weapon, the chain of red concubine beads. Kane falls, his flesh sizzling as it contacts Aziz-blessed weaponry. Both of us, like worms on the ground, powerless.
My hand scrabbles across the ground, fingers slick with blood. My scimitar skidded away when Alef tackled me. It's so close, but Alef's scrabbling legs kick it further away.
With Alef still choking me, I crawl for my scimitar, fingers on the blade.
Alef bites down into the soft skin of my neck. I scream. Flesh tears.
When my head slams into the ground, I catch a glimpse of Kane.
Kane isn't moving. Aziz stands over him with a satisfied smile on their face. Ryu's kindness is entirely gone. Horrifically beautiful. His coin-sized brands soak up Kane's blood.
Dear gods...
Kane...
***
Champions,
Battle scenes are tough to write.
-Sophia