Ice hits Adornaz from the back and he trips forward, the knife landing on the ground. Aira sweeps her hand up and Adornaz is knocked backwards. He halts midair, his staff glowing as he twists his hand. Fire soars from the gem as it shines with release.
The Death Hunters swarm the hub as fire roars along the walls. A sword narrowly misses me and I bring my Aszor down upon it. Pushing the blade down I slam my head into the face of a short man. He trips back and I slash up with the Aszor. The blade slashes through his arm, cutting through bone. I roar in furry as I send a powerful blast of ice at him, ending his life.
Twirling around I switch the Aszor button and funnel my power into it again, shifting the sword into a smooth axe. I flick the button as it hooks onto a sword and I pull it from a tall, blond-haired lady. She goes to punch me and I duck, ramming my elbow into her stomach. She falls to the ground and I send a slash of ice across her neck.
I hear the gun click and jump as a gun fires. Bullets sting the air where I once stood, and as I raise a wall of ice to protect myself I risk a glance at Ella.
She twirls through the battlefield, her fire whips cutting through flesh and searing skin. I shatter the wall of ice and send the shards towards the gun user as Ella's whip wraps around a man's throat melting through flesh.
I don't wait to see how the man dies as fire flies towards me. I shield a blow, turning and jumping to amplify my momentum. The ice axe sinks into the man's thick forearm and he screams dropping his shield. I kick his side and push the blade further into his arm. Pulling it out I shift it into a sword and it sinks through his chest. I watch as blood blooms from the deadly wound, his black armour now wet.
Throwing my hand towards a Death Hunter a dagger of ice traces the movement sinking into the soldier's shoulder. I run as I dissolve the ice. Sliding under his swinging mace. I stop myself with the support of ice and the butt end of my sword hits the back of his head. He collapses.
Water engulfs six Hunters and I watch as Denen extends his arm, lightning crackling through the air. The men's hair is burned off as their bodies go limp, life draining from them. Lightning crackles through the area, and as Denen sharply pushes his hand forward lightning hits the ten people in front of him. A low rumble follows in result of the speed of the power. Aira faces Adornaz with Haley, the two best friends working together perfectly. Aira jumps over Haley's back and lands quietly as metal curls around Adornaz's ankles.
I have to look away from the fighting as I hear a scream. And there is Nora. A blizzard of blood and furry.
Men go down around the small yet powerful girl, blood now mist around. She jumps up kicking a man in the face. Pushing with her right arm from a block of suspended ice she twists behind a man and sinks her backwards held dagger through him. She lunges and the dagger swipes into a man twice her sides stomach. She doesn't seem to care about the blood and mess as his intestines are cut open and gore pores from him.
Another wave of Death Hunters. I duck as a man with elongated canines swipes at me. Werewolf or Vampire. His skin rips apart as his nails elongate and cut through my shirt. The sting tells me the wound isn't deep, as I fall back sending a shock wave of ice to push back the weaker Death Hunters the man growls at me.
His neck cracks as his mouth elongate, the top of his head pushing back. His back legs twist and break, his arms shaking. The only thing he wears, dark cargo pants melt away revealing his nakedness as he shifts, the metal leg bracelet around his leg staying in wolf form.
I recognize it as a Tere, a band that sensed when Magic Essence levels raised in a werewolf that melted their clothes into a miniature pocket realm.
The gray wolf lunges at me, it's head up to my elbow. It howls and jumps for me. Feinting out of the way the wolf skids to a stop as another sword swings towards me. I block it but don't have enough time to block the Werewolf. Razor sharp teeth sink into me and scream. The wolf doesn't let go the jaw clamping shut.
As dots flash through my vision, as night threatens to come early I swing my Aszor. The glowing blade sinks into the neck of the wolf as the neck is severed. The werewolf goes limp as the wolf shifts back into a naked man.
I twist my hand and the woman who had distracted me flies through someone's sword. People swarm as my ice flies through the world, cutting through men and woman alike, my Aszor singing against metal. Guns fire again and as I make a wall Haley finishes the job by twirling her hand from where she stands across the hub.
The tree in the center has managed to nest men, one impaled by a branch, and instead of rain falling from the leaves blood instead drips into pools of crimson.
As the blood becomes mist and I lose count of my kills Nora and I fight towards each other. Fight for each other. Until we meet in the middle of blood and death and ice burns the world. We twirl together, swiping through bone and neck, tissue and muscle. Vines wrap around my arm and Nora cuts through them with her sabre. I nod in thanks as she creates a step of ice and hurls herself through the air. Her dagger finds home in a man's eye and she rides him down picking up her sword and sending it flying at another Death Hunter.
A Warlock, though not blessed with Kassadern Darath's gifts, carves symbols into the air and fire soars at me. I swipe to block and he sends the same attack at me. His staff which is made of dark metal and holds a dark blue gem flies from his hand, rendering him almost useless. I raise my hand and an ice crystal flies through his chest. I shatter the crimson stained ice and send them flying through the air. They cut into flesh, embedding themselves into flesh like they were splinters.
As the wave of attacks finish I look into Nora's eyes, her mask fading.
"I'm sorry for everything," I whisper.
"Just kiss me you ass." She retorts.
And our lips meet. Ice floods me, like the feelings I had tried to extinguish flare up again, an ember spreading to a frozen forest. And the forest of depression melts away. I feel her lips, I feel her, the touch I have missed so much, the feelings I feel for her roaring in my ears and through my body.
I pull back from Nora and brightness fills her eyes once again.
"Duck." An ice crystal flies into a man's chest and he falls to the ground dead. Adornaz fights Ella, Aira, and Haley now. The man convicted of such dreadful deeds against woman finally being put in his place. Fire wraps around his arm as a blast of earth hits his shoulder. He stumbles back and falls over. Rolling away from Aira who embeds a sword into the ground, he stands and slams the end of his wooden staff into her leg. She crumples but stands minutes later.
Ella twirls underneath a sweep of darkness and kicks his side. The Dark Warlock jumps back and Haley twists her hands. Two swords fly to her and she brings them upon Adornaz's staff. He pushes back as iron and wood meet. He flicks his wrist and a small knife enters his hand. He kicks back Haley and the small knife buries itself into Aira's shoulder. Aira trips and pulls out the knife. Thorns twist around his leg, Ella's whip hitting him across the chest as he grunts in pain. And the Aira lunges, screaming. The bloodied knife sinks into Adornaz's side. He twirls back as the gem sends a wave of ink towards Haley and Aira. They fly back and Ella attacks.
Her whips wrap around the staff, the fire burning along them glowing hotter as she slides the temperature up on the hilt. She releases one from the staff revealing a dark line etched through the bone wood. As Ella's whip wraps around the man's leg Aira jumps forward, stepping through the air and wrapping her legs around his head. Haley tosses her a sword and the short Air Elemental rams the sword hilt into Adornaz's head. The Warlock trips falling to the ground.
As Aira swirls ready to kill the mana symbol is drawn and Adornaz melts into the ground. Coward.
"Where is Brennen?" I question.
"I sent them to get a boat," Nora explains. "They're meeting us at the abandoned docks."
I nod."Where is John," Ella whispers.
"I don't know," Nora whispers. "He found me in the lockdown and said we had to help."
Ella looks pale-faced but doesn't stay behind as we run for the tunnels. As we climb the iron staircases the sirens pick up again, the red flashing lights built underneath the stairs casting the world into a bloodied glow. We reach the fourth floor. And there stands John a sword in his hand.
"John?" Ella queries.
"I can't let you pass." He whispers.
"Yes, you can. Come with us."
"I can't Ella." He pleads. "If I don't do this they... they might just take away every I have left."
"I'll hold him off," Ella says and we run.
As the tapestry is ripped in half Aira, Haley, and Denen fly behind the wall. Ice hits my leg and I trip, missing the cave entry. I send a blast of ice at John and he dodges it as Nora and I enter the cave. The others have disappeared into the shadows as I take a look back at Ella.
She nods to me and we run. The darkness of the cave cloaks us, no stars glowing in this infinite night. Footsteps sound behind us and I pray that it is Ella. We climb down stairs, through caves anti-chambers. And as we emerge onto the dock area I embrace the coolness of the night. Aira, Haley, and Denen stand there, Denen pacing nervously for the return of his brother. Holding my breath I wait for Ella to step from the darkness.
But it is not Ella. It is Aneltt.
I step back the life around the Death Huntress wilts. She smiles wickedly at her niece. Haley meets her eyes and smiles. Nora goes to attack but I stop her. This was Haley's fight. Vines wrap around Aneltt's legs and she breaks through whipping thorns towards Haley who dodges them. Haley extends her hand and the stone dock splits as sharp stone blasting through. Breaking apart the rock my friend sends small boulders flying at Aneltt.
The sound a motor, and a boat soars through the ocean towards us. Haley ducks beneath Aneltt's sword, the two illuminated by the endless stars. As the boat docks, Aira wades through the water and lifts herself onto the back of the boat. I help Nora from the dock and jump in.
Once we had kissed here so passionately a star's fire was dull against our burn. I raise her from the water on board the boat and climb up myself. Where was Ella?
Haley and Aneltt's swords meet and steel screams. Haley twists her hand and Aneltt's blade snaps in half.
Ella and John appear on the cliff edge above niece and aunt. Ella swings her whips as ice blocks the attacks, John attacks with such raw anger; hurt. Ella whips fire up to him and the strands curl around his shoulder. He screams as Ella pulls him to the ground. He stands and sends a ray of ice up to meet Ella's chest. She falls into the mountains stone wall and trips forward. A scream rips from my throat as Ella flies from the cliff edge. And a parallel scream comes from John as his hand catches Ella's and he pulls her to safety.
Aneltt swings her fist and Haley falls to the stone ground. Haley struggles to stand as blood leaks from her nose. Aneltt kicks her ribs and I can just make out what the wicked woman says.
"Almost as week as your mother. Tell me, is she still fucking the dirty street whore that your father is?" Haley growls.
"You know, she did that. I was repulsed personally. Your mother would go around fucking people like the whore that she is. You are no better than her."
"My mother was no whore." Haley cries as Aneltt kicks Haley again, and the Earth girl slides to the edge of the dock beside rusty bolts sticking from the side.
"She was weak and pathetic too." Aneltt spits. "You should be ashamed you are related to such a pathetic whore."
And Haley explodes. Aneltt flies from her feet as pure power erupts from Haley. A wickedly sharp slab of stone erupts from the dock and the tip of it sinks through Aneltt's stomach. Aneltt screams with such fury that the mountain shakes as Haley pulls from the dock a long rusted bolt about the length of a ruler.
Haley Clerk, Daughter of Amelia Clerk runs and jumps onto her aunt. The dagger sinks through Aneltt's eye and Haley rips it back, the eyeball falling from the socket. Aneltt goes limp and Haley swims for the boat. My gaze returns to Ella and John, the latter pulling his ex-girlfriend onto the cliff still.
"Come with us." I hear Ella whisper. "Please."
"But he will take away everything I have."
"He won't take away me." Ella whispers and they kiss.
The island is crested with stars, the only light in this darkness. I hold Nora's hand as we look upon our cliff ledge. One day we would come back and sit upon it. We stay clear of the jagged rocks beneath it and as Brennen turns down the motors to make sure nobody can hear our escape Nora whispers to me."I love you." She whispers and tells me everything.
There hadn't been a day I hadn't missed her, and there hadn't been a day she hadn't missed me. After I had broken up with her she had cried. That she admitted. But from the emptiness, she contacted Kassadern Darath and was recruited as a spy. She had fed him information about us. Lies mixed with small hints of the truth. But she had not ever really been spying on us.
No. She had been spying on the Dark Empire. On weekends she had been flown out to their headquarters in a mirror realm in Austria where she had learned of their plans, learned what weapons and monsters they were made under the cloak of darkness. She had learned more than any spy sent from the Affilatorian Circle. What she learned could win us the war.
Kassadern Darath was the heir of Darathiuz, the original inhabitance of Darkness. He was more powerful than any man in history... he had the blood of a god...
But that could wait for another day.
I kiss Nora gently my hand holding hers gently. We look upon our island, Herta Macer fading into the darkness and a shooting star flies through the air, leaving a trail of diamond.
The Gifted Six wouldn't be going home. I would survive because Nora was my home. Where ever our hearts were, as long as they were together we were home. Our lips meet again as the stars burn brightly, though dull compared to our love.
We were all broken. But broken people make a mosaic world.