Life of a Phoenix - Chapter 17 - A dual fight

Aryun watched the pending fight with something akin to panic. She did not want to feel panic at Erdric's foolishness, but there it was staring her full in the face. She was watching with wide eyes as she slowly stepped back from the two, giving a wide berth if a spell went awry.

She backed further away to see the whole of the group, but they had pushed themselves well away from the two as well, almost as if they had seen a dual like this before.

Briefly, she wondered what else Erdric had gotten into during his short life. Too much, I'd bet, she thought.

Thanatos was the first to move.

With speed like lightning, Thanatos flipped out his hand, raking his fingers through the air. He watched in satisfaction when Erdric's face shot to the side, a light spray of blood flying in an arch to land upon the soft robe and stone floor.

Erdric's hand fluttered up to his face. His fingers lightly brushed over the wounds, eliciting a painful hiss as he opened his eyes. His head was turned away from Thanatos, but both eyes were fixed completely upon him. Crimson streaked his face in a half mask, and it ran from his cheek to seek freedom at his chin.

Aura. He used my Aura to do that, he thought, slightly furious.

His slender hands clenched, still not taking his eyes off of his opponent. He slowly lowered his hand, and held it palm out

"If that's the way you want to play," he quipped, motioning to his cut cheek, "I can play that game."

With a very fast flip of his had, Thanatos reeled back, his hand pressed to the side of his face. He hissed before pulling back, his hair flying as he hand shot out and shouted, "Surdus!"

Erdric's head snapped back again before he shook it violently. He glared up at Thanatos as he saw his lips move, but no sound issued forth.

With a stiff wave of his hand and a murmured word, he banished the hex and pointed a finger making a sharp hooked rune.

Coldness gathered around him like a sturdy cloak, and he wore it well as he put both of his hands together, fingertips touching. He brought them up to his chest, crossing the wrists against himself, and drawing the ice within himself.

His eyes flashed an ice blue before he pushed the hands out, heels of his palms together. "Stiria," he mouthed, and as he spread the fingers of his hands.

Silvery blue light shot from his hand, shot into Thanatos's shoulder, and coalesced into the silvery blue of ice.

Aryun blinked. A very large spine of ice stuck through Thanatos's shoulder. She smirked; her assessment of Erdric's magic was not far below the belt. In fact, she mused silently to herself. It seemed that her assessment was far below his capability. He was far more experienced than she gave him credit for.

Her praise of the situation was cut short as she felt a hard, tight hand clamp upon her shoulder and spun her around.

Her eyes went huge and then suddenly narrowed. "KimVay," she hissed, loathing palatable in the word.

His face split into a parody of a grin. "Well, daughter? Shall we finish this once and for all?" He trailed a finger down her cheek and she flinched, glaring more fiercely at him than before. "A fight, perhaps? Is that what you want?" He leaned close to her, his mouth hovering near hers as his other hand tightly gripped her neck. "Or do you want something . . . else?" His free hand wandered down, slowly slipping down her chest to grasp her waist.

"Get the fuck off of me." Her body quivered slightly, wanting to give him the chance before she snapped. She slid her hands slightly away from her body; ready to attack when he chose not to back off. He would do that too. He wouldn't pull back, and he was sick enough to continue this if she didn't put a foot down.

"Why should I?" he breathed, his warm breath fluttered across her face. "Tyral let me out to face you anyway. Said we should work out our differences."

Aryun glared. "The key word there, KimVay is 'work out' not 'torment'. Very different."

"Are they really?" He pulled back slightly looking into her blue eyes. "Tormenting, torturing, and cajoling are equal, Aryun dear. Did you learn nothing in the care of Nicodemus?"

Aryun ground her teeth, mentally steeling herself to throw him away. "Nicodemus worked with my mind, yes, but to correct those wounds that you and he created. Nicodemus was my teacher, a figure of truth and honor for me, and I will not disgrace him. I have changed KimVay. I am not that manic, frightened, bloodthirsty, violent, and furious woman I once was. I will no longer do such again. No more blood shall stain my hands unless it's deserved." She narrowed her eyes at him, glaring. "Now take your hands off me, KimVay."

He watched her, appraising her, and in the next second he was jammed up against the wall, the stones biting painfully into his back. He gasped lightly, still looking at her face. Not a trace of emotion shone through but distain, loathing, and disgust. This bothered him, and his fear coiled around his throat. Maybe he shouldn't have provoked her.

"Shall we finish this?" he asked quietly.

A snarl was her only reply before he was thrown into the next wall. Well, that could have been worse, he thought. I knew I shouldn't have done that . . . He shook his head frantically before he pushed himself up into a sitting position, watching his daughter come with naked steel in her hand.