Ace - Ace of (No) Hearts [part 3]

It turned out that King Guinn moved slowly, while the Witch and her followers were always right behind him. After all, he had brought his entire family members with him, retreating to the safety of whatever power he could rely upon, here in the underground. Through the dark tunnel which Ace had just passed, through the ancient stone door…

King Guinn had brought his wife, and all his three children, down to this place. They had inevitably slowed his pace, and thus the Witch, Sir Burns, Ace and two of the elite guardsmen were able to quickly catch up to him.

As he stood there, sword in hand. Ace saw the man was not as he expected him to be. Ace had expected a weak and small man, reflected by his petty, unjust deed of taking this Kingdom for himself when he was not even the rightful heir for it. Instead, what he saw was a man worthy enough to be called king. King Guinn stood there, by the archway of yet another cave, which lead to nowhere but darkness deeper in this ancient underground. His shoulders broad and strong. His crown of gold glimmered on his snow-white hair, made fit only for himself alone. His cloak of blue linen flowed behind him as his magical power built up. As for his sword, his was a greatsword. The dark piece of gigantic steel was a sight to behold, its tip resting readily on the ground.

"Uncle!" the Witch called. "Give up yourself. It is futile to fight me."

"R'aeth, my niece," said King Guinn, unmoving from his position. "Is it not also futile to give up? Unfortunate as it is, I still fully understand the reason for your coming here, girl."

"You do?" the Witch raised her voice as she walked up front, both Sir Burns and Ace followed closely behind her. Her cloak rose as her magical powers began to awaken. Ace could see a thin red line shrouding her figure, glowing on her skins and clothes. Her shadow twisted and moved around uncontrollably. "Do you also understand that I will leave none of your families alive, as I make you watch them die one by one?"

The King gritted his teeth, he knew the Witch would take her words exactly as she meant it. "This saddened me," he said. "You've grown up now, girl. You resemble your mother very much. Alas, you took the anger your father always had."

"How dare you talk anything about my father!" the Witch shouted "You betrayed him, uncle! You took the throne he meant to sit!"

"No! He was once a respectable man. But when your grandfather Leo died on his deathbed, he changed. Lancelot was never the same then…"

"Silence!" the Witch's aura exploded in her anger, blinding those around her and illuminating everything. "Speak no more of my father! What do you even know about him?! Did you really think you can justify the things you've done to him?!"

"I know everything about him, girl!" King Guinn raised his sword. Sir Burns and Ace did the same almost without delay.

"He was my brother!" the King roared.

Ace saw him took his first step as he charged forward, his greatsword deadly in his hands. He then knew the man would risk any danger to himself, in order to protect the family he had behind him, deeper in the caves. Watching her uncle coming, the Witch raised her clawed iron hand.

"Chasma!" she called.

Ace and Sir Burns stopped on their movement instantly, their eyes widening.

The cavern exploded in flames.

***

The King had tried to use magic to protect himself, but it was not enough. Now that Chasma had been awoken, Ace knew that even looking at his Queen's figure was going to be painful as the heat from her aura scorched too bright for the human's eyes.

In her hands was a staff, a golden flaming staff. She herself was burning. The Witch's aura was so strong she seemed to be engulfed in flames. Engulfed in fires as bright as sunshine. Ace saw she no longer have any shadow.

"My God," King Guinn shook his head as he rose again on his feet.

The Witch raised her magical staff and pointed it at the man she called uncle. The pentagram of summoning formed so quick in the air in front of her staff that Ace barely could see anything before the fireballs launched.

King Guinn threw himself sideways, rolling on uneven grounds. As the fireballs exploded in the place he had been on in just a heartbeat later. He knew this was beyond dangerous. The man quickly chanted a protection spell for himself. His blue aura strengthened and formed a solid magical armor.

The Witch turned on him again and swung her staff violently. In front of her, a shape of flames formed, growing in size as it whipped forth, burning everything in its path. When it reached the King, he did not duck or roll again. Instead, he swung his greatsword, straight and fast, cutting the flame whip in two. It did not do him too much good. The magical power of his greatsword might have made him able to avoid the worst, but he couldn't possibly calculate the explosion he had to take, each time any of the Witch's magic was to be disrupted.

King Guinn's protection spell faded, his aura blinked weakly. Another hit he had to take and he might as well burn himself in his niece's flames. The man stood up again. Before him stood the strongest fire mage ever walked, and yet he would not dare to keep kneeling as he feared she will think he had been defeated. Not yet.

He chanted another spell of protection, trying to make it stronger this time. Ace knew what he's trying to do. That sort of spell he added at the end, was a reflection spell. Each time the primary spell broke, the reflection spell would empower the user temporarily, giving them a chance for a counter attack.

"Useless efforts, uncle!" the Witch mocked. Ace heard her voice oddly echoed in the air, as her power was too strong it broke the balance of the world's physics. "You wouldn't have enough magical mana to last in this fight… Now burn!" she said. "Burn in the worldly hell I've made for you!"