"We'll see how Thorn Lightning handles my necrotic blade." Pointing Morningstar towards Laris, emerald-like flames cloaked the golden blade.
A look of curiosity and scorn danced over Laris's face as his voice echoed. " You are a fool, girl! A fool.
Darting towards the knight, Aurelia covered the distance in a few steps as her Arcana began to be consumed by the imperial sutra pushing her speed and power to greater heights. Her blade whipped towards Laris's neck, cutting with the intent to kill.
Shocked at the sheer speed, Laris bearly had the time to arch his sword to parry, but just as he did, Aurelia's blade suddenly curled like a vicious snake, twisting in such a way it maneuvered around the sword hitting his chest.
Blood spilled on both sides as a similar gash appeared on Aurelia's chest, staining her tunic red. Her cheeks paled, but her eyes remained steadfast. She fired another blow cutting deeper till she reached the bone, as a cry squealed from laris's lips.
Thorn Lightning flared, similarly tearing at Aurelia, but only insanity seemed to fix itself into the young girl's heart. She wasn't going to back down. Not for Laris nor the soul hidden deep within his body.
"STOP!!!!" Cried the Young Knight; as the pain overwhelmed his senses, tears fluttered so greatly in his eyes, his vision blurred, and his skin turned a deadly ashen due to the heavy blood loss.
"You'll kill us both."
"Aurelia can't die." She replied with the utmost confidence swiping her sword down, ready to end this.
DING!!!!!
Hairs rising on end, Aurelia's eyes met with the still lifeless ones of Laris, who parried her necrotic sword as though it were a normal blade. She was sure that any sword that met her spell would be severed, yet…
Leaping away, knowing something was wrong, Aurelia frowned. And her stance grew firm.
Rising off his knees, 'laris' touched his wounds, bleeding an emerald light, and his lips curled down. " What a foul aura. It must come from the soul," he said in a tone that made Aurelia's heart skip a few beats.
"Such a delectable evil, is it from the Nines?"
"Who are you?"
'Laris' lifted his eyes towards Aurelia, and the edges of his eye slowly turned hollow and pale, so much so his skin began to mirror the paleness of his bones. "I must thank you, child, for forcing this fool's hand. You've given me quite the opportunity. So as thanks, I'll allow you to live. Mend your injuries and return when you are worthy of my words."
Fear danced along aurelia's spine, but she said nothing as she stared at the gruesome eyes that seemed to devour nodes of light.
"Or is it? You wish to challenge me as you are now?" Laris chuckled, his skin thinning with each passing second till his clothing became ill-fitted.
"My Lady," Said Eldritch.
"Shut it," Aurelia replied to Eldrich, gritting her teeth as she stared, feeling an enormous pressure pressing upon her thin shoulders.
Her fingers only tightened around morningstar, alongside the eldritch staff. "I-I-I do."
"Then may the Light of Lunafreya guide thy soul to the Age of Twilight. " He declared, parting his feet, entering Form V, The Etherial Grace, Zensu.
Aurelia's eyes widen, and to Laris's surprise, Aurelia did the same, copying his exact stance. Her mind suddenly calmed, and the text she had read a few times but never practiced fluttered through her mind.
"Oh? A fellow practitioner. But too green. I shall spare your life." He said, shaking his head, having gone back on his word. "You should thank whoever gave that technique to you. Head to the Temple of Luna should you ever wish to improve. This realm, Alos. Is but a cage that is too small for the likes of you." he said, turning around as he walked away. "Should you see this human sack again, ignore him and know his days are numbered. But till then, he's under my protection."
Sweat pooling around her, aurelia's heart hammered against her chest as all the energy in her left her limbs.
"He-He-He's scarier than Zariel." She thought, shuttering as her muscles began to contract. A gut-wrenching pain traced her body. She sucked in a large breath, feeling the grim reaper blade against her neck.
"I've seen fools in my day, but you, Aurelia Morningstar, are the biggest," Lifting her head to the sound of the voice. Silvery eyes staring her down appeared. Followed by a stinging sensation as Zariel struck her across the cheek with his open palm.
"Eh?" pain swelled within her heart as she clenched her cheek.
"When the hell will you grasp the concept of your mortality? You die, I die. What part of that don't you get? You are going to get someone killed, and it might not be you or me, but I assure you Ella and Sionn's blood will be on your hands."
There was a long hollow silence as the sting in her heart grew, and from her shame came anger. She rose, pointing morningstar towards Zariel, "Is it not your fault then? Didn't you drag us into your war! Don't act all high and mighty when you're the one who pushed me! YOU'RE THE ONE WITH THE TARGET, NOT ME! YOU!!!!"
Howling till her throat cracked, her eyes became stained with crystal tears, Aurelia's shoulders trembled, her mouth filled with the taste of copper. "You trained me. You raised me! It's not all on me, Ok? It's not."
Zariel smiled. " And will you tell yourself that over the corpse of Ella and Sionn? If you can't see who's at fault, then maybe I have failed, but I'm not the one who's going to be on their knee praying to some god to bring them back. That Knight of Luna you saw. Even at his current power, he could kill me and everyone else on this planet. Think of that next time you challenge someone who spared your life. I can't always save you, girl. I can barely save myself."
Aurelia's head dropped, and her knees slipped into the snow. "Just go." She whispered, "I want to be alone."
"Gladly."
By the time Aurelia lifted her head, only the silvery snow billowing against the frozen wasteland had filled her sights, that and the sight of Vesryn too scared even to move.