Chapter 14 #3
“Gods, Cirian. You’re lucky to be breathing!”
“I’m lucky to have you two holding me up,” I added.
“How many points do you have?”
I pressed my forefinger to my thumb, creating a circle.
“You can’t go on like this,” Azrael said.
“I have to.”
“What happens if you lose?”
“The Umbral gets to smother out the Source, I’d imagine.”
Bastien stared over my shoulder at my opponent, his calculating eyes hiding the beautiful machinations of his mind.
He was beautiful in so many ways, but this very well may have been my favorite.
I reached with my bloodied hand, plucking at the tether between us, and he jolted, his attention returning to me.
“You can’t get me out of this one, Bast. I have to own it.”
“But you can’t win,” he whispered.
“There’s always hope,” I argued.
“I can fight in your stead,” Azrael suggested.
“No substitutions,” the Umbral called over. “And while this reunion is touching, my patience is wearing thin. Ready yourself, Lightbringer. This ends now.”
I tightened my grip on the epee, pulling away from the others. Bastien reached for me again, but I brushed him away.
“I’d like for you two to be here,” I said, my voice far calmer than it should have been. “At the end. If it’s not too much to ask.”
Azrael’s nose wrinkled, and he shook his head. “Don’t say that.”
Bastien didn’t answer, his steely gaze trained on me with unfaltering discipline. Would he try to bring me back, once the Umbral had their way with me? I wondered if there would be any essence left to find, out in the Ether.
The tethers between us grew brighter as I embraced them both, pressing them against me with all the strength I could muster. They wrapped their arms around me, Azrael whispering comforts while Bastien remained silent.
“I’m sorry we didn’t have more time,” I said, releasing my hold on them. “Maybe in the next life, should I be so lucky.”
The two men watched as I turned back to face my foe, the blazing tethers shedding their solemn light on my path forward towards the end. Taking my position, I raised my weapon into a stance, giving the Umbral a nod.
“I’m ready.”
“We begin.”
In a moment of selfish cowardice, I longed to close my eyes.
To wait for Death’s embrace while envisioning those I was leaving behind one last time.
But I had asked for them to stay. To witness the approach of my end firsthand.
So, I too had to stare Death down as it charged forward, wearing the face of my oldest friend.
The Umbral was quick, racing to close the distance between us.
I wanted to parry the blow, but the epee was suddenly so heavy in my hand, and by the time I got it moving, it was already too late.
The Umbral went for the heart, the tip of their blade pointed with practiced dexterity at the exact point my tethers to Bastien and Azrael connected.
It was almost an act of mercy, how quickly it would be over.
“Cirian!”
The tip of the blade halted just before it pierced the flesh, the Umbral’s expression shifting quickly from one of smug resolution to bewilderment.
Wrapped around their wrist and waist, two blazing tethers held them in place, stilling their strike and holding them in place.
“What is the meaning of this?” they hissed, eyes darting from me to the two men behind me.
I didn’t waste the opportunity, my blade already in motion to parry, I shifted the direction, catching the Umbral across the arm. The fabric of Sancha’s vestments offered little resistance as my blade found purchase, drawing a spray of black across the sapphire materials.
The Umbral shrieked an inhuman sound as they scuttled backward, the tethers releasing their hold. Their blood dripped heavy and slow down their arm, thick ichor pooling at their feet as they glared at me.
“That point goes to me, I believe.”
“You go against the pact,” the Umbral hissed.
The chains descended once more, hoisting us back into our starting positions before retreating back into the looming cloud. “No punishment. So, obviously, there was no violation. Or perhaps your spellwork isn’t quite up to snuff?”
Their eyes narrowed, darkness expanding over the whites of their eyes. Lifting their weapon into position once more, they took their stance.
Feeling a surge of energy from the turn of the tide, I followed suit, the ache of my trembling arm dulling a bit as I lifted my epee above my head.
“Are you prepared?” I asked.
Another hiss. “I am.”
“Let us begin.”
The Umbral lunged forward with the ferocity of a wounded animal, all teeth and claws and desperation. I spun to avoid their thrust, a second one coming right after. Our blades collided with a deafening screech, showering the ground below with sparks.
Locked in a stalemate, the Umbral leaned closer, the heat of its breath on my face as it seethed. “You will not best me, Lightbringer.”
Ramming my good shoulder into them, the Umbral’s stance faltered, their foot sliding on the ichor that dripped from their wound. With another surge of confidence, I shoved once more, separating from my opponent long enough for my epee to pierce their left side, a mirror image of my own wound.
A bestial bellow reverberated from the chest of the Umbral as more ichor poured from their wound, soaking into the delicate fabric of Sancha’s vestments like spilled ink. They staggered back a few paces, leveling a gaze of pure obsidian that chilled me to the core.
“Two for me,” I announced, flicking my blade to loosen the dark blood that clung to the tip. I risked a glance back at the others as the chains lifted me once again—Bastien watching me with cautious hope, and Azrael beaming a smile that caused my pulse to sputter.
Death was no longer the only option. With one more victory, we could all leave this place intact.
Well, that wasn’t true for all of us.
“Sancha,” I said, turning back to my opponent.
“I don’t know if you can hear me in there, but I wanted to thank you.
I told you I wasn’t ready. And the truth is, I’m not.
I’m nothing like you. You’ve been a beacon for the Hallowed.
A light to guide them forward. I’ll never be able to follow in those footsteps.
But I understand that I’ve been given a gift, and for whatever reason, you’ve seen fit to trust me with it.
So, while I may not be ready to fill the void of your absence, I have surrounded myself with those who will not let me fall. ”
I glanced back at the two men watching me intently.
“Because of them, I know that there is a better future waiting. Not just for the Hallowed, but for everyone across the Expanse. The barriers between us are breaking, and while wounds from the past must be atoned for, the way forward is clear.”
The Umbral spat a mouthful of ichor onto the ground.
“Your sentiment is wasted upon deaf ears. I will blot every lingering trace of it from this world.”
“For one who touts themselves above the emotions of humans, you sound awfully spiteful. Is that a bit of humanity I see behind those soulless eyes?”
They raised their weapon once more, taking their stance.
“Enough. I have indulged your foolishness for too long. Let us be done with this.”
I took my place across from them, the ache of my muscles nearly forgotten in the state of bliss I felt.
It was as if I’d been a bird, long confined to a cage with bars crafted from misanthropy.
I’d always seen the ugliness of the world for what it was—a blight of humanity’s making.
Now, I longed to make a world of beautiful things.
The Source’s blessing came to life once more beneath my skin, ignited by the thought of possibilities. All I had to do was survive the next few minutes, and I could begin making it a reality.
Lifting my epee, I drew in a deep breath, exhaling slowly as I sank into my position. Across, my former master glared back with eyes of dark glass.
“I am ready.”