“And who are you to stand up for her, Achysian?” She asks coldly while avoiding my attack. “You who speak of the non-existent goddess?”
“I am Illania de Velira, great-granddaughter of Lord-General Augustine de Velira, Battlemage of the Ring of Fire of the Exalted Empire of Achysia. Who are you to speak to me?”
“Ah Augustine, one of the few to ever defeat me with the sword. I will have to take his head before he croaks. And who am I? I am known by a few different things but you might know me best as Lidia, one of those my former allies refer to as the Seven Traitors. Can’t say I like that one compared to being called the Perfect Paladin.”
I whisper in near fear, I thought I recognized her from the various battlefields. “The Heir of Remigil… Theodosia’s killer.”
“Remigil?” She raises an eyebrow. “A great man to be sure but even he is nothing compared to the heights I have reached and continue to reach for in my perfection so saying I am his heir is an insult really. As for Theodosia de Velira, she should have known better than to get in my way during the war with how weak she was. She was begging to die by my blade with how she threw herself at me, shouting who she was and how we will duel. But that does not answer my question on why you will step in for her sake. She is one of those who destroyed your country, no?”
I smile amusedly. “Because she owes my brother Solomon another fight when she is at her full strength and I would be a poor elder sister if I didn’t try and look out for him, we de Velira’s take the idea of future duels very seriously.”
That causes the fallen Paladin to give one of her rare chuckles. “Truly your brother must be an odd one, well he must be since Alexis mentioned that he kept coming back no matter how hard she tried to kill him back during the war.”
“Suicidal is another way to put it but who isn’t a little suicidal in this day and age?”
“No one by my experience so far.” Smile still on her face she speaks more, “ however… that is not the complete reason is it? Before we cross blades and I take your life would you care to enlighten me to it?”
I turn my head to the princess, my brother’s rival and so much more than that, and speak quietly. “Because I too am a kinslayer and her reactions are not much different from my own when I am faced with my crime.”
“I see. I guess I stand in judgment of two kinslayers and what better judge can there be besides me? I guess I will have to kill you first Illania de Velira before judging Alexis here for her crimes.” She snaps her fingers and all the doors and windows seal themselves. She swaps put her sword for her lance and with a brandish she nods at me. “Your move but make it good for it may be your last."
I don’t have a sword but it isn’t like that would stop me. Instead I hold my left arm at a downward angle to my side and chant. “Through my will, the flames of my passions form and solidify and I shall carry that flame into battle for the glory of Achysia.” And in my open hand appears a blade of fire, crafted from my own mana and to my exact specifications and I take up a stance with it in both hands. “Et flamma in tenebris!” I shout the old warcry and charge at her, brandishing my sword at the ready.
“Impressive control. But is it enough?” We clash and lock blades, separate and attack again before separating again. I am panting while she seems to be perfectly fine. At first I think that I have received no damage but I feel a trickle of blood start on my forehead. And that brief exchange tells me all I need to know, she is my superior in the blade, she is entirely on another level that it would probably require grandfather to step in or Solomon after more training to ensure victory. But that will not stop me, she is not taking me seriously at all and that is her mistake. Instead I raise my free hand in the air and chant and a large series of miniature fireballs appear around me. With a wave of that hand they go flying at her at high speed she dodges most of them but that is as planned and instead I move them in such a way that she inevitably blocks one of them with her blade, which then explodes and sends her flying into a wall.
As the smoke clears I see there is barely a scratch on her and the fallen Paladin runs a hand across her mouth, admiration present in her eyes. “Impressive idea girl. But if you think that will work again you are mistaken.” I don’t say anything but instead move my hand and the fireballs that earlier missed come flying at her at all angles. But instead of moving, because there is no escape, she instead raises her hand and chants.
“Perfection is the end, perfection is the means, few can walk the Path, fewer still can reach its conclusion, but I am already walking there and nothing will hold me back. Nothing can hold me back.”
With those words all the fireballs stop in midair as if held back by a barrier. No, it isn’t a barrier like my brother could create but instead it is a force pushing back against them. I raise another hand. “Through my passions may my flames burn all in my path away.” And with those words a stream of flame emerges from my hand and flies at her but it is similarly blocked and pushed back against. “May the lances of fiery judgment pierce through you, for my righteousness makes me your judge.” Four fiery lances appear around me and fly at her and once again stop. I grind my teeth as I push back against her magic, trying to break through.
“Through my greatness, through my glory above all, through my absolute perfection, may gravity itself bend to my will as it should.” And with those words of her I begin to feel pressure on my head and shoulders, a weight pushing me down as if to crush me and I struggle to stay on my feet. As I struggle I see my magic getting pushed back she is probably going to attack us with that barrier. I click my tongue, fighting people with telekinesis was always a pain.
“Get down!” I shout at the bitch of a princess, anticipating what is to come, but she doesn’t move, her mind still stuck elsewhere, stuck on what this woman said to her. “Damn it all.” I release my magic and move to tackle her to the ground. The telekinetic wave passes over us but I have a feeling it was only because she allowed it and I get up and conjure the sword again and face the Paladin, who hasn’t moved from her spot but has a mocking smile fixed on her face as if she is hearing something that we can’t.
“Well I think that is enough playing for today, farewell Alexis, we shall meet again I promise you for you must still be judged for your betrayal, the anger of those whose love was betrayed is great and thus we will always come back no matter what you may do… or perhaps your Achysian friend was right and everything I said was a lie I said to mess with you, what is ‘truth’ after all? The noble Princess Alexis of Duivene who did all she did for good? The wretched kinslayer who hides from the evils in her own heart in a fantasy world? Or the woman who murdered those she was close to for the sake of her own glory? Which of those is the ‘truth’? What will become ‘true’?” She chuckles. “But it is true that I always loved you as the little sister I never had, I loved both of you that way. As for you Illania de Velira, I look forward to our next match, do try to be a better challenge.” And with those words she departs as if she was never here leaving me with Alexis of Duivene, still staring blankly.
"Get up you." I snap at her and pull her to her feet. "Snap out of it." I tell her and slap her across the face. Probably unnecessary but I have really wanted to do that for years.
