Light of Stars [2]

Chapter Forty-Three

♕ The Shift ♕

Dorian's black armor shined in reflection of the fire underneath them. Nothing covering his face or his neck, unlike many of the others. Even from up the mountain Aubrette could see the dark tattoo shining in contrast to everything around, shining the same way his eyes had, and she wondered then if their tattoos were also part of what made them brimstone, if they were born with them, the way The Aureums were given their own once completed their training.

The two of them opened paths across the arena trying to reach each other, her eyes swiped across the ground trying to locate Nevaeh, but she could not spot him among those still fighting, the ground seemed to tremble, fire raging hotter, the crowds yelling so loud she almost let go of Pheobe's hand so that she could cover her ears instead.

There was a ring, and Dorian looked around, threw himself froward, avoiding a lance from crossing through his stomach. Aubrette swallowed the yell that waited in her throat. She stepped back. Heaven jumping in excitement beside her, Aubrette followed her eyes back to the ground and saw Nevaeh, standing against the wall of the mountain, struggling to get someone's dagger off their shoulder.

Aubrette looked away not wanting to witness as he did, and found Dorian running, one sword in each of his hands, cutting through the arms of anyone who dared approach him. Phoenix was the only one who seemed to be using her blessing to her favor somehow. She wondered if the rest where worried about draining. If Phoenix could drain at all, if it was different for the brimstone since they were all always so close to their source.

She looked at Dorian, at his eyes, and realized he must be using his as well, disappearing people off his path and dropping them when he felt convenient. Perhaps Nevaeh was too, containing the lava beneath their feet instead of splashing in all their faces.

Phoenix opened her mouth, and Dorian was running, faster than she'd ever seen someone run. Fire came out, and Aubrette felt like she was breathing in the flames as the heat travelled towards them. Everyone bent, hiding themselves behind the backs of others. But Aurbette could hardly move from her place, could not be bothered to move, did not even flinch as she felt the warmth of the fire near her face, she had enough warmth on her own to shy away from.

With the distraction, Dorian trashed, and stuck his sword on Phoenix's claws. She yelled, so loudly that Aubrette felt sorry for her. And then she pushed Dorian to the wall of the pit. And held her face close to his, threatening to burn him into ashes. Dorian's eyes glimmered and people appeared across the pit, dropping out of nowhere, fighting each other after they settled in the world around them.

Dorian's sword cut through Phoenix's feathers. She opened her mouth and he smiled before disappearing. Phoenix's fire burning nothing more than solid rock. Dorian appeared again, climbing onto her back, his sword tearing through one of her wings. Phoenix yelled in pain, rising her wings to make Dorian fall from on top of her.

She flew up to the sky but her back was to damaged from his sword, stars seemed to flicker as she fell back down, shifting back to herself just before she touched the ground, blood wounds all over her skin where he had teared her feathers apart.

Dorian grinned.

Phoenix said something Aubrette could not hear. And then shifted again, this time only her wings coming form behind her back.

She yelled lifting a sword from the floor from the previous fights and rushed to Dorian. Their swords collied together. They moved from one place of the pit to another in a dance, always avoiding getting to close to the void.

Behind them people seemed to fall to their surrender, some running to the closest portal and throwing themselves into it to avoid the point of another's sword. The crowd screams seemed to get louder each time someone fell. Each time blood stained the ground bright red.