The Final Chapter

Showdown

Chapter 21

Fire continued to rage around the archon, trying to consume the Tsaritsa. Caging her.
Aether looked at the scene with shock. No not really shock. The shift in Lumine's behavior was so sudden to him, that he couldn't react to anything. He tried to break to the surface again. No. Not yet!
The Traveler sprinted towards her enemy and prepared another attack. She stopped on her way and stomped walls out of the ground around the Tsaritsa. Then she created another round of fire to launch at the archon.
Suddenly the walls bursted and the fire was estinguished. The shockwave hit Lumine and pushed her back into the stairs to the throne, leaving her unable to move for a moment. The Tsaritsa used that moment to rush to her, creating a sword with ice again: "You nasty little brats!"
Aether's mind snapped back to reality. It's been too long, since he was in control, so he needed a second to adjust to his surroundings. He flew towards his sister lifting her from the ground getting her out of the line of attack. "Are you okay?", he asked. She looked at him with anger. "I'm fine! Let me down" She tried to get out of his grip, without thinking about the height she was. He landed with her at the room entrance, opposite of the throne. The Tsaritsa's, now dark blue, eyes looked at them like daggers. She breathed heavily. From now on she wouldn't even consider playing her games anymore. From now on out, it would be violence.
Lumine jumped out of his arms, tightening the grip on her sword. She then stormed towards the Tsaritsa, who now had second sword in her other hand.
"Wait, Lumine!", Aether screamed, pausing for a moment.
Blades clashed against each other and lighting came from the sky again. Lumine tried to catch the archon with a tendrils, while spikes flew in her direction again. The Traveler defended herself with a flame wall again, throwing rocks in her direction for attack. Any mercy she had, had left her. Finally she understood her brother's feelings. The wrath he felt towards the gods, she felt it. The will to destroy everything in her way, she felt it. She set her sword on fire and sprinted at the archon. Their blades clashed again, she had to dodge the hit of the second sword but failed and got hit at her shoulder. She jumped back, holding her shoulder and breathing heavily. But she didn't care. With her still burning sword, she tried to attack again but was disturbed by her brother, who launched energy at the Tsaritsa again. In a swift motion he took her in his arms again, getting her away from the Tsaritsa again. With his hand he turned her face towards him: "Hey! Look at me. Please come back to your senses. Don’t do this-" But Lumine took his hand from the face and cut him off. "You have no right to plead to my humanity, brother. So shut it", with those words, she turned her back again. Not even letting him a chance to get at her again. There was no chance for him to explain anything. Aether watched as his sister charging at the archon again. Their swords clashed again and again. The longer they fought, the more hits both sides took. Pyro and Cryo met each other, mixed with Electro and Geo attacks. They moved through the room, like a dance. Both took more hits and he saw how his sister got slower and weaker in her movements. And with that he made a decision.
Lumine breathed heavily. Her shoulder hurt immensly and the cuts on her legs and arms stung. Some of the deep ones let blood out. But she still didn't care. She had to end this. The Tsaritsa came at her again swinging her sword: "Come on are you tired already? How disappointing!" Although she barely dodged the critical hits, one sword slash hit her ankle, leading her to fall to the ground. The Cryo archon turned around to attack again. A grin on her face. "Die!"
She closed her eyes. This was it. Her fit of rage doomed her. Maybe her brother had been right. She should have held back her emotions. And maybe then she could have survived.
But nothing happened. And as she opened her eyes again, her brother stood before her. A sword through his stomach. Blood spilling on the floor. "Ae-Aether...", she whispered.
In that moment he looked at her like her brother again. He smiled his gentle and warm smile, before he turned around and slashed through the icy sword. Her brother looked back at her, like he asked her if she was coming. And she did. Lumine stood up to prepare for a final attack. It felt like familiar times. Times where everything seemed happier and better.
The Tsaritsa stood back up still breathing heavily. She lifted her arm up and faced the twins. "Come on! Don't ruin the fun!"
Aether flew back up with his last strength to attack her again with his dark blades again. Lumine used the moment of distraction to grab the Tsaritsa with tendrils. Her enemy tried to escape her grasp. Moving and squirming to get control over her arms again. Lumine covered her hands with tendrils too, which her captive instantly froze to try to break them out.
Fully trusting in his sister's abilities to hold the archon in place, Aether flew down with his sword first and drove it through her body. "Annoying little...", their enemy coughed blood and pushed him off of her again, while Lumine ran at her and pushed her hand in the chest of the captive. Finally grabbing the gnosis of the Cryo archon. The warm feeling of a new element ran through her body again. With all of her remaining strength she ripped it out of the body the momentum of that movement throwing her back on the floor, leaving her unable to move. Her body catched itself with her newfound Cryo powers.
The Cryo gnosis began to glow.
The whispers came back, louder and more painful than ever. Before her consciousness faded away she saw the silhouette of the archon fall over. Then her view faded to black and flashes of pictures entered her mind. New but at the same time something she knew intimately.

Once we were hailed as stars.

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Ah yes, the cliffhanger... I have been waiting for this! Next chapter is definetly my fav and I can't wait to see your reactions!