The Knights of Aragon

Chapter 49

The wind picks us between us as storm clouds roll in. The tensions steadily rise in the space between us. My eyes were trained on my enemy behind all of this evil. I knew what I was looking at and yet, all I could feel was rage towards a gods-damned curse.

"The world has changed you, little knight," Quikas begins to stalk me, and I mirror the action carefully. "There's a whisp of darkness in your eyes. A shadow of something that I haven't seen in a while." My fingers twitch with anticipation. I'm getting bored of this chit chat. "Anger fuels you, you know. That reckless fire that burns within you will destroy you from the inside eventually."

Instead of giving the satisfaction of an answer, lightning strikes in the space between us. Quikas laughs at my show of power. "You're still that young, easily malleable girl from a shit farm! You have not changed, not learned. It is why your pathetic love for that mortal boy was the perfect way to destroy you."

"Enough!" I lunge at Quikas with my blades. I attack with Inferno making sure to protect my side with Pixas. Quikas reacts speedily, blocking my strike with a weapon made of mist just like our fight before. Thunder echoes among the storm clouds. "You think that taking something from me would've destroyed me? That it would shatter me into oblivion?" I swing Quikas' weapon around with Inferno creating an opening for Pixas. I bring Pixas up to ensure some damage, but Quikas dissipates away from in front of me.

Before I could turn around, Quikas pushes me to the ground. "Is that not why you've traveled to the darkest region of this land? To die? To fade away to the bleak nothingness?" Quikas pins me to the ground with her tentacles as I hear multiple sharp breaths from close by. I quickly turn my head to where my friends rest.

"I'm awakening them." My heartbeat begins to quicken when I see Rhydian roll over in pain. "Shall we see how they survive against the beast of night?"

My eyes widened before I heard the growls of the Nightcrawlers. The panic helped me snap through the tendrils and forcefully pushing Quikas back. I fling the Otherworldling further away with my witch's wind. "I will not let you kill them," Quikas lands on the uneven ground flawlessly before marching towards me in anger, "or cursed them like you did with my Draxum." Quikas falters. I see clearly now. The form of mist is turbulent and for a moment, I can see through it. I see...a hand. A hand with a distinctive ring that I am sure I have seen before. In the time I remain frozen-thinking back to where I had seen that hand before-Quikas flings me backwards the way I did her, but I do not land as gracefully. I painfully slam into the ground. The pain in my body doubles as I try to swallow as much air as I can. I roll onto my side with a painful grunt.

"I know who you are." I choke on my words as I feel the air flow back into my lungs; all the while the corners of my vision are blur. Quikas menacingly tilts her head, unmovingly. "Not who you are now," I move to my knees, holding onto Inferno tightly, "but who you were before you were cursed." No answer. Not even an acknowledgement of the truth. When I finally get back on my feet, my eyes land on my friends. They're fully awake now and have finally noticed the impending peril they are all in. I watch as Rhydian notices that I am not there beside him. I watch as he asks where I am. But I turn away before they look in my direction.