Vanguards Of Aetheria II: The Solace Rune

Chapter 12: An End Left Loose

When he returned to the main hall, Cal saw Elijah on the floor being strangled by Stellaria. He needed to make a move, it was now or never.

"Stellaria!" Cal yelled furiously.

She loosened her grip on Elijah's throat and looked over at Cal. Elijah also looked over at him too feeling  a rush of relief overwhelm him.

"Hm. You finally woke up." Said Stellaria.

Elijah tried to get up, but Stellaria quickly tightened her grasp on his throat and threw him aside. Thankfully he wasn't fatally injured.

"That was a bold move, Stellaria." Said Cal.

Elijah then rose to one knee, looking quite exhausted from all the fighting he's been doing.

"I'll let you handle this one, Cal." Elijah sighed.

"Sure." Cal replied.

"Let's see how skilled you are with that blade of yours." Said Stellaria as she raised her katana.

Cal immediately lunged towards her, swinging his sword to the side. She lowered her katana in order to block his low slash, Cal then stepped aside and thrusted his sword at her side. It pierced her skin, and Cal ripped it out as soon as she grunted in pain.
Stellaria then raised her katana and slashed downwards. Cal raised his sword up, and their blades then clashed against each other. The metal of their weapons grinding against themselves as they both pushed their blades further.

"You aren't winning this, Cal! That sword won't save you!" Exclaimed Stellaria.

Cal then kicked her in the gut so hard that she flew across the room and into a pillar. The impact was so strong that it formed a large cluster of cracks, and it looked like it was going to collapse. Cal then went on the offensive and dashed towards her, he proceeded to grab her by the throat and throw her to the wall. He then stood across from her, waiting for her to recover.

"I got to say, Cal..."

She slowly rose to her feet, her body decently bloodied.

"...you're full of surprises..."

Four grassy tendrils then emerged out of her back, pointing towards Cal.

"...but so am I." She said.

The tendrils rapidly extended and flew towards him. The end of one of them formed into a blade, and tried to impale him in the gut. Cal stepped aside, but he didn't realize that another tendril wrapped around his foot. It lifted him up and held him upside down until it proceeded to slam him into the wall. It then threw him across the room and caused him to slam into the other wall. He then quickly stood back up, but one of Stellaria's tendrils immediately charged towards him. Cal raised his sword and quickly slashed the tendril in half, allowing him to advance towards Stellaria. Be dashed towards her and swing his sword to the left and then to the right, wounding her across the chest. After, he grabbed her arm and threw her into the wall. Stellaria swiftly rose back onto her feet, and held her katana in a defensive stance.

Cal continued his onslaught of attacks by rushing towards her and trying to slash her across the face. She held her katana close to her face to block it, and then kick Cal in the leg. This made him fall to one knee, and allowed Stellaria to thrust her katana into Cal's upper torso. But without hesitation, Cal ripped the katana straight out of his chest and then plunged the katana into Stellaria's chest. She winced and stumbled back, then proceeded to remove her katana out of her chest.

"I did underestimate you, Cal." Said Stellaria.

"And that'll be your downfall!" Cal yelled in response as he ran towards her. He leaped upwards, holding the end of his sword downwards, and drove it into her chest. His blade dug into the wooden floor as well, keeping Stellaria in place.