Foxfire (The Blood Oath) old version

Chapter 22: Her True Name

The chill of the icy night wind penetrated her cloak and forced her to shiver. Zelos Shadowstealer tightened her grip on the hilt of her blades. Killing was a nasty business. Now, she felt it even more so. Her gaze was fixed vividly at Zafira, a Nightsister she had loved like her own blood.

None of them moved or said a word. There was utter silence. The wind howled in the cold night. Zelos did not want to raise her blade upon a Sister she considered true and pure. Yet, she knew Zafira could not be convinced to turn from her path.

The Nightfather had a certain hold over all Sisters of the cult. Their obedience to him was unwavering till death. Zelos had begun to learn that the evil man had robbed her of the possibilities filled in a life she would never know.

"You hesitate, Shadowstealer," Zafira broke the silence, "why?"

Zelos gave her no answer.

"You shame me, sister," Zafira continued. "We are Sisters of the Night. We deal in death and are bound to die as we have lived by the sword. It is only natural that our soul returns to the Dark Dimension in death, where our Dark Patron would welcome us in his paradise."

"And if we choose not to?" Zelos pointed her blade at Zafira.

"It is not a choice we make for ourselves. Freedom is for the weak and feeble in heart. We are neither mortals nor gods but something in between. Lay down your sword, Sister, and find forgiveness in the Dark Dimension."

"You must understand, Zafira, there is much more than death and darkness in the world. There is life, there is love, there is light, colours, beauty, pain, creation . . . so much more, sister. Come with me. We can go far across the oceans. We can be free from the malice of Men."

Zafira chuckled, "Have the mortals you were sent to kill softened your heart, sister? There is no life beyond this. Light and Darkness, Good and Evil, Life and Death, all two sides of a coin, who then says that life is beautiful and death is cold? When indeed we know it is the other way around. There is no escaping this fate, Zelos Shadowstealer."

Zelos raised her second arm to point the other blade at Zafira. "Forgive me, sister, for what I must do."

"Your answer, then?" Zafira cut an arc in the air with her brightly burning sword.

The tall thin golden grasses of the savannah bent northwards with a gust of cold wind or perhaps it was in fear of Zafira's blade. The Night Sister was an accomplished Evoker. Zelos knew this. Though Zafira did not wield a dual-bond to infusion magic, she was a deadly bloodwielder and one of the best to walk the Hall of the Bone Tower.

Zelos felt a sting on her wounded cheek. She would not blink or show pain before a Sister of the Night. To do so was to reveal the key to her opponent's victory, for the Sisters were known to turn small weaknesses of an opponent into great victories for themselves.

For a moment they remained still.

Zafira launched into the air and lashed her flaming sword downwards to separate her opponent's head from her neck. Zelos parried with the sharp edges of both her blades crossed over each other. She pushed her blades upwards and forced Zafira to stagger backwards.

The night sister did not wait to recover and forced herself forward with a wide swing of her flaming sword. The blood-sigil of the twin-arcs completed its immolation on Zelos' palm. She felt the hot tempest of Alteration magic coursing in her blood. Zelos jumped, pushing her body to levitate in the air until her feet settled on a branch. While Alteration allowed her to levitate, she could not transform or grow an Oakskin as one skill must diminish to allow another.