The Other Side Of Me [Sequel to Faen's Child]

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

It was funny how everything seemed to fit perfectly in place. It was so perfect that he didn’t even dare to believe it. Through his past life as Cyrial, he had nothing gone his way so perfectly before. He had been used to struggling, taking control bit by bit. This time? This time, he felt it almost too easy. Of course, he had to attribute it to his careful planning, but he was surprised at how smooth it had all gone down.

This time, Lady Luck was with him as he turned a corner and stopped to see Ashe already rushing towards his direction, presumably having received her Guardians’ call for help. It struck him ironic how a Faen’s Child like her would forgo the importance and safety of her Faens for her Guardians. Truly, he saw what love she still had left for them in that little movement of hers.

She stopped midstep too, eyes widening. He had to give it to her, the Faen’s Child was as quick to recognising his true identity as her Guardians. It was either that, or the fact that her Guardians had spilled everything to her in their explanation of being captured. Not as if either of it mattered to him.

“Rayen.” She greeted in a cold and sharp voice, speaking his name with disdain and contempt.

“Ashe.” He mimicked her tone of voice, a smirk tilting the corner of  his lips when he saw her disgust and annoyance.

“If you hate me so much, come my way. Leave the other Faens alone. Your grudge is against me. Faen’s Child against Dark Doppelganger.” Ashe challenged, but he merely laughed in reply to her.

“Don’t you realize it’s no longer all about you, dear child? It stopped being all about you when I took over Raun. Now, it’s about the elements I hold, and how I’m going to ruin your pretty little home and community here.” He replied, a little surprised that a Faen’s Child like her would appear before him without bodyguards, just like that. He thanked the Gods for shedding this piece of luck on him.

“You are still uncomplete. You hold only fire and earth.” Ashe stated, but she sounded unconfident. She had every right to be, for he pulled air to his touch, wrenching the element away from her hands.

“It’s more than that, Darlin.” His smirk only grew at the widened eyes of horror that stared at him. Almost instnatly, Ashe began to pull the magick of blood and spirit, surprised eyes flashing when she felt more than her holding reign over both elements.

For show, he tweaked at the elements, prodding and poking enough to gain her attention, watching as she took a step back in shock. Whatever leverage the Faen’s Child used to have over him was now gone, and he was now at a large advantage over her, for he held all elements and had tons of experience while she had none concerning warfare.

“What is it that you want?” She demanded, surprisingly still grasping on a little air of confidence.

“I want to destroy you. I want to destroy your Faen’s community. I want to rule and enjoy my power.” He granted Ashe that little bit of honesty, watching as she lowered to a cautious, defensive stance quickly.

“I might be at disadvantage here, but I will fight back. You can try to take me, but you cannot take my community. I will not allow you to. And I’m sure Raun would help me defeat you.” Ashe admitted, and she began to attack.

She was not fantastic at her elements –he observed –but she knew enough to make up for her losses. Like her Guardians, her strategy was to rain a barrage of attacks in hopes of his resistance to fall gradually. She alternated  between her elements, but there were obvious gaps in her fighting that he knew could be brushed up.

He merely dodged and deflected her strikes, waiting for her to burn out. She took longer than he expected but she was soon tired; her moves slowing down. Yet, her fire got hotter and crazier, more out of control. He had recognised her dominant element as fire, but he did not expected fire to have such a perfect hold with her, as Raun was with water. It amused him greatly to see the ferocity of her moves slowing down, but the intensity of her fire increasing with her desperation and frustration.