Kristopher rears back and kicks Fenol in the face. He throws Kristopher down. His back begins to feel sore from the ice. He looks and sees the blood pumping from the hole in the chest. Anger fuels his body. He swings his sword at Fenol's shoulder, but narrowly misses. Fenol stomps at Kristopher's leg, but he scuttles back. Fenol tries again and this time Kristopher rolls to the side and jumps up.
He swings his sword at Fenol's ankle but he stomps on the blade, shattering it. The hilt holding six inches with a jagged end. Fenol raises Kristopher by his head using magic. He pulls Kristopher close. "So how do you like killing your own brother? You released all the magic and it detonated. You should have known, honestly."
Kristopher opens his moth to yell a comeback but only lets tears out and a croak. Kristopher spits in his face. Fenol raises his hand to wipe the spittle off his face. Kristopher sees the pinky ring. He crafts his plan. He swings his jagged hilt and cutes the pinky off as well as cutting Fenol's lip up to his nose. He reels over in pain, Kristopher falls to the floor, rolling and pulling the ring off the dismembered finger.
As he is putting it up, Fenol turns. With no time to spare, Kristopher feigns a jaw injury and slips the ring into his mouth. "You just had to drop me on my face, didn't you?"
"Well it wasn't that good looking anyway. I don't think women are into mules, no matter how lonely they get." Fenol shoots back. Kristopher moves the ring to his cheek.
"Well," Kristopher says, low eyed and lips stuck out, "Your mother didn't say that last night." Fenol just chuckles.
"Your Earth jokes are stupid, you know that right?"
"It's better than being from this world and betraying my best friend over a power trip." Fenol's face gets red. The plan was working. Kristopher wanted Fenol to forget about the ring he had taken off forcefully. maintaining eye contact, Fenol touches a finger to his face and the lip wound heals. He puts a finger to his pinky stump and it grows back.
Fenol opens his arms wide and flares his fingers. Suddenly, the entire room gets brighter as all the torches in the room combust with high, bright flames. Fenol starts to pull the torches off the wall and fling them. Kristopher uses the shield to block one and looks up to see three more coming his way. He blocks the first two and smacks the last to the side.
He rushes over to the side, grabs the hilt of David's sword, and throws it at Fenol. Fenol stops it, chuckling, and returns his glance to Kristopher, who is flipping him the bird. The hilt falls. Fenol's ring is on Kristopher's finger. Fenol turns and walks to his seat at the end of the room slowly.
"Smart boy. Stole my ring. Probably angered me to distract me." Fenol says.
"Smart old man. figured me out after the fact. probably knew that my brother would be killed." Kristopher says. He watches Fenol sit.
"Come here, boy." Fenol says, crossing his feet and lacing his fingers together against his chest.
"No. I'm good." Kristopher says, shifting weight onto his left leg.
"Well it's not like I have magic to use."
"Yeah, but you could easily throw something heavy at my face and pummel me to death."
"True. Then come halfway."
"No."
"What can I do? I just want you to hear me well."
"I can hear you just fine right here, thanks."
"I want to see your face though."
"I'm beginning to think you don't think I look like a mule."
Fenol chuckles and looks down. In one swift motion, he grabs a long battle-axe and rushes at Kristopher. Kristopher jumps to the side and Fenol smashes the axe down right behind him. the floor gets cut instead of shattering the axe. Fenol throws a torch from the ground at the boy, who shields it. Fenol runs and slams at Kristopher's feet.
Kristopher jumps back and loses footing. Kristopher falls back and Fenol slams the axe down as Kristopher blocks it. The axe goes inches from Kristopher's face. He thinks it is amazing that he is fine. Then something gets in his eyes. Time slows.
He sees the axe is between the two bones in his forearm. Kristopher shouts as the agony kicks in full gear. He stabs at Fenol's ankle and lands the hilt all the way in. He yells out, "This is for David!" He pushes all of his power into the man. he tries to make all of the magic go into him. He pushes every last ounce he can. Fenol's face lights up. he looks happily as the boy makes his mistake.
Then he starts to feel his insides burn. He screams in agony and falls over, snapping Kristopher's radius and pulling his ulna out of place. The two are in immense pain. Kristopher pulls his good arm around and slits Fenol's throat. "And that is for Jeba." he says as he steps on the man. He pushes more magic in and Fenol starts to glow under his skin. His eyes pop out of their sockets as he get more bloated.
Kristopher runs and grabs the almost lifeless David. he runs outside, passing the fully dead Jeba. He lies Kristopher down and turns to see the Castle explode. Fenol had taken too much power at once and it destroyed him. Kristopher turned back to David. He still had a slight pulse. Kristopher puts his hand over the hole and concentrates.
He imagines all of the exposed flesh slowly healing. nothing happens. He tries again and imagines harder, more detailed. The veins healing, the muscles grabbing on and getting thicker, the skin regrouping. Nothing. He imagines the flesh coming back. reversing it all.
He looks to see it healing. the blood pooling up and forming veins, muscles, skin. He pushes breath into his brother. He pushes magic into his heart. He watches David regain color. He sits looking at the burning remains of the castle. Death surrounding him.
So many had died, and yet he could only save one life. He tried to think Fenol would have killed more, but it didn't help. So many had died, including his mentor. He hears a gasp beside him. He turns to see David's eyes open, a home in his shirt covered in blood revealing only skin.
"What happened?" asks David. Kristopher looks to his mangled arm and explains his fight.
