Warrior of the Moon

2

It was clear that Iliss had more training than Tarin would have ever guessed. Her carefree attitude even as she stood on a small battlefield showed that, along with her calm mastery of her own magic. The woman he had once thought to be nothing more than a spoiled damsel had suddenly become a formidable opponent. It was likely that not many could best her.

But it was just as likely that she had never faced a warrior like Tarin.

Her statement would have given another person pause - caused them to hesitate, or otherwise react in a way that would act as the moment of their downfall. No sooner had she finished calling him her brother, however, than Tarin had his swords back in his hands, their blades crossed and pressed against either side of her neck. Just a flick of both his wrists would shear Iliss' head straight from her shoulders. A kinder death than she had arranged for Triana.

Iliss' eyes were wide. Undoubtedly she had been planning on poofing away from him again before he gathered his thoughts back to coherence, but he had not given her the opportunity. She was at his mercy, and that was somewhere someone like her must truly regret to be.

Or was she? She looked nervous, yes, but not afraid. And he did not know exactly how that power of hers worked, either; he had never met somebody who could transport their entire being from one place to another. Perhaps, if she was so inclined, she could still vanish even when pinned between two blades. It must take substantial power to use such a gift, and he was not sure how the magic had not corrupted by now. Why was it remaining inside of her? Had she found a way to force it there?

"If what you say is true," he said softly, pressing the blades just enough that a trickle of blood ran down either side of her neck, though she did not flinch, "and my mother is in charge of this entire operation, I will kill her."

Iliss put her hands out to her sides in an apparent act of surrender. Tarin was not about to fall for it, especially considering the smile that grew on her face at his words.

"Come now, Tarin. Surely if I had wanted to hurt you I would have done it by now," she stated. He snorted in response, about to retort that she was no match for him when she continued, "Save it. I've been teleporting away from you rather than behind you to stab you in the back. Not that it would have really mattered now, anyway, seeing as I haven't brought any weapons with me. Look at me and see that it's true. Why on earth would I do that when facing the famous Warrior of the Moon if I had been anticipating a fight to the death?"

He knew that she was evil. He could feel it in his bones, had seen her taunting Serena in the forest. However, something about her logic cast doubt into his mind and stayed his hands. She held his gaze unwaveringly, and though he did not slice her neck open, he did not remove his swords, either.

"If you don't want me dead, Iliss, then what are you here for? What do you want?"

"I'll tell you everything, Tarin. Every single little detail--"

"Let me guess. Under the condition that I let you live now, and come with you to Celestine--"

"No," Iliss snapped, her eyes flashing with irritation. "Stop guessing, Tarin. You're wasting time. If she hasn't sent people after me already, she's bound to soon."

"Who is 'she'?"

"Celestine, of course - but under a different name. Are you ready to listen now?"

His hands tightened around the handles of his weapons. "You're the reason my princess is dead."

"I didn't--"

"You are the reason," he hissed, putting all of his rage at being without Serena again into the words, and more of her blood soaked into the fabric at her shoulders in turn. She spit out a curse.