Orelie

*32*

*32*

"Erixsys!" I scrambled to my feet and ran towards him.

"Kyrene, wait!" A hand grabbed my wrist.

"I have to help him!" The Darkness around Erixsys dissipated, letting him collapse. "I need to help him!"

"It's too late!" Crae held me tighter as I fought to get to my Orelie brethren. "The force of that blast is something no one could survive. I'm sorry."

"I have to try!" I ripped my hand from his and ran for Erixsys. I fell to my knees beside him. "Erixsys! Please, open your eyes!"

He took in a strained breath as his eyes parted a bit. "You didn't... see me die in that room, did you?" Black blood trickled from his mouth as he smiled.

I slowly shook my head. "No, I didn't. I just... didn't want to tell you... in fear you would change the future..." a gentle hand was placed on my back as Crae joined us.

"I would save you a thousand times if it meant a new, young Orelie could walk this world again." He chuckled and coughed.

"You need medical attention!" I held my hand over him, but he held my wrist to stop me.

"It's too late for me, child." He grinned at me as more blood trickled from his mouth and nose. "I have an affinity for Light and Healing magic. Darkness is my opposite. There's no coming back from this."

I sniffed and adjusted my hand to hold his. "Erixsys, please. There must be something I can do. Anything!"

"Get rid of that bastard." I could feel his grasp loosening. "Avenge all the Orelie who fell to him and his coven. That's all I can ask for." His hand went limp as his eyes dulled in color. His once rich, honey colored eyes faded to a dark brown color.

I flinched when Rodnik scoffed, having forgotten he was there. "Pity. The old fool still had roughly fifty years left in him. Then again, that would have felt like roughly a month or two for him."

I shook with rage as I gently set his hand down. "You killed him." My voice was barely a whisper.

"Then again, it did seem like his magic was fading a bit." Rodnik went on. "We probably would have discarded of him soon. Oh well. We still have plenty of younger Orelie once we get this battle finished."

"You killed him." My voice was louder as I stood. I shook Crae's hand off my wrist.

"Kyrene-"

I turned to face him, a deep glare in place. "He killed my friend, my Orelie brother! My mentor for my magic! He must pay. Besides, the other Witches are starting to get back up. I'll need some help dealing with them."

He slowly backed away. "Of course." I faced Rodnik once more as Crae began to shift.

"Oh, are you upset?" Rodnik taunted me. "Did I kill him? I'm not sorry."

A new energy surged through me as a wild fury consumed me. "You killed him! You took my mentor from me! You struck my Orelie brother down in cold blood! I made a promise to avenge him and the other Orelie you've killed! It's over, Rodnik!"

My magic swirled around me as I held my staff tightly. The wind around us kicked up from the amount of physical magic I was producing.

"You think some parlor trick is gonna scare me?" Rodnik slid into an offensive stance. "You've got some nerve thinking you can take me on in your weakened state!"

"I'm not weak." I calmly raised a hand and touched my activation stone. "I'm not afraid. I'm not scared. I am furious. You've taken so much from me, lied to me; to all of us! You've put on your own show and fooled all of us in to thinking you were still Professor Rodnik."