Chapter 5 (Part 2)

Astrid and Tinu learn to deal with what happened and with seeing the true strength of magic.

When I opened the door to my room I saw Tinu on the other side, he looked a little surprised, I think he was just about to come in. 

We stared at each other for a few moments, for some reason I felt myself going red, maybe because the last time we were together my head was resting on his lap. 

"Hi," He said, breaking the silence. "You're finally up then?" 

A small smile crept onto my face and I nodded. "Yeah, thought I'd have a bit of a lie-in." 

"Well, you definitely deserved it." He smiled. 

"I was actually coming to find you." 

"Really?"

I nodded, putting my hands on Caitlin's shoulders and bringing her forward. "This is Caitlin, she was my friend in the living world." 

Tinu held his hand out to Caitlin. "It's nice to meet you, Caitlin."

She took his hand and they shook as she nodded. 

"Do you know where Astrid is?" I asked as they let go. 

"She's training, as per usual." 

I nodded. "I should've guessed," I said with a slight chuckle. "Has anything changed since we killed that demon?"

"Don't be modest, Delia, you killed the demon, me and Astrid just got in the way." Tinu said, he smiled whilst he spoke but I could tell something was bothering him, and I think it was me.

I didn't know what to say to that, and I definitely didn't want to add insult to injury by accepting what he said. 

"Tinu's right, Delia," Caitlin said, to my surprise. She stood between us and looked at me. "You did kill the demon, you were the strongest one out there, it's because of that strength that Tinu and Astrid have been working hard to catch up." 

Tinu looked at her in confusion. "Wait, how do you...?"

"But he's also wrong," She continued, interrupting and ignoring Tinu's question. "You could never have accomplished that feat on your own," She turned towards Tinu. "She needed you and Astrid to show her that that kind of strength existed, she watched you both as you fought against near impossible odds, you even saved her life, you all helped in killing the Legion demon, so, no need for jealousy, okay?" She finished by tapping Tinu's shoulder a couple times. 

Tinu and I were both speechless, how on earth did she know all that? 

Tinu sighed and shrugged. "Your friend's smart." He commented. 

"Ain't she just," I agreed as Caitlin seemed to beam between us. "Were you really jealous of me?" I asked looking back to him. 

I watched him go red a little and rub the back of his neck in embarrassment. "How could I not be, you took down the demon, pretty much, single handedly," He admitted. "It was damn incredible." 

"I'm sorry for that." I said, not knowing what else to say. 

He waved his hand slightly. "Don't be, it's mine and Astrid's beef, and like she said, it motivates us to get stronger, Astrid more than me though, she feels like she failed on that mission." 

I sighed heavily. "I should go talk to her." 

"I'll come with ya," Tinu said, adding a small smile. "You never know, might need help walking down steps seeing as your legs need to get used to walking again." 

I gave him a mock laugh, but truthfully, my legs did feel a bit shaky. 

The three of us walked down to the training room together, where, sure enough, we saw Astrid training against multiple enchanted training dummies. And from what I can see it seemed to almost ten at once. 

I watched her, mesmerised by her graceful movements, how each action flowed so effortlessly into the next, it felt like I was watching her for the first time all over again. 

It didn't look like she was going to stop, so when she did I was kind of shocked. She put up her hand and the manikins stopped attacking, returning to their stationary positions on the wall, she leaned forward and breathed heavily, dropping her weapons to the ground. The three of us walked over to her, Tinu and Caitlin stood back a little while I approached her. 

"Astrid..." I went to put my hand on her shoulder. 

She batted it away, still breathing heavily. "I'm fine!" She said, her teeth gritted together. 

"You're exhausted!" I yelled back. "Why are you putting yourself through this?" 

She stood and turned to me. "Why should I tell you?" She asked angrily, stepping forward and causing me step back. "Why do you even care? Are we friends now?" 

I was taken aback, I took me a moment to reply. "I thought we were."

She shook her head. "Well, we're not," She picked up her weapons again. "We had a mission together, that's all." She said coldly. 

We stared each other down for a moment, I could tell she was angry at me, and, to tell the truth, I was angry at her. She was jealous, just like Tinu was, just because my magic makes me stronger than her. I didn't ask for it, but I'm glad I've got it, I can help everyone with its power. She has no right to take out her anger on me. 

"Yeah, a mission where I saved your life!" I yelled, unable to hold back my anger, I even felt my my magic flare up a little but I was careful not to unleash any of it. "We saved each other, all three of us, and if it wasn't for you, and Tinu, I never would have been able to take down that demon." 

She looked at me silence for what seemed like a lifetime. I couldn't tell if she was still angry or if she was taken aback from what I said. Then she turned away from me. "I will never fall behind." She said with a sigh. "I will train until I can go toe-to-toe with you, call it my warrior's pride."

All I could think to do was nod while she kept her sword and shield in a relaxed position. "I don't completely understand, but I almost get it," I said honestly. "You think we can only be friends if we're equals in combat."

She looked at me. "Essentially, yeah," She then turned to me and raised her shield. "Draw your weapon." She requested bluntly. 

"Wha...?"

"You heard me," She shouted back. "Draw your weapon!" 

"Why? What's this going to accomplish?" 

"This will prove whether or not I'm strong enough," She replied, hiding half her face behind her massive shield. "Whether or not I'm worthy to fight by your side!" She shouted, all I could do was stare at her, she seemed upset by the way her voice shook ever-so slightly. "I have to know, I have to be strong, I need to be strong, otherwise what was the point, why did I stay behind if not to be the strongest I could be," A tear trickled down her cheek, of the four of us, I thought she was the strongest, I thought I would never see her cry. " So fight me, Delia," She yelled, desperation leaking through her voice. "Fight me and hold nothing back!" 

I stared blankly at her, unable to speak, it was like I had something caught in my throat. Eventually I nodded, finally regaining my composure. "But we fight outside the walls." She needed this, and I needed to do this for her. At that moment we were shrouded in darkness. I wasn't even panicked, my mind was set on one thing, I had to fight my friend, I needed to fight her, for both of us. 

When the darkness faded we were outside the walls of the obsideon castle. I outstretched my right arm to the side and summoned my scythe, Astrid and I stared each other down, she would never make the first move, I would guess that with single combat she would wait to block the first attack and then strike. 

"Do your best!" I heard Tinu shout. 

I turned to the direction his voice came from and saw him, Caitlin and Grim, standing closer to the wall than us, and on top of the wall were other members of the Legion leaning over and looking at us. 

"It's not very often that two members of the Legion have a duel." Grim explained before I could ask anything. "You can both unleash all you got out here, so make it good!" 

I nodded and turned back to Astrid, She stood firm, her shield raised in front of her, she held her sword behind her, waiting to strike. I took a breath, held my scythe firmly in my right hand and began to run, right towards her, my scythe trailed behind me. When I was close enough I span and swung my scythe, aiming to catch the blade behind her shield and remove it from the battle,  but to my surprise she also span, avoiding my scythe completely, and bashed me with her shield. 

I was caught off guard and she took the opening to attack me with her sword, cutting my left arm quite deeply. I jumped back in response but I had no time check the wound on my arm, Astrid charged towards me again, shield up front, She went to bash me with it but I managed t dodge it by jumping to the left, without hesitation I swung my scythe, knowing she couldn't possible counter with her sword in her right hand, but to my surprise she swiftly spun to the right and blocked my attack, following up with a shield bash which sent me flying backwards. I landed with my back on the ground and my scythe just out of reach. I grabbed my scythe and forced myself to stand. 

"Why aren't you giving me your best?" Astrid yelled, holding her sword and shield casually. "I told you to go all out!" 

without answering I tried to call on my magic but I couldn't feel anything. "My magic isn't responding!" I shouted back. 

I saw Astrid enter her battle stance. "Then I'll force it out of you!" She yelled as she rushed forward. 

Her attacks were relentless, one strike after another, each move flowing into the next like water, all I could do block each strike the best I could and hope my magic would listen, with each strike I became weaker, loosing my ability to stand, my legs shook and my knees weakened, Astrid showed no signs of slowing, no signs of exhaustion, she just continued to strike, revealing no chances for me to counter. 

And then it happened. 

I yelled out a wordless scream, a mixture of my frustration and anger, unleashing a shock-wave of magic, sending Astrid flying backwards, but this magic felt different from what I used during the mission, this felt dark yet somehow familiar, it fueled my anger and hatred, it made me stronger, faster. I sped towards Astrid and struck her from behind, kicking her in the back whilst she was on her knees and forcing her down. 

"You wanted my best?" I asked as I allowed her to stand. "How's this?" 

She stood and turned to face me. "Better." She replied as she went to attack again. 

I avoided her initial shield bash, and her swift second strike with her sword. I sped behind her and slashed at her back with my scythe, cutting down diagonally. She screamed out in pain and a thin grin formed across my face, I held my sickle in my left hand as I shot my right up towards her, firing off bolts of magical lightning which struck her back, her sword and her shield. Her weapons were sent flying and she remained in place, I dropped my weapon and ran to her, punching her in the back of the head with an electrically charged fist, she fell to the floor and I jumped on her, continuing my assault and punching her with charged fists, until I was suddenly sent flying backwards. 

When I recovered I looked up to see Grim standing before me, two brilliant black wings folded behind him. I watched his mouth move but I couldn't hear what he was saying. 

"Get out of my way!" I screamed as I went to fly past him so I could finish the fight that Astrid wanted so badly. But again I was thrown back, struck by Grim's magnificent wing. again his mouth moved but I heard nothing. I felt my anger grown as I summoned my Scythe. I held it both hands and charged it with electricity, as I rushed forward I roared and went to strike Grim with my sickle, striking his left arm. 

I heard the sound of metal striking metal and it rung like a bell in my head. I looked at the source of the sound and saw my scythe struggling against Grim's, my electricity faded as I finally began to hear Grim's voice. 

"Delia, you have to stop!" He said sternly. 

I looked int his eyes and trembled, his stern voice sending a chill down my spine. What had I done wrong? Astrid and I were sparring, weren't we? 

I looked over to Grim's arm a saw that my scythe was embedded half way through his arm, his own scythe being the only reason it stopped. In shock I let go of my scythe, what had I done?

"Are you yourself?" Grim asked as I collapsed to my knees. "Are you in control?" 

All I could think to do was nod as my whole body began to shake, if I had done that to Grim, what had I done to Astrid? I was afraid to look. 

Astrid's body lay motionless behind Grim, two Crows were kneeling over her, holding their hands over her body to heal her wounds, the wounds that I gave her. 

"The magic you unleashed just then is a darker form," Grim informed me without me having to ask. "It's similar to the magic that I use, it's called Anti-Life, and its powered by your negative emotions; hatred, fear, anger, those one's," He knelt down in front of me though my eyes remained transfixed on Astrid. He placed his hands on my shoulders, causing me to look at him. Looking into his eyes calmed me slightly. "This is the magic you unleashed whilst you were alive." 

"Why did I use this magic and not the Purification magic I used against the zombies?" 

"Purification magic can only be used against evil or un-pure souls, leaving only the Anti-Life, you and Astrid  forced the magic out when you were fighting, the only reason I didn't step in sooner was because I didn't think you'd be able to unleash it again." 

"How come?" 

"Because I thought I sealed that side of your magic away," He stood and I noticed his black wings fade away. He took out a cigarette as we both watched Astrid be carried away by the Crows. "From now on you'll stay by my side," He said without looking back at me. "I'll teach you how to suppress your Anti-Life magic and strengthen your Purification magic, hopefully we'll avoid anything like this in the future." 

All I could do was nod shakily. I couldn't take my eyes off of Astrid's motionless body as she was carried away. I had to control my magic, I need to, now more than ever, I never want to cause another incident like this again...   

Author's Note

I feel like I accidentally added and anime speech into this part, but it seems to fit, let me know your thoughts, Enjoy!