Stein frowned as he fiddled with his swords on his belt, somehow not finding their weight to be as comforting as he remembered. They were already in position for a counter-attack, but as the sun continued to rise without any sign of the enemy on their side… No. Focus, Aitelorn. She’ll be fine, he told himself. They had all heard the alarm go off earlier that morning, and a runner informed them the group at the Jajya wall was under attack.
Stein’s first instinct then was to get to Kairi, but the commander of his group stopped him with a stern look. “Let her grow,” he’d told him, and while Stein was hot-headed… he understood. Granted, they did not know Kairi the way he does, but if he kept on coddling the younger teen; kept on protecting her... she would not be able to get over her irrational fear – and that fear is deadly in times like these.
So instead of rushing to where she was, Stein had taken deep breaths, saluted the commander, and returned to his position – in the opposite direction of the Jajya wall.
Remember our spars, woman. You can choose who to hurt and who to protect, he thought, as if hoping his unspoken words would reach Kairi’s ears.
~*~
Dodge. Parry. Counter. Attack. Slash. Roll. Flip. Evade. Stab. Leg sweep. Kick. Duck.
“Archers, fire your arrows!”
Ah, that’s a signal. Roll to the back. Do not let the enemy pass. Wind-elemental spells would blow the arrows off-course, but other elements work. Flare, Ice Wolves, Lightning Bolt – that guy’s too close; cut him down – Quake, the arrows are slowing down; Tornado.
“All right there, Thyride?” someone called, and Kairi barely acknowledged that with a nod. Noticing the signal to resume attacking, the cocoa-haired teen darted forward again, orange eyes dull from exhaustion. They had been at it since three in the morning; the fact that she was still going at it speaks volumes about the determination she has... and perhaps stubbornness.
They had a rotation pattern going on – every time someone switches in to rest, someone else comes out and joins the fray. Kairi had only gone in for a quick heal before she ran right back out. The healers had tried to stop her, but her eyes flashed a dangerous shade of red, shocking them enough that she was able to shake them off.
“I can’t… stop now…” she told herself between pants, sweat forcing her clothing to stick to her skin uncomfortably. Sure, she surprised herself by managing without a partner by her side to watch her back so far, but she was starting to feel the strain. She knew it; heck, everyone around her knew it, but she just would not stop.
Kairi felt childish doing it, but she justified her stubbornness with ‘it’s not their motherland that the enemies are coming from’. The teen stopped short when a chuckle resounded in her head.
Damn straight it’s not their motherland, Kairi, a voice said. Said teen chanced a look around as she evaded several swords, certain that the voice was in her head but not daring to believe it. Oh come on, little one. I’ve been with you since you were… well. You know.
“…what…?” the now-confused teen muttered softly, her movements slowing to a halt. The voice sighed, sounding a little amused.
Right. You probably don’t remember much. It’s okay, though. Here, let me--
And Kairi’s world turned black.
~*~
“What the…” someone muttered in shock. The commander did not blame him – he was just as shocked. He was ready to order someone to get Kairi back into camp when he noticed the teen slowing down, but just as suddenly as she stopped… she moved again.
In fact, she moved faster than she used to. Her spells were more powerful; her strikes more accurate and less hesitant. Kairi… did not seem like Kairi anymore, at that point of time.
“Has she been holding back?” an archer wondered, watching as the cocoa-haired teen zipped through enemy ranks, pausing only to help those who were struggling on their side. Even then, she did not really stop that long – just enough to make sure they were fine before she moved on.
The commander continued watching Kairi’s movements without comment. Kairi had, after a while of charging headfirst into enemy lines, started to pull back – and the power of her magical aura at that point was unmistakeable. He mentally ran through all the powerful spells he knew – even though he could not use magic to save his life – and his eyes widened.
“A Gravity-oriented spell…” he muttered, surprise evident on his features. “Issue the signal to fall back! Thyride has a powerful spell in the making!” he ordered, and the runner scrambled to convey his words.
The originally grim-faced commander felt a smirk break out across his face. Echoing Kairi’s statement from the day previous, he muttered: “They’ll never know what hit ‘em.”
~*~
“Well now,” she muttered to herself with a wry grin, flexing her fingers, “we’ll see how this spell works, shall we?”
She heard the commander give out the order for everyone else to fall back a while ago, and while the enemy forces were confused, they were still attacking. She sensed no magic from the commander, but for him to be able to pin-point the basic nature of the spell she was about to use…
She chuckled. “The commander’s quite knowledgeable about spells. I’m impressed,” she said airily, as if she was not in the midst of battle. Timing was crucial for the spell she was about to use, and the fact that she needed to cast it twice… well…
“Ah, here they come,” she said with another chuckle, her eyes taking on an interesting red hue. The ground beneath her started to shake, forcing the soldiers before her to falter when they lost their balance, but they continued advancing on her.
“Kairi!” someone yelled from the other side of Jajya’s wall, “what’re you doing?! Run!”
“No need for that,” she whispered, chuckling as her eyes continued to take on a darker hue of red. “Not when the spell’s already in place.”
An abrupt silence washed over the battlefield – even from those behind the wall. “W-what is this pressure?!” someone yelled, though who it was could not be identified. Friend or foe, both sides were feeling it effects, though the men before her were feeling it more; they were falling to the ground like dominoes.
She felt herself stumble slightly, but quickly casting the same spell on herself rectified that little problem. “Dark Gravity,” she announced with a predatory grin. “Most people don’t know this one spell, being too used to casting Gravity.” She chuckled. “This spell can only be countered by the same spell, and after that it’s a battle of magical prowess. “ Another giggle. “And it’s doubtful any of you lot know this spell. Almost no one knows of it… ah, of course, except for your leader. Cain Kileros. Too bad for you that he’s not here, now is he?”
“Y-you…”
She giggled in a tone that made one think she was in an ice-cream shop instead of being in the middle of a battlefield. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I’m sure you all have families. But so do we. It’s do or die for both sides in situations like these.” Her daggers disappeared from view, and ‘Kairi’ raised a hand, the beginnings of fire on her fingertips.
She regarded the men before her with calm, almost pitiful eyes. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I’ll make it end fast.”
A flick of her wrist, and the flames grew. Another flick, and the fireball flew downwards, crashing into the ground before her. The flames caught onto several soldiers and from there, continued to grow and grow and it seemed as though a sea of red had appeared out of nowhere. Screams of horror and pain from the soldiers died as quickly as it began.
“…rest in peace,” she whispered a little brokenly as the flames began to recede. “…it’s better this way, for you to die in what you believe in than be broken by that man…”
She took several steps backwards as she released her spells, stumbling again. “Haha…” she laughed a little breathlessly, “so she still cannot stand the force of this spell.” She sighed. “It’s okay though… there’s still time for her to learn.”
“Kairi!” someone yelled, and she heard footsteps running in her direction. She smiled.
“You have wonderful comrades by your side, Kairi,” she whispered, “don’t let go of them.” She heard gasps and hastening footsteps when she felt herself fall.
Of course… Kairi’s fatigued. For me to use that spell so carelessly…
“K-Kairi!” Someone caught her. “You stupid, stupid woman!” Wait, from what she knew, Stein was not posted here! “What did you think you were doing? Mother’s going to be so mad…”
Instead of responding, she chuckled lightly and allowed Kairi’s body to get some much-needed rest.
After all, she mused with another chuckle, it’s not me they’re talking to.
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