chapter Twenty Two
The Fight Begins
Aloud crack shook the ground. At first, Eramus thought the noise had come from the storm developing overhead, but the shimmering blue shield before him corrected the assumption. Zeeran stood just in front of Morzaun, his hands outstretched and a glowing aura dancing around them. The remnants of Eramus's attack dissipated to either side of their magical defense.
Zeeran clenched his fists, and the shield faded. "That was a mistake. You're no match for me, and I can't allow you to attack him."
"Why have you chosen to follow him? You have a family that loves you, yet you abandon them to follow a path of darkness. How can you believe that murdering the innocent will lead to peace?"
Blue light encompassed Zeeran's hands again. "What do you know of my family? Keep your nose out of where it doesn't belong."
"I know they still care about you…worry over you."
"Ah," said Morzaun, his lips twitching into a smirk. "So, my sister and her husband came to see you. They are who told you of my true identity. Tell me, are they still here? I wouldn't mind having a few words with them myself."
Eramus's stomach twisted, but he kept the fear from showing in his expression. "You won't go anywhere near them." He nodded in Zeeran's direction. "You or your guard dog."
Light flowed from Zeeran's palms, claiming the space between them. Eramus barely had time to conjure a shield before the spell collided against it. The force pressed against him with overwhelming power. Eramus groaned as his feet slid across the ground, leaving a trail of flattened grass and broken petals.
Perhaps he had made a mistake. Eramus knew facing Zeeran was a risky move, but he had to try. Allowing Morzaun to continue with his plan spelled disaster for all of Virgamor, not to mention he didn't trust his father not to come after Evree again. The idea of harming his family, even Zeeran and his father, pained Eramus, but the two of them left him no choice. The consequences of their scheme were too great to ignore.
The blue shield surrounding him flashed for a moment before the spell penetrated it. Zeeran's magical energy crashed into Eramus's chest and threw him backwards. Eramus rolled across the grass and gasped when he finally came to a stop.
"I told you," said Zeeran, smirking. "You're no match for me. I've had years of practicing against my brother, not to mention proper instruction for incantations. You can't even remember half of your life."
Eramus pushed himself from the ground and, without a second of hesitation, fired a spell right back. Theimpetrassmashed against Zeeran's flat defensive wall of magic. Zeeran laughed, which only fueled Eramus to put more energy into his spell. The effort did little good; the shield held strong.
A few more seconds and Eramus's attempt apparently lost its amusement. Zeeran growled, and the wall of magical energy flowed away from him, approaching Eramus like a giant tidal wave and smacking against him with enough force to knock the air from his lungs and topple him over. He gasped from the ground, staring up at the dark gray clouds overhead.
He couldn't keep fighting Zeeran, not when he had no chance of beating him. All he needed was a moment, one small opportunity to fire a spell at Morzaun. Without Zeeran, the man was vulnerable to magic, and even an inexperienced wielder like Eramus could take him down. None of the spells he knew were likely to do fatal damage, but if he could knock Morzaun unconscious, he could restrain him. Eramus hated the idea of turning him over to King Delran, but his father had destroyed thousands of innocent lives, and he deserved imprisonment for his crimes.
Though he didn’t dare go anywhere near the palace, one word that they had captured Morzaun would immediately bring the royal guard to the village, and Eramus was sure Delran would be more than happy to take his father off their hands. The families of those who'd lost their lives would receive justice. He just needed to be far away when the king and his men arrived. Perhaps then Delran would lay his grudge to rest.
Eramus drew a deep breath and rose. He needed to distract Zeeran long enough to launch an attack at Morzaun. He moved his hands through the air and his blue aura followed. Zeeran smiled, his expression smug. Eramus tried theimpetrasagain, sending it directly towards his cousin. Zeeran blocked the attack by sending the same spell right back. His energy ate through Eramus's until it came close enough that he had to end his own and duck for cover. The stream of light flowed over his head, teasing his hair with its own breeze.
By the time Eramus stood, Zeeran had prepared another attack. His hands whirled through the air, creating particles of magical energy shaped like daggers. Eramus's eyes widened. That spell was new.
"Zeeran!" Morzaun shouted.
Eramus had little time to think. Zeeran launched the shards towards him and he conjured a shield just in time to catch the brunt of the attack. The daggers ripped through his defense, and then sliced through his clothes, leaving cuts all over his body. Eramus collapsed to the ground and groaned through the searing pain. Blood dripped from his wounds and soaked his clothing in crimson.
Eramus hugged his body. Tears trailed over his cheeks in response to the burning across every inch of his skin. Through gritted teeth, he uttered the words to the healing spell, uncertain how much damage magic could heal. Slowly, the gashes drew closed, leaving nothing more than faded white scars, and the pain subsided, though his skin tingled with the residual effects of magic.
Zeeran's cold laugh washed over him like water from a frozen stream. "Well, now. Look who's learned a new trick. I assume my father taught you that? Useful, I suppose, but not nearly as useful as a physical attack. But then again, my father isn't likely to teach you any of those. He prefers the peaceful life, even when the enemy threatens everything we have. He would bow to the will of a tyrant rather than stand up for his family."
Eramus rolled to his side. His fingers dug into the dirt as he used his elbow to prop himself up. "That's not true."
Yelene's words echoed across his mind, filling Eramus with doubt. She'd mentioned that Sytal had done something to Feya, but what, he hadn't asked. Eramus had feared recanting the details would only cause his aunt and uncle more pain, but now he wished he would have implored them to relay the details. Whatever had happened, Zeeran seemed to hold it over his father's head, and without knowing how the events unfolded, Eramus could hardly argue with his cousin. For all he knew, the man spoke the truth and Aldeth's actions justified his resentment.
Eramus pushed himself into a sitting position. His body was so drained, standing seemed impossible.
"You think you know my father," said Zeeran. "But you don't. He's a coward. He refuses to stand against Delran, even though he knows how wicked the man is. My father would rather hide us all away on Verascene, trap us on some island just because we are different. Why should we lose our freedom for something beyond our control? Why should we get punished for Sytal's actions?"
"Aldeth only wanted to protect you. He's doing what he thinks is best for his family. What Sytal did was wrong, but that doesn't justify murder. If you go through with this scheme, it makes you no better than him."
Zeeran waved his hands, and the magical daggers reappeared. Eramus's breath hitched.
Morzaun took several paces forward, but then seemed to think better of the approach. "That's enough, Zeeran!"
