The purple lightning formed a glowing shield between himself and Vulre as he pushed the air ahead of him with his palm facing forward. The stream of fire that Vulre had intended to burn his face off with was diverted and struck the building. Vulre roared like a wounded bull and put more energy into the fire. Rahven felt a touch of heat against his fingers and he flowed more power into the shield. Realizing that he could angle the stream of fire with his shield he slowly started to turn it. The stream of fire inexorably moved across the wall by Vulre’s right side towards his head. The elf was so angry that he didn’t realize he was going to burn himself alive.
“Rahven, Vulre, stop!” Lady Ashryn’s voice broke through the crackling of flames and lightning.
Suddenly, a wave of cold air swept over him and Vulre. It extinguished Vulre’s flames, but it did the same to his magic. The purple electricity was snuffed out. Rahven felt like someone had chopped off a limb. He let out a strangled cry and curled forward momentarily. Vulre lunged towards him, not as affected by the silence spell as he was, but Rahven had the broken sword. He swung it in a dangerous arc. It sliced through the armor covering Vulre’s belly. Blood spurted. The Blood Knight let out a scream of pain and rage.
“STOP!” Ashryn screamed and Rahven found himself ten feet from Vulre, pinned against a boulder while Vulre was similarly pinned against the pocked Venomthorn wall. “Stop! What is happening? Why are you fighting?”
“He–he must die!” Vulre spat as he strained against the magical bindings that held him while Rahven did the same.
“Vulre, you don’t know what you’re saying!” Ashryn cried. Her white hair whipped around her in an almost frenzy. Unlike her usual calm demeanor, she was trembling, shaken, unsure.
“He’s a threat to you, Lady Ashryn!” Vulre shouted. “His magic Awakened! He has destroyed the Venomthorn and attacked me!”
Lady Ashryn went silent. Her eyes flickered between them.
See? You should have struck him down when you had the chance, the voice sounded bored. Who do you think she’ll believe is responsible for all this? Him or you?
A cold vise closed around Rahven’s heart. He was jadir. He’d Awakened, but Vulre was Lady Ashryn’s Blood Knight. He had served her for millennia. Protected her life. She trusted him implicitly. But Rahven? What loyalty did she owe to him?
I need to get out of here! Rahven cried and helplessly thrashed against the magical restraints.
Test the restraints one at a time, the voice instructed. There will be a weak one. The one she used to tie it off. Undo that one and the whole restraint spell will collapse.
But my magic–
Is there. Once you slip this leash, she will be too startled to hold onto the silence spell. Take advantage of being underestimated, the voice advised.
Rahven did as the voice instructed. One by one, he tested the magical bindings. The voice was right. He should have acted. Not to kill Vulre, but to leave. He should have left long ago when it became clear that Vulre had it out for him. He definitely should have left after the first fight no matter what Lady Ashryn said. But that was the past. This was the present. He needed to save himself now.
“You never should have kept him!” Vulre roared, practically frothing at the mouth. “Look what he did! He’s uncontrollable! He–”
“Why?” She asked.
“W-what?” Vulre stammered before going back to straining and grunting to get to Rahven.
“Why did Rahven do this?” Her voice was strangely colorless.
“As if he needs a reason considering who his father is?!” Vulre laughed bitterly. “You know–”
“His father always has a reason for killing someone. And it is likely a good reason,” she said, still in that colorless way. “So why did Rahven’s magic Awaken? What happened, Vulre?”
Why isn’t she asking you, I wonder? The voice mused.
Because she already knows the answer, Rahven realized even as he found the loose binding. Or rather, it was looser than the others. He started to pluck at it. She wants to see if he will lie to her.
Good to see you’re not stopping in your escape plan even if that is the case. I assure you that Lady Ashryn Zinsadoral cannot be trusted, the voice dropped into a low growl.
“Vulre, answer me.” Ashryn was standing in front of Vulre then. Her voice was low. Even.
“He needs to die!” Vulre shouted.
“Did you try to give him that deserved death?” Her voice was soft. Dangerous.
Vulre must have heard it, too. His expression became pleading and his voice strained with loyalty and adoration, “Lady Ashryn, I serve you! With my heart and soul! With all I am! He is a danger to you, to me, to everyone! If we are found out–”
“We have been, Vulre,” she whispered.
“What?” A breath. Little more than that. One single breath from Vulre and he was still as stone.
