It’d been an earthquake, a massive one, and it wasn’t by chance. I knew Ava had started her spell to end all things. I scrambled to get to my feet and rushed to the balcony, tripping as the palace wavered again. My friends were so busy battling they didn’t even notice that the earthquake had rocked the palace. They continued to toss spells at their lovers, and a couple of them grazed me, cutting open my clothes and causing blood to seep from small wounds.
I jumped off the balcony and used my Air magic to take to the sky. The area below me echoed with explosions— probably magic cast by my friends, who were running throughout the palace inevitably trying to kill their significant others. I flew overhead, using my Earth magic to sense where the epicenter of the earthquake was. I knew Ava would be there.
I sensed she was on the beach, along with Oberi. I flew in that direction, following our bond as it led me out of the city. Ava was at the same spot where my grandfather had shown me his memories of his wedding. I landed, and my feet hit softsand. Ava’s spell sent pulsing energetic waves outward, and I shuddered every time they hit my skin.
“Ava!” I cried, but she didn’t respond. I hurried to approach her, but Oberi got in my way, giving a deep growl and stomping his paws in the sand.
“Oberi, move,” I commanded. I went to step around him, but he snapped his jaws at me to stay back.
Stay out of this, Charlie. This is not your decision,Oberi warned.
I shouted over him, speaking directly to Ava. “Pidge, you need to stop! Let’s talk about this!”
Ava didn’t pull back her spell. Instead, the energetic waves became more intense, almost knocking me off my feet as she yelled, “You didn’t want to talk earlier!”
“That was a mistake!”
“A mistake? Ha. It’s a mistakenow, because I’m not doing what I’m told, and because I’m a threat to you. That’s the only reason you’re out here.”
One of the energetic pulses blew me backward, and I was knocked down. I struggled to get onto my feet as I said, “I acted irrationally. But we can still fix this.”
“Hell yeah, you did. Oberi, take care of him.”
Oberi’s snarls got deeper.Leave now, before I make you.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I growled, and I went to go around him. Oberi bit my hand, digging his teeth in and drawing blood.
I cried out in pain and punched him across the face to get him off. Oberi went sprawling backward, and his growls became deadlier as he morphed, our connection changing as his fur became scales and he shifted into his wyvern form.
Fine. Two could play that game. I yanked on our connection, and Oberi was unable to stop me as I siphoned power out of him in order to become a wyvern myself. I pulled at his magic, and my body shifted until I matched Oberi’s strength and size, facinghim as my tail twisted behind me. I lifted my leathery wings and roared, declaring a challenge.
Oberi, let me get to her. I don’t want to hurt you.This was my last chance to convince him, but if I had to do this the hard way, so be it.
You already have, Charlie. It will be my last act of free will, to prevent you from coming near her ever again,Oberi seethed, letting out a monstrous roar to respond to my own.
He charged first. Oberi slammed into my front and tossed me backward. The tackle would’ve been enough to collapse a building, and it made my chest bruise. I opened my mouth and spat venom at him. Several streams of venom collided with his side, sizzling against his scales and making the air smell like burning flesh. Oberi snarled in pain, responding with venom of his own that I dodged.
I would’ve hesitated at Oberi’s pain any other time, but now I was the one doing the damage. It was unfathomable, doing this to your own Familiar. I usually did everything I could to protect and care for him. I wanted to stop, even as I was hurting him, but I couldn’t. There was too much at stake. Ava ignored us both, focusing her attention on the spell that was draining the world as we did our best to overpower one another.
Oberi rose on his hind legs to strike at me, and I copied him, swiping out with my talons. One of his wings smacked me on the side of the head, and I responded, using my wings like I did my fists to punch him in the sides. A spike on my wing caught his shoulder and tore as I was smacking him around, and more blood poured onto the beach.
Oberi screeched at the injury and swung at me with his tail. I ducked and smashed my shoulder into him, trying to knock him off his feet.
I wasn’t fast enough, and the venomous pincher on his tail dug into my hip. I screeched as a sensation like fire rushedthrough my veins and made the entire area go numb. Oberi’s venom temporarily paralyzed the limb, making it so I had to drag my right leg behind me in order to move.
Now that he’d slowed me up, Oberi took advantage. He stampeded forward, and my tail wasn’t enough to stop his charge. He knocked my tail aside and reached out with his mouth, the acidic smell of his venom filling my nose.
Oberi bit down on my neck as hard as he could. His fangs sank in, scraping against bone. I let out an animalistic scream and clawed my talons at his legs to let me go, but he held on tight. Hot blood seeped from the wound and poured down my scales. I attempted to wiggle free, but he clambered on top of me and held me down with his weight.
Get off!I lifted my tail and stuck the barb into the side of his head. He groaned and let me go, backing off. He’d gotten away before I’d been able to deposit my venom, but the blow still hurt. My blood spilled against the sand from my torn neck, and Oberi hissed like an angry snake. We circled each other, both waiting for the other to resume the fight.
I can’t believe you chose Ava over me!I roared in frustration. I couldn’t help it; I nearly hated him right now.
You left me with no choice. You’ve become a mad prince, deranged with the idea of what could be, and I could not stand to let you harm her in such a way,Oberi replied— as if he didn’t care about me. It truly sounded like he didn’t.
That has nothing to do with it. You’ve always secretly favored Ava over me,I spat resentfully.You love her more.
Perhaps she is my favorite,Oberi— finally— admitted.I cherish you, Charlie, I really do, but look around at our circumstances! You have forced me to choose, and if it comes down to protecting her or you, it will always be her. I apologize if that wounds you, but that is the way it has been and must be.
