The Soul Keeper

Not in a thousand years would I have thought I would be the one standing against Aelith. Not when it came to a god damned swordfight.

So, here we were, facing off against each other. And unlike her, I was well aware that I was on a timer. My body, despite its reformed state, was not quite able to contain such a massive amount of purely destructive power. Sooner or later, I was going to start suffering from it.

That was one of the reasons I rushed ahead, instead of letting Aelith strike first. Another reason was that the light of the Divine Pillar had begun to sting. It was still nowhere near the pain it caused back in Baile Chailce, but it was annoying and distracting enough that I wanted to get rid of it as fast as I could.

I didn't waste any time. I stepped forward, swung my blade horizontally and as Aelith raised her own sword to block my strike, I let the sword disappear, only to make it form in my left hand. The Divine Matriarch's eyes widened as she noticed what I was doing, but she wasn't a swordsman in nature. She moved to block my strike, but I was fast enough to make a cut on her right shoulder.

She let out a low groan as a stream of blood began to flow from her wound. Knowing she could heal it within seconds, I continued my assault. I swung my blade again, this time aiming for her neck. Aelith blocked that strike with ease, only to get her left hand slashed by my claw like hand. 

"You little beast!" She exclaimed as she scrambled to put some distance between us. I wordlessly hissed at her as a bright, golden light fell on her, healing her wounds. "No matter how much you try, you cannot defeat me! I am the Matriarch-"

Her words were interrupted by a pained scream. She nearly fell to the ground as something hit her. Her eyes widened as she looked at the arrow sticking out of her thigh in disbelief. She reached down to pull it out, and I chose that moment to strike again. As my blade neared her chest, she looked at me with fury filled eyes. They flashed golden as magic surged around her.

I felt something hit me – and invisible force threw me across the battlefield. I hit the ground with a thud and rolled some distance before I could dig my claws into the blood soaked ground to stop myself. 

I got back up on my feet and dashed right back to Aelith as soon as I could. I heard some people shouting my name, but I ignored them. My steps quickly carried me to the Divine Matriarch, and as soon as I was close enough, I sent a volley of Dark Bolts her way.

A golden barrier appeared around her, rendering my spell useless. Her lips curled into a smile just as Fetheion hooked another arrow, and Mother hit the ground with her staff.

The earth trembled, the sky roared, and distant thunder echoed. I had to pause for a moment in order to keep my balance. Aelith immediately took off, floating just a hair above ground. Fetheion released his arrow at that moment. The sound of metal hitting her barrier sounded, and so did a faint crack.

I rushed to her as a blade of darkness formed in my left hand. She waved her hand towards me, and a wave of magic rushed at me in response. I beat my wings, leaping high into the air. The wave of magic harmlessly passed under me, and I landed on the ground again.

With a fast, precise swing, I hit the cracked area of her barrier. The golden shine around her shattered, and she grunted as she floated back a little bit. She blocked my next swing with her sword of golden light. 

Another arrow flew past us. Aelith stepped aside, causing Fetheion to miss. He expression filled with focus, she glared at me with hate filled eyes. I grinned, showing my sharp fangs. 

"You're lost beyond saving!" She whispered in a low voice. I couldn't help but chuckle, she was right! 

"Good to see we agree at least on something!" I pushed her back, then with a beat of my wings, leapt high into the air just in time for Mother's spell to be completed. 

Rocks, as sharp as broken glass burst out of the ground around Aelith. The Divine screamed in pain as she flew up along with me. I could see her legs and feel, wounded and torn. Yet she found no respite in the air either as the sky seemed to break apart. Thunder echoed in the distance moments before a lightning strike like no other struck the Divine Matriarch.

I covered my eyes with my arms as Aelith's screams echoed. The whistle of an arrow passing by sounded, and so did the sound of it burying itself into flesh. As the lightning strikes stopped, I opened my eyes and searched for Aelith.

She had fallen to the ground, her clothes torn and burnt, her body covered in blood and burn marks. No ordinary Ereth would have been able to survive the punishment she just endured, yet she was still alive, and from the hate filled look in her eyes, she hadn't lost her will to fight.

I motioned to head towards her – I wanted to kill her before she created another barrier – but a sudden pain that jolted throughout my body stopped me. I fell from the sky onto the stairs below. 

"No, not yet!" I hissed and forced myself to get up. My flames roared, and I took deep breaths. 

"Destroy the pillar!" Vixia's voice sounded. I glanced at her in surprise. She had run all the way to the bottom of the stairs. She motioned to step closer, but the Divine Pillar flashed, and she stepped away as burn mark appeared on her hands. "Hurry, Kai!" 

I gritted my teeth. My eyes darted between Vixia, Aelith, and the Pillar. I wanted to kill the Divine Matriarch. I needed to. She had destroyed so much, killed so many!

"Aah!" I let out a howl of anger as I ran towards the second focal point. The blade of darkness in my hands destroyed the shining crystal with ease. I heard Aelith shout something, I saw her try to get up, but her wounds didn't allow her to. Despite the golden light of healing shining from the Pillar, she still needed a little bit more time before she could stop me.

The third crystal broke with ease, and so did the fourth. With only three of them remaining, I paused to catch my breath. Flames danced on my skin as the coldness in my chest began to grow. I grimaced, and shot a glance at the Demon Lord.

His expression was one of understanding. He knew I had little time left before his power broke me. He clenched his fist, but didn't avert his eyes.

I raised my blade and destroyed the fifth focal point. 

"Stop!" Aelith's almost desperate voice sounded. I heard her get up, and brought my sword down on the sixth crystal. 

The light of the Pillar began to flicker and wane. I dragged my feet around the pillar to the seventh and final focal point. "I said stop!" Her voice sounded from right behind me. I sensed movement and threw myself aside just in time. The golden blade that would have stabbed my chest only hit my arm.

I grunted and scrambled to get up as she approached me, blade in hand. "I won't let you destroy it!" Her maniacal expression was more terrifying than the sight of the blade slowly rising over me.

"And I won't die to you!" I hissed as I wrapped my tail around her legs and pulled as fast as I could. She stumbled and with a low yelp, fell to the ground. I grabbed onto the Divine Pillar for support and pulled myself up. 

A wave of darkness washed over us as the Demon Lord's power reached us. It tried to wrap itself around Aelith's neck, but the Divine Pillar let out a golden shine, dissipating the darkness. 

I let go of the Pillar, raised my hands above my head, tightly grasping the shadowy blade in my hands. Aelith, still laying on her back, shouted something. I couldn't make out the words, nor did I want to. I brought my blade down, and at the same time, she raised her own blade of light.

A crack sounded.

Then the sound of a shattering crystal.

Glimmering dust blew into the air with an unnatural wind.

Then, the darkness of the night finally covered the battlefield.