Axel's Promise

XV

"You will all face my judgment!" Xenia roared, raising a massive sword bedazzled with rubies, diamonds, and trimmed with silver. Xenia's gaze landed on Caldrufini. "Tell your men to stand down, or else I will have to kill them. Each and every last one." Xenia pointed at Caldrufini with her sword. "I will also mount your head over the Dire Bird's Keep and let the Dire Bird peck out your sorry eyes."

"Tell my men to stand down? Are you serious?" Caldrufini used his wings to make a slow approach to Xenia while wearing a shit-eating grin. "You force your White Doves to fight your battles, so why would I take orders from you? Old hag." Caldrufini looked down at Axel, who was with Fable. "Do you see them? They're wasted talent serving you. They could be doing other things, like telling the world how corrupt you are." 

"Silence! You will not speak to me or my White Doves in such a degrading manner!" Xenia exclaimed. "I am not corrupt! I created this world! I created you! You were once one of them!" Xenia dismounted her wolf; Xenia towered at one-hundred feet tall, dwarfing Caldrufini, his castle, and everyone else around her. Xenia took a step closer, her roman sandals causing the ground to rumble. Caldrufini scoffed and folded his arms.

"Like I care." Caldrufini would conjure a field of black magic around him. "If you want me, come get me. Don't stand there and act all-"

Xenia slashed Caldrufini with her sword, breaking his shield of black magic with ease and forcing him to the ground. "Act all high and mighty? Is that what you were going to say?" Xenia's hands  began to radiate with white magic. "End this, Caldrufini. This is over. My judgment is due and it will not be pretty." 

Caldrufini, injured, stood up and stared up at the goddess. Caldruini extended his hands forward and cast a spell of blindness on Xenia, clouding her vision in dark shadows. Caldrufini took this chance to spread his wings, dart upward, and slash the blinded goddess across the cheek, leaving a cut that wept blood. Xenia covered herself in a white aura, then, her wound was healed and her vision was restored. Xenia rose a hand toward the sky, then, she swung it down, throwing a jagged rod of white magic toward Caldrufini, who dodged it with a swift dart to the right. Caldrufini laughed. 

"I see you're out of practice, sweetheart. Allow me to give you some lessons." Caldrufini suddenly shrouded himself in black magic before raising his sword, darting forward, and ramming his blade into the shoulder of Xenia, allowing hexes and other curses to seep into her bloodstream. Xenia felt the blade burning at her immaculate flesh. 

"Arugh! Curse you!" Xenia exclaimed as her body swelled with white magic, clashing with the black magic that was ravaging her body. Xenia began to heal herself, but Caldrufini had other ideas. Caldrufini raised his hands and focused on the blade; he kept the blade burning hot with black magic, repelling Xenia's healing spells, keeping her in constant pain and slowly weakening her. 

The wolves, Lobo, Akari, and Chelly, surrounded Xenia and bore their teeth, then, one of them jumped up and bit Xenia's arm and shook their head violently, drawing blood. Xenia looked down at Axel and Fable before looking at the wolf that was latched onto her arm. 

"Lobo, you damn mutt!" Xenia forcefully swung her arm and threw Lobo into the castle, causing the entire structure to start crumbling. Axel and Fable fell to the ground along with the rubble, then, they rose to their feet. A thick cloud of dust obscured their vision; the silhouette of Serina could be seen slowly approaching with her hands glowing with black magic. Axel tried to run toward Serina, but Fable grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"I got her. You help Xenia." Fable looked up at Xenia, then back at Axel. "You have the power to change the tide in this fight. I know it. Now go." 

"I will do my best not just for Xenia, but for you, even if it kills me,"  Axel replied before turning his back and running face first into hell to lend Xenia a hand. Fable was left with Serina, who was eyeing her down like a predator stalking its prey.