Heir of the Underground

Chapter 26: Aurelia

Aurelia had never seen the full extent of Kassius's power. But now, as she stood to the side of the arena, she was able to witness it for the first time.

Leviathan stood across from Kassius, panting. He had tried three different times now to blast the prince with fire, but each time he tried, Kassius anticipated which hand he intended to utilize, and used his telekinesis to restrain it.

And if Leviathan tried to step closer to even punch Kassius, the prince would duplicate himself, casting an illusion so Leviathan didn't know who to attack.

It was amusing, watching this feat. With Kassius being so gangly and thin, Aurelia had always struggled to imagine him in battle. He seemed more suited for the kinds of intellectual matters that would keep him nailed to his desk.

But now, he was proving that physical strength wasn't a necessity when it came to fighting.

For Leviathan was strong. Even without his magic, he knew how to throw a punch, how to use a sword. But Kassius had the power to predict his moves, to anticipate and then dismantle every step that Leviathan took. So he was no match.

It was clear that Nix wouldn't be a problem either.

After several minutes of grappling, Kassius finally put an end to the match. Leviathan, despite his huffing and puffing, seemed ready to continue, giving a groan when Kassius admitted he was done.

"Come on, I can keep going," he beckoned.

But Kassius shook his head and snorted. "And that's why you're the Captain of the Guard," he remarked. "I may be stronger, but my magic only lasts so long before I start to tire."

"Right—blame your magic, not your lack of muscles," Leviathan snickered. There was a taunting playfulness to his tone. He seemed to be wanting to provoke Kassius, to get him fighting again so perhaps Leviathan could defeat him once the prince tired enough.

Except, Kassius saw right through that, and shook his head, laughing. "I know I look sickly next to you, Leviathan. And I admire your dedication to your own health and appearance. But I've had enough fighting for today. If I could hold you off for so long, Nix shouldn't be much trouble."

"Nix might not be the strongest fighter, but he's got a lot of hatred for you. Don't think that fighting him will be easy," Leviathan reminded.

Aurelia gave a nod from where she stood. "He has a point. You're powerful, Kassius. But he wants you dead, remember? Who's to say that he hasn't been training for this exact opportunity?"

To that, Kassius frowned. It seemed that he had forgotten about the murderous aspect of the coronation. It was kill or be killed.

"Yes, yes," he agreed finally. "Nix does want me dead." He sighed to himself, his eyes drifting away from Aurelia and Leviathan and to a recollection of the past.

"Kassius, I know you don't like killing," Leviathan spoke, reaching out to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But sometimes you have to do what is necessary. You told me that yourself when I was young, didn't you?"

The heir nodded solemnly, silently. "I did," he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "I did."

He continued to stand silently, almost motionlessly, save for the occasional blinking of his eyes. After what seemed like a decade of him standing in a contemplative trance that Aurelia dared not to break, he finally returned to the present.