Foxfire (The Blood Oath) old version

Chapter 21: Death Comes Smiling

        . . . Shadowstealer . . .

It was a long trek to the bone tower. The night was cold. Flakes of white snow fell from the heavens like a spray of white feathers. They settled on her hand and dark hair, but a great pain had made her numb to everything beautiful.

Her fight with the young Prince had left several wounds on her body. She was weak. Her head spun with dizziness. She pressed two fingers just below her ribs and felt the swollen flesh, where bad blood had gathered her side.

Zelos knew the rules. She had done her best to convince the prince to join her sisters and if she had succeeded, her life might have been spared by the Nightfather. But failure meant death by beheading and all sisters of the night adhered to such faithfully.

There was no going home to the Night cult now. There was no escaping their wrath. She could already smell their stench in the wind. Her sisters were coming for her, coming to offer her back to Darkness, for the Nightfather saw all from his broken tower.

Her legs were failing. A large oak tree was near, tormented by the ever coasting winds of the North. Zelos took shelter beneath its branches. She rested her back on its trunk and buried her head in despair. For the first time in her life, she had failed. The rules were clear. There was no escape from the cult except in death. So, all battle must end in victory or until they fall to an opponent's blade. But until now, none of her opponent had been able to surprise her with both strength and skill.

She was ashamed.

"So, this is where we meet our end, Shadowstealer?" Zelos chuckled.

She pulled her blade and turned it until the pointed end was below her chin. Her eyes closed in sorrow. Her heart began to race. It was just one strike and she would end the torment and ridicule she was bound to be subjected if her sisters found her.

The wind wafted an inky smell across her nose. Zelos paused. The smell was not unfamiliar and at its scent, her hand began to tremble with her sword.

"You hesitate, Sister, why?" a raspy voice grew in the darkness.

Zelos recognized Zafira's voice, a sister of the night. She opened her eyes to gaze upon the five foot figure cloaked in darkness and standing before her.

"Finally," she muttered, "you come for me."

Two Sisters of Night dropped down the oak tree and took their places beside Zafira. "We knew where you were the whole time. We were just curious to see if you will truly fall on your on blade."

Zafira went down on one knee to reach Zelos. She pulled the dark turban that hid her face by drawing down the cover of her chin to reveal her mouth. Zafira's eyes were like two bright stars in the darkness. She reached her fingers forward and touched Zelos' chin.

"You were always my favourite Sister, Shadowstealer."

The other two Sisters exchanged glances and rolled their eyes in envy.

"And now you've come to take my head to the Temple of Vvenom," Zelos muttered.

Zafira stood to her feet, "As all of us must fall someday. Take heart knowing that your head would remain with those of our fallen Sisters. You will never be alone even in death."

"Enough talk, Soulkiller, let us end this with the blow of our sword," a Nightsister yelled.

Zafira turned around furiously and her palm landed on the girl's face with a hard slap. The girl lost her footing before finding balance again.

"Speak again, Zakelina, and you will find your head separated from your neck," Zafira snarled. "She was once our Sister and still is even when her life flows away with her blood."

Zafira paused and looked down at Zelos. "I'm afraid it is time, Sister, i promise it will be quick."

Strong arms grabbed Zelos from behind. She shared her gaze between the two mean Sisters of the Night in dark cloaks. Sweat dribbled down her face and her heart thumped with an irregular rhythm. Zakelina, and the third Sister, Zephyr, pulled out Zelos' arms and held them tight.

A long thin sword left Zafira's sheath with a silvery gleam like mirror in the moon's light. Zelos' lips tremble. Her fear was obvious even as much as she tried to hold still to the principle of the Nightsisters, to show no fear.

Zafira raised her sword, "it is okay to be afraid, Shadowstealer," she said, hesitating for moment. "Hold her down," she ordered.

The Sisters pressed Zelos' head to bend further, revealing a clear path to her neck. Fear, Zelos thought. It was not fear that quickened her heart. It was not fear that spurred perspiration on her face. It was thoughts that could bring her soul to damnation. For the first time, she did not want to be a subject to the will of the Nightfather.

She heard Zafira's blade descending. That moment, she knew she did not want to die without a purpose. Her life was unfinished. As quick as a flash of light, she pushed her head away, allowing Zafira's blade to cleave the air.

There was no time to spare Zafira to recover. The girl was a Souleater, more than a match for any bloodwielder. She used her elbow to knock Zephyr away from her left side and rolled over to escape Zakelina's grasp.

Zelos ran towards the tree. Something was coming fast in the air. She did not see it, but her senses had been attuned to Zakelina's ice daggers summoned from Evocation. Zelos took a short burst of speed upon the tree trunk and tumbled in a full backflip. The daggers whizzed past her ears and shattered into ice crusts as they struck the tree trunk.

Her feet settled on the ground.

Zephyr evoked a chain of fire that took the shape of a flaming harpoon at the tip. "Your resistance serves you no purpose, Sister."

She whipped the chain at her sister and fire followed in its trail. Zelos bent backwards that her back almost touched the earth. She held herself inclined with levitation until Zephyr's chain cut through the air over her. The heat of the fire burned hot but she endured. A dagger drove towards her face from Zakelina's arm. It came too quick. Zelos dropped down completely to escape, but she wasn't quick enough and it sliced the surface of her cheek.

She screamed in reaction. Icy smoke poured out of the wound as the weapon had been summoned with Evocation.

Zelos stood to her feet and held her shoulder. Zephyr did not allow her time to recover neither did, Zakelina. They had long hated her for being favoured by the Nightfather, but where had that gotten her?

Zakelina and Zephyr came at her again, attacking with ice daggers and flaming chain.

She watched Zephyr's chain sweeping through the air with deadly intent and behind her, Zakelina had unleashed her daggers. That moment, she was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Zelos leapt midair and twisted horizontally. The daggers rushed past her and Zephyr's chain went through the space in between her legs. She could not hold on to her levitation and landed on the ground raising dust.

For a moment, there was silence.

Zelos found her footing. She shared her gaze between her sisters. Both of them were on their knees, eyes wide open. Zephyr's arm was still stretched out, the hilt of ice daggers glittered like blue diamond stuck to her torso. Blood soaked her dark cloak. Zelos's followed the girl's chain and found Zakelina's head badly burned, where Zephyr's flaming harpoon had struck her.

"Bravo," Zafira clapped, "you had always displayed much prowess than your Sisters."

Zelos knew it was sheer luck that Zephyr and Zakelina had killed themselves. Perhaps, there was truly a Patron watching over her from the stars.

Zafira stretched her blade towards her side. "Sorry, Sister, but your fate has been sealed today."

She stepped towards Zelos and the sword in her grip burst hot with red flames.