Magika [Completed]

Chapter 20

Pain can be ignored, Kitaya reminded herself as she threw her weight into her punch. The resulting crack was lost on her as a wave of agony rippled through her shoulder. The pain nearly blinded her, but she gritted her teeth and blinked her vision into focus.

The magician skidded to a stop near the porch and flicked his cape behind him, looking at Aldeheid's motionless form like it was a trophy. "This should be much easier now."

Kitaya spared Aldeheid a glance to make sure he was breathing. She couldn't keep fighting like this, not when every move was agony. Drastic times. Drastic measures. "I agree, actually."  She held her hand up and scored it open with her throwing knife. "Now I don't have to hold back."

The magician's eyes nearly bugged out at the sight of blood dripping down her arm. He took a step back and lighting danced through his fingers as he conjured up another spell.

Kitaya scoffed. Child's play. She chanted a spell of her own – words that were almost as old as Magika itself, words that had nearly been destroyed a hundred times over. Heat and golden light spilled from her swirling mark, and magic prowled around inside her, a caged beast eager to strike.  Her spell ripped through the lightning and struck her opponent in the dead center of his chest. He flew into the wooden structure and fell limp.

Pain lanced through her gut, and high pitched whining filled her head. She crumpled to her knees and coughed up a mouthful of blood. That was overzealous.

Kitaya wiped at the blood that was leaking from her mouth and stood. It took a few moments for the forest to stop spinning and her body to stop leaning to one side involuntarily.

She sauntered over the where the magician lied. His once pristine white cape was smeared with dust and dirt, and his dark hair was sticking up every which way.

Kitaya grabbed a handful of it and hoisted him up before releasing the clasp that held the cape to his shoulders. "Wake up," she said, she dumped him on the ground and leaned against the rickety rail that encircled porch.

He struggled to his hands and knees and looked at her through the tendrils of his hair. "Just what kind of abomination are you?"

She arched a brow. "Why would I tell you that? It's not like you're going to live long enough sing my praises." As he eyed his cape, Kitaya made a show of draping it over her arm. "Why have you been terrorizing the humans?"

He gave a mirthless laugh. "Why would you even care? What have those fragile, magicless mortals done for you?"

"It's not about reimbursement. It's about respect. This is their realm, not ours."

He laughed again, this time sounding genuinely amused. "Not for long. Don't you see what's happening? The thin spaces are popping up everywhere. They'll need our protection, so it's best they learn early that it comes with a price."

Kitaya exhaled a hot breath and resisted the urge to strike him. As heated as his sentiments made her, she found herself unable to disagree. Soon the humans wouldn't have a realm to call their own.

"We're the superior beings," he continued looking at her as though he expected her to agree. "They're beneath us. This is how it should be."

She didn't have the patience for anymore of his nonsense talk. "Did you put that Prometheria in front of the thin space?"

"I did. Your point?"

"My point is. . . even garbage such as yourself has its uses."

He lunged at her and she stepped to the side before kicking him halfway across the porch. She twirled Aldeheid's sword around with one hand and raise his cape with the other. Four pretty words escaped her mouth and a bright white glow encapsulated the cape. One flash later and it was a woman.