The Stone Sorceress

Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Eros stood in the centre of a large hall. It had pillars, like a cathedral, on either side supporting the high roof above him. Banners hung down, and moved gently in the drafts of air. The whole scene had a supernatural feel to him. Thanatos himself appeared bewildered by what Arethusa had apparently done. Only the two sorceresses seemed to understand what had happened.

"You mean to stop Priya from giving you the drink," Astraea said.

Arethusa was looking around her - seemingly trying to discern which room of her Arcadian castle she was in. Her resonant voice said, "I never had enough time. I will thwart my sister, and save my parents."

"We can't let you, a time travelling sorceress, go throughout history changing it as she pleases," Eros said. "And what you just did at the chateau--"

Eros stood with Astraea at his side; before him stood Thanatos and Arethusa. His immediate thoughts were of despair because Thanatos was the actual devil, and possessed a power that he himself couldn't match, and Arethusa was the most powerful sorceress of all time. He wished Typhon and the others were with him, but they were not.

Thanatos came forward, and struck at Eros. The knight struggled against that nefarious hand, but the adept swordsman managed to keep the devil at bay. The clash of swords rang through the hall.

Arethusa meanwhile had stepped to the side of the duelling swordsman, wishing for some space for her own duel with Astraea. She knew it would be the young sorceress's first duel. Arethusa perceived Astraea's timidity and reluctance - fear. Arethusa prepared her spells while Astraea began to take steps backward, edging away from one that had conquered the world. The young sorceress looked to Eros for help, but he was pressed hard by Thanatos.

The potency of Arethusa's magic was a force of nature. She cast dark lightning bolts, ice shards, and fireballs. Barrage after barrage flew at Astraea, who, never before encountering such strength, reeled to evade them. She conjured spells of her own, but Arethusa, instead of stepping aside, strode to meet them, crushing them in her hands.

The old sorceress looked askance at the windows on the side of the room; splintered glass exploded upon Astraea's flank. She hastened to bring up a barrier, which shone, though it was penetrated by a shard that skated across her cheek. Astraea fingered the cut lightly. In her anger she cast an energy ball at Arethusa, which was parried and countered. Astraea was struck in the torso by a spell that sent her hurtling across the room. The table she landed upon crushed beneath her weight.

While Arethusa pounded Astraea with sorcery, Eros had established an advantage over Thanatos as remarkable as it is to say. In his former duels he'd fought as he would any other - bold and enterprising. However, he now took a more measured approach understanding that he would spend much of the fight on the defensive. It was the approach adopted by Odin. He knew Thanatos would grow arrogant and take too many chances, and so, when he over extended, Eros countered and frightened Thanatos by how close he came to killing him. In a spectacular flurry, Eros parried Thanatos's blade, and smashed him against a pillar.

Arethusa stood several paces from Astraea's semi-conscious figure, black fire raced from her fingers to engulf the young woman; but Eros's sword absorbed the inferno. Arethusa's serene form moved like a snake; she held her arm forward - Eros clutched his throat. She raised him from the floor; his legs kicked out while poison raced to his heart. It was the same sorcery that had killed Nala. Arethusa was about to conjure the ice shards when the poison receded. She lost her vice like grip upon Eros's throat.

The knight collapsed in a heap on the floor. He touched his neck, which moment ago was crushed. Not understanding, and still in a panic, he looked at the old sorceress in front of him. Then he turned at a touch on his shoulder. Astraea stood there.