"This looks nice." I comment as I walked through a bright, moonlit field. It had flowers that had petals that shined like the single moon in the sky. The grass was translucent and had an eerie beauty to it. And the sky was just full of these little lights and bright patterns that seemed cloud-like.
And, as I walked through this place, occasionally, I ran a gloved hand along the foliage. I began to feel as if my words did not paint the right picture when it came to this place. I had said it so casually when I had entered this place. Yet, I was completely enamoured by it all in so short a time.
It wasn't just the looks of this place either, everything about it was so calming! The gentle rushing of distant water and the sweet smell of the blooming flowers. If it wasn't for the fact I had been separated from my friends and those who could keep me safe... I'd be enjoying it all to its fullest extent.
However, as that detail came back to the forefront of mind. I started to realise a whole lot more that this place was not safe. Even if it did have everything it needed to be a relaxing place. Even a romantic one if I was still with Nin.
But now I couldn't stop squirming and blushing at the idea of Nin being here. A beautiful backdrop to a beautiful confession sealed by the kiss I have waited for patiently... Yet, I then came to a stop and grew worried. It was under a beautiful night sky like this that Nin took the bracelet off, it was a garden too...
Of course, I shouldn't be assuming things here, Nin clearly had a lot on his mind. But, still, it having happened, I can't help but feel the ideal confession had been poisoned. At the same time, however, maybe it was that rejection that would make the eventual one all the sweeter. After all, it would mean I made him fall for me...
"Oh, no, Einervaene, focus!" I giggled to myself while trying to hide my blush from the world around me.
"Yes, Einervaene, focus!" someone suddenly said before a spell narrowly missed me. The jump of shock I went through having saved my life from a circle blade. One that cleanly cut through the earth and the flowers with ease before it headed back. As fast as it was here as it was going back.
"R-Right... Tournament thing." I mutter with less visible embarrassment as I straighten myself out. Staff held firmly up while my opponent twirled their wrists and fingers. Razor-sharp hoops of bright, emerald wind magic on each of her limbs. And, I was growing very worried, because that magic looked awfully bright...
Yet, everything here had a peculiar brightness to it. Even my own magic seemed to be turning white from how much brightness it had. But, I did not have time to observe her as she quickly attacked once again. And it did not take much for me to fall to the ground.
"H-Hey, hold on!" I pleaded before narrowly avoiding one of her blades that had carved its way towards me. Just then, I barely made it back to my feet before some more spells came my way.
"No, I quite like the advantage I have." she quipped calmly before she began to make wild gestures. And, I shot myself up into the sky with my staff. Getting a clear view of the spells as they all sawed back to her.
Then, after dropping back down with the help of my staff. I thrust it up at her, hoping I could catch her with its spiked tip. Her magic, however, just reached her in time and she began to erode at my staff. Turning a once lethal pike into a smooth-tipped yet blunt stick.
The quick changing of my body into lightning, however, prevented that magic from being turned on me. And I was left panting at her when she backed away in fright at the sudden change. Yet, she did not stop and quickly went back to throwing her magic at me. It was difficult, but I think I was able to avoid most of it.
"Tsk." she tutted before her sly smirk was suddenly lit up by a green light.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" I screamed violently when one of these blades suddenly cut through my arm. Yet, because I was made of lightning right now, the pain was only a brief thing.
"Shock the shocker out of her shocking spell?" she asked before she started to overwhelm me with whistling blade after whistling blade. Thankfully, however, conducting my magic through my staff allowed me to counter some. But, I was also not skilled in doing so and some still made it through.
Then, when it finally did come to an end, she shot some kind of gust at me. And all the plants she had torn apart were suddenly blown into my face. And, while I was too busy getting plant matter out of my eyes. She charged.
Her pair of saws just barely missed my body but hit my arms just fine. The pain easily made me drop my staff. Then, I moved onto the back foot by her aggressive insistence. Her vicious swings just kept on coming.
"NO!" I screamed just before one of them struck across my arm. The attack somehow disabled my lightning form partially. And, I became terrified as my main way to keep an attacker away had been compromised.
"So all I have to do is cut along the dotted lines? Oh! I feel just like a kid again!" she cackled before she flipped away from me. A pair of her blades flew out of her hands before she landed gracefully.
"M-My staff!?" I let out as I struggled to keep my human hand away from those blades. Yet, now, she was aiming exclusively for my frame. And, I steadily felt my body fall apart in a way I could never like.
"Patchwork." she quickly pointed out before another gust got my face full of petals and stems. A sudden gasp then left me when I felt the continued presence of her blades in my gut. Thankfully, however, that area of me remained lightning. Even if my limbs were mostly not now.
"H-Hold on!" I tried to plead once again as my gut roared in pain.
"Win or lose!" she reminded me before I literally exploded. And, in the brief freedom that panic had given me. I realised that I had tried to turn into a lightning bolt...
But, of course...
"Annoying." she spat out as she got back up. That magic even clearly hurt her as she was covered in horrific burns now.
"I know what I need to do now..." I mutter before I make a desperate run for what I could only hope was my staff. Yet, the closer I got to it, the more desperate she herself became. And as that happened, her attacks grew larger. Her body became more involved.
What was once just little hoops of death became grand, hollow circles. They were slightly easier to predict given their size. But, it was also just as frightening because they came out not much slower. Yet, she was also keener to keep her distance now.
"Come back!" I confidently ordered once I got my staff again. And, I aimed it up the moment I did. Shooting over to her with the help of its runes and exploding once again.
"AH! S-Stings!" she screamed at first once she had finished retreating from the blast area. Yet, I was in no position to press the attack. The faulty casting of my original spell left me feeling sick and light-headed.
Everything was going numb again!?
"Huh...? I got over this!?" I frustratedly let out as I, thankfully, began to recover from a state of twitchiness. I, however, had no time to think about this, so I tried to run to her again. Only to see a splash of red before my eyes before a warm feeling covered my face.
"Keep your neck exposed for me!" she taunted as I recoiled at the sight of my blood dripping so much. She had gashed open my wrist and it was just spilling out.
"NO!" I defiantly shouted back before I plunged my finger against the wound. Welding my flesh shut once again with what little remained of my lightning form. And, I screamed to the gods for help as I did so.
"So you're not fragile as you look, big deal!" this girl shrugs before she begins to twirl a roped saw about on a magic string. And it was impossibly big compared to her other saws and blades...
"How am I...?" I asked myself as I stumbled backwards. Tears in my eyes as I finally got the pain under control. But, I quickly found the answer to my problem. My staff.
I had it made to offer me a means to use my lightning bolt spell, even without clouds. However, I could only go in the direction I aimed it at. And she had been making it nearly impossible to aim the staff. So she must've picked up on what it could do quickly...
Yet, she was also now not keeping the pressure on me. She had left herself open. So, I slowly and painfully brought the staff up. Making sure it was aimed directly at her.
Then, when she unleashed her magic, I used my own. And I easily avoided her vastly slower spell before I rematerialised by her side. Yet, this mistake of mine did not catch on until after I had grabbed her. But, it was too late to care by then.
We both knew it, and terror quickly spread across her face before I turned into my patchwork form. A vicious and disturbing reaction followed as she was quickly electrocuted into a crisp. Then, with a resounding thud, she hit the ground. The smell of her burnt flesh ruined the once sweet air this place had.
"Y-Yeah..." I let out once I realised I had won. But, the pain just came back and I fell down. Crying what tears I could before this girl slowly got back up again.
"I..." she barely got out before she struggled to get a spell going. Yet, she stopped when I quickly rose my staff tip at her.
"Lost." I finished for her before I shot through her as a lightning bolt.