Rouya stared at Kalim with an intent not aligned with her usual way. The leader of the rebellion and the reason her family was murdered. She pulled the scythe off her back and balanced the weight in her hands. He might be the exception to her rule.
"So you've finally come to show yourself. I was wondering when I'd get to hold you accountable for your atrocities," Rouya said.
Kalim shut his eyes and smiled. He clasped his hand over his face but even then couldn't prevent himself from breaking out into a hysterical laughter.
Attia perked up, lowering her guard as she turned around to regard her master. "Hey, we came here to fight not chit-chat. Let me have my revenge."
"I'm sorry, my dear. Let the adults talk for a moment. There's still plenty of time to kill them," Kalim said. He held his hands to the side revealing that he was unarmed and his silver dragon wasn't in sight. The little beast was a child but still capable of wrecking havoc with its breath. "I'm surprised you lasted this long, even went so far as to kill my less capable allies Farid and Parsa. I come to you now to bring an end to the war and offer peace. I've seen the destruction of my home and I saw what happened outside. You care for your people as much as I do and only together can we stop further bloodshed."
"Don't listen to him," Markus snarled. "We can end this right now by defeating them. Isn't that what you want?"
Rouya's heart fluttered at the memory of her father, mother, brother and sister. The horrible deaths they suffered at his hands. Her body trembled, and she balled her hands to keep composure. "Surrender your arms and the relics and I'll see to it you get a fair trial. It's the same offer I gave Parsa."
Kalim nodded solemnly. "I see you blame me for acts I did not commit. It's true that I lead a rebellion against your father but it was for independence. I'm a man of reason, looking out for the best interests of my people. We are of like mind which is why I offer myself to you in marriage. To unite the Inner and Outer Realm for peace and not domination."
"You— you want to marry me?" Rouya was at a loss of words. She'd never expected a marriage proposal, least of all at a time such as this. They knew each other only fleetingly, and all she felt for him was hatred. He was a murderer and no amount of sweet talk could have her overlook that fact. She turned to Evelyn and smiled. "I'll have to decline your offer and give you one last chance to surrender yourselves. I'm not up for grabs and neither are my ideals."
Kalim cocked his head to Javed. "I really do despise bloodshed but I'm afraid you've given me no choice. It's funny that you would prefer Markus Relius' company to my own. We could have lived as equals."
"That's enough from you," Markus snapped, holding his arm out. "Mitra, finish him this time."
"With pleasure." Mitra loosed the first arrow at Kalim and followed it up with a second but Attia moved in front of him and deflected both attacks with ease. "You again. You're nothing but the dirt under my boot."
Attia grinned, holding her scimitar into the lantern light. "At least I made an impression but we can talk over it when I've slain your master and have you join our side."
Mitra leaped onto the wall and ran across the stone surface, loosing another volley of arrows as she went. Rouya could hardly follow Mitra's speed, let alone Attia's deflects which turned into a blur.
"Look out," Evelyn said, charging forward and slicing through Javed's crossbow. The summoner jumped back, holding his arms up in surrender. "Get out of here!"
Cemri tackled Evelyn to the ground and plummeted her moon blade into Evelyn's side. Evelyn gasped, grabbing her wrists and slowly raising the blade out of her. She looked to Rouya and voiced something she couldn't hear over the fighting going on around her.
Ahzi and Tessia destroyed the north side of the room with the building beginning to collapse in on itself.
Rouya jerked to attention and dashed out of the armory and headed towards the fortress's gate. Explosions rang out as the fighting transferred to the other rooms. The primal struggle between maidens of equal skill trying to overcome each other. The screams as they landed a blow and the groans of their exertion. Rouya could no longer tell friend or foe apart, she just ran.
Aequilla burned and lay ruined. People fled from their homes in search of safety but even Rouya, as their queen did not know where to find it and for how long. She left the fortress and slowed down to catch her breath. She glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was following her but all she heard was destruction.
"Evelyn ... Tassia," Rouya called out but no reply came. She struck out her hands and tapped into the magic as she began to draw up the summoning spell for Mah.
"My dear, you're hurt. Wh--" Mah glanced around, taking in the collapsing building and the ruined city. Her features softened when she looked back at Rouya. "I need to get you far away from here. Somewhere they won't find you, where you'll be safe."
Rouya felt the tug on her as both maidens demanded more magic from her. She reached into the Shadow Realm until she was in up to her elbows and diverted as much magic as she could to the daeva. "I can't leave them. They need me but I need you to help the people below. Save as many as you can and get them out of the city."
"You're asking me to leave you in a moment of need alone? What if something happens to you, I can't let that happen?"
"I'll be fine, just get the Mage's Guild to bring out a realmwalker. I want to try to lure them off of Aequilla." Rouya pulled out of the Shadow Realm and cast a buffering spell to help increase Evelyn's defense.
The battle wasn't going as well as Evelyn hoped but at least Rouya was out of harm's way for the time being. Every time she freed herself from Cemri for a moment and charge Javed, another maiden would tumbling her way. The strict confines were limiting her maneuverability. The injuries she had were taking a toll, and she didn't have the magic or time needed to mend herself.
Evelyn caught sight of Javed hiding against in a corner with his back pressed against the wall. he wasn't participating in the fight like Markus and Kalim were with both of them engaged in hand to hand combat. Kalim may have been younger and more agile but Markus was clearly more gifted and landed several blows.
The distance between them was too great for her to make it to him in time and Attia kept guard over Kalim from her being able to flank him. A stone loosened from the ceiling and fell down right in front of Evelyn. She glanced up and took in the fortress's interior architecture and its crumbling state.
"Tessia, target the pillar!" Evelyn shouted and when Tessia paused to direct her next attack at the stone pillar in the center of the room, she turned and hammered her fist in to the wall. Stones flung free from their holding, causing a rippling effect throughout the room and bringing the ceiling to fall on Javed.
"Nice call," Tessia shouted with a wave to Evelyn but jerked up with the clack of fire behind her. Ahzi shot her in the head at point blank range and sent her body toppling over before vanishing in a bright light.
With Javed either dead or unconscious, Cemri began to dissolve as well but not before hurling herself at Evelyn once last time. She raised her arm, the blade at hand glinting as brought it down.
Evelyn gasped, anticipating the excruciating pain of being stabbed another time only to find the last remnants of Cemri being blow away in the breeze. She reached for her glaive and jumped back on her feet, swiftly moving ahead and dodging another shot by Ahzi.
The maiden scowled and jumped through the window with a whistle. The chariot appeared beneath her, allowing her to make a safe escape.
Markus slapped the palm of his hand against Kalim's face, crushing his nose. Blood rushed from his face before he applied pressure and eased away from the fight.
"You'll pay for your treachery, Markus. I'll destroy you next time for what you've done." Attia swept Kalim off his feet and dashed out of the fortress, leaping from rooftop to rooftop to get him out of the city.
Evelyn rushed to the pile of stones concealing Javed and slowly unearthed him. He was injured but alive and unconscious. She removed the armband from his wrist and hoisted him up, deciding to hand him over to Rouya to deal with his punishment. The fight was a close call and it didn't come with a great loss to the innocent people. Their chances improved but the fight wasn't over until they secured all the remaining relics.
"I'll be taking that," Markus announced as he moved to block her path.
A trio of arrows whizzed into her chest. Evelyn's eyes widened as she gasped for air and felt her grip on the physical realm dwindling.
"Make sure she doesn't get far. By all accounts, Rouya perished in the battle tonight. She died a hero, fighting for her people."
Evelyn needed to warn Rouya, but all she saw was the light as her form took to the winds.