"You got it." Theo couldn't keep the shit-eating grin off his face. Not that Ryan could see it, but it was the thought that counted.
"You were trying to trap me! That's dirty, man!"
"We'll use what we can to win. I'm not as strong a wizard as you, I know that. But I can make up for it by fighting smart."
A metallic clang echoed from ahead. Despite himself, Theo glanced up but couldn't see anything in the sky. So Avia must be engaging Zenith on the ground now. Both of them only with their weapons, no spells to help.
"Smart?" The thuds grew louder, sending more bark scraps raining off the fallen trees. "Who are you shitting? Hello, genius, your familiar's outta your range too!"
"You're right," Theo said. "But that's fine. Because I trust him."
"The fuck – do you – mean?" When Ryan's face appeared in the gap beneath the front log, Theo jumped back in shock. Grunting and groaning, Ryan shoved at the log, but couldn't budge it, and the gap was too small for him to fit his body through. "God damn it!"
He got back up, apparently intent on dislodging the dead oak again. Since it didn't seem like he was in any danger of escaping, Theo decided it wouldn't hurt to keep talking.
"I trust Zenith, like I said. I trust him to fight for me even when I'm not there to give him orders or cast spells. But you – do you trust Avia?"
"Fucking – shit – fuck – damn it!" Ryan's increasingly desperate shoving answered the question for Theo.
"You don't," he said, amazed at how clear and calm his voice came out. Because this wasn't just his confidence – it was Zenith's too. "That's why you're trying so hard to escape. Because you know she can't do anything without you there."
"Don't be – fucking – stupid – "
"You don't trust her. How could you?" Theo raised his voice. "Trust is a mutual connection two people share. But you don't think Avia is a person. She's just a tool for you. A tool is useless without a master to wield it."
More crashes and clangs from the forest. Theo closed his eyes, reaching for the pure crystal core of Zenith's Levia. The bond between the two of them. He couldn't see the fight, but if he concentrated, he could feel every blow. Zenith swiping and slashing relentlessly. Avia, her bow already dropped, tried to weave past him, but Zenith cornered her at every turn. Grabbing her wings, forcing her down every time she tried to rise.
As Avia weakened, Zenith only grew stronger. Powered not only by his own determination to win, but Theo's. It might not be a spell, but it had its own kind of power.
"So, Ryan?" Theo said. "You ready to surrender?"
"Let me outta here, you piece of shit!"
"Get out yourself."
"Good one, Theo!" Sam called. Theo flashed her a grin and thumbs-up.
Green light flashed inside the cage again, but died as soon as it came. Avia still wasn't within range.
Zenith Levia's flared, bright as a lightning strike and so strong it sent Theo stumbling back. An image burst into his mind: Zenith slashing through the base of Avia's left wing, slicing it clean off. Avia slumped against the base of a tree like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
From inside the cage, Ryan let out a groan. So he'd felt it too, even if his connection to Avia was much weaker than Theo's bond with Zenith.
"You've just lost, Ryan," Theo said. "You know that, right?"
"Because you cheated, you little shit! Couldn't beat me wizard-to-wizard so you resort to dirty tricks!"
"A battle isn't just between wizards, is it? It's between their familiars too. You said it was about how well a wizard uses his familiar. Well, I think it's about how much a wizard trusts his familiar."
Ryan's only response was a savage, "Fuck you!"
No getting through to him, Theo supposed. Shrugging, he turned around and walked away from the cage.
"Theo! Oh my God you were so cool!" Sam came running toward him, squealing and waving her arms. Theo let her yank him into a suffocating hug, but not for long; he gently pushed at her arms and she got the signal and let go.
He wasn't ready to celebrate yet. First, he had to make sure Zenith was okay.
"Hey, Theo? Where you going?" Sam asked as Theo started off toward the woods. "Hey – oh, Zenith!"
Theo started. Sure enough, an armored figure appeared from between the trees, clanking unevenly with each limping step.
Heart thumping, Theo ran up to him and grabbed his hands. Zenith swayed a bit, then blinked a few times and focused on Theo. Leaves and twigs flecked his hair, not an inch of his armor wasn't scratched or dented, and his face was smeared with dirt. But his eyes were so bright, shining like blue stars. In them Theo saw his own face reflected perfectly, the way Zenith saw him. With unwavering trust.
Something painful tightened Theo's throat. Overwhelmed, he flung his arms around Zenith and buried his face in the knight's armored chest. "You're okay, Zenith. I'm so glad," he choked out.
"Of course, Theo." Zenith rested his hands on Theo's shoulders. Despite the heavy armor, his touch felt so gentle. "It's because you trusted me."
When Theo lifted his head, his gaze landed on the hole gaping in Zenith's breastplate. Guilt squirmed inside him. "Sorry...I said I wanted to be a lord who fights alongside his knight, but you ended up doing most of it."
In fact, because he'd only cast a few low-level spells, he actually felt a lot better than he did after most battles. The arena spell had taken the most out of him.
"Don't say that," Zenith said quietly. "I would never have been able to do it without you. She was certainly...a tough opponent. Among the toughest I've ever faced. But I knew I could not give up, because I was fighting for you."
"Zenith." To Theo's embarrassment, a lump swelled in his throat and the corners of his eyes stung. He quickly let go of Zenith and wiped his face. Once he was certain he'd calmed down, he looked back at his familiar.
"So...do you think...you made the right decision? Are you...." He paused, warring with himself for a moment. "Happy?"
Zenith blinked. Then he sank into a graceful bow on one knee, hand to his chest and hair cascading in a curtain around his face. Yet through it, Theo could see the soft smile lifting his lips.
"I am happier than I ever have been. There is none more worthy to be my lord and wizard than you, Theo Hua."
It was like something had exploded inside Theo, stealing his breath, leaving him dizzy and weak. An overwhelming emotion his body couldn't contain. 'Happiness,' he thought. 'I'm happier than I've ever been too.'
He sank to his knees, reaching for Zenith –
"HEY! LET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"
Ryan's roar sent Theo reeling backward. Losing his balance, he slammed into the dirt. With a clank of armor, Zenith got up and shouted his name.
Sam cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled in Ryan's direction, "Read the room, jerk!"