Hylo lunged towards Solqulo, hand raised to his head. It glistened in a pure white glow, blinding the aged Thawed. When his eyes opened, he realized he stood somewhere foreign.
Yet this place felt familiar, like going somewhere one hasn't been to since their childhood.
A wood stage sat elevated in the center of a dark abyss. Voices whispered to one another, saying 'traitor' repeatedly. Their voice rose in volume the longer Solqulo listened.
It reached a point where Solqulo tried covering his ears, but chains held him down. Until a shattering force silenced every voice and broke the chains.
"You are to be exiled..." a raspy voice announced.
Solqulo rose to his feet, keeping his eyes in the infinite darkness around him. Hylo emerged behind him, appearing as the judge that announced Solqulo's punishment.
With a heavy hand, she struck him hard enough to knock him off the stage. Prompting the entire thing to disappear, leaving only Solqulo left.
Hylo grabbed the executioner's sword tight in her hands, then she slammed it down onto Solqulo's shoulder. He grabbed the wound, feeling nothing, yet a sharp sting lingered on impact.
She used another blinding light to erupt out of her hand, staggering Solqulo. This time they weren't in a dream.
"Ah..." Solqulo chuckled. He looked down at his clean hand, confirming there was no blood. "I understand your strengths. Dreams are how the mind processes things... so by hurting me in my dreams, you trick my mind into believing I am injured."
Hearing how quickly Solqulo cracked her tactic caused Hylo to become concerned. Now that he figured her out, what could Solqulo do?
A tower of fragmented dreams stood beneath the two Thawed. Solqulo noticed how interesting this arena looked, especially with the lack of floors and the oddity of walking on air.
Hylo enabled several dreams to interfere with Solqulo's advance. A Sky Beast erupted out of the ground, screeching like a nail to a metal surface.
The attack tossed Solqulo off the ground, allowing Hylo to follow up with clouds that bonded together to resemble chains. They whistled through the stiff air, wrapping around Solqulo's body.
Hylo jumped to greet Solqulo, fists closed. She first delivered a powerful knee to his spine, causing loud crunch to ring out. As a follow-up, Hylo manifested her short-sword. It pierced Solqulo's gut, reaching to the other side.
Both Thawed came crashing down onto the tower again. Whereas Hylo landed on her knees, Solqulo landed on his head.
The impact staggered the Thawed, but didn't break his combat focus. Even if he wasn't meant to fight, he knew it would be wise to learn lessons in Code of the Nemesis.
He fought to come back to his feet, where his eyes met Hylo's. Focus was evident in her near-predatory eyes. She charged at him, leaping to catch him with a kick.
But Solqulo timed his approach perfectly, allowing him to catch her mid-air and slam her down. Hylo groaned as she rolled onto her knees, where Solqulo's shin clashed against her head.
The force knocked Hylo back onto her back, letting her see Solqulo's surgical eyes looking right at her. She realized this meant trouble if she didn't do anything about it.
Hylo restricted Solqulo's movement, making him move like in a dream. The Thawed grinned, not out of joy but terror. Everything he did was slowed down dramatically.
Solqulo watched Hylo shoot up to her feet and bring an upper-cut that opened a nasty cut on his chin. Blood oozed out as he flew off the ground, only to feel his entire body fold backwards as a tree struck him.
His back cracked loudly, filling Hylo with satisfaction. She watched him struggle onto his knees, chest red with blood.
Seeing it as a perfect opportunity to execute him, Hylo marched on. She manifested her sword again, it appeared suddenly like a detail one recently remembered.
When she locked eyes with the Thawed, she realized something was off. Solqulo reached up to her chest and pulled something off her.
Energy sent a shock wave through the tower, causing everything to fall into place. No longer were the fragments vivid, they now took a shape one could understand.
Hylo regained her strength after the blast, as she rose back up her eyes noticed something was off about her. She understood how she looked like again.
Solqulo charged at her, shoving her aside. His leg swung into her stomach like a wrecking-ball into a building. She collapsed on one knee.
Rituals came together with just a thought, causing whistling steam to ooze out of Solqulo's palms. It encased his body like a sheet.
Hylo felt a crushing weight blow all air out of her lungs. Next thing she knew, she was suddenly back on her feet.
Even if she was clueless, Hylo lifted her arms to defend herself. They felt a sting after blocking Solqulo's kick, but it was an opening to fight back.
Hylo dashed right into Solqulo, shoulder raised. She pushed the Thawed back, then she felt herself changing again.
She looked down at herself, hoping to see what was different, but she couldn't tell what. Like every fragment of a dream in the tower, her true form was difficult to grasp unless one became lucid.
Solqulo felt his power draining from his body. Except for the knowledge he had, now with a better understanding of Hylo's arena, he was a force to be reckoned with.
Hylo glared at Solqulo one more time, she felt uncertain in her ability to continue fighting. Now with her element of surprise taken from her, she felt weak.
But she had to push through, she understood how important beating Solqulo was. So she drew a deep breath, then marched closer to the Thawed.
A tornado yanked at Solqulo's body, bringing his attention away from the looming threat. The winds pulled him off the ground.
Hylo's march turned into a sprint, and that sprint turned into a leap. Uncertainty became courage, and she was ready to continue.