- Today we will both die, take the sword and accept your death with dignity and not like a weakling who asks for mercy. - She said with melancholy in her voice, my reflection turning to me and pointing her blade at me.
From his words, the black fire flared up even stronger, his words echoed in my body, without understanding how I approached the sword and first took it with one hand, but it did not give in.
I saw the reflection in the eyes of charity and a grin was noticeable on the wyvern's human face, placing two hands on the handle and only then did the blade come out of the ground.
Once free, the sword began to stretch back to the ground; when I tried to grab the sword more conveniently, I noticed only a shadow and then pain in my left side.
Grimacing and screaming, I squeezed the sword harder, I had no way to check the wound; my reflection attacked again, striking the other side.
The blood from the wounds began to roll down the armor of the harbinger, I felt it thickening, I looked for my reflection, but its movement was faster than my gaze.
I was able to see only a shadow and then pain in different parts of my body, I did not feel any pain from the wounds, but gradually I felt my strength leaving.
- You won't even resist? Have you come here to die and prove that we are worthless, both princes and chosen ones? - The puzzled voice of my reflection was heard.
I wanted to answer him that I was not ready to die here yet, but the reflection did not give me the opportunity to answer, seeing the shadow again, I tried to block his blow, but the shadow walked around me and hit me on the back from top to bottom.
Because of the blow, I was pulled forward, pulling the blade forward into the ground so as not to fall and leaning into it and resting my trembling legs on the ground and clenching my hands, I pulled the sword out of the ground again. Glancing around, I noticed my reflection looking at me with pity and contempt.
- As I said, we will die here, you are weak and were not ready to accept the path of the chosen one, who were you trying to deceive? - The thoughtful voice of my reflection was heard. - Maybe you thought that no one would know that you were afraid of disappointing everyone who was dear to you and believed in you?
I had a hard time understanding what he was talking about, I had a fear of disappointing those who were dear to me and believed in me?
Looking back on my short life, I always had fears that I was not the one who should have been a prince in the first place, but out of fear of being a servant, I tried to live up to my role as a prince.
Then, after passing the test for a talent for magic and learning that I was a mortal, I already had thoughts that it was all over, but the appearance of the goddess Ges gave me the opportunity to believe that I had a chance.
But deep down I had a fear that I was not worthy of being chosen by the goddess, I already wanted to throw the sword out of my hands and let my reflection kill me.
My hands began to relax the hilt of the blade when I remembered how I promised first Cassandra and Samantha to return and then Keirin.
If I died, did Keirin and Cassandra die because I gave up now? They were connected with me, one as a servant, the other was my wife.
I had no fear of losing my life, everything was leading up to this, my reflection was too strong, but remembering the girls, I again squeezed the handle and raised the blade.
- Have you decided to try to resist? You are postponing the inevitable, but have it your way. - I heard the voice of my reflection behind me.
Trying to turn towards the voice, it seemed to me that I saw the shadow better, but there was a blow again and my leg buckled and I almost fell.
- You know that each element responds in representatives of races if they have something that the element values. - The reflection turned to me without waiting for an answer, she continued. - But what can darkness value, what quality can awaken it?
Freezing when I heard the question reflection, I began to remember each element, but I was lost in assumptions about what darkness could value.
Before the exodus of the five races, only the dark elves owned it, and after all this time I appeared and awakened it.
What could the darkness see in me besides the fact that the goddess Ges placed all her powers in me?
Remembering how I awakened it during the fight with my brother and how I did not want to give up, there was anger in me, but it was not directed at him as I thought then, but actually at myself.
- Refusal to accept the inevitable. - I answered out loud without understanding why, continuing to move my eyes in a circle, wanting to see the shadow.
It began to seem to me that strength began to appear in my body and the sword ceased to be so heavy, or perhaps that my condition helped me not to notice the weight of the sword.
The reflection moved towards me again, but now I saw where he was moving, if before he was a shadow, now I saw him like any other enemy.
Squeezing the blade with my hands tighter and moving it to the side and waiting for the reflection to be nearby, I struck the reflection in the shoulder.
The blade passed through the reflection of the clothing and felt the familiar push of the tip as it penetrated the shoulder.
My opponent tried to strike me in the side, but I managed to move my body away and the blade only went through my clothes.
I heard irritable flapping of wings, when I thought that nothing more would happen, but the wind that came from the wings extinguished the torches that stood along the edges.
I found myself in complete darkness, thanks to the vision of the dark elves I could see a figure hovering in the air and looking in my direction.
Having risen even higher in the air, the figure rushed down on me, it flew quickly and I could only block the blows, which made my hand become heavier and my breathing began to become more and more difficult.
I didn't notice how something that had previously prevented me from taking a step no longer hampered my movement; I didn't have the time or opportunity to check my wounds.
I was absorbed in the battle, gradually it began to seem to me that my fighting style began to change and more and more resemble the behavior of my opponent.
My hands were already soaked with my blood, as well as the blood of my reflection dripping from the blade, I had doubts that the reflection was tired, he was constantly changing his position, either he attacked from the air or from the ground.
The wounds on me accumulated more and more, and I realized that soon I could lose the last of my strength.
I could only hope that I would have the opportunity to strike one blow with which I would overcome the reflection and survive.
Blocking and sometimes attacking, I waited for the moment when my reflection would open up for a strike and such an opportunity presented itself when he attacked from the air, dodging his sword and striking him in the chest and feeling the blade penetrate deeper into the body, I began to relax.
And unexpectedly for me, the reflection struck me with its blade in the chest, piercing my chest and ending up on the other side of my body.
I didn't feel pain, turning my gaze from the sword to my reflection; it was hard for me to believe that I had lost after all.
My sword continued to be in the body of my reflection and it seemed to me that it was smiling when I wanted to ask him why he was smiling, the reflection began to crumble until it disappeared completely.
Still not understanding what happened and looking around, I saw how the darkness was dissipating and found myself again in the hall where avel stood, who looked at me with interest.
- You managed to survive the chick and pass all the tests. - Avel turned to me; joy was felt in his voice.