I had to finish this for his sake so I focused harder. I got an idea and started deflecting the arrows toward Theodius. He made the arrows disappear before they hit him but he became annoyed with how many there were. "Hey, will you stop that? I can't turn these back around to you if you're sending so many." I continued despite the throbbing pain in my shoulder. "Thanks for the tip."
Theodius sighed. "Dang it." He then stopped the bow from shooting at me as well as the harp from playing with annoyance. My arm collapsed in response to all the chaos stopping, and all of the plants retracted back into the ground. The floor repaired itself and all that was left was my blood. Theodius crossed his arms. "Unbelievable. No matter what I throw at you, you always come out standing with minimal damage. I could stand here all day using the harp and arrows on you and you'd still come out on your feet. And I have a feeling that if I used the spell book against you, it would be more of the same. So, let's change things up."
I stepped back and looked down at Razerous. I was relieved to see that he was still breathing. "Razerous, you better not die on me." I was surprised to hear a response from him. "I-I'm not your concern here. S-Save your rose..." I realized he was right and turned to see Theodius take the dagger of extraction from the air above him and pull it from its sheath.
"Let's see how your sword-fighting skills carry you through a deathmatch with me!" He started walking towards me with a smirk and I held my sword at the ready. I glanced over to May again to see her attention elsewhere. She was trying to cut through her chains using the water she created with the pearl Raymond gave her. I knew her attempt was futile since Theodius's power was too strong and I could see that she was realizing it as well, yet she continued to try.
I needed to win against Theodius or else she would become his plaything for the rest of her life. I was determined but I could feel that I was at my limit. I used all my energy deflecting the arrows and now I didn't know how much I had left. I had already made it obvious to him that I wasn't at my best and his confidence rose as he approached me.
He then quickly swung the dagger at me and I blocked it with my sword. He swung again and the clash of each metal striking together surrounded us as we fought. Despite being drained, I was in my element and it didn't take long for Theodius to realize this. Even though the dagger of extraction could kill me with a single touch I didn't let it concern me. I fought mercilessly and the longer we did I was surprised with how skilled Theodius was as well.
He was matching my abilities with no sign of weakness, but his confidence became an annoyance the longer I stayed on my feet. "Ugh. You really don't know when to quit. Can you just die, already?!" I blocked his dagger again and pushed it away. "Have you learned nothing while watching me on that wild goose chase you called a quest? I will never give up no matter my chances! I will fight until the end because you'll never truly lose until you give up! And I hate to lose!"
Theodius chuckled and dodged my sword as he raised his free hand. "So do I. That's why I cheat!" He tried to strike me again and I blocked it out of response, but while I was distracted he possessed the bow to shoot more arrows at me. It happened too fast to react, and four arrows suddenly went through both my arms and pinned me to the stone wall. "AHH!!" I dropped my sword and pain rocketed throughout my nerves from being impaled four times at once.
I tried to struggle but it was too painful to move without screaming and rivers of blood fell down my arms and to the floor. Theodius laughed as he stood in front of me and held the dagger's edge an inch away from my chest. "Looks like you're going to lose, regardless." Suddenly, a slash of water cut through Theodius's glove causing him to drop the dagger.
His wound healed instantly and he turned to realize that May had another pearl. She was crying again as she shouted at Theodius. "Please, don't kill him!" Theodius flicked his finger, making the pearl pull out of her hand and fly out of reach from her. "No!" He then opened his palm over the dagger and it levitated back into his grip. "Trying to save the man who destroyed you, are you?"
May closed her eyes tightly as she answered. "I-I just don't want anyone to die! Why are you here, Dedrin?! Why are you putting yourself through this?!" The pain I felt in my arms started to mess with my breathing but I managed to respond. "Because... I love you." May opened her eyes with shock. "B-But, you rejected me." I nodded, slowly. "Yes, because I know you deserve so much better than me. But, when I lost you I realized how much I can't live without you. I wanted to tell you how much you really mean to me and that I would do whatever it takes to become someone deserving of you."
May stared in surprise. "What about your quest for power?" I looked into her eyes with meaning in my own. "You are my power." May gasped and I continued. "You give me all the strength I could ever ask for. You make me want to do things I've never wanted to before like falling in love, getting married, starting a family, and all that corny shit. I love you so much and I am so sorry for letting you down countless times... I just want you to know that you are the light to my dark heart."
More tears fell down May's face as she looked at me with longing, and Theodius rested his free hand on his hip. "Well, that's one way to kill sixty seconds. Oh well, I guess some last words were in order." He then moved his hand from his hip to my shoulder and leaned closer as he held the dagger over me.
May screamed and struggled, yelling for him to stop from across the room as I looked into his cold, laughing eyes. "Your family has been nothing but a pain in my side for centuries. After I mutilate you and rape your woman I'm going to kill the rest of the royal family for the hell of it! But first, I want to stare into your soul and see the life drain from your body as the dagger absorbs your life. Don't worry, I'll make sure it's painful. Hahaha." I couldn't move as he swung the dagger and stabbed me deep in the stomach. "AHHH!!" Light surrounded the wound and coughed up blood as I felt myself lose control of my body. My vision started to fade and helplessness filled my last moments. 'I can't die now... I'm finally fighting for something important... I will not lose, no... Matter... What...'
*
Meanwhile:
April stood next to Isaac while holding the piece of the stone Dedrin had brought back for them. She looked down at it with both sadness and confusion. "I can't believe he did it. But, what I find more unbelievable is how he left it like it wasn't the one thing he's been after since he learned about the stones. Do you think he'll come back?"