"You are here." Akotal took a step forward and wiped a stain of Adrian's blood from his cheek.
"Let her go." Kylian growled, his eyes beastly, his aura heavy with murderous intent.
"I'm afraid. You will have to stop me." Akotal grinned.
Bang!
Kylian stumped the floor, shattered the spot and lunged at Akotal in full speed.
Akotal watched him with keen slitted eyes. Immediately Kylian got to Akotal, Akotal grabbed his neck, slammed a punch to his jaws and flung him across the hall.
Bang!
Kylian crashed through the concrete barricade and slammed into the upper corridor. Heavy grunts erupted from his lips.
Akotal's eyes widened. His lips trembled and he looked down at the Black Sand circle.
Kylian had sped into the circle without knowing it's a boundary barrier but he was able to go out. Something Akotal himself can't do.
"R- remember. I made the circle with the help of my wizard friend, and I make the rules here." The weak voice of Adrian's sounded from behind.
A low growl left Akotal's lips and he looked back. His rageful eyes gazed at Adrian. But then, his lips curled. "I don't need to go out anyway. Folks will come in to me, since the prize here with me."
Christa shivered as Akotal glanced at her. Akotal took slow steps towards her. She trembled and tried to step back but she fell on her butts.
Akotal stopped before her and squatted. He grinned and looked into her eyes. "Be calm. Don't be afraid. And don't leave this circle."
Akotal has compelled Christa and now she can't leave the circle.
Adrian's lips trembled. He could only watch, weakly as this went on. At this point, he can't even lift a finger talkless of standing up or moving from where he is right now.
"What are you doing to her?!" Kylian's growl echoed across the hall.
Akotal stood up and grinned. "Don't be so paranoid. I just made some things clear to her."
Kylian frowned deeply as he stared at Akotal's cunning grin.
Akotal shrugged. "Things like she's safer in the circle and that she shouldn't leave. So you have to come in here to get her."
Kylian growled and without thinking twice, he leapt from the upper corridor he had crashed into earlier.
Bang!
He landed on the ground, breaking the spot into pieces and then lunged at Akotal.
Akotal's eyes constricted and wickedness flashed through it as he waited for the approaching Kylian. "Today, we will make things clear."
Bang!
Kylian swung his claws at Akotal as soon as he arrived before him. It was so fast that one wouldn't see it, you can only feel the breeze.
But, of course, the movement looked like when a snail move to Akotal.
Akotal grabbed Kylian's incoming claws and grabbed his upper dress. Akotal's eyes flashed as he drew Kylian to himself.
Kylian's eyes widened at this. He had no idea of what Akotal is about to do. And all he knew next was pain as a loud scream erupted from his lips.
Akotal had plunged Kylian's very claws into his chest.
"Today, we will make somethings clear. You can't fight me. You can't beat me! Nobody can defeat me amongst you all!" Akotal growled at Kylian face which was crumpled in pain.
Akotal pulled Kylian's claws from his chest. Blood oozed out of Kylian's chest. His face paled and pain tore through his veins.
But Akotal is not done. He slammed his fist into Kylian's face with all his anger, breaking his jaws and his nose in a hit. "Nobody among you!"
Akotal grabbed Kylian's right arm and pulled it, dislocating it. Kylian shrieked in agony. "Not the witch!"
Akotal grabbed his left arm and did the same thing. "Not Ava's child!"
By now. The scream had become so unbearable.
Akotal grabbed Kylian's silver hairs and with it, bend him backwards that Kylian was gazing at the roof of the hall. Kylian continued screaming in agony, his teeths bloody, his eyes watery, his nostrils dripped with mucus. Through his blurry eyes, he could see Akotal's venomous face.
"Not you!" Akotal growled at his face. With a powerful fling, Akotal sent Kylian across the room.
Bang!
Kylian slammed hard at the wall, shattering and breaking through it. Dust blew and debris flew. Kylian laid half-dead, overwhelmed with pain and agony, in the broken blocks.
"Now, back to you. What can I do to you, for piercing my chest with this." Akotal lifted the hilt of the sword as he turned to Adrian.
Adrian sucked in a bloody breath and sighed, weak and u able to do a thing other to listen. That's the only thing he can do with clarity now. Listen. His eyes are blurry, so, to see is quite a challenge. His heart was literally held in the claws of death not more than ten minutes ago and more than fifty bones in his body had been shattered, so to say he's just healing and hasn't even healed ten percent of his wounds is no exaggeration.
Akotal's eyes flashed with a thoughtful look as he looked at the hilt of the sword once again. He said, "Blade of sorrow. Can be created with a spell which very few wizards and sorcerers can handle. And only the blood of the creator can activate the runes and the blade will come forth from the hilt."
"Well. Unfortunately, you just killed the wizard." Adrian slurred.
"This is of no use anymore. I would have plunged it deep in your heart and heard you scream in severe agony until you can longer scream and your heart no longer beats." Akotal stared daggers at Adrian. He released his grip on the hilt and it dropped on the floor with a clank. "But my claws will serve as a quick death to you."
"Then, get on with it." Adrian growled, obviously succumbing to his fate.
Akotal growled and was about to take a step when a voice emanated across the hall.
"Don't!"
Akotal turned to look at the door. His eyes lightened up when he saw who it was.
He muttered. "Caius de Casal."
"Pleeaase! Don't kill him." Caius pleaded. "Take me instead."
Akotal moved away from Adrian and walked towards Caius. But the black circle brought his movement to a halt. Maybe, he had, for a second, wished he could move with freedom. A hiss left his lips.
"Please." Caius pleaded, again.
"Your offering is quite charming, but your son has done to me what no one has managed to do to me in centuries. He broke into my chest, twice." Akotal's eyes were emotionless as he muttered.
"But the pain he has caused you is no way near what I have caused you, Akotal." Caius blinked as he recalled. Even though he knew if he touched those areas, he might topple a hive. But he still tried to give it a try, if it might save his son's life. "I took Ava from you. I took away your happiness. Ava once had feelings for you. But when he knew me, her soulmate, everything turned upside down for you."
"Stop!" Akotal, already knowing where Caius is headed, growled.
But Caius knew better than to stop. If he continues, if he can nail home the point, he can shift Akotal's anger towards himself thus saving his son from destruction. "If it's not for me, Ava might have gone back to you. Your sacrifice for getting rid of the Skulls will not have been in vain. It was all me."
"Stop!!!!!" Akotal growled. His chest rose and fell. His eyes blazed with rage. He slowly lifted his index finger at Caius. "I will rip you apart, limb to limb."
Caius sighed in relief on hearing this. The pressure of the heavy murderous intent of the Primordial directed solely at him, weighed on his soul. But the relief of having his son off the danger zone of death is worth the risk.
Thankfully for him, Akotal can't get out. Or he would be facing the reaper's scythe by now.
Akotal lowered his index finger and turned to Adrian. "I will spare your son's life."
Caius sighed in relief again. It was as though a heavy load had been lifted off his chest.
"But, you will have to come into this circle."
Caius' eyes flashed with shock for a second but then he calmed. "Let him walk out first."
"He's free to walk out."
Caius' eyes lightened up. He called. "Adrian! Come out!"
But no response. Adrian was on his butts on the ground but his head was bent over.
And he's not moving.
Akotal frowned. He moved closer to Adrian.
"Stop, Akotal. Do not hurt him. Do not touch him." Caius appeared before the circle in a second as he threatened.
"Relax, Caius. I will keep my word. Your son will live. Your death will come." Akotal replied, leisurely, and squatted before Adrian.
He gazed at Adrian for a while. Caius waited outside the circle, gazing with wide anticipating eyes.
Akotal's eyes suddenly flashed with shock. He sprung to his feets. He turned to look around, down at the black circle. His eyes were keen as he scrutinized the Black Sand.
Then his eyes lightened. "Verily, verily. It's broken."
Caius, not yet understanding what Akotal was doing, edged closer to the black circle. His confusion knew no bounds. His gaze shifted between Akotal and the unmoving Adrian, desperation shone in his eyes.
However,
Akotal tilted his head and turned towards the confused Caius. "You will find out."
Before Caius knew what's going on, Akotal lunged towards him and he didn't even have a split second to move.
Bang!
Caius was sent flying across the hall. His cloak fell from his back and he slammed at the wall before landing on his feets with great effort.
"According to your son, he created the black circle, perhaps with the help of the wizard, who is now dead and now he's unconscious. So the boundary barrier is… broken." Akotal grinned as he stepped out of the black circle.
Caius' eyes trembled.
"I can now move around," Akotal said. "It's time to keep your promise. You life for your son's."
Caius shook his head with a serious look. "Well, I'm not going down without a fight.
****
Moments later,
Caius crashed several meters and his body skidded uncontrollably. He smashed his claws into the floor and it stuck into it, scrapping it and creating ten horrific marks on the ground. This brought him to a stop and he finally regained his stance again.
His face flashed with a grimace of pain as he caressed his rib cages. The two ribs that had been broken snapped noisily back into their place, making him groan. His eyes, slitted fixated on Akotal as he rose to his feets in a slow beat.
With every second that passed with Caius standing up against Akotal, the mark became hotter and the resulting pain grew.
They walked around in circles. Eyes calculating and gauging. Claws flexing and fangs bared. Their senses heightened to the highest peak possible.
Akotal grinned. His eyes, in its multicolored shade, glinted with amusement. "Tsk! Tsk!! Tsk!!! Seeing death and approaching it is in no way a sign of bravery." Akotal paused and his eyes flashed with disdain. "It's called foolishness."
Caius said no word in response. He just played along as the duo continued their circular movement. They scrutinized one another. Although one is clearly more powerful than the other, and the outcome of the fight is almost predictable, there is still tension hanging in the air.
And it's because of this, the fight is personal.
Once upon a time, Akotal lost a woman to a vampire. The woman he had sacrificed everything for. The woman for whom he had fought battles that left him with scars that he has not been able to cleanse for half a millennia, then. He was enraged. He wouldn't let it go easily.
On the other side of the story, a vampire had found his soulmate, Ava, who's surprisingly a Primordial. With her help, he discovered his true self, and was able to take care of the enemies of his coven back then in Florence. He felt blessed with a soulmate. He knew peace. But unfortunately, she is eyed by a Primordial vampire.
Caius was out of luck at that point. He never had rest. He couldn't even rest. His family was at stake. His coven, the Casal, left to him by his father, almost became extinct because of it. But thanks to his Primordial soulmate, Ava, he was able to procure help from a Tribunal Elder and he was marked for safety.
He was safe from Akotal. But soon Ava was taken away from him. And now he has to face the inevitable and end everything, now.
This fight is special.
The grudge, the ill-relationship, the battle over love makes this fight brim with tension. And there's one crucial event here. That's the fact that the conflict of centuries old now is about to come to an end.
To Akotal, this was finally his chance to rid himself of Caius and take away the living testimony of his loss in love.
But to Caius, this is the only way to save his son's life and preserve his bloodline. For that, he's willing to sacrifice himself.
"You have the mark of a Tribunal Elder, branded on your back. And I'm Tribunal. You should know what would happen to you if you fight me?"
"The mark will burn all the way to my heart and I will die."
"That sounds too sweet on your lips. Perhaps you have wanted to die all along and seeing his opportunity, you couldn't watch it pass." Akotal lifted his sharp dense claws that is still smeared with Adrian's blood and caressed it as he added. "You don't want me to be one who will end you."
"Yes. I don't want a loser like you to be my downfall."
This hit a nerve in Akotal as his eyes flashed with rage.
"Then, I will grant your wish. Only that I will make your death quick even before the mark kills you."
Graaaaa!
They lunged at each other.
**********