"What have I done…what have you done!?" I growl, trying to fight for control but to no avail. Even when channeling my aura like last time, it doesn't cause a headache, and she doesn't seem phased by it.
"I'm sorry, darling. I'm going to stay in control a bit longer."
The colosseum walls crumble around us, and the smoke in the air glistens with golden embers, almost looking like stars in the sky. Though the crowd is barely visible, their screams are loud as they try to find an exit and avoid the flames that are spreading rapidly.
Suddenly one of Florence's arrows flies in, Helen veers my body out of its way but it still manages to graze my already wounded shoulder. Just like before, I feel no pain. But for the first time, I notice Helen does as she winces and grabs my shoulder.
For a moment she struggles to find Florence through all the smoke and debris. When she finally spots her, Florence is quickly panning her hand from left to right. Six arrows appear in front of her and double in size once fully formed. The flames also intensify, lighting up Florence's face with red and orange tones.
They launch our way, cutting the air at speed, forcing Helen to react quickly.
"Divine Enchantment: Athena's Shield!" She shouts, and a golden shield appears in front of us, blocking all arrows but one. On the far left, it comes flying in, Florence somehow curving its trajectory. It strikes me in the chest, near my left shoulder, and sends Helen to the ground.
She lets out a small cry as I'm sure the searing sensation is unbearable from an arrow this large. The armor stopped most of its impact but the very tip of the arrow is lunged into my chest.
"You need to get my body to Rose! I'm going to bleed out if this continues!"
"Ranged fights have never been my specialty..." she huffs. "Also, being so restrained in this body doesn't help either. I have to be careful when choosing when to use aura. And as for these wounds..."
She takes the tip of my right index finger and wipes my bloody shoulder with it. Once it's dripping, she takes it to the sand, drawing strange letters. Some look similar to the English alphabet...I've seen this before...is it greek?
"Yes, and please be quiet, darling. I was trying to avoid using such magic, as the sacrifice is a daunting one. It's been a while since I called as well...I'm not sure if they're willing to accept."
"Called...what? Who?" I ask.
Once my index finger is dried by the sand, she uses my middle finger and draws a strange symbol. Four overlapping ovals, with four lines stretching out where each oval intersects.
She then adds three, horizontal squiggly lines under that when suddenly Hazel soldiers rush down into the pit, about six of them, risking their lives by finding a small opening where the fire hasn't reached. Besides that spot, which the flames will eventually reach, There's nowhere left for us to exit. The white flames and golden embers have us surrounded.
"I might've gone too far," Florence says, walking over with the group of soldiers. "What's all this nonsense in the sand?" She asks in a dry tone.
"I'm going to call upon the Gods and Goddesses," Helen says plainly.
"Helen...please just get me to Rose, somehow." I plead.
"At this point, we should just kill her," one soldier says. "I think your arrow has made her delusional. I'm sure King William would understand."
"You don't hear the double voices? There's more going on here." Florence says while bending down to my face. "She's in a little pain right now, so she's quiet. Call your Gods, I want to see what happens."
"Alright, and after, hopefully, we can just talk. There's an offer I want to make you." Helen huffs.
As Florence laughs to herself, expressing anything but boredom for the first time ever probably, Helen places my hand on my chest and all of a sudden, I feel a powerful tug on my aura. I feel my body once again, and it feels as if I'm being pushed forward by a tornado while remaining still and in place.
"I call upon Gaia, please allow me to reach your children through you, and through the aura flowing in this body," Helen says, and my hand shines with white light.
She places my glowing hand on the symbol drawn in the sand when the letters written above glow white as well.
Florence and the group of soldiers take a few steps back.
"I call upon the Greek God Asclepius and the Goddess Hygeia to heal this flesh, offering half of my aura, and half of this child's aura in return," Helen says as I feel her pull harder on my energy. Both the letters and my hand suddenly stop shining with white light, and I feel a dip in my energy and aura like no other.
Both of my hands plant into the sand as Helen pants heavily. The flame arrow in my chest disappears, and Helen looks to my shoulder where the cuts and gashes are mysteriously closing up and clearing.
"Luckily there are two of us to take on the sacrifice," she huffs. "This spell, The Offering, often knocks out its caster...thank you Gaia for accepting, I'm shocked."
"Incantations, gravity manipulation, reflecting abilities, Gods and Goddesses….what the hell is magic?" I ask utterly confused yet also fascinated. Where does it begin, and where does it end?
"Breathe, darling. You're just a little overwhelmed. Everything grows, and new knowledge is always being discovered whether we were meant to or not." She's the one who needs to breathe, she's breathing so heavily I'm wondering if she'll pass out or not. I feel weaker, but nothing compared to what she's displaying.
"What the fuck was that?" A Hazel soldier blurts out.
"Was that magic?!" Another one shouts, and they all begin a shouting match, taking out chains with knives attached to the end. It's always something, they're fine with multi-seals yet draw the line at traditional magic...or whatever this just was.
"They're too stupid to realize that seals themselves are magic, they hate a thing that they use every day, use to boost their ego, their sense of self, it's pathetic," Helen says. Is it pathetic, or is it sad? Or is it just none of our business?
"Calm down!" Florence shouts. "My father wants her alive, she stays alive. She's his mess to deal with."
"Actually, darling. That's what I want to talk to you about. Should we leave the burning arena first?"
She uses my ability to blast a hole through the colosseum, creating a tunnel that leads into the streets of Ember City.
"More destruction of our landmark," Florence struggles to smile. "Well done."
This strange group heads for the tunnel. As we're all walking through, I notice that Helen is also picking up on the nasty stares we're getting from the Hazel soldiers. Any one of them could attack in this dark tunnel. The only light sources being the end and the entrance. Despite the tension being so high, and everyone so quiet, we reach the city. From the outside and glaring up at the colosseum's walls, the white flames almost look beautiful.
The city is stacked with tall skyscrapers, and beautiful designs. Somehow, looking even more clean and pristine than Uboni. We stand on the sidewalk as people watch not only the burning colosseum but us gathered outside of it.
"We have a Valentine in our city who's not being apprehended in any way, princess. This isn't a good thing," a soldier says. The pedestrians don't seem to mind, most not even walking our way, and crossing to the other side of the street to watch the fire.
"I don't give a fuck about your opinion, I didn't ask if you didn't notice." Florence nearly yawns while speaking so aggressively. "I don't even think anyone knows of this one, Brianna and Elijah are the more popular names and faces."
"I think I made the right choice," Helen smiles. "I apologize for setting your landmark on fire, darling. I'm having a little too much fun with her ability."
"An ability that possibly killed our civilians? Like I said before, if you weren't so special to my father, I would've ended your life earlier. I've killed for less, but father will have his excuses."
"About my offer..." Helen smirks.
"What are you doing, Helen?" I interject but she ignores me, instead focusing on Florence's next words.
"What type of offer could you possibly make me? The three Valentine heirs are in our control," she says.
"Unfortunately, this one is not," Helen smiles. "I doubt the others are as well, this disruption could've given them a chance to escape. But, my point, my offer…I can see the disdain for your Father behind those blue eyes. You want the throne for yourself. How long do you think it will take for you to get there? I can give it to you instantly."
The soldiers all glance at each other as Florence's face looks puzzled. "How's that?" She asks.
"I plan to destroy every monarch, including the Valentine. We could be allies…just you and I," Helen replies and I flashback to her words earlier, her first stop being Athys.
"There's no way I'm going to sit by and let that happen!" I shout.
"Aw, my darling, where did you think this was heading? It's inevitable. If I don't end it, you all will end yourselves. I'm just speeding up that process."
"You want our army of witches and warlocks then?" Florence asks. "Otherwise how would you go about executing this plan of yours."
"Precisely, and in return...William Valentine will d-"
"I've had enough!" One soldier yells, thrusting his chain knife forward and aiming at my neck. Helen simply glares at him, and before the knife reaches us, "Gravity Incantation: Reflect!" she says. The knife on the end of his chain suddenly redirects itself into the soldier's neck.
The other five look on in disbelief, before that turns into anger and they come forward as well. Swinging their chains around their bodies and in circles, all of the knives come flying in at once and Helen erupts an orange translucent barrier around us. When all of the chain knives bounce off the barrier, the soldiers activate their abilities. Fire riding down the chain from the handle to the knife.
"You Hazels…." Helen sighs looking to Florence who's just shaking her head, "using only fire seals in your army to compliment your fire-dominant family is a level of arrogance I fail to comprehend." Most of the soldier's knives bounce off the barrier but two are able to penetrate. Those two soldiers activate their seal once more, causing more fire to ride down their chain and spread to the inside of the barrier.
Helen collapses the barrier down and points to the five soldiers with my right hand, and while making a circular motion she says: "Spell Binding: Number Two."
Out of thin air, a glowing white box appears and surrounds the soldiers, enclosing them.
"They never listen to me," Florence says. "But then again, they obviously don't listen to my father either. With trying to kill you and all. What even is this?"
"Binding Spells, they are some of the most basic spells in magic. They're trap spells that are a physical manifestation of the caster's aura, and despite using aura in such a manner, it's less taxing than element seals. The numbers correspond to the style in which you want to trap. To be released, all they'd need to do is choose to be burned for two minutes straight, if not, it'll be released within an hour."
"One person or-" I butt in.
"All of them, one by one, two minutes. It's only effective against those who don't know magic, or those like your sister, who can easily walk through it using that ability to coat herself in aura. Another witch would simply call the same spell on herself to cancel it out."
"How does that even work?"
"Two auras cannot combine in the same space, normally….but both of our auras have been bonded together.
It's what makes the spell that allows me to use you as a vessel so difficult." She shifts focus back to Florence. "So, my offer?"
Florence is about to reply when I hear David yell my name somewhere in the crowd that we've attracted.
He turns around to see him suddenly burst through a sea of people. Helen points his way, and I feel a pure intent to kill. White flames erupt around David's ankles. He jumps into the air, and despite landing awkwardly, he avoids the fire.
"If you can hear me, you need to fight for control. Someway, somehow!" He shouts.
"She can hear you, darling. But guess who's going to keep responding? I'll enjoy burning you alive, one less nuisance to worry about," she says in the coldest tone before, "Oh, and how's The Coven these days?" She cheerfully smiles.
"The Coven...? I wouldn't know," he replies, and in his piercing eyes, there's a glimmer of sadness. "I haven't seen my home in sixteen years…but Alyssa, you need to fight. I will die if I try to fight her one on one, take control!"
He says it as if it's so easy! I'm still weak from the spell Helen did earlier. But then again, so is she. I channel the existing aura I have left, summoning all of the energy and allowing it to flow through my system. All of a sudden, only for a moment, I feel my arms, then my legs, and my body buckles. Helen falls on my hands and knees when another person roars my name from behind us.
Someone suddenly roars from behind us, near Florence. If I had three wishes right now, it would be, one, to have my body back, two, to be in my room in Uboni, and three, for everyone to stop screaming my name!
Helen turns back to see William, with another group of Hazel soldiers approaching Florence.
"What is this?!" He asks pointing to the box containing the soldiers, who have been screaming this entire time with no one to hear them.
Florence points to me, "I can't kill her, right? Well, she's your problem."
William sighs deeply before turning to Helen and me. "Must be another ability of yours, huh? Look at what you did to me colosseum! You're lucky you're too valuable to kill!"
"I would advise not fighting for control right now, darling. Unless you want to be his captive again. He needs to die."
Helen looks to Florence, and subtly gestures my left arm in the air, asking, "well?"
Florence looks to her Father, then back to us, and gives Helen the nod.
My body immediately takes off in their direction, almost with a new wind under me it seems, or rather Helen. It's safe to say that the fighting is her favorite part out of all of this. Then there's me…who'll have another body on my conscience. As David yells out in confusion and pleads for me to fight, Helen trots forward.
"Oh, you want to fight!?" William laughs, not understanding the situation he's in.
The soldiers try to step out in front of William but he motions them back, and takes off his royal garments as Helen approaches, running at full speed.
We get within two yards and Helen slides to a stop. She points to William's chest, and without giving her any time, he flicks up with one finger causing a wall of fire to appear in front of him. Helen goes forward with the white flames anyway, as they consume the wall until there's nothing left.
Once the wall is gone, William is suddenly holding a large axe made up of fire in his right hand. He lunges toward us, swinging it wildly and randomly. Helen, unable to predict his movements has to create small barriers where she thinks he'll strike next just to keep up. She misses one, and he's able to slice my forearm.
He stops and smiles for a moment, "that was nothing!" He yells before rushing back in with the random swings.
"Exactly, darling!" Helen says, seemingly annoyed with him."Who taught you how to fight?!" And William reacts as if he's just seen a ghost.
"Your voice...that voice..." He mutters, coming to a complete stop as the flaming axe disappears from his hands. "I hear the little Valentine child, but there's no mistaking that voice...and that word, darling..."
"You know of me then?" Helen asks.
"Do I know of you..?" He laughs, "you caused my Father to have an early death because of stress and threats from the Valentine family. You don't remember? I remember you vividly. The meetings my father had with Harris' father. Charles Valentine would bring you along and I'd be thunderstruck. They rose to power so fast because of you. You…you are the ultimate piece in anyone's collection!"
A Hazel soldier approaches with caution, sliding over to William with his hands in the air. "Your highness, what's going on? Should we just grab her?" He asks.
"No, you're all going to die if you do," William chuckles. He looks back to us, "and so, it's her….and it's been her this entire time? I see it now." He suddenly bursts out into laughter, "that means you and-"
"That means it'll be through her that I'll seek my revenge for now," Helen says. "You seem to have accepted your fate."
"There's nothing left to fight for, it's all so pointless," he says. "I don't care about power, I care about art, my collection. Which will pass to my daughter, and will become her art. The greatest thing I've ever built is not this kingdom, but my army. And if you've already decided on my death, there is no outrunning that. I thought I'd die before I ever saw you again, yet here you are."
"Your highness…." The soldier steps in once more, and gestures for the rest of the soldiers to come in.
"No," William says sternly. "It is at this moment I renounce the crown and the throne. It now falls to Florence."
"I apologize, your highness, is this a joke? I don't understand." The soldier continues.
William's flame axe returns, and he swings at the soldier's legs. "I've had enough of you all questioning every decision I make! Now you have bigger things to worry about in your life." He shouts before turning back to Helen and me. "What happens to my family? My children?"
"Why him, Helen? He doesn't even seem like the type you'd go after." I ask hoping to stop her, and once she ignores me, I try taking control once more, my body shakes for a moment before Helen re-establishes control.
"Everyone involved in the era will die, if you want a simple answer a child can understand, the old must go to make room for the new. And Florence will be the one I use to establish that new. "
"I guess I'll inform you, Florence was never interested in your little collection. Only going along with it because you're her father and king. To be honest, I want to keep her around to see where she truly wants to go with you out of the picture."
William smiles, "then I can die peacefully."
"It won't be long until more show up wherever you're headed," Helen points to his chest and my fingertip shines with white light. A beam ejects from my finger and cuts clean through William's chest. He slumps over, all the while, a smile resting on his face.
"What has he done…why?" One of the Hazel soldiers rushes in, his hands grasping his hair. "What have you done?!" He turns to us with teary eyes.