Haze stepped to the side, avoiding the spear by a hairs breadth. He raised his sword and slashed at her hand but the queen was quick, she shielded the spot with shadows.
The sword bounced off the shadows with a loud clang, there was a dent where the sword met the shadow but it was quickly replaced by more shadow.
"That's all you've got?", The queen teased and her smile grew as she stared into his eyes.
Haze rolled to the side and broke away from her, creating space for himself.
He forced an identical smile onto his face, if she was just going to trash talk, then two could play at that game.
"I'm just getting started old lady".
The queen smiled wickedly. "Shadow sword!", She shouted and the shadows in her hand reshaped to form a sword, she ran at Haze and swiped the sword at his head.
Haze blocked the blow with his sword and the force threatened to throw him back but he was prepared now, he braced himself for the impact and threw his weight against the sword.
Clanggg!
The sound of the swords meeting echoed in the chamber and Haze wondered how her shadows was able to feel and sound like metal.
The queen swiped her sword at him again and Haze hurriedly raised his sword to block it, the two swords met with a loud noise again.
Clanggg!
Haze pulled away from her, panting but the queen wasn't about to let him catch her breath, she came after him, delivering swing after swing of her sword, Haze kept blocking each one of them, he himself was surpised that he was able to keep up with the intensity, then the queen growled with a ferocity that was animal like in nature, she drew back her leg and kicked Haze with an inhuman amount of force.
The kick caught Hase directly in the stomach and he flew in the air, slamming into the wall behind him before dropping to the floor on his face.
As he lay face down on the ground, struggling to breathe, Haze began to wonder if for once since he got to this world, he hadn't bitten off more than he could chew.
****
"Hello, Elena". The princess said, the name sounded like a foul word in her mouth.
Elena stared impassively at the lady in front of her, her body ached and migraines flared in her temple but she didn't wince, she stood tall and looeked the princess in the eye.
"Hello, witch", Elena spat back venomously.
Neesha's lips curled back nastily, revealing not teeth but sharp fangs.
"I was told you two were my enemy and as a i result, I dislike the two of you", She said as she walked slowly toward Elena. "But you, I dislike you especially, i hate you with every fiber of my being".
Elena didn't let herself feel fear at the words she just heard, she didn't listen to her heart as it beat faster. "I think you're just jealous", She said and picked at her fingers with trained nonchalance.
Neesha frowned and stopped walking, she raised an eyebrow. "Jealous?", She repeated.
Elena shrugged, the picture of nonchalance. "Yes, jealous that I get to be with Haze and you don't, even though you like him".
Neesha's frown was replaced by a dark scowl. "I am not jealous, and I don't like him", She spat.
"I only pretended to do so on the orders I was given".
Elena rolled her eyes. "Oh who are you kidding?, your orders were to befriend us not fawn over him like a puppy",
She was guessing since she didn't know what the actual orders were but she assumed that the queen would not have told Neesha specifically to act like she had a crush on Haze, that was Neesha's personal choice.
Neesha blinked, at a loss for words, her reaction confirmed it for Elena who decided to prod further at the topic.
"And getting him a separate room then coming to visit later in the day, was that part of your order too?", She cooed.
Neesha snarled and Elena gave her a cold smile.
"Wanted to have a taste of him before you killed him, didn't you?"
"That's enough!", Neesha snarled,baring her fangs.
"I've killed a lot of people in my lifetime Elena, but I promise, I'll enjoy killing you a lot more than any of them"
Elena made a bored face. "Bring it on, my fire is more than a match for your shadows".
"No, no shadows", Neesha replied and an evil grin lit up her face as she reached in her clothes and brought out two short knives. Just knives.
Neesha lunged at Elena.