Chapter 50: The Bishop's Gambit
Kaelina stood her ground, her voice steady despite the storm raging in her mind. "No, Illarion. I will not join you."
Illarion's smirk faltered, replaced by a fleeting flicker of disappointment. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. "Don't say I didn't give you a chance."
He exhaled slowly, reaching for the ties of his top robe. "Well, I think I too will have to follow protocols." His movements were deliberate, a predator shedding its guise. "You know, I had considered keeping you alive, Kaelina. But…" He let the robe drop to the ground, revealing a lean but scarred frame, a warrior's body that carried the weight of countless battles. "It seems to me that leaving you breathing is no longer in my best interest."
Eryndor tightened his grip on his blade, but his gaze darted briefly to Kaelina, waiting for her command.
Illarion's voice remained calm, even as he flexed his fingers, an ominous energy beginning to pulse around him. "Where I come from, I wasn't meant to be your friend. I was assigned here, chosen specifically to manipulate the Vanguard into doing the Corruptor's bidding. And I've done my job marvelously. The Honored One will no doubt reward me handsomely—with a battalion of troops under my command and my rank elevated beyond measure."
Eryndor's patience snapped, his blade slicing through the air as he lunged. "You talk too much!"
Illarion sidestepped with almost lazy precision, his smirk returning. "Impetuous as ever, Eryndor." He turned his gaze back to Kaelina, his tone sharp. "Do you know why you, of all people, must be erased?"
Eryndor growled, ready to strike again, but Kaelina raised her hand. "Let him speak," she ordered, her voice calm but firm.
Illarion inclined his head mockingly. "Still so composed, Kaelina. Very well." He took a step closer, his movements deliberate. "In this grand game of ours, you are the Trojan horse. Let me simplify it for you." He gestured with his hand, as if illustrating a chessboard. "You are the knight. Unpredictable, maneuvering in ways neither side can fully anticipate. But if you were on our side…"
Kaelina cut in, her voice edged with defiance. "You'd win."
Illarion chuckled darkly. "Precisely. Your strength, your cunning—it's wasted among the Vanguard. They do not understand what you truly are."
Her eyes narrowed. "If I'm the knight, then what does that make you?"
Illarion's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "The bishop."
The chamber seemed to crackle with tension as the words hung in the air.
"Then let's see if the bishop can survive the knight and her blade," Kaelina said, drawing her sword with a fluid motion.
Illarion's laugh echoed through the chamber, the sound both mocking and eager. "I'd expect nothing less."
And with that, the fight erupted, their blades meeting in a clash that reverberated through the suffocating chamber.