It took barely a second for Rowtag to recover his pride. A hint of a smile crept to his snout as he backed away, beginning a slow pace around her. “A fight with a Kinetiwylf,” he mused. “That will be a first.”
His two companions exchanged a glance, faint excitement glittering in their eyes.
A spark of magic zapped through Flisety like lightning, threatening to burst out at any moment. She pushed it down, though it continued to simmer just below the surface, poised to strike.
Rowtag’s fangs appeared in a flash of bright white. His fire streaked down his sides for a second time, now burning with a purpose. He halted, eyes flashing with a mocking determination as he rocked back on his paws. No warning was spoken, but Flisety sensed his readiness to attack.
She tensed just in time. His leap was so fast that she barely managed to roll aside. Heat washed over her, mingly with the dark warmth pulsing within her. He was up again in a moment, but so was she.
Claws slashed dangerously close to her chest. His flames filled her vision as they reared higher, but she had a fire of her own, waiting for release.
With a snarl, she struck back, jabbing at his snout. A curl of red added to the orange of his fur. Roaring with a pain far greater than reality, Rowtag stumbled aside, momentarily knocked off balance. Flisety’s snout twitched. He wasn’t used to being injured.
Yet his strength hadn’t diminished, and while she enjoyed her brief amusement, he was recovering fast. He swooped in for another attack. This time, her dodge merged with her returning strike. Though her claws sliced only air, magic tingled within them, hissing as it rose closer to the surface with every swipe.
As they weaved battle’s dance, shadows dove in, sweeping her mind. She saw violet eyes, bright in their gleam, the darkest black they brought slipping into her vision as faint tendrils.
And through all of that, in the clinging darkness, she heard Fixel’s voice. Its sound was unclear. His pink fur surfaced in disconnected flickers before being swallowed by shadows once more. But he was there, so close by, desperate for her help.
Flisety dived forward, her claws slicing through fur. She wouldn’t fail him, not this time.
I will avenge you, Fixel.
While her claws let loose their sting, her magic slipped sideways, unnoticed by her opponent. In her mind’s grip, she clutched for something small, something precise, something deadly. Her magic curled around a fallen branch, then raked along it, peeling away a slice of wood. Soon, she would hold a weapon. A dart.
This time, her aim would be true.
A dark energy rippled, sending out the magic in focused waves. Another sliver ripped away from the branch. Deep in Flisety’s tightened chest, she felt a hardened tug as the soft wood compacted, solidifying into a deadly point.
But her split concentration could only hold out so long. Claws raked her snout, the fierce sting of pain shattering her hold on the dart. While she fought to regain it, another strike landed, pushing heavily into her flank. She staggered sideways.
Juddering shock shot through her veins. She gasped, feeling solid ground meet her side, yet there was only darkness. Fixel’s voice cried again, more distant, more broken.
She slashed blindly with her claws, but the impact had snapped all precision away. Her magic was chased from her grip. The violet stare faded, its shadows paling, and Flisety found herself staring up at Rowtag’s fiery eyes.
Not violet. Amber. Like glowing flames.
In that instant, her energy vanished. The hissing fury was gone. All Flisety could do was lay there, helpless, beaten.
She thought of the half-formed dart. Once again, she had failed.
“Let that be a lesson, aest-nef.” Rowtag’s words were faint, but with each chuckle, they grew more real. “Do not test me.” His fangs pulled back into a satisfied smile as she squirmed feebly, her heart still racing faster than her body could handle. “Will that be enough to earn your respect?”
Flisety managed one last snarl. She hated how unstable her strength had become, her fury no longer burning with the same precision.
Her gaze flicked sideways, to a nearby tree, to the peeled wood waiting to piece a wolf heart. Biting down on her snarl, she stopped struggling. No, this wasn’t the unstable part. What she’d just attempted had been crazy, a mindless lashing out of power that wasn’t necessary. She’d lost control. She’d let the futile hope in her claws take over.
Swallowing hard, she gave a small nod. “Yes. For now,” she couldn’t help but add, a lingering trace of darkness still scratching at her throat.
With a final, grating laugh, he released her. She jerked to her paws. The world tilted, thrown out of focus along with her tangled thoughts. Gulping a breath, she trained her gaze on Rowtag. Despite the superiority in his stance, there was a flicker of wariness that kept his amber eyes bright and alert.
Her claws dug into the path, sliding between the cobbles. Though he wouldn’t show it, her actions had scared him. As every swipe she’d attempted came back in dizzying waves, she realised his fear was reasonable.
She had become something beast-like, bent on destruction. She had mirrored everything she saw in those haunting violet eyes.
And a part of her, a roaring desire deep within her mind’s darkest corners, wanted to continue.
Rowtag shook out his fur, the last smouldering flames retreating. When she didn’t move, his smirk regained its strength. “I better not see you around here again,” he warned. “Next time, I might not let you off so easy.” His companions moved to flank him, uncertainty and glee mixing in their slow step.
I will go where I please. That growling voice again, alight with surety, fuelled by the will to wipe that hateful smile from his snout. You earned my respect, not my obedience.
She pressed her fangs together. “Yes, ofici Rowtag.” She was never returning to this ring again, not while it gave rise to this dark part of her.
“I hope I’ve taught you something about Lunerda today. This is farewell, aest-nef. ”
His eyes flashed, a sign of the deeper challenge hidden beneath his words. It lingered even as he walked away, he and his friends muttering amongst themselves, barks of laughter slowly fading as they vanished beyond the Tower. The diamond on his necklace glinted even in the distance, a faraway star swinging from the neck of a leader.
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