Drogov stood strong, his sword in hand as he looked up at the newly formed clouds and the lightning that cut between them. Droplets as big as grapes beat against his leather overcoat, and the space was filled with the incessant pitter patter of water hitting everything.
"This accursed rain." Vancu muttered under his breath as he looked up, almost as if he could see through the platform above him.
The Duke's guards did the same. Everyone seemed to forget what they had been doing for a moment as they stared into the sky. This was exactly what Drogov needed, and he moved while they were all distracted.
Schlunk!
His sword sliced through the wrist of the guard closest to Annora. Then, in a follow up, his free hand flicked outwards as two streaks of silver flew out and pain radiated from his shoulder. Two guards dead.
He continued on this momentum, twisting his torso as the sword returned to the guard who now had a stump for hand, leaving him headless.
The remaining guards finally took notice, and Drogov kicked the headless corpse and sent it flying into the two that charged at him as a result. It hit them squarely, and they fell backwards. Before they could even recover, Drogov stood over them and his sword arced downwards, slashing through both of their throats.
The last guard, stricken with panic, rushed behind Annora, but before he could grab her a streak of silver snuffed him out and he fell to the ground with a thud.
Annora fell to her knees, her breath ragged, but the glow in the stone started to dim.
Drogov didn't get the opportunity to check up on her, he immediately ducked, a spear of earth passing over his head. He pivoted on his heels, turning to face Vancu, then pushed off.
A wall of stone rose between him and his target, but Drogov still leapt forward, as if it wasn't there. A purple glow flared under his hood and his figure became a silhouette, leaving a trail of darkness as he passed through the barrier. As he did, he was greeted by empty space. Where was Vancu?
Bam!
On his left.
A fist as hard as stone met his jaw and sent him flying. He hit the ground hard, and tumble for a bit before digging his sword into the courtyard to counter the force. Then looked up.
Whoosh!
Dingding
His head dipped to the right as he dodged the first projectile, then using his sword, he parried the two that followed and dashed forward.
He was fast. Faster than Vancu expected, but still not fast enough to hit him. At least not entirely.
Vancu stepped back and looked down at his torn robe as a wall of earth rose between him and his opponent.
"Tch." He scoffed, then pushed out his hand as the wall of earth barreled forward. However, Drogov wasn't behind it anymore, he was behind Vancu.
The sword came down, but Vancu sidestepped and retaliated with a fist to the stomach. Under this shelter, he was king.
Drogov knew this, but Vancu had trapped him for now. His options where limited.
A knife flew out from his cloak, but Vancu slapped it away with a backhand. Drogov clenched his jaw, but didn't stop, and threw out another knife. Vancu slapped it away again.
"You've fought valiantly, but you will not win this." Vancu frowned. "Give up."
Drogov reached into his cloak again and Vancu sighed, raising a wall of stone.
Unbeknownst to Vancu, what was thrown was not a dagger, but a red gemstone with a flickering glow. It arced in the air, and hit the wall with a light thunk.
Boom!
The ground shook, the structure collapsed, and the space was consumed by fire.
Immediately after, the rain poured into the opening, creating a cloud of smoke as the fire doused the flames.
"Hrrk-khak-khak." Vancu coughed as the smoke began to clear. His robe was in tatters, leaving half his torso exposed and the shelter was gone. Water was hitting everything, and he scanned his surroundings with wild eyes as a spear mad of stone rose from the earth.
He took it, first with one hand then with two as he turned and turned, then Drogov appeared. He was like a ghost, materializing out of the smoke as the blade came down.
Ding!
It struck the spear, blocked, and Vancu pushed him away.
"I will not forsake my people!" He yelled. "You fight for one. I fight for many!"
He lunged forward as he struck out.
Drogov tried to parry, but found himself forced back. It felt more like a hammer had struck than a spear, and his feet slid backwards on the pavement.
Suddenly, the momentum changed as the ground beneath his feet carried him into the air, and Vancu appeared up above his spear falling like an axe.
Boom!
The ground beneath his feet shattered, and he was buried in it. He had blocked, but it wasn't enough, and Vancu stood above him, his spear pointed downwards as he made to finish the fight. He stabbed, but felt no resistance as a purple glow emanated from Drogov's crown and he phased through the spear, then Vancu, leaving behind a trail of darkness.
Vancu felt the sudden urge to vomit, and Drogov materialized behind him with a sudden spin and thrust. Then there was red.
Vancu looked down, eyes wide at the sword that pierced through his chest from behind. The spear fell from his hand, and fell like the stone it was as he was sent to his knees. He touched the wound, then brought his hand in front of him as he watched the rain wash away the blood. Eventually it was clean, and water pooled in his palm. He watched it.
"To think this is what I died for." He chuckled as he let the water fall.
His gaze shifted to Annora, and the gem that glowed in her chest. "If we had someone like her, maybe then even shedding tears wouldn't be too much." He mused, his eyes turning to the sky as his vision darkened. "This accursed rain." He muttered, watching it fall in abundance, and then he was gone.
Shing!
Drogov pulled out his sword, sheathing it as he huffed and panted. That was close! He thought, then limped over to Annora, helping her to her feet. Suddenly, she clung to him.
As he felt the sudden weight, his eyes widened, and he looked down at her in surprise. The girl was quivering, and gripped his cloak so tight her knuckles turned pale. She was still shaken up about nearly being brought back.
He reached out his hand, then hesitated but eventually followed through, resting it on her head.
"It's ok." He assured her. "We're leaving now."
"Seki." With that, they entered the void, sinking into the ground through their shadow.
The screech of the creatures echoed through the space, aware that something 'not of their nature' was present. Drogov paid them no mind, focused on the shards of reality that floated around them. He saw the one he needed, and reached out to it.
The void shook, and a flash of light came from the shard as space shifted. They were in the rich district now, low to the ground because Drogov could no longer handle the rooftops. He was sure that Annora wouldn't have been able to either.
They made to move, but before that, Drogov removed his cloak, placing it over Annora and bringing up the hood so she couldn't be recognized. They had only made it halfway through the rich district when a voice drifted over from a nearby ally.
"Well, you've done it." Aamon stepped out of the shadows. He held a green gem that flared and pulsated as he appeared. "But I have to admit, this… wasn't what I was expecting."
"Aamon?" Drogov frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"Me?" Aamon put away the gem. "I'm here for the stone, but I'm surprised to see you brought the girl with you. Why is that? Have you suddenly grown a heart after all these years?"
Drogov's eyes sharpened. "Did you think I would fail?" He asked.
"Fail?" Aamon cocked his head back, almost as if amused by the thought. "No, no. I knew you wouldn't fail, not with your retirement on the line… Now, this girl, why did you bring her?"
Drogov remained silent, and Aamon's eye narrowed. He inched closer, then noticed the blue glow emanating outwards from within the cloak, glimpsing the gem and the puckered skin around it as his eye lit up.
Ding!
Suddenly there were sparks. Drogov had attacked, but Aamon had blocked with his mechanical arm.
"You know Drogov," Aamon started, looking him in the eye, "I was actually here to speak to you about your retirement." He pushed, and Drogov flew backwards.
"You may not be familiar with the policy," He continued as straightened his arm and pointed his hand towards Drogo with his palm opened. A hole appeared in its center with a floating red stone suspended within. "We actually don't allow it, but since you brought a replacement, we may make an exception." He laughed, and the glow within the stone began to intensify.
"Fuck." Drogov cursed.