Godspell

The pressure rose to a near suffocating level as we got nearer to the Scythe. This is going to be very difficult, if not downright impossible.

"Remember, if things get too bad, retreat." I repeated my order as we waded through the rocky barren land.

"Yeah, we got that." Owen replied, Brandon nodding behind him.

As we neared the dwarven city of Carn, the pressure began decreasing.

'He's sensed us.' Zeke deduced.

'Figured.'

I opened my mouth to inform the other two, but before I could speak another voice cut in.

"There you are." The voice was undoubtedly feminine.

We screeched to a halt, whipping our heads left and right, wildly searching for the source of the voice.

From behind a rock a slender figure walked into view, dark purple strands of hair fell down to her back like a waterfall. She had a healthy complexion, surprising considering every other retainer or scythe had alabaster skin.

"Ascender," she spoke, amusement tinged in her voice as if she was making a joke, "I have given you time enough to think on my proposal."

Owen and Brandon looked at her in confusion, not understanding a lick of what she was saying.

Me, though, I understood the gravity of the situation and who exactly I was talking to.

"Agrona." I whispered out, "What's with you and possessing people?"

[He might have a possession fetish, but hey we don't kink shame here.]

'…'

[What?]

I ignored his inappropriate comment and kept staring impassively at the scythe, "To answer your question, yes I've had more than enough time to consider the offer."

"And your answer?" she or rather he, asked confidently as if already certain I would agree.

I glanced back at Owen and Brandon, who were looking at me with confusion etched on their faces.

I entered my integrate phase, making a conscious effort to not create a field of nacht, and raised my arm. Walls of pure nacht rose up around me and Agrona, isolating us from the other two. With a flick of my fingers, I commanded the wind around us to swirl in a massive tornado, drowning any sound we may make.

"I have a counter proposal for you, Agrona." I finally spoke, raising a pair of pitch-black chairs for us to sit on.

'Father?'

'...'

'You're scaring me…'

[You're not seriously going to accept his proposal are you?]

"Let's hear it then." Agrona said, sitting down on the chair.

After we were both settled I began, "Make me your spy in Dicathen. I'll give you any information you need, and in exchange keep your soldiers away from my family."

Agrona sat silently for a few seconds, his lips pressed into a thin line as he pondered on my suggestion.

"If you wanted to deny my offer you could just say so." he finally said, standing up.

Damn, he saw right through me.

"What gave it away?" I sighed in acceptance, he's not easy to fool after all.

"Your deception skills are pathetically low." he spat, walking away, "Consider the offer, annulled."

With a sigh, I deactivated Canine Divinity, letting the walls drop.

"Fayden!" Owen almost immediately rushed in.

"What was that about?" Brandon asked, "And why is she leaving without a fight?"

"That was Agrona coming to see if I changed my mind." I answered as I began walking away.

"Doesn't make sense why he left without a fight though." Owen said, walking beside me.

"Don't jinx it." I warned, glancing at Brandon who joined us.

"My bad, I'll be sure to cross my fingers next time." he retorted cheerfully.

I rolled my eyes, "I'll be sure to cut off your fingers before that happens then."

He shuddered, "Hey man, don't joke about that."

I withheld a smirk, "Who said I was joking?"

"N-Not funny, Fayden!" he visibly paled, "Not funny."

__________________________

Once back, I made a beeline to Virion's office, explaining to him what happened.

He took a few moments to ponder on it, "And this Scythe just left after that?"

I nodded, "I assume my 'incident' caught his attention and he sent the scythe to investigate, possessing her once I approached."

"I suppose something like that would catch the eye of a deity." he muttered, "Are you sure we don't need to send the Lances to investigate?"

"... In hindsight, you should send one of them to investigate if she's still here." I agreed.

Virion nodded, "I'll make sure Aya checks the area out."

"You can send me to areas that need some manpower too, you know." I suggested as I got up.

He nodded solemnly, "I know, you're not needed anywhere yet."

"That's a good thing then."

He only hm-ed in affirmation.

________________________

The next few weeks passed by in peace, no other Scythe or Retainer showed up after that. It was almost too good to be true. I regularly had sparring sessions with my team, whoever was available at that time. There were instances when I even went down to train with Arthur, and fortunately, the elders had no issue with that.

I advanced mainly in my wind and earth magic, using them a lot more than I used fire or water. Arthur, though, unlocked sound and was near unlocking gravity as well.

I guess that's what I get for relying on my beast will more than my actual mana arts. At least my earth manipulation is actually usable now, and I think I will be acquiring sound pretty soon.

There were times I spent with Kathyln or Ellie, times when I truly relaxed, but those times never lasted long.

This time when I descended to the training room I sensed two new mana signatures, strong ones. Lances.

"I see the young General was holding back on us." I heard Buhnd grumble as I entered the room.

"Arthur has a tendency to hold back with anyone he even suspects is weaker than him. Against Varay, he can go at full strength," Virion justified Arthur's actions, his arms crossed.

"Why isn't he using that form of his? Realmheart, I think he called it," Hester asked, looking exhausted.

"I think it's so he can enjoy the fight longer," Ellie who was sitting atop Boo answered "It's not everyday you see my brother look so happy."

"That and the fact that him being the masochist he is, likes the pain." I announced my presence, trotting forward.

"You look unsurprised, have you been holding back too?" Leofric spoke, looking miffed.

I shrugged, "Right now him and the Lances are the only ones on my level."

"Are you sure you can back that up?" Buhnd challenged.

I deadpanned at him, "I'm a white core mage with a beast will stronger than his Realmheart."

He visibly deflated, "Fair…"

A loud crash drew our attention back to the battle, the ground which once composed of dirt was now a snowy expanse, and Lance Varay who had just blocked one of Arthur's attacks manipulated that snow. And a vortex of snow rose from the ground, coagulating into the form of a massive serpent.

"Well, I'll be damned, a dragon made completely out of ice. No wonder she's considered the strongest Lance." I whistled in appreciation, half a dozen nods following my statement.

The massive dragon opened his maws as if roaring at Arthur, who readied himself. Brilliant cobalt flames shrouded his body, melting the ice in a circle around him.

"Smart move, giving up on playing to her strengths," Hester praised.

Arthur crouched lower, digging his legs into the ground before unleashing his blazing spell. The blue fire which had been spiraling around his arms up until now concentrated on a single point. The flame didn't burst out, it didn't cover the entire dragon, yet when it came in contact with it, the ice dragon was vaporized in an instant as blistering hot steam rose up and spread around and outward. Yet with my enhanced visual prowess, I could see the small flame still shooting forward.

"Careful." Elder Camus warned as he conjured a sphere of wind around us, just in time as the steam cracked the very earth with its heat.

No one uttered a word, even Bairon gaped at Arthur's use of fire magic.

"That was impressive… to say the very least." Alanis complimented.

"How hot was that fire?" Leofric breathed out in shock.

"At least a few thousand degrees." Bairon acknowledged.

As the cloud of steam and mist fell, we could see the aftermath of the collision. Lance Varay was levitating in the air, a dozen fist-sized ice spheres circling behind her. On the other side, Arthur gently floated down using wind magic to stay afloat.

Varay wasted no time, firing the spheres of ice at him, albeit not directly. Sensing the danger they posed, Arthur covered himself in a vortex of blue fire, applying wind to further enhance it.

"He's utilizing both fire and wind to amplify the power of his spell," Hester remarked.

Just as the spheres of ice were about to explode, Arthur's fiery vortex exploded outwards, engulfing and melting the spheres, before swirling back towards Arthur.

Okay, what?

The blue flames converged over Arthur's massive lance of lightning, coating it in a blue sheen.

"Not bad." Bairon commented, gazing at the spear.

"It would've been good if he could manipulate metal for the base of his attack," Elder Buhnd muttered.

"Not all of us have access to racial magic." I muttered back.

Buhnd only grunted in reply.

As he descended to the ground, he hurled his spear towards her. A gust of wind swirling around him, and the spear.

A 'boom' resounded around the room as the spear pierced through the sound barrier, rapidly accelerating from the wind.

Camus nodded in appreciation, "Using wind as a supportive spell."

The Lance, obviously wary of Arthur's attack, conjured up multiple barriers. Unfortunately for her though, the blue fire coating Arthur's spell melted through each and every layer like a hot knife through butter.

The spear exploded in an amalgamation of fire and thunder as it made contact with Lance Varay's body, engulfing her in the two elements, as Arthur landed to the ground, panting heavily.

"So she used that form," General Bairon said, eyes wide and tone appreciative.

What's he talking about? I tried to make out what 'form' he was talking about.

"I suggest you take it up a step as well, General Arthur," Lance Varay said, her form now visible.

Lance Varay was completely covered in ice, from foot to toe. As if carved from a single block of the stuff.

How does she even move in that form? Shouldn't the ice restrict most movements?

In the end, I summed it up to some weird magical phenomenon and let it go.

"That's quite the application of ice magic, I wonder if…" Leofric began mumbling to himself.

Arthur responded in kind, "I suppose it is time to bring this to a close."

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in, and the very space around him bent as he entered Realmheart.

I smirked, show them what you're capable of, Arthur.

Arthur muttered something under his breath, and a surge of black lightning enveloped his body.

"Oh… oh my," Emily muttered. "G-General Bairon. Would you mind charging more of your mana into the artifact?"

"Good idea," Hester agreed. "We'll help out as well. Buhnd, you should make a bunker around us."

The earth beneath us sank a few feet, and the others stood up so that it didn't obstruct their view.

I entered my acquire phase, waving my arm in front of me as the barrier took on a dark tint. With that done, I deactivated the key.

"So. Do you think you can beat Arthur in a fight?" Virion said casually, as Bairon charged the artifact, completely focused on the duel.

A series of pops caught my attention.

"What's happening?" Ellie asked.

I narrowed my eyes, focusing on the origin of the pop sounds, before stumbling backward, "He's… he's actually cancelling her spells before they manifest."

"How is that possible?" Hester asked.

"It has something to do with that form," Virion replied, his sharp eyes wide in amazement.

Arthur's form blurred and disappeared, only to reappear behind Lance Varay, his leg high in the air. He struck, and a shockwave of mana and electricity ripped out, but was immediately met with a blast of icy frost. Lance Varay responded by swinging her arm. Arthur parried with a hand, but the ground beneath them shattered from the force.

By now they had entered melee combat, with both of them using twin crystalline swords, albeit Arthur's one was thinner.

Every time the blades met, a part of them chipped off from Arthur's ones, Lance Varay's swords had yet to show any signs of breaking.

Despite that, Arthur had the upper hand. He was simply more proficient in melee combat. A lifetime of duels does that to you.

[The hell is he smiling for?]

He enjoys fighting almost as much as me, it makes sense he's happy.

"Oy, Camus. Want to bet? I think the young general is going to win this one," Buhnd suddenly spoke up.

"It's hard to gauge who has the upper hand," Camus replied, "General Arthur's speed and reflexes are several steps above General Varay's, but General Varay's defense seems to allow for more error."

"I agree," Hester added. "Most of General Arthur's strikes can't penetrate that ice-clad form of hers, and she seems to have the flexibility of manipulating that armor into whatever shape or weapon she wants."

As if on cue, a thunderous crack split the air, and General Varay adopted a look of pure shock as the image of Arthur in front of her dissipated, and the real Arthur appeared behind her, holding Dawn's Ballad.

Upon closer inspection, Dawn's ballad had a slight purple tint to it.

Ah, aether. That's how he bypassed her defense.

And as the others looked on with gaping mouths, I quipped slyly, "I bet on Arthur."

A/N : Check out my new tbate fic. Reeeeeeeee