Chapter 23: Fire and Ice

* Song recommendation for this chapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjainiB8mk4 (2:10 or listen to the whole thing :D *

As soon as Albaric gave the signal, Lucia flew into action.

She ran towards Keitel at full speed with her blade drawn. The sound of the blades colliding, silenced through the silence of the field. Again and again, she attacked with a flurry of swipes. Keitel blocked each attack. The dust dispersed into the air as they swirled around the ground. 

Keitel knocked Lucia back with a heavy blow.

"You'll have to try better than that," He smirked.

Lucia's eyes glowed a wild green with rage. She lunged towards him. Her sword ignited with a blaze of energy. The metal was completely engulfed in searing red flames. She expected Keitel to meet her blade with his electric mana. However, as her sword came down, a cloud of mist burst out from where their sword's collided. She felt a sudden blast of cold air and jumped back. 

Where Lucia had been standing, a column of white ice had erupted from the ground. The centre of ice split in two. The top layer began to peel away. Behind it, Keitel stood with his sword still in the air. The sword was slick with ice. Lucia recalled how Keitel had used ice mana once before in the entrance exam. That time, it had just been for healing. She had never seen him use ice magic in combat. It was a notoriously difficult school of magic.

Lucia swallowed hard. She gripped her sword with both hands. Her stance adjusted. She aimed the sword above her head. As she threw down her arms, a blast of fire flew towards Keitel. A plethora of steam-exploded into the air. Keitel went flying back.

Lucia knew that wasn't enough to finish him. She pierced through the cloud of mist and hurtled towards him. Lines of dirt marked the force of the blow leading back to Keitel. As Lucia passed out of the haze and laid eyes on the figure in front of her, her sword ignited for another blow. Before she could react, the shadow disappeared. 

Lucia heard a rustle and turned quickly. She managed to catch the glint of Keitel's sword coming down. She raised her sword to defend against the blow. As the swords clashed, Lucia felt a cold sensation wrap around her leg. Lucia glanced down. Her Left leg was submerged in ice. 

Before Lucia could free herself, Keitel's arm pilfered through the mist and struck Lucia in the ribs. A ripple of electric current sent shock waves through Lucia's body. She tried to recoil but her leg was stuck. Keitel smiled.

"Did you like that? I learnt it from you," Keitel's sword came down again.

Lucia barely met it in time. She exhaled a shallow and pained breath. With her free leg, she kicked back. At the same time, she gripped her sword tightly and spun through the air. The blade cut through the ice releasing her foot and sending her back. She fell to the ground, rolling fast over the ground.

Clover shifted uncomfortably. Hovering toward the battlefield. A sword came down just in front of Clover's face.

"Don't even think about it," Victor hissed. Clover's eyes narrowed. They shun almost red in the dull morning light.

"You don't tell me what to do, boy," Clover replied in a low voice.

"It's going how it's supposed to," Victor said lowering his sword. " She never had a chance, to begin with."

"You seem certain of that," Clover remarked.

"I wasn't until they started fighting," Victor gestured to the field. 

Lucia and Keitel charged towards each other.  Lucia's sword was bright crimson with flames. One the other side, Keitel's blade looked almost blue in the layer of dust that filled the air. Lucia hit furiously, while Keitel deftly repelled each strike.

"What do you mean?" Clover questioned.

"Isn't it obvious with a temper like that? Forget experience, raw ability - they mean nothing when you can't see anything but blood. She's not trying to win. She's attacking on instinct, like a beast," Victor said mockingly.

Clover smiled.

"That's what I like about her,"  He glanced at Victor with a malevolent smile. 

Victor felt a wave of repulsion and refocused his eyes ahead.

Lucia panted to catch her breath. Keitel stood across from her. He didn't look tired. Lucia could already feel pain in her arms. She hadn't been able to recover from the body blow. Her eyes searched desperately for an opening. She couldn't see one. She staggered back and pulled her arm up. She pointed her sword towards Keitel. If she couldn't find an opening, she would make one.

Lucia thrust the sword. It perforated through the air toward Keitel. He smacked it away with his sword. He looked to wear Lucia had been but she had disappeared. Instead, a red glow appeared in all directions. A flaming sphere shot through the air. Keitel braced with his sword in both hands. A wall of ice came just in time to protect against the fireball. The fire was hotter than before, the ice began to melt. Keitel went flying back. He staggered uneasily to his feet.

  His back and side were burnt. He searched the field. His eyes flickered up as a shadow darkened his vision. He pulled his blade up to meet Lucia. She came flying down from the air with a heavy strike. Keitel's feet dug into the ground as struggled to hold back the blow. 

He pushed back but the blade struck his shoulder. Blood splattered flickered across the dry ground. He knocked Lucia back. Holding his injured shoulder, Keitel exhaled. Albaric stepped forward.

"Isn't this enough?" Albaric pleaded.

"Back off!" Keitel yelled, uncharacteristically irate. Keitel wobbled to stand. He passed a hand over the injured shoulder. A layer of ice crystalised the red blood droplets. Albaric stepped back.

Lucia felt her mana was running low. It had taken nearly everything to nearly simultaneously release the fireballs. She had skidded through the mist and blasted them one by one. She breathed hard. A Cold sweat fell over her brow. Her red hair clung messily to her face. She pulled the hair haphazardly out of her face. She broke into a run towards Keitel. 

Keitel turned swiftly to her. As their blades met, he kicked her back. Lucia tumbled roughly to the ground. She stabbed the sword into the ground and tried to pull herself up. Keitel kicked her back down. Lucia propelled backwards over the ground. Keitel exhaled jaggedly. 

"Concede!" He snarled. His voice came out raw and low. Lucia struggled up angrily. Her pale eyes looked back defiantly. She raised her sword and lunged unsteadily toward him. Keitel batted the sword away. IT flung from Lucia's hand.

Keitel lurched forward. He raised the sword to Lucia's neck. The tip of the blade sent a bead of blood down Lucia's neck. His cutting azure eyes were alive with an intensity Lucia had never seen before. Lucia's blood pumped furiously through her body.  Her lips parted. Her jaw clenched.

"No," Lucia spat. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably. "Fuck you." The corners of her mouth twisted into a grin. Blood trickled from her lips painting them red. Keitel charged towards her. His hand gripped her neck. 

Albaric rushed in between them. He seized Keitel's hand. "Your majesty!"

Keitel pushed Albaric back. He kept Lucia in his grip.

"You don't think I would?" Keitel breathed. His eyes narrowed on Lucia. 

"By all means," She wheezed with a smile. Keitel loosened his grip. Lucia let out a cough as she gasped for breath.

"You'd rather die than lose to me?" Keitel muttered. "I don't..."

Lucia pulled away from him.

"Do you really care about Ramelle that much?" Keitel asked seriously.

Lucia scoffed. "Care?" Her face twisted into an expression Keitel had never seen before. Lucia held back a sob.

"I want to watch them all burn." The ferocious darkness of her eyes sent a shiver down Keitel's spine.

He threw Lucia back to the ground. Before she could struggle back up, the back end of his hilt hit her over the back of her head. She fell to the ground and passed out. Keitel stood over. A cold sensation came over his body.  Doubt began to fill his mind.

-----------------------------------------------

After receiving a lecture from Albaric and a prolonged session with the royal healers, Keitel sank into his chair. The fire was lit. In the quiet study, only the sound of the flickering flames could be heard. The room was dark with shadows. Keitel dashed the paper's from his desk. They fell in a flurry all around him. Keitel looked soberly into the flames.

He edged silently out of the study into the dark, cold corridor. He still could feel the pain across his shoulder and side. He walked for a long time. Without intending he arrived outside Lucia's door. His knuckles hovered over the door. He couldn't bring himself to knock.

He lurched uneasily back in his room. That night he couldn't sleep. 

The day continued as usual for Keitel. Although he could attend his daily training, he spent the day in his study. In the afternoon, Albaric brought in a report from the knight's barracks. Keitel observed his manner was off. There was an awkward moment of silence as Keitel took the report.

"How is she?" Keitel said at last.

"She's not in good condition," Albaric answered with a distant tone.

"What do you mean?" Keitel gazed up quickly. Albaric met his eyes. Keitel searched his face. His expression didn't change.

"As I said. It's best you go see yourself."