Caesar shot off a wind spell as Marable rushed at her friend, Lana. Jade and I focused on our enemies, Vert and Claudia. Vert took to the air with his own dark spell, aiming it at Jade.
The knight kicked off the floor, leaping into the air in an attempt to cut him down a second time. Claudia turned to the Radiant, but I made sure she had to focus on me as I appeared in front of her, colliding with hers.
Finally, we crashed, and I could feel her darkness coming from her blade. My goal was to subdue her and find the answers about my mentor and father, Maxwell.
"Let's have fun elsewhere."
She teased, vanishing before me. I watched her dance into the endless hole, so I followed her, deeper into the labyrinth.
As I chased her in the shadows, Claudia brought her blade to the side and shot a wave of darkness my way. It rumbled in the cave as the dark energy speared my way.
Claudia was tossing waves of dark energy my way, using the second shadow craft I knew well. I cut through, shadow-walking right to her. We clashed when I eventually caught her, and the world around us darkened.
With each push of our blades, we danced around the waterfalls in the dark.
"Who are you?!"
I demanded as I pulled out my first craft. We connected, causing the darkness around us to explode in pressure.
"A student of Maxwell. I was taught the craft for years. I've honed these skills my entire life, and then you show up."
The cavern was our warzone as the darkness only amplified our abilities. Rocks and structures began to shatter as our spells ramped up, doing our best to subdue one another.
I brought back my blade and channeled the darkness around me within. Claudia did the same and struck forward, clashing with me.
"Maxwell guided me when I was lost, he was my mentor. Because of him, I have a purpose."
She murmured.
As she brought her blade back. Her darkness pulsed as her sword went completely black. The world around us went pitch black as she attempted to slice my head off.
I ducked and brought my blade around to the side. She lifted her hand and pushed my edge away using the tenth form.
"But then Maxwell vanished, and I was left with his teachings. Where did he go?! Why do you know his crafts?!"
She yelled, bringing her blade back.
Silver formed around her greats word, and I knew what she was doing. So, I did the same. I brought chaos into my blade and unleashed the destructive craft.
"Maxwell found me when I was young and taught me how to live!"
A wave of darkness scattered around, destroying the walls behind us. I melted into the walls, crushing the rocks around me as we both danced in an onyx world.
The catacombs broke apart as we used the darkness around us to attack one another.
"Taught you how to live? What the hell are you talking about? Maxwell's teachings aren't made for survival. Everything he teaches is for one purpose, and that's to inevitably die."
"What are you talking about? Maxwell stayed with me for years, teaching me how to live."
I replied.
"Then that isn't the same person I was taught by. He understood the truth of this world and did everything in his power to prepare me for what's to come."
"Truth of the world?"
Her eyes slanted as she smiled.
"When he vanished, it was a surprise to us. He showed no intention of leaving, so we lost a valuable asset because of that. Are you telling me Maxwell vanished to take care of some random dark vessel?"
Claudia controlled the darkness around us. She was channeling it into her great sword. Using the chaos element, she was amplifying her abilities.
"Maxwell knew how important this moment in time was. I don't believe that he would have left us of his own volition."
In an arc, Claudia slashed, creating a purple wave of energy to shoot my way.
I deflected it, causing the arc to cut through the wall nearby. The catacombs shook in a tremor of violence. We both channeled the darkness around us in the black space as we faced one another.
"Who are you people?! What is your goal?! Why are you collecting spectrum from victims?!"
I rapidly asked.
"We are a collection of dark vessels who know the truth of this world. We must do what we're doing to be prepared for what's coming."
"What is this, "truth of the world?"
All Claudia did was smile. She closed her eyes. Those beautiful purple, dark eyes faded away momentarily.
"Do you really want to know, Feodora Cicer? If so, then you'd have to give up now and join us. That's the only way we can reveal the truth to you."
I held my weapon beside me.
"You want me to work beside you? You kidnap people, possess them, and use the dark arts to harm them. Maxwell didn't teach me to be that way at all."
I stood my ground, and I pointed my weapon towards her.
"My freedom is connected to your captivity. Maxwell taught me to do whatever I could to live. From what I see, you belong locked up in jail, and I have every intention to get you behind bars."
Claudia sighed.
"Fair enough."
The dark vessel sighed.
"It's strange. We share the same fighting style, but our beliefs are vastly different. Maybe one day you'll see the world the way we do. But for now, I'll have to subdue you."
She appeared above me in an instant. Our weapons clashed as we both used the destructive crafts. A purple aura rippled around us, causing the floor to crack.
She channeled the dangerous arts into her blade, and I did the same. The shadows around us turned into spears as we both began shooting them at each other.
The underground was crumbling around us as we continued our battle. Water entered from the craters we were making as we attempted to fire the dark spears at one another.
Channeling darkness into her legs, she kicked. I defended and sliced back. She deflected and came at me with a heavy strike downwards. When it hit the ground, darkness rose up below me.
I jumped, disappearing into the shadows above as the attack rained around me, breaking the statues and structures around us. When I appeared, I brought the darkness from above to collide down on her.
A hail of onyx ripped the ground where she stood, and the floor collapsed on her.
In the shadows, we danced in the air. I tossed my blade behind Claudia, and it reappeared, attempting to stab her. She grabbed it, added the chaos element to it, and threw it back at me.
It was shaped strangely, the destructive version of the seventh craft. I was cut on my leg, and when my weapon hit the wall, the darkness around it exploded, causing me to fall to the ground. I caught myself, called my blade back to me, and aimed it at her as she fell.
"You're fun to play with!"
The devil giggled.
I brought out the destructive craft. An intense wave of darkness formed in my hand, and a giant purple light gathered, leveling the room around us. The night exploded like bombs as the world began to shake like crazy.
With every slice, the shadows around me became a weapon as I attempted to overwhelm Claudia. She was doing the same, using the shadows as her playthings. Together we made the world shake as we fell deeper and deeper into the darkness.
"It's been a while since I had so much fun!"
We both stood to the side and looked at one another. We had to be far down into the earth, far away from the battle above us.
"I don't get it, Feodora. Wouldn't you want to be with people just like you?"
"No, I would rather be alone. Maxwell taught me to live, stay in the shadows."
Claudia laughed hysterically.
"He taught you that?!"
She looked at me sternly.
"You don't understand anything, do you? Maxwell was a killing machine! His crafts were made to slaughter."
Darkness rose in her body as she spoke manically. I was horrified by her words.
"I don't get this. It's like we're talking about two different people. Everything he taught me was for the sake of me dying! My purpose is to die!"
Claudia screamed.
I was confused by her words. Her body was taking on darkness, and so was mine. The world began to shake around us. Our weapons flashed purple as we brought our energy into our blades.
"I don't know what you were taught, but enough is enough. It's time to take you in so I can continue my life freely."
It was time. I was far enough away from everyone, and nobody would be hurt if I became the night. I closed my eyes as I channeled the darkness around me.
My blade began to shine purple, and my vision became purple too. I was one with the night.
"About time. I can finally taste your blood properly."
She smirked like a demon.
"Maxwell taught you the shadow crafts. He taught you the destructive crafts. But I was wondering why you weren't connecting yourself with the darkness inside you."
Claudia teased as she held her great word on her shoulders.
"Because I have to live. And Maxwell commanded me to do all that I can to live. By staying in this form, we bring about death."
She cackled.
"What the hell got into that old coot? My teachings were simple. I'm destined to die, so destroy everything before I do! My job is to set up a path for the future. Because of my death, we will survive."
Claudia sounded like a mad woman. I had no idea what she was rambling about, so I cast her words aside.
She appeared above me. The darkness in her heart was pure black. One of the main shadow crafts that were hidden within me. It was simple. It was called death. When I connect with death, it drains my life. The longer we stay within this mode, the more complicated our bodies use spectrum, and eventually, we will be consumed.
But in this state, our power grows and we're able to use more extreme spells. To be one with the darkness is to be one with death. The longer I teeter on death the more likely I will die from it.
"You stay in this form all the time, Claudia! Don't you get that you're killing yourself?!"
"I live to die! My goal is to die! Death is my strength unlike yours, Feodora!"
Our blades clashed. The earth around us broke apart as we started using the darkness as our weapons. My arm felt like it was floating as the energy connected within me.
I pushed forwards, shooting a purple beam from my strike. The pressure caused my coat to dance in the stale space. Claudia caught it and shot it back. Like a game of tennis, we exploded our darkness at one another, causing the world around us to shake with every deflection.
"Why would Maxwell teach you to be so destructive?!"
I demanded answers.
"Because I've seen the truth of this world! I know my place, and I will do what I need to reach my goals! He taught me that all the murdering I will do is for the greater good of our people!"
She powered her strike and unleashed a massive wave. Rocks lifted up with her power as they became part of her strike. I pulled the chaos element into my body and enhanced the strength of my element.
The space around us became unstable as I threw the massive energy back at her. She smiled as the wave came and destroyed everything around her. It was too large for her to avoid, so instead…
She took the brunt of it and stood there with a bloody face. I probably looked no different, but one thing was for sure.
I wasn't close to being done with her.
"I never fought another dark vessel other than Maxwell."
I admitted.
It was strange she felt too much like me but not enough like me. We were like two people with the same strength but from vastly different backgrounds.
"I want to see all that he taught you, Feodora. I want you to use your crafts to the fullest of your abilities."
I melted into the shadows along with her. Our crafts were destroying the catacombs as we fought. The place was crumbling as we battled back and forth. I channeled darkness into my fist, and she did too.
We struck each other, and this continued on.
"It kind of pisses me off, Feodora. Maxwell taught me everything. He taught this soulless girl how to murder and then vanished."
Claudia grabbed my neck.
"I was made into a killing machine by him! I live to die! That's all I care about! My curse won't allow me to be anything else but someone who wants to kill!"
Claudia squeezed my neck, burrowing her nails into my skin. My breathing was growing labored as I looked into her eyes. The shadows around us rained down as blades cut both of us.
My eyes shined as the death grew closer. I could hear it, the ringing in my ears. I reached up and grabbed her by the neck too. Blood dripped on my lips as the world around us exploded, causing us to dive deep into the world.
We both vanished, got our weapons back, and met in the shadows, striking at one another.
"Soon, you'll realize how blinded you've been. Maxwell didn't teach you how to live, he taught you how to look away from reality!"
She mocked me.
"The shadow crafts are weapons made to kill. You're supposed to use them to kill and gain spectrum. They aren't there to protect you but to slaughter others!"
"Are you insane?! It's like we weren't even taught by the same person! He gave me laws to live! Without his teachings, I would be dead!"
I saw violet as I stared into her cold eyes.
I felt stronger as we fought. As if shackles released from my body, opening up new heights that I could reach. The world underground rumbled from our fierce strikes. Claudia wasn't holding back, and I had no plans to either.
"This is so much fun! It's been a while since I had a chance to spar with someone who feels so much like Maxwell!"
Claudia laughed manically.
In a strange way, the battle was feeling a exciting to me too. With our cold, dark strikes we clashed, trying to best one another. It reminded me of the mock battles I would have with Maxwell as we wore through the forest together, trying to best one another.
My heart raced as I clashed blades with Claudia. As the darkness rose around us, I felt a sensation like when I was in the dream from before. A warmth so tender and comforting despite being in a battle with my life on the line. I zeroed in on Claudia and channeled a spell under my breath.
"Ah!"
She shadow-walked my way and swung at me with her massive blade. I avoided it, but it cut my shoulder. Warm blood hit the floor, and I escaped to the other side of the room.
"What the hell was that?!"
Claudia chided as she lifted the blood off her blade with two fingers. With pleasure, to taste my blood.
"What the heck are you doing?"
The vampire giggled as she closed her eyes and enjoyed her meal.
"I'm learning about you, trying to understand all your fears from the taste of your blood. It's a curse of mine having to feed on blood like this."
I let her continue as my spell was finishing up.
"Your curse."
Her eyes shot open. As she did this, I suddenly felt a bit of vertigo and my mind raced around a strange image popped into my mind but in an instant, it vanished.
"Eh?!"
Claudia lunged back like I stabbed her in the chest. She held her head and her body started to shake.