One Hundred And Forty


    Selensha was sweating as she conjured the water element required to recast the Moonlight Mist Realm. Under the orange flickers that dyed everything around like a mortal sunset, I and Shaeraggo exchanged some final words.


    “So, just what is all this about? Your anger seems wildly disproportionate to the situation. Shae had told me that you were always doting on her and treating her like a child, coddling her, but even so, this seems too far.”


    “Just what would you know of anything, wretch? And why should I tell-tell you? Once I have ground you into the dust, your existence will cease to hold any meaning for her. Assuming you survive.” His re was cold.


    “Well, if you are so confident, then what harm does it to humour me? I know you Fae don’t think the same way we… <em>mortals…</em> do, but having spent a decent amount of time with Shae, I can say we have more inmon than not. So, why the overreaction? You seemed enraged when you saw her.”


    “To see my precious little sister <em>sullied </em>by a mortal, essences mixed… Your <em>wife…</em>” his face twisted at the word. “… she said you were a brother too. Tell me, if your sister was-was ced in danger, sent away to a hostilend where we could not reach her… oh how many long nights we suffered, wondering if she-she was well, or whether she had suffered injury or worse… only to find that when you finally managed to sneak out to see her, she had been… <em>taken… </em>by some lowborn scum, quite beneath her station… well mortal, could you have kept the anger that boiled within you leashed? Or like me, would you have wished to destroy the object of your ire, the beast thatid his hands upon your adorable little sister?”


    “I guess I can see your point, a little.” I conceded with a sigh. “But damn, you really do take being a siscon to unheard of levels. Seriously, my sister is free to date whoever she wants. Sure, I’ll check the guy out, and if I think he’s no good, well, I’ll be sure to tell her. But when ites down to it, I can’t run her life for her, only help out where I can. And if she makes a bad decision… well, I’ll do what I can to prevent her, but it’s her life. I’ll be there in the end to pick up the pieces for her. I’ll probably kill the bastard afterwards though…” I finished, earning a snort of amusement in return.


    “I can ill-afford to be as lenient as you-you.” Shaeraggo continued, as the ritual came to a climax. “Our sister already has much nder and derision cast at her due to her bloodline. It is foolish, as her mother’s pedigree is noble, just not of the Seelie. If it was found that she dallied with mortals as-as well… her position truly would be cruel and untenable. I have no choice but to remove you from her life and hide her. The very fact Duke Formor sent his trolls here is proof-proof that her life is in danger! When I return, I shall call him out…”


    “See, this is what I don’t get. Instead of starting a war and taking her by force, why didn’t we just talk it out? Maybe I don’t get the ways of the Fae, but forcing my sister to fight, to suffer such hurts… even if it was for her own good, I don’t know if I could do it. I’d always look for another way.” <em>It was the reason I was still struggling with allowing Eri and Aiko to train with aether. In my heart, I wanted to keep them safe and protect them. Shae too, to be honest. But… I think there was a line in a story I read, I think it was a Chinese one… ‘the only sin in the Apocalypse is being weak…’ I want them to be able to protect themselves and each other, even should something happen to me, or I’m not there… </em>“Besides, Shae isn’t the weak girl you remembered, is she? She’s grown strong.”


    “I was surprised.” Shaeraggo admitted. “To see that she has transcended her being, and-and is now a Fae of Wind and me… and that she has a new… or no, perhaps <em>two</em> new powerful winds… as her brother that does make me proud, as was the way she defeated Ulfuric, though in a battle to the death she would not be so fortunate. Still, my little sister has always been proud and stubborn. She will not easily change her mind unless forced to-to.”


    “That’s bullshit. Okay, when I met her she was quite the character, insisting on her nobility every chance she got, and haughty with it. But she’s matured. We’ve been through a lot together. I would say I now know her better than you, so…”


    “Silence, mortal. I have humoured you long enough. Besides, the ritual isplete.”


    “You both need to swear to the spirits of the mist.” The tired Selensha muttered, sagging on her staff, the butt ground into the earth all that was keeping her upright.


    “I swear this is my will.” Shaeraggo said, and I echoed him. As I did so some of the orange water energy entered me, drawn to my lunar node, and as the mist enveloped me, I had a sudden thought. Using Self-Examination I tried to track down the sorcery itself, and the effect it was having on me.


    <strong>Moonlight Mist Blessing – This ???????? water elemental spirits ???????? ???????????? natural water elemental energy, but also ??????? ????????????? ???????????????????? lunar chakra, allowing ?????? ??????????? ??????? ????????? ???????????.</strong>


    <em>Ohe on, don’t be so bloody useless! All I’ve been getting recently is endless question marks. This is NOT how appraisal is supposed to work it’s supposed to be a damn cheat skill. </em>I focused my aether and will, trying to understand, to push through theck of knowledge. My right wrist was cramping, no… <em>burning… </em>with some sort of pain. And then, my concentration peaking…


    <strong>Your Skill, Self-Examination has advanced from Rank 5 to Rank 6, passing the first bottleneck. You now have a greater ability to analyse information regarding yourself to a known multiversal standard. [ss: ???]</strong>


    <em>Bottleneck? ss? </em>That was all new stuff, and it would be fascinating to check all my details again, but now wasn’t the time. Shaeraggo was clearly getting impatient, so I would have to make do with quickly checking the blessing again…


    <strong>Moonlight Mist Blessing – This ritual of water elemental spirits draws upon both natural water elemental energy, but also ??????? which, when powered by consent of all parties, links their lunar chakras, allowing ?????? and restoration of severe wounds. However, ????????? ???????????. [ss: ???]</strong>


    <em>Yeah, wow, that’s so much better. Still plenty of details missing, but if I can get that much more…</em>


    “Are you having second thoughts, mortal?” Shaeraggo snarled. “I grow impatient to defeat you and take back-back my darling little sister.”


    “Oh, sorry. Yeah, I’m ready now. I was just momentarily distracted. Do continue.”


    At my words Selensha raised her staff, causing the now familiar cascade of orange energies and mist. “Begin the third and final Trial of Three. May the King and Queen grant the winner the grace of victory without regrets, and may the loser find peace in their choices!” With her task done, she staggered out of the battlefield, to slump down wearily beside Shae and Eri.


    Before we could start our battle. Shae tried onest time to reach her brother. “Brother Shaeraggo, please. I know that once a Trial of Three is agreed it can not-not be overturned, but… the three prices you have to pay are meagre, are they not-not? If you forfeit, Akio and I can swear to return the treasures and followers, and we can discuss this. I have grown stronger thanks to Akio and my new experiences, and if you would just give him a chance then…”


    “Enough!” he snarled. “You were alone, in and surrounded by enemies, without even your maids or servants to care for you-you. Beset on all sides by foul scum such as Duke Formor’s dogs, it is no wonder your heart shattered and you fell prey to the wiles of this slimy human incubus. But have no fear, I will save you, even if I must treat you harshly. It wounded me more than you, to see you hurt-hurt, but I shall harden my heart and do what needs to be done. Even should you resent me and pretend we are siblings no longer, I know in time you will forget these mortals ande around. Please sister, do not force me-me to chastise you further. Remember your royal pride, your duties… now watch, as I remove this obstacle to your rehabilitation!”


    “But brother… listen to me!” Shae raged, but a wind blew, carrying her voice away.


    “Enough of those distractions. Are you ready, mortal?”


    “You know, when we talked just before the start of this Trial, I can’t say I agreed with you, but I could see where you wereing from, even a little. But hearing you shout down your sisters’ heartfelt pleas… nah, screw that. I can see that I’m going to have to beat respect for your sister into you. So yeah, I’m ready. So damn ready!” <em>He’s just a domestic abuser. Parroting the old crap ‘why did you make me hit you?’ as if it is some hardship. Still, kin is very important to Shae, so my only answer is reforming him. Just another reason to win here, not that I needed one! </em>“In fact, there’s another matter I need to settle. I still need to <em>thank </em>you for trying to hurt Eri. I’ll be sure that you remember the lesson.”


    “Bah.” Shaeraggo scoffed, readying his bow as I hefted my spear. “She attacked me, so who canin if she reaps the-the reward of her insolence? Besides, you intervened did you not?”


    “Eri has always been a kind girl. I don’t think she could bear to see you treat Shae like that. I’ll be having words with herter though.” At my criticism Eri looked abashed, though she was happy that I was angry for her. “I’m afraid she isn’t strong enough to be settling grudges. I however… for Eri, for Shae… I‘m going to make you yield!”


    “Talk is cheap, mortal usurper. Let us begin!”


    “Fine by me!” I immediately channelled aether, racing forwards. Shaeraggo calmly called upon arrows of swirling wind, releasing them rapidly at me, one after another with long-practised skill. I hurled wind energy at the first arrows, deflecting them a little, but the impact was heavier than I expected, the arrows boring through my defences, forcing me to use my spear to block. The impacts rocked me, throwing me off bnce, and the scattered shards of wind energy sliced across my exposed flesh, drawing silvery blood from my face. <em>Shit, why are his attacks so strong?</em>


    More arrows were raining on me. Shaeraggo was grinning, clearly not putting out his full effort. I desperately fended off the iing attacks, one mming into my armour, the impact rocking me. My initial strategy of closing in had failed, so I was being forced to switch to my next n ahead of schedule…


    Releasing a little fire energy I used my knowledge of physics to do something I doubted he would expect or understand. In addition, I started attacking back with my own ostentatious des of wind, emerald streaks shing towards him. Shaeraggo’s own wind effortlessly shattered my attacks, but his arrows flying towards me were now sliding past me, blowing craters into the ground.


    “Huh?” Shaeraggo seemed a little confused, though he was still confident as he clearly held the advantage. Still, as his attacks continued to miss me by inches, I could see a trace of frustration creeping in. Carefully holding down the green light of the wind, I made my counterattack. Shaeraggo swatted aside my visible attacks while firing at me, only to suddenly leap backwards, a faint scattering of blood misting the air.


    <em>Damn, I thought that’d do more damage. He mitigated it at the veryst second… </em>


    Shaeraggo paused to wipe away the blood that dripped from his face. “Tricky mortal, I could not see your attack. But to-to fool this Shaeraggo, you would need to be far stronger. Even if I cannot see it, I can still feel the movements of the wind. Still, I now realise you have some bite to you. Feel privileged, for I shall now crush you!”


    Shaeraggo’s eyes zed a deep emerald, shining powerfully. Shae called out a warning to me then, sounding panicked. “Be careful Akio! My brother has Mystic Eyes of Wind Reading, when he uses them his power grows-grows greatly!”


    “My little sister is correct.” He sneered. “And before my eyes, your clever tricks will not protect you-you. I can see the movement of the wind around you. It is affecting my sight somehow, making you seem where you are not.”


    “I see, so a heat haze. A type of refraction.” Shae eximed, suddenly understanding, as she was studying these things when she had the chance back in the Material, striving to grow stronger.


    “Well, I don’t like giving away all my tricks…” I started, but was then thrown backwards, tasting iron in my mouth, the breath driven from me as my armour cracked under the impact of a swiftly fired arrow.


    “My eyes see all wind.” Shaeraggo scoffed. “Your petty tricks are clearly visible to me-me! Now die-die!” another arrow,rger and more threatening than before, was forming on his bow. As he unleashed it, the very air around him shaking, Eri and Shae let out cries of despair.


    <em>Don’t worry, I’m not done yet. I can’t use too much fire energy, I need it forter, but… </em>his arrow diverted, citrine mes greedily licking at it, disrupting its bnce. It exploded behind me and I raced forwards once more, pushing my body to its limit, only to see Shaeraggo summoning multiple arrows, these topped with snarling weasel-heads. <em>Hey, that’s Shae’s trick…</em>


    “Do try and survive this.” Shaeraggo scoffed. “My beloved wife has cast such a magnificent ward, it would be a shame if you-you were to die despite that…”


    “Brother Shaeraggo, no!” Shae called out, frantic, but he ignored her, merely smiling darkly.


    Arrows streaked out towards me one after another. They seemed to contain less power than the previous ones, but I was quickly panicked, my mind racing for a solution, my body crying out as my armour was shredded and wounds quickly piled up on me. The arrows of wind were like serpents, living beings who when dodged or deflected would swing back at me from other angles until they struck, discharging their force. <em>Which again is causing me far greater injury than the invested elemental energy should be capable of…</em>


    More and more of the weasel-arrows were flying my way, and I had been driven back, far away from Shaeraggo, who was bombarding me with impunity. Mind racing, I was struggling to think of a counter, when Shae surged forwards, breaking free from the grip Eri had on her arm. She approached the edge of the Moonlight Mist Realm, tears in her eyes, before calling out to her brother.


    “Stop this brother, please! I do not-not want to see you hurt my Akio so! And if he dies… I shall die too. I can not-not break the price, but when I am at your cage of a mansion, I shall-shall end myself, I swear it!”


    “I shall never allow that. You are wroth, little sister, but in time your pain-pain will fade. Until then, your maids will keep youpany.” Shaeraggo returned, still keeping up his barrage at me, eyes reading my movements by the ripple of air around me. I stumbled as more impacts rocked me, spear spilling from my grasp as one arm broke. <em>I know the barrier should fix a lot of these injuries when the battle is done but fuck this hurts… the broken edges of bone are grinding… uh, damn I feel sick from the pain…</em>


    “You can not-not watch me all the time, my brother! Reconsider your actions, or else I shall…”


    “No, you won’t.” I interrupted, interspersed with grunts as I was battered by waves of the seeking arrows. “Shae, don’t ever talk about killing yourself. Whatever happens here… don’t forget we chose this ourselves, making the best…” I spat blood as another arrow mmed into me. My armour which I had so painstakingly repaired again and again was little more than shreds once more. “… of what choices we had. I don’t intend to die, I still intend to win but… always remember, where there is life there’s hope. And I would never want to see you dead.”


    “Akio is right.” Eri agreed, having caught up with Shae again, pulling her into aforting hug. “Akio won’t die, I wont allow it. But… wouldn’t it be too sad for you to be dead too? Just… believe, all right. I know he must have a hidden n!”


    <em>I do have one… but I really hoped I wouldn’t have to use it. And even surviving to get an opportunity is going to be tough…</em>


    Shaeraggo momentarily paused his barrage to look at me strangely. “You speak true, mortal. It would be a tragedy should my little sister foolishly squander her life over a wretch like you-you.”


    “Well damn…” I spat, blood trickling down my chin. “For a moment I thought you were being decent, but couldn’t resist the dig, eh? Come on then, I’m growing tired of this.” I picked up my fallen spear with my one <em>good </em>arm. <em>Though good is a bit of an overstatement, everything hurts.</em>


    “Yes-yes, it is time to put this Trial to rest. Fear not, little sister, all this will soon be over!” he startedunching arrows at me again, but this time I was prepared. <em>I have to draw on my batteries, which is a blow, but as long as I can get one opening…</em>


    The arrows were whistling towards me, puppeteered on the breeze by Shaeraggo’s great skills. This time instead of dodging though, I drew on me energies and started devouring the arrows. It would take too much topletely destroy them, but I hadn’t <em>just </em>been taking injuries like a punching bag without recourse. It was the weasel-heads that gave the arrows the ability to seek me, so by burning them a little with me the arrows would go off-target, missing me entirely.


    Shaeraggo scowled as his arrows started to disintegrate, veering wildly away, ploughing up the ground beside me. Cascades of green and yellow sparks were raining down around me. It was quite pretty, not that I had time to pay attention. Using this opportunity to close in to Shaeraggo, I narrowed the distance, getting ever closer, though the closer I got the harder it was to destroy his arrows in time, so I was taking further wounds.


    Shae could barely watch, but Eri was still cheering me on. Beside them Selensha and Ulfuric looked pensive, while Ixitt seemed to be having a grand time observing the sh of our attacks,ughing in his hacking way and making notes.


    “You look rather defeated.” Shaeraggo taunted. “You may be destroying my arrows, but you cannot surely hold-hold on much longer. Whereas I am unharmed. I am magnanimous, in deference to my little sister and her misguided affection for you, I can give you leave to forfeit. Or if not… I shall finish this, and you will-will not survive.”


    <em>He''s more rattled that he lets on. </em>His mannerisms were reminiscent of Shae’s, and by the twitching around his eyes I could see he was unsettled. <em>And why not? Sure he has the upper hand, but with his pride the fact a mortal like me is making him work for the victory should be intolerable… it isn’t merely about winning for him, so just like Shae had a slim chance against Ulfuric due to his orders, I have this one window to exploit… all or nothing…</em>


    “Oh? I can do this all day…” I said, quoting a famous superhero. Shaeraggo, who didn’t get the reference, responded with annoyance.


    “So be it then-then. I have allowed your insolence to continue for too long. Winds, heed me, devour this fool who thinks he can im my sister as a prize!” the deep green aura of his eyes spread around him, turning into a whistling array of emerald and jade.


    “Brother, no, you can not-not do this!” Shae started to protest, and Selensha also spoke.


    “Are you sure, my love? My Mist Realm will not be able to…”


    Their words were drowned out by the howling gale as the swirling green essence formed into a giant weasel-head, several metres across, maw big enough to swallow me whole. <em>Shit, that looks dangerous. It’ll take more than a little fire to consume that…</em>


    Still, it was my one chance. I turned to look at Eri and Shae, and Eri nodded, seeing my resolve. As she did so Shae suddenly started to shout over the tumult, her words shocking me to the core. “Brother, no, we forf…” before she could finish Eri mped a hand over her mouth, silencing the words. Instinctively Shae bit her, and Eri cried out before swallowing the pain. Shae was trying to wrestle free, causing Eri some injury, but Eri was resolute, ignoring the blood dripping from her bitten hand, whispering soothing words in Shae’s ears.


    <em>Good job Eri. And Shae can’t use all her strength or she’d really hurt you… you’ve bought me enough time for onest reckless gamble.</em>


    “How unfortunate for you-you.” Shaeraggo scoffed, his bow straining under the massive gale-arrow that was ready to annihte me. “Your wife has cost you your life, silencing my little sister. It is not too-toote for you to concede. You would have a small victory to console yourself with, knowing I was unable to destroy you as I wished.”


    “What victory would there be in losing Shae? No, I’m not beaten yet.” I drew on my wind and me energy, a radiance of yellow and green surrounding me. “Even if Shae was to end up in hell, I’d follow her down to stamp out the mes.”


    “Words, words, words.” Shaeraggo scoffed. “Now die-die!” he loosed the arrow and the massive gust whipped towards me, tearing up all in its path. Shae finally struggled free and cried out in sorrow and fear, and even Eri, cradling her torn hand, was white with terror.


    <em>Sorry about this. I hate making you worry, but… </em>“This is the time to give everything I’ve got! Foehn, ze forth and consume, body and soul!”


    Foehn, fed by much of my wind energy, erupted outwards like a tidal wave. It mmed into the oing attack, exploding into a cloud of devouring droplets of brilliant yellow. The massive wind arrow started breaking apart, the ze rapidly feasting on it, converting the wind to more spreading mes. The battlefield was showered in cascading napalm, setting the very ground alight. <em>I did say I’d follow Shae to hell if necessary, but I’m pretty much creating hell here instead… oh god, it hurts so bad, it makes my previous injuries feel like nothing…</em>


    “What is this?” Shaeraggo was shocked as his prized attack burst apart under the devouring fires, but he was a consummate hunter, so readied more arrows,unching them through the maelstrom, even as he scuttled backwards. Still, the arrows were quickly scattered by the roiling cloud of mes, their energy not able to ovee their poor affinity with fire.


    “Did youmit suicide… wait… what under the moon…?” Shaeraggo panicked as something outside of his expectations urred. A shadow crashed through the roaring fires, trailing clinging mes. For a moment he was motionless, and in that one brief moment of hesitation another explosion of me rang out, and the zing figure was hurled forwards,tching onto him, arm wreathed in me clinging around his neck. “I’ve got you.” I moaned, gasps of pain escaping my scorched throat.


    Shaeraggo let out a yelp of pain, fiery droplets of Foehn leaking off me and onto him, the smell of scorched fur and flesh sickening. “You are insane! Get-get off me!” Shaeraggo threw aside his bow and started striking me, but every time he struck me more Foehn spread to his fists and arms. The blows were powerful, rocking my consciousness, but I was determined to hold on, and just like Shae managed to fend off the musical debuffs by pain, I was able to maintain my consciousness despite the savage beating by focusing on the torment searing me… <em>I prepared for this to limit the damage, but even so… </em>


    “Insane?” I croaked, winding my legs around him as well, clinging like a limpet as behind us the windstorm finally copsed, showering more mes everywhere. The air was full of smoke and the scent of char, and the onlookers were watching in horror. Eri was crying, Shae had fallen to her knees, forlorn, and Selensha was frantically reinforcing the Moonlight Mist Barrier with what little strength she had remaining.


    “No, I’m not insane. I’m merely… prepared to…” it was hard to get out the words, but I needed to say them. “… do anything, if it is for Shae, for Eri, for my family and … my dreams. Can you… say the same?”


    My armour had entirely burned away, and Shaeraggo’s was quickly igniting. He iled at the fires, trying to scatter them, but that was a mistake. The more he struggled the more the Foehn burned. “I think you… might want to surrender…” I advised. “You’ve already… seen how far I… will go.”


    “You fool-fool. Surely you will sumb to the fires before I do-do…”


    “You asked for this then…” fires dripped from my burning hair, running down my face. Winding back my neck, I then mmed forwards, my fiery forehead mming into his nose. Shaeraggo squealed, and I mmed him once more. “This one’s… for Eri, don’t point an arrow… at her, jackass!”


    My head mmed into Shaeraggo again and again, staggering him. Selensha, seeing us wreathed in mes cried out in terror. “Don’t kill him! That me is dangerous, I’m not sure the barrier can mitigate it! If you don’t stop, you’ll both die!”


    “I’m not. Going to. Kill him.” I punctuated each couple of words with another headbutt, mes scattering. “He’s. Shae’s. Brother. But he. Needs to learn. How to be. A decent one.” After another half-dozen headbutts my own skull felt as if it was fractured, it was like mming concrete, but Shaeraggo was in an equally bad state, numerous greedy fires burning him.


    “I hope. You feel. Regret at…” I continued.


    “I… I yield!” Shaeraggo croaked desperately, mes even burning his eyelids as he desperately tried to protect his mystic eyes. “I surrender, you mad-mad abomination!”


    Cries of relief came from the watchers, and the crying Selensha waved her staff. Mist with an orange glow descended, and I desperately released thest of my wind energies, destroying the vacuums I had created around my body to shield me from the worst of the Foehn, hurling it away like burning meteorites. Releasing Shaeraggo I copsed to the ground, staring up at the spectacle, orange mists meeting the slowly vanishing citrine mes of the Foehn as the Mist Barrier started dismissing it.


    <em>Fuck, I hurt so bad. </em>Even with the amelioration of my injuries I was still banged up and burnt. Tears welled up in my eyes finally, and I wasn’t sure whether it was from the pain, or relief that I’d won, and our dreams were safe for now. Shae and Eri was racing over, dodging between the remaining mes of Foehn, and as they approached a silvery sheen that wasn’t tears appeared in my vision…


    <strong>Your ss, Fae-Souled has increased from level 17 to level 19.</strong>


    <strong>Your Foresight has significantly increased.</strong>


    <strong>Your…</strong>


    <em>Spoils of war, eh? </em>Still, seeing the looks of mixed joy and concern on the faces of Shae and Eri, I felt that was a greater reward…