Ileus: The Dark Prince

"You have been conspiring with the demon kingdom, Galahar, to take over Vilinski from a long time!" Anastasia growled. "This conspiracy has been running from how many years, Etayalar Aramaer?" 

With a vulgar curse, Etaya lunged at Anastasia enraged like a wounded bull. "You bloody bitch! Don't you take Galahar's name with your filthy tongue!" 

Anastasia took her daggers out and met her sword with both her daggers raised over the head. She started stepping back in order to give herself more time. She still wanted to talk to Etaya and get the whole information. 

Etaya was very good with her sword and coming from the fact that she was the reincarnated daughter of the first demon king, Anastasia could see how deftly she wielded her sword. She swiped from her chest, but Anastasia bent back. Once again Etaya lunged at her with full strength trying to get to her throat, but Anastasia met her sword again with her daggers, midair. 

Anastasia continued, "When Iona summoned me for the last time, I went to the tombs of the ancient ones. And guess who I met there? Faelar Aramaer." The blades screeched against each other. "The first fae king informed me that you never ever visited the tombs of the ancient ones. But from what I know, you did visit, but you were not allowed. The gates of the ancient ones' tombs did not open for you!" 

"As if I care for that filth below the ground!" Etaya hissed. She went for her throat this time but Anastasia ducked. She managed to slice her thighs, but Etaya jumped on the side to avoid getting further injured. 

"My father Estelar Aramaer was supposed to be the ruler of the Lore. He had come numerous times to his older brother to merge the two kingdoms, but Faelar, that bastard, he refused," said Etaya as she panted and Anastasia looked at her with predatory glances, scanning for her weakness. "Yes, I am Etayalar Aramaer. What can you do about that? I had vowed to the Lore that I would come back to avenge my father, and I came back. Yes, the conspiracy runs deeper than you think. The Galahar king wants to take over the fae kingdom and that is why I am here. Why do you think I married Seraph?" She lunged, feinting right, but Anastasia caught her attack with daggers. 

With her full strength, Anastasia pushed her back. She growled, "For your ego, for your stupid wishes, and for something you could never control, you have ruined the lives of so many people. Seraph sacrificed himself for your goals and so did your daughter. You fed them lies, Etaya!" 

"Fuck you!" Eyata swirled and arced her sword in a way that if Anastasia didn't bend back and tumbled, her sword would have sliced her into two. Now they were both standing several feet apart from each other, circling the perimeter of the magic around them. "I will use as many as I want to bitch!" she hissed. "I used you, didn't I? But you ran away. Everything was going on so nicely, but you just had to run away! And— and that bloody demon prince, that— spawn of a fine king, he had to lead a revolt against his father, against me! You both had to do it at the same time? Bloody youngsters!" 

Anastasia's brows drew tightly. So, the demon prince also revolted against her? That was new information. Maybe she could use it later. She drew out her Evindal sword. 

"I would rather live in a world ruled by the demon king than live under your shadows. I am going to kill you, kill Ileus and then I am going to kill all those who support you!" Etaya said as she feinted left when Anastasia charged at her with superb ease. 

Anastasia was seized by so much rage that she wanted to cleave the woman in front of her. 

"Oh, I had a great time putting your father and mother in the celestial prison. You should have seen the art I created on their bodies with my sword. I ripped them open and then took the bones out. Just so you know, I had gagged them so badly that they couldn't even shout." Etaya tipped her head back slightly to let out that evil laugh. "Ian and Áine have special love for pain. Torturing them was just the most enjoyable thing I have ever had in a long time." 

Her chest began to vibrate as pure soul-deep rage rose inside her. The rage burned her throat, her eyes, and traveled through her veins like fire. The fury surged and expanded until bloodlust overtook and she could no longer see or remember who she was. 

"And do you know what I did to Iona?" Etaya continued. "I whipped her so much, I made herself injure her own body so much, I would throw her up in a prison for months with nothing but a bucket for her needs that ultimately, she gave up." She looked at her left and pointed at the blurry image of the Dark Witch and chuckled. "See her now. She has become my loyal servant, my personal warrior who is fighting against her own. She is the perfect tool to step on to rule the Lore." She swirled her sword and looked down at her injured thigh. "But the best was when I got your wings shackled. That was satisfactory as hell!" 

Anastasia could feel the metallic tang of bloodlust, of the agony that pooled in her chest. How could one be so evil? But then what do you expect from a woman so mad, driven with ego, driven to win at all cost, even if it meant being so sick, so depraved. Her bloodlust tasted like… death. Her chest thrummed with her rage, which now wanted to lash out. Her skin tingled with her magic. Her wings boomed with a beat and she shot high as her rage lashed out and the ground beneath her shook. Her magic pulsed and rippled through the air, blasting the wall around them. A sharp wind whipped across all those around her making many fall on the ground. Etaya shouted, but she wasn't listening. She lunged at Etaya with her Evindal sword. 

Several fae soldiers tried to come towards them, but the magic that was pulsing around her, so ancient, so powerful, didn't allow anyone to get near. Their swords clashed as Etaya also leapt in the air, her wings stretched wide. She yelled as she brought the hilt of her sword down on Anastasia.

But Anastasia caught her arm in order to halt her blow. Before Etaya could react, Anastasia had twirled and gone behind her. With one swipe of her Evindal sword, she sliced Etaya's right wing. With a shriek that roared across the battlefield, Etaya fell on the ground with a thud. Blood sprayed on Anastasia's face and pooled right beneath Etaya's shoulder. A fae soldier rushed towards them to attack Anastasia, but she caught his wrist with her hand and shoved the Evindal deep into his chest. Crimson poured all around his armor. With disbelief in eyes that no one could pierce the fae armor, the soldier's body trembled and then he fell on the side.