Clea Episode 6

Trigger warnings

Mentions of death

“Again,” Clea stated, having barely caught her breath. Steadying her hands instantly as runes circled around them in a beautiful yet shaking dance.

“Really? Again? By the void, you surprise me more every day Mhuruuk.” Kle’ora responded gleefully. A twisted smile present on her purple face as all three of her hands clutches the swords she carried in them. Her eyes flashing with bright red energies before she'd launch forwards at Clea. Her swords clanging against the magical ones that Clea formed.

“Though I must ask!” she blurted out while pushing against the other. “Why are you so adamant on this training?”

Clea glared before twisting one of her fingers out, flinging Kle’ora backwards with the magenta blades still pushing against hers.

“Because you are fighting magic. It's unpredictable, unstable. You need to be ready and able,” she expressed, then stumbled a step back. Falling to a knee while she took in a deep breath. Her eyes struggling to focus as she saw spots of black fill her vision.

“Yeah, but you can't press yourself this hard, Clea.” Kle'ora pointed out, reaching a hand towards Clea before immediately flinching back and bracing against a magenta blade.

“That's the point,” Clea spat, standing tall once more as her hand was stretched out towards Kle'ora. “I am training myself as well as you. Ora.”

“Pushing yourself like this at this time is not ideal,” she butted in response, shattering the magenta sword which then vanished into the air.

“I know that it's not. But we have one day left. I must be ready for it,” Clea expressed, forming the magenta sword in her hand once more.

“You’re putting a lot of this on yourself,” Kle’ora pointed out while she holstered one of her swords. “You do not fight this one alone. It's not all on your shoulders.”

“I know…” Clea muttered, glaring at the brightly glowing blade within her hand. “But if we fail my mother stands in front of me in the line of the execution fire.”

Kle'ora looked surprised briefly before her blades collided with Clea’s once more. The bright magenta glowing against her skin. Her eyes immediately regaining their focus as a spark of red ignited within her pupils. Her arms instantly flexing to a bigger size than normal; allowing her to push against Clea in one heavy shove. Sending the Mhuruuk flying.

Clea’s face was in full glee as she flew. Her cloak flickering all around her. Circles of pure magenta started glowing up along her legs as with a simple spell she was back on the ground. Dust swirling up around her while she stood with the tip of her toes barely touching the ground. A sharp magenta sword in each hand.

“Just like that!” she yelled with a laugh. “Get mad. Attack me as if I am him!”

Kle'ora let out a snicker in response before she'd slide into a ready position. Steadying herself while she changed the grip of her swords. She laid her third arm behind her back while she kept her eyes glued to Clea. A sharp breath whizzed past her teeth as her back leg shifted, a grin stretching her lips thin.

She barely kept herself from laughing as she launched at Clea. Keeping herself from doing so by dragging her grin even thinner. Her blades’ sharp edges slid swiftly against the magenta bubble of magic keeping Clea safe. Her momentum carrying her up over the silver haired woman in a flawless flip. Sliding across the ground before she'd dash to the side; dodging shards of pure magic shot her way. The Mhuruuk's shield having changed into countless sharp swords that gracefully circled her half floating form. Attached by the edge of her right foot as if gravity no longer mattered. Her face gleaming with a mixture of proudness and adrenaline.

Kle'ora kept running, her legs as always carrying her faster than anyone else in the rebellion. Leaving a trail of dust and magenta shards behind her. Swirling to a halt only when she was confident enough to deflect the projectiles to her sides. One being sent along each way straight into the ground. Her forced halt creating a track in the ground beside her. Her boot almost smoking in response to the sudden heat. Her eyes ablaze with excitement as they met Clea's. A silent request that was immediately met by the other. With two solid arm motions she was hovering at the height of Dormammu. The remaining magenta shards around her swirling into sharp spears that hovered to the floor. She then snapped her fingers towards the ground. Forming dummies out of rock and dirt that grabbed a hold of the spears; ready to fight.

“Hfff. Again it is,” Kle'ora snickered, and with one deep breath unsheathed her third sword again. Her back leg once more positioned itself just right to launch her forward. She flourished her swords while waiting for the go ahead. Watching as Clea spread her arms to the sides. Tapping her right leg expectedly when the dummies slowly started to move.

“Again.” Clea expressed, her voice almost booming, before she aimed a hand towards Kle'ora. The dummies raised their weapons, then launched towards the rebel. Who just stood with a grin on her face. A joyful and twisted laugh suring her lips when she responded to the attack with her own.

She moved swiftly, her blades scraping against the spears as she ed them. Grinning widely as her eyes pulsed with red. She swirled on her feet, using the little space she made as the perfect opportunity to attack. Her blades effortlessly slice through the air to collide with the protective magenta shield around them. The resonance singing through the air in response, sending shivers up her arms. Her swords left perfect cuts in the shields, but she had to step away to avoid their sudden spear strikes. Swiftly swirling to her feet a few meters away from them. Steadying herself as fast as she could while the dummies aimed their spears her way. Their shields reforming slowly as Clea floated closer, mimicking taking a step.

“Give up, Rebel,” she spoke, her tone of voice mimicking the burling fire of Dormammus.

“Not while I still have breath!” Kle’ora exclaimed, trying her best to not let her excitement through her words.

“Very well, I will make your death swift.” Clea retorted, her voice laced with disgust, before she raised her hand towards Kle’ora. The dummies launching forwards in response.

“Bring it!” she roared, her blades lifting to effortlessly deflect the spears. Spinning to slash across the centre of their staffs. Her blades cut effortlessly through the magic; using the small chips she had made in them earlier as anchors. Using the downward momentum to swing into a kick that she angled perfectly to hit the jaw of one of them. The resonance of the magic shield barely affected her this time as the spikes beneath her boots punctured the barrier. Shattering it like glass before the head of the dummy flew right off.

With one out of the fight she quickly dropped down to dodge the punch of the other. Stretching her right leg out instantaneously to hook onto the leg of it. Pulling it instantly to her so that the dummy would hit the ground. She took in a deep breath, the dust settling around them. She got up, swirled her sword, then stabbed it down in the chest of the dummy. Shattering the connection Clea held to it; causing it to crumble into mud and dust once more. Then, she theatrically swirled her blades and turned to Clea. Lifting one of her swords towards the other with a triumphant glare.

“Come on, fight me like a proper man. No more puppets to fight for you,” she challenged.

“Huh… you’ve got guts. What a waste,” Clea muttered, smirking briefly; lifting her hand towards the other.

Kle’ora was immediately ready; all blades aimed towards the sky as a makeshift shield. Yet as Clea’s hand moved forwards her eyes drowned in pure white and her head shot back. A choked scream suring her tight lips as her hands twitched to her sides.

“Clea!” Kle’ora shouted, dropping her blades before she ran up to the other. Tapping her right foot twice on the ground before she launched herself up and grabbed Clea. Ripping her down from her flight and to the ground. Where she landed and crumbled to her knees. Holding the convulsing Mhuruuk close to her chest.

“C’mon Clea, you’re scaring me.” she begged in a quiet mutter. Her third hand grabbing Clea’s head as she lifted it to stare at Clea’s face. The bright white flames almost blinding her with their intensity. Already creating little spots in her vision.

“Clea?” she asked, giving the other a tight squeeze.

“NO!” the Mhuruuk suddenly shouted, her hands grabbing tightly onto Kle’ora’s. She took in a long breath before she coughed. The fire in her eyes vanishing with a blink.

“Clea!” Kle’ora squeezed the other again. “What happened? Are you okay??”

“I-” Clea tried to speak but instead raised a hand to cough into it.

“Shit- breathe girl, breathe,” Kle’ora ushered, patting the other’s back.

“I saw something,” Clea whispered, pressing her head into the other’s shoulder

“A vision?” Kle’ora asked, getting a small nod in response. “How does exhausting yourself cause a vision? Girl, you are making no sense.”

“I don’t,” she paused to cough, “know, Ora. I just… know I saw something.”

“... I hate to ask-”

“I saw us lose, Ora, you… you were all dead. And I was imprisoned. He… he was going to take another dimension. We failed.”

“Then let’s make sure we don’t.”

“Ora-” Clea wasn’t allowed to finish.

“You better not be telling me we can’t do that,” she almost snarled, squeezing the Mhuruuk once more. “We can do anything, as long as we fight together.”

Clea fell quiet, in fact she just remained still as Kle’ora kept a solid hold of her. Her mind raced, something that the rebel obviously saw in her eyes. The hold around her was slowly weakened. Resulting in the two just sitting on the floor with their arms loosely around one another. Quietly regaining their breath from the fight while relaxing against one another.

“Damn,” Kle’ora muttered after a minute, “I didn’t even realise how exhausted I am.”

“That’s adrenaline for ya,” Clea responded quietly.

They were silent for another few minutes, though throughout them Clea had been let go and Kle’ora laid down on the ground. The two warriors just enjoying each other’s quiet company. After five minutes Clea had laid down beside Kle’ora. Her eyes staring across the mix match of a night sky above them. The sight utterly beautiful as energies from all the anchored dimensions danced across the completely black sky. Splattering their own star constellations and their moons across the blank black canvas. It was almost too crowded, but it seemed the dimensions respected each other's spaces. The mixing was beautifully painted, drowning the lack of life that was once there.

“It’s beautiful,” Kle’ora commented, “but so useless to navigate with.”

“You can use them to find the anchors,” Clea suggested.

“Yeah, but you can’t use it to traverse our land. They’re not the same every night.”

“True that…” she muttered in response, closing her eyes temporarily.

“So, what’s the plan?” Kle’ora hummed.

“Pardon?”

“Oh, proper speech a’ight,” she mocked Clea, who laughed in response. “I mean, what’s the plan to deal with your vision?”

“Well…” Clea paused, barely glancing over as Kle’ora was now staring at her with wide eyes.

“Well… what? C’mon, tell me.”

“... If I see some of the stuff I saw. I… I will have to kill him.” Clea paused to look directly into Kle’ora’s eyes. “I’ll have to kill Him.”

“... okay, that’s insane- can you even do that? Is that even possible?”

“I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?”

“By the void…” Kle’ora muttered, running a hand down her face.

“We’ll manage, since we’re fighting together, right?” Clea hesitantly asked.

“Yeah, we will… let’s not tell them you saw this.” she responded, laying her hands beneath her head while the third swirled in the sand at her side.

“I… yeah that sounds smart. We wouldn’t want them to panic, or to think it’s all in vain.”

“Exactly. Besides, you can just give me a little que to tell me you see it; and I’ll change up the strategy. Deal?”

“Deal!”

“Now, let’s just, rest a little. Then we go eat. By this time tomorrow we will already be at the celebrations awaiting the fireworks.”

“Mhmm…” Clea looked back to the skies. Feeling her body growing tense at the thought of how close it truly was. Yet she eased just a bit when Kle’ora’s hand squeezed hers.

Together they’d surely win… right?

#Writing