*Chapter 21*

Geminadi stood firm as Angell charged him. He remained calm, already knowing she had made a careless blunder. She had attacked first. He recalled his first instructions upon his acceptance into house Dimir. All of your opponents in life are like books. They will always open themselves up to you. Then it is simply a matter of reading them and learning what is contained within. Geminadi then called upon a mental technique he learned from his time spent in the Duskmantle. He cast his thoughts inwards, severing the bond between his mind and his body; becoming one with his shadow. He danced out the way of Angell's sword strokes with a languid, balletic grace that no normal man could have consciously mustered.

Angell's final stroke was a forward stab that was meant to run him through, but Geminadi turned his body sideways and skillfully caught the length of her blade in the crook of his left arm. He lifted her arm taught, hearing her gasp in surprise. He snapped his left leg up and around her arm, the heel of his boot crushing her elbow. He then struck the heel of his palm into her nose, staggering her back several feet. Geminadi kept hold of Angell's sword as she recovered herself. He looked at it now. It was wonderfully crafted. A slim zweihander with an onyx hilt. Almost as beautiful as it's wielder. Of course, Geminadi had no need of a sword, so he cast the weapon aside and turned back to his opponent.

Angell had regained her composure. Seeing now that, without her weapon, the terms were pretty much even. She tapped her mana flow as she cried, "I have need of aid! Gather the towns folk!"

"No," Geminadi said. He flashed the Dimir charm on his hand and Angell's eyes were filled instantly with it's dark light. Her spell was lost to the aether as she lost her senses. "Your sorcery is but useless against me, Angell. You have no chance." He again melted into his own shadow as he rapidly approached her. She could not see his physical form, only a shadow moving swiftly across the ground towards her.

Geminadi reached her and began to pummel her. His strikes landed with a clinical precision as she reeled this way and that from the force of his blows. He finally connected with an open force palm to her abdomen which sent her flying a good ten feet. It was then that Geminadi noticed someone closing quickly onto their field of battle. It was the green mage he remembered seeing briefly in the city's square not too long ago. His bow was at the ready and he had an arrow primed in Geminadi's direction. "Stay where you are!" Geminadi screamed at him. Suddenly a cast of ethereal hands rose from the aether and wound themselves around his target. The man swore in frustration as he was rendered immobile. "Behold the hands of binding," Geminadi said. "You or no one else will interfere." He turned back to Angell, who was still on the ground, hunched over in pain.

How easy this had been, he thought. His first feeling was that of disappointment. He had expected better from this woman. This woman whose image danced in mind since their first meeting. He fully expected her to be his maker; his undoing, but he had clearly been wrong. There was nothing left then but to end her, and live with the misery.

He took his shadow form again and raced toward his target. Angell looked to offer no resistance to his progress. He was just upon her now, when suddenly, he was stopped in his tracks. Angell's head had snapped upwards to look at him, and now he saw it. Her eyes were alive with an unfathomable fury of righteousness he had never before seen in a living soul. Her eyes glowed a piercing angelic white and absolutely paralyzed him on the spot. "Stave off!" she shouted. Geminadi was hurled backwards by a blinding concussion of white mana. But with his Dimir-taught agility, he was able to land on his feet.

Angell was approaching him now, slowly. Geminadi could feel her spark ablaze with fury. And, it seemed, she was accompanied by two flying spirits that floated about her being. Just where had those come from? "I guess you don't recognize midnight haunting," she said. "You can dispel everything else, but you will never keep up with my instants." she spoke with a fearsome conviction that drew awed tribute from Geminadi. And the she sent her spirits forward. Geminadi couldn't ready himself fast enough. The spirits phased through his body again and again. Though no physical effects of harm showed themselves on the surface, he could feel tiny amounts of his life force being pulled away with each successive attack. And then Angell shouted, "Show of valor!" One of her spirits let loose a deathly invigorated wail and tore through Geminadi's body. The force of the attack lifted him off his feet and sent him sprawling onto his back.

He suddenly aware of the black mage he had encountered on his arrival here. He sneered down at him and cackled, "Don't look at me, I can't help you. You wanted this, remember?"

He did remember. He did want this. He wanted to test the spark of his newly discovered planeswalker might, and more over, he wanted to test the strength of this ferociously beautiful angel before him, to learn whether the thoughts he had of her being the one to deliver him to his final destination (among other thoughts he had of her) were ever to come to fruition.

Yes, he did want this.

Geminadi focused both halves of his mana flow; harnessing the power of death while simultaneously controlling a strenuous speed of mind. "Come forth, Consuming Aberration!" A massive insect-like creature rose up before him. It's body was elongated like a ghastly centipede and covered from head to tip in razor sharp bone-spines. It reared on it's mid legs and gnashed at the air with it's barbed pincers. Before Angell could fathom the horror of the thing, Geminadi's shadow was already racing across the ground towards her. He stopped short, just close enough to touch her with his outstretched finger. As though in a sort of a time-defying lack of speed, but at the same time moving faster than Angell could stop him, Geminadi touched the index finger of his right hand to her forehead and whispered, "Mindsculpt." Instantly he felt the focus of her thoughts shatter inside her mind. Her eyes faded to a dull glow as she seemed to momentarily become lifeless. At the same time, his Aberration roared with an empowered hunger that gave Geminadi all he needed to know. "Go forth and consume her!"

The aberration charged forth on it's needle-tipped legs and opened it's great gaping maw, heading strait for Angell. It ends here. Geminadi thought.

"ANGELL!" Geminadi turned his head in the direction of the cry. It was the green mage again. He was still trapped in the hands of binding, but that did not stop him from screaming at the top of his lungs. "ANGELL MOVE!"

As though brought to by the sound of her name, Angell suddenly snapped back to alertness. What surprised Geminadi the most about her awakening, was her ease back into consciousness. Her eyes came slowly back into focus as she calmly took in the sight of the stampeding creature headed full-tilt in her direction. With a gesture that made to seem the aberration barely being beneath her notice, Angell twirled her hand and simply said, "Guildscorn Ward." Geminadi's creature was stopped but mere inches from it's target, Struggling against, it seemed, some kind of invisible barrier. "Away with you," she said calmly. Geminadi's aberration was sent careening backwards with a small flick of her wrist. It landed in a massive crumpled heap of fangs and anger. Angell continued with her next spell, "Sphere of safety." She was instantly surrounded by a bubble of heavenly, alabaster light that glowed like a pearl in the darkness. She began to walk forward now, toward Geminadi. Her steps were slow and purposeful, as thought she wanted Geminadi to behold the fearsomely glorious sight of her. "Have you anything else for me?" Underneath Geminadi's shock and confusion, there was something else. Something that he was taught to dispose of upon his first acceptance into the Duskmantle. Something that he had not felt in more than six years.

Fear.

Angell's slow approach shocked him into action. "Aberration! CONSUME HER!" Immediately, Geminadi felt what remained of his mana flow forcibly removed from his body. Of course! It was her enchantment! He had seen it before. Why had he been so panicked as to fall strait into an attack?

But it was too late, his Aberration was committed to it's order. It charged at Angell who simply lifted her index finger and pointed at it and said, "Divine Verdict." Instantly his creature fell away to a pile of gray ashes, that Angell crunched under her boots as she advanced. And now exhausted and thoroughly drained of mana, Geminadi crumpled to his knees in defeat.

His whole vision now was taken up by Angell; burning as bright as all the suns of eternity before him. Her eyes were locked on his, so full of a silently conveyed satisfaction that said, 'Even on your knees, you are barely worth being in my presence' She reached her right out away from her, the palm upwards, as though beckoning something by sheer force of her awesome will. And with a singing shriek, her sword flew across the battlefield and into her outstretched hand. She placed the edge of it's blade against Geminadi's neck and said, "I don't know much about who you are, but being a member of the black order, you will be made an example of." She raised the blade and made to reap his head. And it was here did Geminadi think, and not for the first time, that he had never seen anything, or anyone, so beautiful in his life before.

...

I felt the spark before I saw it's owner. I was in mid swing as I made to cut Geminadi's head off, when the full force of the blow sent me flying backwards. Avidoz had appeared from the aether, and if I were to hazard a guess, I would venture that he was not happy right now.

He lowered his scythe along his body as he regarded Geminadi. "You were useless to me after all," he spat at him. "This battle is not over yet. Raise yourself now or I will kill you were you lie."

Geminadi looked to Avidoz blankly, and then his head slowly swiveled to look at me. I looked deep into his eyes from where I stood an I saw something there, something I never thought I would see in a planeswalker's eyes. It wasn't just defeat, it was also a kind of morbidly appreciative surrender. It was as though all the fight had been taken out of him, but for some reason, it made him happy. "No," he said simply.

"What did you say?" The utterly surprised disbelief that could not be seen on Avidoz's face shone through his voice instead.

"I met Angell in legitimate combat, and was defeated fairly. She holds the only command on my life as of now."

"Imbecile!" Avidoz cried. "If you're so set on dying, then JUST DIE ALREADY!" And in a motion quicker than what I thought he was capable of, Avidoz raised his scythe and sliced Geminadi's head clean off. There was no blood spray, but instead, a brilliant sort of black light enveloped his body. His entire person was gone before he could slump to the ground.

I certainly was not remorseful for Geminadi, as I was planning on killing him myself, but Avidoz's decision certainly surprised me. "I really must thank you, Avidoz," I said to him. "You just make this easier and easier for me; the black order murdering each other?" I pointed my sword at Saints, who Avidoz had yet to even notice until now. "I suppose you will be wanting to lop his head off next?"

"Weakness, even among our own ranks, cannot be tolerated," he said back to me. "And our little saint here, is far too useful to off with such disdain."

"Useful, huh?" Saints said. "That's funny. Even if you wanted to off me, you and I both know that you lack the...fortitude to do so. Angell, on the other hand..." Saints looked to me with a barely concealed battle lust that once again caused my spark to ignite.

"Which is exactly what I am counting on," Avidoz said. He lifted his sight to the horizon and was quiet for a moment. "Even from here, I can sense the collection of her little toys, lined up so nicely just to be knocked down again.

I knew what he meant. The force of peace keepers that stood ready in Lu-Restia. "If you think-"

"It's not about what I think," Avidoz cut in. "It's about what I know. And we happen to both know that, while their numbers are indeed impressive, they have no chance against what's coming to them. And while I move on the city, you will be too lost in your own personal battle of superiority here to do much about it. But only time will tell, little angel, if you are willing to prove me wrong." And without another word, he departed through the aether stream.

"Nice speech," Saints said. "And you know he's right."

I shook my head. "No. My soldiers will be ready for him, and anything else he can bring."

"Not about them," Saints said. "He's right about us."

Of course he was. Nothing inside me could deny it. There was nothing that could tear me away from the battle we were to fight in our destinies. Although I felt this way, I refused to let Saints have the satisfaction. "And what makes you think Avidoz is the final word on anything?"

"Still playing superiority games," Saints huffed. He began to pace in a thoughtful circle. "Someone told me something a short time ago. She said the balance of the world is changing, and she's right. I think it's changing in your favor. You may be more powerful than me, and even then, you still can't kill me."

"I beg to differ," I said. While my whole focus was on Saints, I could suddenly feel Wylis on the edge of my perception. He was free from Geminadi's binding and had drawn close enough to overhear what we were saying.

"Think about it," Saints continued. All the meetings we had; all those chances to kill one another, and we still couldn't manage it. It's because we're missing something, I can feel it."

I did not want to outright agree with him, but something in the bottom of my soul knew he was right. But, of course, whatever piece of this cosmic puzzle we both happened to be lacking was something that was beyond his recognition, and obviously mine as well.

"She also told me that the black and white suns are nearer than they've ever been, and I can feel that, right about here." He pointed to a spot on his chest right above his heart. He made a face and lowered his pointed finger to just over his stomach. "Or here. Wherever the hell your soul happens to be."

"And just how do you know any of this for certain?" I responded. "Maybe this person of yours is wrong."

"Oh, no, she's never wrong," Saints said comically. "Her facts are always either exaggerated or untrue, but she's never wrong, no, no."

"So why are you telling me any of this?" I said sharply. I had the feeling he had a point to make, but he was in no rush to make it.

"Because I think things are finally coming to head here between us, Angell. All the signs are there; the waning economy; all time high murder rate; strife in the middle east..." he trailed off with a pleasantly confused look on his face, "Wait a minute..."

Apparently, despite the inevitable cadenza of our battle, he still had a sense of humor. I did not share the sentiment. I pointed Kenziner at him, "So what you are saying is, if we had it out right here, neither of us would come to harm?"

"Precisely," Saints said. "That's the way it's worked so far. I think it's up to the zeniths; they will tell us when the time has come, so until then..." Saints held his arms out and took a lay step backwards, and then was gone in the aether.

Wylis finally joined my side as I remained in a deep-seated silence. "Angell," he said. "Do you think that could be true, what he said?"

"It is, more than likely," I said back. I looked to his face, so full of the kind of concern that only shows itself to those you most care about. "Wylis, I'm so sorry."

"For what?" he said.

"For the way I treated you earlier; just brushing you aside like that..."

"It's fine, really," he said back. "When that happens, I know it's just your spark working as it would." He drew me into an embrace and I buried my head in his leather-clad chest. "It's not like you can control it, and besides, you're the greatest hope of Terra-Fausta; we need a gal with a little fire."

I lifted my head to look into his eyes. The way he looked back at me; filled with love, concern, and trust. I know he would be there for me no matter when or where, and I was never going to cast him aside again. I framed his face with my hands and pulled him down to kiss me. It was the kind of kiss that let him know that I wanted him forever, but maybe, given our lives, we didn't have forever. So forever was going to just have to be this finite moment. I pulled away from him. "I love you, Wylis."

"And I love you, Angell," he said. His eyes were were so full of that dreamy quality that only could bring out of him. My heart raced knowing that he only looked at me like that. But then, very slowly, another look came into his eyes. "You're going after him, aren't you?" I'm sure it was Saints he meant.

I nodded slowly. "I have to," I said.

Wylis turned to the horizon; the direction of Lu-Restia. "Fine. I'll remain here and aid the mage-knights against Avidoz." He turned back to me."You're going to be okay, right? "

"Of course I am," I said. "I've got you to come back to."

Wylis beamed from ear to ear as he kissed me again. It was a lingering pressure that spoke of parting and the hope of reuniting. He pulled away from me and said, "Well, better get going then..."

"Please be careful, Wylis," I said.

"And you, great angel." He turned quickly and dashed back to the city.

I watched him as he faded in the distance, hoping against all hope that fate would not take him away from me. And as for my well being, I had no doubt in my mind that I could fell Saints. But everything he said still lingered in my head. Just what was it we were missing? Just how close were we to finding the zeniths? And what would happen afterward? Saints may have had all of the questions, but he had none of the answers. And neither did I. The best and only way to maybe get them, was to follow Saints through the aether. I sharpened my focus, and was lost again through the flow of time.

*End of Chapter 21*

A/N: Ah, yes, June; Juni, as they call it in Deutschland. Month of my birth( the 12th. I'll be twenty-six, older than fucking dirt). No better time for an update, eh? Another thanks to the guests and members that took (and will take) the time to give my story a read. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to reading the city of lost souls, Mortal Instruments FTW!