Twap.
"Oh, that's gonna sting," Zevian commented beside me. The combat between Nevan and a senior fire elemental had started. I might not have any knowledge about power struggles, but thanks to my diploma in watching movies, I could tell Nevan had improved significantly. His precision and attacks had an aesthetic quality to them that made it charming to watch; even his flames were now much stronger.
"The kid's gotten strong," Zevian said, "he's fast and precise. If it were any other person they'd have been badly injured by now"
"Wow…he's stronger than the senior" I excitedly piped
"You misunderstood, if it were any other person taking the hits your little friend's taking they'd be badly injured by now"
My smile faded.
I looked again, really taking a close look this time.
Nevan wasn't blocking every move; in fact, he was getting hit by every flame, but he still kept moving. He took a hit straight to his ribs and he still didn't move back. He should have staggered or taken a moment before moving again, but he kept moving.
Throwing flames that stood no chance against his opponent, even his close-range hits started to look pathetic.
"He's going to get himself hurt" I whispered.
"If he was going to get hurt, it'd have happened by now" Zevian maintained, his eyes following every move.
Nevan wasn't backing down. The senior showed no signs of making this easy for him.
Was he trying to prove himself or was he just being plain foolish?
That question was easily answered when he charged at the senior.
The hit was quick, fire crashing against fire, the heat from the flames running in every direction in the arena. Their figures were hidden in the flames. As the flames receded leaving the smoke, I saw the senior. He was…panting?
Could it be exhaustion or the smoke?
Everyone watched. The flames were gone now, only smoke remained. There, in the middle of the smoke, Nevan's figure stood crookedly. The smoke cleared up, and Nevan didn't look like Nevan anymore. At least not the Nevan I know.
His pupils glowed a bright amber, as fire danced behind them. His face was charred, his clothes had been burnt leaving only pieces that clung to his skin. His skin looked unreal, with veins that glowed faintly molten gold.
"Something's wrong" my heart rocked against my chest violently. The air…it reeked of sulphur, thick and rotten.
"What … is he?" Zevian questioned.
"I don't… know," I stammered, trying to breathe through the smell.
"What do you…how can you not know?"
"He's supposed to be a fire elemental…I don't know what exactly he is" I expressed.
"Fire elementals don't smell like sulphur," Zevian murmured, his gaze locked on Nevan.
Whatever was happening was not good and I confirmed that when I caught the senior taking a step back.
Nevan raised his head slowly, like he didn't have enough strength to hold it up. His hands cracked in flames. The smell thickened, gripping my throat.
"That's not normal fire" Zevian straightened, instantly locking into defense mode.
Nevan moved, crossing the distance between himself and the senior in a blink. His hand slammed against the senior's chest, there was no preparatory warning. Just violent force, followed by the sound of something cracking. The senior flew backward, crashing into a pillar on the far end of the arena.
Zevian's jaw tightened "That's hellfire"
The senior lay motionless, and the whole arena stood still. We were still trying to process everything when Nevan started walking towards him. Slowly dragging his feet as his footprints burned into the stone of the arena floor.
"Your opponent is unable to continue, stand down. The match is over"
Lucen, the head of the House of Flame, ordered, but Nevan kept moving, paying no attention to anything other than the senior, who still hadn't moved so much as an inch.
"I said Stand down!" Lucen commanded.
Nevan still paid no attention to him. Two other senior students walked to Nevan, attempting to stop him. One of them held onto his hand, trying to stop him, but his hands went up in flames, and his screams broke through the arena. The second one made a move. Sending a fireball straight for Nevan. The fireball drew close to Nevan and then disappeared, almost as if it had been absorbed.
Nevan didn't react, he just kept walking.
Draken stood, lifting his hands
"I call upon power, and I summon it now, with this barrier, I craft a shield.
Guarded from malice, let this harm be sealed"
A huge sigil appeared, quickly forming a dome of transparent silver light around Nevan. The stone under his feet cracked as the barrier sealed shut.
For a moment Nevan stopped. Everything was quiet… but then he started walking forward. The silver light dome gleamed black, slowly melting away. The light dimmed before completely going out.
"Shit," Zevian cursed, "he burned through it.
"Contain him!!!"
Enchantress Vilora roared, and the seniors charged at Nevan, who was still making his way towards the seniors. The senior on the other hand, was conscious now but still unable to move. Four senior students from the house of shadows started chanting spells. The ground beneath Nevan liquified, and immediately his feet sank in; they hardened again, locking him in place.
He tried moving, but nothing.
He tried again, harder this time, but nothing. Realizing he was stuck, his eyes went dark. Showing no trace of light. Black smoke poured from his body, and the veins on his body glowed bolder and brighter. The sound of cracking filled the quiet and observant arena. Then another sound. Loud, violent, and strong.
The ground shook, the walls of the arena rained dust as cracks danced their way onto the pillars. The sound was deafening, carrying so much pressure. My hands flung to my ears as the sound hit violently in my ear; everyone had their hands on their ears. Even enchantress Vilora.
It wasn't human, it didn't feel human. Almost immediately, the stench of sulphur smacked my nose and then landed in the back of my throat.
The sound was coming from Nevan, a broken scream that felt haunting. It wasn't aItound anyone could familiarize themselves with.
Then he went quiet and before anyone could blink, he broke out of the ground. Stone and dust exploded outwards as his legs got their freedom.
This time, they didn't wait for orders; seniors rushed him on every side. Spells were hurried, seniors were sent flying across the arena, and some who got too close burned. Zevian moved. I didn't even realize he wasn't next to me anymore until I saw him charging at Nevan, claws ready for destruction.
He moved in faster than the others, that was his mistake. Nevan caught him by the neck mid-speed, and Zevian couldn't fight back.
Nevan's hands burned where he held Zevian.
I watched fire crawl through his fingers and sink into Zevian's flesh, burning through it.
Zevian thrashed in his grip, his claws scraped uselessly against Nevan's wrist as smoke curled from his neck.
The smell of sulphur and burnt skin danced together, as the reality that even Zevian was weak to Nevan. How can an alpha be weak against whatever Nevan was?.
"I AM ALPHA AND I COMMAND…." Nevan seemed pissed at Zevian's attempt to assert dominance. His grip tightened, burning the flesh faster. Zevian's move
ments were slowly stopping. Nevan was…killing him.
"NEVAN!!!" Zevian's body dropped.