Twisted Expectations

In their part of the field, Chariton and Eudokia squared off. Eudokia revealed her Field first, with the snow Field and her simple sword and chain-attached chakram. Stretching again, Chariton didn’t appear to be taking things too seriously and the hints of fear disappeared from him. After he finished, he fixed his sights on her. An eyebrow rose for him as he caught sight of her. “I don’t remember you using a snow Field or wearing something so foreign before.”

Eudokia narrowed her eyes at Chariton. Her hand tightened around the hilt of the sword. “I don’t remember anything about you. And I don’t expect to after this fight.” She threw out the chakram as he activated his power.

The ripple through the earth revealed massive mushrooms, floating trees and upside down flowers with their roots exposed, as though reverse planted. Chariton stepped out from around the large trunk of a mushroom with the chakram caught on a wooden pole. As he stepped out more, it was revealed to be an ordinary broom in his hands. “Hopefully, I leave a little more of a lasting impression on you.”

Fading into the air, Eudokia’s chakram returned to her hand. “I find that unlikely, you’re still just a Second Lieutenant.” She saw his military badge, confirming his rank for her. “It only takes a little bit of effort to get the first promotion. You’re still just as unmemorable as before.” All MP users out of the academy held the rank of Second Lieutenant, their special status granted them a higher rank than the standard soldier.

Rather than getting upset, Chariton only shrugged to her. “I don’t really care about those sorts of things. It’s not like it means much for us. We’re stuck here for life. The only thing of interest is when we get to use our powers.”

“Sounds like something someone who's given up would say.”

“Coming from someone from the privileged upper class, it sounds condescending.”

Grinning a little, Eudokia noticed his attitude changing. “Braver with your words now. No longer concerned over the difference in our positions?”

“You don’t have a position, if you’re part of the rebels. You’re just a traitor.”

“Figured as much, the council isn’t saying anything to you down here.” Reaffirming her stance, Eudokia leveled her sword at Chariton. “Means if you’re all dead none of this will get back to them.” Her eyes sharpened to deadly forms.

Chapter 193 – Twisted Expectations

‘Council? What’s she going on about?’ thought Chariton. He tightened his grip on his broom handle to be ready for whatever she planned. ‘Is there something going on that I’m not aware about? Does Vangelis know?’

Snow mounded up suddenly in Eudokia’s Field creating a small hill for Eudokia. She ran up along the rising surface as it continued to grow until she disappeared. Moments later, she appeared arriving at the top. Chariton narrowed his eyes a little bothered by her action. He glanced around the area trying to understand her choice. ‘There!’ Hiding in the shadow of the hill, Eudokia’s chakram flew out towards him.

Twirling the broom around his fingers, it spun around in an almost unnatural manner as it never lost or gained any momentum smoothly running around his hand. When the chakram entered into his Field a sudden growth from a mushroom grotesquely stretched out to block its path. The sharp edge on the chakram wasn’t impeded by the attempt, slicing through with nearly no effort. Once it breached the fungus, Chariton leapt into action bringing the broom into his hand.

He thrust his broom into the ground, causing the earth to crack and pit a little, allowing him to fling himself into the air. Chariton landed atop the broom head, perfectly balanced. Halfway down the broom’s handle the chakram rattled caught in the open center by the broom. “Aren’t these simple tricks beneath you, Eudokia?”

“I forgot how much of a fool you were,” she retorted. However, a chain appeared from the bottom of her sword’s hilt, quickly materializing in the air and around Chariton. It closed around his arms, wrapping down to his legs until reaching the chakram, leaving it hanging. “If they’re so simple, why are you caught now?”

“You’re hardly taking this very seriously,” commented Chariton. Materializing a rolling pin in his left hand, he turned his hand slightly pressing it against the chains. The rolling pin snapped the chains around him with minimal effort. Chariton dropped back down to the ground, giving his broom a light kick to free it from the earth. Eudokia’s chakram returned to a familiar position with the broom back in hand. “No sense trying too hard right now with how you are.”

Dropping her chakram, Eudokia jumped down the hill sliding a little through the snow. Tracks lined through the pure white snow as she glided down. The longer she went the longer she seemed to be sliding until it became clear that the hill’s form changed. She kept her momentum coming straight for Chariton. Her sword came up as the distance between them closed.

The broom handle shifted down his hand a little, blocking the slash. Eudokia slid around Chariton coming back around at him. Flipping the broom around, he dropped it behind him to parry her next attack. Tiny sparks came off the clash as Eudokia sped on past him. “Putting more into this?”

Suddenly, snow started to fall in Eudokia Field as large flakes. “I’m doing what’s needed.” Snowflakes that fell nearest to Eudokia slowed down coming to a stop. They grew in size spinning in place. The terrain of the snow altered again, pushing Eudokia around towards Chariton. While she began her new approach, the now hand-sized snowflakes flew at Chariton.

Spinning the broom around his neck, he brought it back around to swipe through the air at the projectiles. A few deflected off the hard wood, while the rest imbedded into the handle. He rotated the broom around his body to build up the force as Eudokia came back. Sparks erupted from the clash of the two weapons.

Chariton pushed on through with a second broom appearing in his off hand. He thrust out at Eudokia, but she rotated around her sword to throw both weapons into his second broom, knocking it off course. She sped on through, leaving a few more snowflakes to fly at him. They easily fell away with a couple of spins of his broom. “You’re certainly making this interesting.” He grinned a little, watching her almost dance around him.

The two clashed again. Exchanging swings, neither managed to crack the other’s defense. Eudokia flung her chakram back out at him. It looked like it would be deflected, but spun around the broom’s handle. The chakram ran up the length of the broom, sparking against the surface as it came towards his exposed arm. Chariton still wore his uniform, rather than switching, a sign of his investment in the fight. Extending the broom out further, he brought the end of the handle into his hand with only a few centimeters remaining.

Switching suddenly, the broom head disappeared from the front and materialized on the back end just behind his hand. It extended up catching the chakram in the loop before it reached his arm. “Not fighting like you normally do to keep me guessing?”

“Perhaps.”

Chariton narrowed his eyes a little judging Eudokia. ‘This goes beyond just having a few different tricks. Her Law set is completely different from when she was at the South Gate. What’s going on with her?’ The change left him a little bothered, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. He still waited for her to get serious.

Returning to her side of the Field, Eudokia retrieved the chakram. The previous attacks failed. She stabbed the sword into the ground. Her Field rippled and churned up. It quickly turned into sharp points that struck out hardening into ice.

The broom passed between his hands quickly and then rolled up his arm, across his chest and back up his other arm. It left behind a trail in the air with its speed and suddenly transformed into a thick blanket. The length of the blanket stretched to reach the length of his arm span. Chariton took a hold of the corners of the blanket, turning it over quickly to wrap itself up. “Let’s go!”

Jumping back, he got a little distance as the ice spikes shot at him. He whipped the wrapped up blanket out at the first spike breaking off the tip. Dancing around the next spikes, he spun around the blanket to cleave two more spikes with one swing. Then he tossed it over his shoulder and under his arm bringing it back forward to shatter the next spike.

Chariton wielded the blanket as if it was a nunchuck, skillfully spinning around his body keeping up the speed and rotation force. Once he finished, the blanket spun around him a couple more times before wrapping around his arm. “You’re going to need something better than that, Eudokia.”

“You’ve become quite talkative.”

“And you’ve become quite feminine.”

Eudokia’s lips thinned to a line. The last comment seemed to have hit a nerve for her. Snow started to cover trees, mushrooms and flowers in Chariton’s Field as part of the disruptions along their Fields. Boiling up into a new wave, the snow lurched forward increasing in speed. She rode along the top of the mound coming after Chariton.

An offshoot from the wave broke away from the main one that Eudokia rode. It took a mirrored path to her. Along the ground ice spikes launched up at Chariton. Adding on top, the snowflakes began to grow in size once more. An all out assault looked to be the plan.

Chariton unwrapped the blanket from his arm starting his counterattack. He smashed a few of the spikes, but then left it to wrap up around two spikes. He then materialized a broom that pushed into the earth sending him into the air. It allowed him to intercept Eudokia as she came in for the first strike. After the exchange, he landed on the stretched blanket to balance on it.

The snow waves roared up into the air. They spread further, becoming loops around him. It allowed Eudokia to maintain a continuous loop jumping between each loop, as she needed. She slid around turning upside down, as she rode the loop. The new angles changed the direction of the combat. It was no longer a two-dimensional fight. All space became an area for attack.

He flipped backwards off the blanket with the aid of his broom to give him the rotation he wanted. His offhand pulled out a ladle that caught the tip of Eudokia’s sword. Chariton finished his flip landing on the ground spinning around the broom to counter the next series of sword strikes. Dancing around the confined area with Eudokia, he managed to keep up with her strikes from all directions.

Then the rest started its assault. Snowflakes flew it at him between strikes. Chariton dodged the first few by side stepping, but it lined him up for the next round from Eudokia’s sword. The broom turned into a lily pad, acting as a shield completely defusing the attack.

Spikes jumped up at him from all sides. His Field dampened their effect. He spun around his broom snapping off the ends while also working in parries to his Eudokia’s attacks. Keeping up his rotation, he deflected a few more of the snowflakes. They spun up almost sounding like metal whirring away.

The two kept up the same pace for nearly a minute with no leads made. It seemed as though neither would come out ahead. Their scene truly appeared like a savage dance. Sparks flew up with each exchange providing momentary flashes of lights over the white snow.

A slip up had to come eventually. Nothing could last in a perfect state forever between them. The first to make a mistake was Chariton. He found himself slightly further out of position than he wanted. It made it difficult for him to recover in time. Eudokia took advantage of it to make a strong strike, knocking him further out of position. The spikes came up to ruin any balance he had, while snowflakes looked to finish him off.

Chariton ground his teeth together at the sight. ‘Damn…this part is still like her, ruthless…’ The broom in his hand changed to a fan absorbing the impact of several of the snowflakes, but not all of them. One broke through his defense. He dropped his other broom, supporting him, to allow himself to fall faster. It changed enough of his direction to come away with only a thin cut across his cheek.

After everything concluded, they recovered with Chariton finding his stance quickly. He felt the drip of blood down his cheek from the wound. “I see you’re just as skilled, even if you aren’t the same.”

“You’re only good at defense. You won’t be able to do anything like that.”

Grinning a little, he made his broom disappear. “Now, you know that one of the things we’re taught is to analyze your opponent. The best method is to have a strong defense while you’re letting them do all of the attacking. It has the added benefit of expending their energy faster than your own.”

“Only in the case of opponents of equal strengths.”

He raised his hand up towards his mouth. “True, but I’ve seen enough to get a pretty good read on you.” Pressing his index finger and thumb together, he made a loop over his mouth. Chariton exhaled, blowing through the hole creating a surprising amount of bubbles. They quickly filled the air around him expanding out further.

Suddenly, all of the bubbles exploded into a mist that covered everything. It was impossible to see anything. They disappeared from the sight of the other. However, quick motions darted through the soup like air.

It ended just as quickly.

The mist disappeared sharply to reveal Eudokia hanging from the loops of snow. Wrapped around her neck, Chariton’s tightly spun blanket tied off like a noose. Chariton stood atop the loop looking down at the struggling Eudokia, her hands fighting against the blanket at her neck. She gasped for air as it tightened further. “This is going to be the end, Eudokia.” He pulled up on the end of the blanket he held. “Unless you get serious.”