38

Hund rolls his shoulders as he looks down at Eva. He glares at her silently until the sound of blades clashing rings out.

“Fake princess of Dracabana, your knight has already begun his own fight. You face me on your lonesome. Surrender peacefully and I will bring no harm to you. Our supreme commander has no desire for bloodshed. So long as the true rulers of Dracabana are returned to the throne he will let you go free. Surrender.”

“My strength is for the sake of protecting my people. If I surrender now, then what was the point?”

“Don’t confuse yourself, fake princess. There is but one option that you should take.”

“Indeed. I choose to believe in Anima, and there is no doubt that Scima will win. Again I ask: why would I surrender.” Her unwillingness to give in infuriates Hund.

“You dare reject Lord Hyrtan’s mercy! I will show you what he was sparing you from! Repent as you burn!”

Hund opens his maw wide. Flames spew out towards Eva. She holds out a hand. She cloaks it in a small barrier. The flames collide with her hand and split, leaving Eva unscathed. The fire begins to burn the grass around her. When the flames clear up and let Hund see Eva unharmed he glares at her.

“So you were able to block my flames. It matters not. This body has been trained so that I may serve my lord!”

He rushes towards Eva, practically jumping at her, his fist pulled back. He gets close to Eva and swings. He was quick enough that Eva could hardly react. Having already prepared for some kind of protracted battle between them, Eva was slow to move, doing nothing but raising an arm towards him. Hund’s fist comes down on her. It slams into the side of her arm, but though her arm is so slender, there is no noise beside the dull thud.

Eva’s skin glows at the point Hund’s fist touches her. Ethereal scales coat her arm, too hard for Hund to break. The scales disappear as Eva lowers her arm and steps away from Hund, dazed from the unknown power. He balls his fists tightly and bares his fangs at Eva.

“To think you would have the power to combat me even here! How dare you! Don’t stand in my way! I am the one who destroys the obstacles of my lord! None shall stand in his way so long as I draw breath! I am his slave, his loyal tool! How dare you deny me the pleasure of carrying out his will!”

Eva does not respond to him, even as Hund pauses to let her. She stands there poised, still possessed by a great elegance even in battle. Small fires begin to spark around her feet, another spell building. It is only when she knows she has a suitable force once more that Eva answers him.

“You live life as nothing more than an arrow loosed from Sar’s bow—” Hund makes a low growl before he begins to bark at her.

“Don’t call him by that name! He has no need of it! He is Hyrtan the Destruction, nothing else! That name is used only for the sake of furthering his goals!

Hund lunges forth in his anger, his fangs clacking against each other as he trembles. He swipes quickly with his fist as he reaches Eva. Fire bursts from the ground, blasting Hund’s wrist. He recoils from the pain, drawing his arm back as he pivots to keep himself from falling into the fire. As the fire falls away, it reveals Eva, again having made distance between them. He bares his fangs once more.

“Tell me, is your body truly still vulnerable to fire? Is it purposeful that your body will burn itself away, or is it simply a flaw in the design?”

“Don’t speak as though you understand, girl! My body cannot be mistaken! All must be right with it! Your weak flames can barely mark my skin! That I still feel pained by it is nothing more than my own weakness!”

“To have such loyal subordinates is quite the testament to Sar’s capabilities. Tell me, why do you believe in him so ardently?”

“What reason would I need! He is my lord! That alone is reason enough!”

Hund purses his lips as much as he can with his snout and begins to blow. He fires off flames concentrated in a beam. Though it begins to come apart as it moves, he still believes that it should have piercing force enough to defeat Eva in a single blow. It glows with a powerful light, radiating dense heat.

Eva is too slow to react. It strikes her at her side with a large puff of smoke. However, when the smoke clears, she is again unharmed. Her silvery dress now has a large gash where she was struck, exposing her pale skin beneath it. The edges are burnt black, yet her skin has no marks. Her magic scales had defended her.

“There is a difference between loyalty and obedience; between belief and foolishness. It is shameful to have given over all your capacity for thought to him, all the more so that you take such great pride in it. You follow him not out of his capacity to lead you, but for his authority over you. The reason you follow him is the same as what you have given him. Tell me, how do you intend to rule Dracabana?”

“What does it matter! My sole purpose is to crush my lord’s enemies! To destroy what he tells me to destroy!”

“It seems there is no hope for you. If your people appeared to be suitable as rulers, then perhaps we could settle this peacefully. Alas, to have subordinates such as this, how could they be trusted?”

Hund charges forward, flames building inside of his jaw. Eva stands there, unwavering. Her dress, the bottom still beneath her knees, begins to billow as though caught in powerful winds. However, Hund feels nothing in the air. And even as the dress billows, Eva stands there unfazed, the utmost grace about her. Hund can tell that her eyes are fixed on him. As he gets closer, he can make out the small details of her face, and he realizes that her eyes have changed. The pupils set in her bright red eyes have become slits. He can tell now that she has not been watching him warily, but glaring at him with her regal bearing.

“Kneel.”

Eva’s command is powerful. Hund can feel the words pushing down on him, crushing his spirit. He feels left with no choice but to obey. The moment she spoke, an incredible terror washed over him. It is unlike the fear he has always felt towards failure, nor is it like the fear he feels towards Hyrtan. For the tiniest moment, he felt as though death approached, and that alone was enough to bring him to his knees. He prostrates himself before Eva.

“The legacy borne by Dracabana is the legacy of dragonslayers. We carry with us great strength. Not the strength to conquer and destroy, but the strength to protect and build. We will put a stop to your rampage. I will not let you dominate our people.”

Air fills Eva’s cheeks. She blows fire from her lips. The flame engulfs Hund. It’s hot, and within seconds he has fallen unconscious. Eva stands over him, and for a moment she appears still unfazed. However, soon after, when her victory is clear, she begins to shudder. She clasps her hands against her chest and takes deep breaths. She carries overwhelming strength inside her, and though her body still cannot handle it, she has protected her kingdom.