Barely could my glee be contained upon his words, “So be it.”

A sensuous ecstasy compared could not touch the feeling beating within my breast at that moment. The elation, excitement, delight. Many told of falling in love feeling so joyous, but I, Kamra, fell in love with the idea of combat with the legendary being before me immediately. The shaper of ourn world and potential destroyer. Such a glorious thing to see.

What honor doth the fates designed to grant me such chance? A boon? Gift? Blessing?

My body quivered. Legs struggled to hold me aright. Mine will shivered in staying my desire to begin. To cross might with might. An epic, a poem to be sung through ages bygone it would be… mine breath pulled in air, hissing, a whisper of mine mind trying to calm my nerves enough to focus.

Nary did it relieve the growing desires.

Slowly, I lowered Sandolphin and sheathed him. He would come in play later, but prudence deemed him a last resort. Powerful though he was, he drank heartily of mine blood, vanishing away great portions the longer he lay within my grasp. If I was to survive then wisdom had to guide.

“To shore take heed, Thalwesse. Let us be there,” I said. The shoreline offered boundless movements to our devices and actions. As long as angled our attacks away from village were, they would naught but suffer the casualty of fright and awe alone. The Thalwesse nodded, turning, and walked over toward his companion the Runic Warrior first. He lay his Alraune lover and Slime before the man with nary a word fore heading for the shores; vines still grasped the Alraune’s body, seemingly connecting the Thalwesse to herself.

‘Perhaps tis so?’ I asked myself in quiet contemplation. ‘Some manner of life grant…?’ Looking at the slow rise and fall of her bosom, the steadiness of her existence whilst still wounded, I knew it to be true. ‘Indeed, with such might, a connection would life indeed bless.’ A smile tugged upon me. The power… the sheer might of this god amongst men delighted me to no end.

And to see him hidden away within a fool’s weakness to then awake in such way. Glorious.

“Milady Kamra,” Lord Zankar spoke, drawing mine attention to the balding man. His voice quivered, but of excitement naught, but instead of fear, anger, horror. Mine other subjects looked the same. The soldiers, horrified, terror-filled. Nobles faired slightly better, but naught much more.

I answered simply, “Speak.” Wished not did I for idle chatter when mine duel waited.

He bowed, “Milady… we hold a higher chance of victory if naught fight alone.” Others nodded quickly, silently voicing agreement to his statement. “If Thalwesse, truly, as his powers suggest, then should not caution serve to support our numbers against-” his voice faltered and melted away, surely spying the rage dancing in mine eyes. Backed up did he, bowing deeper.

My teeth grit. Mine fangs dug into mine lip and drew blood.

Nary could I believe it! The impudence! The horrid nerve of such a suggestion delighted my wrath. Mine moment of being had presented itself to me. Offered me a chance, a delightfully dangerous combat to decide whether I claimed the right of ascension or naught… a moment given only once per an eon of existence, if that. And here they wished to take it away from me?! How easily they tugged their own subjects upon personal whims. When I did the same, they did believe they hold right to deny me mine claim? Hypocrites. Naifs! Dogs!

“Yield,” I growled to them all, turning them white as spring lilies, all falling to their knees. “Mine duel this be. Mine alone. If any doth intervene then if naught the Thalwesse punish thee, I shall… ye shall yield to the victor or shalt find thine ashes cursing this field. And to cowards wishing to flee and void thine allegiance…” mine voice grew darker, “Hades compareth righteously to heaven based upon what I would do to thee.” They shivered in fear, their voices stolen, their wills brought to heel.

With that spoken, I spun and hurried toward the shoreline where the Thalwesse waited; forcing mine gait to that of a walk to still yield an elegance despite my wish to begin. Anger waned, a dying moon against the sun, as once more delight clung to me. Childlike mirth clutched.

Twas mine moment! A battle between two deities twas to begin.

Oh, how long the walk seemed to that sandy shore!

After setting Ivy down near Macsen, I headed to the shoreline to wait for the battle. I heard one of the vampires speak to Kamra regarding the risk of going it alone. It was true. Smart, really. And yet, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the angry, biting retort and threat she replied with. She really was blinded by her desire.

As she walked over, I could tell by her struggling gait she could barely contain her anticipation.

‘Like an excited child, in a way…’ I thought to myself.

Chaos giggled and commented, ‘Like how excited you were with that staff and your magic?’

‘You mean that staff you stole, which nearly got me killed by Ivy?’ I asked dryly.

‘Well… it ended out well. If you would have had it from the get-go, you wouldn’t have run into her.’

‘Granted.’ I focused on the moment, not losing myself in any prior memories or emotions. I had a big battle ahead of me. I had a lot of power, but I was inexperienced and needed every edge I could get.

The lake water was my first thought. Though I couldn’t control it, I could wet the vines with water to help counteract spells based around fire; since fire seemed to be one of the strongest opponents of nature. My eyes swept over the reeds there. Nothing too special, nothing better than my vines. Some moss on a rock. Worthless. A few cattails waving in the wind. Worthless as well…?

I eyed the puffy white substance of the plant, the fibrous cottony thing that threatened to blow upon the wind with the slightest provocation. It gave me an idea. Glancing toward the river, I willed one of the plants to release some of its down into the wind. The white fluff obeyed, carrying by innocently, dancing upon the wind before landing a dozen yards or so away.

‘Got an idea, boya?’ Chaos asked.

‘Yeah… yeah, I do. Lots of them,’ I thought excitedly. I had forgotten about a tremendous strength of nature. Brute force had its uses. But, the seemingly more subtle aspects of nature often proved the most dangerous, and now they would serve as my weaponry.

My focus realigned with Kamra who had reached the shore. The way her hair blew in the wind streaming up from the lake was elegant, and I thought for a moment that perhaps, if things were different, we could have actually been more than enemies. But now… we were going to fight. I would defeat her. No holding back. If she died, that would be that. I would not risk victory for a pretty face; especially when Ivy and Ditto were depending on me.

“Art thou prepared?” Kamra asked. She faced me, arms parted slightly from her body, her knees crouched, muscles tensed and wired for movement.

I gulped. The intensity in her eyes was overly fearsome. With all the power I had gained, I suddenly felt nervous and unsure. I wasn’t fighting just some typical vampire.

‘Technically an Old Blood vampire. They’re like… a lot stronger than the New Bloods. Inteer was a New Blood along with all those nobles over there, in case you were wondering,’ Chaos helpfully chimed.

That made me wince a little. Kamra was going to be leagues stronger than the others then. ‘And why did you want me to fight her?’

‘Because I did.’

I bit down the string of expletives I wanted to throw at her and settled with, ‘…jerk.’

‘I try. But hey, you got me here. No worries.’

‘Yeah… no worries…’ I shook my head and focused again. Chaos wasn’t my enemy… Kamra was. I braced. Fell into the combat stance Macsen had told me about. Covered my body, save for my head, in thorny vines to create a hearty, and yet agile armor.

“I am prepared,” I replied.

Kamra nodded and announced, “Begin!” Barely had the last syllable left her lips before she vanished. Sand kicked up where her feet had been. My eyes lost her. The patches of grass around me, however, did not, as they swayed based on the wind she generated.

Left! I spun to the left and threw up a hearty shield of vines just as she crashed into me. A bright flash of white and blood. A shield, used as a battering ram. My body jolted with energy as I braced. The vines strained, snapping under the sheer, explosive might, sliding me back several feet. Before I could even think, she struck again, behind. A monstrous kick crashing. I flew forward, my feet leaving the ground.

‘Not this again!’ I threw out both my arms, launching vines into the ground and yanking myself down just as a massive crack of thunder sounded behind me. She had tried the same thing Inteer had done. No… tested. She wanted to see if I had learned.

Before I even connected with the ground, my senses shouted ‘Above!’ Throwing my momentum forward, I threw vines out again and yanked myself toward a distant spot; so quickly my neck nearly snapped from my head whipping back.

Thunder, a crash, sand flew in all directions behind me as the earth seemed to rumble.

I spun. She had formed a small crater with her diving kick. She braced, readying to come at me again. Her eyes bright.

Pulling my magic to me, as if forcing an ocean into a pool, I tensed and built up the energy as the vines continued pulling me away, zipping a dozen feet above the ground. She sprang after. Coming faster than a blink. Several barriers formed before her. Magic circles as well. They hissed, exploded, and thousands of icy shards flew toward me.

“No… now it’s my turn…” I willed my blood forward. My vines. Everything I could muster in an explosive burst. Right at her.

Angry gods screamed. Echoes boomed across the forest, trees bending away, windows shivering, the vampires and humans sliding or falling instantly from the shockwave as a mass of vines mixed with a black and white poured out of my hands.

The force nearly killed me right there. Everything spun as I flew backward. A hundred yards at least, nearly all the way to the clearing’s edge. I hit the ground, gasping.

The vines helped me stand.

Taking a quick breath, I looked at where Kamra had been. She was gone… no, I spotted her on the far side of the lake, barriers surrounding her, standing within a massive trail of trees ripped clean of the earth and tossed like building-blocks a mile away. A wide canal stretched from where I had fired to the distant pile of trees nestled deep within the forest.

“Well, I’d say that was pret-” I didn’t finish. Lightning struck from above. Bolts, hundreds, spearing through the sky and down at me. I reeled backward, weaving to and fro, the vines snapping my body about like a twig in a tornado, just barely evading the torrent. Lights flashed in my eyes; I closed them, feeling through the plants. Not thinking. Just doing.

Thunder roared. Rumbling thuds formed a cacophony as lightning struck all around me. Sand and earth bounced up. Scorches tainted the ground and filled the air with the scent of burning. Heat seared the plants. Lightly burned my hair and nose. Through my eyelids I could see the blinding flashes with half second tempos.

Movement. A shadow. Kamra launched for me again. The lightning continued, keeping me dodging incessantly.

I could feel her energy. Her presence. It grew, stronger, harsher, closer, Mana pouring into her while she prepared another spell. She maintained the current one. A breath away, coming fast. Midair.

Defend! I pulled myself down, curling fetal like a child. Nature held me to her bosom. Thousands of plants rolled around me. Faster and faster, quicker than the lightning could burn through. Sound muted. The thunder grew distant, replaced by the shuffles of the plants, building till a thick sphere protected me.

Till Kamra hit.

I heard the crash. The rumble shivering through the plants. They disintegrated as waves of heat washed over them. Ripped them from me. I sprung back and out of the sphere just as Kamra crashed through and into the center, turning the globe of plants to glowing embers and darkened ash exploding into the sky; ash fell like snow. Without a moment’s hesitation, she leapt up after me. Her nails glowed purple light and traced neon trails.

My arm tossed out toward the lake and swept in. Denizens of the lake, plants of all shapes and colors burst from the waves and slashed at her in blades, each the height of a three-story building and still paper thin. Moving in wicked blurs.

She crossed her arms just in time. Barriers formed around her. The first blade cut into the barrier, not getting through, but tossing her back. I angled another coming from the way she was going, using her momentum against her, striking with added force, smashing, tossing her back forward. I poured myself into the assault. Up, down, north, south, east, west, I slashed and batted her in every possible direction with the relentless attack. She bounced like a pinball trapped within a haywire machine; her barriers wavering and cracking under the onslaught.

I angled all the blades. Tossed her up. Readied to come at her from all sides at once and finish it.

But she had no intention of waiting. The moment I wasted preparing was the moment she countered.

Lightning. Wind. Ice. Everything poured at me, forcing me to shield myself from all directions. As quickly as I summoned vines to block me, more attacks Mist swept over the lake. It froze it. Froze over the plants. Slew them.

“Let thine horrors smear mine foe’s blood upon thine eternal grasp,” she shouted. I had time to just glance at her. A spell. Her dagger held high. A bloody gate of flesh opened up in the sky, shattering in a swirling whirlpool of blood. Hands burst threw themselves at me. Gnarly, long, wretched husks stretching from the sky and diving. Hundreds.

I yanked myself backward, keeping my height, but they followed, each starved hand snapping open and closed as if a jaw; their claws as teeth, cackling in unison.

Panic hit me. I dodged again, faster, but still they came. Kamra began casting another spell while I yanked myself over the trees using stronger vines, trying to outrun the menacing attack. But, the bloody pool that sustained them followed, keeping the vile things constantly there. And gaining.

Trees leapt up to block them. Woven walls of thick wood. As if chainsaws the hands shredded their way through, tossing up sawdust, splinters, leaves, twigs.

It gave me an idea. I threw my hands forward. Trees obeyed, growing and launching at the blood portal, becoming my wooden missiles. But as they passed me, I clicked my fingers and ignited their leaves with Combustion, turning them into infernos instantly. The hands reeled back. Horrid screeches filled the air while they the shredded through the trees. Many of the hands were on fire. Turning black. Wilting.

Emboldened, I lifted up cattails. Thousands of them grew within the forest, all at once, instantly. I ignited the trees above, aimed, and fired the tiny plants through the flames. They turned to burning missiles, screaming through the air, filling it with fiery arcs too small for the hands to shred. Those they blocked burst into puffs of burning fluff which only killed the things all the quicker.

Tortured wails erupted. Agonized screams. The blackened hands quickly pulled back into the portal, vanishing as the blood dissipated and fell to the earth in crimson rain.

I gasped, tiring. Though I had swaths of energy and seemingly limitless power, the constant focus and connection to so many plants began to hurt my head. My muscles were aching. I was still undamaged… but dang was I growing weary.

“Now… what’s next?” I turned to look at Kamra. She was still casting. I shuddered as I spied what she was doing. The dagger held above the lake, dozens of spinning magic circles forming a complex mechanism as if the innards of a clock, all over waves turned to blood.