"Ga... this is absolutely... ridiculous... just how many of these staircases are left?!"

"I think... ju... just... a few more..."

"How many... are a few?"

"... Eight or nine dozen."

"... Damn it..."

Caspian and Cassidy ran up another flight of stairs. He'd long since lost count of the number of stairs they'd ascended. His lungs burned from breathlessness, and his chest ached, a sharp sting that made it feel like someone was stabbing his heart with a needle. Yet he didn't stop. He couldn't stop―not when the Sorceress he'd been tasked with protecting was in danger. He had to reach Erica.

Unfortunately, Caspian's bedroom was one-hundred floors below Erica's, which meant they had to climb a lot of stairs to reach the bedchamber of their resident Sorceress.

His breathing coming out in a heavy rasp. With blood pounding in his ears, Caspian rushed up the stairs two at a time. He could only thank the Spirits for all the exercise he'd been forced to endure at the academy. He wouldn't have had the stamina to run up the stairs like this otherwise.

Although that did make him wonder about how Cassidy was keeping up with him. She was a civilian, wasn't she? Should she have this much endurance? Then again, she was also a maid in this place. She'd probably climbed these stairs so many times that her body had built up an innate immunity to stair climbing.

Before they could climb another step, a window situated to the left shattered, and a shadowed figure swooped in. Cassidy screamed and nearly fell down the stairs, but Caspian caught her and forced the girl behind him, protecting her from both the glass and the figure.

She landed lightly on her feet, her form unveiled, her long, pointed ears visible for him to see. Eyes like daggers stared at him from beneath coarse bangs of hair. It was the elf that Cassidy had knocked unconscious.

"Not you again!"

"Caspian!"

"Cassidy! Stay back!"

Caspian glared at the elf as she stood before him, his teeth gritted in annoyance. She hadn't bothered putting her mask back on, probably because he'd already seen her face. There wasn't much point.

She held her two daggers in a reverse grip, the golden pommels bathed in moonlight. Her eyes were narrowed in a fierce expression. Caspian could sense her determination and her intent. She was invoking a clear challenge to him. If he wanted to reach Erica, then he would have to go through her.

If that's how you wish to play, then fine. Challenge accepted.

"Cassidy, please get to safety."

"What?"

"Go now! Run to safety!"

Caspian rushed up the stairs, while the elf rushed down the stairs at the same time. They met in a whirlwind of blades. Steel clashed against steel. Sparks flew as their weapons ground against each other. Crescent arcs were cut through the air in intricate patterns as the two danced a waltz of death.

Caspian did the best he could against the two daggers lashing at him from all sides. He angled his sword just as one dagger came at him from above. The smaller blade ground along the edge of his larger sword, then slid off. Caspian then twisted his blade until the tip pointed towards the ground. Clang! Sword met dagger in a fierce confrontation of sparks.

While at first they almost appeared even, it became clear after another moment that the elf still had an advantage over him. She might have held an even bigger advantage than before because of all the running he'd been doing. He was tired from running up those stairs, and she looked fresh-except for the large bump on the back of her head from where Cassidy had hit her.

He backtrack, moving down the flight of stairs. The woman tailed him, her relentless attacks making it hard for him to concentrate. Yet he still tried. Even as he fought with everything he had, Caspian scanned his surroundings, searching for something that would allow him to retreat. He couldn't continue to fight here, not on these stairs. He needed a place to make a good stand. A flat, open space would work best. While it would also give his adversary more room to maneuver, it would give him a greater deal of options.

The female elf came at him again, her eyes glinting with her intent to end him. The weapons in her hands crackled with electricity. Every time she swung, arcs of pale blue lightning created patterns in the air, weaving together in a seamless concert of death.

Caspian did his best to dodge the attacks instead of blocking them. A hiss escaped his lips when she sliced into his chest, which crossed the scar she'd already made. Smoke poured from the wound as several hundred volts of electricity burnt and cauterized it. He did his best to ignore the damage done to his body―it was cosmetic anyway―and focused the entirety of his attention on avoiding more attacks.

A desperate glance at his surroundings revealed a painting on his left. Upon dodging the next strike, Caspian spun towards the painting. His fingers wrapped around it before he ripped it off the wall and tossed it at the elf. The surprise attack was not as effective as it might have been during their last bout; she had obviously learned her lesson, and the painting was sliced apart before it could actually smack her. But the attack was enough of a distraction that Caspian was able to turn tail and run down the steps four at a time. Along the way, he noticed that Cassidy had not done as he'd asked, and he grabbed her hand as he ran past her, dragging her down the stairs with him.

"Caspian, what are you―"

"Don't talk! Just run!"

They reached the bottom of the stairs. The stairway opened into a foyer; a large, open space with more staircases, one in each of the four corners that led either up or down. There were also several pieces of artwork, including a number of statues of Erica.

By the Spirits, can that woman be any more vain?

"Leave this area and find a safe place to stay, Cassidy," Caspian commanded of the girl.

"But―"

"No buts! This isn't the time to argue with me! I can't fight that elf and protect you at the same time! Now get going!"

Cassidy flinched at the harshness in his voice, but she quickly ran off. Caspian felt guilty for snapping at her, but this really was for her own good. He would apologize after all this was over. If he lived that long.

As the young maid disappeared into another stairway, Caspian ran towards the nearest bust. He was just about to pick it up and use it as a throwing weapon, when something broke through the wall--a thick wooden branch, which struck him across the face. Yelping, Caspian was spun like a top from the force of the blow. He crashed to the floor in a heap, groaning, the fierce sting of pain making his head spin. That had really hurt. Who knew plants could hit so hard?

He didn't have much time to complain. Less than a second after hitting the ground, the plant tried to smash him flat. He rolled out of the way. The plant came down, striking the stone floor, which shattered under the assault and caused large cracks to spread out from the point of impact.

Caspian gulped.

Note to self: Do not get hit by that.

Rolling again, Caspian avoided getting squashed by another branch that burst forth from the floor. Stone shards exploded outward from where the branch struck, several of which cut into his skin and became embedded into his flesh. Blood poured from the wounds, tiny rivulets that trailed down his body. They stung, but he couldn't let them get to him, not when his life was on the line.

The two branches attacked him in concert. Caspian wove through the hail of wooden branches as they lashed at him like angry vipers. The wall dented as a branch slammed into it. The floor split apart when it was struck in place of Caspian.

Over and over the branches attacked him. Over and over he dodged. His breathing was ragged. His chest was burning. Acid dripped down his lungs as he forced his body to move past his exhaustion, pushing himself beyond human limitations. Caspian could feel himself tiring as the battle continued. If this kept up, then he'd surely die!

What is going on here?!

Caspian didn't understand how the elf was doing this. He knew that she could use Nature Magic, but even that had its limits. Generating lightning was one thing. Creating a plant from nothing was something else entirely.

Just how much magic does this woman have?!

Yelping as a branch slammed into his shoulder, Caspian tumbled to the ground. He bit back a scream as his shoulder was wrenched out of its socket. He gnashed his teeth together and snapped it back into place, holding back tears of pain.

The branches tried to crush him. Rolling along the floor, Caspian slapped his right hand against the ground, launching himself into the air. He landed back on his feet and was just in time to see one of the branches coming at him again.

Now that the shock had worn off, he was ready for the next attack. When the branch tried to smash him into the ground, he took exactly two steps to the left, then brought his sword up in a swift slash that sliced straight through it. With the branch now cut, the magic that had been holding its consistency and shape together dispersed, and the piece of flora dissolved into white particles of mana.

Knowing better than to remain idle, Caspian quickly attacked the second branch, splitting it apart with an overhand slash. As that branch also proceeded to disperse, the elf who'd created both pieces of magic launched herself down the stairs and into the foyer. She landed in a crouch, then slowly stood to her feet. Her eyes never left his.

"Why are you doing this?" Caspian demanded. A short pause ensued after his question. The woman tilted her head.

"Because I have no other choice," she said. Her voice sounded familiar to him. It was rough and coarse. Where had he heard that voice before?

"But why?" Caspian insisted. "The war ended centuries ago. There's no more need for you to fight like this."

"The war did indeed end long ago," she agreed. "Which is why I am not doing this as a continuation of the war we waged. It is just as I have told you; I am doing this because I must. Please know that I bear no ill-will toward you, or even that Sorceress you protect. This is merely a job."

"A job?" So, that meant this woman was being paid to kill them? That meant she was on somebody's payroll! "Then who hired you?"

"I am sorry," the woman apologized, "but the time for questions is over."

Caspian's eyes widened. "Wait!"

She didn't wait, however. The woman barreled toward him, coming in with a series of lightning swift slashes and thrusts, forcing Caspian to move lest he be skewered. He angled his blade to deflect the woman's relentless assault. They came in from different directions and at different angles. Her blades moved so quickly it seemed like there were more than just two of them.

By now, Caspian had gotten a good grip on her technique, and he could therefore avoid her strikes by predicting the pattern with which she would attack in. A swift thrust was dodged by moving to the left. A slash aimed at his throat was evaded when he threw himself into a backwards roll. Kipping back to his feet, Caspian grabbed the nearby bust of Erica and chucked it at the deadly femme. The statue was destroyed when a lightning coated dagger sliced it in half with almost impetuous ease. Not one to be deterred, he rushed forward, his blade coming to bare down on the elven female.

His overhead strike was deftly avoided when the woman threw herself to the right. Caspian followed, pursuing swiftly and lashing out with several more quick slashes that almost came close to hitting their mark, cutting into her clothing but not her skin. In return, the elf woman was forced to continue dodging, avoiding the blows by utilizing her speed advantage.

As the fight continued, Caspian's eyes narrowed.

Why isn't she using her magic anymore?

Deciding to test a theory that popped into his head, Caspian continued pressing his advantage. He carefully observed how she would evade his strikes. She wasn't relying on blocking, which would have been foolish because of the difference in strength between them and the weight of their weapons. Instead, she continued doing her best not to avoid them entirely, weaving around his strikes like flowing water around a large boulder.

Finally, a small reprieve in Caspian's attack combinations allowed her to redirect his sword with her dagger and slip into his guard. Rather than allow himself to be knocked off balance, Caspian spun around and attacked from the other side. His swing was dodged, the elf leaping backwards, putting several feet of distance between them.

By now, they were both breathing heavily. Caspian tried to blink away the sweat that threatened to get in his eyes. He dared not look away, however, for fear that even a second's distraction would leave him open to retaliation. In return, the elven assassin stared at him with a hard look, her shoulders and chest heaving as she sucked in several deep breaths. Sweat beaded along her forehead, trailing a wet path down her face. She was clearly tiring.

"You're almost out of magic, aren't you?" Caspian knew he'd hit the nail on the head when the assassin flinched. "Look, why don't we just call it quits? Stop trying to kill Erica and surrender. If you do that, I'm sure I can guarantee you some form of safety."

For a long second the woman stood there, not speaking, not moving. Her eyes were staring at him like he'd said something incomprehensible. If he were honest with himself, it was more than a little unnerving.

"I can sense that your intentions are pure and that you truly mean what you say," she said. "However, while you might truly mean what you say, I doubt your Sorceress will be as agreeable. Even if she does agree to not kill us, what makes you think the Sorceress Council will be as lenient?"

Caspian remained silent. He did not know how to answer that.

"You seem to be a well-intentioned young man, but you're too naïve. You do not understand the way this world works. Humans and elves can never get along. We've always been at odds with one another. Elves believe in harmony and union with nature. Humans do not, and their inborn greed and desire to control will always conflict with our desire."

Caspian clenched his fists and grit his teeth. "Who are you to say that humans and elves can't get along? You might be right when you say that humans and elves are different, but that doesn't mean anything. If it did, then half-elves wouldn't exist. The very existence of half-elves must mean that there are some people out there who are willing to put aside their differences and learn from each other."

The woman stared at him for a moment before smiling. "I understand now. I understand the reason you are so different from the others." Caspian flinched. Had he said too much? "You may be correct, to an extent, but it doesn't change the fact that most people do not share your beliefs. Perhaps they will come to your way of thinking in time, but not now, not in this day and age. In either event, I believe it is time we ended this battle. Dranor should be finishing off Erica Angelo right about now."

Caspian's eyes widened.

"No!"

"Farewell, young one."