"Any Solar manifesting the Blue Aspect of Destruction must be immediately contained and eliminated. They are a threat to the entire stability of Solus." - P.A.C.T., Article II, Section 1: "The burning Blue"
***
25th June, 197 years After the Divergence
Caerum, Capital City of the Central Dominion.
The guard's voice shattered silence of the audience chamber.
"Queen Dina!" he called, rushing inside. "There is a merchant called Thaddeus who requests an audience!"
So, the time has come.
Dina's thought began to race and her pulse quickened. "Where is the Captain of the Royal Guards?" she asked, her voice steady despite the sudden tightness in her chest.
One of the guards answered, "He left this morning, Your Majesty. He said something about an urgent task, you personally assigned to him."
I haven't spoken to him today. Where the hell is he?' she thought. So this is Thaddeus's doing?
My guardian angel has abandoned me.
"Follow the preparations I made. I will meet him in yard," Dina said, already turning away. She walked swiftly to her private room.
Stripping out of her royal gown and donning the attire of the Sentinels of the Blue Flame.
Perhaps for the last time.
It fit like a memory. The uniform consisted of close-fitting pants and a shirt trimmed with golden seams. The right sleeve bore the emblem of a blue flame. Her left arm, however, was completely bare from shoulder to wrist, as tradition among the Sentinels required, displaying the tattoo etched into her skin, Dina, her name, written from shoulder to elbow in plain black in, unadorned. Signifying her ordinary rank within the Order despite her royal title outside it.
She fastened her cloak, its back embroidered with the same flame bordered by gold and departed for the yard.
***
Thaddeus was already waiting for her.
He stood tall, clad in the same uniform. His dark hair and sharp, almost mocking eyes, shining. His tattoo running from below the elbow where his name, Thaddeus, extended by the Visionary, down his elbow. Having that second name marked him as higher in the Order's hierarchy, a stark contrast to their political relationship where she was his Queen.
"Your Majesty," Thaddeus greeted, though his tone lacked deference.
"Thaddeus," Dina acknowledged coolly. "What brings you here?"
He smiled thinly. "I've come to end the chaos you've brought to the Sentinels. We demand you step down."
"You know that won't happen," she replied determined. "Royal blood does not yield. I will not be disgrace to my house."
"Then you must obey the will of Sentinels," Thaddeus countered, his tone hardening. "Unless," his grin widened. "You rather settle it the old way." He smirked. "After all, there is no place for the weak among us."
He came for blood.
She had known this was inevitable the moment she heard his name. Did he arrange for Captain of the royal guards to be away, or was it mere coincidence? Now, she felt like she was walking to her own execution.
Thaddeus was higher in the Sentinels' hierarchy, he couldn't directly challenge her, only issue orders she had to follow or be stripped of her name, fate worse than death in the central dominion, where the Sentinels of Blue Flame held the power.
He left her with no other options, all the planning laid to waste. All the planning to defuse the situation and hopes for fixing the dichotomy between factions. She felt suffocated.
"A duel it is, then," Dina said, lifting her chin. She had done everything to buy herself time. But in the end the clash between factions appeared to be inevitable.
He nodded. "A standard rules, I presume I needn't to explain," he said smug.
Standard rules for a Sentinel duel were simple: no weapons could be brought, only the uniform was allowed. After facing each other, combat could begin after five heartbeats. The duel ended either with death, or at the mercy if granted.
Dina was confident with weapons because she spent hours training under a blademaster. Making her believe she could win if Thaddeus would be playing fair. Since he came, he must have something prepared, something that makes him completely confident that he can not lose.
They were not alone. Another Sentinel, the sole spectator, stood witness.
She looked to the spectator, waiting for signal.
He waved, the duel had begin.
Dina opened her right hand and concentrating on forming glaive out of Tenebralis. Black smoke spilled from her palm and slowly molded into the desired object.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Her heart hammered. The glaive taking form, curved, thin, sharp, one sided blade. The weapon of choice for majority of Sentinels. Quick and efficient.
Thud. Thud.
By the fifth heartbeat she sealed the glaive, ensuring it would remain stable throughout the fight.
Thaddeus preparations were slower, forcing him to dodge hers initial stab, towards his chest.
He chose for a more brutal war scythe, a weapon designed for dismembering and overpowering his enemies.
Dina struck again and again, her blade being just a blur of darkness lunging for his vitals. Relentless flurry that forced him to go on retreat and focus on defence. He even sustained few shallow cuts to his abdomen.
Then she finally found an opening. She feinted right, she slid her grip down the shaft, to quickly attack with the dull part of the weapon into his face with all the force she could muster.
Thaddeus staggered back, a sharp cry escaping him. Blood dripped from his split lip. He wiped it with the back of his hand.
"You are one hell of crazy woman," he said the words with contempt as he spat blood on the floor.
"I consider it compliment," Dina shot back.
"I am done playing, it was fun while it lasted."
Then his eyes and hair turn blue and began to glow. Blue mist started forming in his left hand.
What is that.
Dina froze. That can't be.
Shed had never seen it herself.
Is this his hidden card?
"Aspect of Destruction," she breathed, horrified. "How long have you hidden this, heretic?"
"This is no heresy," he said with triumph. "It is blessing, given to my by God."
He extended his arm towards her, and the blue mist started streaming towards her head.
She swung her glaive trying to sever the tendrils, but the mist slipped through the blade and continued moving towards head unhindered.
She tried to dodge it, but the tendrils followed her, enveloping her head in mere seconds. Dina tried to breath in, but no air entered her lungs. Her legs grew weak and started coughing trying to get some air in.
Thaddeus triumphant voice rang out, "This is what you deserve, you bitch! So much time resisting to just die like a worthless dog."
He nonchalantly approached her. She attempted to attack him with her glaive, but it lacked the speed necessary to catch him off guard. He parried her strike with an ease, and with brute force knocked the glaive out of her hand, falling to the ground.
He kicked her hard in the chest.
She collapsed to the ground, struggling to keep her eyes open. As her breath came in ragged gasps.
"Any last words?" his smile cruel, amused by his own joke.
Thaddeus gripped his scythe with both hands, keeping just small tendril connected to the blue mist enveloping Dina's head.
So this is the end
Then he swung.
The blade carved deep into the stone land where her neck had been.
"Your death is solution to all of my problems," Thaddeus muttered.
He nudged her lifeless head away with his boot, as though clearing debris from path.
Then turning to the witness. "Let the new era of the Sentinels begin!" he proclaimed. "Destiny has spoken, the torch of the future has always been mine to bear."
The witness saluted the prophet, acknowledging the verdict, his right arm slowly tracing down the tattoo on his left arm.