The forest was too quiet. The air hung heavy, thick with the scent of damp leaves and iron. Even the ferals that had swarmed them moments ago left a silence that pressed in on all side. Damians shadows twitched faintly on the earth.
"Thank you Ren. You've done well leading them here, for a commoner you've made yourself useful. I'll ensure I keep my end of the deal"
Damian's gaze snapped towards Clark, his expression didn't change, although his calm face almost broke, eyes reflecting mixed emotion. Abby, on the other hand, froze. She blinked at Clark, then at Ren, as if the words themselves were a foreign language.
"W...what?, are we talking about" she asked, her tone confused. "Ren... What is he talking about?"
Ren shifted his gaze to his feet, his head ducking low like a cornered animal. His lips parted, but no words came. The guilt on his face was louder than any confession.
"... And why is Clark giving you that stare Damian..."
"Later, I'll explain later" Damian's voice cut through.
Abby looked at him, frustrated, confused but the look in his eyes told her he wouldn't answer here, that wasn't what was important right now.
Clark chuckled, stepping forward. His followers flanked him, one of them Duke, on the left. Another Luke, on the right. All three radiating smug superiority.
"Abby, as a fellow noble I'll advice you to leave. My dad owns the academy, I'll ensure you're not expelled "
"I'm going nowhere " she simply said.
"Step back Abby!!. This is between me and him!" Clark's voice sounded again
Ren stepped back instantly, retreating two steps behind one of Clark's men, as if grateful to no longer be the target. Abby did not move.
"I said no" her voice was steady. "I don't know what happened between you two, and I don't know what Ren did either. But I won't leave my friend behind, not again"
Clark's laugh boomed through the forest, harsh and grating.
"A noble standing beside a commoner? Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into? I am from the Vahlrex household, I'm not just any noble"
"Someone who needs the name of their family to stand is nothing short of pathetic" she replied "you're Clark, that's all I need to know"
The mockery drained from his face, replaced with a twitch of irritation.
His pride burned in his eyes.
"Abby" Damian said, his voice level "Are you sure you want to stay here, this really has nothing..."
"I'm staying Damian, I'm not going anywhere " her mind was made.
"How sweet, you got yourself an Ally. A noble at that"
"I guess but even I don't need an Ally to deal with trash like you" Damian said trying to rage bait and get him to make the first move "you on the other hand needed extra men to take me on, with Ren I'm guessing that's 3"
"Don't flattered yourself, I needed them to serve as witness for what I'm about to do to you. It will be so gruesome, I couldn't help but get an audience, I mean I am stronger afterall "
He wasn't falling for the bait.
"So.... You need witnesses just to convince yourself you're strong? Pathetic. Nobility like you are why Velthria rots from the inside "
"You bastard...!"
He fell for the bait.
The words hit like a slap. Clark's body tensed and his aura flared. The earth beneath his feet cracked, small shards rising as nethera swirled around him.
Before he could move, the forest erupted.
Howls-- dozen of them pierced the air. The underground shook as a pack of feral beasts burst forth, it was like a stampede. The timing was uncanny, almost cruel. They foungt as many as they could but they were so much.
The clash with Clark would have to wait.
The battle was chaos. Shadows, claws, ice, and roars blended into a storm. But in that storm, the battlefield split. The feral wolves scattered the group in their frenzy. When the dust cleared, the lines had been drawn.
Abby was forced back with Clark and Duke. Damian found himself with Luke and Ren.
Luke smirked, wind swirling faintly around him, tugging at his dark and cloak. "Guess it's just you and me, Damian. I won't go easy. It's nothing personal, Clark wants you broken, I'm just an enforcer"
Damian shadows writhed, stretching along the ground. His stance was still, his eyes unblinkingly.
The two clashed instantly. Luke's wind affinity gave him a blast in speed but damian's shadow affinity made him incredibly agile. So in terms of speed they were pretty even, same with strength. Luke darted in again, slashing a short wind blade that hummed with currents of compressed air. Damian twisted aside, his shadow tendrils snapping towards Luke about to wrap him but the wind cut through it cleanly, dispersing it like smoke.
Luke grinned "you're slippery, but shadows are just smoke. You can't cut wind. You can't win"
"I don't see what you're grinning for Or why you would come to a conclusion that I can't win, you haven't done much either"
Damian was trying to ponder ways to defeat his opponent.
The fight ranged- Luke's rapid slashes forced Damian to defend, the wind strikes were no as sharp as blades but was solid enough to cut through light substance. Damian was on the defensive. Neither gained ground. Luke's speed and rapid attacks were countered by Damian's calm precision. This fight just seemed to drag on with no side getting the upper hand.
Behind them, Ren watched, trembling. His wide eyes darted between the two, fear making his breaths short.
"Don't just stand there!" Luke shouted "help me!"
Ren flinched, then scrambled for a rock from the ground. His hands shook as he tossed it at Damian. It just rolled slowly on the ground.
Damian head turned, slowly as the Rollin rock got close to him, his eyes locking into Ren. It was cold. The look was wordless but the meaning was clear: After I'm done with him, you're next.
Ren stumbled back, palming under that gazem like cursed, angered at Ren's weakness. "Useless!"
On the other side, Abby fought with everything she had. She had to go up against both Clark and Duke. Clark was relentless, his earth affinity reinforcing his fist until every punch cracked stone. Each strike shattered her ice sword on contact, forcing her to summon blade after blade.
Her arms bled from shallow cuts, her shoulder burned from a bruise where Clark's punch had landed. Duke's water whip lashed out from the sides, distracting her, keeping her on edge.
This was a 2 on 1