"Dedicated to A.C. SUTLIFF who challenged me to try my hand at an action-fantasy piece. Hope you enjoy it!"

Rhohandril's glowing eyes squinted into the darkness that had suddenly overcome Second Quarter City. The wild wind rushed at him with the rage of a man wishing to strike him where he stood, but he remained unmoved; his entire aura gave off the determination and alertness of his stance and his sixty-foot post on the Second Quarter Tower entitled him a full view of the city.

He spoke into the silence from the shadows.

"Where are you?"

A tiny glimmer from the wicked black skies made him switch his position with neck-breaking speed just as a purplish-black blaze shot at the place he'd been standing mere seconds ago, sending the ancient, stained window shattering to bits. With his cloak, he shielded himself from the fragments of glass and splashes of the poisonous liquid that chewed out the floor and whatever it came into contact with. In his peripheral vision, he noted movement and, with an elegant twist of his body, dodged a silver dagger that reflected the cruel gleam of the moon's face which had peeped out from behind the blanket of clouds. Two steps back and a half turn brought him face to face with the mysterious individual. The hooded figure lashed out again, missing his throat by an inch. Rhohandril blocked and evaded each attack with calm and precise movements and the two shadows danced upon the walls as the storm slashed the sky with electric blades of lightning.

"Enough!" Rhohandril said, and with a sharp flick of his wrist, the enemy shot across the room, his dagger making a deathly screech as it slid across the floor.

Rhohandril straightened, placing his hands behind his back authoritatively.

"Show yourself."

The form huddled on the floor let out a soft chuckle. The figure snapped their fingers and purplish-black fire shot up from the floor, creating a circle around them. Now on his feet, his outward appearance started peeling away; the long, gnarled fingers became smooth and slender, the dark hood crimpled and curled like paper near fire, revealing a young, feminine face with eyes that flickered and flashed like the flames surrounding her.

"Hello, dear," she said, wearing a malicious grin.

"Rhohannas--?" An energy bolt caught him by surprise and sent him flying across the polished stone floors. Interlacing his fingers, he balanced himself and regained his footing at the very edge of the blown in stained glass. Caught by unawares, an invisible blow sent him falling over the edge. She jumped after him and they battled one another, the wind screaming in their ears and the thunder clashing against the sky's grim pallor.

At forty feet, Rhohandril, with his index and middle finger, drew a circle in the air and cast it down with his palm. The two landed on the illusion floor, which vibrated and glowed blue with every forceful impact. With precise alacrity, he placed his palm on the glowing circle beneath him, turned his wrist and cast another to his right, then his left. The additional glowing spheres vibrated and expanded, stretching to conjoin with the others he cast.

"Your spells can no longer contain me, Rhohandril," the woman said with a sneer. "I'm free of the Olocost magic." She turned her head, revealing snake-like veins that moved just beneath the skin of her neck, creating an almost polygonal shape. A glowing red S whose head resembled that of a serpent centered the polygon, which gave her skin a deadly gray colour.

"What have they done to you?" Rhohandril breathed with a mixture of pity and rage.

Rhohannas gritted her perfectly straight teeth while her eyes laughed coldly.

"They saved me!" and she thrust out her hands, shooting a bolt of fire in his wake. He clenched his fists and crossed his wrists, creating an invisible shield which her flames could not penetrate, but he was using too much energy. His power was being drained, as if her very presence was feeding off of him. Her laughter pulled him from his inner thoughts.

"I never wanted this, Andril. But these are desperate times." She lowered her hands, letting the blaze die out. "I need the crescent."

Rhohandril tensed, consciously aware of the cool white star gem against his chest. With the crescent in her hands, he knew the havoc she and the Vorclusts could wreak upon the world. And with such power, everything he knew would enter absolute oblivion.

"I cannot let you have it, Annas," he said firmly, addressing her by the informal name. "Such power in your hands can only lead to destruction."

She smiled softly, almost genuinely.

"I know." And with a venomous battle cry, she charged at him and he, determined to push aside every fond memory of her, rushed to meet her with all the willpower he had left. The walls flashed and shook with each blow. It was impossible to see the city through the blackened mist that now swirled below.

"Rhohannas, end this!" Rhohandril demanded as he glimpsed the mist below that grew into a violent whirlpool.

"Give me the crescent."

"You know I cannot. What can you gain from this madness! What? Tell me!"

Suddenly, her eyes lost their fire, replaced by grief, sorrow, and pity. He felt her energy, the pain and everything that had once been familiar to him.

"My son."

"Rhohannas--"

"They took everything from me!" he evaded a blow. "My husband!" She threw a fireball. "My son!" her rage made her more powerful, and the poisonous blob she'd created nearly caught him. "Even you turned your back on me for the Ocolust, bounding me, your own sister, in the maze of illusions!"

Rhohandril answered what he'd told himself every day since. "It was for your own good."

"My own good?!" And she let out a maniacal laugh that repulsed him. The insanity he witnessed in her eyes filled him with anguish and remorse.

"Look at me, Andril!" all the colour had drained from her skin, leaving a beautifully mad corpse whose blackened veins flowed like poisonous rivers along her exposed skin. The symbol of the Vorclust glared at him.

"Tell me, brother... what good has it done me?"

Rhohandril took a resolute step towards her. "Let this end, Annas," he reached out and cupped her cheek, which felt like ice beneath his skin. "And come home." She stiffened, then for a fleeting minute she pressed her face into his palm and the black tears poured unashamedly from her eyes. But suddenly she shook herself and pulled away as though she'd been burned. She laughed, letting the tears flow, and her laughter turned to cries, then to laughter again and she fell to her knees and sobbed wretchedly.

"Forgive me, Andril, but I must go on."

The barrier walls shook and cracked and Rhohandril did not notice his sister's crazed eyes until she snatched the crescent from his neck just as the floor broke. She cast the glowing amulet into the darkness below.

"No!" and summoning his deepest powers, Rhohandril cast the spell he had never hoped to use: the soul catcher.

"Ahhh!" Rhohannas' scream shook the city and unfathomable creatures appeared from the sky swooping down and trying to carry her off, but the protection veil Rhohandril created around her made them pop and splatter whenever they touched it. His sister contorted her body, her eyes blackened as the purplish-black dust drifted from her.

"Forgive me, Sister." And opening a second amulet around his neck, he made a faint gesture, causing the soul essence of Rhohannas to enter its new chamber of captivity. With a wave of his hand, the bluish carrier of her limp body slowly climbed to the top of the tower.

***

A man stood alone on Second Quarter Tower with an amulet in his palm. The creatures of the Volocusts had long disappeared into the darkness and the mist was dissipating. He brought his hand to his chest and remembered the missing crescent and the creature that had caught it in the darkness.

"Forgive me, Rhohannas..."

The elders would not approve or accept his plan, but there was no backing out. He'd already decided on his next course of action.

"It must be done." His thumb traced the soul essence amulet.

He would find his nephew.