He swore swiftly and whipped back around to assess the situation again. As the giant, blue, magical beast (really it was the only way to describe it) roared and swiped low at Ingresh's shimmering red shield, Eraphim sheathed his arclyph sword and traded it for an arclyph dagger. It was already whistling through the air towards the standing woman in the centre of the group before any of them could even so much as blink.

   The contours of a satisfied smile were just beginning to form on his lips when the arclyph dagger; yellow runes flaring, suddenly shattered to a million slivers and shards upon impact against a solid, purple-blue shield of swirling magic.

   Mynestra's crown...such a waste of a finely-crafted blade.
   Eraphim would mourn its loss later.

   Foolish boy. You know not what magic you face.

  Eraphim glanced at Ingresh, who's knees were starting to buckle against the full weight of the colossal behemoth raining down on him.

   I should help him, he thought.

   So help him. They whispered in unison, like snakes whispering seductively into his ears. We shall enjoy watching both of your demises.

   His lips formed a wicked smile. Me? I shall enjoy watching yours.

   Eraphim could still feel their confusion in his mind before he flung his hands out wide and the broken shards of the arclyph dagger rose as quick as lightning to pierce the shield, again and again.

  "Nothing is unkillable," he snarled. The five women roared a battle cry just as the arclyph shards, which Eraphim had infused his own magic into while they had been distracted with whispering in his mind, shredded their shield to pieces.

   The beast echoed their roar of hatred and despise; rearing its head towards the sky, before being sucked back into the five women who were now without a shield and conserving their magic.

   Eraphim and Ingresh; now freed from his burden, moved then, arclyph swords drawn and arcing down with brutal precision.

   The five women drew their arclyph weapons, but were blazing in green flames within the next few seconds. And then were nothing but destroyed souls the second after that.

   Eraphim felt rather than saw Ingresh stare at what remained of the women (which was nothing), before taking him in with wide, unbelieving eyes. All he could do was breathe and breathe, his breath coming out slightly rasping before he forced it to even out.

   His ears stopped ringing just as Ingresh's hand rose and grasped his shoulder tightly, his thumb briefly stroking Eraphim's collar.

   "How did you do that?" Ingresh was asking. "How—?"

   Because they were victorious, Eraphim decided to play with him. "Magic."

   Ingresh gaped at him for a few seconds before the hand stroking his collar smacked him upside the head. Eraphim would have hit him back, much harder too, if Gyna and Kaeshan hadn't suddenly teleported directly in front of them with a swirl of gray magic and sunlight.

   "Well look who decided to show up."

   "Piss off, Volcron," Gyna snapped. "We fell through a portal that other contenders created."

   "Ones' soul was already destroyed. We destroyed three of the others," Kaeshan announced proudly.

   True enough, their arclyph blades were covered in ash.

   "One escaped," Gyna growled. "I missed him by a hairs breadth."

   "And I suppose you came here to be congratulated?" Ingresh mused, his voice nothing but amusement. His hand had also returned to Eraphim's shoulder. Eraphim didn't shrug it off.

   "No." Gyna flipped her braid, more out of necessity than being dramatic. "We saw the light show the two of you were battling and made our way over here."

   Kaeshan boomed, "The lady here was about to throw a dagger at the woman in the centre when the old man beat her to it."

   At this Eraphim scowled. "Do not call me an old man." That phrase was starting to become repetitive.

   Gyna clapped him on the shoulder that Ingresh's hand wasn't on. "That's his version of a compliment—I know, it took me a while to figure it out. His sense of humour died with the era he lived in."

   "WHAT?"

   "Quiet, you fool," they all hissed.

   "The match is still commencing," Eraphim growled.

   "Indeed it is," a new voice drawled. The whine of a blade being drawn sounded. "You should really mind your surroundings more."

   They all whirled towards the speaker, weapons drawn soundlessly within a blink.

   Eraphim immediately felt disappointed. "Oh, it's just you."

   The Dark Court male gave him a toothy grin. "I know, I'm still alive despite that common demon stating stragglers always die first."

   "Congratulations, you have managed to live past expectations," Eraphim said sarcastically.

   The Dark Court male Eraphim still didn't know the name of growled and threw an arclyph dagger at him with deadly accuracy at his head.

   Eraphim's surprise lasted a millisecond before he caught it by the handle on pure reaction and threw it to the ground angrily, blade sunk into the earth. "Are you insane?! We're on the same team!"

   Ingresh and Gyna let go of his shoulders and took a step back as Eraphim stared the male down.

   And then something truly bizarre happened. The Dark Court male grinned madly, but it wasn't his grin anymore.

   The outline of his figure seemed to shift, then slide away like someone had smoothed his feathers down if he had any...shape-shifter.

   When the spectacle ended, standing before them was a tall, grinning male with spiked auburn hair and eyes that looked like glass. And he was wearing armour from the feared Northern Realm in the Shape-shifter lands.

   "You must be Eraphim Volcron."

   "I had no idea my name had reached the Mortal Realm."

   "Rumours mostly. But your description is always the same in every one of them."

   "Should I be flattered?"

   "If you like being described as a golden boy sacrificed for nothing."

   Ingresh let out a growl at his side. Please don't say anything, Eraphim silently pleaded him. He's someone who is gifted at using your words against you.

   Ingresh opened his mouth.

   Oh curse you, we were having a moment.

   Eraphim sent a blast of blinding, searing sunlight towards the shape-shifter before Ingresh could make matters worse. He let out a scream of pain as the sunlight robbed him of his sight.

   One of the many advantages of being an Ancient: creating shields. Which shape-shifters couldn't.

   The shifter stumbled back and blindly threw another arclyph dagger. Eraphim dodged it easily.

   "Where is the rest of your team? You would not act so foolishly otherwise."

   "They're all destroyed," he hissed. The flames had slightly seared his features so that the side of his face was burnt flesh. So this was the single survivor Gyna had mentioned. "Their souls forever lost. I shall fight to avenge them or I will join them trying."

   "I'm not the one who killed them. Walk away now and I shall spare your soul."

   "I thought Ancients showed no mercy." He sounded desperate now. Eraphim pitied him.

   "This one does."

   The shifter; having abandoned all possible thought, threw himself at Eraphim with a crazed roar, shifting into a massive brown wolf in the process.

   He hit the ground aflame before he had even taken three steps. Eraphim watched him roar in anger and agony as the green flames from Ingresh's arclyph dagger destroyed his soul.

   When there was nothing left except glowing ashes, Eraphim whirled on the captain. "Why did you do that?" He half shouted.

   Ingresh's eyes had lost all warmth. "He was trying to destroy your soul—and that would have impeded our team. You're welcome." Eraphim merely gave him a nod. "And I think the first match just ended."

   He was right. The same blearing note from the beginning of the match suddenly sounded, it's deep tone echoing through the fields.

   Eraphim let out a bark of surprise as the ground rumbled and shook, and the maze and everything on fire sunk back into the ground as if the match and the killings had never happened.

   When he looked up into the audience, Hallas was already looking back at him.

   Eraphim didn't balk this time.

   Mind readers. Interesting aren't they? Hallas's voice filled his mind, cold amusement coating his thoughts and words.

   You sent them after me?

   No. I merely guided them towards you. It was all just coincidence you crossed paths.

   Of course.

   Of course. You've impressed me, Son of Henoss. Barely. Impress me even more next time.

   Am I to battle for your personal entertainment?

   Surely you must know that is the entire idea of these games.

   They're more than just games to many of us here, Hallas.

   Of course. The promise of life sounds so sweet. Tell me Eraphim, what will you do if the final match comes down to you and the Light Court captain you seem to have grown so fond of?

   ...get out of my head, Hallas.

Hallas laughed inside his mind before his invisible talons retreated from his thoughts. Eraphim raised his mind shields just in case.

   He turned from the God of Death towards the rest of his teammates, and found Ingresh's eyes already upon him.

   "A friend of yours?"

   "Absolutely not."