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Chapter 51 – Burn!
Luella
In the chaos that ensued, people had forgotten that there was a dangerous, starving god within Aruna. He was only being held down by a young girl, one who was now bleeding profusely under my hands.
I called upon all my powers as a fire witch, the healing that my hands should have. I felt some warmth coming out of my body, sealing the wound on her abdomen.
Rowan groaned, holding on to her belly, although the wound was gone. I knew that she might still be feeling some lingering pain. She was not strong enough to recapture the Ninurta. I doubt that she could even get up from where she was.
The Great Hall was filled with the sounds of fighting. Swords clashed, people bellowed, and there was a lot of grappling. The hall was starting to smell overpoweringly with blood, and not just because I had some in my hands.
After I had healed Rowan, I stood up to look for Metheus. He was in a struggle with Ari, whose eyes were already swollen from my husband’s punches. Everyone seemed busy fighting someone. They did not notice that the shaking was becoming stronger, and the Ninurta had already left Aruna’s body and had taken the form of a funnel of black smoke.
The members of the Touch had somehow released themselves from Metheus’s men, joining hands to make themselves more powerful. Their combined heat and energy shimmered as they encircled the funnel.
At first, I thought they were trying to imprison the god, but then I realized that they were praising it.
“Come and give us strength, god of the plow. We liberate you to give us balance and power.”
I could not hear the rest of the chant as the funnel started creating a howling sound. Booming. Authoritative. Everyone else stopped whatever they were doing. Metheus and Ari even disengaged from each other to stare at the whirling black smoke that could annihilate everyone in the room. My spouse seemed to be walking towards it.
No!
We agreed to work together. I knew that I understood it even if we did not use any words. He would die if he tried again.
“Metheus!” a sweet voice called out to him.
My heart was already in my throat upon seeing Metheus’s deadly approach, but now it sank into my stomach. What was Rowali doing there in the hall? She should have stayed with Fuza and Francilia.
But there they were, as well. I felt helpless, heavy even. With everyone I cared for in Arrowspear standing in the hall all at once, it would be hard to see who I grab out of harm’s way first.
My heart knew, of course, that it would be Metheus, and it looked like Rowali would beat me towards him. She went to whisper something, and then she held her brother’s hand tightly with both of her small ones.
She seemed to be using her Touch and power as a medium simultaneously. Would she be calling her demigod ancestors? Take their fuel and pass it to her brother? It appeared to be the plan.
Still, Rowali was so young. She had the potential to become the most powerful witch born out of Arrowspear, but she had only begun to train. This was not what we agreed on. It was not what Aruna said we should do. For some reason, though, my feet seemed stuck to the floor. It was as if a spell was being muttered against me.
The black smoke gradually formed a shape. It was that of a large man, almost filling the center of the room. It appeared to have a beard made of smoke and a mane of longish hair. The Ninurta almost looked like a djinn. However, instead of being poised to give powers, it seemed ready to inhale them. Everything. It wanted Prozeus, its witches and demigods, and Metheus was in the way.
As Rowali held on to her brother, he raised his hand at the god of the plow. Tears streamed down my face as I felt utterly helpless, immobile. Aruna was right. I could do something about it, or else the Touch would not make an effort to hold me down.
Only my eyeballs could move. Then, I saw the culprit, an elderly woman from the Touch staring at me with her mouth moving as if in prayer.
Metheus and Rowan were already in a struggle against the Ninurta. His body was bowing down as if from the strain of the fight. Rowali fainted.
No!
Something seemed to take over Metheus, giving him an unearthly glow. Despite this seemingly added strength, the Ninurta effortlessly backed him up and felled him to his knees. He rose again and tried to pull back his strength, leaving his body to join the starving god. The void was fighting the void, but one of them was ancient, stronger.
I knew it was hopeless to continue watching my husband in a desperate struggle. Even his men had thought it best to start attacking the Touch. The noise of fighting resumed. Swords clashed, and men yelled. The primary fight between Metheus and the Ninurta in the middle was oddly quiet.
I wished somebody would throw the muttering witch to the ground. However, because of her appearance, everyone thought she was harmless. Sweat beaded on my forehead from my efforts. She was not only holding me down physically, but she was also reining in my powers. With her Rama dark skin, she could only be one of the demigods. I knew Metheus had something like her power, but he faced something ancient. It had been gobbling powers from the continents for about a year, only leaking out a little. It was why Arrowspear’s witches still had powers and why Mogochislenia’s own had started getting a portion of theirs back.
Then, there was added commotion. I saw Lucia running into the hall. Her Coven followed her, ready to join the fight. It was an opportunity. However, nothing came out when I opened my mouth to call Lucia.
The witches went to join the attack on the Touch, who had been flinging the men of Prozeus as if they were made of cotton. It was useless. I was still stuck, and nobody was paying attention to the ancient woman in the corner.
I focused on her and my growing frustration. I stoked that feeling, fanning the flames of rage. Then, I saw smoke rising from the top of her head, dancing higher and higher. I tried not to recognize the burgeoning triumph in me and focused on the rage instead. The Touch witch started to burn, from her hair to her shoulders and then her torso. I felt her control over me lifting. So, I gave a loud shout, and she exploded into flames.
