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He attempted a light jump, but something was holding him back from opening a portal. Most likely the same something keeping her sisters away.
He moved quickly, his mind giving way to adrenaline, as he looked for a way across the ravine. He pulled in as much power and strength as he could, calling his vines forward. The large, green vines moved, crossing over each other to make a bridge to the other side. To Persephone.
As he ran across, hoping the vines would hold him since he hadn’t taken the time to check, another bolt of blinding light flashed in his periphery, heading straight for him. Panic fueled him as he was halfway across a bridge of vines only held together by his power and concentration. If he took the hit, he may plunge into the deep ravine below him.
Throwing his hands up to protect himself last minute, he was surprised when nothing hit him. The light had hit something else. He looked up to see a shield made of green light.
No, not a shield, his winged serpent had taken the light and absorbed it.
Stop trying to die, mortal, the serpent hissed into his mind.
That is part of my goal here. Not to die, he thought back.
The serpent rumbled as it flew around him.
Could have fooled me. Do Better.
Devon growled as the serpent cut their link, getting the last word in.
Crius moved in for an attack, using Devon’s discarded vines to create more rams, but Persephone’s blue fire easily took them down. The roots burned up midair as the wind spread the ash before it could make it to the ground.
“Who else is working with you? Who else have you pulled into this pointless battle?” Persephone screamed at Crius. He could see the blue of her power pushing, trying to find a weak point, in the shield Crius had constructed to protect him.
“Oh child, I cannot disclose all my secrets! I will tell you I was helped by a friend who will find themselves in a mutually beneficial situation when I kill you.” Crius snapped a hand out toward Devon, throwing a bolt of power that looked like silver starlight at him as he made it to the other side of his vine bridge.
Devon rolled out of the way once he hit the soil, landing in a crouch as Persephone used her power to call up a dense black smoke he had never seen before, growing to the size of a bus before it split into four distinct forms.
Crius moved back in confusion as the smoky forms took on the shape of four giant horses with bodies of smoke, eyes of Onyx, and manes of fire. They pawed at the ground, nickering, waiting as if for a command.
Devon caught flashes of sharp teeth through the smoky snouts before Persephone threw her hands out. The horses took off into a run, aiming straight at Crius. He blinked in and out of existence in an attempt to avoid the horses, but the horses moved in the same manner as the smoke they came from. They were able to diffuse, rolling towards Crius before forming into the giant, angry beasts again.
Devon moved to Persephone’s side as she put her hand to the ground, whispering a chant he had never heard before, as black began to creep up her arms.
One horse hit Crius, his skin immediately reddening at the area of impact. The affected flesh began to weep from pustules that burst open on the pestilent skin.
Another horse hit him from the opposite side while his attention was on repairing his skin. He grew thin, as if starving.
Persephone had called up The Horses.
Pestilence. War. Famine. Death.
Crius attempted to throw another bolt of starlight, but one of the horses stood in the path, catching the bolt before charging Crius like a horse made for battle.
That, Devon thought, must be the horse of war.
Crius twisted away and shot another bolt, but the bolt hit a shield Devon had erected, green light dispersing from the impact point. He kept his hands up just in case dropping them meant dropping the shield.
One of the four horses had not made a move on Crius, just slowly walking around him as the other horses charged and attacked. The horse stopped, Crius still fending off the others, but Devon watched as the last horses’ eyes began to weep blood.
Ghostly hands came up from the ground, wrapping around Crius’ ankles, pulling at him.
A single wraith materialized in Persephone’s palm, darting forward as the ghastly hands kept Crius from escaping.
It ran through Crius as he let out a mix between a laugh and a sob, blood spilling from wounds being created by the wraith as it moved in and out of him.
Devon watched as the other three horses moved back, letting the one weeping blood move up next to Crius. The Titan started to scream as his cheeks began to sink in, his ribs showing through his shirt. He was starving to death in front of their eyes.
Crius’ eyes began to hollow.
