PART 29 – Hemophobia

            “It’s getting late, they should be back by now.” Eva quietly said taking a sip from her water.  She sat alone in the center of the fortress, several guards and soldiers walked around making sure all of the workers had gone home for the night.  Eva thought about all the possible scenarios that could have played out as the soldiers lit the lamps and torches throughout the fortress illuminating the entire atrium.  “Milady the fortress is secure, there are plenty of guards patrolling the grounds in the event that Miles slipped by Alana and Noelle.” Ken informed her as he approached her and stood by her side.  Eva swirled the water that she had in her glass as she looked over at Ken, he was covered in bandages from the beating Veronika, Kayla, and Zaz inflicted on him.  “Do yourself a favor and stop getting so hurt, you may not be able to feel pain like everyone else, but it can still kill you.” Eva said.  “I can’t afford to lose more of my friends.”  Eva took a sip of her water.  “You speak as if Alana and Noelle are dead.” Ken questioned.  “They would be back by now Ken, I know them.  Clear the atrium of all guards, then wait for my orders.” Eva commanded.  Ken looked confused, but nodded and went on his business.  “I’m sorry I doubt you.  Forgive me Alana and Noelle.” Eva said to herself as she refilled her glass.  “Don’t worry yourself too much, you have good reason to doubt your subordinates.” Miles chuckled entering the atrium sickle in hand.

            “How did you get by my guards?” Eva asked calmly.  “Your men may be organized, but they aren’t disciplined fighters.”  Miles walked towards Eva and sheathed his sickle; the two seemed to be having a respectful conversation.  “Where is the rest of your personal guard?” Miles asked crossing his arms.  “I sent them away, I had a feeling you’d come looking for me, and you’re a problem I need to fix myself.” Eva threatened.  “A problem.  I’ve been called that before.” Miles smiled.  “Why did your assistant try to kill Luna?” Eva suddenly asked.  “Uzco was supposed to kill Sola, that gem inside her chest is ours.  We call it…” Eva finished his sentence.  “Deudalaphon, I saw.  So that means your drug that supposed to stop elementalist side effects was just a cover up so I’d give you shelter.” Eva deducted.  Miles laughed.  “You are very smart, and yes Altrucin was a lie, I made the whole thing up.”  Miles smiled at his own brilliance, how Eva fell for his lie so easily earlier in the week.  “Why is Deudalaphon so important to you, so much so that you would attempt at taking the lives of two people?” Eva snarled.  “Sola and Luna wouldn’t have been my first kills lady Eva.  I’ve caused the death of at least 500 people, most of them were all kidnapped while either sleeping or alone, I personally killed about 100 of them, and all of them were elementalists.”  Miles eyes grew wide with excitement as he announced his achievements.  “You didn’t answer my question, why is Deudalaphon important to you.  If you need another one I’ll give you the bowls you need to make one if you just go away.” Eva proposed.  “You cannot just buy a Deudalaphon gem milady, you need to synthesize one.  You create one by fusing the souls of elementalists together.  It takes approximately 127 dead elementalists to make one Deudalaphon.”  This caught Eva by surprise.  “You take the lives of over a hundred people just to make a gem?!” She yelled.  “Oh no lady Eva, Deudalaphon gems serve a much higher purpose.” Miles cracked an evil smile.

            “I wasn’t born an elementalist lady Eva, a shard the size of fingernail can turn an ordinary human into an elementalist.  So one Deudalaphon can create roughly 700 elementalists.”  Miles gave Eva the details.  “So you did this to yourself, that’s why you’re an elementalist?” Eva asked.  “Not exactly, I used a similar gem to Deudalaphon.  We called it Zeromus, a much smaller crystal, but we evenly spread it through three people.  Myself, Uzco, and a man once named Fhal all received a fist sized chunk of Zeromus.  This gems bits now course through my veins making me an extremely powerful elementalist.” Miles confessed the source of his power.  “If this gem is that important, which stitch it into Sola’s chest?” Eva interrogated.  “Souls need a heart to live, they are technically still alive, and without the nourishment of a heart they’d die.  Our main base went into disarray when a prisoner named Chamberlain broke out.  We needed to hide Deudalaphon and the only person with a ripped open chest and a still beating heart was Sola.  My doctors foolishly abandoned her thinking she wouldn’t move, but she did.  And now I’ve tracked her down to here.  Currently you’re the only person that has been in my way.” Miles placed a hand on the hilt of his sickle.  “I don’t see how my existence impedes your progress, perhaps you just want to spite Hazol while it grows, regardless…” Eva cracked her neck.  “If you want to fight, I won’t deny your request.”  Eva placed her fingers on the pommel of her knife.  “A water elementalist is one of the most rare, only 1 in 100 elementalists are born with the element of water, and I’m a first generation water elementalist.  So prepare yourself Colonel Miles of EDGE pharmaceuticals.”  Eva unsheathed her knife and shattered her glass on the floor next to her, then twitched her hand and the water that was in the glass flew to her hand and coated it in a film of liquid.  “Your soul will make a fine addition to the next Deudalaphon.”  Miles chuckled.

            Eva ran at Miles and clashed blades with him.  She tossed her free hand into the air and water seeped through the cracks in the bricks beneath them covering the floor of the fortress.  “You hid water in the masonry, how brilliant.”  Eva began calling up tentacles of water that crawled towards Miles from all direction, he was easily able to destroy them or avoid them, but they kept him moving.  Eva also danced around him kicking up water as she moved, making it harder for him to tell exactly where she was.  He blocked most of her attacks, but she had stabbed him several times in vital places, but he was able to regulate his blood flow and prevent himself from bleeding.  “Your quite an annoying combatant, you use strange movement and blinding techniques to keep your opponents guessing.” Miles said.  “Do you always narrate fights?” Eva asked jumping through a screen of water slashing for Miles throat.  He barely blocked it with his sickle before pushing Eva up against some boxes allowing him to retreat to safe ground.  He scaled some scaffolding leaning up against a pillar in the center of the room; he made sure he climbed to the top to stay away from the water.  He peered down to see Eva looking back up at him with a swelling wave quickly growing behind her.  Once it was several feet tall Eva pointed to the scaffolding and the wave propelled forward into the base of it.  Miles almost lost his footing as the scaffolding began to collapse.  Miles searched for an escape but could only jump to another set of scaffolding, so he did, jumping from that height might break his legs, the fall to the ground was roughly twenty feet.  The scaffolding he jumped to was more secure and not even a wave would bring it down.  Eva changed her footing and the water began collecting around her feet.  She pushed off of the ground and a geyser erupted beneath her feet and launched her up onto the scaffolding as well.  “You are a very talented elementalist lady Eva, but how good are you at swordplay?” Miles jumped forward and swung at Eva several times, despite the size of her weapon Eva was able to block his attacks.  He surprised her by stomping on the scaffolding causing it to shake violently for a few seconds.  Just long enough for him to surprise attack Eva.  He stabbed downwards at her leaving her no time to react, so she simply raised her arm to block the swing.  Miles sickle tore through her arm and passed between her radius and ulna bones.  Eva cringed and then bashed the sickle with her palm shattering the blade half way.  She then followed it by kicking Miles away.  “It’s been a long time since I’ve been stabbed.” Eva shouted annoyed.  Eva angrily pulled the shard of Miles’ sickle out of her arm, some blood poured from her arm.  “I love blood, I’ve come to admire it.  Now lets make you bleed.” Miles shouted.

            Miles waved his hand expecting to make Eva’s wound begin bleeding profusely, but nothing happened.  “What…  What is this…?”  Miles attempted the action again, and the same result occurred, nothing.  “Blood is fifty percent water, I can technically control it too Miles.”  Eva conjured up a spear of water that was circulating at an extremely fast rate.  “I might not be able to control blood, but I can stop you from controlling mine.”  Eva grabbed the spear and readied herself to throw it at Miles, he had nothing to block with, and Eva had destroyed his weapon.  That’s when Miles felt a sharp pain in his back and then in his chest, a separate water spear had ripped through his back.  “You analyze things well, I do use distractions as my main technique.”  Eva dissolved her spears and charged at Miles with her knife while he was injured.  But to her surprise, he wasn’t fazed by the attack at all and he sliced her stomach open just like he did with Alana.

            “Call: Syphon and Drain!”  Miles jerked his broken sickle back and blood began to get pulled from Eva’s wound.  Eva resisted, using her ability to try and keep her blood inside of her, but her natural ability was no match for a call level ability.  Eva screamed as her guts were being ripped from her.  It would take a minute but eventually Miles would get control and drain Eva until she was dead.  It would be a painful death.

            Miles was interrupted when Eva’s throne was tossed at his head, it missed by mere inches.  Miles stopped torturing Eva and let her fall limp on the scaffolding.  “What was that?” Miles looked down to find the source of the flying throne only to see Ken walking towards him.  “Theres no way a mere man threw that throne?  They weight almost 600 pounds.” Miles said confused.  “Everyone, now!” Ken yelled.  He gripped a single pole on the scaffolding and pulled, the whole thing began collapsing as a result.  Luna sprinted from her hiding place and slid in the film of water covering the ground.  She timed it perfectly and was able to catch Eva before she hit the ground.  Miles fell into a pile of collapsed scaffolding only to dodge an attack by Jordan by inches.  Once he gained his footing he was blasted off of his feet again by a column of sand from Clarissa.  “All of you back off!”  Eva said freeing herself from Luna’s grip and running at Miles.  “This is my fight, I didn’t ask for anyone’s help!”  Miles and Eva clashed blades several more times before Eva decided to use her crush.  She began twirling her hand around forming a small whirlpool around Miles, a second later it opened into a full form typhoon that Miles was in the center of.  With another flick of her wrist she tossed most of Clarissa’s sand into the typhoon.  “Your water won’t stop me, you know that!”  Miles screamed.  “Eva, finish him.” Luna said.  “If you need any help just ask, we have him beat.” Ken added.  Clarissa and Jordan just watched, they said nothing, but they stayed ready to fight.  Eva intensified the typhoon.  “I used to be one of the best carpenters in the world Miles, the reason being that when salt or sand is mixed with water and it’s moving at a high speed you can cut through almost anything, primarily wood.  But human skin is a lot softer than wood, have a nice death Miles.”

            Miles began to scream in pain as the high-speed waters peeled his skin off of him.  He reached forward and tried to control Eva’s blood once more.  Eva’s typhoon died down, she felt as if she had been punched directly in her heart.  Miles ran at her with his broken weapon while she was stunned.  “If I’m going to die I’m taking you with me!” Miles screamed, his body now scarred from the high-speed waters.  Eva glared at Miles and locked eyes with him.  “Call: Osmosis.” She murmured.  Miles eyes widened as his left arm burst into a watery cloud.  “The human body is mostly water Miles, and I have control of that.”  Miles staggered backwards, and with the last of his strength he threw his sickle at Eva.  She didn’t expect the attack and the jagged tip buried itself in her shoulder.  “You are more powerful than I expected, I apologize but I must flee, I’ll fight another day.”  Miles turned and began to sprint away.  Eva started to give chase but she collapsed several steps into her pursuit.  Ken dove and caught her before she hit the hard ground.  “Stop him!” Ken commanded looking at Jordan and Clarissa.  Jordan stuck his sword into the ground.  “Not my problem.”  He said, Clarissa stared up at him worried.  “Clarissa!” Luna yelled as she ran to Eva.  “Stop him!”  She angrily yelled.  Clarissa looked up at Jordan who wasn’t looking back.  She lowered her sword.  “I can’t…  Not if my master doesn’t…” Clarissa sheathed her sword.  “I doubt he’ll get far, those injuries should kill him.”  Jordan stated.

            “That was a tough fight.” Eva sighed.  “Please milady, just rest, you’ve lost a lot of blood.”  Ken said laying her slowly down on the ground.  Jordan and Clarissa walked over to see what was going on.  “Where’s Sola?” Eva asked quietly.  “She found Noelle injured on the street, she took her to get medical attention.” Luna said.  “And Alana?” Eva asked.  “She didn’t make it, Miles killed her.”  A tear formed in Eva’s eye but she wiped it away.  “I needed to tell Sola that she can keep her title.” Eva said.  Ken and Luna looked at each other in confusion.  “I though you wanted to be Queen of Hazol?” Ken asked.  “I just always felt like I was supposed to be Queen, I never felt like I earned it.  Luna, you and your sister are the rightful heirs to this city and you know it.” Eva firmly stated.  “Take your title back, I don’t want it.  I’ll still watch over Hazol, I’ll remain a Vicereine.  I can’t imagine the stress of being a Queen or even a Princess.” Eva confessed.  “Are you sure, you lost a lot of blood you could just be thinking irrationally.” Luna said.  Eva laughed.  “No, I’m thinking quite clearly.  I felt like I deserved Queen, but why because I live here, that’s all I do.  I’d never be Queen by blood.”  Eva let her head fall onto the ground and she sighed.  “Eva…” Luna began.  “I’m not changing my mind, I’ll watch over the place, but I give both my title and the title Sola gave me to you Luna.  Therefore you are now High Princess of Hazol.  If I could stand I would bow my head to you Grand Lady Luna of Hazol.”  Eva half smiled with the last of her energy before she started to black out.  “Milady, stay with us!” Ken said picking her up.  “I’ll take her to the doctors with Noelle and Sola, I imagine she’ll pull through.”  Ken began walking away.  He looked over his shoulder at Luna who was standing their totally confused and stunned.  “Lady Luna, don’t take Eva’s words lightly, even near death she means what she says.  If you deny her entitlement, you may speak with her later.” Ken said.  Luna looked over to Jordan and Clarissa who seemed completely indifferent on the whole situation.  Luna slightly smiled and placed her hands on her hips before gently flipping her hair.  “I can’t wait to shove this in Sola’s face.”  Luna laughed.  Jordan raised an eyebrow and Clarissa placed her hands on her hips as well.  “I like feeling important for once.”  Luna started.  “High Princess Luna of Hazol.”