Premier's human hand slung a fireball at me. I deflected it. He cast more. I had no problem blocking these weak and easy spells. He frowned in concentration, which meant he was hurt, tired, and not all-powerful. I deflected some of the spells back at him, but they did no harm. He continued to cast them. I didn’t realize his misdirection until it was almost too late.
I dodged the death ball at the last possible second. Its musical death passed by and the spell went straight towards Premier. He tried to change the spell's direction. It clashed against his barrier. Premier struggled, lifting his arms and grunting to push the spell away. He succeeded, but his protection flickered; the magic waned. That's when I saw my chance.
I rolled up my sleeves and gathered my strength, remembering the first rule: only magic can defeat magic. “Wind and fire unite, cause great harm to this parasite.”
Fire spewed out of me, combining with the wind. I hurled it at Premier, putting all my strength into it. It consumed Premier in a wall of fiery wind that shot up to the ceiling, slashing and burning him through his shield. I tried my best to keep the wall as solid as I could, but the spell put a great strain on my mind and spirit. I had already used up too much power against Premier.
I glanced at the death ball to see if it might be slowing down. It was, but only a little. It still headed in my direction with the same furious appetite it showed earlier. I fueled my spell with more mana, feeling Premier’s shield weaken even more. It wasn't enough. His hungry spell came. I breathed heavily, not sure if I could move fast enough to dodge the death ball. It got closer, moaning incessantly, scratching at my mind and soul. I cursed and released the spell, diving onto the hard floor. My shoulder recoiled from the pain.
Looking up from the floor, I saw her move with cat-like grace. The princess had my dagger in her hand, and darted behind Premier. She brought her hand down to strike. Premier saw her too. He twisted in time to avoid her death blow. She struck him in the shoulder.
Premier yelled, “Bitch!” He propelled her back with a blast of wind. He held her in place, drawing the air from her lungs. She clawed at the invisible force and gasped for air that wouldn't come. He stretched out his hand. “Goodbye, Your Highness.”
I got up and ran. I used my own magic to cut off the spell he used to hold her. He had another spell ready. I reached her in time and caught her unconscious body.
Fire sprang from Premier’s fingertips, and I cradled the princess and shielded her with my own. I summoned up what little magic I could, keeping the flame from hurting her. The intense heat screamed to burn me. My exposed neck scorched as the flames brushed against it. I pushed against his magic with my mind, willing the fire to die down. Blood dripped from my nose once more, and I crumpled. How could this simple spell be hurting me so much? I focused, remembering that fire was my element. Not his.
I didn't have the power to stop or deflect his spell. As I looked inside the spell, I saw the magic Premier used to fuel it. It was difficult to stop magic at its source. One had to bypass the wizard's defenses and touch the person's soul. I used the fire as a conduit, traveling within to its wondrous heart. I reached out to Premier's mana, crushing it and extinguishing the fire.
My sweat-drenched body throbbed. Every sore muscle cried out in pain. I saw the princess, unconscious but unharmed. At least she was safe for now.
“Bravo,” Premier said. His death spell hovered in front of him. “But it was all for naught.”
Premier's spell flew towards me. I didn't have any more magic, and even if my body could move, I wouldn’t. If I did, he would kill the princess. I held onto Krystal's body, praying I would take the brunt of the attack and that Master Stradus would have the time he needed to defeat Premier.
I stared into the ball, seeing my reflection gazing back at me in its smooth, icy surface. It was calm and peaceful for something so dangerous, coming to devour me.
“Let him be!” Master Stradus said. He jumped in front of me and pushed his ancient staff towards the death ball.
The white light around his body transferred to his staff. He shoved it in front of him, pushing all his will and might into it. The staff came alive, moving and hissing. When the death ball came into contact with the snake, the two powerful energies struggled, each one vying to be the winner in the deadly contest. Master Stradus's body wrinkled and cringed, but he held fast.
“Stradus! It's time to finish this!”
“You will not win, Premier. Do you hear me? You will not win!” Master Stradus said it with such ferocity, it shook my heart.
Blinding light flashed everywhere, stinging my eyes. The life and death that came from both my master and Premier shook the foundation of the castle. The trembling tower felt as if it would fall apart at any second. Premier and Master Stradus’s high-pitched yells pulsated through my head, shattering my ears. Magical tidal waves splashed me, brushing against my soul. Premier's cold magic made me want to give up and die. Master Stradus's magic filled me with energy, making me want to live. Feeling them fight each other was akin to being burned, then frozen alive—not my body, but my soul.