Chapter 130: Sirus

The night burned.Sirus stood in the center of the broken courtyard, the flames of his own making flickering along the stone walls. He rolled his shoulders once, then exhaled. The Elves had come quietly at first. Sleek figures in green armor appeared, their eyes glowing through narrow slits. They moved as shadows, every step synchronized. No shouting, no signals, only eerie silence. Now, however, the silence was gone. It was shattered by the sound of fire tearing through the air. Sirus’s staff, oak brown with a golden tip, spun once in his hand, carving an arc of flame that licked across the stonework and painted the courtyard orange. The nearest Elf staggered, his phase cloak igniting as a spiderweb of purple cracks appeared, though he smothered it quickly with a flash of pale water magic. ’Prepared for me? I should have assumed.’ More came from the shadows, drawing blades that shimmered like glass. Beasts came with them, wolf-like creatures with scales in place of fur, their eyes glowing green with enchantment. They moved like snakes, twisting and curving at unnatural angles. Sirus grinned. ’Finally. Something worthy to purify with my flames.’ The first wolf lunged. He stepped into it, his staff jabbing forward. A burst of flame erupted from the tip, striking the beast square in the chest. The impact hurled it backward with a whimpering hiss, its scales glowing white-hot as it collapsed into a twitching heap. But the Elves did not stop their advance. They pressed in from all directions, their spells weaving together. Threads of wind and frost cut across the heat of the courtyard, suppressing Sirus’ spells. ’Clever beasts.’ Sirus moved like a storm given human form, trained after dozens of years. His staff spun, whistling through the air. Each motion was accompanied by arcs of fire that deflected blades and shattered spells mid-flight. Frost bolts sizzled to steam as they touched the flames swirling around him, while arcs of wind only fed the inferno higher. One Elf darted low, blade angling for his legs. Sirus twisted, planting the butt of his staff against the ground. Heat surged, the stone blackening on contact. A column of fire exploded upward, swallowing the attacker whole. His scream lasted only an instant before he collapsed, armor fused to his skin. The wolves came again. There were three this time, their movements coordinated, their green eyes narrowing as they circled. Their Elvish handlers whispered commands in a strange language. It was sharp and crisp, but with an unexpected cadence, like a song. Sirus drove his staff into the earth. The courtyard exploded as flames burst outward in a sudden ring. The shockwave tore across the stones, consuming everything in its path. The wolves vanished in a blur of smoke and embers, nothing left but ash. Still, the Elves remained, their goal incomplete. ’Surely they knew attacking this sector was foolish, and yet they pressed onwards. Such dedication to impossible stupidity.’ He supposed it was inevitable, however. ’I have been practicing my defensive styles. I shall allow them the opportunity to test the merit of their offense while refining my own training.’ As if to make his goal easier, arrows of ice rained down from above. Sirus lifted his staff, spinning it in a wide arc that summoned more fire. The arrows struck the barrier, shattering in hissing sprays. Some melted mid-flight, drops of boiling water scattering across the ground. Sirus scoffed, his voice thundering out. "Is this all you bring? Shadows, tricks, and borrowed beasts? Did your Warlord not seek to spare more resources after the disaster in the North?" They didn’t answer with words, but the tremor that ran through their bodies belied their anger. Sirus grinned. "Oh, so you do know then? How he sent Death’s Chosen into the church’s grasp early? How he has given rise to a mage with power untold?" Two vaulted forward, interrupting his words. Their bodies were aglow with markings that reinforced their bodies, the enchantments easy for Sirus to decipher, even mid-fight. They struck together, one from high, the other from low. Sirus caught the first on his staff, sparks showering, and with his free hand, he grabbed the second by the wrist. Heat surged from his palm. The Elf shrieked, twisting free only to collapse, clutching the smoking ruin of his arm. The other received the staff across the jaw, the impact snapping his head back with a sickening crack. Another tried to flank him, the alien’s hands slamming together. The air around her coalesced into a focused spear of ice. She thrust it forward, the creation a jagged lance. Sirus turned, drew breath, and exhaled. The ice shattered in mid-air, instantly vaporized by the inferno he unleashed. The Elf staggered back, arms raised to shield her face, but the flames wrapped around her, coiling until nothing remained but smoke. ’To think that spell once cost me half my mana. Now? It is but a trifling amount.’ The courtyard was littered with ash and smoking corpses, but more came. They flowed like water through the broken gates, their movements seamless, their faces calm even as their brothers fell. They were faster than humans, and usually thinner, yet Sirus always thought them quite dull. He thrust his staff skyward in a practiced motion. Flames burst upward in a pillar before crashing down in a rain of molten sparks. Each ember that fell struck with the force of a hammer, shattering stone, searing flesh, and bathing the area in heat. The Elves scattered, their formation finally breaking as their summoned beasts singed in front of their eyes. Sirius advanced, his staff sweeping in wide arcs, every motion birthing new fire that clung to walls and enemies alike. The courtyard became a furnace, the air hard to breathe. Then a new Elf appeared. Taller than the rest and clad in armor of woven silver that pulsed faintly. His blade was long, curved, and alive with runes that glowed like moonlight. ’A captain? Whatever is the Warlord thinking to waste such a resource here? Such a waste. These creatures should serve a greater species.’ The others pulled back, leaving space for their officer. Sirus gripped his staff in both hands, lowering it to his side. His grin widened maniacally as his eyes reflected the fire that danced across the courtyard. "At last, someone worth my time." The captain moved with terrifying speed, his blade slicing in a blur that cut through flame as though it were nothing. His first strike sheared through the air where Sirus’s neck had been an instant earlier. The fire mage ducked low, sweeping his staff in a wide arc that left a trail of fire behind. The captain leapt above it, twisting mid-air while he flashed his blade forward. Sirus ducked under it with minimal effort, his patience growing thin as he recalled his purpose here. ’I am to disrupt the Elvish lines while also evacuating the nobles. The longer I spend here, the more they get themselves hurt.’ Sirus roared, heat surging from every pore. Flames erupting along his arms while his staff glowed white-hot. The captain’s blade began to hiss, the runes flickering as if choking under the pressure. The Elf wrenched free, flipping backward to land lightly on his feet. He circled, eyes narrowing and his lips moving in words too fast for Sirus to follow. Sirus slammed his staff against the stone to deny him a chance to prepare his own magic. The ground split, fire surging upward in new pillars that chased the captain’s steps. The Elf darted between them at impossible speeds, his blade flashing in precise counters. For every flame, he had an answer. For every surge, a defense. But Sirus’ fire was endless, lacking any fear of running out. Sirus pressed harder, each strike heavier, each movement wider. His staff whirled, a blazing arc of destruction. The Elf deflected, dodged, and countered, but the rhythm broke. One misstep, one fraction of a second too slow, and his legacy was reduced to ashes. Sirus caught him across the chest. He slammed into the courtyard wall with a thunderous crack, flames engulfing him before he even hit the ground. Silence followed. The remaining Elves wavered, their sleek formation unraveling. Some turned to flee. Others stood frozen, caught between duty and fear. Sirus slammed his staff against the ground one final time. Fire burst forth in every direction, destroying all that remained to face his wrath. When the fire subsided, there was nothing left. Only ash. Sirus stood alone, his chest rising and falling with an uneven tempo. He exhaled, smoke trailing from his lips. His staff dimmed, the flames fading until only faint flickers of heat rippled across the stones. He turned his gaze skyward, noting the battlefleet engaging the Elvish warships. The human fleet was superior, yet they were having issues finishing the job. ’Always more to do. Can Life spark this civil war already? Humanity requires a new test to prove its merit; these aliens provide little challenge. The screams of civilians far off reached his ears, causing him to both sigh and frown as he turned to face the next item in a long line of distractions.