Where there is ruin... (Ireland)

[Aiden Finnegan]

Torrents of Power gushed through Aiden’s being, threatening to rip him to shreds. He maintained an uneasy hold on the energy that he commanded. When had he been able to hold this much of the violent, explosive Light? He felt like he had been playing a game of leapfrog, surprising even himself as to where he landed. Nox had warned him of over-drawing. It could kill you… if you were lucky.

Can’t let go yet, Aiden thought with gritted teeth. Despite his better judgment, he had torn down the wall separating Sage from them. It was clear the snakes had no interest in his boyfriend, and Jaxen seemed to be surprised at the amount of Light Aiden could wield. That had been enough for Aiden to give in to Sage’s protests. Aiden had been practicing with Nox whenever he had had a spare moment - before the fallout at the mansion, at least. He was not particularly skilled at fighting, but he still carried on as if he were a storm.

Even so, a game of cat and mouse did not need an atomic missile, so he closed the proverbial dam ever so slightly and checked himself mentally. Calm down, Aiden, you’re not Goku.

He was not trying to kill Jaxen, despite his apparent attempts. These snakes wanted a show. So, he would make up every pretense at one. True they had a mandate set forth, but they never said kill. Simply that one would be worthy. A man could best another without taking their life. Would not besting Jaxen mean that Aiden was worthy? If he could draw first blood – or perhaps even bind Jaxen in place – surely that would be enough?

Aiden had never been particularly good with Air. True, he could pick things up and float them along or throw up a wall, but grabbing a moving target was a completely different beast. Aiden tossed fireballs at Jaxen, intentionally skewing his aim. The flaming orbs crashed harmlessly into the stone floor and dissolved into puffs of smoke. Jaxen rolled back onto his feet and Aiden wove Air just so. Tendrils formed in the space between them, darting out to the other man.

Suddenly, Sage was standing in Jaxen’s place. Aiden faltered and the tendrils halted as if frozen in time.

Aiden half turned to check that Sage was still on the edge of the field as if on instinct. Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw the Light flare and altered his weave of tendrils. He turned his head back to Jaxen and saw gray spikes of stone caught in the newly made web of Air. A sloppy lattice of light crowded the space between them, visible only to those that held on to the Light. Aiden smirked and dropped the weave, the spikes going down along with it.

 A spear of flame appeared in Aiden’s hand. He tied off the weave and let the Light drain from his being. He panted, the color draining slightly from the world. His body fell into stance, as if by rote, and Aiden had the strangest sense of déjà vu.

The snake people appeared in his mind’s eye, coming after him with Gods behind them, hurling lighting and commanding the very hills on which they stood. The sky was on fire and a great, winged beast soared overhead as blood fed the ground. He held a spear of light in his hands and had an army at his back.

Aiden shook his head.

Jaxen stood yards away, still wearing Sage’s face. Aiden felt himself growling despite himself. The spear was hot on his flesh, but it did not burn no matter how greedily it licked at Aiden’s palm. He exhaled again and reminded himself that he was not on a battlefield, whatever that had been would be the subject for another night. He sighed again.

“Conjure a weapon, Jaxen. Drop the mask,” he hollered over the distance, “We fight till first blood.”

That would have to be good enough for the snakes.