15. Duel

Mirōven turned around and looked at the lady in black. She had single handedly destroyed the life he had ever known, and he didn't even know her name. And now she was threatening him with even more blood on his hands.

The One Army stood motionless below him on the mountainside; the woman stood between him and the immoblie Andrew, Princess and Shadowfoot. Mirōven unclenched his hand, and the hilt of his dagger, the dragon head, fell to the ground. The blade had crumbled to dust.

The Lady in Black extended her hand and held it out to him, urging him to take it. "Join me Mirōven" she cooed, " There has been enough destruction"

Mirōven looked behind her, at Andrew holding Princess. He remembered her words. Laura was alive, she was out there somewhere. For a breif second Cassandra's beautiful face flashed through his mind.

Mirōven looked back at the lady in black, his eyes set in stone. "What's your name?" He asked coldly.

The sorceress  laughed softly. "Oh how rude of me. After all these years" she chuckled, " Names no longer hold any significance to me Mirōven. Call me what you will"

Mirōven looked at her, blood boiling within him. She was still toying with him. This had to stop, enough was enough.

Mirōven unclenched his hand. The dragon hilt ,which had fallen to his feet, rose up and fit snugly into his palms. Mirōven closed his hand around it. The air near the hilt edge began to swirl and glow, and in less than a second a new blade formed where the old one had been.

"I had vowed never again... And yet you force my hand. You have no name, I call you Oblivion. Because that's where I am sending you." Mirōven locked eyes with her.

"Tricks of your own huh Mirōven. Let's see what you can do" Oblivion said, rising into the air. She floated a full feet above the ground and smirked down at Mirōven.

"You said you had watched me from childhood" Mirōven said flatly, " But you lied. Else you wouldn't have tried this child's trick with me"

Mirōven snapped his fingers and the lady in black, Oblivion, came crashing down onto hard rock. She lay still for a moment in shock, and then rolled back onto her feet. Her hood had fallen off, revealing a startlingly beautiful face, framed by ebony black shoulder length hair. Oblivion smiled a bit and spat out blood. Rubbing the blood from her lips, she straightened up.

"So I wasn't wrong after all" she breathed,"You are powerful"

"Way more than you can even imagine" Mirōven replied, taking a step towards her. He pointed his free hand at Oblivion. Thick green vines sprouted out of thin air and coiled themselves around her, binding her. Oblivion did not resist. In two quick strides Mirōven was beside her and placed his dagger over her throat.

"Goodbye" he said, and plunged the knife into her throat. With the sharp sound of breaking glass, the form the vines had bound exploded into a thousand pieces and fell all around him.

"You underestimate me Mirōven", came a soft voice from behind him. Mirōven spun around, and came face to face with Oblivion. She lightly touched his chest with two fingers, and Mirōven was thrown backwards, crashing into what was left of the glass dummy. Mirōven lay still for a moment, and then sliwly climbed onto all fours, gasping for breath.

"Am happy Mirōven", she continued, "I will admit, there were times when I doubted you. But no longer. You are the key to my success"

Mirōven looked at Oblivion, and in one quick movement sent his dagger flying at her with deadly precision. Oblivion was faster. She caught the dagger between her two fingers, and stopped it in its trajectory inches from her face. She let it go and the dagger clattered to the ground.

Mirōven was back on his feet. He opened his palms, and the dagger came flying back to him. Oblivion looked at him, and smiled.

Mirōven suddenly fell to his knees and plunged the dagger into the ground. A crack formed in ground and rapidly grew into a chasm speeding towards the lady in black. Oblivion clapped her hand, and a translucent force field rushed out and surrounded her. The chasm stopped in its tracks where the field began, and, it's duty done, the field began to shimmer out of existence. Not giving her a pause, Mirōven let his dagger fly again. Oblivion side stepped it, and pointed at it. The dagger exploded into dust mid air. The hilt, unharmed yet again, clanged down the mountainside. Oblivion turned, and came face to face with Mirōven.

"Your turn" he said, and punched her on the chest. Oblivion flew backwards and crashed into the rocks near the cave entrance. She slowly fell onto her knees, coughing.

Mirōven held out his hand as he walked towards Oblivion. He dragon hilt came flying up the mountain side, a new blade forming even as it flew to him.

Mirōven jumped, dagger aimed at the lady's heart. Oblivion rolled away just in time, and clapped her hands again. The forcefield rushed out and closed itself solidly around Mirōven. Mirōven lay suspended in mid air inside the force field bubble, dagger still poised.

"Not bad Mirōven" Oblivion said as she slowly pulled her hood back on, "Am almost impressed. A little rusty though, nothing I can't take care of."

"Now.."she said looking around her and spotting Andrew and all the rest still stuck in time, "enough for one day. I'll be on my way. But" she looked back at Mirōven and gave him a slightly winked at him, "a little parting gift for you. To remember the happy times by."

She pointed and and a violet flash of light shot from her fingertips. It flew towards Andrew and Shadowfoot, covering them both in its unearthly aura.

"See you again Mirōven" the lady in black said as she began to fade out of view.

"NOOOO" a cry burst out from Mirōven as the force field holding him gave away. He landed onto his feet and rushed to where Oblivion was standing, but was too late. She was already gone.

Mirōven looked towards Andrew and Shadowfoot. The violet aura around them was opaque now, but slowly fading away. Mirōven dreaded what he would see.

The aura faded away revealing Andrew still in place. He was exactly as he had been before the aura had struck him, except that his clothes were in tatters now. Shadowfoot was nowhere to be seen.

The time freeze spell Oblivion cast also lost it hold, and everyone on the mountainside, except Mirōven, fell suddenly to the ground, unconscious from the shock of the time freeze.

"Say hello to your werewolf brother for me" came one final sneering taunt to Mirōven from the already disappeared Oblivion.