"It's too bad."
A slow smile crept over my face as I felt the clone's energy dissipate, its existence finally succumbing to the limits of my magic.
"Couldn't hold it together any longer," I muttered, taking stock of my own state.
Despite the strain of maintaining the clone while staying within the labyrinth, my strength was almost fully recovered.
But there was another problem at hand.
Oberon.
I couldn't exactly stroll out of this forest unnoticed.
'The timing of my clone's disappearance was less than ideal; I would have preferred it to maintain the ruse for a while longer.'
But what's done was done.
My initial plan had been to slip away while my clone distracted the Fairy King, but that option had evaporated along with the clone.
"Well, it can't be helped." I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself.
If I couldn't avoid Oberon, then I'd confront him directly. No point dancing around it any longer.
I emerged from the Labyrinth, coming face to face with a swarm of fairy guards at the entrance. They looked visibly shocked, their iridescent wings fluttering in surprise.
"Who...wait, aren't you—?" One of them stammered, "But didn't the King…?!"
"Oh, I'm someone else. Just passing through," I answered nonchalantly, spreading my arms. "Your King got the right guy."
Their faces hardened, their tiny hands gripping their weapons tighter.
Looks like it wasn't going to be that easy. I'd have to fight, if only in self-defense.
A small price to pay for what lay beyond this forest.
I just hoped Oberon would see reason when the time came.
Until then, I needed to get past these guards.
'This shouldn't take too long…' I thought, a spark of determination lighting up my eyes.
"Ready when you are," I said, smiling.
'... Or not!'
Energy surged within me, pooling into my palms, as I faced off against the Fairy guards.
I took a deep breath, centering myself, the sensation of power crackling under my skin. I needed to incapacitate them, not harm them. That was key.
"CHARGEEEEE!!!"
"Spellcraft: Somnus Field," I murmured, a thrum of Magic pulsating through my veins.
I extended my arms wide, releasing the energy into the air. It spread out like an invisible wave, an ethereal ripple in the fabric of reality.
The effect was instantaneous. The guards closest to me stumbled, their eyes rolling back into their heads.
Their wings fluttered weakly before they collapsed, crumpled like marionettes with their strings cut.
The ones further back held on for a moment longer, their hands reaching out as if to grab onto something, anything, to stay conscious.
But the sleep-inducing spell was too potent, and they fell too, adding to the unconscious bodies scattered across the ground.
"Y-you…," one managed to choke out before succumbing to the Magic, his body folding neatly onto the soft grass.
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, watching as the final fairy guard hit the ground, the forest around me once again silent.
I hadn't harmed them, merely put them into a sleep from which they would awaken with no memory of what had transpired.
"I'm sorry," I murmured, my gaze sweeping over them. "But I have a Fairy King to confront."
"Is that so?" A sudden voice interrupted me, coming from above.
'Hmm?'
In the soft glow of the forest's bioluminescent flora, Oberon towered over me, rage etched into his regal features. He pointed at the unconscious forms of the fairies scattered around us.
"What have you done to my subjects?"
I held up my hands, trying to pacify him. "They're unharmed, merely sleeping. They'll awaken in a few hours, unaware of what transpired."
"Sleeping?" Oberon echoed, his voice growing darker. "You cast a Spell on them, didn't you?"
"Yes," I admitted, choosing honesty over evasion. "It was the least harmful way to navigate this situation."
Oberon narrowed his eyes, "Who are you truly?"
I sighed, the weight of my decisions pressing down on me. "My name is Lewis Griffith. I am, as you've surmised, affiliated with Aria and her group. However, capturing me won't grant you access to them."
"You dare to stand there and dictate terms? After invading our Labyrinth? After casting a Spell on my people?" Oberon's voice was thunderous, echoing through the otherwise quiet forest.
"I'd rather we talked, Oberon. This conflict is pointless," I implored, hoping he'd listen.
Oberon's lips curled into a snarl, his hands balling into fists. "Enough with your words! I will capture you, and you will tell me everything. And if you do have a cure to my curse... you will share it."
I knew then that there would be no reasoning with the Fairy King.
He was a man ensnared in desperation, willing to do anything to protect his people, even if it meant defying reason.
The gravity of our situation sunk into me, and I steeled myself for what would come next.
~VWUUUUSSSHHH!~
The tension in the air grew thick as molasses as Oberon and I squared off.
The iridescent colors of the forest around us swirled and danced, reflecting off Oberon's eyes, highlighting the determination etched in them.
"I won't be taken so easily," I warned, reaching into my wellspring of Nether.
Around me, I could feel the natural currents of magic that permeated this forest, a dense net of interwoven spells that gave life to the ancient trees and mystical creatures inhabiting it.
I had a plan, and it involved these natural currents of Nether.
With a fierce cry, Oberon rushed at me, his form blurring as he cast a Speed-enhancing spell, "[Velocity Gale]".
It seemed to be a common spell, one that enhanced physical speed and agility. I matched his speed with a counter of my own, muttering a quick "[Gravity Tread]", to lighten my body and move at an equal pace.
Oberon's attacks came in quick succession, a barrage of wind and leaf blades conjured by his "[Aero Cutlass]" Spell.
Every blade was guided with precision, aimed to incapacitate rather than kill. He was a fair fighter, even in his rage.
However, I was not one to be outmatched. I countered with my own offensive spell,
"[Stone Bulwark]", pulling the very earth up to form a defensive wall. The wind blades crashed against it, shattering into harmless particles of magic.
But Oberon was relentless, already casting another spell, "[Emerald Torrent]", conjuring a rushing wave of sharp, crystalline leaves.
I had been waiting for him to use up some degree of his energy. I invoked my next offensive maneuver.
"Spellcraft…" I whispered.
Drawing upon the inherent Nether currents in the forest, I spun an intricate web of Magic.
The Emerald Torrent crashed into my barrier, getting caught in the web of Nether, redirecting and twisting the spell back at Oberon.
'Normally, this place would be his domain, but by mixing my energy and with rhe Nether around, it'll confuse the entire forest.'
In essence… this was no longer the Fairy King's domain.
Caught off guard, Oberon barely managed to create a shield of wind, "[Cyclone Veil]", but it wasn't enough.
He was thrown back by the rebounding force of his own spell, crashing into a tree.
"Uack!"
Panting heavily, I watched as Oberon slowly rose to his feet, a look of disbelief in his eyes.
"Haa… haa…"
He must have realized then what I had known from the start: he was at a disadvantage.
Despite his rage and desperation, my cunning utilization of Spellcraft had turned the tides in my favor.
I drew in a deep breath, feeling the power of the Nether pulsate around me.
"Do you see now, Oberon?" I called out, standing tall despite my light fatigue. "Your rage blinds you. We should be allies, not enemies."
Oberon didn't respond, but the fury in his eyes had dimmed, replaced by a cautious wariness.
It was a start, and I was willing to take it.
We had a long way to go, but for now, I had won.
"If you surrender, we can save time for the both of us… and move on to more important matters." I sighed. "What do you say?"
Slowly, I could see the tense muscles of the Fairy King loosen. As Oberon slid to the forest floor, the fight left his eyes.
He looked at me, disbelief and surprise etched on his face. "How...?"
"My special ability," I replied simply, "is not only about throwing spells at each other, Oberon. It's about understanding the flow of Nether and using it to your advantage."
Slowly, I walked over to him, extending a hand. "Let's stop this. Let's talk. We can help each other, Oberon."
For a moment, he stared at my outstretched hand, the symbol of peace and camaraderie. Then, reluctantly, he took it.
And just like that, the tide of our confrontation changed.
*
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*
