Hathiel, son of the Ignis

         The night's sky was lit witth the indigo arches of lightening as he appeared high in its endless depths. His wings trailed a deep crimson glitter behind him as he dove downward scaling over a lake that mirrored the pulsating sky. It's rising waters grazed the belly of his white cloak while they fled his rapid velocity. In a flash, he extended his four vibrant nearly translucent wings coming to a instantaneous halt upon a hill beside the water.
         His hazel gaze watched the still forest as his wings dimmed from existance leaving only three small cinders, that died in seconds. The ancient trees seemed to bow and welcome him with whispers among themselves that he could not hear. In moments, he began his descent from the hill moving towards them with the elegant and prideful stride of his kind. He raised his right hand to move the under brush aside when a hushed warning met his conscience.
         Holding his breath he turned back to the lake seeing nothing out of order. No creature made a sound as he prepared to enter the forest yet again.
         The sound of the air splitting was his only warning before a cloud of arrows struck towards him. Without a second thought he leapt to his left into a handstand. He then cart wheeled back to his feet baring his teeth to the forest and any within it.
         "Show thine self!" He yelled into the cackling trees his voice resonating like a orchestra of trumpets within a premiere hall. Lightening danced in the sky above illuminating the raw red anger within his stature. His left hand rose touching the warm stone about his neck as he swallowed building his resolve. His mind raced a moment back to the times he set beside his father while they spoke of the warriors of his people.
         "Tis a shame that so many have forsaken the original ways," his father had said, "But even now at least they respect the right of battle." Those last three words told him what had to be done. Both hands at his sides he breathed in deeply.
         "I, Cloud Ignis, challenge thee to a Duel!" The words themselves built a small amount of confidence within him. That mere morsel however, brought a change deep within his gut. Every cell of his creation cried out for battle as adrenaline drove him to the peek of madness. He felt every muscle in his body constrict then release expressing power as raw as his anger at this breach.
         "I accept...foolish pidgeon," came a voice softer than the squeek of a mouse but as wretched as a snake's hiss. Cloud felt the air, even the lightening in the sky, grow still and silent as from the forest stepped a small figure covered by a thick fur four sizes to big. He watched it sensing for its intent but felt only menace from it. The figure removed its cloak and flung it into the lake with suprising might.
         What had lain beneath the cloak made Cloud's gut clench and knot as his eyes stuck there. The man stood barely a foot shorter than Cloud, the black ruins that covered his body betraying that he was a pratictioner of the dark arts. He wore all black with a bloodied athame sheathed in his vest. His breath spoke of decay and his posture was hunched and rude.
         "How dare you disrespect my people," Cloud said as he stepped back. The two were ten paces apart, the traditional duel's beginning distance, once he stopped.
         "Your people will all fall soon enough pidgeon. But you will first," the old sorceror cackled then coughed matching Cloud's gaze of despise with one of hatred. The two stood like this for a blink in time allowing their tension and power to collide, build, and shapen.
         "To celestia!" Cloud cried ripping the stone's chain from his neck. In a flash that made the stormy night appear as day the stone became a rapier of golden orange tint. In other's eyes Cloud knew it appeared as pure light. But in his it was the morning star, a vibrant blue hilt that barely complimented the orange and red above it before ending in yellow. He could even see the spiritual wood it fed from within its fiery abyss. He held it proudly in his right hand finally able to prove to himself why his father had given him this blade.          
         "Nice sword trick Boy, but let a real pro show you," the old man taunted while drawing out his athame. Cloud felt the air charge menacingly as the blade was covered in a deep scarlet haze. The sorceror kneeled slowly chanting in a tongue Cloud had never heard. He slid the athame along the ground then rose with a sly grin.
         "I am not impressed," Cloud said belligerently as the athame lengthened to be a short sword. It had kept the scarlet haze but was now solely obsinian, draining the light from its surroundings.
         "True magic takes time. Now, Ahem. I, Rubeus Jacobson, accept your Duel," the old man said his smile widening. Once again there was a standstill the air between them rippling with expectation and power.
         " It may take time, but yours is out!" Cloud yelled as he broke into an all out dash. He had watched some of his peers sparring and knew this technique to be one most fell to. Within five paces of Rubeus he suddenly turned to his right running around the latter instead. He quickened his pace till he could see every impact of the wind to the grass in slow motion. Now all he had to do was...
         His motions were cut short as an elbow struck his chin lifting him straight off the ground and into a tree. It groaned fallin forward over him as his impact broke its trunk. Rubeus' laughter echoed maniacally from somewhere before him.
         "You do all that screaming and dedication and fall with my first strike? This is to easy," the dark sorceror said as he doubled over in laughter. Cloud rose slowly trying to grasp what had just happened and why his head was spinning. Two strong hands grabbed his shoulders lifting him up to his feet to meet Rubeus' humor filled red gaze. "Try bobbing and weaving Boy," he laughed throwing a stern fist into Cloud's stomach. The impact lifted Cloud off the ground as its sound resonated through the trees like a boulder breaking the earth. With a flick the sorceror sent him flying to land beside the water. Cloud rolled in.
         As his head submerged itself into the chilling liquid his mind regained itself reminding him of where he was and what he was doing. All four of his majestic crimson bronze wings dimmed into existance as he gritted his teeth embarrassed by this pathic show of skill. With a grunt he launched himself from the water and top the air. His eyes instantly found Rubeus.
         "Enough is enough! I have had it with your wretched ways and this wretched place!" Cloud accellerated instantly towards the sorceror trailing flames as he prepared for an all out tackle. He ran straight into then through the old man his mind finallt percieving it to be an illusion just as he the ground. Mud, grass, and rocks skittered in every direction as he slid across the ground.
         He rose close gritting his teetth as he glared about into the silent forest. "So you run and hide like coward sorceror!?" He yelled between shallow and swift breaths. Flapping his wings, he rose to hover three feet from the ground looking about again.
         "I never hide pidgeon...," a chill climbed Cloud's spine as he heard the sorceror's breath from somewhere behind him, "...I simply battle with my mind...Which you won't have soon!" Rubeus broke into his wild laughter just as a pit opened beneath Cloud. He glanced down at it then beat his wings madly sensing where this pit went. He broke away from the down drift just as it began.
         "Won't be that easy!" He yelled back at Rubeus. He glanced down at the pit for a scant second his inner eye picking up the sigil made to form it. His attention on it he didn't notice the flaming green skull from his right, till it hit him. Cloud was sent to the ground spasming beside the hole before rising slowly his divine might draining.
         "Can't even dodge a minor spell but challenged my greater one," Rubeus teased shaking his head from fifteen paces away.
         "At least...I didn't get banished to hell."
         "Banished to hell?" Rubeus looked at him confused a second then grinned. "Try reading the sigils backwards idiot," he laughed holding his sword out diagonal from his body.
                             {to be con't}