The Dark Acolyte felt his control over the fire disappear. The flames dissipated in the air. Like fire without fuel, flying through a vacuum before getting snuffed out.
Dispel Magic?
Victor narrowed his eyes. He slowly lowered his staff, as the girl continued, voice full of desperation.
"Victor, please," Melas pleaded. "I need to speak with you."
"You need to speak with me?" he asked, almost amused. He slowly brought one hand behind his back as he continued. "After betraying us, do you really think you have the right to do that?"
"Yes," she answered without hesitation. Her gaze bore into him, and she stood firm. "I freed the prisoners. But only to save them so they won’t suffer because of you."
"Suffer?" Victor laughed. "They only got what they deserved. They. Are. Slavers. The same one that did that to you."
He gestured at her face. And she instinctively winced. But she continued.
"You don’t know that. You know nothing about them or what they’ve done, and you’re delivering their sentence? Claiming that it is justice? That’s… wrong."
"Wrong?" Victor shook his head. "Pathetic," he spat. "Is that really what you’re going for? After I saved your life— helped you through so much— this is how you repay me? You really are all the same, aren’t you?"
Melas grimaced. But she ignored that end comment.
"Victor, you saved my life. I was beaten down and had nothing at that point, but you gave me a home. A place to stay. I truly am grateful for that. That’s why I wanted to make it up to you— but this?" she said slowly, gesturing vaguely behind her. "I can’t allow it."
"Allow it? And who, pray tell, asked for your permission?"
"Nobody," she said. "But I won’t stand idly by as I watch someone get hurt. I’ve had that happen to me too many times, and I hate it. That’s why I freed them. And that’s why I want to speak with you— to ask you to stop what you’ve been doing."
The Dark Acolyte cocked a brow. He sighed deeply, and looked away from her.
"Ah, but Melas," he started, "you don’t seem to realize that although no one asked for your permission, I told you not to interfere."
Victor pulled out his other hand. The one he was hiding behind his back. A glowing magic circle was already fully formed on it. Then it expanded rapidly as he said the spell’s name.
"Fireball."
"Wh—"
A dense red sphere of flame shot out. The girl raised a hand, but she could not dispel it in time. That was the beauty of keeping a spell at the ready. It drastically lessened the time required to cast it. Victor was glad he chose not to teach her how to do that. She could only react by sending a Magic Missile back at him.
The ball of energy impacted the Fireball mid air. But it was far weaker. The explosion blew in the direction of Melas and Victor grinned as she went flying back.
The blast slowly cleared, with wisps of smoke dancing away to join the raging storm of gas gather atop. Victor squinted as he saw something glowing. It was not the orange glow of fire, but a blue color. The signature color of pure magical energy.
The Force Barrier protected the girl. It was cracked, already breaking apart. And it finally collapsed a moment after Victor saw it. Yet it still took the brunt of the attack. Melas got up as he looked on in disbelief.
"I don’t want to fight you. I just want to… compromise. That’s all. Please."
The Dark Acolyte stopped to think. He raised his head for a moment. Then he lowered it back down.
"No."
Flaming projectiles flew at Melas. They came from all around the room. From the raging fire that surrounded them.
She started in a panic. She dodged to the side, sidestepping the volley of attacks.
"I’m not asking for much," she said, panting heavily as she kept moving. " I just don’t want you to hurt others without a reason. It’s not right."
"It’s revenge," Victor said nonchalantly. "You, yourself, wanted it."
A bolt of fire struck Melas on the shoulder. She flinched. It was not a light singe— almost a third-degree burn.
She rolled under the hail of Firebolts, as she sent her own bolts of energy back at Victor. He only grinned as he dodged her attacks with ease.
"If you believed revenge to be without suffering then you are the fool, Melas. I am not at fault for your error in judgement."
"I know," she said. "It’s obvious— revenge is bad. There are so many stories which say the same thing. But I forgot about that. I was a fool."
Victor scoffed.
"Stories are not real life. And these ideas are perversions of the Goddess by the Church."
"I’m not talking about your stories." Melas shook her head. "But none of that matters. I wanted revenge because I lost my reason to live. Because my mother died, and I was bound and broken. She was the world to me and I had become a slave. I needed something to cling on to. But I realize now that that is not what I want, nor is it what I need."
"So because you’re an enlightened child now, you believe revenge is wrong?" Victor asked sardonically. "Congratulations, but I disagree. I was wronged, and I deserve my justice."
There was a crackle, as the flames raged on around them.
"I know, I know," she sighed. "And I won’t stop you from getting your… revenge. If you’re going to kill someone who has terribly wronged you, then I will let you. I won’t condone it, but I can understand where you’re coming from. It’d be hypocritical for me to condemn you for that."
The girl took a deep breath, then she continued.
