Lightning rips through the sky, followed by a booming voice declaring they’re the Magician. I turn back towards the city square and notice a giant spectacle currently under way.

  “What is that doofus doing?” Avis questions, shifting his attention back towards the Light Touched standing in front of him. I can’t fathom what could possibly be happening in the city square that James would do such a thing. He like attention, but not like that. Anything that could potentially lead to fighting or disaster is the last possible thing he would do.

  “Unfortunately we can’t worry about him brother, we need to focus on these two.” I turn back towards the Death Touched, his chains now dangling limply at his side. Perhaps he has given up on attempting to use a puppet to fight, or perhaps he’s merely contemplating his next move.

  Maybe Avis and myself should team up instead and take them on one at a time, not the other one would just wait for our fight to finish. Such a silly thought.

  I crouch, lowering myself to the ground, and get into a position ready to sprint.

  “Kick her ass Avis.” I say as I push off the ground, hanging low to the ground, making my body as small as possible. “Gust.”

  A gust of wind picks up behind me, a tornado of dust kicks up around me, blocking the Death Touched's field of vision. I slide up next to him, swinging my leg attempting to knock him off his feet. Instead my legs collides with his chain, which has dug itself into the ground. I quickly move backwards, missing the other chain by mere inches as it swings over my head. It moves with such force that it knocks all the dust out of the surrounding area.

  The Death Touched is doing a handstand on top of his chains, one which is dug into the ground, the other is hanging loose and being used as his weapon. How did he move so quickly and know where I would attack?

  “Shatter.” I grit my teeth, focusing on the chain stuck in the ground. Two of the links shatter, splitting apart and he begins falling. I move as swiftly as possible, spin around preparing for a roundhouse kick.

  “Backdraft.” The wind propels my leg forward as he’s still falling, colliding with chest, sending him crashing into the building behind him.

  I stumble backwards, realizing that I can’t fight him like normal. The Touched are far more skilled than any opponent that we have faced thus far, and I need to fight with that in mind.

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  I’ve noticed several things recently though. One, I was somehow able to overwrite Prisha’s spell. Her magic is exponentially more complex than my own so the fact that I was able to break it is unbelievable. Second, I have now been able to shatter his chain links several times. Back in Enkidu, I didn’t have the power to do so. I think I would conclude that my magic has gotten stronger, perhaps even evolved.

  During both of these scenarios, it had a greater affect on the environment than normal. I was giving a command to a very specific thing, yet it reverberated through the surrounding area. Normally it simply recreates the thing that the word describes in the way that I imagine it. That word becomes essentially a living part of the world and acts as though it is the thing it describes, but it never extends further than that.

  So when I commanded Madison to breath or the chain to shatter, they extended farther than simply doing the thing that I commanded of it. I don’t quite know why that is just yet, but perhaps I can move a little deeper with my commands. Affect greater areas rather than just recreating natural phenomena.

  The Death Touched climbs out of the rubble, wiping the dust off of his clothes.

  “I fear we must wrap this up, our execution is at hand and we have a place to be.”

  He looks past me and motions his head toward the city square.

  “Not yet you don’t!” Avis screams moments before the Light Touched comes flipping into my field of view, landing next to the Death Touched.

  “If you will excuse us.” The Death Touched turns and starts walking away from us.

  “Don’t just walk away!” I scream after him, but they continue moving. I suppose if there was ever a time to try out my magic, now would be it.

  “Kneel!” I scream as though casting a spell. My command echoes through the street, the ground vibrating beneath our feet until it reaches The Touched who both instantly fall to their knees.

  “Dee! Look at you!” Avis steps up next to me, I try to keep my composure as I stare down the two in front of us. Though it does feel good to be able to do that.

  “I’m not here to brag.” Again, I try not to smile.

  “Brag away sis.”

  I walk around the Touched, both who are struggling against my spell and attempting to stand up. I have no idea how long this will last, so we need to be quick.

  “Why are you here?” I ask. They don’t answer.

  “Why Tate?” I wait for an answer, but still nothing.

  Both of them seem determined to keep a tight lip. Avis reaches his knife out towards the light Touched, I gently place my hand on his arm and shake my head.

  “Speak.” I demand of them, unsure if this would work but the air shifts in the same way it does with a spell. The Death Touched's eyes widen. He tries to keep his mouth clamped shut, but fails to do so.

  “We are here to return to our purpose.” The Death Touched lowers their head, not saying another word. I look to Avis who looks just as confused as I feel. I turn back towards the two of them.

  “What does that mean?” I inquire, and yet again get no where.

  “What do you mean?” I ask, kneeling down in front of them, but they refuse to raise their heads to meet my gaze.

  I stand back up, choosing to not command them to speak again because if I had to guess I would simply get the same answer as before. I got what I was looking for, so the spell worked, I just don’t understand what it means.