The Siege of Ultopja 10 – Struggle within [Tarzana]

She hears her name being called and knows what comes next. “Go, get those vermin.” Tarzana dismisses the few cultists she was talking to and turns. Her expression is dark, angry even and when she speaks to Catherine her voice is filled with depleted patience. “I really don’t have time to deal with you right now.”

“Then you better make the time.” Catherine shots rights back. The two witches stand only mere centimetres from each other, eyes staring maliciously. “As long as Ulal is not around I am the de facto Regent.” Tarzana makes a contemptuous snort. “Oh? Well unlike Ulal you are weaker than me, so you can take that high horse that you are currently sitting on and make it fuck you up the arse.” She hisses at Catherine. “Without him or Aclysia around you hold no power over me.”

“Don’t try me.” Catherine whispers as her eyes dart towards an approaching figure. “I will burn off that smug face of yours.” She then turns towards the figure, taking a few steps away from Tarzana in the process. Doing her best to look calm Catherine addresses the newcomer. “Hello, Zerine.” The woman in question walks fast steps, holding her skirt slightly up so it won’t get in the way.

Her injuries are completely gone now and a long scar at her neck being the last sign of past mistreatments. “I came as soon as I heard the news.” She says, “How bad is it?” “Yeah, Tarzana.” Catherine crosses her arms and taps the ground with her foot repeatedly. “How bad is it?” ‘I fucking hate this girl.’ Tarzana grinds her teeth as she collects herself. “Exact reports are still pending but from the looks of it only the uppermost chambers are salvageable.” “Meaning?” Catherine pries further. “Meaning that our current rations will last for a week at best.”

The tapping increases and then suddenly ceases. “Zerine, would you please look after the damage yourself?” “I don’t think that is necessa….” Zerine starts but freezes in the sentence as Catherine gives her a cold glance, “Please?” She repeats, the tone makes it clear that it is no request. “O-of course, Catherine.” Hastily she grabs her skirt again and runs off.

The two witches stare after her until Zerine has vanishes up the stairs. Then Catherine throws a lightning bolt at Tarzana. The cult leader had already expected that and two spells collide between them. The shockwave forces them both to take another step backwards. “So, we are finally doing this?” Tarzana laughs and fire starts dancing in her palms.

Catherine doesn’t answer her question. “Do you have any fucking idea.” She hisses instead, “What Ulal will do to us if we fuck this up? Or worse what Estara will do when they get us?” Catherine unleashes a shower of spells on the Cult leader. Tarzana brushes them aside, only slightly straining herself. ‘Her bark is a lot worse than her bite, all of these spells are wasted energy.’ She thinks as she continues to block the spells. There is no reason to attack if Catherine is so hell-bent on exhausting herself.

Catherine screams over the noise of fire cutting through the air as multiple fireballs appear around her and fling themselves at Tarzana. “How could you fail in such a spectacular matter?” She asks, which each further question another powerful spell crashes into Tarzana’s defensive barriers, “Lose the only source of food we have?” A giant ice lance vaporizes, “Of all the things we need, you lose the grain?” Thunder arches into the shield and is guided into the ground. “At least I finally get to show you your place now!” A blue fireball robs Tarzana of her sight.

‘That ought to be it.’ Tarzana thinks and prepares her counter attack. She is about to lower the shield when a pale hand breaks through the smokescreen that last fireball produced. It presses against the layers of water, fire and electricity, slowly pushing through. Tarzana stares with unbelief at Catherine’s open palm in front of her face. Through the fingers she sees the dark-brown eyes staring at her with a cold anger she knows all too well, the eyes of her master. And just like Uklag back then, Catherine doesn’t even look fazed.

“How?” Tarzana stares at the arm that reaches through her shield. Three layers, water, electricity and fire and none of them harm the robed limb. Catherine smiles, “Can’t you see, if you are oh so more powerful than me you should able to recognize it.”

Tarzana narrows her eyes. Her mouth falls open as she sees the purple flicker of energy around Catherine’s arm. “Pure arcane?” “Bingo.” Catherine lowers her hand and points at Tarzana’s chest. A sudden explosion throws Tarzana off her feet.

Hands grabs by the collar as she still tries to orientate herself. “Truth be told I thought more of you.” Catherine says as she pulls her back up. “You always talk so highly, yet you are unable to face me.”

The hammering of a second pair of boots against the ground. Catherine throws Tarzana to the side as she sees Kay storming at the two. The Incubus is ready to defend his mistress. As the two lock in hand to hand combat Tarzana inspects herself for injuries. To her surprise she finds none, the direct blast only burnt off the cloth that hid her breasts but left herself only stained with the resulting ashes. Either Catherine had not used enough power to achieve what she wanted or was able to use exactly as much power as she needed to achieve that goal.

‘What is it with people that surround Ulal?’ She thinks as she watches as Catherine barely blocks strike after strike from the Incubus. “I am a being of millennia, Catherine, you can’t hope to fend me ooooooo-.” As the Incubus grows more certain of his victory he makes an over ambitious strike. Catherine, suddenly faster than before, sidesteps, grabs him by the neck and knee’s him in the stomach.

Coughing and spitting that demon falls to the ground, landing on all fours. Catherine draws a knife from her belt. “You are an Incubus, not made for close quarter combat. I was part of the greatest military in the known world for sixteen years.” Kay tries to get up but Catherine kicks him in the side before he can do so. He falls back to the ground and as he recovers Catherine sits on his exposed chest, her knee pinning him down as a knife hovers over his throat.

“Want to test out if I got the Soul Shattering enchantment right?” Catherine asks in a menacing tone. “After all your mistress did to piss me off over the weeks we have spent together taking your life seems like a fair deal.” Kay can’t answer, Catherine is pressing all the air out of his lungs and although demons don’t need to breath they still can’t speak without it.

“No objections?” The question isn’t raised at the Incubus. Tarzana stumbles closer. “I still need him.” “Will you finally stop defying me then?” Catherine asks and turns her head. Tarzana grits her teeth. She clearly has been wrong regarding Catherine, she can’t believe herself and Kay both fell for the same tactic. Lulled by apparent weakness only to be overthrown by explosive strength seconds later.

“Why didn’t you just take us out from the start? You clearly are capable of doing so.” Catherine grins, her mood has greatly improved, “Because that would have been very unsatisfying. Now will you obey me or do I have to tell An and Al that they have a friend less in the world?”

The knife cuts the first bit of skin. Kay tries his best to shy away from the blade, just the touch being incredibly painful to him. “Seems I nailed the enchantment.” “Fine.” Tarzana spits out, partly angry but mostly terrified at the prospect of losing Kay, “Now get off him.” Catherine gets up and turns to Tarzana. She cleans the black demon blood of her blade on the cult leaders robe and says. “See, we can all work together. If you just obey me.” She puts away the knife and pats Tarzana on the shoulder.

“Now I will try to fix this mess, you should get back here as soon as possible. Nice tits by the way.” Tarzana looks down, the burned of chest area reveals her breasts to the open air. She turns crimson from the humiliation. “Fuck you, Lady Catherine.” She presses out and walks off.