It had only been a month since Nymira dropped the Burkes name from her own. A month since she had torn out of Castle Obsidian in a fit of hysterics. A month, since she had sliced her hand open, allowing a river of blood to drip from her palm while she chanted to keep herself hidden from anyone. Something she had once promised him she would never do again. A promise she had kept throughout the many years of their marriage, despite the difficulty her addiction to blood magic caused her.

 

A month had passed, but the pain in her heart made it feel like yesterday.

 

Now here she sat, at the edge of Zygos Volcano, southwest of Ozryn and what was once her home at House of Night. His words still bounced around in her mind, only building up the rage; the rage was growing, and slowly it was beginning to push the heartbreak to the back of her mind.

 

"I don't want you anymore."

 

Her fists clenched tightly and she stared down at the resting lava inside the volcano, known for its violent eruptions.

 

"You are the worst thing that ever happened to me."

 

A yell tore from her throat and she sent a gigantic fireball, mixed with blood from her ruby encrusted athame into the pit, sending sparks flying up to her, some hitting her clothing and burning holes through the black fabric. But Nym didn't notice; and if she did, she didn't care. The only thing she wanted was to make everyone hurt like she hurt.

 

"I don't love you. I don't know why I ever did."

 

Her petite form began to quiver in anger. "You may not love me, but you will regret having ever said what you did to me." Though she seemed to speak to the mountain, she was speaking to her once husband, Zayne, whom she never mentioned by name since their split. "You started a fire that you nor anyone else will ever be able to put out."

 

As soon as the last syllable of the last word came out, the volcano sent a spray of lava up high above her head. Instead of hitting her, she directed it around her as it came back down to ground. A pool of steaming, red-orange, slow-moving liquid surrounded her, and unbeknownst to her, her eyes glowed and matched the colour of the liquid fire.

 

After receiving word that Nymira had gone missing, Nadianna set out to find her. She had gotten a letter from her sister, saying she had left the castle, and she seemed angry. What she had sensed since then had been correct. She knew there was only one reason that the female witch was as angry as she is, and there was a possibility she was on the verge of doing something dangerous.

Most would have considered her naïve for even attempting to go after someone whose emotions were past hurt, pain, anger, or a mixture of them all. That didn’t matter to her. Not in the slightest.

She had been out on another search for the woman, using her now heightened senses to help find her. Kneeling down underneath a tree, her eyes took on a golden colour as she inhaled slowly, catching the woman’s scent in the air, before hearing the eruption of the Zygos Volcano, and making a 90 degree turn. Strange, that is a powerful eruption... Too powerful... She thought to herself, pushing herself to her feet, tugging at her back pack’s straps, and headed in that direction.

She took to the trees, leaping from one to the next, each leap longer and higher than they were before, eventually dropping down to the ground as she got closer to the forest’s edge, and broke off into a sprint. In case there was any trouble, her eyes remained that golden colour, canines extending slightly in her mouth.

Sliding to a stop at the forests edge, she crouched down near a tree, holding on to the trunk of it, not that she really needed to. She scanned the area, Nym’s scent strongest there, signifying that she might possibly still be there. Carefully, and cautiously, Nadi stepped out, pulling her bag off her back, and placing it under the tree, she was by. The lava was still hot on the ground, some of it still flowing. She brushed her hair over her shoulders, and pushed a hand into her pocket as she searched for the woman, listening to her surroundings for any noise, or movement.

 

The witch was still burning from both the lava and her own anger as she trudged down Zygos, oblivious to any other living thing. Her eyes were still brightly glowing a golden-orange with a reddish tinge, and it was slow to fade back into their normal coffee depths. Somehow, Nym's clothing was mending on its own, the holes the flames left quickly filling up as if they had never been there.

She put a hand to her hip, where her ruby encrusted athame was sheathed inside her belt. Her fingertips brushed over the facets of the gems and immedietely she felt her blood begin to boil, though the sensation was extremely pleasant to her. Though she refused to acknowledge it, blood magic would always be her downfall.

An out of place flash of blue and black teased at her ocular periphery, and in response Nymira whipped her head to the tree she had seen it from. Her steps were quiet and cautious as she rounded the tree, coming into contact with a familiar face. The witch sneered in annoyance and she tossed a ball of flames at the other woman's feet, her form beginning to shake in anger.

"Why the hell are you here? I put a cloaking spell on myself not to be found by anyone." By now her eyes were less of a fiery colour, and more their original dark brown. Still, Nym didn't notice anything different about herself. At the moment she had more pressing issues to deal with, like how in the hell Nadi found her when she hadn't wanted to be found.

 

Nadi stopped dead in her tracks as the fireball landed directly in front of her. Another step, and it would have definitely hit her. “Hmm…” she mumbled, before her gaze moved to the direction it came from, as she narrowed golden orbs slightly. “That would explain why it was so difficult to find you. But lucky for you, I enjoy a good game of hide and seek.” she spoke, retracting her canines, and stepping over the flame that had been hurled at her.

“I actually came here to investigate what had made the volcano erupt the way it had, and just so happened to catch your scent. Though I am pretty sure a cloaking spell is supposed to stop me from sniffing you out too.” She gave a small shrug, glancing about the area as if the other woman wasn’t a danger to her at all. “As for why I am here, well… I am here to take you home,” she states, the glow of her golden orbs brightening slightly.

“And I will do so, even if I have to drag you back kicking and screaming.”

 

Scowling at her friend, she crossed her arms over her chest. Though all of her clothes were black, her cloak was white, clasped over her shoulders with a large silver disc, the pattern on its metallic surface that of a swirl. As her arms moved, the cloak fell slightly open to reveal more of her clothing, which consisted of a black corset, black leather pants, and two dark brown belts overlapping each other in a loose X, the buckles a shiny silver just like the disc on her cloak.

"'Difficult'? It shouldn't at all have been possible to find me. I left Castle Obsidian hidden in a spell to hide. I don't want to go back to that wretched place." What she failed to say, however, was the reason she believed it to be 'wretched'. The memories the place held for her were beyond painful. She didn't want to feel pain; she only wanted to feel free to do as she pleased.

At Nadi's last statement, Nym burst into laughter. When Nymira used to laugh, the sound was sweet; almost like singing birds. Now only harsh cruelty rang from it. "Really, Nadianna? You are that naive that you believe you will bring me back to the castle? It isn't my home anymore. My home is with Mirabel, wherever we choose to be. And that just so happens not to be at the House of Night."

Like clockwork, Mira appeared from behind Nadi, her wild, brown eyes wide and curly locks flying about her head. Her clothes consisted of her usual tattered T-shirt and jeans. The revenant, whom also so happened to be Nymira's younger sister, was crawling around the grass like an animal. Without paying a bit of attention she bumped into Nadi's leg, falling back with the force of hitting a truck. The strange creature shook her head, looking up at Nadi. A look of hunger lust filled her ocular orbs.

"Nadiiiiii." She reached for the woman, her mouth opening as if she were getting ready to eat a meal. Nymira just stood there with a smirk, her eyes traveling down from her sister, back up to Nadi. Normally, she would stop Mirabel from eating anyone. This time, she didn't seem to care one way or another what happened.

 

“Wretched place? No longer your home? You helped build it!” She stated, unintentionally laughing at the glare she’d received. “But I guess that does not matter now, does it? All because you got hurt.” Her laughter and amusement vanished. Nym didn’t have to say why she no longer wanted to be within the castle’s walls. For her to vanish for a month, without a word, she knew what the reason was.

She brushed the back of her hand on the back of her shirt as if she were dusting something off, as a low growl vibrated in her chest cavity. She could feel her canines elongating in her mouth again, her golden orbs turning more wolf-like now. I am not doing anything you would not do for me, no matter how naïve it may seem… She thought to herself, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

She turned her head slightly at the sound of grass rustling behind her, glancing out of the corner of her eye to see a figure crawling in the direction. When the figure bumped her leg, she hadn’t budged, but she did glance down to see Mirabel had bumped into her.

Nadi just watched the female reach for her, shoving her left hand into her pocket, her composure relaxed despite the sinister way her name was called. She grinned and chuckled, looking forward to the challenge of dealing with them both. “Careful, Mira. I bite back.” Even though one would say Nadi was in more trouble than she realized, she didn’t care. She took a couple steps away from Mira, pulling her hand from her pocket. “I may be a little crazy, knowing I could die by both your hands…” She paused, her gaze moving to Nym, her evil smirk causing her grin to fade, as she finally decided to take the situation more seriously. “But I will not abandon those I care about, no matter how dark they have allowed themselves to turn.”

 

Nymira's fists clenched and her eyes narrowed. The lava that surrounded them had begun to cool, but once again sparked to life, glowing and bubbling. With incredible speed, she flung some towards Nadi while Mirabel shuffled away to avoid getting hit. The creature whimpered a bit and shot Nym a glare, but the witch ignored her sister.

"No it doesn't matter anymore. The only reason I helped build it and look after it is because Dark took me in, took us in, when we had nowhere else to go. I was grateful and I wanted to show her just how much. It isn't jsut about getting hurt, it's about the fact he's still there. Even if not physically, the memory is." Tears formed in her eyes, causing her view to become fuzzy. Nym shook her head, letting the drops fall to clear her vision once more.

"If you gave a damn about me, you would have let me be. You didn't. Now you're going to pay for it." Nymira's eyes flicked over to her sister, who was now on her feet and rocking to and fro, watching Nadi with hunger-filled eyes. "Have fun with her, Mirabel. She's of no use to us."

Mirabel squealed in delight and rushed over to Nadianna, her arms outstretched and fingers curled. "Nadiiiiii. You look soooo yummy." Her bony fingers wrapped around Nadi's arm and she gave a tug, baring her sharp, pointy, little teeth.

 

Nadi launched herself into the air, dodging the lava as it came toward her. Once she landed, she pulled off her sweatshirt and tossed it near her backpack, as her body’s temperature increased. “Silly woman…” She whispers, chuckling softly to herself, and shaking her head. “Giving a damn about you entailed me to search for you. And you were found whether you wanted to be or not.”

At Nym’s last couple statements, she smirked. It kept her from showing any sign of hurt at her friend’s words. When she was charged at and grabbed, she grasped Mirabel’s arms as well, gently, but firmly, holding her in place. “You are adorable, Mira. I may look yummy, but you will not chomp on me, unless I am dead. And killing me will not be easy.” Looking past the female she held, her gaze was intent on Nym.

“Sending your sister to get rid of me, Nymira?” She inquired, with the tilt of her head, the deviant smile she wore on her face now, possibly pissing the woman off more. “Why not do it yourself, hm?” She maneuvered herself in an attempt to get out of Mira’s grip, while releasing her own, bending down at the waist, then twisting her body, and stepping to the side. She’d been left with bloodied scratches on her arms, but they didn’t bother her. “It is quite obvious that you no longer care for me. I would think you would enjoy it more if you were the one trying to kill me since I am ‘of no use’ to you.” She said, taunting the woman with her words. “Having your little sister do your dirty work is so unlike you. I figured you to be more of the hands-on type. Not the type to sit on the sidelines, and watch.”

 

Mirabel snarled as she was held back, looking clearly annoyed that her food was fighting back. "But I'm hungry!" she whined, scrambling after Nadi after the woman moved around her. Anger flashed across Nym's features and in half a second she had pushed Mirabel out of the way, causing the revenant to huff and walk back into the trees to find something - or someone if she was lucky - else to eat.

"You heard the girl. She's hungry and hasn't eaten in days. She's not too fond of four-legged creatures." Her fingers grasped Nadi's shirt and she brought her face close enough that their noses were almost touching. "But since you have a death wish, I suppose I can oblige you myself." Nymira let go of her and slipped her athame out of its holster on her hip.

Blood dripped from her palm as she sliced the skin open, and her eyes were dead set on Nadi as she chanted, "Affligere hominem erepet orificium," a spell that would cause her orifices to bleed. Nym didn't just want Nadi to bleed out, but she pictured it in her head, ensuring that the spell would be successful. "Affligere hominem erepet orificium, affligere hominem erepet orificium."

An evil smirk curled her lips as she watched the blood start to pour from Nadi's ears, nose, eyes, and mouth. "I told you, you would regret coming after me." She replaced her athame into her belt and turned on her heel, walking off without looking back to see what happened to her once friend.

 

“Well then I would not taste good, seeing as I am a four-legged creature when not in this form.” She muttered, as she was grabbed a pulled closer to the female. Her eyes flashed back to their usual icy blue, before returning to the golden colour they had been since her arrival to the area.

When she was let go of, she took a few steps back while she sliced her hand open, and started her chant. Within seconds she began to feel the effects of the spell, blood coming from her eyes and ears first.As blood came from her mouth and nose, she dropped to her hands and knees, coughing and spitting, her breathing becoming rigid and pained.

She laid herself on her stomach, placing her head on her arm. “Just as I suspected… She really does not care...” She whispered softly to herself, as tears began to flow from her eyes as well, and she coughed up more blood. Once it ceased, she gave a small chuckle. “Death by her hand, and I still love her. Truly, I am foolish.” Her whispers were much softer now, not that she could be heard anyway.

She could feel death tugging at her more, while she tried to hold on just a little while longer, and since her vision was now blurred, she closed her eyes. Memories of the two played through her mind, while she endured the slow process and a smile came onto her features, despite her circumstance. She couldn’t bring herself to bare any hatred toward Nymira, no matter how much one would expect her to.

Taking her last breath, the smile she wore vanished, and at the same time a small breeze blew by. Though her features were bloody, she looked as if she were sleeping peacefully on the ground, her hair covering some of her face.

 

A few steps had passed to widen the space between Nym and Nadi's now lifeless body, and suddenly a breeze slightly ruffled the witch's dark hair. She turned around, her gaze first resting on Nadi, who's face was obscurred by her dark hair. Normally she would have felt some sort of grief at her fallen friend, even more at the fact that it had been done by her own hand.

Instead she felt nothing, not even a little bit of sadness.

Once the breeze passed, she called out to Mirabel, who came shuffling back to her. "Nadianna is dead. We need to move on now." Mira's eyes widened and she looked from her older sister then back to Nadi's body with surprise. She felt her arm being yanked and she squeaked in surprise. "Come on, Mirabel. We don't have time to waste, we must keep moving."

"Don't you want to bury her or something? She's no good as food now that's she bye-bye..."

With a sigh of irritation, Nym stopped walking and turned toward her sister. "No, Mirabel. I don't care if every creature of the night feeds on her. I'm more concerned about us leaving." Even with this kill, she still didn't feel strong enough. She needed more blood on her hands to be at her full potential with blood magic. Just the thought of what she could do had butterflies flipping in her stomach.

 

Nadi’s form remained lifeless for what may have seemed like a life time to her, but it was no more than a few minutes. Her heart began to beat, and her fingers twitched lightly, but it would go unnoticed to anyone around if they were still there. As her heartbeat grew stronger, she felt as if her entire body was pulsing, while her life was returning to her, memories of her ‘previous life’ flashing through her mind like a massive wave.

Icy blues popped open, a bright glow illuminating from them, as she took in a breath, levitating from the ground, and placing herself on her feet, as the glow vanished, and she exhaled, her resurrection, and full recovery complete. She patted herself down, as she couldn’t believe she’d come back to life, and mentally she kept asking herself if she were still dead. The moment she touched her face, she gasped feeling the dried blood in some places, and wet blood in others, before pulling her hands back.

Nadi stood there for a minute or two, staring at her hands, until they became fists and she dropped them to her sides. She turned on her heel, and stalked toward where she had thrown her sweatshirt, scooped it up, and pulled it on, making sure then hood was on her head, shading her face. Once that was taken care of, she moved to her backpack, slipped it on her back, and bolted through the forest, making sure to stay out of the sight of anyone who might have been around.

While she ran, her death replayed itself in her mind. She could remember everything from start to finish. Who did it, why it was done, what she felt while she was dying. A low growl vibrated in her chest, as she came across a fallen tree, and send her fist toward it as she slid to it. She began running again, passing through the newly formed split in the tree, her hand bloodied, but quickly healing.

She found a small stream, and stopped to wash her hands, and her face, kneeling down next to it. The water she touched became hot in her hands, that being her natural element it did her no harm. It was simply a reaction to her mixture of emotions. Pain, anger, sadness. She took a moment to stare at her reflection in the water, noting the change in her eyes, even though it had been a small one.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself to her feet, and proceeded to walk. There was no specific destination that she had in mind, it was just something she needed to do.

 

Mirabel had stopped in her tracks, sniffing the air like some sort of dog on the hunt. By now Nymira was past annoyed and she grabbed her sister's wrist once again. This time, however, Mira bit Nym's hand and ran back, yelling, "Nadi!" A growl of pain tore from Nym's throat and she ran after Mirabel, intending on ending the childe once and for all.

The sight of Nadianna walking alive and well had her freezing in her tracks. All thoughts of eradicating Mira left her mind as she stalked towards Nadi, filled with rage at her seemingly failed kill. Since blood was already pouring from the wound her sister caused her, she simply used gravity to have it drip to her palm, tossing a fire ball at Nadi's moving form. A ring surrounded the woman to prevent her from advancing.

"What the bloody hell are you doing still alive? I just watched the life bleed from your body. That spell is fool-proof!" Brown eyes reddened to an angry shade of crimson, and in the blink of an eye her athame was in her hand. Nym stepped through the flames and held the blade to Nadi's throat.

"Now that she's back, can I eat her now? She's always looked so yummy."

"Shut up, Mirabel." the witch snapped, not removing her gaze from the woman she thought she had just killed. "And you. Answer my question. Now, before I slit your throat and make sure you can't slip back to life."

 

As the fire surrounded her, and at the calling of her name, she knew she had been discovered. She dropped her backpack, and turned to face Nymira once again, icy blues taking on a golden colour again as the athame was held at her throat. “Well, Nymira, if you really watched my demise, then you would know that I did die.” She said, pulling her hood from her head, just before taking the woman’s wrist attempting to move the blade from her throat, while she kept a firm grip.

“I felt death’s cold hand tug, and pull at me, while I laid there suffering.” Nadi went on, golden orbs intent on the woman in front of her, paying absolutely no mind to Mirabel’s presence. “So what am I doing ‘still’ alive? There is no goddamn 'still'. You killed me. And I will bet that the moment you looked back at me, you felt nothing.” She growled, her emotions becoming more visible in her eyes as she stared the woman in the face. The anger, pain, and sadness she felt overwhelming her as her body slowly became hot.

“And what is funny is I remember while my life was slowly slipping away from me, my eyes glazed over, and my vision blurred, I could think of nothing, and no one but you.” She released the woman’s arm, and took a couple steps back, her eyes never leaving her. “Not that you care. You have already made it quite clear it does not matter to you what happens to me.” Nadi set her jaw as tears brimmed her eyes, but she stopped them from falling. She would allow herself to shift uncontrollably before she would allow a single tear to drop.

“What is even funnier? Despite you not giving a damn about me, or maybe even anyone else, and despite you killing me, I cannot hate you.” Nadi said with a shrug, and brushing her bangs from her eyes. “I do not hate Mirabel either, and she is still trying to eat me. Which again, because I know I have said this before, I would not taste good.” She peered through the flames at Mira, “Sorry, sweetheart, but you will still have to find your meal elsewhere.”

She brought her gaze back to Nymira, narrowing her eyes slightly. “Now are we done here? I have things to do, and I am pretty sure you want to go run and hide again, instead of coming home, and actually facing what caused you such pain.” She said, folding her arms impatiently over her chest, before bursting into a fit of giggles. “Oh wait, no. You are going to try to kill me again by either allowing your sister to chomp on me anyway, or by doing it yourself. Am I right?” Just as quickly as the moment had seemed to become humorous to her, it had become serious. Golden orbs locked on Nymira’s crimson ones while she waited for the woman’s response, her jaw set as her canines extended in her mouth slightly.

 

Nymira pushed her hand against Nadi's grip, the blade moved neither closer nor further from the woman's neck from the opposing forces. "Then answer me this, mutt. How did you come back?" When the witch next laughed, it sounded more like a nefarious cackle than an amused giggle. "You poor, little thing. Am I supposed to feel sorry for you? Shed tears?" Nym's face contorted as if she were about to cry, but it was obvious she was mocking Nadi.

"Boo, hoo. I feel so sad for you. I bet you feel so betrayed don't you? Well you aren't the one who had their heart ripped out of their chest, stomped on, then torn into shreds." She removed the athame from Nadi's neck, but she did not resheath it.

Holding high above her head, she began to chant, "Hoc igitur dico, et ferrum, flammam insanabiles vulneribus!" At once the blade glowed a fiery orange-red, sparks emitting from the metal, before bursting into flames. Sensing that Mirabel was approaching, she looked over her shoulder. "Stay away Mira. This is between Nadianna and me." She returned her gaze to Nadi, eyes narrowed and as red as the fire surrounding them.

The ring seemed to grow taller and taller, at the same time widening as if allowing them space to battle. "I will make sure that you can never heal again. You want a fair fight? Then come and get it." She slashed out at Nadi, the lower half of her body exploding into bits of debris, yet the rest of her remaining intact. Her lower body's deformation allowed her to float a couple of feet in the air, and she tossed the athame at Nadi, the point going towards her face.

 

Nadi chuckled at her mockery, the golden colour of her eyes going back to their usual icy blue. “I do not know.” Was the answer she gave, though she was unsure of how. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoody, giving a small shrug. If she survived this encounter, she’d find a way to figure it out later. She needed to focus on the problem at hand.

“No.” She stated simply, answering her betrayal question. “You only did as asked, like a good little witch.” She didn’t respond to her statement after that, even with how wrong the woman had been. She just tore off her sweatshirt, and tossed it to the side. Not that she needed it, her body was too hot for it anyway.

She watched as the ring around them grew higher, and wider, the heat from it clashing with what radiated from her body. Tilting her head from one side to the other, she cracked her neck, watching the woman closely. “Good luck with that…” She whispered, stepping out of the way of the athame as it was hurled toward her face. Reaching out she caught it, and quickly tossed it back. “And so we go,” She muttered, watching as whatever burn she had gotten from the blade healed, before returning her gaze back to Nymira, a small grin coming onto her features.

 

"You want to play that game, have at it." The athame twirled in the air, and Nym caught it, handle-first. Her eyes locked on Nadi, and she muttered, "Liquefacio!", while pointing the flaming, bloody knife towards the other woman. With her free hand she tore off her cloak, letting the fabric fall to the grass along with the disc clasp.

She then brough the blade to her inner wrist, cutting horizontally along the palmaris longus tendon. The witch allowed several drops of blood to soak into the ground at her feet before flicking her wrist, ignoring the painful sting the movement caused her, 'capturing' a bit of the flame, shaping it into a long, rope-like shape and throwing it at Nadi.

"You will not win, Nadianna. You should give up." The rope-flame formed into a serpent, hissing and darting around Nadi threateningly. Its tail wrapped around her nearly naked body, snapping its fiery jaws at her head as if it wanted to eat her whole.

 

Nadianna growled softly, as the serpent wrapped its tail around her and snapped at her. She threw an orb of water at it before it could tighten up anymore around, shifting her gaze over to Nymira once again. “I should. But I will not.” She stated, just as the color of her eyes changed to a deep gold color, her body quivered, and she shifted into her wolf form with a loud snarl, all in efforts to breaking out of the serpent’s grip, and whatever clothing that remained on her, was nothing but strips and pieces of fabric.

Her canines were bared, as a growl rumbled in her throat, the massive 5’8” wolf digging her claws into the ground. Her fur was as black as coal, with silver tribal markings on her head around her eyes, and the tip of her tail. Her eyes were a metallic blue color, her gaze as cold as the icy ocean waters. Ears were clicked back, her tail was lowered, almost tucked between her legs, and her ears were perked up, making it obvious she was in full attack mode.

 

At Nadi's transformation, the snake-shaped fire extinguished and Nym's muscles locked as she stared, her eyes wide open. This was an unexpected surprise, but not one that would hinder her powers useless. Her eyes narrowed at the large wolf in front of her, making a quick assessment. She reached down into the pocket of her cloak, now piled at her feet, and pulled out a vial filled with ground althea.

Popping it open, she dropped some of the blood that still fell from her wound inside. After momentarily closing it, she gently shook it before pouring the contents into the palm of her hand, using her free one to pull at her corset to make room for her hand. Nym then rubbed it on her stomach, her surprised expression now replaced with one of annoyance.

"So I see you got yourself bitten. How sad. And what, do you honestly expect to win a battle against me as a dog?" The witch was very much aware that that was an insult to the wolves, and that was all the more reason she said it.

Her eyes remained focused on Nadi, yet her mind painted a clear picture of the ground between them cracking open, lava bubbling over onto the grassy area and scorching everything in its path. With that thought in mind, what followed was exactly as she pictured.

Nym guided the lava from out of the crack, forming them into balls in midair and tossing them at the wolf one right after another. Using the hand that wasn't preoccupied with lava balls, she used more lava to surround the wolf-woman. "Now what's your plan, you little mutt?" The corner of her mouth lifted in a half smirk.

 

Nadi snarled at the words ‘dog’ and ‘mutt’, baring her canines at the female as they were said, but she would ignore them. Did you really think I would come up against you, and not have a little extra strength? I do not see it as sad, I see it as an advantage. She said into the witch’s mind, as her eyes moved to the lava filled cracks that began to form. As for battling you in this form though, I do not think I will do that. You would not survive. She barked out a laugh, before shaking out her fur, as she had been referring to if she let her animal instincts fully take over. Nymira would be nothing more than her prey.

Unlike a certain person I am not a heartless witch who kills in cold blood. She muttered in her own mind, glancing down to the ground as it began to crack, and lava began to spill from them due to Nymira’s manipulation. Oh, how wonderful. More lava. She thought to herself, watching as lava balls began to float in the air. As they flew at her one after the next, she dodged them, though some would graze her, and had singed her fur, burning her in the spots they hit. She would snarl from the pain, though the wounds quickly healed, and her fur grew back slowly.

Nadi was too slow to dodge them in such a massive size, so as she maneuvered away from another one, she changed back into her human form. She knew she would be naked, but that’s what happens when you don’t undress before shifting first. She had extra clothes in her bag, however, there was no way she’d be given time to put them on.

She glanced to the ground again, noticing that the woman was making a pool of lava surround her, and as much as she didn’t want to use her abilities against the woman, she had no other choice. Water formed underneath her feet, and gradually began to swirl up around her, her metallic blue orbs began to glow brightly.

Though she could manipulate the other elements herself, aqua was her strongest. “I am done playing around…” she said, speaking to no one in general, but she knew she would be heard. Without much of her concentration, the balls of lava that came at her would be caught in a bubble, but remain in its current state, as they swirled around her as well. Her eyes went straight to Nymira, a smug smirk coming onto her features. “Come on, Nymira, I know you can do so much better.” She was taunting the woman, her form beginning to levitate from the ground, though her eyes went back to it.

There was no telling what Nym had planned on doing once that pool of lava that was surrounding Nadi had gotten closer. Not that she couldn’t do anything about it, of course, though water and lava was a bit of a dangerous mix. Bringing her hands up slightly, orbs of her element began to form above her palms, slightly bigger than the ones she would play with whenever she was bored.

“I told you I was bringing you home…” She spoke, pausing for a moment, as her glowing orbs went back to their usual icy blue color. “And I will.” Her eyes had narrowed, though there was a dead look in them, like she felt absolutely nothing. “Even if I have to die over, and over again.” Her voice was soft, a calm tone to it, though anyone else would have been angered. “I was trying not to do this, but…. I will not hold back any longer.”

 

The laugh that came from Nym's throat was more of a cackle, and sparks flew from her fingertips. "So cute. You forget I'm more than a witch. I'm a Blake." Her brown eyes had a crazed look about them, and the sparks grew in size and frequency, and soon a cloud formed overhead, a blast of thunder rocking the ground before turning a fiery gradient of reds, oranges, and yellows.

"I have something to protect now, I didn't just kill you for fun. I'm not going back there to a place where my heart was ripped out of me. Want to blame someone for me being heartless? Blame him." She didn't say whom, but she knew Nadi would know who she was referring to. With a slight flick of her wrist she had the lava float upwards, bubbles popping closely to Nadi's bare feet. "You silly mutt. You think a wag of your tail is going to have me running back to Castle Obsidian?"

Globs of flame came raining down suddenly from the clouds above, each time burning a section of Nym's clothing when it came too close. The witch didn't notice however, and soon she had formed the lava into a barred cage around Nadi. "You're not bringing me anywhere. If you won't leave, I'll kill you over, and over, and over. Until you stop coming back." Nym took slow steps forward.

"What are you going to do, bark?" Out of thin air she pulled a bone shaped flame between her forefinger and thumb, waving it in front of Nadi's face. "Here girl, want the doggy bone? Want it? Oh but, tsk, tsk. Can't really get it can you?" She sent sparks flying between the bars towards Nadi, a malicious glint in her eyes. Balls of fire continued to hit the cage with loud clanks, forcing Nym to raise her voice slightly, making her sound madder than she was.

 

Nadi snickered softly at the mention of her bloodline. “And hybrids of my caliber are not to be taken lightly, Nymira.” She said, giving her head a slight tilt to the side, as the weather around them seemed to change, dispersing of the orbs of water she held.

What little amusement she gained from Nym’s previous statement quickly vanished, her dead eyes almost instantly sparking back to life at the statement of her having something to protect. What had she been talking about? Mira could take of herself, clearly she couldn’t have been talking about her. That’s when the answer to her question finally struck her.

When the bone had been waved in front of her face, she had already blacked out, as her calm turned into anger, her anger into fury. Her body liquefied, and moved through the bars, and when she became normal again, she moved to grab the female’s wrist, ignoring whatever hit her, unfazed with whatever pain was being caused to her. “How could you be so stupid?” She asked, not quite sounding like herself.

“You might as well have killed me for fun, because I did not come out here to hurt you!” The icy blue of her eyes had specks of gold in them. Lucky for them both she could control herself enough that she would unwillingly shift. “And what, I am supposed to blame him for my death too?!” Tears brimmed her eyes, but she no longer cared if they were seen, nor did she care that the witch would mock her for even crying at all. “He was not the only one in that damned castle who cared for you. I want you home so that I can protect you. All of you.” She growled out, the gold in her hues taking over.

“No, I do not think a simple wag of my tail would bring you home, but I know you would be amused to see it. You may mock me, kill me, insult me with your little dog and mutt jokes, or whatever it is you would like, but it will not change how I feel.” She whispered, releasing her from her grasp. “Fighting you in your current state would not be fair.” She stated, making no reference to the power she wielded, but to what she’d referenced with her need to be protective.

“But I shall give you what you want, because as I said before, I am done playing around.” And with that, she held up a hand in front of her, a pulse of energy leaving her palm, heading straight for the woman in front of her.

 

Nym twisted her arm as her wrist was grabbed, freeing herself from Nadi's grip. Her black, iris-less eyes narrowed in anger as she twisted her body, kicking her foot at Nadi's stomach. Before giving the hybrid woman a chance to strike back, she stepped back, holding out both of her hands, palms up. A ball of fire swirled to life in them, and it began to grow until it was the size of her head. She threw it into the air and it just hovered for a moment.

"I'm stupid? You're the one who came after me like a lovestruck puppy." Her eyes flicked up to the flaming ball above their heads, her lips twisting in a smirk. "I killed you out of necessity. You won't get out of my way. But I won't deny it was quite... Amusing." Her gaze dropped back to Nadi.

If her ocular orbs hadn't been pitch black, it would have been obvious that she was rolling her eyes. "Wasn't the only one? I think you forget he hadn't cared. Made it quite clear to me no one did." At that moment, Mirabel tapped Nym on the shoulder, a wide smile on her pale face.

"I do, Nymy. I care. I love you." She put her head on Nym's shoulder, and Nym caressed her hair, gently pushing her away.

"I know that, Mirabear. I love you too." Her tone was soft then, and for a moment her old self shone through. Then she turned her gaze on Nadi and immediately all warmth left her. "I have no reason to go back there. I don't need protecting. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm the strongest Blake witch there ever was or will be."

Nymira cackled, a devious glint in her demonic eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm supposed to be scared? If you're such a powerful hybrid, don't hold back on my account." An eyebrow raised at the ball of energy coming towards her. She moved to get away but was hit with it, her body flying upwards before landing on her back with a thud! The witch stood and shook her head. "Is that all you've got, mutt?"

 

As Nadi was kicked, her form was sent backwards, since she’d still been hovering just above the ground. The moment her feet touched the earth’s surface, she twisted her body slightly, bare feet sliding across it, a trail of dust and dirt coming up until she stopped. The gold of irises engulfed her pupils, and they seemed to glaze over, glowing dimly in what little light there was.

“Lovestruck puppy?” She repeated, and gave a soft chuckle. Again she hadn’t sounded like herself, her form quivering as she tried to keep control of herself. She had made the decision that she would fight the woman, even if that meant she would die again, though deep down she felt it was too late to save her. Still she would try, since there was no one else.

“I do love you, yes… Even if that love is not returned. My coming after you should have indicated that I care for you, regardless of whether or not he did, and how he so foolishly said no one else did. Obviously you are so blinded by your own rage that you cannot see it.” Her eyes were averted from the woman, blocked away by her hair.

She was no longer crying, the pain she felt slowly turning into rage, and she felt as if her body had begun to pulse with every now and again with the rhythm of her heart’s beat. “Love can make you do stupid things sometimes, even if other people think it is not worth it. But is it really stupid to fight for someone you love?” Her canines grew slightly in her mouth, as a low growl rumbled in her chest.

She gave a soft huff, as she felt herself slipping further out of control. “I am glad you found my death amusing.” She stated in a rather solemn, yet sarcastic tone. “When I came back, I had planned on leaving you be… For a time at least. I, and my feelings don’t matter to you as you have made clear plenty of times since our little fight started. But you came after me.” She grinned faintly. “You think you do not need protecting because you are powerful? That is truly amusing.” She glanced up slightly, watching the two embrace, her eyes cold, though inside she was happy to see that part of Nym again, even if it had been for a short moment. Her aura had changed completely, and though she was talking as herself… She was no longer there.

By the time anyone else would realize it, it’d have been too late. Since Nym no longer wanted her to hold back, she wouldn’t… At least this part of her wouldn’t, whatever it was. There was a blank look on her face, as if she were being controlled by something, or someone. Her trembling ceased as she stood where she was, her eyes still shaded by her hair. For a moment she was silent, as if she were trying to contemplate her answer to Nym’s question, her lips twitching into a grin, revealing her sharp canines. “How about you come over and find out?”

 

"If what he said is so untrue, then why did my own family shun me? Why did my parents die hating me? I never made any connections with anyone in the span of many years." The brunette snorted and shook her head, twisting her wrist and looking up to watch the floating fireball divide into five smaller ones. "If you want to be so blinded by your pathetic love, then so be it."

Tingles slid through to her fingertips, the smirk on her lips twisting up into a rather amused grin. Another flick of the hand and one fireball went careening towards Nadi. "It is stupid to fight for someone else. No one ever really cares. I mean look at Ava. I raised her, nourished her, nurtured her. And where is she?" Nym looked around as if searching for her cousin. "Off shagging her wife, most likely."

The witch shrugged, flinging another ball of flame towards the hybrid. "It wasn't half as amusing as a small village I burned up, between here and the mountains." She referred to the Cerulean Mountains, where a village of dwarves had lived. Nym laughed at the memory of their screaming, clicking her tongue. "Now that was a blast."

"And how could you possibly protect me? I killed you once. I can kill you again. And again. And again." She slowly stalked to Nadi, the cold, malicious grin on her face. "I just got done wiping out a village. I plan on eradicating everything that crosses me. Oh but I bet you get off on that, don't you? There's a reason you have the hots for me, pun not intended." Nym grabbed a lock of Nadi's hair, putting her lips to the woman's ear. "So don't pretend you're not enjoying this."

Nym took a step back, throwing her arms up. "I'm right here, Nadianna. I haven't heard so much as a bark from you." She looked up at the remaining balls above her head. "I think I'm done playing." With a clap of her hands, the ground split open wider, and from it a fiery head rose, followed by a body, limbs, and wings. The dragon reared, its roar deafening. The creature's body was entirely engulfed in flames, its eyes glowed brightly like the sun.

"I'd like to see you fare against this beautiful creature. Careful, he may bite." Nymira licked her lips, glancing at the fire-dragon beside her. "Burn her to a crisp." The dragon let out another roar and breathed out a stream of fire, flapping its wings to fan the flames. "So Nadi, what's it going to be now?"

 

Nadi bit back a growl as the woman’s hand went into her hair, and she moved closer to her. She resisted the impulse of her ‘normal’ self and kept from throwing her arms around the woman. She’d remained silent while the female continued rambling, and had summoned her dragon to do her dirty work, and once the dragon blew its fiery breath, she lifted a hand, turning that stream of fire into a rather large ball. She manipulated the flame’s colour, slowly turning it a silvery-blue.

“Funny you are still using your magic to try to rid yourself of her. Are you afraid that if you got close enough to her that she would be able to stop you?” She spoke softly, knowing full well the woman could hear her speaking of ‘herself’ in the third person. “It is also funny that you used to call yourself her best friend, and you did not know she was abandoned by her mother after she was born, and she does not know her father. She does not know if her parents ever loved or hated her. You think your cousin is not looking for you and could possibly be screwing her wife. Not that anyone would blame her, after all you are the one who disappeared without a trace. I mean one would think you would have come to the people who love you the most after your split, but you did not.” She chuckled, dividing the giant fire ball into four smaller ones, not caring about what she’d said, while her eyes remained on the fiery fiend above them. “Pitiful.” Her words left her lips more fluently, than her ‘normal’ self’s would have.

She placed her hands on her hips, golden orbs filled with amusement, and she tilted her head slightly to the side. With the way she was talking now it had seemed as if Nadianna’s personality had swapped completely. “You say she is blinded by her love for you, but I do not see how. Hmm, perhaps she is not putting enough action behind her words… You do not care so I doubt it would make any difference.” She spoke with no worry, or care in the world, despite the danger she was in.

Giving her chin a tap, she tilted her head a little more. “You have also been claiming that you can kill her over, and over again, but all you have been doing is toying with her, and you still continue to do so with your little magic tricks, even after you have just said you are done playing.” She clicked her tongue, and tossed her hair over her shoulder and clapped her hands sarcastically for her bragging of burning a village to the ground.

“That is adorable. Even more so because you think that gets her off, and she is enjoying this little game of yours.” She burst out in laughter, the sounds of two voices seeming to be heard in it. “That is almost as adorable as you calling me a dog, and a mutt, you silly witch, you.” She said while her laughter still rang out, before she’d let out a sigh, and wiped away a tear. “I am even more amused that you think she cannot protect you because you have managed to kill her once, but even then you had used a spell to accomplish that. Magic and spells cannot protect you from everything, sweetheart.”

She licked the tip of one of her canines, before allowing her tongue to slide across the rest of her teeth. “I actually feel sorry for the both of you. She wants to mend your heart, and all you are doing is crushing hers because you are angry about what your ex has said and done to you.”

One by one, under her manipulation, each of the fire balls divided, four coming from each of them, and they all grew in size until they were as large as the first one. “I can see you are enjoying watching her in pain, because you want everyone else to feel how he made you feel. You say it is stupid to fight for someone else, and no one really cares…” She paused, flicking her wrist so the giant balls of fire would go toward the dragon, one behind the other. “I say you should not have gotten close to her to make her feel this way to begin with.”