Chapter 3 - Dance of Dust

Erasmus watched as Kai executed a plan worthy of a seasoned general, despite the loss of an ear and arm. It was a magnificent sight, one he wouldn't believe if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. 

Kai emerged through the cloud of smokey dust, his eyes glowing a terrifying bright green. Dust covered him entirely, clinging to his face like soot. A cold tremor raced through Erasmus' body, shaking his very soul, and from the look on Elliam's startled face, he felt the same shiver as well. 

He was magnificent. Persistent. Stubborn. Brave. Different. He was truly another breed of merman and human and, dare he say, the best of both worlds. 

Soon, he would be unstoppable. Redoubtable, even. A prince to save them all and lift them from the gold-covered ashes of their imploding kingdom. 

Time slowed to a near standstill as the half-breed prince executed his simple yet effective plan. 

Kai, hellbent on vengeance and victory, launched himself at Elliam. He flew across the hall like a bird of prey, dust dancing at his feet. 

And Elliam, as practiced and well-versed in battle as he was, never saw it coming. 

Kai threw the dirt he'd somehow picked up into Elliam's eyes, effectively blinding him. 

"What the-"

A gruesome crack echoed in the training hall when Kai's same fist connected with Elliam's nose. Blood exploded from his nostrils, his nose now bent.

"My face, my beautiful face! It's ruined!" Cried Elliam as he stumbled backward, covering his broken, blood-spewing nose -once his handsomest feature- with gigantic tears in his red eyes. 

Erasmus briefly wondered how he'd react if he had lost an ear or an arm. 

Kai didn't waste a moment bringing his opponent down, fully aware of the fiery, destructive rage he'd go into if left standing. The prince was fully aware that he was at his limits. 

"Use your powers! Bring him down!" Erasmus yelled from the sidelines, his heart racing. 

"Master, why-!"

From the determined look on his dust-covered face and the haunting glow in his eyes, Kai seemed to be summoning every ounce of energy he had left. Erasmus knew exactly what he was attempting to do. The young prince had confided to him about it early into their training. 

He was 'going to the deep'; he was reaching deep within himself for the black pool of power he was gifted, though Erasmus still was not entirely sure if the black pool was a gift from the Spirit of the Sea, or from his lineage as Astrian royalty. He wanted to ask him point blank about it one day, but he felt like this was a topic better broached when Master and Student had more trust in each other. 

"Yes, Master." The voice in which he spoke made the mage shiver again and the hairs at the back of his neck stand on edge. 

The purple braziers lining the columns and walls flickered, and the hall's temperature suddenly dropped. 

Warning bells sounded in Erasmus' mind, as loud and thunderous as the erratic beating of his heart. Gooseflesh pebbled his skin. 

Oh, this is not good.

The half-breed prince made a lightning-fast hand gesture with his remaining hand. Suddenly, Elliam screamed as all the air inside him surged out of his lungs in one breath, leaving him to suffocate.

Erasmus gaped. It was... blood magic! 

The realization dawned on him like a bucket of ice water being dumped on him. His excitement quickly melted into sheer horror. 

He never taught Kai any form of blood magic. He would never! It was forbidden! And for a damned good reason! 

"Kai, you need to stop this right now!"

His command was ignored. 

Elliam stumbled backward, his shaking hands wrapped around his own neck. He was fighting to survive, but it was a losing battle. Kai, who'd cast a suffocation spell upon him, was much too powerful. Erasmus was terrified he was much too powerful at this moment even for him. 

He searched the prince's face to see if he knew what he was doing, and what he saw made his stomach plummet.

"Stop this right now!" 

Kai obeyed, releasing the spell. 

Elliam flopped to the floor, unconscious but otherwise alive.

Erasmus stared hard at Kai. Kai met his gaze levelly. 

There was no remorse, no regret. He knew exactly what he was doing. 

Erasmus hesitated. For a moment, he was unsure how to react, what to say, or what to do. He should be furious. He really should. He had every right to be. What Kai pulled was... dangerous. It was chaotic. 

But it was also spectacular. He hadn't seen this much power in centuries. 

"How..." Erasmus stopped. He opened his mouth and closed it again. He thought for a minute, then; "You never lost control." 

"Of course," Kai said easily.

When his eyes had met Kai's, he hadn't seen rage or frenzy driving his actions. He'd seen the calculated coldness of assured victory. It had startled him more than the realization that the half-breed prince could now wield cold magic. 

Erasmus let out a shuddering breath. "So you knew exactly what you were doing."

"I wanted to pay him back for this." Kai lifted what remained of his arm. He looked at Erasmus, meeting his gaze unwaveringly, confidently. 

"How long." Erasmus demanded, fisting his hands. Mixed emotions warred within him. He wasn't sure if he should be proud or furious. 

The prince understood his question immediately. "For a few months now."

"I ordered you not to allow the Spirit of the Sea to teach you anything." 

"I don't take orders from anyone." Kai calmly responded, his eyes flashing, daring the mage to say differently. "And I didn't."

"Impossible." 

"And yet here we are." 

It had been a very long time since Erasmus was unsure of himself. While Kai had grown in magical capabilities, he was nowhere near experienced enough to learn blood magic without a proper tutor. 

Yet Kai was insisting that he hadn't learned it with the Spirit's assistance. 

"How, then?" 

"I'll show you. But first, how about you heal me?"