x
The battle between Naomi and Wren continued. Now that Wren was more powerful, thanks to the strange device she placed on herself, Naomi had to stay on her toes.
Before, her saving grace was the convenient location they were in. The moon was still blocked out, and the sea wind howled ferociously as their storms raged on. Naomi could feel her skin get nicked occasionally from Wren's hurricane's sharpness, but she was sure the frigidness of her blizzards was biting just as hard. Thanks to Naomi's ability, she could use the ocean as a foothold whenever she felt like it and somewhat limited Wren's control over the ocean.
Now, Naomi was caught beneath a sky of raining fire. The closer the balls of fire fell, the hotter Naomi felt. Even her footholds had begun to melt. She dashed about as she tried to avoid being hit by them. When one got too close, she used her frost tails to defend against it, the collision of the elements creating steam in the area. Even still, her body stung from the heat.
Even if they aren't as hot as Za'Fia's, I have to avoid her flames, or I'll get burned, Naomi reminded herself.
She's only been using wind and fire, but she's still tough. Using two elements against one isn't fair, younger Naomi commented from within her subconscious.
Yeah, her manipulating multiple elements is an issue, but I've discovered her flaw: she can only control one aspect at a time. Her aura and eyes are ever only one color at a time to match the element she's preparing to use.
Huh, I hadn't noticed that, younger Naomi remarked.
It's weird, though. She hasn't used neta yet. I know Viraa said she could, Naomi pondered.
"What? You need solid ground around to use neta?" she called up to Wren, waiting for the steam to fade. With a wave a gust of wind cleared all the steam away.
"Are you trying to goad me into using it against you?" Wren replied as she hovered and looked down at Naomi. "You think I can't use it without natural ground? You're wrong."
Wren summoned a block of stone over her extended hand. It manifested out of thin air from her spirit energy.
"I haven't used it for two reasons. One: I've never been fond of this element. It always gets me dirty. And two: I now realize that wind and fire are my best options here," she motioned at the open sea.
"But since you want a taste so bad..." Wren moved her arms in a wide turning motion in front of her, and the ocean began to move, too. Naomi's mostly melted ice broke apart as the water churned in a vortex until it became a whirlpool.
Naomi hovered as the bottom sunk away, and the water's walls rose several feet over her. She then noticed its walls were getting closer. Quickly. When it brushed against her shoulder, part of her armor tore off, and her shoulder was cut, causing blood to run down her arm.
"Even her water's like a million blades," she muttered as she clutched her hurt shoulder. She held out her bloodied hand, releasing enough cold to freeze the water solid. She could feel Wren's influence on the water as it tried to churn again. Given the energy they both had left, Naomi knew she couldn't keep it frozen if Wren continued to enforce her will on the water.
Then, out of nowhere, she was struck with a massive block of stone larger than her that threw her against the ice wall. Naomi pushed against it. She slowly started to force it back when she noticed it getting hotter in her hands. Stuck with her back literally against the wall, she watched as red-hot cracks spread across the stone-like veins until they suddenly burst with force. Naomi reflexively shut her eyes and used her arms to block her head as shards shot in every direction, cutting her all around. She yelped when she felt one of the shard's rough edges pierce her stomach.
When she looked down to see, there was a piece as large as half her arm sticking out of her.
Hhhh, younger Naomi gasped in her head. Take it out! You have to take it out!
No duh, Naomi grunted as she gritted her teeth and pulled the piece of unnatural stone from her abdomen.
No, no, no. How will you stop the bleeding?
You didn't think about that before you insisted I pull it out? Naomi retorted. Relax. Michael's energy should be kicking in any time now. If not, I'll just have to freeze the wound until it does.
On cue, Naomi began to feel a welcoming warmth spread through her as her wounds started to mend themselves. She watched her shoulder and stomach stop bleeding as they, along with the minor cuts she obtained throughout the battle, began to close.
"Hahhh," she exhaled with relief. Then, as she broke herself off the ice wall, she and Wren sensed what felt like one of the other High God's energy spike ridiculously before disappearing not long afterward.
Oh no, does that mean one of them died? Younger Naomi asked.
"I think so," Naomi responded aloud as she looked at Wren, who had begun to cry in disbelief.
"This can't be happening," she muttered, her eyes wide and crazy as she clutched her head. "This isn't real. He wouldn't leave us. We've spent centuries together. We were happy. We've always looked out for each other. He's always been the rock we needed. He can't die...he can't be dead....Why...Why do bad things keep happening to me today?!"
The iced walls of the frozen whirlpool cracked and gave way as the water began to churn again. The walls widened as the whirlpool's depths deepened until nothing but a black abyss was far below them. A dreadful shiver went through her when Naomi met Wren's deadly stare.
"This can't be good," Naomi said as the winds picked up further. Naomi watched the clouds high above them as a sizeable field-sized tornado dropped from the storm clouds like a black wall with thunder flashing inside it. The night hid most of it, but with omni-vision, Naomi could see its full, terrifying size as it touched down on the churning whirlpool's edges, synchronizing with its turning motion.
She was left stunned as the watery walls and tornado edges widened even further until Naomi and Wren couldn't even feel the wind anymore. It was just them and darkness. A black chasm below and a high, impenetrable wall of wind or water in any other given direction. No. She could see the starry night sky up above behind Wren. Wren had created the eye of the storm around them.
Wren remained oddly silent as she glared down at Naomi.
"You all ruined everything," Naomi's sensitive ears picked up as another tear ran down Wren's cheek. "You ruined what was supposed to be a perfect day." Naomi noticed Wren's aura was a swirl of ocean-like blue and light green.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"She's using both elements at once..." Naomi stated.
I thought you said she could only use one!
"That was the case. I don't think she's aware of it. She's operating off grief."
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWofS1tSuW
