Chapter 58: The Daughter
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POV: 3rd person
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The moment Astaros had left with Rift they had decided a bout would be the most informative way to learn about her blossoming skills.
So now, for a moment Astaros stood alone, the shadows permeating him as he formed a dark field within his armor, the dark crystals fused into the armor for a moment warmed in the evening light, his breath condensing as cold seemed to sear into his bones, awakening him from his weary condition.
His eyes sharpened as mana burned through his veins, the light glinting off his armor as the shade behind him warped, a black clawed hand reaching for him as rays of sunlight cut through the trees, the final throes of the sun lighting the battle soon to come.
Astaros whipped around, a wave of blazing flames cackling as their silver master once again brought them to bear.
The hand grew as the shadows were sucked in, turning into claws which cleaved through the flames as wayward embers clashed against grey scaly skin, Rift tearing towards him as her shadowy claws dug into silver metal, slashing against his vanguard as sparks flew.
The evening light was distorted as her toothy maw spoke foreign tongue, power seared into each syllable.
"ONID VASNOS!" {Rift}
However instead of a fiery beam of violet energy, her fist smashed through the magic circle, the cracks between the obsidian like skin of her forearms glowing as they were set alight, the energy of the void burning in her fist.
Astaros reared back his fist as he prepared a blow of his own, wind element and raw mana began to infuse into his silver gauntlets a shine a flicker a ghostly blue.
*KATHOOOMMMM!!!*
The clash of energies rang out through the forest as opposing forces met. The shockwave tore through the forest as flocks of birds took to the sky.
A left hook crashed into her face, cracking the black scales of her face as she was sent flying.
She smashed through an old tree, splinters of wood and bark flying everywhere as she spread her massive twelve foot wingspan, her tail sweeping the ground as she regained her balance.
The evening light gleamed on Astaros as the silver metal, imbued with light element and mana crystals, began to absorb it and three balls of light appeared around his wrist.
He raised his arm at her, the sphere spinning violently around his arm as they shone brighter and brighter.
Suddenly beams of light burst forth as they blasted through the forest towards Rift.
Rift raised her massive wings and flapped as she cracked the ground and took off weaved her way through the trees, a pattern of scorched holes following her every move.
The light spheres then converged at the tip of Astaros's outstretched fingers turning into a continuous beam, cutting down tree after tree as Rift was forced to the sky.
She ascended high into the heavens before flipping back with a mighty flap of her wings.
The beam of light was abruptly cut off as the burning flames from Astaros's first attack began to gather behind him, swirling into spears of flame as they were thrust into the sky.
As Rift began her return trip, flaming spears exploded in front of her.
She flew deftly through the thundering sky, spinning through the smoke and flames, unfazed by the aerial shelling.
Her wings began to fold in as her purple membrane glowed brightly.
*CRAKOOOOOOOMMM!!!*
The sky cracked like thunder as Rift shattered the sound barrier.
Astaros however, simply bent his knees as wind element gathered under him.
*KABOOM!*
The earth shook as he tore from gravity's grip, slamming into the oncoming Rift as the nearby clouds were warped from the force of their clash.
As they descended through the falling smoke and flames they grappled with each other, elbows and fists ground into armor and scale.
Rift opened her hand and slashed her claws across Astaros's face as orange flames burned within her mouth.
Astaros shoved his palm into her chin, shutting her up as small plumes of sparks and fire spilt out from between her lips.
Air pressure built up in his palm as he pressed it against her chest before detonating it, blasting them apart as the sky rumbled.
Falling to the earth below he reoriented with wind element, a flaring flames blazing from his ankles and boots as he prepared to take the impact head on.
*BOOOOMMM!!!*
Smoke and fire shrouded the forest floor as he landed with a crash. Dust filled the air as the earth shook.
In a large crater Astaros took to his feet, scanning his surroundings for his opponent.
The familiar ghostly glow of a magic circle shone from within the plume of dust, firing out a beam of fiery violet energy. Astaros stretched his arm out and concentrated raw mana into a shield, blocking the beam as roared against his makeshift forcefield.
From the dust and violent blast Rift slammed into the shield with a dropkick as Astaros deflected the blow, sending her crashing foot first into the dirt.
She then pushed off again and spun into a hook kick to his helm, which he block with his vanguard.
He then grabbed her leg but before he could throw her, her wings stretched out and she began to beat them as she started to lift him off the ground, dirt falling from his feet which had been driven into the earth.
Astaros however calmly raised his hand to the heavens as a fire roared out like a jet, blasting them back towards the ground as he dug in.
"ACK!" {Rift}
Astaros slammed her into the ground with a mighty swing, knocking the wind out of her as the dust was cleared.
Rifts tail then zipped forward as the spearlike tip stabbed towards his helm. He barely dodged as it scraped against his horns, sparks flying as stepped back, letting go of her leg.
She instantly shot up and rushed Astaros, her clawed fingers curling into a fist as it slammed into his palm.
Her other hand unfurled like a flower of thorns, dagger like claws reaching for his chest as he grabbed her wrist.
For a moment there was a short stalemate however Astaros reared his head back and brought it down with incredible speed, slamming his faceplate into her forehead, driving her into the ground as her vision swam.
Letting go of her left hand he brought his arm back and thrust it into her face, smashing her into the ground.
Flames licked across his hand as they were fashioned into a fiery blade, which he then pointed at Rift's neck as she tried to stand.
"Are you done with this farce yet?" {Astaros}
Rift collapsed as her arm covered her eyes, refusing to show the emotions she was hoarding alongside Christine.
"Hiding won't do you any good so speak." {Astaros}
Neither side of her offered a response so Astaros sighed as he cut down a tree and sent it crashing to the ground as he sat on the smoldering stump.
"I'll sit here till you're ready to talk or leave." {Astaros}
And so, seconds became minutes, and minutes an hour, and the hour doubled.
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POV: Astaros
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The once orange glow of the sun, now faded to deep purple and blues, the moons and the thousand of twinkling stars beginning to shine above.
Silence reigned through the forest as shadows warped and grew, covering all that once was clear in the evening light.
Finally they gave up.
"I can't do it. You win. Christine has begun singing to pass the time and I believe I may become far more insane than Aurora." {Rift}
Despite the unusually expressive words from Rift I stayed silent as I waited for what I wanted to hear.
Rift sighed as she realized they were getting nowhere.
"Father… am I, no. Is Christine a good daughter?" {Rift}
Though I wished to respond I knew there was more. There was much more that they had to say.
"Raven did so much for us and yet, what have we done for her? Even though we knew that Raven wasn't our, no, my mother and I never questioned it." {Both -> Christine}
Christine began to take over as scales were exchanged for clothes, and rough grey leathery skin was exchanged for a softer, paler counterpart.
"I knew it and yet I didn't care. I didn't ask out of fear of what Raven would say. And how I would react." {Christine}
Her voice began to turn into whispers and murmurs as I could feel the dam of emotion that had been holding back the outburst to come begin to crack.
"And I didn't feel anything. I acted and consoled her like how she should have consoled me. It was my mother and father that died and yet I couldn't even spare a tear. Raven broke down as I simply felt, nothing." {Christine}
The dam broke as desperation and fear seeped into her voice, tears glinting in the moonlight as she grabbed onto me, her eyes searching for my own within the depths of my helm as she began to shift between forms.
"TELL ME! TELL IF I'M A GOOD DAUGHTER! PEOPLE HAVE DIED FOR ME AND YET I CANNOT EVEN SHED TEARS! ARE WE DISGUSTING? ARE WE MONSTER? TELL US SOMETHING!...
"please *hic*, tell me what *hic* we are supposed to *hic* feel." {Christine/Rift}
And for the second time today, she simply cried into my shoulder, hot tears running through the seams of my armor.
And together we sat there.
When she was finally calm. When she had finished her outburst I decided to speak.
"It's not up to me to decide what you are. Its not up to me to tell you what you should feel. But I will tell you this. Anyone who could feel guilt like that, is no monster." {Astaros}
And though she didn't say it, she nodded, accepting my words.
Because she was so unfit to move I lifted her up and placed her on my shoulders as I turned and walked us both back home.
…
When we returned we found Raven waiting for us at the door.
I placed down a puffy eyed Christine as she slowly walked towards her mentor. She took a few wobbly steps towards her master, before running into the arms of her mother.
Deciding to leave them be I tried to pass them but a hand reached out and grabbed my own.
"Thank you." {Raven}
I simply nodded as I turned away but she gripped my hand tighter.
"I should repay you for your help. I'll get you the contract" {Raven}
Again I nodded and Raven let go, as I entered my home and finished a tiring day.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Blue_Robin
Blue_Robin Ok, this is no question of who is your favorite character, but who is the best written. Again, Astaros is banned due to him getting the most Plot and word count. This won't get you guys anything, I just want to know.
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