Chapter Text
Hikari was upon him before he could even blink.
Temenos lifted his staff to block the blow a fraction too late, and Hikari’s blade grazed his shoulder. As blood trickled out, Hikari’s gaze lit with unhinged delight, his eyes with flecks of red glimmering excitedly.
Disturbed, Temenos raised his staff yet again to block another strike from Hikari, trying to gauge what was going on and why his behavior was off.
“Hikari,” he said in a warning tone, but Hikari paid his words no attention, launched a flurry of swings at Temenos.
In fear of being wounded badly, he was forced to throw off each attack and retaliate with a hard slam of his staff into Hikari’s ribs with enough power to break a rib, but Hikari remained unfazed, grinning.
“Hikari, stop this,” Temenos tried again. “I don’t want to have to incapacitate you.”
The threat fell flat, and Hikari only smirked. “Go ahead and try.”
His sword went flying at Temenos yet again, and he had to stagger to the side to avoid it. He smacked Hikari with his staff yet again, and as Hikari turned to wrestle it away, he spun his weapon around and jabbed it at his shoulder, twisting his arm until it snapped.
Hikari’s eyes glowed red, though his gleeful expression didn’t drop as he simply switched his sword to his other hand.
“You fight well,” he commented. “For a cleric.”
His sword swung around and caught Temenos in the chest, before Hikari maneuvered his blade to go around and hit Temenos’ arm. Though the hit was slightly less coordinated and precise, Temenos recoiled at the stinging pain, his eyes narrowing.
“What is with you?” He snapped, a sudden shift in him from holding back to needing to stop Hikari.
“What, can’t enjoy a fight?” Hikari snarked back, his pleased smile never dropping, and his sword hurtled towards Temenos yet again, his broken rib and arm seemingly not affecting him besides a slight decrease in coordination, but still equally powerful as before.
Temenos darted to the side, flinching as the sword passed a hair’s width away from his face, and realized, eyes widening in horror as he observed a faint purple flames that flickered around his sleek form, and the glowing red eyes filled with unusual ecstasy.
“You don’t have to gut me to enjoy a fight,” Temenos retorted. “And I thought you were all for peace.”
“Those are weak minded thoughts of a naive child,” Hikari dismissed, his cold tone and uncharacteristic words sending a shiver through Temenos. “The prince is foolish to think peace can be achieved.” He spat the words like they were foul tasting.
Temenos gave him a still wary but slightly perplexed look. “Did you just refer to yourself in the third person?”
Ignoring the question, Hikari struck again, forcing Temenos to lean back if he wanted to avoid being shredded.
“Hikari!” He snapped after struggling for a moment as he had to fling up his staff yet again to defend himself.
When there was another beat of silence Temenos used his staff to hit Hikari’s already broken arm. When Hikari flinched ever so slightly and lunged again, Temenos aimed a blast of light straight at Hikari, which caught him in the chest.
A screech erupted from him, warped and unnatural, before Hikari doubled over, stumbling. His eyes blinked several times rapidly before he focused on Temenos again, though his eyes no longer held the sickly red glow and the purple flames no longer licked hungrily around him.
“Did I- did you just-“ He cut himself off with a groan.
“Easy there,” Temenos told him, still on edge but noticing the shift. “Your arm is broken, dominant one, it seems, and I’m sure I’ve broken a rib or two of yours.”
Hikari stumbled up, despite the sound of disapproval from Temenos.
“You’re bleeding,” he said, unconsciously reached towards his wounds before he pulled back with a small grunt of pain. “I should get Castti.”
Temenos shot him another look. “I’ll get her, you shouldn’t run around until she’s looked at your injuries.”
After several long moments, Hikari grunted and sat down.
He watched as Temenos stared back, before retreating to find the apothecary.