Divulgence (Song of Sophangence Book 2)

by E. I. McAllistair

  “Did you just bogart my portal?!”

  “It seemed like you were giving free rides, so I hopped on. Plus I really hate that kid.”

  “Me too. I’ll deal with you later you punk.”

  Dashing through a portal, closing it immediately as she entered it. She leaves Phavian there looking over the frozen JaMarkus Schrodes, wondering who received the points.

  From the side, Maggie was rapidly firing heavily enhanced arrows, at this point not caring whether she was hitting a Titan or an Artillerite, as long as she hit them, and hit them hard. With the speed at which her arrows were moving, and their silent nature, they took many people by surprise, wounding them quite severely if not taking them out completely.

  There were a few times an arrow hit but did minimal damage, alerting her to the Titans on the field. Firing again, pouring everything she had into the arrow, she fired at a female Titan, in that moment noticing something strange about her arrow. It was far more than just an arrow. It looked as if the air itself had blanketed the arrow, increasing its speed, and making what had been something akin to an armor piercing round, more like a precisely focused rocket that tore through the side of the Titan, causing her to fall. Bewildered by what had just occurred, she did not get the opportunity to enjoy her victory, as she just managed to roll under a surely lethal slash from a long, unique looking sword.

  “You aren’t nearly as tough it seems when you cannot play the role of sniper. You may have gotten me last time, but I don’t make the same mistake twice.”

  Recognizing the sword and face now, Maggie remembered the Indian woman she scored her first victory against by taking her out before she was aware. Taking the woman’s words seriously, it was clear she was a close range combatant, and she had no problem using extreme force against her opponents. Utilizing her powers to quickly distance herself just outside the range of the woman’s sword, she reaches for another arrow since she now had the advantage.

  Though she would rather be further away, giving the enemy a false sense that they had a chance was important tactically to lure them into a trap. Most people did not expect her draw speed and accuracy, so this was the perfect time. As she was reaching for the arrow however, she realized something was terribly wrong as the woman did not look concerned about the range disparity, and instead was posturing like she was about to strike, with a smirk on her face.

  To Maggie’s shock, the sword extended as she swung it, the blades leaving long spaces in between not unlike that of a whip. With flicks of her wrist that Maggie could not even perceive, the woman had completely entwined her small body in the coils of the strange bladed whip, then with a hard yank, the coils ripped through what felt like every inch of her body, biting deep into her flesh from every possible angle, igniting a sea of pain as it severed muscle and organs alike, causing her to shriek in pure agony. Body sundered, pouring blood from every area, the sword unwraps from her body as she is allowed to topple to the ground thoroughly trounced in what felt like the longest instant of her life.

  The woman is just barely able to retract the sword, bringing it above her head to block as Anaar comes barreling from the sky, both tonfas poised for a crushing blow, ending the fight instantly. Though the blow was enough to buckle the woman’s knees, she was not defeated easily, quickly recovering by jumping back, lashing the sword out at Anaar. Dodging just to the left to allow the deadly blade to miss him, he barely catches the almost imperceptible flick and pull of her wrist, which caused the blade to coil around him.

  Releasing a shockwave of explosions around him, the sword is buffeted, allowing him just enough time to dip through the coils, kicking off the ground at full speed toward the woman. Unable to pull the sword back in time to block, Anaar refused to allow her any quarter, blasting her with a massive shockwave from behind that sent her reeling directly into his barreling onslaught. In a cross-up combo of his tonfas, powered with explosive charge, he sends the woman airborne five feet in the air, where she slumps unconscious on the ground.

  Immediately turning back toward Maggie, he stows his tonfas as he nears the moaning, crying girl, laying in a puddle of her own blood. Remembering what they said about the medical team not coming to their aid as quickly as they usually would, no doubt for their own safety, Anaar sweeps the pitiful sight of his best friend into his arms, his abilities as a Medic shocking him at just how much damage she had sustained.

  Though Maggie was not a Titan, she definitely boasted a hefty resilience. For her to be in such a state of disrepair was testament to just how deadly the woman who had done this was. Doing his best to calm her, he quickly poured all he could into actively healing her, the drain on him indicative just how bad off she really was. He was surprised she was even still conscious, if only barely.

  Once she had been stabilized so that her life was thoroughly out of danger and she was only suffering from the superficial external wounds, he left a small orb of water in her stomach that would boost her regeneration. He knew that regenerative healing would be much slower, and with the tiny orb he had left it would not do much, but he had made sure her life was no longer in any danger already, he simply wanted to give her something for the pain. Scooping her up and rushing her away from the last battles at large, he gives her a gentle kiss on the forehead, placing her bow nearby.

  Returning to the fight, he finds two Titans and a Juggernaut locked in a three-way brawl. Jumping high into the sky, he slices down the back of the Juggernaut with both swords, the wounds so deep from his force and momentum it cleaved his shoulder blades and ribs. Launching him away with the hooks of his swords, the man almost immediately falling unconscious from the pain, he walks away from the two Titans, the man and woman unsure why they were so insignificant to be ignored, but not questioning the beast that had just appeared from nowhere, making their fight much easier.

  When he was far enough away that it seemed they could finish their own match, they turned back to one another with looks of relief on their faces, only to have the entire ground beneath them erupt in a fiery spectacle that left both of them far away from one another, dazed and massively burned as they could not move. Continuing his route, he made his way toward the final four people, two of which were dispatched before he arrived. The two remaining were none other than the number 1’s of the Junior and Senior class. When Ripp saw him arriving, she drops her arms to the side.

  “Well shit. Are you going to mess this up for me? I was hoping to kick his ass again just so he knows who is boss. I didn’t even take any cheap shots at him while he was fighting.”

  Coming to sit down on a rock nearby, Anaar gives grand a sweep of his arm. “Be my guest. I just came to watch the show. I missed it last time. The school forgot to hit the record button.”

  “Seriously? You are just going to sit there and let me kick your man’s ass for the second time in two days? Maybe you guys have some things you need to talk about.”

  Giving her a shrug, “Everyone has a past, and things they need to settle on their own. You two have had this going on long before I arrived.”

  “Why are you two acting like I’m not even here?!”

  They both look at Phavian, as if they were annoyed he interrupted their conversation. “Shut up.”

  “Hey!”

  “I talked big shit last time to Ripp, even though I owe her your life. Do me a favor and try not to fuck it up this time. This one is for keeps.”

  Giving Phavian a curious look, Ripp sees the playful gleam in his eye is gone, and he is completely serious. “I guess you mean business this time.”

  “The man has spoken. You ready?”

  Putting up her pistols, a portal opens, and she pulls out a combat shotgun. “Bring it pretty boy.”

  Raising the shotgun, Ripp tries to squeeze the trigger, but feels her blood run cold. Initially she assumed it was just the terrifying thought that she had never seen him fight seriously, and she was about to witness it firsthand. Then she thought it was her remembering the words Anaar had said
the day prior, that if he was really serious, she would not stand a chance. With her pride, coming from someone so adept at measuring and assessing others’ abilities, how could that not give someone a chill?

  Instead, she realized there was a much more simplistic reason for the feeling of frigid ice she could not shake. Glancing down, she noticed her skin had taken on a reddish pallor, and there was something coating it. Ice crystals. He had literally frozen her solid, rendering her immobile before she could even squeeze the trigger once. This is what happened when he acknowledged someone enough to really use his powers against them. She was doubly impressed and terrified the bitter cold that permeated her body was able to be so controlled that he allowed her to still breathe, and her heart to function fine, also leaving her completely untouched from the neck up. Closing her eyes in solemn defeat, she admitted that the one she was truly terrified of was right all along.

  “See now that wasn’t so hard was it? Respect goes a long way.”

  “It seemed kinda anti-climactic.”

  “Yeah, so would reducing someone to their constituent parts, deal with it. That is our life.” Standing up and walking over to Phavian. “Well I’m glad this is over. I con-”

  Before he can finish the words, he is hit hard in the chest with the end of Haymana. “We agreed we wouldn’t do this. We understood we would have to fight it out.”

  Rubbing his chest, “I don’t feel like fighting anymore, let’s just-”

  Once again Haymana strikes out hitting him across the face. “Stop playing around.”

  Rubbing his jaw, “Really?! The face?! You know that only works against you, hurting my jaw…” Pulling out his tonfas he poises himself. “You are such a fucking pain in my ass.”

  “I thought you liked it.”

  All over the school, people were on the edge of their seats to see how this scene would play out. When it was heard that the two best looking men on campus had begun a relationship, that had been enough to seize the attention of the entire populace. Now in a fateful turn of events, the two lovers were now locked in a battle for supremacy in the school.

  Though the Sophomore and Senior classes were engaged, they were somewhat deflated as there was no way for either of their classes to boast they housed the strongest in the school. The Freshman and Junior classes however, were in a barely contained frenzy. Freshmen were arguing with Juniors that they managed to get to the top even though they only had four people representing them rather than five.

  They watched as the two traded blows back and forth, neither one giving much ground. Though Phavian had the range advantage with his staff, it appeared Anaar had the speed advantage, ducking and weaving with impossible margins. People all around questioned why Anaar was playing so defensively, with Juniors who happened to be in the area regaling those around with stories of just how much even a single blow of Haymana hurts.

  Jumping over spinning low kicks, and jabs from Anaar’s tonfas, it appeared as if Phavian was finally being pushed back. Just as Anaar was going in for a spinning change up against Phavian, he trips over a rock, falling face first into a brutal rising strike from the heavy staff, sending him airborne. Crumpling to the ground, his tonfas clattering roughly next to him, Anaar remains motionless on the ground.

  Juniors everywhere erupted into a sea of cheers and victory dances, pointing in the faces of any Freshman they could find. Even though they were disappointed, they were not going to take the Juniors’ gloating without retaliation, reminding everyone that Anaar had not used his powers once, probably because it was his boyfriend. Refusing to back down, they said once again Anaar had been cheated out of being number 1 simply because he cared more about others than he cared about himself. They then began chanting ‘Anaar, the Demolitionist with a heart,’ much to the Juniors’ annoyance.

  On the field, everyone expected Phavian to be jubilant, remorseful for hurting his boyfriend, or at least shocked he had won, but instead of celebrating, or the more expected rushing over to check on Anaar, he simply rushed off the field, disgust and anger apparent on his face. Though no one could understand why, all that mattered was that the school finally had real cross class rankings that mattered, and the two-day event was more than they could have thought to asked for.

  19

  With the medical team checking on him, finding absolutely nothing wrong, they move on to others that might actually need their attention. Running over to where Maggie was, Anaar finds she is gone, meaning they had already taken her to the hospital. Who he does find however, is the Indian woman with the strange sword he defeated earlier.

  It appeared that given her Water attunement, and the on the spot treatment she received, she did not require a trip to the hospital. Taking the opportunity to examine her now, he found that she was pretty, but not overly gorgeous. Her black hair was pulled into a long thick braid down her back, and she had two crimson bangs that framed her face. Taller than many women he knew, she was absurdly fit, the extremely tight crop top she was wearing showing off impressive abs, with the scoop neck stopping just before her small breasts. What she may have lacked up top, she made up for with ample hips, though it was clear her legs were just as lean and taut as her exposed stomach, based on her tight pants. Considering he had made his rounds to check on everyone he cared about, he was about to leave when he was stopped by the woman in question.

  Speaking with a slight accent, she ran up to him smiling, seemingly excited to see him. “Did you and your boyfriend actually fight?”

  “Yep, and I lost.”

  She nods her head, giving a knowing smile, her dark skin accented by white teeth. “What you are saying is you let him win.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “I saw the way you move. No one can escape Pratikaar without some serious skill, and definitely not on the first try. If you weren’t pulling your punches, he must be a lot stronger than I thought.”

  “He is really strong. He is the strongest person in the school after all.”

  “Whatever you say. I have not been afforded the opportunity to fight him, but somehow I doubt it. I’m not boastful, but you absolutely obliterated me without much effort in a matter of seconds. That was without turning me into a mass of burnt flesh. I didn’t get to be number 1 in my class for nothing.”

  Raising an eyebrow, “So you are the strongest person in the Sophomore class. I won’t lie, that sword of yours is something to behold. I don’t even know how you use it.”

  Pulling out her sword, eyeing it fondly, “Pratikaar is one of a kind. I built it myself. Thus far no one can properly use it except me.”

  “I can see why. It is essentially three weapons in one. People scoff at me for using three different weapons, and here you are using one that is the equivalent of three. You seem to know who I am, but I’ve learned that apparently you are supposed to introduce yourself in these situations. I’m Anaar.”

  “I’m Pryshka Apendu. No one on this campus could say they don’t know who you are. Anaar Vorpahl, the rulebreaker. Perfect looks, perfect grades, overwhelming strength, and the favor of powerful people all around. You even have the perfect boyfriend. For someone who doesn’t come from a family of status, you have made quite a name for yourself in a short amount of time.”

  “I’d be fine if I didn’t have any of that to be honest.”

  “And modest too! You’d give it all up if you could? Even the boyfriend?”

  “I guess he can stay. He is practically my child since he stays in my room and eats all my food, but I guess he is good for some things. You aren’t mad about earlier?”

  “Why should I be? We were all here to fight one another anyway. I’ve seen what you have done to other people. I consider myself lucky! Especially since you seem to have a trigger for the beautiful Latina archer.”

  Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, “You really know a lot about me. Maggie is my best friend, she is kinda like my little sister. I take my family very seriously since I don’t have many people in
it. Do you normally saw through everyone like that?”

  “Check your standings. I think you will understand why.”

  Looking at his Vizer he finds that Maggie was just above Pryshka in the rankings. “How did that happen? Didn’t you beat her?”

  “Yeah, but it was point based, and your little friend took me out quite early in the last round. I owed her some payback.”

  “I guess I can’t protect her from everything. If she is going to stand at the top of the rankings, I have to be willing to accept she might get hurt from time to time. If she took you out right away, you must have done some major work to end up number 8 in the school rankings. I suppose congratulations are an order. Now I officially know the top ranked people in every class, though one I wish I didn’t know…”

  “Who? Ripp? She can be quite the handful, but she is a good person.”

  “Oh… No… I’m talking about JaMarkus.”

  With that statement she explodes into laughter. “You can’t seriously pretend he is above you in the rankings can you? He is literally the lowest in the school rankings! I guess they just didn’t count the big guy since he was the first to go in the last round, and he didn’t participate in this one. That guy is barely number 1 in your class on paper. If there was an appeals process or a vote, I’m sure he’d be cast out. I wouldn’t put much stock in him. He has a lot of bark with very little bite. He can regenerate like crazy, and he can technically hit hard, but he’s so undisciplined it all goes to waste! A shame all that talent goes right down the drain. Hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard.”