Chapter 48 – A Duel Beneath the Heavens III

Prince Aerion’s voice grew aggressive, “I promise you,” almost feral, “by the end of this fight, my wings will be painted in your blood!”

With that, Prince Aerion launched himself at Shawn, his body moving with lightning speed, wings flaring wide as he closed the gap. Shawn, still in the midst of healing, had no time to breathe or fully recover. He realised he couldn’t afford a single moment of rest—not now. With sheer willpower, he jumped up, just in time to meet Prince Aerion’s dash with a swift rise of his glaive.

Their weapons collided, metal screaming against metal, as the prince’s fierce assault intensified. The prince’s strikes came in rapid succession, his glaive a whirlwind of precision and power. But what made the onslaught even more dangerous were his wings—sharp, blade-like extensions that slashed through the air with lethal grace. To make matters worse, the massive eagle, which was circling outside, was now diving in to join the attack whenever it saw an opening.

Shawn found himself forced entirely into defence. He was parrying not just the glaive but also the unpredictable strikes from Prince Aerion’s wings and the eagle’s timed assaults. Every swing from Prince Aerion came with an added twist—either the sweeping slash of his wing or the swing from his glaive, along with the sneak attack from his eagle. Shawn’s movements became increasingly frantic as he tried to block or dodge each attack, but the complexity of the combo was overwhelming. His breathing grew ragged as Prince Aerion’s relentless aggression pushed him further and further back.

His frustration grew with every passing moment. No matter how fast or strong he moved, he couldn’t find an opening to go on the offensive. Prince Aerion’s wings made him unpredictable, and the giant bird added chaos to the already impossible battle. Shawn’s frustration boiled over into anger as he fought to maintain his defence. But even his heightened senses weren’t enough—the prince’s wings got past his guard more than once, and each time, they left shallow cuts across Shawn’s body, not deep, but enough to sting his pride and test his patience.

“Dammit!” Shawn cursed under his breath. His defensive stance was weakening, holes appearing in his form as his exhaustion mounted. He knew he couldn’t stay on the back foot forever—he had to break free of Prince Aerion’s control over the fight. His mind raced for a plan, for anything to turn the tide. His anger surged as he realised just how much the prince had cornered him.

Then, in a flash of desperate resolve, Shawn decided to stop playing defensively. If he couldn’t find an opening, he would make one. His eyes darted to the massive eagle, which was preparing to swoop in again. Shawn gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his glaive, focusing all his strength into a powerful forward slash. His voice echoed with frustration as he shouted, “Enough of this!”

Prince Aerion saw the attack coming and quickly snapped his wings forward, crossing them in front of him as a shield. The force of Shawn’s blow sent Prince Aerion skidding back a few feet, his wings vibrating from the impact. For a brief moment, the prince seemed rattled.

But it was the eagle that paid the price. As the giant bird dove to attack Shawn from behind, he anticipated its move. After sending the prince a few feet away, Shawn, with a fierce cry of anger, spun around and leapt into the air, swinging his glaive with all his might. The weapon cut through the air, and the flat side of the blade struck the eagle’s beak in a violent, resounding clash.

“You’re annoying!” Shawn roared, his voice raw with fury. The force of his strike sent the eagle spiralling out of control. The massive bird screeched, flailing as it lost its balance and slammed into one of the towering stone pillars of the now-revealed hall. The impact was tremendous, sending cracks up the pillar and across the ceiling. The eagle collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, and chunks of the ceiling broke loose, raining rubble onto the fallen bird and covering it.

For the first time, Prince Aerion’s expression faltered. His companion had been taken down, and now it was just him and Shawn, facing each other in the wide, open hall.

Prince Aerion planted his glaive into the ground. His eyes burned with a mixture of shock and anger as he spread his wings wide once more. His voice came out in a low, dangerous growl. “You’re going to regret doing it.”

Shawn, still panting from the effort, stood tall, defiant and calm. His shoulder wounds from before were close to complete healing, along with the rest of the wounds inflicted by Prince Aerion. The dark blue smoke continued to swirl around his body, mending the cuts and bruises. He looked at Prince Aerion, his gaze unyielding.

Prince Aerion’s fists tightened around his grounded glaive, his fury barely contained as he stared down Shawn, the tension between them palpable, like the calm before an inevitable storm.

Looking over Shawn, Prince Aerion’s fury boiled over and seeing his eagle crash into the pillar had sparked something primal in him. With a growl, Prince Aerion lunged toward Shawn, his wings flaring wide as he closed the gap, but Shawn, now fully healed, had shifted into a sharper, more dangerous version of himself. There was a glint in his eyes—cold, focused, and entirely unreadable.

Shawn blinked once, and when his eyes reopened, they were sharper than ever before. He wasn’t the same person who had struggled earlier. With a sudden burst of strength, he blocked Prince Aerion’s incoming attack and immediately shoved him back, reversing the dynamic of the fight. Shawn’s attacks became fast and precise, each swing of his glaive coming down with deadly accuracy. Prince Aerion, despite his fury, found himself forced onto the defensive, his glaive spinning and his wings flaring to deflect Shawn’s strikes.

The sound of their clashing weapons echoed through the room, but there was a palpable shift in the battle. Shawn was now relentless. His movements were like a storm, cutting through the prince’s defence. Shawn’s glaive seemed to slice through the air with a fierce, almost supernatural sharpness, and after several brutal exchanges, Shawn’s glaive came down with a mighty forward slash that cut through Prince Aerion’s weapon. The gleaming blue glaive snapped in two with a metallic screech, the force of Shawn’s blow too much for it to withstand.

Prince Aerion’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at the broken halves of his trusted weapon. Before he could fully react, Shawn was already moving again, his glaive arcing toward him. Desperate, Prince Aerion used his wings as shields, crossing them in front of him just in time to deflect Shawn’s strike. The sheer power of the clash sent both of them skidding backwards, the force of their blows reverberating through the air.

Breathing hard, Prince Aerion realised how dire his situation was becoming. Without his glaive, he is vulnerable, and Shawn was showing no signs of slowing down. His mind raced, searching for a way to turn the fight in his favour. In a moment of desperation, Prince Aerion hurled the broken glaive at Shawn, the sharp sword-end spinning through the air like a spear. Shawn, eyes still focused and sharp, caught the weapon in mid-air, his movements effortless. Without missing a beat, Shawn hurled the glaive back at the prince with deadly precision.

Prince Aerion barely managed to dodge it; the blade grazed his shoulder as it flew past, plunging into the wall and vanishing into the room beyond. He winced at the pain, a thin line of blood trickling from the fresh cut on his shoulder where the glaive grazed him. His wings fluttered, trying to steady him as he felt the pressure mounting. With his glaive gone and Shawn advancing steadily, there was no doubt in his mind that he couldn’t keep this up much longer. He needed a plan—and fast.

Shawn, seeing the growing panic in Prince Aerion’s eyes, began to move forward. His steps were slow, deliberate, and menacing. His glaive was now pointed downward, like a predator preparing to pounce. The tension in the air was thick, and Shawn’s every movement screamed that the end was near.

Prince Aerion’s mind raced. He knew he had no chance in a continued close-quarters fight. Shawn was overwhelming him, and the cuts on his body were beginning to wear him down. Realising that staying on the ground would lead to his downfall, Prince Aerion made a split-second decision. He spread his wings wide and, with a powerful beat, launched himself into the air.

Shawn’s eyes followed the prince as he soared upward, frustration flashing across his face. He wasn’t about to let him escape—not after coming this far. With a snarl, Shawn broke into a run, chasing after him with every ounce of strength he had left. As Prince Aerion gained altitude, Shawn leapt with all his might, launching himself into the air. His jump was impressive, but Prince Aerion was just out of reach as he flew out through the open ceiling. Shawn missed the prince and landed on the ground with a roll, quickly getting to his feet as he watched Prince Aerion fly higher into the sky.

Grinding his teeth, Shawn scanned his surroundings. He needed a way to reach the prince before he got too far. His eyes darted around the grand hall, searching for anything that could help him close the distance. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind, and he spotted his opportunity.

While Shawn was strategising, Prince Aerion hovered in the sky, his wings gently flapping as he tried to gather his thoughts. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled to come up with a plan. He knew he couldn’t fly too far from the castle—the binding magic that his father placed over him kept him bound to a certain distance from his castle, both on the ground and in the air.

But then, as he hovered in the air, a sudden, strange sensation rippled through his chest. His heartbeat quickened, and he instinctively pressed a hand against it, feeling the resonance of something deep inside. Confusion and dread swirled through his mind. He had felt this same pulse the very first time he met Shawn. “What is happening?” he whispered.

Gasping for breath, Prince Aerion’s eyes darted back toward his castle. His sharp gaze scanned the walls, the towering stone pillars, and the sprawling battlements. Then, his eyes widened in horror as he spotted something in the distance. Something was coming. Fast.

His pulse quickened as the realisation hit him like a bolt of lightning.

Something—or someone—was flying toward him.