Grey Aether blades 3

My eyes remained firmly on the twin aetheric sabers glowing in the djinn woman’s hands. Admiration, excitement, and envy swirled in me as I examined her near-perfect creations until I forcefully pried my gaze away. “What about the trial you’re supposed to give me?”

“It has already begun,” she answered confidently. “I will judge your worthiness as we battle.” She spun on her heel and the room vanished, melting away both my armor and everything around us into a blank white nothing-space. “Don’t dawdle now.”

The djinn flashed toward me, her form becoming a streak of amethyst as her twin sabers swung outward in a broad arc at my throat.

I swiveled on my heel, parrying her blows with a strike to her hands before I forced aether into the shape of a hazy blade. Using the brief window as she brought her swords back up, I lanced at her side with my dagger.

The djinn spun mid-swing, twisting her whole body fiercely to gain the momentum to intercept my strike with her left blade.

Sparks flared upon impact, but the only weapon remaining after the exchange was hers.

The djinn hardly waited for me as she began her assault, her twin blades becoming a barrage of intersecting crescents hell-bent on shredding me apart.

I summoned blade after blade of my own, each time pushing harder to force the shape together, to hold it when deflecting her attacks, but none lasted more than a single strike.