Chapter 754: Dancing Spells (2/2)
“I’m rather sure that title is reserved for you,” Claire said.
Ilea ignored the people looking at them, focusing entirely on the steps she had spent quite a bit of time learning. Her aura flared up as she followed the music, the movements controlled and in tune, far slower than what she had to deal with fighting a four mark. And still, there was something magical about it. She smiled as they moved, soon mostly focused on Claire as the steps came on their own. Nothing quite as impressive as the team competitions or the professional dancers performing between the fights but maybe that was precisely why she enjoyed it so much.
The ballroom filled slowly, more pairs joining as the music grew louder, the main focus changing from conversations and mingling to dancing. Ilea noticed herself adding a mist of moving ash into the mix after a while, her manipulation and domain allowing her to add mesmerizing patterns to her own movements, increasing the challenge a little in turn. She smiled when shards of ice joined in, William dancing past with Philly, his eyes locking with Ilea’s for a split second, a curt smile on his face.
Flames and lightning soon joined, some of the lower leveled individuals organically moving to the edges as wind and moving silver joined ash at the center. “Now’s the time to add your explosions,” Ilea remarked, twirling her partner before they slowed down, the piece coming to an end.
Claire laughed and finished with a few steps.
Ilea stepped back as both herself and Claire moved into the well paced crowd, all partners switched out. She found herself looking at a grinning Dragonkiller, sparks of lightning flowing onto Ilea’s arms as they touched.
“Wonderful idea. Makes the whole thing more exciting,” the Elder said. “A taboo in such company but I always knew we thought alike.”
“Just remember, it’s not a fight,” Ilea said. If it really was a taboo, she didn’t much care. Why shouldn’t all these insanely powerful and experienced mages show off their magic a little?
Pierce moved in close as the dance started, the woman taking the lead. “Oh but it is,” she said in a whisper, a broad grin on her face as she started to move.
Ilea was swept along by the obviously experienced dancer, spun time and time again as the music became more frantic and fast. Pierce tried to throw her into the air, her arms straining before she changed the move in a perfectly smooth transition.
The piece came to a crescendo of violins, flowing into a calm set of notes as the Dragonkiller moved in close one last time. “Seems I have to increase my Strength,” she mused and let go, flowing into the mass of dancers, dozens of spells in the air, elements mingling in mesmerizing patterns, people showing off with their control rather than their brute power.
Ilea turned and came face to face with a familiar masked individual.
The half elf extended her arms in a casual manner, the music resuming as they moved in close.
Air and ash flowed around them as they spun and spun, the earlier aggression gone from the half elf, felt without a word spoken.
As the piece moved on, Ilea grinned at the woman. “Daughter of Isalthar. Why don’t you show off a little?” she asked as ashen wings formed on the back of her dress, mist like and ethereal as she willed.
Syrithis raised her head a little, the air around her changing as she pulled on Ilea’s arm, the two flying up, twirling with the music as black wings flowed in a gust of changing winds. They moved from side to side, flowing over the crowd and soon joined by other brave pairs, some fairing better than others.
Ilea found herself turning forward, their dresses adjusting in mid air before they came to a perfect halt with the last note of the music.
A barely audible hiss came from the half elf before she vanished into the crowd.
She smiled to herself, the satisfied hiss not something the constantly fighting and brooding Elves she knew produced very often.
Her next partner was a well dressed brown haired and bearded noble, red lightning flowing around him as he bowed. “May I have this dance?” he asked with a serious expression, the hint of a smile tugging on his lips.
“I like the shirt,” Ilea said, letting Trian take the lead.
“Thank you. I will refrain from complimenting you in company of all these important individuals, Lilith. Lest there be rumors,” he said as red lightning spread from his back, the man leading her into the air with a confident and smooth motion.
Ilea was reminded of the bouts they had early on, her hunting him down with both of them teleporting through Eregar’s Haven, through the forest in the southern village, them flying together through the Great Salt, the realm of Kohr. They twirled and spun, the familiarity with each other allowing them to try more difficult maneuvers, adjusting on the fly as they flew, ashen lightning surrounding them.
They twirled down to the ground hand in hand as the piece came to an end.
“Thank you,” Trian said in a whisper, staying close for a moment before he moved away, his eyes locked with hers.
Don’t make me fall for you, Ilea thought as she watched him flow into the crowd. She looked up to see another lightning mage opposite her. Oh thank fuck.
Joel Fiore smirked, extending his hand towards her.
Ilea smiled back. There goes my faint feeling of romance.
The dance continued for over half an hour, some in the outer circles soon moving out and watching from the walls, people returning to conversations and laughter, others choosing a more relaxed manner of dancing, farther apart from the magical spectacle at the center of the large hall.
Ilea was about to take a breather herself when she came face to face with two yellow eyes, flowing black hair, and a perfect smile.
Felicia wore a flowing black dress, her pale skin revealed at her shoulders and arms, hands covered in black gloves. She moved closer and extended her hand.
Ilea suddenly felt the heat from all the spells around her, the music flowing into the background as they came close. She could feel the breath of her dancing partner on her shoulder, Felicia’s lips parting lightly. They remained on the ground as many others flew back up. Air mingled with ash in an intricate dance, more instinctual than controlled.
“Scandalous, to start such a spectacle,” Felicia said in a whisper, her face still quite close as she started, the noble taking the lead.
Ilea followed, unable to formulate a response. She felt herself going through the motions, entirely focused on the eyes of her partner, her neck, her shoulders, arms, the hint of legs below her flowing dress, the powerful magic flowing all around them.
The music ended, their hands still linked, neither of them letting go.
“I could use some air,” Ilea suggested.
Felicia opened her eyes further, smiling a little wider.
They vanished a moment later, appearing above the structure. Ilea moved them out into the wilderness before she activated her third tier blink, the two moving a little closer together as the magic manifested below and around them.
The fabric split and realigned, the two appearing in a familiar living room. Ilea’s arms moved around the woman as she felt Felicia doing the same, a crack of wood interrupting them for a moment.
Felicia moved her head back a little and raised her brows. “I don’t know if your house can take it,” she said in a whisper, breathing in before she gulped.
“I don’t care,” Ilea said as she moved them up to her bed, ash flowing out and away from her body, reinforcing the bed frame and floor. Their mana intermingled as their faces moved in closer. She paused for a moment, their eyes closing before they kissed. It felt as if a spark of lightning flowed through her.
Felicia moved away with slightly cloudy yellow eyes. “You know this will cause… quite a few rumors… I don’t want to take advantage of you, Ilea… I just-” she was interrupted by Ilea pulling her closer, both of them quickly beyond caring about the political implications and their somewhat complicated relationship.
Ash moved away from her body, Ilea carefully moving behind the woman, looking for a way to get rid of the dress.
Felicia turned around with a smile, moving her arms around Ilea’s neck. “It’s made with storage items in mind.”
Ilea felt Felicia’s legs brushing against hers a moment later, their bodies meeting as they kissed again. Intimate, eager, perhaps the first time she felt vulnerable with a partner since arriving in Elos. And yet it felt right. The low suns lent dim light to the underused home, hushed breaths intermingling as the giggling pair fell into the bed.