Caged Bird Act 6
Dove readied herself, shifting the magic through her body with a calm hum. The doll lunged forwards, but Dove kept her left hand ready for Kitty’s sneak attack. Roiling fire surged in her, and she struck the doll, aiming for its face. It reflected by lifting a gnarled arm, and in the short moment of distraction Kitty had moved in from the side, magic rumbling through her. Dove moved quick, and the magic seeping through her blood seemed to obey its own desires. Aiming again for the doll with her eyes still on Dove, she heard the crackle of fire burning its feet and dodged a pelt of rocks aiming for her torso. She breathed out, eyes flickering to the doll, and changed her mind. The fire leaked from her hands, smoke enrapturing each on-looker. Creating this tense little bubble, Dove willed the smoke to come out thicker. Darker. Feeling something old and intense run through her, she watched with almost fascination as the smoke formed a large shield around Kitty. Her earth magic should be able to penetrate the walls but hearing Kitty’s grunts gave Dove hope: she had time. The doll, now her only enemy, lunged once more, angry for the missed shot before. The doll’s fingers sizzled with surging heat, and Dove’s eyes locked onto the lightning zeal. It sputtered, willing the doll to be thrown onto its target. Dove reared back, shooting a quick glance at Kitty. The smoke had grown, black spikes of magic surging around her. Dove faintly heard her fellow fighters murmuring. This was something new. It felt angry. Dove channelled every intense feeling she was harbouring, and allowed it to flow out of her, billowing smoke clouds brimming with dark zeal. Dove couldn’t help but smile, her fire magic really had been advancing. Changing. Dove had lingered too long one spot, and the gnarled doll ducked low, and its hand swiped viciously for Dove’s stomach. She faltered, dropping low too. This was a mistake. She warned the right hand away, but caught sight too late of another lightning-filled fist aim for her eyes and was unsure what happened next. Seeps of dark fire exploded, she thought of the wall in her back garden, her father's angry voice, and connected a kick with some part of the doll hard. Kitty was beating through a small hole inside the smoke cloud, but Dove had eyes for only the doll, and sent angry waves into the gnarled thing, until it was blackened and dusty. The ignition of the doll took so much power, that Kitty had destructed the shield with a generous burst of thick gravel raining from above her. She was sweaty and cocked her head at Dove before sending the mass of rock after her. Dove hit the floor but repelled most of the pieces with an inferno. Dove turned and watched Kitty dodge behind her. Dove cracked her knuckles and felt the heat bubble within her once more. A hand of fire reached around Kitty. It pounded her against the wall, and the gurgling white hot finger threatened to make her face wax. “You look warm, Kitty.”
