Flames crackled off the rocky walls of the surrounding cave as Elise now stood before a gathered audience. Atop a ledge stood Azala as he had done many times before with Elise’s two brothers beside him, along with other elite. Azala stood with arms crossed, anger spread across his face.
“Impudent child, yet another failure? That’s the well beyond your third for the week!” he barked out.
She looked up to him, glancing to the right to see a smirking Rusty positioned as if ready to attack. To the left a blank faced Britt. Her eyes returned to Azala as her lips moved, “Where you see failure, I see success.”
“Bah! Your mission was a failure and nothing more. True you escaped with your life and confirmed what we already figured, you still let them escape with their lives!”
“What would you have had me do, chase after them into the unknown? That would have been risky for anyone here and you know it.”
“Excuses, excuses that I will not have! This is as big of a blunder as your first two missions where your comrades kept dropping dead due to your own weakness.”
Her eyes shook at the comment, her fists growing tighter and tighter.
THWACK
“Baskel, go left. Baskel to the left. No left. No!”
“Help me!”
The sound of a metal piercing and ripping right through flesh, blood dripping to the ground. The sound of clashing metal all around and the crunching of feet on leaves.
Dauntless dropped to his knees before his brother who fell dead with a spear in his throat. Off to the right Elise swung her katana at little green men in red pants with red vests who giggled. Many stormed from the trees as Vulper moved ahead sending a flurry of kicks out. Many of the green men flew off and crashed into the brush of the trees, many with their necks broken.
“Dauntless, on your feet!”
“No no no, this- all of this, these Goblins-”
“Dauntless!” Elise yelled out as she looked up in fright. Giggling Green Men dropped from the branches above with spears pointed down, many piercing through Dauntless ramming him into the ground. Lightning crackled above with brilliant flares launching outwards. Elise’s attention returned to her front as Vulper jumped back.
“These guys weren’t supposed to be here, what the hell is going on?”
“Fight on Elise, we need to hold out until an opening out of here presents itself!”
All around with the next flash of lightning were many more Green Men running towards the two remaining individuals, both tensing up at the sight of what ran before them as another bolt of lightning crashed, a bolt shooting down right at the forest in fact.
“You won’t have anything, you never allow anything!”
“Watch your damn tone brat. Now get out of my sight at once before I punish you again! Your next mission at Jakahoven Pass will need more spunk than what you’ve got child.”
“And will this turn out like the last several missions where I’ve gotten jumped?”
“Do you want to go back to being a simple Gatherer? I can easily make that happen brat. Now get to it.”
“As you wish, Father,” Elise said with a slight bow as she turned off in stride.
Phil gave a glance to Azala as she left, contempt in his stare, “You do realize she isn’t going to follow every order you give her without complaining right? She’s faced so much backlash and many threats lately. She’s going to catch on eventually.”
“I know that already Phil,” Azala muttered back, watching as Elise left entirely.
Elise walked down a hall with a glance to the left and a glance to the right. Onward she went, not halting even a bit, “{Jakahoven Pass, what joy. Wait a minute, if I remember right that place is- no, really? The Giant Spider Pack roams those lands. What the hell?}” -
“I was right, this sucks!”
Elise flipped backwards, her back curling ever so slightly with her right arm extended towards the ground as she curved. Down she came with a palm pressed against the ground. It bent a slight bit until she performed a heave-ho to launch herself back again onto her feet, sword drawn in her left hand. The katana moved forward, a high pitched screech heard that was far from human, almost like the shriek of a banshee .
Into the katana’s tip flew a hairy arachnid about the size of a greyhound, impaling itself on the weapon. Off it slid as more and more charged at Elise. Once more she flipped backwards, this time high bound through the air to the top of a tree branch, “This is my cue to leave now that I have an opening.”
Her feet turned as her sword was sheathed, a single leap off sending her through the air and onto the next branch. Many had begun to climb the first tree to go after her, many others simply chasing across the ground as she flew off leap by leap. Her head turned for a split second as she continued to go ahead, her pace failing to slow, “Good thing those things can’t keep up with me.”
“GRYAAAAHRR-” came a yell.
“HELP!”
Her head perked up. Left and right she glanced, having heard both. Again it came, this time louder from the right or rather South. It was at the next branch she came to a stop, slightly turning her body to face the direction. The scream of a male shouting for help came again, joined by a female’s voice, growls and howls in that direction as well, “What’s going on over there?”
Her head turned right again to where she had been coming from to the sight of charging spiders on the ground, “Well then, no point in me hanging around here,” she murmured taking a leap off to the direction of the howling and cries for help.
Behind the spiders continued to charge after. Her focus shifted behind to the sound of bark being scratched, torso turning ever so slightly to allow her to gaze back and see the spiders leaping across the branches. A flash of light came from ahead, her focus changing immediately to the sight of the glow of fire. The fire was not stationary, something she quickly noted, rather coming straight at her, “The devil?”
Down she flew, leaving the branches for the ground as the fireball flew back. A shriek was heard, a shriek of the spiders. Elise glanced back quickly and then forward to the sound of chuckling, very familiar chuckling.
“Heh heh heh heh heh. Not bad for a runt.”
Fire danced around this man momentarily before dying out, remaining just long enough to have revealed a red star across the left side of this individual’s face. Elise rested a hand upon her weapon as she gazed at the approaching individual, “Medontei Onoragi.”
“Ah so you remember me after all little scrub,” came the reply in a dark, deep soothing voice.
The hood flew back to reveal Medontei who stopped approaching with a continuous grin. Fire rose around him again and contracted into small spheres of flame that in turn began to circle around him.
“Come to interfere again?”
“Again? So those yells for help I heard, your doing,”
“Ah yes, in a way it is my doing yet in another it is not.”
Her eyes perked up to the sight of four wolves leaping up beside Medontei, two to each side snarling ahead at Elise. Behind them a fair distance back came another cry for help followed by the sound of clashing metal. Figures danced in the distance, wolves fighting wolves, humanoids swinging weapons at beasts.
“Having a party without me? Stark Pack is certainly up to no good, that much I can tell,” she spat quickly holding her sword tight, unsheathing it in her left hand now holding it out front.
With her words Medontei cocked his head to the side and let off a slight snicker as his grin turned more fiendish. Her eyes narrowed, at which point she spoke again, “Just what are you up to you tricky screwball?”
“Well you’re about to die anyway so I suppose it doesn’t matter much now does it? We’re after some very valuable intel that a few people have. Just beyond this point they’re fighting for their lives against the forces of Stark Pack, including David and Milly. Now about your funeral, I think I’ll be certain to put the fun in that. How do you feel about cremation darling?”
“How do ya feel about having a boot planted up your ass with a sword in the esophagus?”
Elise stood ready now taking on a defensive posture with the weapon held out as the four wolves stepped forward slowly with their snarls filling the air. Medontei raised an eye, “Ha! Spunky, I love it. So? Not going to run away? Not at all what I was expecting.”
“No, I’m done running away. I’m not about to turn my back on people in need when evil scumbags like you are after them. I’m done being powerless, I’m done watching people be forced to submit themselves to a higher power that stands against them.”
“And here I thought from what I had heard you just wanted to prove yourself to your mud ball of a clan,” came the voice of David who stepped out of the darkness with Milly beside him.
Both stopped near Medontei, looking forward upon Elise with equal grins. Behind them flew four individuals who crashed upon the ground with wolves and beasts approaching just beyond. Elise looked at the sight of them and then to the others in anger, “Ya know, that’s what I thought I wanted but I think knowing about things like this pisses me off more than being useless to my people. I’m stopping it here and now!”
“Then by all means wee lass, bring it on,” Medontei laughed.
Chapter XL
Elise shot forward at several charging wolves, her katana unsheathed as they came snarling along, one leaping with a howl. Her feet skidded to a halt, a step taken aback, the katana swung forward plunging into the right leg of the wolf. The wolf flew by with a snarl as its own blood flowed along the edge of the sword and onto the ground. Down it crashed behind, already struggling to move at first.
Up it rose with a slow turn, leaping up at Elise with a howl. To the left she stepped again and swung high to gash at its flank. Down the wolf crashed again with a wail of pain as it once more struggled to move. Slowly the fur began to fall as the form of the wolf stretched, slowly bit by bit becoming longer all around as it took on its natural humanoid form yet again.
Medontei’s eyes opened more as the smirk he had prior faded, “That blow was nothing major yet Melvax reverted to human form after just two hits? What devilry?”
“It’s not magic Medontei if that’s what you’re thinking,” Elise replied.
Medontei looked at her, then to her weapon, smirking, “Ah yes, yes I remember. Hemlock right? Abbot told me about that.”
“Partially that and partially a little Wolfsbane since it cancels out transformative powers on top of poisoning most Zaherian and Vampiric.”
“So a poisoned blade that blocks transformations and can paralyze, how tactical. You’ve no doubt done a fair bit to make it act that fast though.”
“Not really. When a Zaherian transforms their heart tends to pump blood at a more rapid rate to keep up with the change.”
“And getting that into their blood, it takes root quicker. Impressive for such a little girl.”
David crossed his arms as Milly got low to the ground with a scowl. Behind them one of the victims looked forward, their neck shaking ready to give out. With twitching eyes, their head dropped as the other three looked on, the beasts and wolves behind moving from them towards Elise, ready to engage.
They leaped with snarls. Elise drifted back and turned clockwise, spinning quickly. With a simple duck she dodged them, a smile spreading as her eyes shot from left to right and left again. Once more the three returned and launched themselves, with a simple step to the right one was dodged. With a step to the left another was dodged. As the third flew forward her katana was then raised and swung with a final step to the right. Right behind the left shoulder the katana connected, cutting in enough to draw blood once more.
As their comrade was cut the other two whirled back around and leaped at the same time for Elise. The katana flipped around and was quickly stabbed into the ground as the two came at her.
CRACK
Both flew back three meters as Elise’s arms flew, fists connected with their snouts. At once the katana was pulled from the ground and she dashed ahead after the tumbling Wulfn. Two swings forward, two slashes given, blood flying out as one was cut on the leg and the other on the forehead. They howled as she flipped backwards again with her body twisting, landing to witness the others as the three began to turn back to human form.
“Come on Medontei!” she yelled out holding her weapon ready.
Medontei looked on, eye raised, “My you’ve improved considerably from being a spineless sack of garbage. I won’t lie, that’s really tempting however we have what we came here for. I’ll let you off with a warning little lass. If I didn’t have bigger fish to fry, quite literally, I’d tend to you right here and now. David, pull back for now.”
Medontei flipped around and began to charge away, while Milly and David slowly backed away, the rest of their forces moving with them. A sigh was let out, her katana slowly being sheathed once more as she approached the four in front of her, “You guys alright?”
Slowly one of them rose up with a cough, looking up to her as he did, “Y-yeah.”
Blood dripped from his right arm as one of his sleeves fell off, drifting away in the wind. Two of the others stood, both female while on the ground lied a male. Both of the two were in similar shape with many cuts and bruises covering them. Elise glanced at the last one who appeared to be passed out, “What exactly did you guys do to get on their hate list?”
“Might’ve maybe stolen something of theirs, not exactly sure what it was.”
“Yet you stole it?”
“We needed some money real bad and it looked valuable. They didn’t even give us a chance to hand it over before jumping us. I mean, they kinda did then that fire guy ordered the Wulfn to attack us.”
“Stealing from a supernatural douche bag. Brilliant.”
“Yeah, I know. Urk. Thanks for the save uh-”
“Elise.”
“Elise, yeah thanks. Oh uh, I’m Sora by the way. This is Anna, Chelsea, and Jimmy.”
“Hey,” said one of the girls.
“Hi,” said the other.
“Thanks for helping us out there Elise. If you hadn’t come along and distracted that one guy we probably would’ve been killed.”
“You’re still at risk though if you keep bleeding, you should get somewhere and get it taken care of quick.”
“Yeah that’s a good point. Chelsea, Anna, load up Jimmy quick. We’ll get to Emerton real quick and have Dewy patch him up.”
“Gotcha,” both said as they got down beside the last man, both slowly picking him up. Once they had him up they began to walk away as Sora turned back to face Elise.
“I can’t thank you enough for this.”
“Don’t worry about it. Take care of yourselves and maybe we’ll meet again sometime.”
“Right,” he said bowing, turning back towards his friends to dash off with a quick sprint.
Her head turned back slightly once Sora disappeared, her eyes gazing back to the sight of the treeline.
Chapter XLI
Elise now sat in her room, few things present at this point. No extra books, no extra weapons lying out, no extra clothes, nothing but a backpack with twin water containers attached and her katana lying alongside it. With her back against the wall she looked forward to the other wall. For her it wasn’t long until there was a knock.
Her eyes drifted to see Britt stepping in. He turned to her and gave a nod. She stood slowly and approached, hands moving down to grab her things. Coat thrown on, katana attached to her side, and backpack placed on. At once both exited. Down the halls they moved, several individuals laughing and pointing though those were mostly younger individuals.
“Have to say I’m a little shocked to see you packed already,” Britt mumbled.
“Well what’s the point? I keep failing my missions and he said this was my last chance. Why should I bother coming back?”
“You’ve been on six that just bombed. I wouldn’t say you failed any of them despite the tankage.”
“Pft, tell that to the rest of Vulfax. Only you and Vulper think I did alright. I’m sure Zoey and the others would probably back me up but they’re out on that one mission for another couple weeks with the other elite.”
“It saddens me to see you like this.”
“Well it doesn’t sadden me. I’m so ready to be done with this crap.”
“Easy now-”
“The clan disapproves of me no matter what I do, they hate any failure and punish severely for it. Brett nearly died from his injuries due to failure.”
“Alright so you have me there. I still don’t want to see this happen to you.”
“I’ll be fine. I have friends like Alto. I just, I need to stretch my wings for now because I can’t keep doing this to myself. I’d rather be alone and cold on the streets of some big city than here any longer.”
Forward they walked still as the lights of another room became visible at the end, the same cavern they had gathered in many times before. Elise moved in with Britt to see a crowd gathered like many times before, and like those times Azala stood atop the group. Her eyes drifted up blandly with no emotion in them to stare at her angry father.
Azala glared down with his arms crossed, none of his elites with him this time other than Rusty. Seconds flew by that seemed like minutes before he finally said something, “My daughter, if I can even truly call you that.”
She glanced away, “Yeah yeah.”
“I have one final mission for you so listen well. Failure means banishment for good this time.”
“I’ve heard that one before,” she mumbled before looking back to him.
“Go to Lazlo Pass. Once there you are to meet with a representative from the Sundial Clan of Drachen from Novasgacia. You will receive a package. Bring it back to me. It is that simple. Even you can’t screw this one up.”
“As you wish, Father,” she said.
“If you are leaving us then you had best do this job first. Dismissed.”
At once she turned around walking away as Britt watched, Vulper beside him now. Elise exited as once more people began to laugh and joke.
“{To Hell with this place and the mission. Knowing him it’s just something else to get me killed. Well I’m not buying.}”
Down the tunnel she walked, step after step as the flames danced. The moonlight lay before her now as she stepped out back into the forest, moving on to the North. She glanced back one last time, Rusty visible with arms crossed at the entryway, a grin forming not but a moment after. With a scoff she continued and looked back ahead with her backpack held firm, “This is the last time I ever come back to this crap hole.”
Brushing by with her bag she moved down a tunnel swiftly, carrying on for a few minutes until there came the moonlight. Down the forest trail she moved, coat on with backpack pressed and a katana at her side. The trail stretched on as the moon continued to rise, lighting up the entire forest. Owls hooted, bats flapping along, Most other animals however were not present. A few deer trotted along on the side despite noticing Elise as she moved along.
She glanced to the left seeing a lone coyote on the move though peacefully rather than in a stalking movement. Forward she looked ahead again with a sigh, “{I can’t stand this. Father is setting me up to die, I swear. Something isn’t quite right. Whatever, I’m done and done.}”
Chapter XLII
The hours croaked by now as she sat before a fire, her back against a tree as she lay resting. Her eyes slowly closing though still alert, looking left and then right. The hooting of the owls in the distance upon the gentle breeze of the midnight air. A mother bear strolled on just ahead with two cubs following close. The same coyote from before strolled alongside the mother, yet no hostility arose whatsoever.
Elise’s eyes moved up, the moonlight shining brilliantly. True and true it was peaceful. A twig cracked just ahead, startling her. She rubbed her eyes and opened them wide, shock filling her. Large wolves now sat before her, several staring.
“Wha-what?”
A calmness swept over her at once as she looked into their eyes. They stood at once, the moonlight reflecting off their pelts as a glowing silver.
“Amarok-”
At once they circled and began to walk off into the forest’s darkness, one stopping just before it turning its head back. The head lowered and then rose, almost as if nodding.
“Do you want me to follow you?” Elise murmured standing up at once.
Again the wolf gave what appeared to be a nod and then padded away. Elise glanced to the flames and quickly dumped a canister of water over, extinguishing the fire before following. She crept through the darkness, their tails swishing and swooshing as they moved, standing taller than Elise and as such easier to follow.
“Where are we going?” she asked out loud.
Seconds turned to minutes, minutes that stretched on and on as they moved. Her eyes moved around as they went, “What’s going on? Where are they taking me?”
Her mind shifted, “{There are many stories about the Amarok, how they can be vengeful yet very helpful. Usually when one is observed it means something that could be considered greatness so long as they do not anger the Amarok. Those were Lucy’s words as I recall. She also stated that they had noticed me just as I had noticed them, that they see something. What are they up to though?}”
Ahead a clearing was visible where the moon’s glow shined bright, ahead where several Amarok stopped. Elise approached with the last and came out. To her right sat three and to her left sat four. Her gaze moved left to right, up and then down. Below was a huge dip in the land, “This is- {No way it is, they brought me to Lazlo Pass? But why?}”
She glanced to the right, “{What are- hey, they’re looking off to the right down below, same with the Amarok to my left. What’s-}”
Goblins moved around below, many upon many easily recognizable by their green skin and scrawny bodies beneath the moon’s light, “Goblins. You brought me here to show me Goblins? If this is the pass then I was right, Father was trying to get me attacked.”
To the right more so then before the Amarok glanced again, to which Elise followed their stare. At once her face turned blue and her eyes grew big, “Wait a minute, is-is that-”
A man walked among the Goblins, a man with long spiked brown hair, hair that went down his back with bangs to the sides of his head. His eyes glowing amber almost blood red before the moon, a grin revealing teeth sharpened.
“Dustin?” she stammered, “Why is he-”
Her jaw hung and her eyes grew to the biggest they had been in a long time. Below Dustin moved among the Goblins with his mouth moving, and it was at this point that the black coat with red stars patterned all over it began to flap viciously, “That’s- wait, I get it now-”
“Canny again, I love it. Let’s just say Stark Pack has recently acquired some very convenient allies that’ll make our takeover that much easier,” David had spoke.
“This is the power I have been granted by my new allies. I am now stronger than any Vampire, Zaherian, Goblin, Drachen, anything! And now you die,” Dustin had laughed.
“Medontei’s cheek, their words, that man who visited Vulfax wore. Stark Pack was ready for- and here these guys are waiting for me. I get it now, I get it! Father has been working with Dustin, he’s been working with that Medontei guy, he’s been working to sabotage the clan. Father is a traitor- no, I’ve got to get back at once!” she spat turning around bolting off into the forest immediately.
All at once her head perked up. She flipped round to the right, the faint echo of metal on metal ringing out. Then a flare of firy light in the distance, and what seemed like a brief yell. Her eyes closed, opening fierce after.
Chapter XLIII
A sword slammed into another, the sound of metal on metal echoing as a young girl let out a grunt. The second strike came and blew her back while another individual ran forward and took her place against the assailant with their blades crashing against one another, both flipping backwards after that strike.
“Damn, there’s no end to these guys. Callie, hang back!”
“I-I understand Sora,” the girl replied.
Alto stood to the right wheezing, his hands that of wolf paws at present with claws extended further than normal, “Dammit,” he grunted.
“Ho ho out of breath already? How disappointing for one who can change merely a portion of his body.”
David stepped forward with two beasts beside him, Beast Wulfn, “Now tell me where the key is!”
“Bite me David, I’ll never give you people the key.”
“Heh heh, tempting. I feel like we give that response a lot, thinking about it now. Oh well.”
Ahead David flew, Alto swinging his right at him only to be grabbed and quickly spun around, flung right back from where he came. Alto skidded back breathing heavy as he looked ahead, “Dammit, I can’t get through. How are we going to-”
“Alto!” came the crying yell of a female from outside the battle zone.
“That voice- Elise?”
Alto turned his head quickly, Elise visible running towards the clearing immediately. Sora turned his head back as well with a bit of shock, “That girl?”
Elise’s backpack flew off and hit the ground as her left arm swatted through the air and pulled back, her katana at once unsheathed. She skidded to a halt and held the weapon like a bat ready to swing.
“This abomination again?” David growled.
“I thought Lord Dustin was supposed to ax her tonight?” Milly growled.
“What can I say, I’m a hard one to kill,” Elise replied standing ready, “So it was a trap, heh, too bad it took me so long to realize the mess going on.”
“Elise, what are you doing here?” Alto quickly questioned.
“I figured it all out. My father is working with Stark Pack to weaken the clan and they’re working with some group that seems to like black and red stars, the same as that Medontei fellow. And for some reason, they seem to be trying to get rid of me.”
A bright flicker of fire appeared and erupted, filling half the clearing. At once three figures flew back behind Elise and crashed, taking Alto’s attention. Sora turned around quickly, “Anna, Jimmy, Chelsea!”
“Someone mention me?” came the response of none other than Medontei who approached from the flames that now danced away and faded.
He now wore the same uniform as Dustin. With him approached two girls in the same uniform as well, both with green hair. Behind them approached several others with leather black jackets with the same star pattern. Behind even them was another individual wearing the same coat as Medontei and the girls.
Medontei approached with a grin though that grin quickly faded as he looked Elise up and down, “Bah, you again? Don’t you ever quit?”
“Nope. It’s like I said the last time buddy. I’m not about to turn my back on people in need when evil scumbags like you are after them. I’m done being powerless, I’m done watching people be forced to submit themselves to a higher power that stands against them. And above all it pisses me off greatly seeing things like this. I’m stopping this here and now!”
Alto looked to her with a smile and then ahead to Medontei and the rest. David scowled as Milly simply scoffed, Medontei now looking more annoyed than ever before. Behind Elise approached Sora and behind him approached four others, three off which Elise had helped save prior.
Sora held up a broadsword as scales began to grow around Jimmy’s skin. Water rose around the girl from before known as Callie, rising like magic. The grass around Chelsea flipped around and began to grow while mud started to rise up around Anna taking on humanoid forms. Elise glanced around and then forward with a smile as she now held her katana straight out.
Medontei cracked his neck as his allies stepped ahead looking quite ready, “Elise, it’s like eleven to seven. You’re not going to make it out of this one. Honestly Dustin and a bunch of Goblins were supposed to do you in about ten minutes away from here but I guess since they aren’t available I’ll get to enjoy that pleasure myself. Ryuu and Zero won’t be saving you this time.”
“In combat the odds don’t mean a damn thing so long as you can stay one step ahead of your opponents.”
“We shall see.”
“Let’s do this.”
Elise flew forward quickly with her weapon held out now to her side, all the rest behind her charging ahead as well. Elise quickly eyed and flew after Medontei as the rest scattered. Following their lead all on Medontei’s side roared forward, all except for Medontei himself who shot back with fire roaring around him.
A tall man flew forward into Sora, a blade appearing from thin air the absence of color itself. Forward their weapons swung and slammed into one another, both flipping backwards once again. Sora looked at him, he who held a wide grin, “Identify yourself!” Sora spat.
The other looked up and laughed, “They call my Rohwer. Now come, come. Let us do battle. I hope you’re as exciting as that Lizion friend of yours looks.”
The Lizion, known as Jimmy, flew ahead at the two girls, swinging his claws at them only for both to leap up and over, landing near.
“He sure intends to take us out Cindy.”
“I can see that Sidney. Shall we show him a good time?”
“Oh yes.”
Both turned and flipped backward with feet out attempting to kick Jimmy’s back, only to at once be swatted by an emerging tail. “Huh?” was all that left them prior to the hit, both being flung back by the blow. Jimmy turned around as both girls flew through the battle zone of Anna and three others, the mud dancing around her in the form of humanoids. Two looked identical while the third looked similar.
“You will fall before the power of my Mud Dolls,” she growled.
The three leaped around as the mud dolls flew, one crashing into a Wulfn that had been nearby. Down the Wulfn crashed as the mud covered him, the mud completely coating.
KABAM
Once the mud coated the Wulfn a blast had gone off engulfing both it and the Wulfn, leaving not a trace of either. The three moving around Anna looked in shock. One stepped forward, one with black hair down his back and orange eyes shining, “Explosive Mud Dolls? Watch out brothers, this one is tricky.”
“I hear you loud and clear Axel, how about you James?”
“Same here Jack.”
Off to the side ran two others, both running away as vines flew after them while more came out of the ground beneath where they had been previously. Behind them approached Chelsea, slowly, all while waving her hands around as if directing the plants, “You mock the power of nature and so your Earthly Mother shall take you now”
Water flew all around nearby as two sets of wolves flew into one another nipping and biting. Callie rolled right and thrust her arm out to which a wall of water several meters tall flew forward from behind her, slamming into a Wolf Beast. Back it flew, the beast being David while the two wolves were none other than Alto and Milly. Callie stood once more and directed her hand again unleashing jets of water forward which slammed into David one by one acting like solid punches.
Elise flipped back through streams of water that were left behind on the ground, fireballs crashing down in front of her. She looked ahead with teeth gritted as Medontei stepped forward once more with fire circling around him, “Try this!” he yelled, the fire flying forward again though this time splitting apart.
Multiple smaller fireballs flew ahead towards Elise. Upon sight of this she rolled to the right and then flew forward, “Callie!” she shouted. Callie’s attention turned as more fire flew at Elise who in turn gave a nod.
Elise flipped backward while Callie motioned her arm towards Medontei, a wave of water flying towards him now as David flew towards her. David howled though immediately that howl turned into a wail. Elise slammed her katana through his torso and slammed both feet into his side, ripping it out and flipping off as the Zaherian crashed off with a roll, roaring out pained.
Milly charged at Elise from behind with a snarl, met quickly by Alto who slammed into her in human form. Both crashed down right behind Elise. At once she twirled and swung her weapon, cutting through Milly’s front right leg. Alto stood and turned, “Thanks,” he said standing next to Elise who now stood next to Callie.
Medontei walked forward with a scowl, his flames no longer present around him, “Grr. Little brats.”
“Brats huh? Funny because it looks like we just took out two of your comrades, turning our fight into a three on one. Bit by bit the rest are going to fold as well,” Elise remarked.
“You think losing those two peons concerns me? Hardly. The funny thing is Elise, even if you somehow got by us it wouldn’t make a difference. You see this cloak, this tattoo on the left side of my face? The people we work for are beyond anything you could imagine.”
“What do you mean?”
“You might think the magic of that girl you’re next to is something or even my fire but compared to my bosses, we’re ordinary humans armed with sticks against dragons that fill the skies.”
“What?”
“Know that I am not lying, the forces of The Hive are far superior than anything you might imagine, each as capable as even myself and that oaf Dustin.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“Oh but it is so very true, just ask your golden boy friend Alto over there about it. They come from another world where war was all that they truly ever knew. The Hive and another group called the Tribe clashed for tens of thousands of years. It’s said that one day their clash was so violent that Space-Time itself fell apart, allowing them to come to Earth. Their opponents in a way beat them over twenty thousand years ago by locking the bulk of their army back up on their home world but it is said that many made it through. The Hive currently has no less than over a thousand active officers remaining on this world, each as strong as I had said.”
Alto glanced to Elise as she looked to him, both looking back to Medontei who continued on, “Their powers range from controlling the Sun’s radiation to manipulating gravity itself to even commanding all of nature, and among them stand the Thirteen Great Officers, each with enough power to perhaps obliterate an entire city of millions in a matter of hours. Their power is no joke.”
Elise looked around, her eyes wide. Down went Jimmy, taken from above and below by his two foes, Sora cut down and crashed to the ground by his now with multiple black objects sticking in him. Anna lay hog tied by Chelsea’s vines and Chelsea suppressed by the other five. Elise looked ahead again with rage in her eyes taking a slightly more offensive stance as she gazed upon Medontei.
Alto looked around in shock, “Guys!”
Medontei let out a laugh, crossing his arms behind his back, “You see child? You can not defeat even us. What hope have you of proving yourself useful against our superiors? It’s fruitless,” he then murmured as he held his arms out, flames appearing in each palm hovering above, “Even if you did defeat us, they’d just send dozens upon dozens like us after you and if that were to fail, you’d get stone walled by one of the Great Thirteen. To my understanding you’ve already seen one of them meeting with Daddy Dearest, heh heh.”
Elise’s eyes opened wide, remembering back to bumping passed a man who had gone to see her father, “That guy?”
“Shadow is most remarkable. It is only thanks to him The Hive has come back as fast and as strong as they have. All the deals he’s made, including recruiting Dustin and Azala who in turn gave us an army to-”
“Oh what does it matter if I monologue a bit? I simply want to instill as much fear and anger in them as I can to the point that they give up. They’re going to die anyway.”
Elise shot forward at Medontei while his attention was taken by Rohwer. Her katana raised up as she got near and swung down. Her eyes grew big as she swung, liquid metal dripping from the edge to the ground as it neared Medontei, all but a few centimeters of the blade remaining as the rest had immediately melted. Flames danced around Medontei like an aura and quickly swelled, slamming into Elise.
A blast went off, hurling her off back into the hands of Alto and Callie while the katana bounced off across the ground. The Fire Warrior’s attention then returned to the three, a smug grin present until he began to speak again, “See what I mean? Even that Water Girl’s water couldn’t touch me in case you failed to notice. My ability allows me to super heat the air around me to create a flame as I desire though I can burn far hotter than that, so hot that the water immediately evaporates once it crosses a certain boundary. Face it pups, you can’t even touch me.”
Sora and the rest slowly backed up now to Elise, Alto, and Callie, all seven standing ready as the remaining nine enemies approached. Elise stood coughing, glancing around as the foes approached. Two Vampires, three Lycan, three in the Hive’s uniform with darkness dancing around them, and then Medontei himself with flames dancing around him.
“Now what do ya say, wanna just give up and spare yourselves a painful set of deaths? I promise I’ll make it quick.”
Elise turned to Medontei once more and stepped forward, “No, I refuse to ever give up again. Even if it’s useless, I’ll fight you until the end!”
“So be it, young one,” Medontei muttered now stepping forward with flames dancing around him. The seven looked around, their bodies tensing up.
“Guess this is it,” Sora murmured.
“Shut up,” Anna spat, “I’m not out yet.”
“Speak for yourself,” Chelsea murmured.
“Elise, I’m sorry I got you in on this,” Alto murmured.
“What? Hell you didn’t do a thing Alto, I chose this and I’ll die for my choice if I must.”
The nine stepped forward and stopped, ready now to end it.
A thunderous crackle could be heard nearby, one that immediately made all heads rise up. It happened again, this time longer and more like something burning out. A light became visible to the South, all heads turning and eyes shifting as the roar happened again.
“What is that?” Cindy questioned.
“A motorcycle?” Sidney replied.
“What the hell?” Elise murmured.
Alto smirked, glancing with half narrowed eyes, “It’s about time.”
“Wait, do you me-”
“Yeah Callie, I do. It’s her.”
A figure came into view as the sound grew louder, the figure moving quickly. Medontei’s head popped up, “What?”
Charging right at the group was a motorcycle. The person could not be made out other than the black hair that covered their face, though what was noteworthy was their coat: long and white with sky blue stars.
Medontei’s eyes widened big as everyone else quickly jumped out of the way. The person riding the motorcycle stood up and quickly flipped up into the air and off, landing on the ground as the cycle slammed into Medontei. Both it and him crashed into a tree, at which point the former exploding. Fire flew, engulfing Medontei quickly as he let out a blood curdling scream.
The individual that had been riding landed on both feet, arms now extended unleashing white beams of light from their palms that slammed right into two of Medontei’s comrades. Both shrieked high pitched as their flesh began to burn off and char, both being the two Vampires who quickly exploded into ash.
“What?” Jack spat.
“Excuse me?” Cindy choked, “A Lightonian?!”
Six now remained and at once the six flew at the individual.
Elise quickly studied this individual, noting them as being female by their figure though their face was still obscured via a helmet. The woman looked left and right and quickly leaped up again, allowing for the six to slam into each other and fly back from the impact. Down she came with both arms out, light firing against though this time condensing.
Spikes of whiteness plunged through Jack and James, both shrieking with their hearts pierced. Axel looked in awe behind this woman as she landed, she who now stood and twirled, her fist slamming into Axel’s face. One punch and it was enough to send him flying, crashing through the air and straight through a tree trunk where he stuck out like an arrow, limp though with his neck broken.
Cindy and Sidney both stood together, both growling at the sight of this individual. She looked back and immediately disappeared leaving behind only a thin white aura. Screams were heard. All eyes shifted again to where Cindy and Sidney stood, beams of white energy blowing out their chests sending both crashing forward dying, the beams colliding next with Rohwer who let out a scream of his own until an explosion then engulfed him as well.
“Who is this lady?” Elise exasperated.
The woman in the Long Coat stepped forward again as the flames from the motorcycle explosion faded, revealing Medontei without his Hive jacket on and with much of his shirt blown off and burned as well. He stomped forward, enraged, “Why you, how dare you-”
With a snap of the woman’s fingers, the flames erupted again though this time as pure white light. Medontei let out a ghostly wail as the light engulfed him, his form disappearing within immediately, fading slowly to reveal him now gone.
Elise looked on flabbergasted. All at once with one swift ambush, one person who taken out nine individuals with such ease. Alto smirked and moved forward towards the individual. Callie moved forward, “Woo! That was a nice performance boss,” she chirped.
“Wh-yo- do you two know this person?” Elise questioned.
Alto turned around with his smirk still present, speaking immediately, “Oh trust me Elise, you know her too. I apologize for not telling you sooner BUT I had my reasons, right Miss Bell?”
The helmet turned white, immediately crumbling off. Elise’s eyes grew ultra big yet again as she witnessed this, “N-no way, you’re-”
“Nice to see you face to face again luv,” the woman spoke with her black hair flowing with the wind.
