Inside The Fire

Wandering the wastes searching for a purpose, he just kept on walking. Even after a couple skirmishes with bandits, ma.s.sacres of villages, he didn"t care. He used to say his feelings has went away, like cold turkey. Of course, no one understood that expression, until he met Shannia. The mother of the little girl he was paid to protect.

And now, in front of his very eyes, the same girl he was supposed to protect, was the one shielding him from the berserk blows of the paladin.
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"DEMON!", The palading yelled. "You are my mission! I will take you with me!",

Ca.s.s, is now in front of him casting a barrier spell. He didn"t know how, or when the girl arrived, but he didn"t have time to think. Shortly after, he can move his body again.

Gasping for air, he said "W-what are...",

He looked closer, and saw that Ca.s.s" eyes were glowing. It was dark red, the same glow that demons have. She was hovering in the air, her arms wide, and the energy surrounding her was sinister and ma.s.sive.

"W-wha..", He muttered.

Ed was calling to him, so was the hooded figure. But it sounded to him like they were a million kilometers away.

"NEIL!!", Ed yelled.

He finally came back to his senses.

"Ed? ",

"This is not the time to be daydreaming dumba.s.s!", Ed yelled, grabbing him by the shoulders. "I don"t know what or how the f.u.c.k she"s doing this, but it saved our a.s.ses! But everyone has limits, even the daughter of the devil. We have to take the templar out while he"s distracted! Get the don to a safe distance first!",

Still struggling to catch his breath, Neil was barely standing. After the energy he used to make that templar fly away, he barely has anything left to spare. He dragged the unconscious don to a side of the tree near where Ed entered.

He jogged towards back to Ed.

"I-I don"t think I can do another blast.", Neil said.

"There"s no need. I"m sure he"s weakened by now.. We just need a finishing blow.",

Neil glanced towards the hooded fellow. "Any ideas?",

"I can charge up a concentrated beam of lightning, but it"s going to take some time.. And I don"t think it"s gonna pa.s.s through the barrier. We have to get rid of it as soon as I cast it.", The hooded stranger responded.

Neil glanced at Ed. "Can we do it?",

Ed shrugged. "Well, we don"t got any more ideas.. Like you, I"m all out of juice.",

Neil sighed. "Alright then. Let"s do this.",

Ed went further away, just in range of his bow, while the hooded stranger knelt down, and began to chant the beginning verses of the spell.

His voice was distorted, as if his throat was being torn apart. "The Lightning of G.o.d shall strike the guilty, and innocent alike. Be it child, adolescent, hunter, or Paladin. Heed my call, and fall from the heavens!",

He kept repeating the same verse, over and over again.

Neil felt the air crackle with static electricity. Thunder clouds acc.u.mulate above them.

He glanced at Ca.s.s, who was still channeling the barrier spell.

He called out to her.

"Ca.s.s! I WANT YOU TO LET DOWN THE BARRIER WHEN I SAY SO!",

No response.

"Ca.s.s?", He asked again.

No response. He looked closer, to see that she wasn"t even looking at him. She was concentrated on the Paladin, and she was smiling something sinister.

"G.o.ddamit not again.", Neil muttered.

He ran towards Ca.s.s, sword in hand. He called out, but it seems she didn"t even hear him. The energy around her keeps getting stronger and stronger. The surrounding greenery around Ca.s.s began to decay, ash falling down from the sky.

"Oh no.. Oh no no no. Not again, dear G.o.d not again.", Neil murmured frantically.

He reached out to her, but the shockwaves of the energy surrounding her repelled him, sending him flying.

"NEIL!!", Ed yelled.

Ca.s.s was not in control of her own body. Neil has seen this before. As he struggled to get up, he charged up another dose of pure energy into his left palm.

Ed"s eyes widened as he saw his friend do this.

"Neil no!!!", he yelled. "You"ll DIE!",

Ed then sprinted towards Neil.

It was too late, Neil"s mind was made up. The only way for Ca.s.s to have control over her body again, was, ironically, to knock her unconscious.

Every last bit of stamina and energy he could muster, he cramped into his palm. The air around him began to crackle, heat emanating from his palm. He could feel his veins about to pop, the skin on his palm began to boil, but he didn"t care. He can"t let this happen again.

"The spell is ready!!!", the stranger yelled, holding together a storm on his hands. "I can"t hold it for long!",

Neil sprinted towards Ca.s.s, his body lowered, the ball of energy on his palms dragging on the ground to gain momentum. Like a blur, he struck the energy surrounding Ca.s.s with it.

A big flash of light, followed by an explosion. The shockwave was enough to send the Paladin, himself and Ca.s.s flying, leveling the entire green garden into nothing but ash and dust.

The stranger locked onto the Paladin, unleashing the barrage of lightning bolts from the sky and his hands.

"CURSE Y-", he uttered as the flurry of lightning bolts started to rain around him, piercing his flesh and armor.

The paladin let out a number shrieks and wails, the sound was enough to deafen a normal person. He died long ago from the shock, but still the lightning rained down upon him. The ground shook, walls crumbled, and after all that, remaining was a smoking pile of armor and flesh. The scent, was like if you barbecued a rotting piece of meat, multiplied by a hundred.

"Neil?!!", Ed called out.

Then, down on the ground, covered by rubble from the walls, he saw a little hand sticking out from it. It was Ca.s.s, now sleeping soundly. Like she wasn"t even damaged.

Ed grabbed the unconscious Ca.s.s and put her on his back, as he searched for Neil. "G.o.ddamit, why are you like this?", he muttered.

"NEIL!!", he called out again.

The stranger went towards the don, and began giving him some medicine tucked under his coat.

"Thank you.. ", The don muttered.

"Not a problem..", He replied.

After setting up some bandages and a healing spell, he joined the search for Neil as well.

"NEIL!!", both of them called out.

Now that conflict was done, it really was a huge forest in the middle of a desert city.. Although now half of it was destroyed due to the shockwave. Ed wondered how it ended up growing here. But he knew it wasn"t the time to think hard about it.

After a few minutes of searching, The stranger called out to Ed.

"Hunter.. I think that"s him.", He said, pointing above a tree.

"Well I"ll be d.a.m.ned. You had me worried there for a bit you smug b.a.s.t.a.r.d. ", Ed said.

Above the tree, was the very wounded Neil Iosif. His palm, shredded, with a couple of scratches around his body. He was hanging on a branch, stomach first. He was still conscious.

"H-heh.. f.u.c.k you.", He retorted, forcing out a laugh. But all that came out were blood instead of actual laughs.

"Let"s get you down.", Ed said.