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Bound by life and death
#6 A leap forward

#6 A leap forward

She tried to step forward, but she was met by the golem once more.

"SERIOUSLY?"(Anastasia)

"you are impure and may not enter"(Golem)

"YOU'RE SPOUTING THAT NONSENSE AGAIN?"(Anastasia)

He readied his axe for attack when...

"DIE!"(Anastasia)

She flew at the golem with a blade of fire, turning him into mush at her feet. She sighed with relief, but that relief, didn't last long.

"you are impure and may not enter"(Golem)

Ana smiled this time,  cutting the golem with the normal blade, leaving a mark on it's arm before destroying him once more.

"you are impure and may not enter"(Golem)

Ana looked over at the golem with a smile of pure bliss, the mark had remained.

"Does it hurt to die?"(Anastasia)

"No pain is greater than my cause"(Golem)

As Ana heard this she grinned from ear to ear...the golem took a step back.

"We'll see how you're resolve holds, after I kill you, 1000 TIMES KEHKEHKEHKEH...*cough*...*cough*"(Anastasia)

Ana's scythe blade was dancing with flames, this blade of course then severed the golem's head, many times.

"Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash..."(Anastasia)

After it's 100th death it stoped attacking and TRIED to run away, by the time it reached it's 200th death, the golem began to beg Ana for mercy, then after that, whenever it came back to life it was crouched down rocking backwards and forwards screaming.

It began to cry, asking the not so innocent 8 year old to end the nightmares.

"You can pass, just stop, PLEASE!"(Golem)

"Nope, I'm enjoying this far too much"(Anastasia)

And when it had died for the 700th time, Ana had completely broken the guardian, when it next came back it never moved nor spoke as it no longer had the mental or physical capacities to.

"Awww you couldn't even make it to 1000, PATHETIC"(Anastasia)

Ana cut off it's head one last time.

"This is boring...Oh well onwards it"(Anastasia)

And now, where once stood a proud guardian was now, a lifeless husk.

Ana began walking towards the cave once more when. *clap* *clap*

"Bravo, bravo young girl"(???)

Ana continued to walk towards the cave ignoring the applause which came from behind her.

"You can't go in there"(???)

It was a man's voice, it sounded old and frail.

"ARE YOU GOING TO STOP ME, OLD MAN!"(Anastasia)

"Well that depends on your next move"(???)

"I AM GOING IN THIS CAVE AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP ME!"(Anastasia)

"Oh really now?"(???)

Ana's eyebrows rose at the "challenge", which was met by a small laugh from the man. The man was in his 50s wearing old robes which cloaked most of his physical appearance. A large two handed blade materialised into his left hand.

"Are you sure you want to fight me?"

The sword was around 2m long and looked unwieldy, yet this man held it with ease within one hand. Ana charged at her full speed towards his right side, as the man couldn't possibly block the strike in time. Well thats what she believed.

The scythe was met mid air by the sword, with a shockwave that sent Ana backwards into the ground.

"Is that it?"(???)

Ana then launched an array of fiery arcs, which hurtled towards the man. Who with a single slash of his sword, cut through the flames while he himself had launched an attack, a solid bolt of purple like an amethyst tore it's way toward her, Ana barely managed to block the attack which sent her flying into the outside wall of the cave.

As she stumbled up on to her feet her scythe split up into two smaller blades, one coated with fire while the other was coated with ice. This time wen she attacked it was near impossible to see, the man swung the sword, only for Ana to dance around mid air plunging the two scythes into his neck, or so she thought, the man had disappeared leaving only his cloak upon the ground.

 her scythes merged back into one, and she collapsed falling backwards into the snow, she was covered in scratches and bruises from head to toe and she had overused her mana. *ding*

SkillsSickles of the Sun and Sea: Active

Create two small scythes coated in fire and ice, these increase the users speed and agility by 1.5x

Level 1: 10 Seconds               Next Level: 15 Seconds

Cost: 255 Mana

Meanwhile...

Damien had suffered from mana exhaustion as well, but whilst he was unconscious he recieved his new skill

SkillsDust Barrage: Active

create a fast flowing current of air to pick up stones, opponents and objects, which are compressed into a sphere which can be launched at an opponent

Level 1: Normal current               Next Level: Razor current

Cost: 300 Mana

He awoken several weeks later in a small rusted cell,  it contained a stone bed and what he presumed was a toilet(lets just say it wasn't very sanitary) there was another 4 cells which he deemed empty due to their pungent smell of rotten flesh.

He had no clue how he got here or who had captured him, but he wasn't sticking around to find out. He slowly moved towards the cell door, but as he did he noticed the bolt was on the inner side of the door, he moved closer to look at the other cells.

"Hello"(Damien)

His voice echoed, and as he looked out from his cell, he seen that the corridor and all the other cells had been bloodied. He wasn't sure what had done this or how "this" was even possible.

He unbolted the door stepping out into the narrow corridor.

further down the corridor was a silhouette. It was well rounded and appeared feminine in shape, there was a faint cry coming from her direction.

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"Hey, are you okay?"(Damien)

The cry slowly turned into a laugh.

"There was a bolt on the inside for a reason child"(???)

"And why is that?"(Damien)

"It was the other me, she did it to save you"(???)

Damien slowly walked forwards toward the woman.

"What from?"(Damien)

"THE REAL ME"(???)

The shadowy figure leaped towards him, revealing her true self, she was tall, her body scaly with a long tail which replaced her legs, she looked snake like.

She was a lamia, a nāga which had been taken over by a demon, well known for brutally murdering and devouring the young of all races, most of them have split personalities belonging both to the demon and their former self.

Damien managed to block her attack with his vines, he used this opportunity to run back towards his cell. He closed the door and was about to bolt it again. But she had reached him and was trying to pull it open with her tail.

"OPEN THIS DOOR"(???)

Then she suddenly let go screaming, Damien had cut a small section of her tail off using his Tempestuous slash. Giving him enough time to lock the gate again.

The lamia's tail grew back she looked at the cell door, her eyes mixed with both rage and defeat.

"I'll get you next time, BOY!"(???)

Damien was still trying to decipher what just happened. After a few hours trying to keep fully awake and on guard, he dozed off.

"Hey quick wake up"(???)

Damien woke up suddenly alert, expecting trouble, and found that the lamia had returned, although something was different.

"Are you here to kill me?"(Damien)

"No I'm here to save you"(???)

Damien was more confused than ever.

Not too long ago you attacked me, why would you now try to save me?"(Damien)

"Cause I'm the one who put you in there"(???)

She unlocked the door and held out her hand.

"Quick we don't have much time"(???)

Damien got up and walked towards her.

"Time for what?"(Damien)

"Before she comes back"(???)

Damien nodded, they left the cell and began to run down the corridor.

"So whats your name?"(Damien)

"Netheila, and what of you, to what name do you belong?(Netheila)

"Damien, who was the other one, the one who tried to attack me?(Damien)

Netheila paused, looking slightly ashamed.

"That was Djinbioruhm the demon who shares this body with me, she takes over at night, and I awaken usually in a pile of blood and remains of all sorts"(Netheila)

"How did you...end up sharing your body with a demon?"(Damien)

She sighed.

"I was born and grew up in a small coastal nāga village, we led a simple life far from the conflict and troubles of this world. Or so we thought. When I was about 12 years old, everything changed and not for the better"(Netheila)

She paused for a moment, stopping herself from bursting into tears.

"Then they arrived, a group known as the hands of death, a demon worshipping cult came and destroyed the village. They killed everyone including my parents, and proceeded to take me and the other kids for experimentation"(Netheila)

Her hands clenched into fists.

"As if what they had done already wasn't bad enough, they summoned demons using us as hosts to try and keep them in this world, I was their prized possession, I became a physical embodiment of their goddes Djinbioruhm. For this she rewarded them with full use of my body whenever she wasn't in control"(Netheila)

She began moving faster as if to finish the conversation.

"She tried to break me, whenever I woke it would be in someone else's blood, and I had enough so i came here keeping her far away from the world"(Nethelia)

She began to cry.

"But it wasn't enough, from time to time adventurers come down here and I put them in the warded cells which she can't enter, well as long as the bolt is closed, but they always come out and...and they..."(Nethelia)

Damien stepped forward hugging her.

"You've done all you could"(Damien)

She gave off a faint smile, before indicating that they must keep moving.

They traveled through a labyrinth of tunnels, and at last they had reached a ladder which led up to an opening.

"Arggh...grrr..."(Netheila)

"Are you ok?"(Damien)

"She's coming back, go quickly"(Nethelia)

She pushed Damien toward the ladder, gesturing for him to climb.

"What about you?"(Damien)

"She can't find out about this entrance, I must head back now"(Nethelia)

"I can't leave you here!"(Damien)

She glanced back at Damien.

"Go you can't help me, at least not yet"(Nethelia)

"But..."(Damien)

"GO NOW!"(Nethelia)

Damien looked at the lamia as she sped back down the tunnel, before turning to climb the ladder.

When he reached the top he was met by an older lady who looked much like...

Anastasia pov

 I don't know how long I was out for but I woke up to be met by a man, I think it was the same one I fought before, I thought I recognised him, he was...

3rd person pov

"Saint Anise"(Damien)

"Titus"(Anastasia)

The two previous heroes had appeared before the children, giving them an offer they could not refuse, they had offered to train them within their own pocket realms.

They promised the children strength and knowledge to start them on their journey, but it would take many years and even then they wouldn't be ready to face the evil of the world they also informed the children of their companions current situation and how they would be undergoing training of their own.

It would be many years before they would return to this world and when they do, it will not be the same but neither will they...

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