POV Aron Brightcloud
Another week had gone by and my Awakening ceremony was right around the corner. Soon I would accomplish my next milestone in this world and become a magician.
Standing atop a little stone cliff, I kept vigilance over my surroundings. The last week had mostly been filled with beast-hunting, sparring in the morning and studying in the afternoon. Not to forget the newly planned play sessions with my little sister. But that was okay, I loved to see the smile on her face. Funnily, it seemed to do its own good. I felt now even more balanced and grounded.
The training during the mornings had pushed me another step further. I finished my first tempering of the body and officially surmounted the capability of a normal human being. In theoretical terms, I had reached the first threshold and my strength compared to the lowliest recruits on their martial path.
“Don’t dawdle Aron, the forest-wolf is escaping.” Seph’s light voice sounded next to my ears. Right, I needed to go.
Somehow the beasts had become fewer and fewer during the last days. If I had a large ego, I would have thought it was because of my accomplishments, but my rational mind doubted that. The forest was too wide and the beasts too numerous for me to have such an impact.
Something else was going on. Sephiroth seemed tense as well. Something bothered her, I could tell. Yet she hadn’t found the root of her unease.
Not hesitating any longer, I jumped off the cliff and quickly made my way down the ravine. Smoothly circumventing bushes and jumping over branches and rocks to reach my target.
Found him.
No, wait. The situation didn’t feel right. Following my instincts, I jumped to the side. Not one second too early. Something flew through the space I had been standing in a split second earlier. Another wolf landed in front of me. Followed by two more that suddenly appeared, closing in from the surrounding underbrush.
What the heck. Forest-wolfs were loners, they didn’t hunt in packs. My until now playful countenance fell away, replaced by my combat-persona. They were on me a second later. One jumped high from the front while the two diagonally behind me closed in on my legs. I worked like a clockwork, instead of defending I attacked. I pushed myself forward, meeting the one in front directly in the air, easily cutting his head in half. Instead of turning, I ran straight ahead towards a close tree. The two wolves followed me, quickly closing in.
I reached the tree and back-flipped, coming down behind the wolves that tried to jump me but flew too low. My sword already on its way, it cleanly severed both hind legs of another one. At the same time I ducked, letting the fourth wolf sail over me, punching him brutally into his rips as the wolf came into my range. The sound of breaking bones clearly indicated my success. Two wolves down and one injured, the last wolf quickly sped into the distance.
At first I made to hunt it down but stopped. My instincts screamed at me.
What!?- Sephiroth appeared out of nowhere and tackled me to the ground. Something sliced through the area above us. All the surrounding trees toppled to the ground. Pushing myself up from under a fallen tree-crown, I examined the newly made clearing.
My combat-subroutines took over completely. I took in every detail. I needed to find the target. Found him. Cataloging threat level: SSS+. Calculating plans of action, rating victory. Result: zero chance of success. Survival-rate: zero percent.
Had I been in my normal state, I would have felt hopelessness filling me to my core. The reason for that was simple. I had recognized our enemy. One that never should have been in this part of the forest.
A Fenriswolf approached from the other side of the clearing. That was a Tier 3 beast. It didn’t matter how efficient I or Sephiroth were, there was no chance to surmount this wide of a power gap.
Yet I couldn’t refrain from noticing its primal beauty. Its fur completely white, its appearance that of a nine feet tall, sleek werewolf. The beast mustered us with evil cunning. The reason for the thinning of the lower beasts plainly obvious now.
Sephiroth focused on the beast, her normal flippant behavior gone completely. Yet somehow I couldn’t detect the expected fear in her eyes.
She whispered in a tone that didn’t allow objections, Not for once let she the monster out of her eyes. “Aron, do as I say. Slowly step back until you have reached the edge of the clearing. Then run as quick as you can home and warn the others. Do not stop under any circumstances. It doesn’t matter what you are going to see in the next seconds, go! Now!”
I assented to her request and slowly backpedaled. Getting room between me and the beast could only be beneficial.
I was still some feet away from the trees when the wolf attacked. It was unbelievably fast. Yet Sephiroth somehow matched it. Then something happened that I hadn’t anticipated. My guard's entire body changed, her skin turned red, two beautiful slender horns grew out of her forehead and a tail and wings pushed themselves out through her clothes.
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My analytical brain instantly connected the dots. Sephiroth was a demon. The number one enemy of all humans on this world. The part of the young boy was appalled and furious at this revelation. Yet I, the hardened soldier, only saw my survival chance rising. I didn’t hesitate for a second. Every step I took brought me closer to my goal. Still running, I looked back and observed her fight. It became quickly clear that Sephiroth, even after her transformation, wasn’t the beast’s match. Sephiroth would not survive this fight. I knew that for a fact. My beautiful, seducing, manipulative, funny guard and friend would die here.
Operational parameters were fine. The survival-rate was steadily climbing, and the only person who knew about my dark secrets would not survive the hour. I instantly realized that it had been her in my mind when I had seen her transformation. Strategically speaking it was a win-win situation.
Yet somehow my feet stopped. I saw all our interactions fly by in my mind. Her laughter, how she saved me from my darkness and Balus’ bodyguard, her banter, her fuck-ups, her devilish training methods. Everything. And now she had decided to give her life to protect me. How could I leave her behind? Or be upset at her for hiding her real race?
She was my friend. I protected my friends.
Full submersion in combat-persona initiated.
Core priorities overwritten. Change of plans. New target acquired. Survival of Sephiroth set to priority one. Change parameters. Elongate variables. New plan set. Hunter program execute.
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POV Sephiroth
So that was it? Breathing heavily, she observed her enemy. A happy life had been so close. A little bit longer and Aron would have fallen in love with her. Everything would have been fine. And now it would end like this?
Sephiroth knew that she could have fled. The moment that she had sensed the attack, she had known what was going to happen. Yet she couldn’t let her Aron die like this. He had protected her repeatedly, and without her knowing, he had wormed himself into her heart. She had always told herself that it was her seducing him and using him for her own means, but had never realized how much of an impact he had on her. The Demon in her was totally furious at seeing someone attacking what was hers. During this fight they had been completely in tune, yet as her bloodline was inactive it hadn’t been enough.
She felt her remaining power slowly drain away. Hopefully Aron had made it back to the mansion. With that thought, she fell to her knees. Awaiting the inevitable. The Fenris slowly stalked closer, wary of a last attack. Yet nothing came, sure of its win it attacked. Sephiroth awaited the pain.
Blood splattered all over her. What the heck?! Opening her eyes, she gazed at the beast, eyes wide open. The Fenris had changed drastically, a sword had pierced its way out of its ribcage where the heart should have been. The open wound bathed her in blood. It collapsed.
Aron came down on top of it, still holding the hilt of his sword that was speared through the monster’s back and heart.
Sephiroth uncomprehendingly watched the scene. He had come back?! How had he arrived here without their notice?! That shouldn’t have been possible!
He looked horrible! His eyes, nose, ears and mouth were leaking blood. The rest of his face was completely white. He mustered her for a second before he turned his attention to their surroundings. His eyes shocked her. They were completely devoid of emotions. It didn’t feel like Aron had looked at her. No, this was an unfeeling predator.
Aron slowly stood up and ripped his sword out of the beast's body. He mechanically walked towards her, obviously injured.
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POV Aron Brightcloud
Priority Target saved, threat eliminated. Surroundings save. Second sweep shows no new targets. Gained experience energy diverted for emergency treatment. Breakdown of vessel stopped. Vessel has reached resistance threshold. Shutting down hunter program.
My emotions crashed back into me. My whole body hurt. Before I could control myself I threw up, Vomiting blood all over Sephiroth. I had forced my body over its capacity maximum. It had been needed to arrive undetected at the monster's side. Additionally, I had to build enough momentum to get through its flesh. Luckily Sephiroth had already hurt the beast and had somehow wounded it on its back. Otherwise I would have been unable to kill it. My sword was sharp, but not that sharp.
Sephiroth starred at me incredulously, not bothering about the blood on her. “How, what?! You came back?!”
I simply nodded, I needed to work fast. My and Sephiroth’s bodys would soon break down.
I kneeled beside Sephiroth and ripped off a part of my undergarment I wore below my chest armor. I used it to stop the blood that still flowed out of her wounds.
“Wait, what are you doing Aron? Don’t you hate me?”
“Shh, everything is going to be fine. No time to talk. We need to get back immediately.”
I needed to hurry, Sephiroth had lost more blood than I thought. Finished with bandaging the most serious wounds I lifted her in a princess carry and quickly made my way back towards the mansion. I felt more of my body break. It was going to be a close call. Hopefully my mum was as good at healing as I remembered. Otherwise we both wouldn’t survive the day.
“Stay still, I have completely overtaxed my body. We need to get to my mother. She will be able to heal us.”
Halfway back Sephiroth had found her voice again “Aron, you don’t understand, the people her hate demons with a passion you can’t comprehend. If they even see me, they will attack. It doesn’t matter what you say. Your mother as well. She will think I have tried to infiltrate the manor. You won’t be able to get her to heal me! It will be even worse! You will be branded as a demon sympathizer. You will be ousted! So please leave me here. I don’t want to destroy your life!”
The hate towards demons was a problem. I could get Sephiroth into the mansion without being seen, but how would I get her healed and not show her race in the process? The answer was I couldn’t.
“Don’t worry, I have my ways. Everything will be okay. Now be silent. The mansion is close.”
I quickly hid all her prominent demonic futures with clothes and carried her into our home. Circumventing the guards and my little sister proved quite the headache, but I succeeded.
At last I had reached my mother's office and quickly slipped through the door, pushing it close with my back.
My mum was hard at work as usual. Answering letters and governing the barony. With a surprised look she gazed up at me who had so sudden stormed into her room. Now the real challenge began.