Dirt and debris scatter all across my field of vision, yet my sight remains locked on Marco. Our time was short, but what does that matter? Someone who placed their complete trust into me is now…

The world moves in slow motion, and never in my life have I felt more powerless.

There in the sycamore, the devil glows with demented delight. Reveling in the fact that the last thing I'll ever see, is a murderer lurking like a disease over Marco's lifeless body

Slowly the pair disappear from my sight, as massive tendrils snake their way around me, cutting off my last avenues of escape. Any moment now I will be stolen away, and soon, all will return to how it began.

I remember now the countless pygmy flames that came to me, each so small, yet so vibrant. Each and every one silently delivering themselves upon me without fail, at first not knowing why. But with each flame I absorbed, my consciousness grew. I began to see bits and pieces of a world that I never knew existed, nor would ever be a part of. I remember now calling out to these lost flames, pleading for them to return. Yet never once Was I heard, and never once did I receive a reply. It was a cruel fate, one that ultimately broke me.

For everything that came after, I remember none of it, yet, hints of it remain. Whispers that call out from a realm unknown, not with words, but a myriad of hues. Each leaving behind a stroke upon a canvas that I can never see, but one that I feel deep down in the very core of my being.

Instinctively, I turn my head towards the last space unobscured by the writhing masses that encircle me.

What lies beyond is a small glimpse of the night sky, a window to a world far away from here.

Something about that fleeting sight stirs the embers within me, and reignites the ire that was brought low by despair. And what follows is clarity that paints the way forward.

Essence is drawn forth and carried throughout my entire being, a searing tide that consumes and reforges everything in its path. Strength surges in my legs as I push myself off the ground and ascend. Blood that burns like fire courses through my veins with every purposeful wingbeat, as I rise past the roots closing in. Until at last, I pierce through the opening like a burning arrow shining bright in the pitch of night.

Air bellows beneath me as the roots collapse and entrap nothing but folly. And ahead, with a look that even now still defies empathy, withdraws the spear from Marco's limp body.

Wasting no time, I fold my wings into a headlong dive in the devil's direction, only to flare them open at the last second to narrowly avoid a deadly thrust. However the slippery fiend is quick to correct its position, using the numerous small vines that dot its grotesque form to quickly lean into the branch and slingshot its way back in my direction.

I only barely manage to get my talons up to knock away the spear, cursing that I missed the opportunity to grab it and burn it to ashes. So instead I make a hasty landing on the branch that it landed on and make sure to leave a generous amount of essence behind for me to ignite as I take off once again.

The sudden eruption gives the devil pause, the first time I've seen it appear even slightly flustered. With a look at the fire, then at me, the devil uses its deft limbs to swing around the trunk of the tree and propel itself away from the clearing, towards denser areas of the forest.

Realizing what it's doing, I thrust my wings as hard as I can to cut it off, but right as I'm about to rend the devil with outstretched talons, it moves Marco in between the two of us. A move that catches me off-guard, forcing me to withdraw back into the air.

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A cackling laughter echoes in the night as the devil makes its way to the next tree, dangerously close to the end of the clearing. If he makes it there, I'll never catch up to him in that tangled maze of branches.

I'm only hovering in the air for a brief moment to think on what to do next when something wraps around my foot. Below, one of the gnarled roots of that monstrous tree has managed to sneak up on me and grab hold. Already I feel myself plummeting towards the ground against my will, the furious flapping of my wings meaning nothing against such might. To my horror, more of those impossibly large roots are approaching, and worse still, the devil takes full advantage of the situation to go on the offensive.

Thinking fast, I grit my beak and close my eyes in preparation for what's to come. Similar to earlier, I inject a large amount of essence deep into the center of the root. And then with a single spark…

BOOOM!!

Wings stretched wide in preparation, the shockwave crashes upon my wings like an unstoppable wall of air, nearly crumpling them from the sheer force of it all. Instead, I manage to push back against it with all my strength and ride the explosion to safer heights. I didn't escape completely unscathed however, as the foot that was entrapped is now twisted horrendously in gruesome fashion. The pain makes me want to scream, but I can't give in now, not until I get Marco and take us far away from here.

For now I make use of this borrowed time to perform some essence-guided first aid to my injury. However, I need to think of a better plan. The devil is far more of a skilled fighter than I first gave it credit for, and that cursed tree is not going to let me attack its ally so freely. Not to mention that the latter isn't a force that I can put down for good, there's too many roots for that, and they seem self-aware enough to deal with fire. Even now, as they wait for me to return, many of the gigantic roots are hard at work putting out the fires I caused earlier.

...

I fall into a dive, heading straight for the roots and the devil, causing them to prepare for my arrival in kind. But this is just to keep them in place, it's time for me to take the lead in this battle for once.

In an act of deception, I quickly twist and turn my body while flaring my wings out, heading away from the two forces and speeding towards the edge of the clearing instead. From there I draw upon essence and let it roll off my feathers like brilliant beads of dew. As the precious sparking drops fall, I take one look at the devil before conjuring a small spark that causes a massive spectacle. Each drop alights the next, creating a deadly chain reaction that gives life to a devouring wave of torrential flames.

Already I see the gears whirling in its twisted, tactical mind. Without a drop of hesitation, it leaps in the opposite direction to make for the other end of the clearing, but I already predicted it would do just that.

Before it even moved a muscle, I have already altered my course to follow after it while stopping the flow of essence, suspecting that it would flee as such. Beating my wings as hard as I can, I soar across the battlefield, catching up to the likes of it despite its best effort of using the roots to springboard from one end to the next.

As I descend towards the wretched thing with glinting talons, it slows down to move its hostage in between us again. Unfortunately for it, this was just a fake-out, and it's as simple as tucking my feet back behind me once again to pick up speed and beat it to the far end of the clearing. From there, I unleash a hail of fire that instantly lights the area up in flames. This time I stay the course, continuing my ring around the battlefield, keeping a watching eye on my main target, the devil.

From here, I expect it to take the most logical approach. I purposely created enough space between the two of us to give it the illusion that escape was still possible if it ran now. For why would it stand and fight me in such a disadvantageous position? Even the numerous roots that once fought alongside it now turn their attention to the growing wildfires instead. This devil is a creature of malice, one that doesn't shy away from underhanded tactics. If given the opportunity, it would always take path that leads to it having the upper hand over its enemy.

So why aren't you running.

There it stands in the middle of the clearing, its cold, yellow eye gleaming with enough malevolence to send shivers down my spine.

The plan was going to so well, but it's clear where the devil has its line drawn in the sand.

So it's come to this.

From the edge of the battlefield where the inferno rages away, I turn inward to meet the devil's challenge. A contest of wills, to see who is prepared to go the greatest length. In this, my foe holds my greatest weakness before me as if it were a shield, and behind it, a spear ready to deliver a fatal blow.

Charging on crimson wings, I steel my resolve and keep low to the ground. As the space between us narrows, all of my feathers begin to glow in a familiar opalescent shine, until at last they burst into a brilliant trail of flames that cast a dark silhouette on my adversary.

With Marco held before me as a sacrifice, I do not relent in my charge, and stare beyond the fallen form of my companion, and into the very eye of the demon that now glows with the reflection of the inferno that comes for it.

Now pressed into a corner with a final ultimatum, the devil finally shows its true colors, that of a coward. Its desire to persevere and crawl away with its life causes it to be the first one to forfeit in this final clash of resolve. So in doing so, the devil turns away to flee. But little does it realize that ultimately fell for my bluff. Although I truly wanted to see that evil creature turn to ashes, there was something more important to me that was my true aim. Casting away the flames that follow me like a burning shadow, I seize upon the devil's moment of vulnerability, and I rend the vines that imprison my fallen companion.

Before he can fall to the ground, I take the scruff of Marco's neck into my beak and pound my wings with every ounce of vigor remaining. Together, we ascend into the night sky, leaving the battlefield far behind