“Norn, could I have a word with you?”

The boy of 10 winters stiffened as he heard me call his name. His sister turned to look at us in suspicion. She was fourteen.

They were cleaned, fed and now had a new lease on life.

The boy had dark blonde hair that went to his shoulders. The dark eye bags underneath his eyelids and the way his eyes frantically darted from side to side - gave him a rather haggard look.

Still he came, “Yes Mr Delcia,” His reply was respectful and polite. Did I get some respect after killing those spiders?

“Norn, have a seat…have you perhaps…seen anything strange or scary?”

I decided to be direct. The boy’s pupils dilated and I could see fear welling up inside. Before Norn could speak, his sister cut in, “Noni has not seen anything strange Mr Delcia.” The undertones in her voice gave it away. There was a shared conspiracy.

Norn hastily swallowed his saliva and hesitantly said, “yes…i mean no…I dont know what you are saying,”

With that he walked into his sister’s embrace and followed my mother up the stairs. We had decided to let them sleep in my room. I hardly used it anyway.

I heard the chair beside me slide out and my father sat down. He had the smell of fresh sweat and earthy soil. My mother had started to get annoyed at his lack of footwear for he had gotten the floor dirty on one too many occasions.

“Good of you to bring the two kids back,” he said. “So ol Murdok is dead eh?”

“Yea…he was killed at home on his own bed.”

“Frigs, that's a bad way to go. What happened to the others?”

“I think whatever attacked Murdok got his wife as she tried to cover for the twins. She might have placed Norn and Tamly down in the basement before going back for the twins only to be attacked. Can't be too sure. From the looks of it, neither Norn nor Tamly are keen to talk about it for obvious reasons.”

“No doubt….no doubt…” my Father echoed.

I glanced at him. He was wearing a simple linen tunic and breeches. The barklike textures of his skin were slightly more prominent but it made him look older rather than tree-like. In his right hand was the spear I had left him. He seemed much more comfortable with it now.

“Spring is coming. We need to think about getting our crops back up. We’ve only got so much left in the store.”

“Aye, Ive thought about that too,” replied my father.

“Tomorrow I’ll go and secure the grain and seed in Marduk’s farm and bring it here.”

“Can you do it alone?”

“I got no choice do I? One of us needs to be here to protect Mother and the kids,”

My father fell silent at that. My mother never had the stomach for gore and blood. Even now, during the apocalypse, I couldn't imagine her wielding a weapon and fighting.

“I have to get everyone stronger, Father. That means Lylia too.”

“Aye…ah damn it! Why must my granddaughter learn to fight? I know, I know, that was rhetorical. I just wish we could live in peace.”

I kept quiet. No father wanted to see their daughter or son be put in danger. But when there was danger all around, it would be irresponsible for a parent to not teach their children how to fend for themselves.

“Im going to go to bed Father, you ok keeping watch?”

“Leave it to me. With this body you’ve given me, I hardly need sleep,”

“Thank you, but before I do, let me teach you something,”

We went outside and I showed him how to feel the mana inside of him. Everyone has mana inside of them. This was known as Life Mana. The mana that is generated by living, breathing and interacting with the world. Everyone had it inside of them but the amount varied. Some people held more while others less.

“Once you find that core of mana inside of you, try to channel it outward, towards the tip of your spear for instance,”

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My father looked at me with suspicion but he held his tongue seeing that he now had a physique that shared characteristics with a tree, the idea that there was a power or energy inside of him didn't seem so far fetched.

With that, I left him and went upstairs to meditate and prepare. Something was going to happen tonight.

It was in the wee hours of the morning when I heard it. It started as a whisper before becoming a strange guttural gurgling. The voice of a young male warping into the deep bass of a demonic being.

My eyes flared open. Bloody Kizz’nat. I knew it was that slimy bastard. I jumped up and entered my old room in a flash.

On the bed was Tamly holding onto her unconscious brother’s body. His eyes were rolled back and his body was convulsing as mana surged through him. A pressure pushed everyone away including Tamly and she fell over. Over the Norn’s body floated an ephemeral demonic being known as a MindRotter. Its tentacular appendages sneaked towards Norn.

In that split second, Tamly screamed…and she and Norn both disappeared.

The Fleshlink looked around in confusion but when its gaze settled on me, the bloody thing roared in anger. Mana pulsed into it…mana that came from Norn. Now the puzzle pieces fell into place.

A nasty snarl crept onto my face. These bastards were the scouts of the Demon Prince Kizz’nat. They had a skull-like face, ending in two large fangs, they floated around ephemerally but were able to manifest themselves through mana, normally at the expense of their host. Their arms ended in long multi-toothed suckers.

“Keep everyone back!” I yelled without looking at my father in the back.

I leapt towards the demon.

[Life Symbol] - a spell that creates a symbol of Life power. Its strength was in its versatility. It was stronger against undead and spirits and to a lesser effect against demons. The symbol can be placed on anything - weapons, clothing or even on your own body.

I drew my sword mid-air, the glowing white symbol shining in the darkness.

The Mindrotter recoiled as the blade bit deep into it. The power of the [Life Symbol} flared as it encountered demon rot. Instead of blood, the corporal body of the Mindrotter burned away into black smoke.

My attack continued, slashing and piercing the demon but instead of retreating, the Mindrotter pounced at me. Maybe the [Life Symbol] was too low a level or too weak against it or maybe Mindrotter had leeched too much mana off Norn making it much stronger than usual. The outcome was that no matter how I tried to fend off the suckers, the dexterity of the demon was too good. I cut a couple off but they were too many and they were too close.

Deep, gnawing pain shot up my arms as the suckers attached themselves. A groan unconsciously escaped from my lips. I felt burning, corrosive poison shoot into my veins.

Images started to flood my mind.

I was back in my tiny shop, my daughter’s cold lifeless face staring at the ceiling. Semi congealed blood around her. Her stiff limbs no longer held that tender warmth.

I saw Turino stab me and his dispassionate eyes looked down at me like I was a mere bug. Jaina scoffing and laughing as her once team members died around her.

I felt the cold whip of a nine’o’tails tears bloody tracks in my back. “[Enhance] my damn sword you worthless imbecile or i’ll get them to pluck your eyes out!” said a man covered in gold and jewels.

I didnt feel my body stumble back out in the hallway. I didnt hear the gasps and screams of my mother and father…

But I did hear the sob that came from my daughter…

[Iron Will (Level 1)] activated. Mana drained from my core.

A wave of suppression fell upon my psyche and the visions were suppressed. My turbulent emotions were still crashing against me as the ability was not at a level that stopped that yet but I focused my mind and disregarded how I felt.

My father had his spear around the demon's neck, desperately trying to stop it from biting my head off. My mother held one of the arms but a sucker turned and latched onto her. She screamed.

By Bannings Ballsack, I will kill this demon!

I poured my mana into the [Life Symbol] spell. Three symbols appeared around both my fists and the mana in my mana core dropped precariously. I started punching and wrestling against the demon.

Sensing it’s demise, the demon pulled more mana from Norn. A screech was heard from my old bedroom. It was Tamly’s but at that moment I wasnt sure if I actually heard it or imagined it. I just felt the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears.

Punch…punch…punch

It was too slow. My [Life Symbol] punches was not as effective as I would have hoped…the demon was regenerating and I knew it was at the expense of Norn.

A desperate idea surfaced - ‘Should I kill the boy?’

I immediately felt defiled for thinking such thoughts. Yet I was growing tired and the [Life Symbols] were rapidly losing their offensive power. My father was doing his best to stab the demon but it was only doing minimal damage.

I was getting desperate.

Like the breath of God, warmth and light suddenly enveloped me and the demon. It was like the first rays of the sun wrapping all around you. Soft and beautiful. Yet the demon screeched and squealed, writhing in an attempt to flee. I grabbed it and threw my body weight on it.

“Stay away from Daddy you nasty monster!” shouted my daughter. She had her arms outstretched. Her brows were furrowed and she was staring at the Mindrotter intensely.

Passssshhhhhh

Like mist under the rays of the sun, the demon dissipated in dark smoke, except the smoke did not drift upwards, no it was sucked into the ground. It was a sign that the demon was properly banished.

Without even stopping to catch my breath, I ran up to Lylia and hugged her.

I could feel the slight tremor shake her eight year old body. Despite her brave face, she must have been so scared.

“Im so proud of you…you did so well, you are the bravest warrior princess I know,”

She broke down then. Her soft sobs mixing with tears of my own.