Merryn followed Parcival's line of sight.

Parcival paused, he studied the calcines as they snaked through the foliage, (following their movements), before they broke away and went over to another injured.

Everywhere people held rags against injuries such as claw marks, cuts, and scraps. others sat holding another, a mother with a child who clung tight to her neck both faces hollow and empty. One person sat under a tree curled up in a tight ball, silent just looking off ahead at nothing. Her throat tightened as she breathed in deeply. Push it back now isn't the time to weep.

Something was missing. Someone. On the side of her head, she rubbed the beginning of a headache; as she went beside Parcival she started to speak then lost the thought and started again only for it to flit away too.

Need a bear. Beer. Beer and tobacco. Stinky smoke, a purring dunk cat-man. Han! She tilted her head. "Where's Han?"

Parcival finished helping an old man sit on a patch of soft green grass. He rubbed at his eyes, "he was injured the other day, I had him go rest." He arched to the side with arms extended to the sky. "He'll find us when he's better."

"What if he's trapped and needs help, isn't he a friend?" She swung back toward him, tensed her jaw, her face a hot blaze, the heat worked to the points of her ears. "You would abandon a brotherhood forged from battle?" shouted Merryn.

Several people watched, some wide of eye others with faces down avoiding eye contact, it best to ignore them.

"You misunderstand me! I know him well enough he'll be fine."

The old man groaned, he picked up a loose edge of his robe and dried the sweat off his brow then lowered to his back staring at the sky.

Parcival moved back over to him and touched the man's forehead, the man sighed his strained face relaxed, and he closed his eyes. He wasn't that old, not yet. She scooted over and bent down while tilting her head. A heartbeat?

"Sleeping," said Parcival.

"Good."

A strong stomach pain twisted and rumbled, she bent over hands flat on knees, and hissed through gritted teeth.

Parcival eased over, holding the basket in his hands. "Eat, while there's still time." He made her take it. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes that held several bags under them that were rimmed red.

A little too late she reached out, but then went back over to Beeka, and Opial talking with them.

After folding back the cloth cover she pulled out a huge tasty meat-filled bun. A little like the stuffed buttery cakes back home. She stopped mid-chew.

It was back again. That buzzing. She worked her way back over to Parcival, He tilted his head following the gates upward, fixated on— Merryn followed his line of sight—the mages climbed the sizeable gate, their lips moved to a quiet chant. The barrier shimmered, it grwled and crackled then buckled nearly breaking before it expanded over the temple grounds.

She swallowed the bite and then gobbled down the rest.

Beeka by the gates raced around healing each person, then speed up, even more, he zig-zagged over to her, the bags under his eyes had even more pilled on them, his tips taunt and liable to crack. He nearly crushed her shoulders as he chanted a lighting fast spell. Foo-m! The frekn' air swirled around her body, it lifted her hair straight up, and a warm rush of energy roared through her. He let go, smiled partly then ran off to another person.

She blinked. That was fast. She flexed her arm, the muscle definition was back and her skin was nice and smooth again. Wonders of Galamela, he's quick!

Opial climbed down the gate and hiked over stopped beside Parcival, and bowed quickly. "Captain."

"Well done. This should slow them down enough for the other mages to retain their energy to recast another chain spell-shield."

"We're just going to sit around and wait?"

Parcival snapped his fingers. "That's right now that you're healthy again, we have a task for you," his voice wavered a touch. He swallowed. "You can refuse and we'll try something else."

Here it comes, but whining isn't going to fix this.

"What is it?" She jammed the rest of the bun in her mouth and finished it.

Parcival rubbed the side of his face. "Fa—the Magistrate just sent a message requesting backup as most of the guards have been killed and the Samu—knights are exhausted and injured."

She tilted her head skyward and sighed. "They're after me or more accurately..." She paused and touched the pendant. "Him."

Parcival blinked. Started to speak then closed his mouth. He coughed a couple of times. "Him?" His voice held all sorts of questions within that one word.

She nodded. "It's a special kind of hell with this—spirit..." The ground, the grass, the roots, the trees everything an easier thing to say and talk about.

Parcival motioned her to follow and went over to a quiet corner beside the main temple building. He faced her again.

"Go on."

"It's not a spirit, it's a god. An exorcism won't do anything. Anger him maybe." Going to miss him, but it's understandable sounds about as crazy as a Wol-free singing cock-a-doodle-do.

Many emotions flickered and went. An elegant eyebrow arched to his hairline and his soft thin lips parted before closing again.

He rubbed his chin and looked at the pendant and then at her for several minutes.

What happened to me? Before would have run off by now not caring about anyone's opinion... She played with a bracer twisting it until the skin pinched and stung. A ridiculous lump formed in her throat. Should leave anyway as the entities should follow—and leave the city alone.

After an eternity he spoke. "Could have told me sooner."

A sob tried to betray her, and she violently coughed instead. "I..." Her ears drooped and hung on the back of her neck.

"I—didn't—want..." Oh hells, words refused to come out. She sniffed back a runny nose and wiped it on the back of a hand.

The ground shook violently and tilted, people screamed and ran to the sides of the temple walls as large cracks opened into gaping holes, and the area behind her crumbled away to dust. She leaped to the left by the path.

Parcival tried to say something but the rumbling of the earth overrode his voice.

She made a mad grab at his hand just as a zigzag shot between them enlarging into a deep crevice, the ground under Parcival feet shifted it pushed high past the temple.

He yelped and fell back rolling away.

Several jumps later she grasped a tree branch next to the mound and stood atop it. He wasn't there!

"Parcival!" she shouted rapidly burning her throat.

The ground shook again and filled with the calcines, streamed out a few at first then multiplied to several hundred that hunted down the people, who they dragged back into the cracks too fast for even a single scream.

A shutter raced up and down her body. Not even a chance, any preparations everyone had made were futile.

Beeka, down below narrowly avoided falling into a new crack that formed in the middle of the temple area, it cut right through the pathway. He panted and bent over and pulled in gulps of air.

He'll just have to wait, got to find Parcival first. Yelling for him was pointless. Please, be alright. A scream tried to claw up her throat as she searched the mound, Parcival wasn't anywhere! She bashed her fist to the ground. And again, and again.

A group of twisted-spirits captured Beeka and Opial then tossed both into the air, the spirits jumped above, crouched on the branch that jutted out from the tree then struck them both in the midsection, they both bent forward from the impact, eyes bulging and mouths in that O of pain. Opial and Beeka started to disappear out of view in an ark above in the city.

"No! Not them too, please! Leave them alone!" I don't want to be alone anymore. Hand and foot now in a crack she climbed, fast enough that nothing gave way underfoot, and leapt, shouting to Aetae. Going to make it. It'll be alright, they'll be okay. Arms outstretched her fingers brushed Opial's before her and Beeka disappear out of view in an ark above ahead in the city. "Come back..."

She dropped hard onto the pile of dirt and pulled up pathway, slumping she half rolled off the pile. I should have helped him sooner. She shoved a finger in her mouth sideways and bit down. They are still here, they aren't weak, don't think like that.

The calcine that attacked them thought it was sneaking closer, punching bags weren't known for their stealth. She cracked her knuckles. Why am I holding back these, none are human. a smile grew tugging her lips until her lips tightened painfully. She slid forward, whipped both hands out and punched the calcine in the head. That hurt! opening her hand she shook the pain away. Their heads were harder than only a few hours ago! Unnamed must have blocked the spirit powers again. Have to be more careful now. "How to crush it?"

It shook its head yowling.

A dark figure leaped at her from down below, she rolled away nearly falling off the mound, and stopped on the edge.

The sprinkling of rain that had been light all day turned into a heavy downpour, all the exposed earth now a mire of muck, ripped turf, and wood and the dark skies swirled purple behind the thick dotted cloud cover. Streaks of lightning at the horizon raced to the ground and seconds later zapped closer hitting the tree at the entrance it cracked apart into two.

Several more crawled down its trunk and stalked toward some civilians huddled together in the corner by the gate wall. They need to be stopped, now!

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

She leaned back and slid down the mound with one foot back and the other in front while dragging her hands behind her, she neared the bottom and rolled.. maybe kind of fell but nobody else was there anyway. She quickly raised to her feet and ran to the drenched civilians on nearing them the tops of little heads shivered as they peaked out behind the adults that guarded them.

"You did well."

The man in front nodded but never took his attention away from the ugly spirits who came even closer, though with more caution than before.

A giant dagge-rlike yowl like some kind of demon from the last level of hell dropped here.

Another yowl even louder than the other came from near the entrance.

She worked over to the huddled people and lunged at the bogeys dagger in hand. One blocked the attack with its claws. She dropped down low and slashed its legs; it flopped forward as it fell on its stomach, still.

The other ones backed away. Ha. Extra powers or not am still an Elvin. She smirked.

A ball of mud and fur busted through the entrance they slammed into the calcines, bounced off, and yowled ear-piercingly.

They got right back up shook all over, and the mud flew off revealing white fluffy fur.

"Han!"

A calcine bolted at him, Han spun on a paw, and whipped out with a saber in it, he impaled the monster through its shoulder.

She wanted to cheer but now wasn't the time. Merryn crossed both arms over her chest bent down and slammed into the rest of them shoving them back toward the entrance, careful not to let them touch her.

Han rushed over and helped her. "Where is everyone?"

"I.. don't know." She grunted and slapped another that tried to get away. "Parcival I can't find him."

Han clawed at a malevolent spirit that tried to get back inside. It hissed at him and weaved back and forth by the entrance, striking everything in reaching distance with it's claws.

"What took so long?"

He started to answer when a soft whooshing sounded above. In the low light, it was hard to tell, but where were those handprints on the temple? A dark liquid dripped down from overhead and splattered on her cheek. She wiped it off. Mud. It's just mud. She shared a look with Han. "Keep care."

Han dropped his head watching his feet. "You too."

A dark portal opened inside the temple grounds next to the undamaged land near the left of the temple building. The first view that appeared was a grin on his face, Maxwell's.

Han slowly turned his face back up but shied away from meeting her eyes. He pushed her into the wretches and then backed away.

"What nonsense is this?" She licked her lips and chewed on the inside of her cheek. What a time to do this!

They hissed as they clung to her. She jerked away, they jumped on her digging their claws into her leg cutting into her skin. "Get off!" This is the worst, how long before their curse starts to drain my life force and block it?

They hissed at Maxwell. He casually moved next to them with a hand outstretched, and they all shrunk away.

"Get off of me!" in an instant, they lengthened becoming rigid. Their claws dug in deeper. The fiery stabbing went up another notch, and she bit back a whimper.

"Your trusting nature betrays you, makes you easy to fool." Maxwell smirked.

The mound near the temple teetered and then fell over with a whoomph, caking half the sacred temple in mud and gunk.

A couple of yelps and screams, then several people came from their hiding spots, they jumped over the cracks, and pressed to the unbroken wall working toward the others in the corner.

A jerk of an arm proved to be a mistake, as the spirit-thing dug in deeper and tore down her leg. She shrieked. After the pain lowered she reached back and cracked one in its head, it lost its balance wobbled back, falling.

The other ones started to dig in harder, and she kicked them back. Hobbling back she stood more or less next to the people. Her vision blurred around the edges, with dark spots dancing with each blink, and water dripped off of her lashes. She slapped her face on both sides. Not now, stay awake!

The rain turned colder and the winds if they grew any stronger would send people flying if how Maxwell's robe whipped about was any clue.

Off to the side, a lone fist popped out of the mud beside the temple building.

Several people yelled.

Merryn wobbled and one of the calcines's grip lessened some. She jabbed both elbows back and pushed. Its claws pulled part way free from her legs, and she pushed harder. The claws came out with a sickening squelch. She shook from head to torso and hissed.

Over by the fallen mound another hand thrust through the mud it gripped and pulled on the wet earth, the hand tore large chunks of sod as the person pushed back the mud. The only person missing besides the people was him it had to be him.

Han eased closer to Maxwell, his tail between his legs and ears flat to his skull, but he still refused to meet face-to-face. She glared. "How could you? Did he offer you opial in exchange for your soul?" She spat in his direction.

A fire welled inside her chest, she pulled the dagger out so fast it rang from the impact of the sheath's metal edge. The blood poured in warm streams down her legs, would have to wait to move again as the grass was soaked with it. The people behind her shuffled about, hoping they stay put now isn't the time to run.

Han's whiskers twitched and he took a step forward.

Maxwell's smirk disappeared and he held an arm in front of Han. "Don't move. Don't say anything." His gaze never turned once.

A small yell, and a rumble later a mud-covered Parcival pulled his head and torso from the mire. He seemed so exhausted. She regripped her dagger and spun the hilt around with the edge turned forward and the blade against her arm. Should be able to do it in three moves tops.

One of Parcival's arms was wrapped around something close to his chest. He jerked up dumping the mass onto the ground. He pulled out completely with a slop and bent down, coughed, and pulled in a few breaths before smacking the mass on a side.

It sat up and coughed out chunks of mud, and wiped the gunk from her face and eyes. A little girl.

Parcival helped her stand, she bowed almost falling over then took off like an arrow jumped over the cracks, and ran to the man behind her.

"Father!"

"Thank you." The man said.

Parcival bowed his head a little, but not enough to block his view, he stomped several times and the mud slid off to the puddle by his feet. He stormed over between her, Maxwell and Han pulled out his jagged broken sword, and pointed it at Maxwell.

Maxwell snarled. "Be gone or I'll kill you." His gaze turned from her a hair.

She jettisoned the six inches of moon-illuminated silver-plated steel at his neck, His hand shot to block it at the last second, the blade impaling his palm, and thick blood oozed out down his arm. He grunted, eyes wide. "Curse, you Merryn!" He backed away and pulled the dagger out, tossed it to the ground, it splashed into a mud puddle, and sank from sight.

"It doesn’t have to be like this, be reasonable. Come, come, join me again." He held out his hand, a smile curled his lips yet didn't crinkle the corners of his eyes that were as always hard as stone.

Must have been a lie what he said before about that spell never fading all he induces now is pain.

"Join you? So you can turn me into your lapdog?" The wounds stung, deep to the bone, and burned she fixed her balance, though far less than any old wounds he might ever bring up. He always brought them back up.

"You’d be nothing without me!" His voice became higher pitched than normal, and he raised his arms shaking them to the sky.

This is really odd behavior even from him. "You imply that I care to be around you. I do not." So glad that spell he claimed to put on wore off if it was there at all. What that meant wasn't even worth thinking about.

She backed away a step. Best to have some distance.

Parcival closed the distance in three strides and pressed the tip of the jagged edge against his throat.

"You dare?"

Parcival replied by pushing the point further in creating a dent.

That odd buzzing again, this time much louder than before.

Maxwell's nose crinkled up as a stretched grin took over exposing his teeth. "You are doomed!" He took a shallow breath and hissed.

The buzzing intensified, it burned in her ears and overrode her senses, she shook her head and veered closer to Maxwell. The infernal sound grew louder with each step.

He stuck his nose further up and continued to grin that dried clay grin of his, apt to crumble any moment revealing what was really beneath.

The pressure and crackling from the buzz heated her inner ear, she shook her head to the side as the sensation of wetness filled them and she held her jaw tight as a weak cry tried to break out. Not this time! She tore off pieces of her linen shirt and stuffed them in her ears.

It crept and scrambled closer, but at such a slow pace the others didn't seem to see it. "The lions close in." After catching Parcival's attention she flicked her line of sight over by the entrance.