Monsters, the real monsters, are the people that had just arrived at the battleground. But before we go into describing them and going into detail about their might and powers, let’s rewind a bit. Indulge me for a while, will you? You’ll enjoy this part.

First off, let’s see how Sisha ended up against two angry wyverns.

The two creatures circled around their opponent, fumes protruding from their nostrils. Their riders were trying to heal their critical injuries. One was profusely bleeding due to the cat-dog demon’s bite. The other had a perforated belly.

They couldn’t throw fire at the demon lest they drain their own bodies of energy and die out of exhaustion. – Wyverns weren’t as efficient as dragons in the art of fire breathing, you see. – Sisha wasn’t better off either. He’d exerted himself too much. He was snarling at the beasts, trying to scare them off. In truth, he dreaded starting the fight. He’d be instantly flanked. He didn’t favor his odds.

One look at Raiya, struggling against the High Priest, and anger flared within him. Nobody could take down his master except him. Nobody should have that honor. The woman who managed to subdue him thanks to talent and wit can only die because he desired it. Raiya was having a bad time though, trying to repel the High Priest’s powerful magic. She couldn’t land a single hit. He sensed she was running low on Essence by then.

‘Use the damn jewel,’ he told her through the permanent link they shared.

‘I can do it,’ she answered. ‘I can beat him without your precious jewel.’

She was a stubborn one, that woman. He hated that about her, but couldn’t help but admire her for it. She’d usually come up with the most unexpected solutions in times of need. But this time, the situation needed a pragmatic solution, not unfaltering willpower.

‘He’s stronger and has more energy than you do. Use the jewel woman!’

Their argument could’ve lasted longer. But they both had pressing matters to deal with. The wyverns noticed the demon’s moment of inattention and charged him. By placing himself between the two beasts, Sisha had an advantage they weren’t aware of. He may have been out of juice, but his fighting spirit never faded.

The first wyvern to jump at the demon was the one in front. Its gaping mouth closed in on his throat while the one behind went for his hind leg. Sisha tensed. He wasn’t about to let mere lizards with wings have their way with him. One sweeping motion from his tail and the wyvern behind him had to jump back. He answered the other’s attempt to bite him with a good smack with his double range of claws.

The creatures weren’t fully healed by then, and they almost sustained more damage. Their riders, desperate to finish the fight, started casting their own spells at the demon. They combined their efforts and cast a paralyzing spell at Sisha. If he had been in good shape, he would’ve repelled the spell. But he wasn’t. He was immobilized for about ten seconds. A short period of time during which, if faced with deadly dragon kin, one can get in real trouble, or die.

Both wyverns were upon the demon instantly. One had its jaw tightly clenched around the demon’s thick neck. The other had managed to take a good bite at his hind leg. They were pulling, while Sisha struggled to break free of the spell. Ten seconds went by and Sisha was howling, screaming in agony. He had to get rid of the riders, they were the brains and the wyverns were the brawn.

In his pain and anger, Sisha forgot about his master. The curses he spoke in his native tongue damaged the riders’ minds, and everyone else’s, save for the High Priest. He was strong and full of energy. Raiya was now at his mercy. She’d taken damage from Sisha’s harsh words too. Her mind wasn’t as strong as it was before the fight started.

The riders fell off, clutching their heads in agony. Demonic speech had this effect on weak mortals, as the demon king would put it.

Another sweep from Sisha’s tail and its spikes hit the wyvern behind. One screech and another tail blow later, the wyvern had retreated. Sisha managed to gouge one of its eyes out and opened its throat. The only one left to deal with was the one tightly clutching his own throat and trying to pull him away.

He was bleeding. He knew he didn’t have much time left before he’d fall unconscious, perhaps to never wake again.

On the other side of the woods, Raiya was now being levitated off the ground. Her feet flailed about helplessly as the High Priest demonstrated his might to his subjects.

“Look at how she squirms,” he told them. They all laughed in unison, mocking the woman they feared minutes ago. “Do you want to watch her beg for her life?” he asked.

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The others cheered. Raiya was suffocating. Whatever spell the High Priest had put on her, she couldn’t break out of it. She struggled to move her limbs, get her hand closer to her throat. The purple jewel she put around her neck wasn’t for show. It was actually a source of secondary energy. She wished she’d never resort to it. But now was the time. It was either die at the hands of this man or risk her life to get out of it.

The High Priest noticed her desperation and attempt to reach the jewel. “What are you doing?” he asked. “Trying to protect your precious stones although you’re on the verge of death? Women…”

All the other paladins guffawed.

Raiya gave the High Priest a look of contempt and utter disgust. It was perhaps this remark that helped her make her mind. She touched the jewel and uttered one word, albeit with great difficulty.

Surgat!

The warlock’s hair rose upwards, as though wind was blowing, or as though she was falling through an endless pit. Her staff, which the High Priest had thrown away earlier, came flying back to her hand. It shone a fiery purple color. The High Priest took several steps back. He had lost control of his binding spell.

Raiya’s silver blond hair had also changed into purple. She sent a zapping bolt toward the wyvern against which Sisha struggled. The creature fell to the ground. Sisha let out a triumphant howl and leapt on the other creature. He clawed, bit and ripped the wyvern’s wings then went for the throat. Raiya on the other hand, calmly walked toward her opponent.

Her eyes were now two purple orbs within which purple lightning bolts flashed and zapped. She started by a weak bolt which she sent at the High Priest. The latter countered it with a wave of his hand. Then, immediately after, she shot a second projectile. The High Priest stumbled back upon repelling that attack. His eyes widened at the terrible sight in front of him.

Raiya was no longer the woman he fought earlier. This one seemed like a spirit of the old Monarchs whose paintings he’d seen on the Church’s headquarters. Her staff now looked like a primordial lightning rod used to summon the might of the heavens. He was scared and bewildered at this woman’s prowess in finding rare treasures. The Church was right to attack this tree house.

Raiya didn’t stop at weak lightning bolts however. She didn’t speak or bother mocking the others now. She just raised her hands in the air and thunder rumbled. The sky immediately darkened and hundreds of lightning bolts rained down upon them. Paladins and Priests alike ran away from the area of effect.

Those unfortunate to have reacted slowly were charred. Their golden armor was a good catalyst for the lightning element that zapped them. The High Priest took most damage though. Raiya had concentrated all her efforts on sending a giant blast of purple lightning bolts his way.

With her arms still up in the air, she summoned lightning to hit her. A concentrated beam fell on the warlock, which she seemed to absorb. The High Priest cursed and jumped back, ready to counterattack or flee if need be. Raiya brought her hands together. Countless thin webs interlocked to form a lightning sphere that crackled dangerously.

The purple ghost that used to be the warlock looked at the High Priest then pushed her hands forward. A giant beam ensued, shot at tremendous speed. The world darkened and the beam traveled forward, destroying everything on its path.

By the time the warlock was done, there was a wide road that split the forest in two. All trees, creatures and humans that were on its way were instantly obliterated.

“You’re a tough one,” the High Priest said. He had managed to get out of the way on time to evade the deadly spell. He was in a sorry state nonetheless. His hair had burnt off. His white clothes were now but patches of cloth haphazardly covering different parts of his body.

Raiya was now on her knees, back to normal. The boost she got from the jewel allowed her only one devastating attack. If she used it one more time, her body wouldn’t take it and she’d implode. The High Priest was now limping slowly toward her. Raiya struggled to send a psionic message to her vessel, ordering it to shut down.

She wasn’t going to let these fanatics take her treasures. The tree initiated the shutdown sequence and Raiya’s lips curled into a cruel smile.

“What have you done?” The High Priest asked. He was still limping toward her. Rage showed in both the way he looked at her, and the tone of his voice.

“You’ll… get… nothing!” Raiya said. Her smile was still cruel, triumphant. “NOTHING!”

The High Priest limped toward her and held her by the collar. “You will give us what’s ours!” he said. His face had contorted into a grimace of anger and despair combined.

“You can’t make me do anything,” Raiya said.

“That defiant look in your eyes will soon fade away,” the High Priest said. “Master must’ve seen the carnage you’ve caused. He’ll be here soon.”

Master? Raiya’s face fell. Her defiant look indeed disappeared. He could only mean one person by that word, and that was the Pontiff. She could deal with a High Priest if she were in full strength. But she’d never face a Pontiff and come out on top, not even with Sisha’s help. Hell, even the demon king feared that man.

“That’s enough,” a gentle voice spoke behind the warlock. “If Pontiff Sullivan’s here, I might as well interfere.”

It was Theolonius Stalwart, the strongest wizard in the continent. He was a tall man, with gray hair and a gray beard that was nicely trimmed. Some say he was a hundred years old, others say that he was two hundred.

Others, close supporters of the wizards, claim that he was over a millennium. Truth be told, only Theolonius knew how old he was. And he wasn’t about to divulge the information to anybody, not even to the writer.

He was wearing an elegant three piece gray suit, black tie and a white collared shirt. All in all, he was a classic fella. He’d never miss the opportunity to show it, even though he was about to lay waste to the entire forest. He stood behind the warlock, looking at the High Priest with his hands behind his back.

“Let her go,” he urged the High Priest. “You have one second.”

The High Priest immediately let go and jumped away.

“Run for your master,” he said. “Don’t come back unless you have an army backing you.”