CHAPTER 5

Massive wooden pillars sprouted from the ground, lifting Ruiz and I out of the way of Flam’s scarf.

Did that thing just smile at me? If I can just determine what creature it is, maybe I can find a way to defeat it.

“You should run. I’ll hold him off.” Old Guy brought his aura-laden hands together. “Wrinkle Condense.”

The trees in the surrounding area were brought into close proximity.

“Once I have my eyes on something, it is already my possession,” said Flam as his scarf coiled up the large wood to reach me.

“Wrinkle Distortion.” Old Guy turned his hands, bending the trees around Flam. The deadly enemy was trapped and his scarf stopped before it could reach us.

The scarf sharpened as it recoiled, slicing an exit out from the wooden prison.

Flam then sliced the slab to wood flakes and emerged, gripping his chest. “Your devotion to your people tickles my very heart.”

The scarf shot toward Old Guy, who slammed his fists together to create a special barrier. The scarf disappeared upon hitting the front of the distortion and came out the back of it.

This is insane. Mother told me about the power of WoodPrimordials but this is beyond that. Was one of these gods really the father of Tumble?

Ruiz grabbed my hand. “Okay so honestly I’m terrified and I have no idea how I can use my powers to stop him.”

I gripped his hands tightly.

We’re both shaking.

“How tough are you?” I asked, keeping my eye on the battle below while running in place.

“I can take a hit. What’s your plan? And why are you doing that?” he asked with a nervous smile.

I coated my hands in sweat. “I’m going to need you to get hurt.”

“What the hell kinda plan is that?” Ruiz released my hand.

“If you’re in danger, I can transform and protect you…hopefully,” I said, staring intensely at the battle below.

“Yeah. Maybe we should just try to stick the landing and then run away instead,” said Ruiz, gauging the distance to the ground with fear-stricken eyes.

“If you get hurt, then maybe I can fly us out of here. My normal wings are for grabbing but maybe, just maybe, my angel wings can get us down from here.”

Old Guy bent the space between his palms to redirect Flam’s two-pronged scarf attack. “Forget the boy. Run to safety. He’s deadweight.”

The scarf coiled around a tree and sliced it, causing it to topple toward Old Guy.

The Wood Primordial made a motion with his hands that sliced the tree in two.

“We have to do something!” I hopped into Ruiz’s lap and gripped the wheels on his chair.

“Don’t do anything stupid!” he yelled, grabbing my arms.

“Sorry,” I said with a nervous grin. I kissed him as I rubbed my sweaty hands on his legs and shirt.

Ruiz freaked out, releasing his grip on me.

I closed my eyes and drove us off the pillar and to the ground twenty feet below.

Something’s on my leg.

Flam’s scarf pulled me out of Ruiz’s lap and flung me into a tree.

Oh no. Please be okay.

I reoriented myself after pushing the leaves away from my face.

His wheel chair was toppled over on the ground, but where was he?

I slid down the tree and saw my hero in the villain’s clutches.

Flam had his scarf tie my hero up like a present, with a bow tightly fixed around his throat. Wooden vines crawled up Flam’s legs but were turned to stone at a glance. “You are quite the catch. You know, I could give you the power to walk again,” he said, caressing my friend’s face with his sharp rainbow fingernails.

“Please do, so I can run the hell away from you!” yelled Ruiz, struggling to break free.

“Oh, you tease me with that little show of desperation. Show me more!” He clawed at my hero’s chest, shredding fabric and flesh like rice paper despite the defensive buffs I gave him.

Ruiz screamed in agony.

I wanted to look away, but I had to focus on him and his suffering.

Please, give me the power to help my friend.

I silently prayed to myself as my friend whined for his life.

Wooden vines suddenly came out from below and wrapped around my legs. They pulled me away from the battle, from Ruiz.

I grabbed onto anything I could.

I won’t abandon him.

I felt light come out from my body. “I won’t lose anyone else!”

Wings sprouted from my back.

This Guardian Angel won’t fail ever again.

My wings aided me, giving me the strength to break free of the vines. I zoomed into Flam.

He expanded his handkerchief into a curtain that covered me.

Tiny mouths bit at my skin, tearing off bits and pieces of me.

This pain will only make me stronger.

A wrinkly hand tore through the blanket of mouths and pulled me out.

“I know I’ve caused you great pain but I need your help. Go to Sunny Village and save as many of my people as you can.” His hands moved alongside his wrinkles, distorting space.

“But what about Ruiz?” I asked, reaching out toward my hero.

“Even the most gifted heroes are expendable. You are a sacred treasure that must not fall into his clutches.” Old Guy completed his incantation and tossed me in the portal.

No. My friends aren’t expendable!

I flew out of the portal before it closed and slammed into Flam from behind.

His tie die shirt grew hands that grabbed onto me. They then expanded, pining me to the ground below him.

“Alright boy. Moment of truth. Who dies?” Flam’s scarf pulled Ruiz in toward his menacing gaze. “You or the girl?”

“She has her whole life ahead of her. As for me, my body becomes more and more like stone.” He stared at the rock-like vines.

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Old Guy turned away from the sorry sight. He created a portal to Sunny Village and left us.

Is all this my fault?

Flam’s scarf tightened around my hero’s throat.

I mustered up all my strength to push off the ground only to be slammed down by more hands.

“I…I don’t want to die,” cried Ruiz.

Why am I so weak?

Flam licked my friend’s tears, shivering with ecstasy. “Say it.” His voice was a ghostly whisper.

The scarf coiled around my hero’s and snapped them.

“Say it!” yelled Flam.

Ruiz clenched his teeth. His trembling eyes released a burst of tears.

I have to save him.

Ruiz closed his eyes. “Kill her.” He opened them. “Kill her and let me live!” he pleaded.

His words hit my core.

My wings faded, and my energy dispersed.

Flam pressed his lips against Ruiz’s. He passionately kissed the shivering boy. “Do you love me, hero?”

The scarf brought Ruiz’s broken arms behind Flam’s back in a tender way, making it all the more disturbing.

Ruiz sobbed. “I…I do. I love you like life itself,” he said, with terror clouding his eyes.

“Then I shall keep you safe, my little snowflake.” Flam’s arms moved up Ruiz’s legs all the way to his face. He kissed his neck. “Mmmm. I’m satisfied for now.” The cruel villain turned to me. “I’ll return for you after you have your big family reunion. Take my advice. Flee from the village.” His fabric hands tossed me against a tree. “Going in there is a death sentence.”

Fabric littered the area, consciously swaying in the wind to block Flam’s leave from my sight.

I buried my face in my hands and sobbed.

Ruiz is lost. It’s my fault. Braven too. And Tumble. And Luna. And Mom! Even Yu-ki. It’s all my fault.

“Angel. Are you still there?”

My head popped up. I wiped my tears away, revealing the form of my dear friend.

“I’m sorry. I…I was so scared. I can’t move. Please save me,” he said, reaching out to me.

“I’m the one who’s sorry.” I walked up to him with shaky legs. I put his arms on my back and started to drag him.

Ruiz clenched his teeth to muffle his screams.

I gently released his arms. “I have to go. I’ll be back, okay? I’ll be back and I’ll heal you then.” I looked off at the smoke cloud coming from Sunny Village.

I gotta to rescue ‘em.

The smoke assaulted my throat and brought tears to my eyes. The buildings were burning. Humans were running in a panic, most of which I didn’t recognize.

What am I even here for? I’m going to die.

I found a young boy under some rubble. I pulled him out.

His legs are missing. I gotta stay focused.

I spit on my hands and rubbed them on his wounds.

No way I can give him new legs, but I can at least stop the bleeding.

“Where’s my dad? He was with me,” cried the boy, holding onto me.

Something moved behind me.

I turned around.

Black teeth and red eyes gazed past me and at the boy.

A ShadowPup.

“Luna! It’s me! If you’re listening, then please leave him alone.”

The pup’s face sharpened and jutted out.

I jumped into the attack, slicing my hands to stop it. The blade pierced through my hands and bore straight through the boy’s heart.

I…failed.

Tears came out from my eyes in globs.

The ShadowPup turned its attention to me.

Luna wasn’t coming to save me. My sadness was going to end me.

An arrow shot into the pup and caused it to disperse. It came back and then left to find new prey.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” asked a figure, approaching from the smog.

It was a cat boy soldier.

I stood my ground and grabbed onto a metal pipe nearby me.

Ow! It was still hot.

It seared my hands but I kept hold of it.

“Stay back,” I said, searching for an escape route.

He drew a sword and knocked my weapon out from my grip. “A real angel. Bringing you in would earn me a gold star.” The soldier cut my arm with a swipe of his blade. “Then again, so will killing you.”

I rushed toward him and tried to wrestle the sword out from his grip.

The soldier let go.

I fell on my butt.

The CatBoy approached a man who was fleeing. “Dad. It’s me,” he said softly.

“Son…”

Huh? These murderers have family…in the villages they attack. Ugh. Nothing makes sense anymore.

“Sister was taken. I couldn’t save her. But I’m going to avenge her. And you too.” The cat soldier took out a dagger and repeatedly stabbing his father. “You have to suffer father…so I can be strong.”

What do I do? Should I try to save him? No. Too risky. I gotta look for someone else to save. From now on, I’ll be my own hero! Like Yu-ki!

I ran off, shielding my eyes from the smoke while still looking for villagers to save.

There was a man with his face to the ground. I rolled him over.

Ugh. I recognize him. He was one of the ones who gave me their sickness. Actually, it was worse than that. He put his tongue in my mouth. He…exploited me. Why should I save him?

I took the dagger out from his trembling hands. When I looked into his eyes all I saw was a terrified creature about to die. I felt pity for him, which upset me even more. “No more bad stuff.” I glared into his eyes.

He nodded with a face full of desperate tears.

I snorted my rage out. Spit on his wound and then rubbed it in with my foot. “Consider this your second chance. Now go out there and save as many people as you can!”

The man nodded and rushed off.

What am I doing? I have limited time and saliva. I shouldn’t waste it on someone like him. Ugh, I’m a terrible hero.

I wiped my tears and ran inside a building where I heard screams. “Don’t panic. Your resident guardian angel is here to save the day!” I exclaimed, sliding into the room.

What I saw made my body shiver.

Four bodies, two of them children and in the center was a cat boy soldier with two swords and swirling sadistic eyes. He was dressed in a pink and blue maid uniform and was keeping rubble from coming down on him by forming some kind of barrier.

“A LustBorne,” he said with a wicked grin.

“I’m an angel!” I yelled, trying to boost my courage to keep my legs from shaking.

“And I am the CatBoy General assigned to conduct tonight’s tragedy. My name is CatScratch.”

He’s the one who killed Yu-ki’s lover. I gotta be careful.

“Why did you kill them?” I scanned for a weapon.

“Oh, they’re still alive. I just caused enough damage for them to go into a tearful panic. The YomiHounds can deal with the rest. It’s more poetic this way. But don’t you dare think me soft!” He yelled and pointed both blades at me.

My body suddenly became heavy. I fell to the ground, unable to push myself back to my feet.

What did he do to me?

CatScratch smiled. “After killing my family, every kill afterwards just feels empty. I yearn for that feeling again. That moment of madness transformed me from a lost and weak child into a purpose driven and powerful warrior. You’re feeling the effects of that power right now!”

I was lifted off my feet and pulled toward him.

It’s now or never.

I whipped out my dagger and sliced his arm.

He reeled in pain, causing the building to topple on top of him and the family.

They died because of me.

I didn’t have time for remorse. I ran away in terror.

I tried to save them and I failed at it. New plan. Get out of here, pick up Ruiz and get as far away as possible.

I ducked when I heard a loud sound.

The burning wood from the house shot out in multiple directions, one of them slicing my leg.

I spit on my hand and hobbled as I waited for the wound to heal.

What gives? It should heal immediately.

I head toward a house for cover but it’s suddenly gone.

Or not?

The house smashed into another house that was parallel to it a moment ago.

I was brought to the ground. My body then twisted to the shape of a chair.

General CatScratch took a seat on me. “Break time. I’m not going to miss my chance to see our beloved leader in action. You should enjoy the show too.”

I didn’t have much of a choice.

The wooden rubble of the two crashed houses moved. It twisted and fortified itself.

A figure was seated atop it.

Flam!

“You missed, Old Fool.”

“That isn’t my name,” said Old Guy, seated on a swirling vortex of wood above the village.

“Old men should die and let the young take over. I’m doing your people a favor by freeing them of your stagnation!” yelled Flam, sending pieces of flaming rubble at the WoodPrimorial.

Old Guy deflected most of the attacks, but a few hit their target. It didn’t matter though once he increased the speed of the rotating wood storm. The fire was put out almost immediately.

Old Guy sent the entire storm of rubble at Flam, riding the last one and chanting. The wood took the shape of a dragon and zoomed toward the cruel villain.

“You’re too late!” Flam opened his palm to reveal a shattered orb.

The wood dragon fell apart and Old Guy collapsed along with it.

“Every Primordial hides its core in its village. You’re probably wondering how I know such an ancient well-kept secret.” Flam hopped off and rode his scarf to the weakened Old Guy. “Let’s just say that one of your kind told me in return for his villages safety. Your kind aren’t entirely beholden to the archaic code, after all.”

Come on! Angel powers! Hurry up and activate! I gotta save Old Guy. I don’t care if he’s a creep and a liar. He’s not all bad and I want to save the good parts!

Energy burst out of me, sending the cat boy general tumbling off my back.

My wings came out and I soared to Old Guy’s side.

“I’m not going to let you die!” I exclaimed, gripping his hand while glaring at Flam.

Flam waved at his general. “Stand down, CatScratch. I’ll take it from here. Go out and make sure there’s at least one survivor from each family.” He looked out at the screaming villagers and the pack of hounds slaughtering them. “As best you can.” He said with a blush.

“Those survivors will seek your death,” said CatScratch.

“Oh, I’m counting on it. Hee-hee,” said Flam with a girly giggle.

Why can’t I find the wound?

I searched Old Guy’s body, but he was uninjured. Despite this, life was draining from his face.

Old Guy looked up at me in furious tears. “You were supposed to save us!” He pulled his hand away from my grip, shredding it in the process.

He had become so frail.

“You aren’t an angel! You were ill! You’re a demon! A demon who has cursed my village!” He shaped the nearby wood into sharp spears and willed them to end me.

Blood gushed out from his throat.

Flam cleaned his bloody scarf and smiled at me. “You tried your best and you failed. Go on, cry. It’s okay.” He pulled me into his arms and cradled me like a child.

I didn’t feel like crying.

I bit into his neck with my sharpest teeth and then pulled back, tearing off bits off his skin.

If he can bleed…he can die!

I was suddenly above the ground. The scarf was around my throat, strangling the life out of me.

“Oh, that defiant look is so moving! Even now you seek my death! I want to see it fade out. I want to see those tears before your eyes go completely hollow!”

A shadow rose out beneath us and took the form of a hooded man. A blade emerged from the man’s back and sliced the scarf.

The RiftRipper pulled me in with a tendril and then the world around me was distorted and darkened.