‘What an unpleasant memory to be suddenly thinking of.’ Metas thought to himself as he shrugged his thoughts away. “Well good to see you’re in good health. Are you here to eradicate the cultists? What a coincidence, I was tired of hearing about it so I came here to deal with it myself!” Metas stayed silent. He thought about using the relic that had still been on him, to escape detection. He then remembered his other two companions and stood with readied stance. “Or maybe, you’ve already joined them?” she glared at him instilling a fear different from the type of the abyssal crimson eyes, a fear more primal, more real. “You saw their corpses; I took them down myself.” Metas remarked.
She laughed, a hollow laugh, seemingly without emotion. “I was just joking.” She sheathed her sword. “Well since you’re back here, your duties are resumed as was the continuation of your investigation.” Metas’ eyes narrowed. “There’s a lot of information, pertaining to you travelling with others.” She began walking perpendicular to Metas as he started slowly circling around the room as well. “And you’ve been spotted in the same little town where old Siegmund was found dead.” “What are you trying to say?” “Hand over your witch friend, as well as any others that were involved with the incident and your punishment will be lessened.” “What are you going to do? Give me another scar?” Metas retorted. “If that is your wish then- ““Metas!” Yuria shouted, not seeing the knightess as she exited the tunnel. “Get back!” He yelled.
She unsheathed her sword in a blink of an eye and slashed a wave of flame at Yuria who barely managed to jump out of the way. “Hmph.” The witch hunter caught Metas’ spear without looking. She rapidly turned around and pulled it, reeling him forward. She raised her sword but Metas fired shots of flame which she deflected. She had to grip her sword two-handed to defend herself, dropping Metas’ spear and allowing him to step back. “Tch.” She remarked. Metas stood still on guard and trying to figure out a vulnerability to attack. Yuria who was on the ground summoned forth more spears of bone and they were promptly shattered with a few swift swings of the knightess' blade.
Yuria sat up and backed away quickly before she was charged by her assailant. Thinking quickly, she created a barrier of water which repelled the oncoming strike. Metas threw his spear and she dodged it saying: “This again?” Metas pulled it back and it snagged her on the leg, getting wedged in the armor. Metas pulled her in and she slashed her sword at him and he blocked with his spear. She quickly jumped up and was standing once again. Metas blocked her blow, but the heat and force of the attack left him reeling. In the midst of the fighting, they did not hear the distant sounds of destruction until it got closer.
They stopped fighting and listened as the sound of rapid footsteps accompanied by the sounds of stone breaking and cracking approached them. Ellyn turned the corner from the tunnel hallway and ducked barely to dodge a wave of flame sent out via sword. The burst of flame hit the creature, a dark mass of limbs, tendrils, and mouths, that howled and gurgled. The ‘holy’ knight laughed uproariously. “Finally! A creature befitting to die by my sword! I Helia, shall extinguish this evil and set it aflame!” She slashed at it, each sword stroke creating an arc of brilliant fire and the creature staggered back, with its limbs covering its face.
Ellyn and Metas went to Yuria as Helia remained distracted. “The creature, it isn’t fully formed yet. I can feel that it's still growing!” said Yuria as she was helped up. “We have to go!” said Metas, while Ellyn concurred “No! we can’t let that thing escape!” As they were conversing, it laid on the ground and sent out a flurry of attacks with its various limbs, wings, and other mismatched appendages. Helia moved swiftly, her golden armor appearing only as a flash of light, deflecting, and circling the thing, striking it where its limbs did not guard. Ellyn looked at the beast, oozing dark miasma and crying out in rage; and then looked back at Metas and Yuria. “Let’s go!” she said as she ran, with the other two following her along.
As they tripped and stumbled through the dark tunnels, the sounds of striking steel and the howls of the creature resounded in the narrow passageway. They went a distance and they could still hear her cackling and shouting away, and the light of the flames lit up the dark with periodic flashes. “Uh, left, or right?” asked Yuria. Metas was sweating and breathing heavily, shaken from the situation. “Left!” said Ellyn as they turned the corner. She abruptly stopped as they heard battle had stopped, and the flashes of flame no longer occurred. “Is it over?” asked Ellyn. “Should we go back?” said Yuria. Metas put his palm out as they silently listened.
Suddenly a loud shriek resonated throughout the tunnels as a light began to grow brighter and brighter in the distance. “Go! Go!” said Metas as they ran farther and farther, feeling heat and seeing the light grow even brighter as well as the inhuman screeching grew louder and louder. They ran and ran until they neared the entrance, the flames had engulfed the tunnels began drawing closer and closer enough to feel its hellish heat, and they stopped just before the entrance as the flame finally gushed out and dissipated. They stopped running. Exhausted, but still cautious.
“Let’s get out of here.” Said Yuria who had barely hung on to her hat. There was a small crevice on the aging stone ruin above them where they could see the night sky. Ellyn looked up, tired and guilty. They then saw a light quickly flashed by above them and settled with a loud crash outside. Ellyn stood up and slowly backed away, so did the others. Metas stayed in front, with one hand outstretched, as if to protect the other two. A blaze had started outside and a small crater had formed in the place the figure had settled. Her white cloak was burned and a part of which had been charred black, while cinders danced on her golden armor. She looked up. “That was quite exhilarating. Now, fall before my flames.” She had a wide grin and had a few scratches but otherwise no other injuries. She held her sword which was engulfed in flame.
“Get ready!” said Metas. Ellyn tossed Metas the bag of items they had acquired from the old man, and Metas surveyed it with one eye still fixed on the looming threat before them. Ellyn readied her repeating crossbow, checking how many bolts she still had left and aimed it at Helia. Yuria checked and found that she had only a few more of the bone daggers left and she firmly held onto the chalice as well as thinking about the cauterized severed hand as a last resort. Helia dashed towards them, sword raised and ready to strike.
The group split up and Metas jumped back and threw his spear. Helia switched her stance to block the attack and the spear bounced off her sword. Ellyn took advantage of the situation and fired a few shots, which diverted Helia’s attention as she dodged and blocked them; only one bolt hit her, and it was stopped short by her armor. Yuria threw water enchanted by the cup, over Helia and at the same time, Metas threw a bottle of the flammable sand into it and ignited it with a snap of his fingers as the barrier enclosed, creating a concentrated explosion. The blast created a small cloud of dust and debris which was quickly cleared by a slash from her sword.
Helia was covered in soot, scratched up and had slightly singed hair, but remained unrelenting. “You!” she yelled as she raised her sword in one hand, ready to pierce through Yuria. Thinking quickly, Metas used his spear to wrap around Helia’s arm, disabling her sword hand from use. Helia was unbothered and swung with her right arm at Yuria who ducked, and then she promptly kicked her in the stomach; the metal sole of her leg sending Yuria tumbling backwards. A flurry of shots came towards her, arrows rained down and a few clattered off her armor, while a few grazed her face and found their target in chinks of her armor. Using tremendous effort, she uses both arms to pull on the chain and whirled Metas against a wall. “Let’s see if that arm of yours burns!” she yelled as she quickly sprinted towards Ellyn.
She reached towards her arm, but Ellyn detached it and grabbed it with her other arm as it fell. This surprised Helia for a moment but it was enough for Ellyn to use her wooden arm to strike the knightess in the face with it. She staggered backwards and Metas used this opportunity to slash at her, Helia turned towards him and received a shallow cut across her face. Metas stepped forward to continue his assault but Helia blanketed herself in flame, he retreated as the nearby surface was in a fiery blaze. She sucked in air as the flame cauterized her wound and she glared menacingly at them. Yuria slowly sat up, clutching her torso in response to her recent injury. She slowly sat up and held the hand up. It dissolved into dust in her hand as multiple disembodied arms emerged from thin air and grabbed onto Helia.
The hands kept her in place even as she intensified the flames until they charred to a crisp. Metas threw another bottle at Helia which exploded, creating an uneven balance which blew back some of Helia’s flames. Ellyn shot a volley of bolts and Metas charged forward. Helia diverted her flames toward her arm and burned all the incoming projectiles in midair. Metas used a two-handed strike to knock the sword out of her hands. The sword clattered as it was dropped towards the ground and she swiftly grabbed Metas in a chokehold and as he tried to attack her with his spear, she grasped and crushed his arm, making him drop it. The strength and heat of Helia’s grasp started to bend and melt Metas’ armor.
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“Here!” Yuria threw Ellyn’s hunting knife at her which she caught as she ran towards to help Metas. Ellyn went for the neck while Helia was distracted with the still struggling Metas. She noticed Ellyn and sidestepped, but the knife still struck her on her shoulder. Ellyn pulled it out and slashed at Helia again but she ducked, threw Metas away and caught Ellyn’s knife in her gauntlet. She used her flames to quickly melt the dagger and kicked Ellyn back. The blade, now only reduced to molten metal and a handle dropped onto the floor as Ellyn feebly reached towards it.
Helia sent forth a burst of flame towards Metas who tried to stand up, blasting him backward. Yuria stood up, while her other two companions laid on the ground. She used one of the last remaining bones to conjure a spear, while she used the chalice to scoop up earth from the ground as an obscurant. Helia sent a swathe of flame to dispel the soil barrier but found herself face-to-face with the spear of bone. In a split second, she burst into a fiery blaze and created a shockwave that shattered it. She picked up her sword and struck the ground, creating a blast in the ground which blasted Yuria away.
Helia, still clothed in flame walked towards Yuria who laid on the ground. Yuria used the last remaining bone dagger to try to stab her in the leg in vain. She tried to crawl away from the being that produced the intense heat. A blast of fire struck Helia on the back which merely got absorbed by her flames. Metas stood on one knee feebly and held his spear. He had removed the gauntlet, which was bent and revealed his arm, scarred, and injured with a red mark on the shoulder being its newest addition. He slowly stood up and had a two-handed stance with his weapon. Helia faced him, smiled, and held her sword. Her fire swelled up and flared hotter, until it reached a shade of blue.
They lunged towards each other, Metas swung his spear but before it could connect, Helia struck him upwards with a quick sword strike. Metas was forced backwards and a slash sliced open his armor, charring it black. Helia raised her sword and intended to bring it down towards him. “No!” yelled Yuria as she feebly tried to stand up. The knightess turned her head towards her but when she looked down, Metas was nowhere to be seen. Her flames slightly dissipated, revealing her grinning visage. “Behold! Your loyal companion, abandoning others in their time of need.” She walked a few steps forward but swiftly threw her hand out and deflected Metas’ spear. “And terribly predictable as well.” She caught his spear and raised her sword to strike Metas. “Die.” Helia exclaimed.
Yuria crawled towards them and Ellyn tried to keep shooting at Helia who ignored the shots which burned up as they got closer to her. She swung her sword at Metas for a final blow but her attack was stopped. “I guess, you won’t give me another scar this time.” A crimson wing, which emerged from Metas’ back grasped onto Helia’s sword, holding it firmly. It resembled pure energy or transparent crimson flames. She stared for a moment dumbfounded but quickly used her other arm to try to strike at him with a flaming fist.
He deflected it with his wing and she swung her sword to send out a wave of flame. He jumped away to avoid the attack but found himself a few feet higher in the air than he had anticipated. His injured companions forgot the situation momentarily and amazed at the fleeting sight. He plunged down with great force and clashed weapons with Helia. “You think your dark arts can best the holy flame?” She pushed him back and set herself aflame once more. She began to breathe in slight exhaustion and then her flame sputtered momentarily. Metas lunged at her with spear in hand and his wing primed for attack. His left arm was still unavailable for use and he held his spear in his right. He slashed with his wing first and she parried it as he swung around his chain like a whip, deflecting each blow from that as well.
“I’ve faced the Dragon before, your flame pales in comparison to it.” Metas remarked. She struck her sword into the ground and sentout a burst of flame breaking through the floor and surging out of the ground. Metas spread his wing out and shielded Ellyn from the blast. “Can you stand?” he asked. Ellyn managed to get on her feet and spots the item bag that had been dropped onto the floor. She ran towards it, and Helia charged at her, only to be interrupted with the throw of Metas’ spear. “You dare speak the Holy One’s name? Even if you encountered such a being, my flames will be sufficient enough to snuff you out!” Helia thrusted her sword forward and shot out a straight burst of flame that penetrated through Metas’ wing and hit him straight in the torso, further damaging his armor.
Shots fired from behind Helia, to which she simply smiled to and flared out her flames to burn the oncoming projectiles. She felt a sharp pain as the first arrow punctured through her armor and hit her in the back. She turned around and saw arrows, glowing in a golden light and pulsing with electricity. She reacted quickly and struck down each one, resulting in a large electrical spark and the sound of thunder with each one. She swung her sword to send out flames to Ellyn but was shifted off course by an attack from Metas’ spear which slashed her across the face. She retaliated with a sword strike which Metas caught by a newly formed wing.
Ellyn jumped out of the way, and the flame struck the wall, bringing it down and exposing the room into the outside night sky. She increased the flame in her blade, burning brighter and brighter, and Metas held tighter. Helia then snapped her blade which startled Metas, and slashed at Metas who was unable to block. A dark mass formed which blocked the strike. Yuria had retrieved some of the wolf hide that the cultists wore and donned it and was ready to use it for battle.
Ellyn had used the yellow resin to apply an electric enchantment to her bolts, which she shot at Helia, as Metas swung his spear around and struck with his wing and Yuria summoning forth blobs of darkness, to defend them from oncoming strikes and to try to create an opening for their attacks. Ellyn and Yuria moved swiftly as they could, trying to find opportune moments to launch their attacks as their ammunition was limited. Metas was injured and his armor was in tatters, but he felt more invigorated than before. His appendage flailing around whilst he struck with precision using his spear. Yuria sent out a dark tendril and struck Helia on the back, an arrow flew towards her and she blocked it with her arm, the arrow piercing her armor and poking into her skin.
She fended off Metas with multiple slashes of flame in the air, rendering him on the defensive but creating enough opportunity for the others. Yuria spilled debris onto Helia, and then she was encased in earth. She broke out of it with a flaming strike of her fist and fiercely stomped on the earth, creating a shockwave that blew them back. She threw balls of fire at them, Ellyn dodged, Yuria created a barrier and Metas swatted it away. "Grrr!" She was consumed by burning fury. She then changed her expression to a smile and then curled up.
"This looks dangerous!" Yuria proclaimed. She used abyssal energy and then enchanted it with the chalice. "Here!" They ran to her position, and she created a barrier just in time for the explosive blast. Raging fire consumed the room, exiting out of the opening in the entrance, and blasting away the walls and the ceiling. They stood inside the barrier, the sight resembling dark night, or the abyss. They felt the pressure of the blast pressing against the small enclosure, as they waited anxiously. It suddenly cracked. "Hold on." Said Metas as he expanded his wing once more and held it out, expectant of the blast breaking through.
Ellyn checked her person and found only one last bolt. Yuria only had one more scrap of Wolf's hide and presumed that the rest had already burned up. The barrier shattered and Metas shielded them from a swath of flame. "Still alive, are you?" She struck the ground with her broken sword and sent a trail of fire. The group readied themselves but the flame stopped short of them. She dispersed the flames surrounding her and lifted her sword from the ground. "I guess this concludes this meeting of ours."
"What?" Said Yuria. Ellyn aimed one last shot and Yuria held her magical items close. Helia began to walk away and Metas looked on, trying to assess the situation. "Wait." Said Metas but it was too late as Ellyn loosed her last shot. Instead of it striking the back of Helia's head as intended, it struck a sturdy black iron shield. "They're here." Figures in black cloak and armor emerged from the shadows and surrounded them. "The initial situation here has been resolved; the only thing left to neutralize is them."
Two Knights, one of which had the iron shield accompanied her. They walked away and soon disappeared out of view. "Coward." Remarked Ellyn readying herself without the use of her crossbow. "There's nothing I can do about it now." Said Metas, feeling the pain from his arm but standing undaunted. The Knights were featureless, whether hidden by hood or helmet they were the royal's personal guard. They held their swords in uniformity, and produced a spark of flame in their hands, creating numerous lights in the darkness of the night. A towering tree stood over them, and almost looked like it touched the full moon in the sky.
"Hmm, just in the nick of time." A figure hopped from the tree and landed onto the ground. "Who would have known that I would get you out of trouble again." Jura stood as a dominating figure, with shovel in one hand and pickaxe in the other. "Jura!" Old Man!" The former was remarked by Metas and Yuria and the latter by Ellyn. "All these kids can't give an old man some rest." The faint breeze blowed gently, as the hooded Knights readied for attack.