It was three o'clock in the afternoon on a lovely, burning, sunlit day on Vancouver Island. Willow and Jacomus had just finished another day of school at their University. The day was slow and mundane, just like any other school day. They met up at the school's front doors, and after a long walk down the school's main pathway, they finally arrived at the parking lot where Jacomus' vehicle was parked.
Jacomus noticed that Willow was quiet and distant, just as she had been that morning. He had hoped that she would lighten up throughout the day, but he noticed she wouldn't even look him in the eyes now. When they arrived at his vehicle and settled in the front, Jacomus put the keys into the ignition before addressing the awkward silence between them and asking if something was bothering Willow. Willow responded, "Yes, quite a few things are bothering me." Her tone in response surprised Jacomus. He got comfortable in his seat and took the keys out of the ignition.
"What would that be?" He asked.
"Well, I told Enika about the weekend and how I had these weird dreams and ended up in some creepy void. I told her you're apparently "sworn by oath" and can't tell me what's happening. I told her I didn't know how you knew something that was happening to me. I practically filled her in on everything that had recently happened. She was very nice about it, she believed me too. She also told me that YOU'RE most likely the problem." She finished, pointing at Jacomus. Jacomus was left speechless, finding it hard to believe what Willow had just told him. Willow continued talking before Jacomus could speak, "And she told me that you are suspicious. Which you are! Can you tell me what this "oath" is about?! Why is it described as an oath and not a promise?! Why can't you break this "supposed oath"?! You're hiding too much from me, and you've been acting super weird since I fell into that void!"
Jacomus took a deep breath, "Willow, you sound nuts."
"I sound nuts?!! Are you fucking kidding me?!!" Willow shouted.
"K, enough, Willow!" Jacomus shouted back. Willow went mute, "You are babbling nonsense right now. Do you want to know? Well, you can't know! That is final. I am not hiding things from you because I want to but because I must! Take the fucking hint, Willow. Everything will make sense on your 20th birthday, but nothing needs to be said now! You aren't even supposed to know as much as you do already. Now put your fucking seatbelt on, we are leaving, this conversation is over!" Jacomus finished, half yelling, half speaking. Willow could see how frustrated he was and chose to do as he said and put her seatbelt on. They drove back to Willow's place in complete silence.
Jacomus parked his car and got out when they arrived at Willow's. "I'm sorry, Jaco. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I just wanted to know what you're hiding," Willow started.
"It's fine, Willow. I'm sorry for snapping back too, but no more fucking questions. I'm tired of them. I'm also coming in with you. I have a bad feeling about leaving you alone," Jacomus responded.
"Do you have to? I'm inviting Enika over for dinner," Jacomus looked at Willow with disgust at her response.
"I am undoubtedly staying," Jacomus said stiffly. Willow reluctantly sighed and grabbed her bag from the back. She unlocked the front door and let them in as they arrived at the building's entrance. They walked through the bland building until they reached her apartment door. Upon entering, Pixie, Willow's cat, greeted them excitedly. Willow arrived home and immediately threw her bag on the ground. She removed her shoes and headed to the kitchen to feed her pet Pixie. Jacomus also removed his shoes and made himself comfortable on the couch, placing his bag beside him on the floor. After Willow fixed Pixie's dinner and put it on the floor, she walked over to the sofa and sat beside Jacomus.
"Enika should be here shortly," Willow said as she checked her phone. Jacomus was silent. Willow turned the TV on, assuming Jacomus wouldn't care, and he didn't. They both sat, watching the TV. Neither of them spoke to each other, and the apartment was silent except for the characters on the screen. Willow's phone went off with a ding. Enika was there. "I will be back. I'm just going to let Enika in." Jacomus nodded.
Willow walked over to the door and put on her slippers. She left quickly and arrived back not long after. Enika walked in with Willow behind her. She opened the door and shut it as they entered. Enika instantly noticed Jacomus sitting on the couch, a cruel expression sorrowing on her face. Jacomus looked at her with intense curiosity. This is weird. My senses are going off. Is Enika? Jacomus' thought process was interrupted by Pixie, who hissed and growled at Enika. Enika glared down at the cat.
"Oh, so sorry about that, Enika. Pixie has never acted like this before," Willow apologized to Enika, shooing off Pixie. "Piss off, Pixie. Get, go," Pixie only took a few steps back as Enika took a few steps in. Pixie became more aggressive as Enika walked into the apartment's open space. Shit, this isn't good. Jacomus thought. Willow noticed that Enika was acting relatively quiet and weird. She assumed she was acting shy, but something didn't feel right in her stomach.
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"Sorry to interrupt this lovely apartment introduction, but I need Willow to grab something for me out of the bedroom," Jacomus said, breaking the silence. Enika said nothing and kept her eyes locked on Jacomus. "Why?" Willow objected.
"Willow, can you please grab me a hoodie from the bedroom? I'm feeling a little cold. Can you do that?" Jacomus asked, looking over at Willow with tension on his face.
"Uh, sure thing," Willow responded. As Willow was just about to walk past Enika, she shoved her hand out in front of her chest, stopping her dead in her movements. "Enika?" Willow said, confused, "You okay?"
"You are not going anywhere, child," Enika announced with a harsh, deep tone. Willow stood frozen. Oh, for fucks sake. How did I not notice? It must be a higher-end fiend. Thought Jacomus before speaking to Willow, "Willow, I don't care what you need to do, but move your goddamn feet and get out of the way!" he shouted. Willow quickly acted and ducked down underneath Enikas arm as she was distracted by Jacomus. Once on the ground, she crawled into the kitchen, where Pixie jumped in front of her.
"Jacomus! What is going on?!" shouted Willow. Jacomus ignored her before pulling out a flaming sword from his bag. A holy weapon that has been passed down to the Divines by the archangel Michael. As Jacomus unseathed his weapon, Enika revealed herself as a higher-ranked fiend.
Her human form melted off her scolding, growing body. She was standing 8 feet tall. Two massive eternal horns stuck out from her head, just above her long, sharp, pointed ears. She had the upper body of a woman with the lower body of a buffalo. Large wings grew from her back and lay on the floor, representing a dress. Her skin crawled out from her chest, creating a gown that covered her, completing the outfit. Her hair receded, and her eyes were sharp like a snake. Talon-like nails grew to about six inches in length.
Willow panicked as the demonic creature turned towards her, its eyes filled with death. It lifted its arm and pointed its scaly, piercing talon at her. "You, child, will be coming with me, or you will die trying to escape." Before Willow could speak, Jacomus flew from the apartment's left side, swinging the flaming sword with immense strength and landing a blow on the fiend. Unsure of what was happening, Willow sat frozen on her kitchen floor.
As Jacomus raised his sword, the fiend turned its focus towards Jacomus. The blade sliced through the arm that the fiend had lifted towards Willow faster than a lightning strike; ichor gushed out of the fiend's wound where its arm once was, covering the floor with its acidic blood. The devilish creature let out a howling screech before vomiting a Chichi and attacking Jacomus. This tiny lesser fiend was known to be soul-bound with its carrier. "Get the girl!" The fiend's voice echoed through the lesser's head.
While Jacomus was fighting the monster that had once been a young college girl, the Chichi started running towards Willow. The Chichi was a strange creature with a head, two miniature arms, ring horns, snake-like eyes, and shark teeth. As it closed in on Willow, her pet cat Pixie started growling and hissing at it. However, something strange happened. Pixie's growls and hisses began to get deeper and louder. Suddenly, Pixie's bones started cracking, and her body began to proliferate. The small cat had transformed into a grizzly bear in just a few moments. This sudden change was too much for Willow, and she fainted.
Meanwhile, Jacomus was still battling against the fiend, causing more destruction than death himself. Willow's apartment slowly began to fall apart. Jacomus ran towards the fiend and jumped into the air to gain extra strength in his hit. However, the fiend was more intelligent than any other fiend that Jacomus has come across. It quickly jumped back before hitting Jacomus across the room like a ping-pong ball. Jacomus flew back, smashing into Willow's living room coffee table. The table shattered to bits and pieces, and slivers and nails proceeded to stab into Jacomus' body.
"Oh, you mother-fucker. Looks like you're more vigorous than I put you out to be. That's why I couldn't sense you until Willow's stupid little pet started to freak out," Jacomus said. As he finished, he heard a loud and disappointed growl from the grizzly bear standing in Willow's kitchen. "What the?" Before Jacomus's words could leave his mouth, he was interrupted by the fiend already in front of him, striking him across the living room and into the TV. Glass exploded everywhere, and Jacomus hit the ground hard, groaning in displeasure.
"Die. Your life is not worthy of living. You fail to protect what must be protected. You are pathetic." The fiend's voice echoed. As it finished speaking, it raised its other arm, which was unarmed, above Jacomus' chest. Just as the fiend was going to pierce through him, Pixie came scoring through and pounced, landing a direct bite onto its neck. It screeched and howled before turning into ash, its ichor spraying everywhere. "Pixie? Are you a Therianthrope?" Jacomus asked. Pixie nodded, then threw her head toward the kitchen where Willow lay.
Pixie shifted into a human, but unfortunately for Jacomus, Pixie had no clothes. Pixie goes to help Jacomus up while he throws his arms in the air like somebody would swat away a fly. "Oh, Jesus, Pixie. Put some fucking clothes on. Get, get off. Off, you are naked." Jacomus struggled between words as he fought with Pixie to let him go, but she refused, dragging his half-lifeless body into the kitchen.
"Sit, Jacomus. Or lie down. Rest." Pixie spoke to Jacomus in his head.
"Pixie, out. Out of my fucking head." Jacomus said as he lay down next to Willow. He continued to speak. "Is she okay?"
"She will be fine. She fainted. Nothing touched her." Pixie's voice was omniscient as it rattled through Jacomus' mind.
"Okay, good. Now what the fuck is up with you? I could not sense you were of a higher being either. This human form has dulled some of my senses."
"Do not worry about me. My secret has been kept hidden by the Deos' powers. Jupiter created me to watch over the key. Although my time with her has become unnatural in my ways of nature, almost as if I care for her, I was not created to care. Her unforeseen powers are strong if they break through Jupiter's hex."
"I see. Well, I think-" Jacomus started to trail off, "I think it's my bedtime." Jacomus finished, falling asleep next to Willow with no sign of struggle. Pixie sighed, shifting back into her original Calico cat form. She curled up between the two and fell asleep as well.