The wooden wall they found themselves in front of was nowhere as impressive as the wall of Bajoon but it got the job done. A young girl around the same age as Oliver and Clara was the one to greet them from atop of the wall.
''If you're refugees seeking shelter here we don't accept anyone else at the moment. Our food is getting scarce lately.'' She said with a frown on her face.
Xofamai shook his head and showed her his ID. ''We're members of the Resistance we heard you had an issue with a wild Elestia.''
The girl seemed relieved at that. ''I was beginning to think old Dane hadn't sent a call for help. Come in then.'' The gate in front of them was lowered down and the three of them were able to enter inside the settlement.
Violina was a small town even by the standards of post-Invasion Orchestralia. From Oliver's estimation there couldn't be more than two hundred people living here. Almost every houses were made entrely of wood, but the craftmanship looked pretty good from the little knowledge he had in architecture.
Clara looked around and noticed something right away. The little town there were in was a big contrast to the welcome they had received at Bajoon. The people here didn't look at them with fear and hatred instead they looked at them with something akin to respect. Then she saw something else that made her jaw drop in shock.
She saw two children one boy and a girl. Both of them were laughing as they ran around the street alongside a white wolf-like creature. One of it's leg was made out of metal and it's green eyes were glowing like a lightbulb. The Elestia ran with the children and even looked happy when they began to pet it.
Seeing the shocked expression of Clara the girl who was guiding them chuckled. ''It's crazy right? I was surprised too the first time I came to this settlement of how accepting the people were of Elestia. Everyone see them as our enemies and I can't blame them, we all lost family in the Invasion. But we believe inflictng more unecessary bloodshed will only worsen things. Beside Chosens like the member of the Resistance proved that we can and should use the help of the Elestia to keep our home safe. If everyone realised this we wouldn't have lost so much to the Dragons. We have a few Chosens living here too, unfortunately they don't have the training necessary to keep us safe from everything. Which is why you're here today.''
They arrived in front of a large field with a farmhouse in the distance. There was a large enclosure occupying a large part of the field inside of it Elestia with thick coats of wool could be seen. Oliver nearly jumped out of skin when one of the creature closest to him ignited it's own wool in a huge ball of flames.
Their guided looked at him apologetically. ''Sorry about that, they can get kind of nervous around strangers. But they won't attack you unless they feel really threathened.'' Once they arrived close to the farmhouse the girl raised her voice. ''Dane! Come out Dane! The members of the Resistance are here!''
A middle aged man emerged from the farm house. He was wearing a large straw hat on his head and was wearing a blue suspender and a white shirt along with thick black boots. He looked at the group in front of his house and smiled politely. ''Well hello there, the name's Dane glad to meet y'all.''
Xofamai was the first to speak. ''We heard an Elestia has given you some problems?''
Dane's expression darkened and he nodded. ''Yeah, fer about three weeks some of my Baacinder been missin'. At first I tought some of them might have simply run away. But then one night ah saw a huge beast come swoopin' down on ma farm and took one of my Baacinder with him. It was too dark fer me to see clearly what type of critter it was. But I reckon it was about as big as a truck and it had wings almost as big as me.''
Clara gained a concerned look at this. ''Do you think it could be another Dragonling?''
Xofamai crossed his arms and his lips curved in a thoughtful frown. ''It's possible but very unlikely. Dragonlings are highly territorial creatures. If one of them had a territory this close to Violina it would try to destroy the whole town not just steal their livestocks. It much more likely that it's something else.''
Oliver developed a concerned frown. ''Wait but how are we suppose to find this thing? It could be anywhere by now!''
Xofamai grunted and rubbed the side of his neck. ''Well the most logical thing to do would be to wait until night and catch that Elestia when it come back here.''
Oliver groaned in response, there was no guarantee the Elestia would come back tonight. For all they knew they could wait here for a week before it showed up.
- - - - -
It was now well past midnight. The group had kept watch over the Baacinder enclosure for hours and nothing had happened. Oliver woke up with a start when Clara gave him a light hit with her elbow. He grumbled a bit under his breath, with a yawn he resumed his watch on the enclosure.
Xofamai could be seen a few meters away relaxing while taking a breath of his cigarette. He had removed his black hoodie and was now standing there with only his normal shirt. His sword was at his side ready to be unsheated at any moments.
His ears perked up as he heard something disturbing the calm night air. He tried to look in the sky with his piercing red eyes but saw nothing at first. But then he saw it a large shadow with massive wings coming close and closer in their destination. ''Oliver, Clara! Something is coming!''
With that Oliver and Clara's drowsiness instantly vanished both of them called out their Elestia for action. However Oliver was shocked when Sandy crossed her arms and looked away from him. ''Aww come on! You're still mad at me? I said I was sorry alright? I promise I'm going to try better this time!''
She only responded with a grunt, Oliver sighed with a dismayed expression. ''Okay you can be mad at me. But if we don't do anything those Elestia are gonna get eaten!'' He said while pointing to the enclosure of Baacinder. Sandy sighed but then reluctantly nodded before taking a fighting stance. ''Alright!''
Mean while Xofamai called an Elestia of his own. ''Storm come out!'' A yellow flash of light emerged from his belt.
The being that emerged was not anything Clara and Oliver had expected. ''Is that a robot?'' Clara asked in confusion.
The Elestia that had emerged was completely made out of steel and it's eyes were glowing with a flickering yellow light. It had a fox-like appearance like most of Xofamai's Elestia and this one had eight tails. ''This is my Lightning Kitsubi, Storm. Despite his appearance he is a living being, just like every other Elestia.'' Xofamai said in his usual bored tone.
Before she could ask more question the creature came close enough for them to make out more of it's feature. Oliver's eyes widened, he recognised that Elestia. It was a massive bat with predatory eyes and sharp teeth and it had a massive scorpion tail trailing behind it. It was the same Elestia he and Clara had seen when they were travelling to become members of the Ding Dong Resistance.
Clara quickly took the GEEK in her pocket and pointed it at the creature. ''It says it's a Scorbat and... Oh this is not good. It says they can melt iron with their acid!'' She exclaimed with a nervous gulp.
The Elestia spot them and grew angry when it saw that they were about to attack him. ''SCREEEEE!'' The sound was so loud they felt like their eardrum would implode.
Xofamai growled angrily at the hostile creature. ''Storm! Silence that thing before it render all of us deaf!''
The metalic Kitsubi nodded. ''With pleasure!'' Sparks of electricty coursed throught the Kitsubi before a piercing bolt of electricity shot throught the air. The attack momentarily stunned the giant predator. But it did not lasted long and with another piercing cry the Elestia moved at a blinding speed and pinned down Storm. The Scorbat opened it's mouth wide, it's sharp white teeths were glistening with the moonlight and saliva dripped down it's mouth.
Xofamai immediatly bolted into action and unsheated his sword that arleady swirled with dark energy. Without hesitation he plunged his sword into the side of the beast. He grimaced slightly as blood came pouring onto his clothes.
The Elestia gave a loud wail at the pain at his side and began to trash around. Seeing that Xofamai needed help Oliver and Clara jumped into the fray. ''Bolt, Sandy throw everything you have at it!''
Clara meanwhile took a fighting stance. ''I've been practicing with my powers for the last two weeks let's hope it was not in vain.'' Oliver had not noticed it before but Clara was wearing a second pouch on her left side tonight. She opened it up and to his confusion it was filled to the brim with musica coins. She took one in her hand and threw it in the air then she used her finger to point at the Scorbat. Just when the quarter fell back down and came a front of her finger she released a burst of energy. The quarter was propulsed in the sky like a bullet. The creature roared in agony as the quarter pierced his skin and created a new wound.
Oliver looked at Clara with a look of awe. ''...That was the coolest thing I ever seen.''
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She rubbed the back of her head with a blush on her face. ''Thanks.''
The assault on the Scorbat wasn't over however. Bolt became enveloped in a cloak of electricity slammed into the beast with the speed of a jet. Meanwhile Sandy slammed her right hoof on the ground and lifted a rock about as big as her head and threw it at the Elestia.
''SCREEEEE!'' It screamed in a panic and struck his foes away from him. He used it's scorpion tail to lash out at Xofamai sending him tumbling on the ground. Bolt was sent skyrocketing as the left wing of the Scorbat hitted him. Oliver eyes widened at this and he took his yellow Draconid Gem in his hand. ''Bolt return!'' The Shockrirrel was sent back into safety before he could hit the ground.
The Scorbat took this opportunity to lift himself into the air and flew away in a blind panic. Oliver cursed as he saw him getting out of their reach. Clara on the other hand ran toward Xofamai with a concerned look on her face. ''Xofamai are you alright?''
He nodded in response with a grunt. ''I'll be alright, he didn't hit me with his stinger. But that damn Scorbat took off with my sword still inside him.''
Oliver had a frown plastered on his face and he looked into the sky, but the beast had arleady vanished. ''Great now how are we supposed to find it?''
Xofamai sniffed the air and could smell something on the ground. The two teens looked at him as if he had turned insane. ''Umm, what are you doing sniffing the ground?'' Clara asked with a weirded out look.
''I can smell his blood if we follow it's trail we might find the Scorbat before he get too far.'' Xofamai said with a savage grin on his face that sent shudders down the spines of Oliver and Clara.
- - - - -
They were now outside of Violina, Clara was getting worried about Xofamai. Ever since he had smelled the scent of blood he had developed an almost feral look in his eyes. After almost two hours of search the group found themselves on the outskirt of a dark and foreboding forest. Xofamai sniffed the scent carried by the wind and growled savagely. ''He's in there, I can tell.''
As they entered inside the wood it was strangely silent. They could not hear the sound of a single insect or Elestia. The only thing they could hear was the sound of the wind rustling the leaves from the trees.
As they went further inside the dark forest however, they began to hear a faint labored breath. Xofamai began to shake slightly at first they thought he was getting scared which would have been weird for the man. But upon further inspection they could see that he was grinning wildly and saliva started to drip from his mouth. Without warning two black tails emerged from his back, upping the number from one to three. And then he started running in the forest.
The two teens immediatly chased after him before they could loose him. ''Xofamai! What's wrong with you?!'' Clara cried out after him. They came inside a small clearing and they all stopped when they saw the giant Elestia laying on his back with a pained expression on it's face.
Xofamai growled at the beast and two more tails sprouted behind him taking the number of tails to five. At this point a black energy came pouring out of him, it twisted and turned around him like a protective cloak of shadow.
Clara looked at him with a look of dread. ''Xofamai calm down! You're not behaving like yourself!'' He did not listened to her and instead charged straight at the Scorbat. The beast roared at the upcoming Xofamai and spited out a green liquid out of his mouth that was heading straight toward the man.
Clara eyes widened in horror and she managed to grab unto him and dragged him back just in time to avoid the spit of acid. However the green gunk had hitted a tree and was now disolving the trunk of said tree. Oliver yelped in alarm when he heard a crack and saw that the tree was falling straight in his direction.
He quickly jumped out of the way and landed face first into the grass. The tree fell where he used to be with a loud crash that send dirt flying everywhere. Oliver spited out some grass in his mouth in disgust and then gulped when he realised he had almost been killed right there and then.
Clara still had Xofamai in her arms. He tried to struggle out of her grasp but to no avail. This was another thing she had discovered during her training. Somehow she could use her ability not only to levitate object. She could also boost her own strenght a little bit, which was why she was able to keep him in her grasp.
''SCREEEEE!'' The Scorbat screamed at them. But Oliver could see in it's eyes it was very much afraid of them and was in too much pain to move away.
He aproached the large beast, it barred it's teeth at him and growled savagely. He stopped and lifted his hand in the air as nonthreatening gesture. ''Look we were sent to make you stop stealing the livestocks from Violina. Not that long ago I would have probably killed you without hesitation. But recently I have learned from my mistake. So if you promise to leave Violina alone we'll let you go alright?''
The beast became silent and seemed to think on the proposal that he had offered him. However Oliver would never know what choice the Scorbat would have made. Because at that moment a large fireball came flying throught the air and ignited the Elestia on fire.
The Scorbat cried out in agony and trashed around on the ground. Then it fell back on the ground with a resounding thud and became silent as it body was engulfed in the inferno... Oliver glared at where the fireball had come from. ''Why did you kill him! He was about to leave peacefully!''
But then his breath caught in his troat when he saw three figures emerged from the trees. They were wearing full body armor. The lenses on their helmet were glowing as brighlty as a headlight and red strips of light was illuminating their whole body.
The one in the middle started talking in a deep unatural voice, which made Oliver assumed there was a voice changer integrated in the armor. ''Why did I kill him?'' He asked with a unbelieving chuckle. ''Only a Chosen scum would ask a question like that. I would normally thank you for weakening the beast for us, but I would never thank vermins like you.''
Xofamai struggle became more violent once he saw the Knight appeared. Clara was slowly starting to lose grip on him but she tried her best to keep him safe. Their struggle went unoticed by the Knights who were solely focused on Oliver. ''I guess I should introduce myself. It's only fitting to give your name to someone you're about to kill. I am Duke Damien Beauregard in the service of her majesty Queen Roxanne Dreemara. In the name of the Queen I'm going to kill every traitors of humanity, starting with you!''
A sixth tail appeared behind Xofamai, the added strenght was enough to finally make Clara loose her grip on him. The first thing he did was to run toward the carcass of the Scorbat and taking back his sword. Then with blinding speed he ran toward Damien with the intent to kill.
Damien barely had the time to dodge before the sword drenched in shadow sliced throught the air. He then repelled the attacker with a blast of fire. Xofamai was sent skidding on the ground and snarled savagely toward the Knight. ''What the hell are you?!'' Damien asked in shock once he saw the appearance of his assailant.
Xofamai charged at him like a bullet. Damien blocked the oncoming attack with both of his arm. A loud metalic clang reverbated throught the forest as the sword collided with the armor. ''You two! Don't just stand there, help me!'' Damien said toward his two men.
''Oh no you don't! Sandy come out!'' The Flodeera emerged emerge from her Draconid Gem. As soon as she got out she was arleady ready to fight. She dug up a rock from the ground and threw it at the Knight on the right. He was caught by surprise and was sent sprawling on the ground.
Meanwhile Clara raised her hand toward the Knight on the left. He was grabbed by her levitation power and was yelling out in shock. But once the surprise wore off he raised both hand toward her and sent out a wave of flames in her direction. She had to abandoned her grip on him so she could get out of the way of the attack.
The knight fell back on the ground and quickly recovered. Then without warning he kicked the empty air in front of him and created another wave of flames this one much closer to the ground. Clara had been so focus on his arms she had neglected to take into account his legs. She tried to jump out of the way. But it wasn't quick enough and she cried in pain as her left leg was singed by the fire.
''How do you like that, you freak of nature!?'' The Knight said in a taunting voice.
She growled in anger and opened her pouch on the left side and took a fistfull of nickels. ''Let's see how you like that you arroguant prick.'' She threw the coins in the air and prepared herself by pointing her finger at her target. She managed to hit three of the nickels before they hit the ground.
The Knight screamed in alarm as the nickel hit him like bullets. Unfortunately for Clara her ability had only managed to dent his armor. She cursed under her breath.
Xofamai backed off from Damien and snarled at him. ''You want a piece of me? Take this!'' Damien said before slamming his fist on the ground. A sphere of fire materialised around the Knight and expanded rapidly. Xofamai yowled as the fire pushed him back and left a burning mark on his left arm.
After he recovered from the attack he gritted his teeth and tighten his grip on his sword before charging at Damien once again. The knight tried to make him back off by sending out a wave of flames bur this time Xofamais was ready and he jumped in the air landing behind him.
''Wha- Argh!'' Damien stared at his chest in disbelief, before he could even react Xofamai had pierced him with his sword and he could see himself losing blood. His vision became blurry and he felt his heart rate slowing down until blackness enveloped him as he drew his last breath.
The two knights who were fighting Oliver and Clara instantly stopped what they were doing and stare in shock as Xofamai stood above their Duke and started stabbing him with his sword over and over again. ''Yes blood, more blood! MORE BLOOD! AHAHAHAHAHAH!'' Xofamai exclaimed with a savage grin overcaming his expression.
''T-that guy is insane, let's get out of here!'' Said one of the knight, his friend nodded in confirmation and the two of them ran with their tails between their legs.
Meanwhile Oliver and Clara could only stare in horror as their teacher lost himself in the bloodlust. ''Xofamai snap out of it! This is not you!'' She yelled at him. Xofamai stopped what he was doing. His sword was glistening with the blood of the fallen man under him and his eyes snapped in the direction of Clara.
He snarled in her direction and took a fighting stance. Without warning he took off and charged toward Clara his word aimed at her. Without thinking Oliver put himself in front of Clara. ''Don't you dare touch her!''
Clara gasped in horror. ''Oliver get out of there! You're only a human!''
That comment stung Oliver as he realised she was right. He was the weakest member of this team but he wasn't going to back down now. Meanwhile Xofamai had stopped in front of Oliver and was snarling angrily he raised his sword in the air. ''Snap out of it Xofamai!'' Oliver yelled at him with a defiant look.
Xofamai was about to swing the sword at Oliver but something in the back of his mind stopped him. The look in his eyes reminded Xofamai of someone else, someone he though of everyday. ''I'm going to become a member of the Ding Dong Resistance dad, no matter what!'' A young boy with black hair smiled at him with a determined expression.
The sword fell on the ground with a clang. Xofamai grabbed his head in his hands and screamed as memories assaulted his brain. Memories of happier times... And memories of the worst day of his life. Finally the dark aura surrounding him vanished into thin air. His tails retracted inside of his body until there was only one left.
Xofamai fell on his knee and was panting heavily. Oliver and Clara ran up to him. ''Xofamai are you okay? You looked like a wild animal back there!'' Clara said with a concerned look.
It took a while for him to respond to anything but after a full minute he finally managed to make a nod. ''I-I'm fine, I'm sorry you had to see me like this. I though I had this power under control and yet...''
It took almost all night but they managed to return to Violina and tell the good news to Dane that the Elestia wouldn't bother him anymore. After that they made their way back to the Ding Dong Community. Xofamai had stayed silent the whole way. Everytime he made eye contact with one of the teenagers he would look away in shame.
After that tiring day everyone went directly to sleep as soon as they arrived...