Mystic Quest

Chapter 15

They couldn't believe it. Yuna, Emerys and Solarys refused to believe. How could this be? They still had so much to do. Lyria couldn't die.

Solarys felt the tears flowing. Yuna and Emerys were kneeling at her sides, and they couldn't stop her tears. Solarys whispered at Lyria to wake up, to not leave them. But it was no use. Each second that passed, Lyria's body became colder and colder.

Yuna and Emerys met each other gaze. A wrath replaced the pain for now. They stood up and turned toward the mantis. Solarys lifted her eyes toward them. She made a gesture to gently put Lyria on the ground, but paused when Yuna said no.

“Stay with her, please.” Added Emerys.

The archer nodded. Yuna took a battle stance. Emerys put the palms of his hands one above the other. With an angered cry, Yuna charged at the mantis. It made a movement to hit him with its blade when Emerys let loose the yellow ball between his hands. The ball flew above the mantis; and a multitude of thunderbolts hit it.

Yuna used its confusion to try and slash at its chest. He managed a deep wound. Sadly, it wasn't enough to slow down the mantis. With a violent glow of its legs, Yuna felt himself thrown away. Emerys emitted a cry and tried to send another spell. But the mantis unleashed its own cry, and the magician flew away too.

Solarys watched her two companions, seeing how much they had trouble getting up. She closed her eyes while her face turned determinate. She gently put down Lyria, then stood up.

The mantis turned toward her. Solarys stretched her bow and made an arrow appear.

And froze when she heard Lyria's voice.

Solarys looked above her shoulder. Lyria's lips were moving, and she seemed to... call someone. A name.

Far from the battle ground, very far, two golden eyes narrowed in anger. The mysterious cloaked person hit the wall with their fist. A scream of fury escaped their lips.

“I will not tolerate this!”

Solarys widened her eyes when a white light glowed around Lyria's body. She turned completely toward her friend. The boys were standing, further away; and they watched with wide eyes.

The mantis froze when a melodious chant echoed. All eyes lifted.

A gigantic bird descended from the sky. It was so white it seemed to glow. With wide eyes, Lyria's friends realized the bird was really starting to glow.

“Don't die young one! Your friends still need you!”

Lyria opened her eyes. “Fe... nisan?”

The bird, Fenisan, nodded. Then he raised his head to the sky and chanted. Lyria closed her eyes again as a seal formed under her. Fenisan vanished in a white radiance. The seal shone in a bright and blinding light.

Solarys had to close her eyes. Yuna and Emerys screwed up their own eyes, looking away slightly. Noriran, knocked out until now, opened faintly his eyes and watched as his mistress' wounds healed.

The light became fainter; and Yuna, Solarys and Emerys could look at Lyria. A collective smile appeared in front of her obvious recover. Surprise replaced this smile when Lyria glowed again. She snapped open her eyes as her body raised into the air, then she faced the mantis.

The light brightened slightly, and from her back two huge white wings formed and spread out. Her body and her wings kept shining while the mantis stepped back with a hiss. For those who could hear correctly, they could detect the fear in this hiss.

Yuna's gaze, as wide as the others, went to the white feathers of Lyria's wings. He thought then of the white feather he still possessed. Finally, he understood better the mystery. A faint smile came onto his face at the realization that no, there was no traitor in their midst.

Solarys, the closest, whispered what all thought. “You are... an angel?”

Lyria looked at her and smiled. “Yes, my friend. Now, stand back everyone!”

Solarys got away and joined Yuna. Some seconds later, Emerys was at their side. The mantis looked between the three heroes and the angel, and tried to target Lyria's friends.

Fatal error. Lyria's eyes narrowed in wrath, and with a powerful beat of her wings, she flew toward the mantis. The creature stepped back to avoid being hit by Lyria's luminous body. A victorious smirk formed on the chestnut's face.

“You will receive my judgement for having tried to kill my friends!”

No sooner than these words left her mouth, her body brightened like a thousand stars. She flapped her wings and lifted herself above the mantis. She wrapped her wings around herself; and when their brightness became blazing, she spread her wings wide.

A sparkle of light followed before a ball of light appeared around her. White lightnings roamed the ball, Emerys recalling then Noriran's rescue; and then a multitude of light beams fell down.

The mantis screamed as its body was ran through everywhere. With a white flash, the demon vanished.

Lyria descended back on the ground, Noriran walking to her side. She preferred to make to her wings vanish. She glanced at her three friends, a shy smile forming.

“I think I owe you an explanation.”

To be continued...