Chapter thirteen: Beware the Dragon

As the screaming gathers into one place I realize something. "Reina, you go ahead over to where the shouts are coming from, Vensen is probably in that direction."

"What about you?"

Our feet stomp against the semi-paved road as buildings burn up around us and smoke fills the air.

"I have to get something from Zaru's place."

We split up and I continue over to my destination. The smoke becomes heavy as it's sucked into my lungs. The hacking finally forces me to tear off a piece of my new black jacket to cover my mouth as I run between the orange flames. When I get to the house, it seems to be untouched by the blazes, for now, so I hurry over to the flower pot at the front window and snatch the key from underneath to unlock the door whilst fumbling from the adrenaline. Once the door opens, I dash inside towards my room and see my dagger near my mattress, sheathed like I left it. After grabbing it quickly, I bolt out of the house and continue onto tracking Vensen. The blade is released from the old and tethered scabbard as I run deeper into the inferno with the sheath abandoned to the ground. Before I realize it, something trips me and I fall straight to the dirt. I feel something grabbing my ankle and I look to see a shadowy creature with blaring red eyes. I slash it across the face with my blade and it streaks away like smoke. More appear around me as I get up from the ground and they start to gain up. Sorry Reina, but I might be a little late.

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With Vensen

Vensen steps onto the railing from where the man jumped and gently glides his way down towards the ground with his robe ever so fluttering majestically as if it's the thing keeping him from turning into a splattered puddle of red himself. The caucus backs away to give him room as his feet delicately touch the pounded dirt and he lands safely.

For some reason, the people hesitate to think about either standing before him or being consumed by the hell that burns behind them.

His tenebrific glow from the night and illumination by the fire sets off a new earth-shattering demeanor from this creature who wields such power. With his slick and demonic voice, another nerve-wrecking phrase escapes his dark lips, "There you are my little lambs, now, be good sheep, and die."

A small pebble taps his forehead and jolts him from the scene.

It was none other than Reina who plans to take her revenge of his lie. "You better think twice before you take another soul!"

His gaze towards her softens. "Do you not think it's a bit late for you to be making threats dear? Half of these people are dead already, and you want me to stop?" Yet another chuckle comes out before his next line, "I can take as many souls as I like, and no one has the power to stop me." A burst of orange flames from him flowers out among the crowd and devours them.

Reina shields her eyes from the sudden burning gust and piercing light of the fire. The screaming from the people drowns in the sounds of grumbling blazes. She tries to look beyond the fire that surrounds her and sees Vensen emerge from the orange rage coming towards her like a ghost.

His frown gives the ambiance a closer resemblance to hell as he leans in close to her face and says a few more words with a calm, yet devilish and threatening voice, "Not-even-you."

Jaws full of big pointy teeth chomp down onto Vensen from the shoulder. The teeth dig into his back and chest before pulling his entire body away from Reina and chucking him a good distance off. Mueimma bares her fangs with blood dripping from her mouth as she stands in front of Reina to protect her. Her pointy ears remain pulled back and the ends of her hair on edge as a warning to Vensen in case he decides to stand up. The grumbling growl that explodes from her makes Reina's heart race at an incredible speed, finally letting the adrenaline kick in.

"Good job Muei," Ruus calls to his companion as a beautifully carved statue is wrapped safely in his working arm. He then calls out to Vensen, "You may believe in the works of Beldor, monster, but this village has a long relationship with the spirits of Galdoria*!" In the middle of Ruus saying his last word, Vensen chuckles on the burning ground and continues to do so as Ruus summons the spirit through the statue.

An essence appears behind Ruus in the shape of a woman glowing in pure white with wings of a bird and long flowing hair. The illuminated aberration walks over to Vensen on the tips of her toes like an angel. She spreads her wings and the flames fan out to die from a gust that cannot be felt.

The black mist oozes out of Vensen and surrounds the spirit while his laugh echoes in the air, seemingly dismembered from his body. As the brume touches the ghost she hurdles out a scream of agony that pierces the night sky like a dying babe.

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Back with Vila

My attacks are giving no effect to these shadows, they just keep reappearing whenever my blade cuts through them! They've managed to get a few cuts on me, but I can't seem to bring a single wound to them. Suddenly, the blazes dissipate, like a gust came in to wipe out the inferno, a wind that I cannot feel. Is this the thing from the shrine that Ruus was talking about?The creatures continue their offense, but somehow they seem weaker now. The sun begins to pop out from the horizon once again with its beams giving me some light. Every part of my being tries to keep up with the movements of the shadows as a way for me to avoid being injured anymore. As the morning star shows off a glimpse of its bright body, it becomes easier for me to spot the misty monsters that camouflage within the failing night. It all seems to be benefiting me now. I can't wait to cut my blade into that bastard!

An abrupt shriek penetrates the air and snatches my whole attention. The shadow creatures stop in the mist of our battle as well and look in the direction of where the cry is coming from. That's the other side of the village. Once it stops, they look to me and fade away like they never existed in the first place.

My feet start to head in the proper direction while a certain thought goes through my head. I know Vensen has something to do with this. I'm getting a strange feeling that he summoned those things to keep me occupied. This is not gonna end well. I hope the others are okay...

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A distance away from Erekinxon near the actual city

Zaru chucks his throwing knives at the misty creatures while doing his best to dodge their assaults as he's on the trail to Erekinxon. 'This isn't good,' he thinks to himself in a disgruntled manner, 'With this many holins around, there's usually an alpha nearby.' When he saw the orange glow from his window during the night in Erekin, he told his sisters to stay at the hospital while he would come over to help out, which means, he's alone in this battle. He throws a few more blades and finally manages to dispose of one for good. 'I hope everyone is alright.'

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Continuing with Reina and the others

Ruus, Reina, and Mueimma stand stiffly as they watch their saving spirit melt away like snow being touched by the sun's blaze. Her knees buckle from the burning gas on her ankles and she squirms in pain as it surrounds her and devours the creature's entire being. She has become nothing.

Vensen is thrust upwards from his chest and stands onto his feet whilst proceeding with his laugh.

Mueimma's instincts kick in and she charges after him with her teeth bared.

He stops his chuckling abruptly as she plunges towards him. Right before Mueimma is able to reach him he appears to her side and heel-palms her in the rib cage. So much power was expelled into his palm that her body rams into Ruus and slams both of them into what's left of a building, which leaves both out-cold.

Reina stands like a statue at the sight of another person dying before her. Her gaze peers back to Vensen as he slowly walks up to her. He then appears in front of her with a flash of his speed. She tries to defend herself by throwing a punch to his face.

The strike hits him and forces his head to turn, but does no damage. Vensen is quick to grab her wrist and snaps it like a tooth pick. He then casts his weight onto her and pushes Reina to the ground before she finishes her scream. He falls with her to pin her arms down and contracts her pelvis between his knees.

"Get off me you sick freak!" She says to him spitefully.

Vensen ignores her command and says a few words of his own with his demented smile and voice piercing into her very soul, "I like you Reina... I wish we spent more time together-"

"Did you hear me creep? Get off!"

He puts his mouth on the head-ring of her dress and tears it off downwards with his teeth then spits out the piece of fabric and goes on, "I'd like to show you some of the lives I've been collecting." A squirming bulge in his belly forms and cuts through his skin. The arm of a person pops out of his gut and flattens its hand on Reina's bare belly with its rather cold touch.

Reina's body tenses when she feels and watches the freezing limb feel around her torso.

Vensen's voice brings her widened gaze back to him as he speaks to her in a disturbing whisper, "I want you in my collection."

The hand then begins to claw at her stomach with its nails. It pierces through her skin and continues to dig through up to the point that the hand begins grabbing at her dermis and pulls inward. She starts to scream and writhe from the pain inflicted on her as pieces of her body are torn off and disappear into Vensen's cavity. More hands force their way out of the opening to have a sample of Reina's intestines and enlarge Vensen's hole while doing so. Her squealing turns into gurgling from her own blood pouring out of her mouth. Before Reina's soul leaves her body, she feels a pair of lips push against hers. Vensen lodges his tongue into her mouth to lick up the overflowing liquid with his lips wrapped around hers.

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Back to Vila

I hear some more screeching in the same direction and continue to run that way. I hope I'm not too late. Once I turn a corner to avoid what's left of a building and finally have people in my sight... This... I never wanted this to happen...

Vensen is leaning over Reina as she's covered in blood right in front of me. He then straightens up from her face with his tongue tailing out of her mouth and stained with her blood. He then sees me. "Ah, Vila, there you are. Your friend here was becoming a bit anxious," he then places his hand onto his chest as a sign that he 'cares' and continues with that sickening voice of his, "so I thought to be a gentleman and comfort her with a little kiss."

My entire being is blank as I stare at what's left of Reina. A big hole stays dormant in her torso with pieces of her intestines hanging out-her eyes wide open and staring back at this monster, still full of fear-I think my dagger fell to the ground just now, I don't know. Everything doesn't exist to me anymore, nothing exists... This isn't real...

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Galdoria- A goddess who made the bridge between the spirit world and Fupum. Believers of this goddess or “Galdorians” claim the ability to contact these spirits along with the dead. This religion dates back about 1,000 years or so.