It feels weird to be the one doing the narration. It was a title that wasn't passed around often. Especially since we live in a world of third-person limited omniscient narration. Should I do past or present tense?

We are running towards Nar's house. Our pace is frantic; it's an urgent alarm after all.

"Slow down, Fable," Tree speaks. Bless the guy who named him that. Still, it wasn't an overly common name like 'Volt'. "The situation is sensitive, but Nar is not going to explode."

I could only sigh. The situation's a ticking time bomb, and it's going to explode in their faces. This wasn't in the plan. Hell, this should have been irrelevant, but it suddenly became a confounding variable.

I pause. We slow down to a more leisurely pace, a walk. I could see Smoke materializing from his formless gaseous form behind Tree.

"It is nothing grave."

"It's very much grave, old man! This could break everything!" I practically shout, expelling all the uncertainty into my voice. Smoke cowers behind Tree, but the annoying old man stood unperturbed.

"Panic will get us nowhere," he say coolly. Darn his woody will.

He walks towards our destination in long calculated strides. His starry eyes shines with cool immovable determination while he holds Hero's sword. He intends to use it against its owner.

The sword did not reject Tree (thankfully not another thing to explode in their faces), but in his hand, it was a green sword, like a bluish-green leaf. The smooth straight edge morphed to one with serrated teeth.

"I have visions of the future, Fable. I am a soothsayer after all, but foresight is not my only power."

"The earth is with me." I could roll my eyes. He almost whispered that statement.

"Your skepticism is justified," he states. "I admit, I do not compete to the powers of fire, but he is out of his element while I am in mine."

He strides forward, and I only follow.

~***~

We come to outside the home of our friend, Nar. Nar lays on the ground, being battered. His body was filled with bruises and a pool of sticky blood.

Wruk...? Buddy... I-is that you?

Shh. We're here now.

"Godmod, Hero. I am Tree Truth's Blaze. Release her."

The radiant one grimaces, but Hero's face remains neutral. Not sure whether that statement have registered in his brain. He looks to be under Godmod's control. It's hard to take my eyes from GM, but I should because she might take me as well.

"That's my sword, Tree. What did you do to it?!" Hero's face suddenly contorts. He shouts, almost a scream.

"It is, but at the moment, you are not fit to wield it."

"Do not listen to their lies. They have stolen it from you, and now, they've corrupted your treasure. Claim what is yours, Hero's Prophecy," the angel says, her words tipped with bitter poison.

"I am a soothsayer, a fortune teller. While my kin are prone to lies and deceit, I, right now, is fully truthful." Tree changes his stance. He holds the two-handed cleaver deftly like a true warrior, much to the angel's disgust. "The man you have assailed and battered has done no crime."

"Yes, she has! She is an accomplice to the wretched Canon Fodder who opposed the Order of Heaven."

"There has never been an Order of Heaven. It is but your delusions."

"No. It's real. You're lying!" The angel's fair face contorts to that of an ugly monkey.

"Please stop your verbal assault to the fair miss," said Hero with a frown in his face. "And hand over my sword."

"Why don't we settle this with a duel?"

(...)

Hey. Shush. It's okay.

Whuh?

Everything is going to be okay.

I have snuck behind them. Tree's steady sword clashes against Hero's fiery might. Smoke's substance boils in the heat as he tries to weaken his body. The fight is currently at a stalemate. Hopefully, GM does not jump into action.

R-run.

Sush. I'm here now...

As I try to caress Nar. My furry paws try to-

B-behind you!

I try to roll to the side, but it was too late. GM, the unholy angel, strikes me at the side. My ribs hurt so bad.

Huff! I think my chest plates received a dent.

"You!" Jim screams. An angry from, almost demonic. A raging aura of light flood my vision. Shadows dance as if cast by a flame. I find it hard to look away from the light that attempts to consume my will.

"Accomplices of Canon Fodder! You deserve to die! You must die! For corrupting precious Prometheus!"

The angelic light waving in the air solidify into a spear pointed at me. Jim rears herself into throwing the spear.

But before she throws the spear, she erupts into pained screaming.

Hm!

Nar's teeth sink into her ankles, locked in place like in a steel trap. Gleaming blood leak into the stone.

"Why you!" Angry black rage paints Jim's face.

I take the chance to attack. I pounce into her chest, pushing her to the ground. She emits vicious snarls and growls and screams as she struggled against my weight. I keep on pressing on her, averting my sight from her light.

"Get off her!" Hero growls. Tree takes the chance to take a decisive strike.

Tree pummels Hero with the flat side of his sword. He falls to the ground, breathless. An angry scowl forms in his. Enchanted flames burns in his eyes. Blood leaks from his nose.

"I'll deal with you later." Hero scrambles to help his charmer. We do intend to let her free from our teeth, so I begin to drag GM across the stones.

"Stop that! How dare you ruffians!" She screams.

Hero is filled with determination, but this determination has distracted him. Tree holds his sword against him. Tree attacks him; the sword digs its teeth into Hero's flesh. His fiery might sears the air but it was powerless to burn Tree's earthy element.

His hands burst to flames. Tree deftly dodged his scratches. He pulls the toothed blade from Hero's arm. Vivid red blood profusely flows from the torn flesh. The charmed Hero staggers, saliva leaking from his mouth. Tears and stains deface his blue vest.

Hero charges against Tree one last time. He totters forward with flaming claws. His speed turns into a blur. His burning fist lands squarely at Tree's groin, causing the latter to fall over to the ground.

Before Hero could take advantage, Tree sweeps Hero off his feet. The two scrambles to take a decisive position over another. Hero kicks the sword as far away from Tree. His touch has tainted the sword with a bit of bronze coloring. Smoke attempts to pick it and give it back to Tree, but Hero's essence in the blade burns unwanted holders.

The fight devolves into a brawl. Tree and Hero wrestles on the stony ground, pummeling each other with punches. Hero grows paler and anemic as the brawl moves on. Eventually, it ends with Tree sitting on a bleeding Hero. His blue wool sticky with blood and his eyes lacking life. He has lost all his energy to fight.

Smoke presses its hand onto Hero's face, letting him inhale a little bit of its substance. The poor blue bear finally falls unconscious.

"There, fighting blue bear. Sleep," Tree breaks his silence.

"Hrmph!" Some help here, please! I try to sound out, but my mouth is full. GM squirms and grunts as she tries to free herself mine and Nar's grip.

"Y-yeah." I signed.

Tree turns to Jim. Her angry face scowling at Tree's impassive expression.

"Gudmúndr, the charmer star." Tree stares directly at GM, unaffected by her angelic. "I understand that you are angry. Your wrath is misplaced. Prometheus is to blame. It always has been."

"No! Liar!"

Tree continues. "Prometheus has been this way for as long as I can remember. We are but tools to use and dispose of. I was even created with this knowledge, and I have witnessed enough to know that it is true." From somewhere, Tree produces a syringe filled with transparent yellow fluid. "Rest your delusions, Gudmúndr. Rest well. Prometheus means well, but his means are rather unorthodox."

~END INTERREGNUM~