Right, left, right, left. The cadence at which Jim’s fists thundered through the air had become as familiar to the middle-aged man as the air he breathed. He was still getting used to the changes magic had wrought to his body though. He glanced down at the sunlight reflecting off his brilliant golden skin. He still didn’t fully understand why his skin had turned gold, other than it was something about his magic, but he decided he couldn't resent the change given that it seemed to be the reason why the demon Mavier’s scimitar had yet to do much more than chip flakes of gold away from his skin.

Left, right, left, left, and Jim’s breath caught in his throat as the blade of his opponent faltered, allowing for Jim’s left fist to swing forwards with a quick jab to a partially unprotected stomach. Jim grimaced, sucking back a hissing noise as the flame cloaking Mavier managed to melt a patch of skin on his knuckles, burning through patches of the gold to reach his stark white bones. It hurt, but he could still fight.

So far, not bad. Jim considered to himself, his legs pushing at the air to gain a few more feet of height and place him level again with his opponent. Far over his head, a jet of water thundered through the air, producing an eerie shrieking sound as it was caught on the edge of a palm to be deflected harmlessly down to the muddy ground below. Just wish Elena would figure something out, give us an advantage I could use.

The crux of it all was the demon’s mix of offense and defense, along with whatever those rats were doing to apparently make Mavier stronger than before. Elena had already cursed about that, after Mavier had literally sliced the miniscule, yet razor sharp jet of water heading straight for his head in two, almost faster than the eye could see. Jim, obviously, deferred to her experience in the subject matter as he knew little of rats. Still, it was downright odd to see them draped around Mavier’s lithe gray body like a fur cloak, a living one at that. He had a few tooth marks on his gold-coated legs to attest to that fact.

Another ‘huff’ of exertion exited Jim’s lips, and he leaped towards Mavier to try his luck once more. In response, Mavier only tightened his lips and leapt forwards to intercept. Sunlight flashed on metal, and the dance renewed.

Switching it up worked last time, but not again. Guess he’s used to it. Should I make a sacrifice? Or is it too early in the game to do something like that.

Hell in a handbasket, I wish Elena had come up with a more concrete plan.

Try as he might, Jim couldn’t quite see any way forwards, towards some real progress, unless he expanded his range of options. Fists flashed against steel, and a flash of pain as a palm strike from Mavier caught Jim straight in the stomach sent his thoughts reeling.

Aw to hell with it.

Jim’s eyes snapped forwards and he lunged towards Mavier, ignoring the unpleasant warmth growing ever nearer. Another flurry of blows was dispatched by Jim, each one sloppier than the last, until finally, Mavier swung his scimitar towards Jim’s exposed arm.

Who then caught it in the crook of his elbow.

Mavier’s brows raised in surprise as his mind processed the fact that his blade could not even move an inch. His mouth opened, forming the beginning of a startled shout as a handful of rats began to race across Mavier’s shoulder.

And then, it all ceased to matter.

Jim blinked as he stared at the strange grey man not even a few feet away from him as they both fell through the air at what a tiny voice in the back of his brain told him was a rather lethal rate!

“Wha-“

Jim blinked as it felt like his brain had been turned into a rubber band, snapped across the room by an excitable kid. Without even a second to spare he kicked at the air, heedless of the blade that was tugged from his arm.

What the hell?!

He had no idea what had happened. It was like one moment, his brain was there, and then the next it said ‘goodbye, Jim’ and hopped out on the road for a drive outside of his head. Behind him, Carlos’s panicked shouts furthered his confusion.

A coincidence? Or did that happen to all of us? Mavier was falling as well, and regained height around the same time I did.

He shook his head, and then blinked in confusion. Jim’s head swiveled to face the ground, trembling in his efforts to keep it still. And then he saw It. So cool, so comforting. Like he was a boy again, falling asleep in his mother’s arms as she sat in her rocking chair on those nights he couldn’t sleep. It could see him too.

He only had to fall. Voices called out to… no, what was his name? He couldn’t remember.

…

Did it even matter?

They called out to him all the same. A thousand voices, all speaking together. It was like those times his father had taken him to a ball game, when the fans were chanting various slogans for their teams, everyone shouting together.

They all shouted.

They all crooned.

He couldn’t help but mutter along.

“Have you ever seen? Seen something so incredibly beautiful, so softly comforting?”

Then, as the last letter fell from his mouth, the man blinked again as the world felt like it once more had light and color. Jim’s eyes widened in fear, and his legs tore at the air as he backpedaled to draw even with his colleagues, not even hesitating a single moment before he grabbed both of them under his arms and shot towards the forest.