Aiyana

Chapter seven - Inara, Sage of Life

"Ellie?" Devan mumbles behind me as I turn to see him entangled in Vients. "Really, Devan," I roll my eyes, cutting him free as he flies higher in the air above me, "you have wings, yet you still get stuck?"
He rolls my eyes at me as I sense a Vinet behind me, and slash without looking, my sword coming into contact with a Vinet. Devan's mouth drops. He crosses his arms, "show off!" I chuckle at his jealousy, and resume cutting up Vinets.
Hurry, Lydia. They're getting stronger.

Exorcism of spirits...Exorcism of ghosts...Exorcism of Krills...Exorcism of Angels...

"Ellie," I hear Dorian whine behind me, Vinets gripping his ankle and both arms. I roll my eyes, cutting him free, and stopping a Vinet before it touches me. "Both of you need to focus-" I'm cut off as a Vinet wraps around my ankle and pulls me onto the ground and slides me towards Inara.
"Ellie!" Dorian exclames as I see him running for me with his spear, then Devan's arrow blasts it back and Dorian cuts his spear through it.
I stand and cut a few more Vinets circling us. C'mon Dia...

Exorcism of Witches...Exorcism of Vampires...Exorcism of Demonic Entities... wait, there!
I scan the page, playing each step in my head.
With salt chunks create a circle around the Demonic Entity.
Ensure the salt is completely circling the Demonic Entity.
Recite the words:
"Alora din Aiyana, vă rugăm să ne protejați în timp ce avem de-a face cu această entitate demonică. Te rog, dă-ne magia ta minunată pentru a alunga această creatură și a o trimite înapoi acolo unde a venit"
Remind the possessed of a personal memory, object or person to pull their soul back into their body.

I stand and turn, alarmed at the sight of how many Vinets there are.
"Dorian! I got it, can you help," he quickly runs past a Vinet, hiding around the corner with me. I excitedly point to the illustration of salt chunks and look at him.
"Salt chunks... where do we get salt chunks?" he asks. My excitement fades as my mind searches for salt.
"What," Dorian smirks, catching my skeptical look.
"There's a glass bottle of salt on my desk in my library. I can teleport you there, then back." his eyes widened. "Are you sure?"
"Dorian. I teleported myself to Azora then both me and Devan to Coldovea, then all three of us here! I can do this." he pauses, swayed by my assurance, then finally he takes a deep breath.
"Alright. But how will I get back?"
I stop. That's true, actually. How will I know when he needs to come back?
My hand reaches into my bag and pulls out two purple stones. I hand one to Dorian.
"Press on the button," I say, as he presses and my stone glows purple. His eyes widen in surprise.
"When you're ready to come back, squeeze the stone." he nods, more confidently, then takes a deep breath.
"Think of my library. The Eirian library. You've been there. Recall a memory from the room. Focus," I wait, "got it?"
He hums in affirmation.
"Alright. Now, recite the words, 'Transport la destinatia dorita'. In three, two, one,"
"Transport la destinatia dorita," he suddenly glows a bright greenish-yellow color, then the glowing disappears, along with Dorian.
"Lydia! Argh-! You got it, yet?!" Elara shouts to me as she kills a Vinet.
I nod. "Almost ready! Just keep going, thank you, you're doing amazing!" I shout back.

As my eyes open, I notice my surroundings and step back a bit once I realize where I am. "Woah,"
I turn around and gape at the tall bookshelves and then I see Lydia's desk. I walk towards it, and fiddle with a pencil in a dark blue cup, before spotting the glass of salt. I grab it, and pull out the stone, pressing the button in the middle.
I wait ten seconds before squeezing it again.
Hm? It's not working... Maybe the distance is too much?
I squeeze again. Nothing.
Panic starts to rise as I look around. I pause. Maybe I have to say the spell again?
I picture the castle of light, Lydia, Elara and Devan. Fern, Kazumi and Inara.
"Transport la destinatia dorita,"
Suddenly the quiet dissipates and when I open my eyes I'm back in the corner with Lydia. She looks at me, then my hand and takes the salt.
"Dorian, you okay?" she asks, snapping me back. "Yes! Sorry, that was weird..." her signature comforting smile crosses her face, as she runs out into the 'battlefield', and I follow.
"Lydia! Thank Alora! Tell us what to do," Elara exclaims, slicing Vinets. I look up at Devan who is blasting back Vinets, looking at me.
"This salt needs to surround Inara. Devan, can you-" before I even ask, he swoops down and takes the salt, zooming above Inara. With one quick motion he lays the salt around Inara without her even noticing.
"What now," Elara questions as she cuts two Viinets with one slicing motion. I glance down at my book, discontent written all over my face.
"What," Dorian inquiries, stepping forward from my side.
"It's an exorcism; it's all in sylvic."
"Sylvic?" Devan questions, confused.
"It's the language of magic. I've studied it - for the purpose of spellcasting - but it's definitely difficult... and I've never performed an exorcism, but I've seen my mother do one," I look up to see their worried faces and quickly change my tone, "but I- I'll be fine! I can do this."
"Hmm? Finally given up? Haha! You know I'm stronger than you - and only four! Hahaha,"
As Inara laughs, I glance at the words preparing myself.

Deep breath...

"Alora din Aiyana, vă rugăm să ne protejați în timp ce avem de-a face cu această entitate demonică. Te rog, dă-ne magia ta minunată pentru a alunga această creatură și a o trimite înapoi acolo unde a venit!"
As I finish the incantation, I notice the red in her eyes flicker, and her sly expression shifts quickly to terror.
"Inara..?" Dorian utters, Inara's head snapping to him. I put my hand out to stop him from stepping forward.
"Not yet. If any of us touch her before the Dark Entity is fully out of her it could possess one of us." he steps back.
Suddenly, Inara shrieks her bright green eyes flickering back behind the red glow. As her shrieking grows louder I see Kazumi's head peek up from the ball he pulled himself into and look at Inara. I look at Fern's cage and notice her eyes full of dread. She probably saw this in a vision... oh, Fern.
Suddenly, Inara is pushed onto the ground by an invisible force and starts to cough. Black and red malice start sputtering out of her mouth as her green eyes flicker stronger, the red dying in her eyes.
As the last goop of malice joins the pile on the floor in front of Inara, it shakes then vaporizes and rises up in the air until it's above the ceiling, and Inara collapses onto the floor.
"Nari," I mumble, kneeling in front of her, "are you okay?"
Small sniffles sound from under her, everyone joining on the floor with us except for Devan who is floating. She slowly looks up at me, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry..!" she cries, my arms quickly wrapping around her trembling shoulders.
"I- Inara..?" Kazumi pipes up from inside the cage, Inara noticing him. She gasps and quickly breaks the cursed cage, the door swinging open as Kazumi jumps out and into Inara's arms. She breaks Fern's cage's curse as well, her hopping out and clinging immediately to my leg.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she apologies a million times. I kneel next to her again and wrap one arm around her shoulder. She looks at me.
"It's alright. It's okay," I smile at her, and she manages to return a small smile back.
Once everyone is out of a cage, reunited and calmed down a bit, Dorian walks up to me in the corner with my book.
"What's next?" He surprises me as he kneels in front of me.
"Um, probably Freya," he chuckles at my response.
"I mean, what's next today, silly," I giggle at myself. Regroup and go back to Azza village.
"We'll make our way back to Azza Village - hopefully to the Coren tribe, too. If the path isn't too risky. I know how worried you are about Lizx and the others," he smiles at me.
Suddenly, while walking down the path, a small mushroom monster leaps out onto the ground in front of me. Devan shrieks, hovering higher.
"Remi?"
The mushroom suddenly turns its head to Inara, and leaps into her arms. Inara giggles as she hugs the small thing.
"This is Remi! We played together a lot when I was a little kid. He's a kinoko. Their species are rather friendly, but Remi especially."
The mushroom wiggled itself up onto Inara's shoulder, as we continued walking.