Mikel heard the scream, short and terrified, before jumping to his feet, simultaneously reaching for his staff.
Tyrese had also gotten up, alarmed and he looked towards the direction the shout had come from, his hands moving to the dagger a few feet away from him.
“Did you hear that?” he asked Mikel, unsheathing his weapon, eyes darting around them.
Before the Druid could answer, Astra burst out from beyond the trees, running so fast Mikel first mistook her for an Assassin.
Her steps were hurried and frantic and more than once, she stumbled, panting harshly, like her body couldn’t move fast enough for her to get away.
“It’s coming,” she said frenziedly as she got closer, pushing Tyrese aside and grabbing the dagger from him, taking a defensive stance.
Impatiently, Astra tugged at her collar, tearing it in her haste, but the look on her face told of fearful indifference. Her hands shook as she gripped the dagger tight but her voice was strong. “I won’t let it take me.”
A shudder went through Mikel as he watched her, the fear on her face enough to start a chain reaction in him. If this was a No Blessed, he was not prepared. He had not gotten the opportunity to fight one before leaving the Church, he didn’t know they worked.
What if it was beyond his level of power? What was great enough to make Astra run?
“What’s coming?” Tyrese said impatiently, grabbing Astra’s shoulder firmly. She shrugged his hand off aggressively and faced him, her voice sharp.
“Arm yourself.”
Tyrese snorted, annoyingly so, and looked at her almost contemptuously, “What’s gotten you so worked up, Bay-son? A knight of –“
Anguished screams invaded the air, and around the three warriors, a thick fog was beginning to spread, hiding their feet from them.
Astra’s voice wavered. “It’s here.”
The mist began to form a figure, starting with the legs, and as a humanoid body began to form from nothing, Mikel wanted to disappear.
His knees wobbled and he held unto his staff tighter, lest he fall. The realization came to him instantly, this was a Demon.
Without thinking, he began to speak, calling a spell into place.
“Irredeemable are the hearts of the rejected but for the divine beloved, the Blessed of the world, ye shall have heavenly benediction.”
The earth began to rumble and shake, a loud awful sound and with it came a square, transparent shield that separated them from the Demon who had now fully formed.
For some reason, it looked like Koenig Mark, albeit a much older and grotesque version. As it noticed the shield, it grinned, showing carved carnivorous teeth and Mikel inhaled sharply, steeling his resolve. Now was not the time to show fear, even if he badly wanted to.
“It can’t get us in here, the shield won’t allow No Blessed past it,” Mikel said the words to himself more than his companions, needing to be reassured. He held his staff protectively in front of him, slightly leaning on it to support himself.
Tyrese blew out a breath, obviously annoyed at the turn of things and turned to Astra. “That’s a mere Demon, Bay-son. You were running away from a Demon? You’re a knight, a high level one at that. Go kill it!”
Astra shrank back at the notion, shaking her head furiously and muttering to herself. Her voice was quiet when she replied. “I can’t.”
Grunting derisively, Tyrese grabbed the dagger from her with a glare. “Where was this lack of enthusiasm when you were trying to kill me a day ago?”
YOU ARE READING
No Blessed ✓
Fantasy- Completed - For Mikel Ark, being offered a job by the world's biggest gaming company is a dream come true, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will launch his career as a hotshot programmer. But what Mikel hasn't been told is that his employer's...
