I patted their shoulders as I slowly stood on my own. I staggered back and almost fell again but I managed to stand. I lifted up my hand and smiled as Aegis and Asurmaru were ready to catch me again. I felt a blade cut through the skin of my back. The final strike was a sword that pierce through my stomach. I turned my head around to see how it was as I fell to my knees. Again. I completely forgot about the Shapeshifter who was still a sword and the Restless Knight who both had a hole in their chestplate.
Aegis and Asurmaru slowly walked behind me and I saw them lift their hands at them. I looked away and the sound of an explosion came from behind. The force was powerful. I looked behind me again. There was a huge crater on the ground.
"Don't you guys think you went a little too far?" They turned around.
"We did kill them though."
"Yes but did you have to put an actual crater in the ground." I suddenly felt my strength returning to me and the pain of my wounds dying down.
"Your one to talk," Aegis huffed as she looked away.
"Hmm. Are my eyes still silver," I asked.
"Well they were a moment ago but now their red," Asurmaru answered.
"Thanks. Just try not to push yourself to hard," I said.
I started to wonder and make sense of what Joseph said to me. I shook my head and looked at my body. I covered in cuts, bruises and blood from my wounds. I picked myself up and lowered the wall that used to block the entrance. I could feel a small breeze from the opening. I called for Storm and waited. I could hear the sound of horse hoofs stomping on the ground, Storm stepped into the light and stopped in front of me. His gaze was fixated on Aegis and Asurmaru.
"Don't worry you can trust them." I mounted Storm.
Aegis and Asurmaru followed. Storm turned around and started running into the darkness. Even though I could barely see what was up ahead, Storm had no problem finding his way out of the cave. At the cave entrance the King and princesses were waiting.
"What are you doing here?" I pulled back Storm's reins.
"We are waiting for someone." answered the King, "More importantly, what about you? There's bloodstains on your clothes and blood is dripping down your arm."
I looked at our surroundings. I noticed something moving up on the trees.
"I am fine. But this really isn't a good spot to wait around." Princess Angel stood up straight.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Asurmaru jumped off of Storm, Aegis did the same.
They casted a spell and the heads of monsters fell in front of me.
"Bet you didn't sense their presence did you?" Princess Angel looked at her feet.
"Well I know someone who lives in the mountains over there. It's closer than the nearest village. You guys can wait there until this someone comes get you if they don't find you I'll escort you back to the capital." Wings came out from Aegis and Asurmaru's back.
They hovered next to me. "My king you'll ride with me. You three will be carried by them." I pointed at Aegis and Asurmaru.
"They aren't human are they," The king calmly asked.
"No they aren't." I pointed over at Aegis, "Her name is Aegis and she is an Angel." I pointed at Asurmaru, "Her name is Asurmaru and she's a demon."
Asurmaru picked up Princess Vivienne and Princess Angel. I worried for Asurmaru. I told her not to push herself but she's doing it anyways.
"H-h-hold on," Princess Vivienne said in a quivering voice as she looked up at Asurmaru.
"Don't worry they are under a contract they won't do anything to hurt you unless told too," I assured them.
"Then which one is yours and where is the other contractor?" I lifted hands and showed them backside of my hand.
"I am both of their contractors." They all just stared at me.
"That is very hard to believe. Those who try and form a contract with both, have died," Princess Angel responded.
I sighed and lifted up my hands, showing them the back of my hands. I then created a bubble of water on one hand and a ball of fire on my other hand. I held it a bit higher before I made a fist and the bubble of water and ball of fire dissappeared.
"Enough proof for you all," I asked, while I picked up Storms reigns again.
They nodded reluctantly and I looked back at the king and grinned. The king simply chuckled and nodded. I faced ahead and heard a faint sound in the trees. I pressed Storm's stomach and he took off. I took the lead as Asurmaru and Aegis followed behind me as we headed up the mountain. I avoided any paths that monsters reguarly took. Along with the sound of Aegis and Asurmaru's wings flapping, the clopping of Storm's hooves, I could still hear the sound of something moving along the trees. When we were halfway there I could feel Princess Vivienne staring a hole at me. I looked up at her.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Weren't your eyes Silver before? Why are they red now," She asked.
"Well right now its Asurmaru power that's keeping me alive at the moment. She pinning my life down to my body so I don't die. I'd probably die from the loss of blood and my wounds if my eyes turn back to silver." I looked over Asurmaru who looked extremely tired.
"Hey Asurmaru are you sure you don't want one of them to get on Storm? I think he can handle one more," I called out.
"I can carry another if you want me too," Aegis offered.
She shook her head but she looked exhuasted even so she was still able to carry the two of them I looked back at Asurmaru every now and then to make sure she was okay while we continued our way up the mountain. The sun had already set when I spotted a wooden cabin in the distance as well as a gray stone building with a chimmeny near it.
"Guys it's up ahead." I pulled back Storm's reins and helped the king dismount him.
Storm ran off into the woods. Asurmaru and Aegis set the princesses down on the ground before landing themselves. They retracted there wings and I heard something in the tree for a second before it came to a full stop.
"Are you sure you want that horse out in the woods Asher?" The voice came from behind.
I turned around and saw two figures heading our way, one of them was running towards. Everyone but Aegis, Asurmaru, and I had their guard up with their weapons out.
"Lower your weapons. They aren't our enemies." I walked up to then only to get tackled down.
"You guys really have gotten bigger. How are you guys doing? Clementine, Jax?" They didn't bother getting off me.
"We would be doing better if you stop treating us like children. We are only 2 years younger than you after all," Clementine complained and I put on a shocked face.
"Really! I had no idea," I gasped.
"You and Keandra come to house on our birthday's how did you forget?" Clementine hit me on the head.
"Jeez I was only joking. Now can you please off me now?" I got up knocking the two back.
"Oh yeah I need to introduce you guys." I turned around and stood in front of Jax and Clementine.
"This one here is Clementine. She is rather good at Ketimesterin Arts. The other one here is Jax. He is a good hunter," I pointed over at the house, "Their mother Rima makes amazing food all the time. Axel is the father and he is a blade smith."
"Will your parents be okay with the royal family staying at your house for a bit," I asked as I turned to Jax
"Mother and father would be more than delighted to have them over. Also before I forget." I faced Clementine and lifted my shirt up to show her my wounds.
"Can you use your Arts to heal me up? I kind of took a small beating when I fought the Angel Slayer." She grabbed my wrist and took me into the house.
I waved at Rima and Axel as we ran inside. Clementine made me sit on a chair.
"How can you act so calm? With these kinds of wounds you should be dead already," Clementine groaned, "Hurry up, shirt off."
I took off my shirt per her order. Clementine eye's widened when she looked at my body with a gaping hole, blood trickling down from the hole in my shoulder and my chest. She hovered her hand over one of my wounds and a small light started to glow from her palm that glew brighter and bigger until it covered her hand completely. A soothing warmth emitted from the light, I smiled as the wound on my shoulder started to close. Clementine moved over to my other shoulder after the wound on my right shoulder closed up completely, leaving a nearly unoticable scar behind. Once she healed all my other I turned around for her to heal the wounds on my back. The bright light shinning from behind me dimmed down and soothing warmth dissappeared. I got up and turned around to face Clementine.
"Well you should be fine. Just don't be doing anything to crazy for now you still lost a lot of blood. Don't cast a huge spell or Art. You'll most likely pass out if you do. Speaking of blood you need to go and wash that off," Clementine sighed.
"Thanks again. You really are good at this," I said.
"Just go and wash off the blood," She responded.
I walked out of the house and created a bubble of water above me and dropped it on top of me. The blood didn't completely wash of the first time so I created another bubble of water and dropped it on top of me. I dryed myself with a gust of wind before putting back on my shirt. I walked over to and sat next to Aegis and Asurmaru.
"Clementine healed my wounds you can rest now," I said.
Asurmaru laid down on the grass before curling up into a ball and closing her eyes. She fell asleep immediatly and didn't respond when I called her. She looked as if she was in peace as she slept. I heard the sound of something moving in the trees again. I sighed and looked over at Aegis. She nodded then got up and picked up Asurmaru in a swift motion. She turned around and walked off. First came the sound of her recideing footsteps, next the sound of a door opening, then the door gently closing, and finally the sound of the footsteps of everybody inside.
"Now then to deal with this." I looked up at the trees to see a girl who standing on top of a tree branch.
She had the same sliver hair color as I did but her eyes were blue and she looked around my age. I noticed she was wearing a Millennia armor breast plate and pauldrons. They were well taken care of when I looked at the shinning silver of the armor. There was a sword and shield crest on her right pauldro and the Millennia crest on the other. She wore black pants and brown boots. Out of nowhere she casted a water spell with a lightning spell infused with it.
"She's suppose to be the kingdom's best soldier. Which one is she though? The sword or the shield? Now that I think about it she has the nickname of The Sliver Flower right? Did she only get that name for her hair?" She hugged the tree and her legs were shaking.
"So much for beings Triserenaga of Millennia. The girl is afraid of heigths," I muttered under my breath.
The small tree branch she stood on suddenly snapped and she fell. I jumped towards her and caught her. She punched me in the face as soon as we landed back on the ground. She then knocked me into the ground and summoned her weapon then held it at my neck. She was going to pierce my throat but the king and his daughters came out through the door.
"Julie stop this at once. That boy isn't our enemy he was the one who saved us," The king ordered.
Lady Julie let her weapon disperse and got off me. She walked over to Princess Ima.
"She says that she doesn't trust you right now." She continued whispering.
"She's also wondering what you were planning to do with us," Princess Ima said for Lady Julie again.
Before I even responded I heard the sound of a huge explosion. I turned around but wasn't able to see anything becuase of the surrounding trees.
"I'll go and check it out." Aegis flew up above the trees. She came back with news I never wanted to hear.
"There's a giant fire in the distance, it looks like it's coming from Tippleton." I immediately called for Storm and we headed towards Tippleton.
I began preparing a large water spell that would create a rainstorm all over Tippleton.
"Stop it Asher. Clementine told you not to," Aegis reminded.
I ignored her and continued. Once I finished the spell I felt exhausted.
"See this is what she was telling you about." I slapped myself.
"It doesn't matter. I am only going to pass out anyways." It took us 30 minutes to down the mountain and another 10 to reach the south gate of Tippleton.
There fires were gigantic, they were all taller than the walls of Tippleton. I stared at the clouds of smoke that loomed over Tippleton like a giant shadow. The nauseating scent of the smoke flared up my nostrils. A sharp pain coursed through my head, a blurry image appeared infront of me, there was a woman infront of me, her face was extremly blurry to make out and something that looked like a fire was behind her but it was too blurry to tell as well. The pain suddenly eased and the image dissappeared. I looked back up and saw Tippleton on fire. I shook my head and released the spell I prepared. The spell broke through the smoke and a second later drops of water started to fall until it started raining heavily.
We pushed through the streets of Tippleton. There was buildings falling apart, flaming pieces crashing down onto the road. Blood blanketed the roads, with corpses covered in cuts, some were missing body part, some even charred to a crisp. Parts of the flaming buildings fell on top of them. I saw others trying to put out the flames while others were healing the injuries of others.
I kept focus on reaching the house while Storm jumped over the flamming rubble. Body's were scattered across the perimiter of the house that was on fire, blood splatter across the ground. Their bodies were slowly disappearing like when a monster was killed. There was a dark figure that looked like it was wearing a cloak and it stood over. I got off Storm and walked closer to the figure. I stared at the body only to notice it was Keandra, a sword had been impaled through her chest, and a pool of blood was underneath her. There was also many other wounds across her body that looked extremly deep and a burn mark on her right arm. The man's head suddenly turned towards me.
"Bastard!" I yelled at him
I ran up to the figure in rage and tried to punch him but he jumped back then punched me before jumping far away again. His punched pushed me back when I blocked it. I lowered my arms and glared at him. The ground cracked but I calmed down when I caught a small glimpse of his eyes and noticed a strange sadness in them. The figure dissappeared in an instant and without a second thought I immediatly rushed over to Keandra side.
"Keandra. Keandra." I desperately called, shaking her.
Her eyes opened slowly.
"Oh...hey...Asher." She looked at the sword in her chest.
Clementine. I can take her to Clementine to heal her, I looked at the pool of blood around her again, There's so much blood. Is it all hers? She won't make the trip. It's a miracale she's talking to me right now. No. No, I won't accept it. Focus! Take her to Clementine!
"I know what you're thinking...Asher. I don't think I'll make it there. I have already lost too much blood," Keandra said weakly.
"No! You don't know that. We can make it," I denied as I dropped my head.
Keandra grabbed my hand, and I looked at her.
"Asher you know the truth. Don't deny it," Keandra said.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry if only I was able to use Ketimesterin Arts like Clementine. If...if...if I could...if only I could use them, I could save you. I could have saved them. I could've saved Father. I could've saved Mother." I squeezed her hand.
Keandra looked up, "Hey look Asher."
I followed her gaze. The clouds slowly parted revealing the moon surrounded by different colored stars.
No. No, no, no, no, no it can't be. Not today. Why is this happening today, I started to cry.
"You're mean Asher. You forgot our birthday didn't you," Keandra laughed weakly, "I'm just kidding, Asher."
I looked at Keandra. She was smiling.
"Can you let me have another selfish request? Can you smile for me, please?"
Keandra's grip on my hand started to grow weaker as I heasitated to give me answer.
"Please...Asher," Her voice sounded weaker than it did before.
I nodded. I wiped my tears and forced a smile.
"Happy birthday, Asher. I ... love ... you."
Her eyes went lifeless as they closed. Her hands nearly slipped out of my hands but I quickly held it tighter and pressed it against my face.
"Happy birthday, Keandra. I love you too."
I hugged Keandra as I countiued to cry. I heard a voice but it was completely distorted. I was only able to make out a few words.
"Gods. Hunt. Down. Help. Find. Us."
The voices went silent and I felt my body grow tired and weak. I tried to stay awake but my body eventually gave in. I let go of Keandra's hand I fell beside Keandras body and I passed out.