The orange and blue fire that covered her body, first felt hot, so hot that it became cold. Her body held two different temperatures. Her bones and veins were raging hot, while her muscles and skin were icy cold. Her body shivered violently due to the changing temperatures in her body.
The pain it caused her made Sya clench her teeth and squeeze her eyes shut as waves of pain ebb and flow through her, from head to toe. It took all of her will to hold on. Hold on to her sanity. All she could feel was the burning pain within her. A loud white noise filled all of her senses.
The hot and cold flames seeped deeper and deeper into her, making its way towards her heart. All Sya could do was lay there in pain and agony as the entity slowly embedded it’s way into her, claiming her completely.
-------------------------
“Wait for me!” Ju Long thought as he, his guards, Ai and Sya’s Shade Hunters flew above the clouds making their way towards Blackmire Island.
Their ship could no longer travel towards the Island. It was suck in an illusion array that the Demon Master set up. It took them a couple of days to realize that they were caught in the illusion and have been traveling in circles. Ju Long made the captain sail back into safe waters before leaving the ship behind. If he could get to Sya by ship, he’ll fly to her instead.
According to the Shade Hunters, they were not too far from Blackmire Island. They have been flying above the clouds for two days when they finally saw the Island. However to see half the Island in flames, brought a sense of urgency inside of him.
“Hurry!” Ju Long said as he saw the many ships that were docked on the Island began to sail away. “Something must have happened!”
As the 12 of them came closer to the island, they could see people fighting men dressed in all black. There were families that were running towards the dock, trying to escape, men, women, and children ran towards freedom.
Those that were dressed in black where trying to stop them from leaving. Ju Long immediately joined the fighting. Saving civilians and families from the men dressed in black. His back was covered by his three guards as Ai and the Shade Hunters spread out around him. They covered each other’s backs like a well oiled machine.
Ju Long fought those who attacked him, not knowing if they were friend of foe. Anyone who attacked children or families were immediately cut down.
They made their way into the small city and around them were bodies dead men, women, and children laying around. Ju Long’s stopped fighting for a moment when he saw what was in the middle of the city square.
It was the exact replica of his wife. His Sya. His determination to get her back ignited his will to keep on fighting.
Seeing a group of people needing help, Ju Long jumps in and starts fighting the men dressed in black. The people who were once surrounded and had lost hope of surviving gained a moment to relax as the group of 12 helped them fight the Shadow Guards.
“Who are you?” Damio asked as Ju Long stepped beside him to help him fight off three Shadow Guards.
“Where’s my wife?” Ju Long asked as he swung his sword.
“Who’s your wife?” Damio asked as he ducked out of the way of a blade that was aimed at his head.
“Sya! Where’s Sya?” Ju Long asked as he killed the man in front of him.
“Princess Sya’s married!?!” Damio asked as he too finished cutting down the man who was attacking him.
With the help of Ju Long, his guards, Ai and Sya’s Shade Hunters, they quickly killed the mob of Shadow Guards.
“Where is she!” Ju Long demanded one more time.
Damio put his hands up to pacify Ju Long. He then used his sword to point towards the forest.
“Our Demon Father brought her into the woods.” Damio told Ju Long. “Exactly where? I do not know. They left about an hour ago, if you go now, you can still pick up their trail.”
Ju Long nodded and before he could take a step, Damio stopped him.
“Wait! Brother-in-law!” Damio said. “We… we don’t know if she’s... if he…. what he wants with Princess Sya… but should… should Princess Sya and you survive. Tell her.... tell her… thank you.”
Damio turned around and quickly left with the surviving siblings and shade hunters.
“Fucken cowards!” Ai spat out as she started marching towards the forest. “I’ll uproot every goddamn tree, turn every rock over, drain every pond and river to find my Princess!”
The Seven Shade Hunters followed behind Ai without a word. For they too, would do the same. Ju Long could only agree with her and follow her as well.
Deeper and deeper into the forest they ran. Their awareness was on high alert as the fire that was burning the small city behind them began to burn the forest that they were currently running in.
They followed the trail of footsteps that lead them to a cliff. The 12 of them stopped when they looked over the cliff. Was Sya pushed over? Did they kill Sya here? How come there was no blood or any signs of a fight? Sya would never have let anyone kill her without a fight.
“It’s an array.” Yuki said as he threw a rock towards the cliff. Instead of the rock falling down the cliff, it disappeared.
One by one, they crossed over the array and saw the mouth of the cave. And from the cave a light was lit inside. Making their way inside they kept quiet as they could hear the conversation between Master and subordinate.
“Uprising! There is an uprising of the Young masters and Young Misses!”
“Those ungrateful, unfilial, worthless children think they could escape me!” Zion shouted as his anger erupted.
Never once in his lifetime has any of his children have the courage to raise a hand against him. All of a sudden they all banded together to leave him! Without his permission! How dare they!
His anger erupted and called upon the the storms and the sea. The clear night sky suddenly had clouds as gust of high winds began to blow. Thunder sounded loudly and lightning flashed quickly. A heavy storm started brewing as rain began to fall.
Zion’s eyes turned completely white as he called upon the storms and sea. The sea became unsettled as waves crash on to one another, causing the ships to wave back and forth. From the sky a tornado appeared and headed straight towards the ships that were trying to escape. The waves became bigger and bigger, causing one ship to turn over. The cries of people were soon lost to the cries of the storm.
Suddenly, a straight silverlight shot forth towards Zion. In his state of madness of controlling the storm and the sea, was his most vulnerable, so his Shadow Guards protected him every time. Seeing the silverlight aimed towards their Demon Master, the closest guard jumps in front it and is instantly killed when the silverlight hits him.
What they didn’t expect was that the silverlight would pass through his chest and continue towards its target. The next guard placed himself in front of the silverlight and he too was killed instantly.
From the shadows, there were 10 silverlights that were shot forth towards the guards and the maids that stepped forward to block the attack. Their mission was to protect the Demon Master, for if he died, they would die too. Their fates were tied with him when he created them. So it was important for them to protect him. Even if it meant their life. They had to try to live.
As the silverlights hit the targets, twenty people died instantly. The other 14 surrounds Zion as Zion keeps calling the storm and the sea to drown and bury those that would try to run away from him. He was their creator, their life! He could also take that life away! Their deaths belonged to him!
From the shadows, the 12 of them ran forward, fighting the 14 Shadow Guards. The silverlight was a special technique that Sya had taught her Shade Hunters and Ai. It was used as a final attack on enemies should they find themselves out numbered. It was a technique Sya taught them when they lived on Blackmire Island and it was the ace up their sleeves should they ever find themselves in a situation where they thought they were outnumbered.
Upon seeing that they were outnumbered, Ai first launched her silverlight technique to test the Shadow Guards, and upon seeing that they couldn’t defend against them, Sya and the Shade Hunters unleashed the silverlight. With Ai being more proficient in the silverlight technique, she unleashed three instead of one when she attacked. It was her limit, but the ten silverlight was enough to kill 20 guards in one move.
They fought the Shadow Guards and maids. Their already tired body and minds fought the Shadow Guards and maids that were full of vigor. Their bodies were littered with cuts and bruises, but they still fought. Slowly but surely they began to turn the tide when Ju Long was able to break the Shadow Guard’s defense and kill him, the two maids that stayed by Zion’s side charged towards Ju Long, leaving Zion defenseless.
Upon seeing Ju Long kill the Shadow Guard, the rest of them felt their moral lift up with hope that they would win. Their bodies took hits with fists and blades. They bled profusely, but their will to keep on fighting did not waver. Upon seeing the Shade Hunters redouble their efforts, the Shadow Guards began to lose. One by one, the Shadow Guards lost their lives. The maids that attacked Ju Long, soon died too. When the group saw their chance to kill Zion, they all attacked him at the same time.
However the moment their swords came into range, there was a force field that sparked red, then deflected their attack. A wave of dark power flowed out and the group was blown away by the dark power.
The dark qi reached out and held the group under its powers as Zion kept controlling the storm and sea. The dark qi, suppressed the group down. It’s terrifying power latched on to them and started draining their qi. No matter how hard they fought the dark qi, they could not move a single muscle to counterattack. They were held still, under the suppression of power as it slowly drained them dry of their qi.
Zion’s eye opened up to see his surroundings. What he saw surprised him. His Shadow Guards and maids laid dead around him and 12 people were struggling with the dark qi that protected him.
Zion’s eyes opened in surprise as he noticed who they were. He realized the faces of the maid and Shade Hunters he gave to his Princess Sya. Zion laughed at the circumstances. His Princess, who he had treasured the moment she was born, never held him inside of her heart. She hated him. She was not kidnapped. But she ran away from him. The only reason why she came back, was because she was protecting her people. People who came to rescue her and destroy him. They were the reason why his children raised their hands against him. They were the reason why his children wanted to leave him. It was because of them that he lost everything he built.
As Zion raised his hand to kill the people in front of him. Suddenly, a flash of light shot forward. It broke through the red forcefield and headed straight towards Zion as Zion’s eyes enlarged with surprise and disbeilf.
The white light engulfed Zion completely, causing a shadow over everyone. They could only watch in horror as the white fur monster took hold of Zion’s arm and ripped it off his body. It’s claws came up and slashed his body before it’s mouth took hold of his other arm and ripped it off.
Zion cried out in alarm. He had forgotten about the little pet, Princess Sya called Snowball. He had not seen the damn Demon Monster, how could he forget about it?! What irony!
He was the one who created it, now it was the reason why he laid on the cold cave ground as his blood seeps out of his shoulders, where his arms were supposed to be. He would never have thought that he would die this way. He had created the Demon Monster with his own hands, but it was his downfall. He regretted creating it.
The white demon monster dug it’s head into Zion’s stomach and ripped out a chunk out of it. It dug it’s head deeper and deeper into Zion as it ate Zion’s innards. Zion’s screams out in pain and soon died when the demon monster bit and ate Zion’s face.
Ju Long, his guards, Ai and the Shade Hunters slowly stood up as the white demon monster finished eating Zion. The once mad tyrant was no more. The demon monster turned to look at the group of people once, before turning around and running deeper into the cave.
“What was that?” Ai asked as she stared at the monster’s back.
“Don’t know.” Yuki said as he leaned up against the cave wall to catch his breath. “Whatever it is. It saved our lives.”
“Do you think it wants us to follow it?” Thorvald ask as he checked over Ju Long’s injuries.
“I don’t know.” Ju Long said as he stared down the cave. “But it’s heading towards Sya. And that’s where we’re going