"No matter how far it is to the top, it's still within my grasp!"~ Wukong, The Monkey King
I'll drop two chapters a day until the 10 chapters are uploaded. Don't have the patience for a mass release.
I know Daisy doesn't shine much here. But it is what it is. Having these many adopted children makes it so that you can't write about all of them. Don't worry though, her time to shine will come next arc.
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"Come quick!" Eileen called to the children in front of her as he reached for and grabbed Annie.
Annie wanted to stay and fight but she couldn't do anything as she was lifted off the ground and dragged away by Eileen.
Briar and Faye followed her without question while Rell turned around furiously and waved both her hands.
As the magic began to flow, its command over the metal became visible. Parts of the house that contained metal creaked and bent. It felt like the home was folding in on itself as the steel beams that weren't coated with Petricite collapsed in on itself blocking the way forward completely.
Rell turned around and began following them. "No one is getting through that side." She said.
Willa who had significant trouble running, had caught sight of that feat of magic. "How?" She asked.
"Ferromancy." Rell answered, "Power over metals."
"How is it that strong?" Eileen got out as her eyes flitted to every possible entrance from which an enemy might arrive.
"Experiments on me." Rell did not explain further.
But Willa gasped. "They did not."
"They did." Rell shook her head. "I got myself out but at that very moment. Father arrived with these lot and took me away."
"Let me down!" Annie wriggled in Eileen's arms.
Eileen wouldn't let go, "Stop..." She changed her grip on Annie, "Moving."
Watching Willa struggle, Briar leapt froward and lifted her up and continued running.
"What?"
"You are slow." Briar told bluntly.
Willa looked embarrassed, "I'm not the lightest."
"You are." Briar continued running," All of you are light."
They entered the room to find only the beasts remaining and the escape hole open. Eileen dropped Annie and ran to it.
"No...." She whispered. "It collapsed in on itself."
"Your parents left." Annie said.
Eileen turned to her, "What?"
"They left." Annie pointed to the exit.
"How do you know?" She asked.
She pushed her bear toward Eileen.
Eileen sighed.
"What do we do now?" Daani asked out loud.
Rell closed the door behind them and put one ear to it. "I can hear a few coming this way."
"We fight." Eileen said.
Willa summoned all the courage she had and said, "Children stand behind me. I'll protect you."
Annie placed a hand on her leg and smiled. "Okay."
Eileen shook her head. "We cannot stay here. They will surround us. We need to go outside."
"How?" Sydell asked.
She raised her sword and opened the door, "We cut through." After finishing her words, Eileen ran into the upcoming attackers.
Daisy smiled as her grip on her sword tightened.
SCHLINK
CRACKLE
A layer of ice formed over the weapon increasing its length.
She then joined Eileen in beating back the attackers.
As she swung, the weapons of the enemies froze over and a second strike shattered them. Any one who had the misfortune of coming in contact with the blade instantly died from the cold.
Eileen looked at the sword, impressed. "I need to get one of those." He grunted as she ducked under an attack and shoved her sword into her attacker's helm.
Her blade was a whirlwind as it cut through her enemies, carving open a path for them.
"COME!" She yelled.
GRRROWL
ROOARRR
The beasts bounded forth into the enemies and ripped into them alongside Eileen.
The children followed.
As they began running, Briar's ears twitched. "They are coming from behind as well."
As if to reinforce her words, a shout echoed through the corridor, "They are here! This way!"
"Ill take care of them." Rell said as she turned around, her magic flaring. But she stopped as Annie walked past her.
"Grrrr..." Annie growled as she threw Tibbers.
The bear flew out in a wide arc, catching fire as it fell.
The sewn seams broke apart as fire spilled forth into an inferno. The sudden burst of fire stopped the attackers from pushing forth.
HELLO
A massive hand pushed through the fire. Then followed a body. Tibbers had arrived in his full glory. Its maw spread apart in a wide smile, sharp teeth clearly visible.
TIME TO DIE
The bear lunged into the attackers without mercy. Wherever its paws passed, bodies fell. Melted, burnt and in pieces.
Their armor did nothing to stop them.
The attackers who seemed confident earlier slowed down and then started to back up. Fear coursing through them.
"M....Mo...Monster!" One of them yelled.
Tibbers leaped through the room and landed in front of the man.
OF COURSE. I AM A MONSTER.
It opened its mouth wide.
SEE
Flames bellowed forth completely incinerating the man.
Tibbers turned his head and saw Annie run further forward and away from him. He felt a nagging pull in the back of his mind.
It seemed that he couldn't stay too far from Annie in this form.
GOODBYE
The words echoed as the soldiers were confused.
The stitches on Tibbers opened up.
"N..NOOOO!"A soldier screamed as he began to run in the opposite direction.
"What manner of creature is th-" Another soldier spoke but he was cut off as the flames from within Tibbers washed over him. Removing him from existence.
Screams echoed through the corridor as the group ran.
"THAT is your bear?" Eileen yelled breathless as she continued her assault.
"Tibbers." Annie corrected. "That's his name."
"Well it isn't." Sydell corrected her.
"It is!" Annie shot back.
"Is not!" Sydell bickered. "Daddy told us the real name."
"But he like Tibbers more!"
Rell waved as the nearby metal flew around forming a protective shield around them.
"We are almost there." Eileen called to the children and the beasts.
The fought through and arrived to one of the house's many exits. The east wing exit that led to the street that connected to the shopping district.
As long as they were out in the open this would be solved.
WHOOOOSHHH
She turned behind as she saw a flame zip through behind them.
"TIBBERS!" Annie exclaimed as she pushed her hands outward in front of a group of attackers.
A burst of flame erupted from her hands and burnt them. But they were nowhere near as potent as Tibbers itself.
The attacker braced against the flames and then tried to attack but they found that they could not move. Their bodies were frozen in position. "What is this?" One exclaimed.
Another wailed as Rell and Faye sent sharp objects in their direction. "Why isn't the Petriciteworking?"
"No!" Another yelled as he was impaled.
"You can freeze them too?" Daisy called out to Annie. "WOW!" Her eyes glowed brightly as she found another thing in common with her first sibling.
Annie shrugged.
The chasing flame shot past them and burst through the wall and into a clearing outside. It landed and transformed into its full glory. A gigantic bear.
ROOOOOAAAAAAAAAR
Eileen led the children outside as she looked around for a pathway out.
"No way...." She muttered as she saw them being surrounded by almost all the remaining guards.
One of the captains stepped forth, "Captain Eileen. Let us have the kids. You can go free."
Eileen shook her head, "Never. They are my family. That makes them nobles. Are you willing to attack nobles without facing the consequences?"
The guard shook his head, "Unfortunately, your brother is not a noble. He was disinherited by Lord Spiritmight a few days ago. That makes his children also.... not noble."
Gritting her teeth and cursing her parents, Eileen raised her sword and pointed it at them. "Over my dead body."
"Well....." The guard shrugged, "We did try." He turned to the guards surrounding them. "Attack! Capture the children!"
Briar dropped Willa on the ground and growled as her persona shifted, taking a demonic expression. And then she ran. Not like a normal person but a blood crazed beast.
The very first attack that cam her way cut through her body like butter.
"NO!" Eileen and the children screamed.
But Briar did not stop. He clawed hand pushed through and speared the man, completely ignoring the blade in her body.
As the man fell down dead, Briar pulled the blade out.
The wound wriggled toward itself and closed. The blood that flowed out reversed its flow and went back into her body.
"What is that?" Daani asked.
"Briar can do that?" Daisy questioned.
But she did not stop there. She leapt into the guards and began ripping limb from limb. Heads fell off bodies. Torsos slid of their legs.
It was a festival.
A festival of blood.
And then it happened.
A block of Petricitewas dropped on top of her. Instantly, her magic halted as she struggled under the weight and the magic sapping ability of the block.
"Ugh...." She grunted from the sudden weakness.
One of the men walked forward, his curved spear raised high, "We have to kill this one Captain."
The captain nodded, "Go ahead. We do not need all the children. A few would do."
He swung it down.
THUD
Briar looked up.
The man was on the ground.
"What...." A cold voice cut through the battlefield. "Are you doing to my children?"
Everyone looked toward the source of the voice.
"Daddy!" Daisy yelled.
Standing in the sky, with Caalyx in hand, was a half transformed Gregori Hastur.
"Fall." Gregori said as he waved his hand.
Every single soldier in the area fell to the ground as their bodies were pulled to the earth.
"Keep falling." Gregori said as he pushed his hand down.
The fallen soldiers and guards kept sinking into the ground, the bones in their arms and legs shattering as they kept being pulled into the ground. Necks began to break as the pressure on them exceeded what they could hold.
They couldn't even make a noise as they all lost their lives.
EVERY
SINGLE
ONE
OF
THEM