Chapter five
A nauseating disorienting feeling slammed into me as I came to. My head was spinning and I felt like I had to puke. All I could feel was the Cold, dusty concrete on my back, with wood splinters poking my sides. I looked around not seeing a thing. My head had this non-stop ringing. Then complete silence. Not the silence of no one talking, but the silence of the earth being dead. After what felt like an eternity. I heard a soft muffled cry. Then the world came slamming back into my brain. It was a strain to form the words to say.
"Kiera is that you?"
She responded in a pained voice
My… my ha…ha..hand
I raise and stumble my way to her. I could smell the coppery tang in the air. She swiftly conjured up a small fireball with her other hand. With that little light, I could see clearly the mangled mess of her hand. It looked like a bomb of shrapnel had gone off in her hand. A few were definitely lodged in deep as her bones.
"What happened" I asked
Still feeling the effects of the portal I fumble quickly to my bag around my chest. Since I'm gift-less, I always keep a first-aid kit with me. The standard kit has tape, Band-Aids, gauze wrap, and a low-grade healing potion. I quickly grabbed the amber colored healing potion and poured it on her hand. A soft red glow began to shine on her bloodless white hand. She let out a muffled squeal from her mouth.
"I'm sorry" I whispered
Whenever you use a potion it's not all rainbows and pleasant feelings. You feel every bone, tendon, and cell get put back together. Her fireball began to flicker and steady once again as the potion finished its job. I started to say to her
"That was only a low-grade potion. It would only help stop the bleeding and heal some. Let me see your hand I'm glad it pushed all the wood splinters out. Anything else hurt?
She responded sheepishly
"No… I'm fine"
"Alright good.. we need to rest here for a few minutes and then find a way out of here."
Deep booming
"Heheheheheheheheheh. Two humans for the price of one!! My lucky day. Hhhheeejhheee"
We both stood up. With only one way to go, we started walking down the narrow dark corridor. We eventually came to an opening. It opens up to a blue lake that seems to be bottomless. As we looked at the smooth grey ceiling there were two white crescent-shaped eyes with a row of pure white jagged teeth attached to a pure black frame of a giant cat. The cat had to be at least 7 feet long. The contrast between the black and the eyes almost made them glow like moonlight. The cackling continued now it sounded like it was all around.
"Hehehehe I can't believe I got her son and a beautiful lioness !!!!!! Hehehe boy if your mother knew you were here she would crap her pants!!!! Hahaha, this is glorious!!!!!!! I shall get my revenge!!!"
We both continue to stare at the giant figure in fear. Mana beast or demon it was hard to tell.
"What are you two doofuses staring at?"
Next thing we knew the beast disappeared and an ethereal voice spoke again.
"You simple humans. I'm.down.here!"
The whole place shook violently after it emphasized those last three words. The lake began to emit a soft white light. The 7 foot tall cat is now a 3 by 3 foot tall cat. The cat was as big as it was tall. With its black short hair and bright purple streaks that seem to glow. It was more adorable than scary. We are both trying to hold in a laugh. His face became flushed with red from his embarrassment. He began stomping and saying Stop laughing. Which only made it cuter. Then it let out a tangible blood lust and then became a blur.
I instantly jumped out of the way. The black streak zoomed right past the place I had just been. The cat stopped just before running into the wall. I clicked my tongue in frustration at my weakness. It still deemed I'm the weaker one even tho she is clearly injured. I'm willing to protect her with my life because she is our best shot at killing it.
"Hehe, so we have a smart one here." Said the cat
I heard sputtering. It sounds like a gas fireplace running on fumes. I look back at Keira. Her whole body was shaking with force. I said calmly to her.
"Stay calm, this is just an oversized rodent. Focus on your flames and stay behind me. I will protect you with my body. I need you to take a Breath. I need you to survive."
"Hehe, what a gentleman! Hehe, the squib is somewhat handsome and he is a knight. What not much of a catch! Who said chivalry was dead? Now little lioness let me see those famous flames. I remember the heat of your sister's flames. Let's see yours"
He then dashed towards me but then a blue ball of flames shot towards him blowing up the ground leaving a man-sized hole in front of him. I turned and looked at Keira. Her face was full of determination and strife. I just smiled and thanked the school for its rigorous training.
"Hehe, there is the famous blue from dear Keira. Hehe, little Lioness please do not get in my way. I have watched you for the last couple of years. I know you can't do that move too many times unlike your sister..
Keira lion's heart pov:
My god a demon!!! It's a real demon. I have never faced one! I was so scared until his voice spoke to me. How is this non-gifted boy not scared..Wait… did that demon just speak? How in the hell does this demon know my name? How much does he know about my life? I began feeling the sweat roll down my face as I thought about what I had gone through. How dare he mention such things! I began to swirl a massive ball of blue fire into my hands. Depleting my remaining mana reserves. I'm going to kill this ignorant cat into oblivion!!!!
But before I knew it the cat was upon me. Throwing out a clawed hand about to strike me. The boy jumped in front of me again. Does that giftless boy think he can stop it?
The boy was somehow able to get in front of the blow. He collides into me Knocking me sideways causing me to lose concentration on my fireball dispelling it. My body was shaking as I felt the backlash of losing such a huge amount of mana. From the backlash, I fell to the ground grabbing my heart. Then I heard a crashing sound into the cave wall behind me. Pushing through the pain I looked to see that the cat punched him into the way stone wall… ohhh what was his name? Shoot I don't think he ever told me. Well, the poor kid was getting hit over and over again. The weird demon cat has grown another set of arms and the purple strips seem to be glowing now. I screamed at the cat to stop! The stress and worry about the stranger's life oozed out of my mouth. For some odd reason, I care about whether he lives or dies.. The boy wasn't cute or anything but I care because he was the first person to actually ...….. to be kind to me. It wasn't a foreign feeling for me but not one I got often. Yeah sure dad defiantly care about me but he is too busy and my sister is her own problem. I could feel the rage of just the thought of her. This strange boy I want to…. No I need to protect him with my life
The cat finally stopped punching. He turned to me with a sneer and said
"Since the pretty lady asked I shall stop."
I stared at the boy his blood dripping from his chin his eyes swollen shut. His shirt was torn and the wall was splattered with blood.
He slowly stands up his back rubbing up against the wall. Blood trailed a line from where he was to his full height. The blood was so much that it started pooling at his feet. He started to laugh madly. Then the air stilled. It was as if it became tainted with some energy. Then a flash of orange fire came pouring out of his chest. It slowly crept all over his body giving it an orange sheen. His swollen eyes open suddenly to show bright orange irises. His body was not healing but morphing. His muscles started to swell. Each muscle became bigger and more defined. He started to move slowly away from the wall.
At first, walking slowly towards the cat still laughing as if he was a deranged lunatic. The boy began to speak in a not-normal tone of voice but a condescending tone. It was as if a god was talking to an ant.
"Hehehehe demon that was just a little tickle. I have had ten times worse than that weak shit you just did. You demon pussy will die! Haha, do you get what I did there? Hahah you are just a worthless oversized rodent! Haha, you think you're so strong under my gifts might. Wait I don't have one! Hahaha, I will still crush you like the Rat you are! You are now trapped here! You filthy vermin!
With inhuman speed, he darted at the cat. He was upon the cat in just a second. He began a barrage of punches with deadly precision. Then he threw a kick and connected with the cat's head sending it flying a few feet to the side. The cat twisted mid-air and landed on all fours. The boy was already on the cat. The cat dodged it by the hair sticking on its back. The cat punched the boy square in the jaw sending him flying back into the wall! Then it looked at me and yelled
"Mrs lionsheart I need your help! Go dip your feet into the pool of water. It will heal you!
Flabbergasted that this demon asked for my help I responded
"Hell no! Why would I help you? something…
He said in a calm but domineering voice
"The boy is destroying his body. I did what I did because the master told me to. Once he turns 12 I would fight him. I should have realized that he was mana-less. I could never kill either of you. This place we are in wouldn't allow it nor would I want to. Now help me save my master's son. I promise I will help you with your deepest desire"
I stared at him stunned once again. How does he know my deepest desire? How can I trust this demon's word? Could he be… why am I thinking so much? I will see if he is true if not I will kill him. I must catch up to her no matter what. To do that I will listen to even a demon. With my resolved I nodded my head and made way to the glimmering pond.
POV: Jack
All I could see was pure darkness. A Thick vicus substance is surrounding my body. I can feel my legs and arms throbbing in pain. I feel it intensifying. My right arm feels extremely hot. Like needles made of fire seeping into my skin and going deep as my marrow. Then my left leg began feeling the pain. Soon my whole body is feeling the searing pain of white-hot needles. In that deep forever darkness there was a little bud of light. As it became brighter and brighter I could make out a silhouette of a person. It was of a mature woman with golden curly hair. The eyes were the brightest part of her. I could not make out the color but the most beautiful smile was plastered across her face. She started to swim closer to me. The smile was getting bigger as she inched closer. Then she grabbed my face. The golden radiance floating across my body and the pain disappeared from my body. All I could feel as everything went dark was the cold embrace of her perfectly gentle hand and soft peck on my forehead.
…..:.
Somewhere not on Earth. There was a lady in her mid to late thirties with golden yellow hair with chains shackled to her hands and feet. With a smile, she whispered
"He has found the necklace. Good I can finally see him again."
End of chapter 5