Dragon Flames
Chapter 13
By: Malaca
The sky rumbled in fury, and the stars were lit up by the screaming rage of lightning. Malaca sighed. It would figure that tonight would be the night that the escalating conflict would peak. She didn't know how it would end, but there was a feeling that it wouldn't be pleasant.
After explaining the severity of the things going on at the Ronin's place for the past several months, they realized they were out maneuvered. Malaca didn't even bother to assure their fears. That would mean confronting them herself, when she was not ready to take responsibility.
At the moment, they were surrounded on all sides by trees at the edge of the great city of Tokyo. The forest rustled and whispered around them as if it was hiding a secret from the intruders of their land. Dais shifted uncomfortably. Something was wrong out there, and he could sense it with an utmost canny ability. Kale felt it as well, but didn't say anything. The dark had never bothered him before, and he wasn't about to admit how strange and frightening it felt now.
A high pitched scream sounded through the air. Sekhmet cursed as he barely managed to duck out of the way of a strange white object. The object, no, thing, screamed again. This time Malaca answered it with a yell of her own. She drew her right sai with a jerk and slashed the things head off.
"Eww," Kale wrinkled his nose.
"Why did you do that for?" Dais asked, prodding the head with a foot.
Malaca shrugged standing up, "I didn't think you would want to have a vampire eat yah' right away."
Sekhmet pulled himself off the ground, "You're joking right?"
Malaca snorted, "Wish I were."
"There is no such thing as vampires," declared Dais.
"Riiighhht, and this is coming from a four hundred year old man who just happens to have spent most of his life in an alternate realm fighting for a demon lord with mystical armor," answered Malaca with one of her patented 'I don't believe you said that' looks, complete with its own raised eyebrow.
Dais sighed raising his hands in defeat, "Okay, lets say vampires are real."
Malaca nodded grimly wiping the blood off her stained sai. The grass became a slight tinge of red before being washed away by the wet dew.
"Then why did 'it' just attack us?" Sekhmet completed.
Malaca shrugged, "Don't know. It may have a grudge against me, or it could have been looking for some prey, or it could have been guarding something. Most likely it was guarding something or had a grudge. There are not enough humans out here to hunt."
"Okayyy, that didn't answer my question," Dais drawled.
"What do you expect? Me to know everything? Right! Look at the hair color, I'm doing pretty good so far for a blonde."
Kale chuckled, "Good one!"
His two companions each gave him one of their own patented glares. Malaca smirked.
She suddenly stiffened and looked around uncertain. Malaca looked up at the taller men's eyes.
"Well, I think I've figured out why it attacked."
"By all means, let us know!" answered Sekhmet with a dramatic sweep of his hand.
Malaca sighed and gestured to the forest around them, which at the moment was pinpricked by several glowing eyes, "It was definitely guarding something. Us."
With that the demons leapt to the attack.
"I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, dingily ding. There they are a standing in the road!!! Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head!"
"Apparently that one wouldn't be too big," joked Akira pinching his friend's arm.
"Hey, I happen to have very big balls, thank you!" Diagon laughed.
"Who said I was talking about those?" exchanged Akira.
Korin rolled his eyes, "Are you two always like this?"
Diagon grinned with gusto, "Of course, man!"
"Your drunk aren't you?" Korin sighed moving forward to stop Diagon from running away.
Akira frowned, "Diagon!"
Diagon smiled slurring his words, "Hey, it's not that I'm not in control!"
At this, Diagon stumbled and fell to the floor. He moaned and curled up into a ball, the mark of cleansing glowing a blood red. Akira grimaced, it was getting so painful that Diagon was actually going to alcohol to rid himself of the pain. He shook his head. This was so stupid! Killing himself so he could rid his demon blood from his body. His BLOOD!
Korin looked confused as he glanced from a broodful Akira and a happily delirious Diagon.
"I though you two wanted me to help you stop Ashira by forming the pyramid of power?"
Akira nodded absentminded.
Korin huffed, 'Then how am I going to do this if he's drunk?"
"Hey, back off! He's going through cleansing!" hissed Akira in anger.
"WHAT! Is he crazy?" asked Korin stepping back with his hands raised up.
"Nope," Akira answered tapping Diagon's open palm, the sign visible.
Korin hissed visibly at the sight of the two silver swords crossed at the center. The sign of purity and heavenly power. Akira nodded at his look.
"He doesn't want to have demon blood."
"Well, we need his power for the pyramid."
"I'll wake him up."
Akira bent down and let his purple power to stream into Diagon's head. Diagon groaned and sat up while his Mage friend gave him a silly grin.
"That's the last time I give you a wake up, got it?"
Diagon groaned again rubbing his head in obvious pain, "Got anything for hangovers?"
"Nope!" Akira answered a little to cheerful.
He stood up and swayed back and forth. Diagon grabbed his head.
"Ah, life's a BITCH!"
"Shhhh!" Korin motioned frantically.
Akira raised an eyebrow.
"Big army," he said with little emotion.
They looked out from their vantage point over the woods that surrounded the city of Tokyo. Hundreds of demons stood in waiting for the battle to begin. Diagon peered closer.
"Are those innocents down there?" he asked pointing towards the center of the gathering.
Akira glanced to where he pointed and grimaced, "Yeah."
In the center of the demons consisted of four innocents-a boy no older than ten years, two adults clinging to each other, and a young women with auburn colored hair. The younger women seemed calm and used to the situation, as did the young boy.
"Can the night get any worse?" asked Diagon slapping his forehead.
Korin stood silent, "Yes, much worse."
His companions had no reassurances against his proclamation.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE THINGS?" roared Kale as he sliced numerous vampires in half with his long practice no-Datchi.
"Does it look like I know, Kale?" answered Sekhmet with a shout.
Dais fought with silent determination, pounding the demons before him into submission. His white hair plastered to his face, and one eye wild with calm anger. Malaca chuckled at the demon before her. In her, it looked more like a ripped up teddy bear with wings, than a demon. Eyes alight with preditorial fury, she ripped the "teddy demon" into several shredded pieces with her glowing sai's. The feelings shifted as reinforcements where on their way. Malaca grimaced - sometimes she hated being able to feel evil's presence, it spoiled the fun. She called out warning to the warlords, who immediately armed themselves.
Sekhmet gave a smirk to his opponents, and then decimated them with a single attack on his part.
"SNAKE FANG STRIKE!"
Quickstrike eyed the furies keeping the distance around his flaying hooves. He snorted once more, struck an overanxious young one. It fell dead to the ground. The other furies were beside themselves in anger. Quickstrike managed one scream as they came upon him. One redheaded fury snarled at his screaming, and effectively stopped it by ripping out his throat.
Malaca screamed and fell to the ground in pain. She felt Quickstrike's pain, and the leaving of his soul. The link was ripped from her body. She kneeled breathing hard feeling empty.
"Quickstrike," Malaca called in a soft mournful tone.
"WEB OF DECEPTION!"
Dais landed beside her. Malaca looked up mournfully before growling low in her throat. They would PAY for striking down one of her own. She launched herself forward with a battle scream into the fray. Malaca gave one short smile at the demon armies frightened faces. Rule of thumb: NEVER get a Dragon-child pissed off!
Malaca connected her sai's in front of her calling a sure kill from the mystical blades.
"LUNAR...." throwing the blade behind her, a massive arch of destructive fury.
"LIGHTNING....." slashing to her left and behind with a snarl.
"FLARE!" sweeping forward and to her right, allowing an energy sure kill of pure light and dark to surge forward into the masses.
Kale and Sekhmet just managed to teleport out of the way. Dais smirked at the two of them as they fazed in next to him.
"What took you two so long?"
Sekhmet matched him glare for glare, "Don't..."
"even...."
"get....."
"me...."
"started....." he answered slowly.
Dais mimicked him, "I'm not stupid, Sekhmet!"
"Relax, what is she doing?"
Dais and Sekhmet joined their eyes upwards to witness what had awestruck Kale. Malaca returned the sai's to their sheaths crossed on her back, a present from Kayura. She grabbed the medallion around her neck, which had been hidden all this time, and forced it upwards-a brilliant beacon of pure white energy.
"I CALL UPON THE POWER OF ECLIPSE! DEMON HUNTERS UNITE!"
To this a beacon of light shot into the sky reflecting the strength unknown to the warlords. Malaca screamed her fury as the power overtook her. A colorful flash sounded, and then it was over. Malaca landed and marched up to them. The warlords stiffened-she hadn't changed, and yet she had. The coolness of business and power was evident on her face. An icy gaze is all that she gifted them before sauntering up to Quickstrike's broken body. Only then was her pace uncertain.
"Quickstrike, you will be honored," she said almost to quiet to be heard.
With an upraised hand she traced a cross into the air with one bloody finger. Then with a flick of her wrist, Malaca shoved a fireball at the fallen body. The fire ball scorched the body of her friend, and her face was lit up with the light of the burning. It had an unearthly look of calm and sincerity.
Doing another cross in the air, this one in fire and smoke she spoke, "Dust to dust, earth to earth, I commend your soul to the sky. Fly and be free, one of the clan. Fly and relish the song of the immortal."
The cross ended as well did the fire. The remains of Quickstrike were no more. Malaca felt a tear well up and stroll leisurely down her cheek, landing on a lowered hand. She glanced down in fascination.
'A tear? Since when have I cried when burying another?'
Rowen leapt from tree to tree, his sub armor clanging slightly from the force of landing. His face was grim-something was wrong. And he be damned to miss this fight. Rowen heard a door slam near the edge of the woods. He raised an eyebrow in compilation. Why would a car be doing out so far from the main road? He trotted lightly on the soaked ground to check it out.
Light emanated from the clearing. He looked out of from behind the safety of the tree. Rowen almost fell backwards in surprise. The guys were there in full armor. Rowen frowned. Why hadn't he been told where they were really going? Something was definitely wrong with this, he was sure of it now. Some inner spirit warned him not to greet his friends.
It had a feeling that they would not welcome him with open arms. Rowen turned slightly, but stopped in surprise once again as he saw Ashira kissing Sage. Sage, his best friend who was in love with Mia! And he was in full armor to boot! Rowen managed to hold down a growl of anger. Malaca would want to know about that. What she had to do with this all yet, he didn't know. But he planned on finding out.
Diagon's head jerked up in surprise, "Hey, its party time!"
"Yeah, I can't believe she called us," Akira answered grimly.
"What are you two talking about. She called who?"
"Eclipse is calling us to fight. We've got to go now!" shouted Diagon dragging Korin behind them as they ran to meet up with their absent leader.
Akira chuckled as they ran head long across the forest. Diagon gave him a questioning glance.
"Things are coming together, Diagon. Things are coming together!"
Diagon nodded and gave Akira one of his award winning grins. Akira felt his heart flutter. He just hoped they all lived through this.
Dais shifted his weight uncomfortably. Malaca had been standing there looking into the distance for some time now. What she was doing, he had no clue. Kale started towards her with a growl for the third time in the last five minutes. This time Sekhmet stopped him. Kale raised an eyebrow, while Sekhmet merely shook his head.
'I feel something coming Dragon-child, no doubt you do to. But what is it?' he mused.
Malaca's posture went ramrod straight. Sekhmet glanced around warily-what ever had been coming was here.
"Eclipse!" a voice shouted before it tackled her.
Malaca grunted as the figure squeezed her a little to tight, "Diagon, your choking me!"
The figure backed off rubbing its head in apology, "Hm, sorry?"
Malaca laughed in response. Not a sarcastic laugh, or one full of sorrow - a REAL laugh!
"Diagon you old man, what are you guys still doing around here?"
"I wouldn't let him leave until we said good-bye," answered Akira walking with another she hadn't seen before.
Malaca cocked her head, "Who is that?"
"Well, we are have a plan. This is our secret weapon?"
"Wait a minute, Malaca, who are these people?" Kale asked skeptical.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Sekhmet, Kale, Dais meet Akira, Diagon, and no-name," Malaca answered with a sweep of her hand.
Akira raised an eyebrow, "More armor bearers?"
Malaca nodded, "Now back to the weapon?"
"Well, we found out you can only destroy Ashira by using two linked and an outsider," Diagon said cheerfully.
"Two linked?" questioned Kale.
"He means two that are in someway connected to Ashira," Sekhmet told Kale.
Dais only nodded, "Like how all the armor bearers are in someway linked."
"Exactly," Malaca agreed.
"Well, who are the two linked?"
Akira sighed, "I'm kind of linked to her. Her mother was my sister."
Korin jumped. He didn't know that Akira was his uncle. Korin turned towards Akira intent on asking. Akira shook his head, stopping him.
"Uncle Akira?" Malaca burst out laughing.
"Shut up! That's not funny right now, Eclipse!"
"Okay, okay, lets say you are linked. That still doesn't answer who he is," she said pointing to Korin.
"That is Korin, Ashira's brother," Akira proclaimed.
Malaca looked closer and gasped, "You dare show yourself here!"
She jumped forward intent on impaling him with one of her sai's. Diagon stepped in front of Korin to protect him from the angry huntress.
Malaca paused, "Diagon, out of my way."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because he's been on our side all along, Niccole!"
Malaca cocked her head, "Don't....call...me......that."
Diagon refused to back down. Akira stepped up and placed a hand on her shoulder. Malaca whirled around. Akira smiled at her, his glowing orbs of green and purple lit up with reassurance. She gifted him with a slight smile.
"He truly is on our side Malaca. He truly is."
Malaca nodded in consent. If two of her closest comrades thought he was harmless, so should she. Malaca narrowed her eyes, but that didn't mean it would stay like that. Korin gave her a sheepish smile. Oh, yah. It would defiantly not be permeant until she was sure.
Sekhmet threw up his hands in frustration, "Would someone please explain what's going on?"
Hey all-
Sorry this took so long getting out, but like usual by wrist decided its going to be a bitch and give me hell. Its now in a cast, and supposedly I tore a ligament. Well, there goes half of swimming season! Damn, the world just loves me, ne?
Just letting you all know, this series isn't going to last too long, I'm personally getting sick of Dragon Flames for so long. So I'll end it quick, stay with me! Anyway I will stay with this story line, I really like it.
More news, Cypher and I are co-writing a story that happens near the end of this series that I haven't posted yet. His character, Rich kind of lands in my universe. *Grins* I love torturing people. *Evil grin* Anyway, it will have a whole lot of spoilers, so BEWARE!
Enough with the rubbish, I'm going to go to bed now. Ja ne!
Malaca
All characters that you have not heard of are mine. Use them without permission and you will die a very painful death caused by the curse of the Dragon. Other than that, permission will be granted to anyone who basically asks.