“What do we do? What do we do?!” Mallory screamed, panicking.
“Veytaerup Ribu’eyri!” Jasper called out, which seemed to trigger a violet energy sphere to erect around them. The monsters began swarming it and clawing at the barrier, which flickered but held. “You sure you haven’t picked up any magic? I can’t hold this thing for very long!”
“Why would I know any magic?” the boy asked incredulously. “I didn’t even know it was real until today! I’m still not convinced this is even real right now!”
“How is that possible?” she asked after an angry sigh. “How did the son of Hikari Miyazoko end up a damn bloody Faeless!”
“What does that even mean?!” Mallory was so confused.
“Buggers without magic! Your mother was the opposite of that - a Faedra - and a hell of a one at that! She’s the one who iced Orochihana! She was bloody legendary! To think her bloodline produced a Faeless who never even learned about magic… Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“If your blood was the key to openin’ the - crap!” Jasper cut herself off as the barrier around them began to weaken. “I’m more the attackin’ type, not the defendin’ type! I’m not used to having a damn kid to protect! Dublin! GET YOUR ASS BACK IN BATTLE MODE!”
“Yes, Master!” the robot responded as he was rolling back towards them. He began firing red energy blasts from his palms at the dragon beasts. That didn’t seem to damage them very much, but did get their focus off Jasper and Mallory for a moment.
“Okay, listen kid,” the fierce woman said as the barrier fizzled out. “I can’t fight them and watch you too. You need to run and hide in the bushes or something. Go!” She turned and charged after the monsters, who were chasing Dublin across the clearing. “I’umor Draestori!”
Jasper’s giant sword suddenly ignited with bright purple flames as she lunged high into the air and then slammed the blade down onto the ground, sending a fiery shockwave out in a cone towards the beasts. A few of them shrieked as they were engulfed, but they were quickly silenced as she rushed past them, slicing off their heads as she went.
Hearing the cries of their brethren, the monsters turned around began ganging up on Jasper while she jumped and flipped around, lopping off limbs and heads and soaking the area with blood so dark it was nearly black.
Mallory’s eyes were glued to what was happening, but he finally tore himself away to run for the bushes. He tripped over the body of one of the fallen Prowlers, and quickly realized the hogman was still alive when he grabbed the boy’s ankle.
“Let go! Let go!” the teen cried out, looking back to see the man had nearly half his body missing, laying in a pool of blood.
“My brothers are dead because of YOU!” he growled through a broken jaw as he dragged the boy closer. He reached into his vest with a shaky hand and pulled out a long knife before plunging it into Mallory’s abdomen, causing the teen to shriek out as he felt the cold steel pierce his flesh. “Now… You will die too…”
Mallory stared in horror as the hogman exhaled one last time and then slumped forward, lifeless. The boy began hyperventilating as he looked down at the hilt of the knife sticking out from his own stomach, warm blood beginning to pool around him and soak his clothing.
“Mallory!” Jasper cried out frantically as she heard his shriek and snapped her head around. She slid and dodged a few of the dragon beasts and then rushed over to the teen. “Damn it! I’m not very good at healin' magic, but I’ll - crap!”
There was no time. The monsters were swarming them again. The teen knew right then and there that he was about to die. He felt a great sense of despair that he would never see his father again. Or Uncle Koga. Or Emmett. Or Skye. Or Yasa. Tears began to stream down his cheeks as he felt his mind beginning to fade away, the excruciating pain in his gut growing ever distant…
He found himself adrift in a sea of darkness for an incalculable amount of time, but was eventually met with a bright blue fireball the size of an apple. It just floated there for a moment, and then was absorbed into Mallory’s chest. He instantly felt himself overcome with a tremendous warmth, and the empty blackness quickly vanished.
“AAAAHHHH!!!!” he screamed out as the world returned to him, his entire body engulfed in azure flames. He began to levitate a few feet off the ground, his fists balled as his chest heaved. His eyes were glowing a blue so bright his irises and pupils were barely visible. Looking down, he ripped out the knife and flung it to the ground, staring in awe as his wounds began healing.
“Hikari’s son indeed…” Jasper said quietly as she looked up at the boy floating. All the monsters had frozen in place for a moment to marvel at the sight, but then began swarming once more.
“No…” Mallory whispered. He held out his hands, palms facing the creatures. It was as if he was moving on instinct alone, not sure how or why he knew what to do next. He began channeling a strange energy from an unknown, distant source, which moved through him and out to his palms, unleashing into a massive wave of blue flames that pushed back quite a few dragon beasts and set them ablaze.
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