Neo Chronicles
Episode 29: Mystics Pt. I
Table of Contents
It's a dark and cool day. The atmosphere is misty—murky—almost as if to mirror those within it. Our story takes us to Daci, the capital city of Rumaucia. As per usual, the inhabitants are wide and varied, each turning a different corner or walking a different path on a street called life. It doesn't matter if the road is paved or rocky, each life carries its own struggle, making no one's more or less challenging than the next.
As of late, there has been a certain mood plaguing the air. The mood adds its own burden, brings its own weight. It's a load so heavy that its effects are physically daunting. From the upper echelons to the bottom dwellers, and to those that lie in between. This mood chooses not to discriminate. It knows no race nor creed nor class. This mood—this feeling—is universal.
It is the feeling of fear, cloaked in the spirit of anxiety. Those who walk the cobblestone streets of Daci take an extra moment to take in their surroundings. Where there once were pleasantries, now suspicions lie. One could even name it paranoia.
This spirit was not born of irrationality. For the past few weeks, there have been reports of strange sightings. Dark, formless creatures were seen lurking in the shadows, leaping out and attacking bystanders. They struck without a moment's notice. They've been described as wild animals mauling their prey. Rats, snakes, hornets, rampaging dogs. No one has ever gotten a clear look and lived to tell the tale, but the reports are out there. It's gotten to the point that it happens so frequently, one would be called foolhardy to dismiss it. Whatever it is.
There is something to this, something much more than the average man or woman is willing to admit, which is exactly why the city of Daci has attracted three new visitors this day.
“What do you make of it?” Short blond hair and of Asian descent. Huifang Tsai is quietly regretting leaving without her coat. When she was approached by Duke to accompany him on a mission, she wasn't sure what to expect. Overlooking the cool and icy waters below, she does all she can to get warm. Arms folded, she perches forward against the railing of the bridge in front of her. Slightly, she shivers.
“I don't know.” Kevin Wellborn does his best to keep Huifang out of his field of vision. Leaning over the same rails, he looks off into the distance. He gazes at what looks to be an ordinary day. Cars flying overhead. People walking the roads, some even biking. “Something just seems off, and not off like how it's usually off. This is different. I don't know how to explain it.” He's certainly not letting the cold get to him. Wrapped in layers—a teal, aquamarine colored jacket, blackish grey pants—the only thing exposed is his light brown face, and curly brown hair. He knows if he were to look Huifang's way, he's sure to chuckle. She brought it on herself.
“That's why we're here.” Duke Seyer's no stranger the warmer wear himself. It seems as if he's always covered up in his signature black and grey motorcycle jacket and black cargo pants. Most of the places he spends his time at are on the cooler side of the thermostat, so this is nothing out of the ordinary. “Out of all the places demons have gathered, this place seems to operate under a different set of rules.”
“So what's our move here?” Kevin asks. “We know there are demons here. You sense them. I sense them. They're not too concerned with hiding themselves. If we press them hard enough, they're bound to slip up and give us something.”
“That won't work,” Huifang responds. She takes a moment to rub her hands together and blow in them before continuing. “Sure, it's great to help as many people as we can, but going after every source of energy won't get us anywhere. You and I both know that we can't save everyone.”
“Why is that?”
“Logistics,” Duke answers. “There are far too many of them and far too few of us. And with more crossing over by the day, we have make sure our strikes count.”
“Which is why we're here,” Huifang says.
“Which is why we're here,” Duke repeats. “For whatever reason, this town is different, and we need to find out why. So while we're here, we only go after the demon sources that matter. Most of them are pretty run of the mill. They're familiar. We've dealt with them, but the others—the outliers—we find them, we find our answers.”
“I don't like it,” Kevin says.
“None of us do,” Huifang says.
A gust of wind makes its way through the vicinity. Huifang does her best to keep her bare arms warm.
“Okay. I have to ask,” Kevin interjects while holding back a laugh. His eyes find themselves trailing over to Huifang. “Why are you dressed like a schoolgirl?”
“School girls don't own the vest/miniskirt look.”
“They kinda do, and on any other day, it'd be fine, but right now, you look a bit – uncomfortable.”
“I didn't know we'd be in one of the coldest parts of the world today.”
“It's the middle of Fall.”
“I know.”
“You're supposed to be ready for anything.” Duke chimes in.
“I know,” Huifang repeats.
*/
While the demons in this city certainly aren't concerned with discreetness and subtlety, they do make an effort to remain unseen by most. They are as whispers in the dark—rumors haunting everyone's fears and imaginings—but when they strike—well, to be frank—when they strike, that's the end of it.
Young Ileana Dalca is on her way to meet a friend. She has walked to the same restaurant at the same time every other week. Today she walks carrying good news. It came a bit as a shock when her doctor told her, but it is exciting all the same. She's had her suspicions, and she's taken her tests, but hearing it straight from horse's mouth just made it all the more real. So far, she hasn't told anyone. Her friend will be the first to know. The look on her face will be priceless.
Sure, she's heard the rumors. Everyone's so concerned with people disappearing off the streets. Supposedly muggers are on the loose. Or was it wild animals? Ileana can hardly keep the reports straight anymore. She was never one to let herself be ruled by fear, so if everyone else chooses to, that's on them.
And so she walks on the same sidewalk she's always walked on, crosses the same intersection she's always crossed, and walks down the same alleyway she's always headed down. And then she stops.
“What is that?” she utters. Something catches her eye. Something that's not the same, something that is distinctly different. It's on the brick wall of the building. Is it art? Graffiti? It looks like a giant wide open jaw the size of a full grown man. Teeth born sharp like animal fangs. The picture looks three dimensional. The artistry plays with perspective. She's never seen this painting here before, and she's never seen anyone here painting it. She can't quite tell if its finished.
Who would do this? Obviously it's a practical joke. Some kid probably decided that it'd be funny to piggyback off all the rumors of people being eaten or killed or mauled or whatever.
Ileana wants to leave it at that, but there's something off-putting about it. She finds that she can't quite turn away from it. The more she stares, the more lost in it she becomes. Her mind starts playing tricks on her. She starts hearing strange noises. There's the hustle and bustle of the city one normally hears on a street corner—the loud, humming sound of cars rushing by overhead, the wind whistling and dying one moment after the next, chatter from different people's broken conversations—but the noises behind the noises, or within, she can't quite shake.
There's laughter. There's shrieking. There's a loud thumping, almost a booming thunderous noise. And a rapid tapping. She's lost in the beast's open maw. She stares and stares and then the beast stares back. Without a moments notice, the painting comes to life. Emerging from the mouth are men, bulky, musky, burly shadowy men. What's worse is that as they come near, their humanity sheds. With each step they take, they appear more and more monstrous. Their faces, their stature, their bodies are all ogre like in appearance.
Ileana soon discovers that shrieking sound is coming from her. That laughter is of the ogres. The rapid booming has to be her heart beating. She's frozen in fear. Try as she might, she can't move. She looks for help, but sees the world around her as frozen as she is. The day grows dark. The sky turns grey.
She was just trying to meet a friend. She had such great news. It was a happy little accident. The surprise was going to be grand. She was expecting to bring laughter and cheer. She was expecting to bring the good news to everyone. She was expecting.
She was expecting.
*/
They hear screams. The Mystics' investigation into the town brings them here. This place, this alleyway, for whatever reason, seems to be the closest area to give off that odd, spine tingling feeling. But there's nothing here. This alley looks just like a normal alley. Two buildings, side by side, with enough space for passer-byers to walk in between.
To a Mystic, the sixth sense works just like the other five. It is an extension of themselves. It reacts to the changes it finds in the world. That sense can manifest itself visually, audibly, or tactilely. It is a sense. It is a feeling. But sometimes the other feelings may get in the way. Sometimes, in order to see what is truly there, they need to reject what is really seen.
They hear screams. They hear laughter. They hear nothing. They see darkness. They see clouds. They see nothing.
“It's definitely here,” Huifang says.
“But what's its angle?” Kevin asks. “One minute it's acting like we expect it to, and the next – ”
In the next moment, they see her. They see the young woman running for her life. There are pale, grey skinned ogres surrounding her on all sides. She gives out. Not able to run, she tries to fight. She screams out “Leave me alone!” Lasers shoot from her eyes. They barely scratch her pursuers. This is a game to them. This is a hunt, and now that they've cornered their prey –
The moment passes, and the image is gone. The alley is just an alley.
“Can we still save her?” Kevin asks.
“Depends on how fast you can pull down that dimensional barrier.” Duke answers.
“Already on it,” Huifang says. She is covered by a bright light. The light hits all ends of the spectrum, all colors shine around her, seen and unseen. A great wind kicks up around her. “Just tell me where I'm aiming.”
“Almost,” Kevin looks down at a gadget of his. It is something of his own creation. Sleek, slender, and silver. He's tried explaining to the group a thousand times the mechanics behind it, but he's found that it's best to just show them more often than not. The device gives off a beeping noise. He aims it at the space in front of him, and the beeping gets louder. “Okay, right there!” he says.
“Got it!” Huifang extends her arm out in front of her, then closes her hand into a fist. As if on queue, the ground throughout the entire alleyway breaks open and rocky spikes shoot upward.
The image returns. It's a different image, though.
The ogres are skewered by the spikes, but the girl they were chasing is no longer there. The girl is still there, but she's no longer running. She's no longer crying. It's as if she never left the spot to begin with. She stands. She's still standing, looking at that wall. It is a blank wall. Nothing there but the brick, stone, and mortar it's made of.
The image changes. Now, the alleyway is gone. The ogres are gone. The day is gone. The girl remains. The Mystics remain. The night appears. A dark mist shrouds the area. It emanates from the girl.
And then the ogres return.
“What the Hell is going on?” Kevin asks.
“Ask me when this is over,” Duke says.
“These are capcauns, right?” Huifang asks.
“Last I checked, yeah.” Duke answers, “But this dimensional shifting seems above their paygrade.”
“We knew things were going to be weird coming into this.”
“Is the girl alive or what?” Kevin asks.
“Ask me when this is over.” Duke says as a white light emanates from his being and by his sides. From that light, metal shards come into being and quickly form around him. Two large swords, two large blades, two zweihanders, one on each side, floating in mid-air, pointed edge directed at the beasts before him.
The air around Kevin sparks. The device he was holding before fades away. In its place, a bright white light. From the light, another device appears. Mechanical and metallic. Bright and glowing. Magic and science meeting together at a single point. The device, more deadly than the one before. A short barrel rifle, charged and armed, ready to unleash the fury of Kevin's resolve.
The ground beneath Huifang quakes. The earth readies itself for battle. Jutting up, spiraling, twisting, bending to Huifang's will, rock, stone, dirt, and gravel meet these devils—these capcauns'—acquaintance.
*/
Three Mystics. One army. They waste no time charging into battle. Kevin provides covering fire. Each magically imbued bullet, as bright and as hot and as a righteous as a holy flame, pierces through whatever dark forces lie in its path. The capcauns it meets are eviscerated instantly.
Skating on air, Duke seizes the opportunity to rush in close. The capcauns he comes up against are felled by his swords. The blades act as if having a mind of their own. Independently striking down, cutting through, and tearing apart these pale beasts.
While they act, Duke makes his way to the young woman. She is still frozen, still stunned, still empty. “Damn it,” he utters. He has seen this behavior before. She is trapped. The demons have her. He swipes his hand at her face and it passes right through. She's not even there. The image he sees before him is an echo.
Duke turns his sights at the horde. Still the army persists. One capcaun running in after the next, and behind them, a singular one much larger than the others. That must be their leader. Whatever's happening here might be put to an end if they slay the large beast.
Huifang is already on the move. The earth moves as she does. As she leaps towards the giant among giants, all manner of rock and stone assaults the beast in a fury. Caught distrait by the barrage, the giant is all but a sitting duck to Huifang's falling heel. She strikes it right upon its forehead. The giant stumbles. Its minions crowd around Huifang as she lands, but they are met with a harsh rain of blazing white bullets and the swift edges of two floating blades.
The large leader regains its footing. It was taken aback by Huifang's attack, but it wasn't nearly enough to bring it to its knees. No, this leader of leaders, demon of demons, this giant of giants has just begun to fight. A loud roar escapes its broken and uneven jaw. And such a roar it is. The sound is loud, booming, threatening and fierce. The sound carries with it a force great enough to topple mountains. It bears no prejudice. All those in the mighty roar's path suffer its mind shattering effect.
Huifang leaps to avoid the brunt of the blast. She does so, dodging to a roll, just barely escaping the force. The minor capcauns behind her weren't so lucky. Their bodies couldn't even maintain a proper form. Pieces of them—their white, chalky appendages, pieces of their being—are littered all about the barren, black ground where they once stood – where they fade to dust.
The giant of giants turns to Huifang and roars again. Huifang erects a large stone dome in front of her. It takes the full force of the blow, but like glass meeting a sharp frequency, it shatters. A thousand tiny pieces. Dust in this pitch black vacuum.
Kevin tosses his rifle to the wayside. In a blipping flash of light, it disappears. In its place, Kevin summons yet another weapon. Another firearm, greater and larger than the one before. Multiple, rotary barrels in the center. A handle and trigger on each side. He aims this monstrosity of death at the monstrosity of death before him, and unleashes all hell on the hell bringer.
The rapid-fire cannon's array of lasers gives the giant pause. Each blast that hits it forces the giant to channel all its energy into healing. It is a forceful and conscious effort. It cannot let this continue much longer. The giant turns its sights to Kevin and prepares another mighty roar. But Huifang isn't done with it, yet.
Now she commands the land to divide. Open up and split apart, for today, today the land shall feast. Feast on darkness, feast on terror, feast on the beasts of mayhem. The ground opens up and the giant sinks. Its once mighty roar is now a loud cry. It struggles and flounders in a desperate attempt to keep itself afloat. But with the hail of beams plowing through its ethereal flesh along with stones and boulders the size of houses falling on it, all its efforts amount to an impasse. It is stuck in a deadlock with the Mystics. Neither falling, nor rising. Neither failing, nor triumphing. The two warriors fight with all their might to keep the giant at bay, and the giant fights with all its might to keep the warriors from doing so.
If the situation were to stay as it is right now, then neither side would emerge the victor. Thankfully, that is not the case. Thankfully, the day is not lost. There is still a chance. There is still hope. And it is hope that lies in the palm of Duke's hand.
He clenches his right fist. All manner of energy and light spark within and around it. Then, aiming his now open palm at the falling giant, he shoots all that wild energy at the beast. It rushes out like a flood, starting out as a beam, then spreading out as a fervent flame.
The light bathes the giant's entire being. One final cry can be heard in this dark, negative space. It is a cry that makes its way to the very ends of this reality. The walls of this dimensional plane start to crack. They start out as hairline fractures, but quickly grow into much more.
The cry dies out, and in its place, shattering glass. The world that they knew returns to the world that was. The image flashes white then fades to black. The Mystics are back in the alley. Nothing has changed. Time hasn't progressed since their departure. The same walls, the same streets, the same people.
But only for a moment. One brief, passing, fleeting moment.
And in the next –
Hell.
Episode 29: Mystics Pt. I
Table of Contents
It's a dark and cool day. The atmosphere is misty—murky—almost as if to mirror those within it. Our story takes us to Daci, the capital city of Rumaucia. As per usual, the inhabitants are wide and varied, each turning a different corner or walking a different path on a street called life. It doesn't matter if the road is paved or rocky, each life carries its own struggle, making no one's more or less challenging than the next.
As of late, there has been a certain mood plaguing the air. The mood adds its own burden, brings its own weight. It's a load so heavy that its effects are physically daunting. From the upper echelons to the bottom dwellers, and to those that lie in between. This mood chooses not to discriminate. It knows no race nor creed nor class. This mood—this feeling—is universal.
It is the feeling of fear, cloaked in the spirit of anxiety. Those who walk the cobblestone streets of Daci take an extra moment to take in their surroundings. Where there once were pleasantries, now suspicions lie. One could even name it paranoia.
This spirit was not born of irrationality. For the past few weeks, there have been reports of strange sightings. Dark, formless creatures were seen lurking in the shadows, leaping out and attacking bystanders. They struck without a moment's notice. They've been described as wild animals mauling their prey. Rats, snakes, hornets, rampaging dogs. No one has ever gotten a clear look and lived to tell the tale, but the reports are out there. It's gotten to the point that it happens so frequently, one would be called foolhardy to dismiss it. Whatever it is.
There is something to this, something much more than the average man or woman is willing to admit, which is exactly why the city of Daci has attracted three new visitors this day.
“What do you make of it?” Short blond hair and of Asian descent. Huifang Tsai is quietly regretting leaving without her coat. When she was approached by Duke to accompany him on a mission, she wasn't sure what to expect. Overlooking the cool and icy waters below, she does all she can to get warm. Arms folded, she perches forward against the railing of the bridge in front of her. Slightly, she shivers.
“I don't know.” Kevin Wellborn does his best to keep Huifang out of his field of vision. Leaning over the same rails, he looks off into the distance. He gazes at what looks to be an ordinary day. Cars flying overhead. People walking the roads, some even biking. “Something just seems off, and not off like how it's usually off. This is different. I don't know how to explain it.” He's certainly not letting the cold get to him. Wrapped in layers—a teal, aquamarine colored jacket, blackish grey pants—the only thing exposed is his light brown face, and curly brown hair. He knows if he were to look Huifang's way, he's sure to chuckle. She brought it on herself.
“That's why we're here.” Duke Seyer's no stranger the warmer wear himself. It seems as if he's always covered up in his signature black and grey motorcycle jacket and black cargo pants. Most of the places he spends his time at are on the cooler side of the thermostat, so this is nothing out of the ordinary. “Out of all the places demons have gathered, this place seems to operate under a different set of rules.”
“So what's our move here?” Kevin asks. “We know there are demons here. You sense them. I sense them. They're not too concerned with hiding themselves. If we press them hard enough, they're bound to slip up and give us something.”
“That won't work,” Huifang responds. She takes a moment to rub her hands together and blow in them before continuing. “Sure, it's great to help as many people as we can, but going after every source of energy won't get us anywhere. You and I both know that we can't save everyone.”
“Why is that?”
“Logistics,” Duke answers. “There are far too many of them and far too few of us. And with more crossing over by the day, we have make sure our strikes count.”
“Which is why we're here,” Huifang says.
“Which is why we're here,” Duke repeats. “For whatever reason, this town is different, and we need to find out why. So while we're here, we only go after the demon sources that matter. Most of them are pretty run of the mill. They're familiar. We've dealt with them, but the others—the outliers—we find them, we find our answers.”
“I don't like it,” Kevin says.
“None of us do,” Huifang says.
A gust of wind makes its way through the vicinity. Huifang does her best to keep her bare arms warm.
“Okay. I have to ask,” Kevin interjects while holding back a laugh. His eyes find themselves trailing over to Huifang. “Why are you dressed like a schoolgirl?”
“School girls don't own the vest/miniskirt look.”
“They kinda do, and on any other day, it'd be fine, but right now, you look a bit – uncomfortable.”
“I didn't know we'd be in one of the coldest parts of the world today.”
“It's the middle of Fall.”
“I know.”
“You're supposed to be ready for anything.” Duke chimes in.
“I know,” Huifang repeats.
*/
While the demons in this city certainly aren't concerned with discreetness and subtlety, they do make an effort to remain unseen by most. They are as whispers in the dark—rumors haunting everyone's fears and imaginings—but when they strike—well, to be frank—when they strike, that's the end of it.
Young Ileana Dalca is on her way to meet a friend. She has walked to the same restaurant at the same time every other week. Today she walks carrying good news. It came a bit as a shock when her doctor told her, but it is exciting all the same. She's had her suspicions, and she's taken her tests, but hearing it straight from horse's mouth just made it all the more real. So far, she hasn't told anyone. Her friend will be the first to know. The look on her face will be priceless.
Sure, she's heard the rumors. Everyone's so concerned with people disappearing off the streets. Supposedly muggers are on the loose. Or was it wild animals? Ileana can hardly keep the reports straight anymore. She was never one to let herself be ruled by fear, so if everyone else chooses to, that's on them.
And so she walks on the same sidewalk she's always walked on, crosses the same intersection she's always crossed, and walks down the same alleyway she's always headed down. And then she stops.
“What is that?” she utters. Something catches her eye. Something that's not the same, something that is distinctly different. It's on the brick wall of the building. Is it art? Graffiti? It looks like a giant wide open jaw the size of a full grown man. Teeth born sharp like animal fangs. The picture looks three dimensional. The artistry plays with perspective. She's never seen this painting here before, and she's never seen anyone here painting it. She can't quite tell if its finished.
Who would do this? Obviously it's a practical joke. Some kid probably decided that it'd be funny to piggyback off all the rumors of people being eaten or killed or mauled or whatever.
Ileana wants to leave it at that, but there's something off-putting about it. She finds that she can't quite turn away from it. The more she stares, the more lost in it she becomes. Her mind starts playing tricks on her. She starts hearing strange noises. There's the hustle and bustle of the city one normally hears on a street corner—the loud, humming sound of cars rushing by overhead, the wind whistling and dying one moment after the next, chatter from different people's broken conversations—but the noises behind the noises, or within, she can't quite shake.
There's laughter. There's shrieking. There's a loud thumping, almost a booming thunderous noise. And a rapid tapping. She's lost in the beast's open maw. She stares and stares and then the beast stares back. Without a moments notice, the painting comes to life. Emerging from the mouth are men, bulky, musky, burly shadowy men. What's worse is that as they come near, their humanity sheds. With each step they take, they appear more and more monstrous. Their faces, their stature, their bodies are all ogre like in appearance.
Ileana soon discovers that shrieking sound is coming from her. That laughter is of the ogres. The rapid booming has to be her heart beating. She's frozen in fear. Try as she might, she can't move. She looks for help, but sees the world around her as frozen as she is. The day grows dark. The sky turns grey.
She was just trying to meet a friend. She had such great news. It was a happy little accident. The surprise was going to be grand. She was expecting to bring laughter and cheer. She was expecting to bring the good news to everyone. She was expecting.
She was expecting.
*/
They hear screams. The Mystics' investigation into the town brings them here. This place, this alleyway, for whatever reason, seems to be the closest area to give off that odd, spine tingling feeling. But there's nothing here. This alley looks just like a normal alley. Two buildings, side by side, with enough space for passer-byers to walk in between.
To a Mystic, the sixth sense works just like the other five. It is an extension of themselves. It reacts to the changes it finds in the world. That sense can manifest itself visually, audibly, or tactilely. It is a sense. It is a feeling. But sometimes the other feelings may get in the way. Sometimes, in order to see what is truly there, they need to reject what is really seen.
They hear screams. They hear laughter. They hear nothing. They see darkness. They see clouds. They see nothing.
“It's definitely here,” Huifang says.
“But what's its angle?” Kevin asks. “One minute it's acting like we expect it to, and the next – ”
In the next moment, they see her. They see the young woman running for her life. There are pale, grey skinned ogres surrounding her on all sides. She gives out. Not able to run, she tries to fight. She screams out “Leave me alone!” Lasers shoot from her eyes. They barely scratch her pursuers. This is a game to them. This is a hunt, and now that they've cornered their prey –
The moment passes, and the image is gone. The alley is just an alley.
“Can we still save her?” Kevin asks.
“Depends on how fast you can pull down that dimensional barrier.” Duke answers.
“Already on it,” Huifang says. She is covered by a bright light. The light hits all ends of the spectrum, all colors shine around her, seen and unseen. A great wind kicks up around her. “Just tell me where I'm aiming.”
“Almost,” Kevin looks down at a gadget of his. It is something of his own creation. Sleek, slender, and silver. He's tried explaining to the group a thousand times the mechanics behind it, but he's found that it's best to just show them more often than not. The device gives off a beeping noise. He aims it at the space in front of him, and the beeping gets louder. “Okay, right there!” he says.
“Got it!” Huifang extends her arm out in front of her, then closes her hand into a fist. As if on queue, the ground throughout the entire alleyway breaks open and rocky spikes shoot upward.
The image returns. It's a different image, though.
The ogres are skewered by the spikes, but the girl they were chasing is no longer there. The girl is still there, but she's no longer running. She's no longer crying. It's as if she never left the spot to begin with. She stands. She's still standing, looking at that wall. It is a blank wall. Nothing there but the brick, stone, and mortar it's made of.
The image changes. Now, the alleyway is gone. The ogres are gone. The day is gone. The girl remains. The Mystics remain. The night appears. A dark mist shrouds the area. It emanates from the girl.
And then the ogres return.
“What the Hell is going on?” Kevin asks.
“Ask me when this is over,” Duke says.
“These are capcauns, right?” Huifang asks.
“Last I checked, yeah.” Duke answers, “But this dimensional shifting seems above their paygrade.”
“We knew things were going to be weird coming into this.”
“Is the girl alive or what?” Kevin asks.
“Ask me when this is over.” Duke says as a white light emanates from his being and by his sides. From that light, metal shards come into being and quickly form around him. Two large swords, two large blades, two zweihanders, one on each side, floating in mid-air, pointed edge directed at the beasts before him.
The air around Kevin sparks. The device he was holding before fades away. In its place, a bright white light. From the light, another device appears. Mechanical and metallic. Bright and glowing. Magic and science meeting together at a single point. The device, more deadly than the one before. A short barrel rifle, charged and armed, ready to unleash the fury of Kevin's resolve.
The ground beneath Huifang quakes. The earth readies itself for battle. Jutting up, spiraling, twisting, bending to Huifang's will, rock, stone, dirt, and gravel meet these devils—these capcauns'—acquaintance.
*/
Three Mystics. One army. They waste no time charging into battle. Kevin provides covering fire. Each magically imbued bullet, as bright and as hot and as a righteous as a holy flame, pierces through whatever dark forces lie in its path. The capcauns it meets are eviscerated instantly.
Skating on air, Duke seizes the opportunity to rush in close. The capcauns he comes up against are felled by his swords. The blades act as if having a mind of their own. Independently striking down, cutting through, and tearing apart these pale beasts.
While they act, Duke makes his way to the young woman. She is still frozen, still stunned, still empty. “Damn it,” he utters. He has seen this behavior before. She is trapped. The demons have her. He swipes his hand at her face and it passes right through. She's not even there. The image he sees before him is an echo.
Duke turns his sights at the horde. Still the army persists. One capcaun running in after the next, and behind them, a singular one much larger than the others. That must be their leader. Whatever's happening here might be put to an end if they slay the large beast.
Huifang is already on the move. The earth moves as she does. As she leaps towards the giant among giants, all manner of rock and stone assaults the beast in a fury. Caught distrait by the barrage, the giant is all but a sitting duck to Huifang's falling heel. She strikes it right upon its forehead. The giant stumbles. Its minions crowd around Huifang as she lands, but they are met with a harsh rain of blazing white bullets and the swift edges of two floating blades.
The large leader regains its footing. It was taken aback by Huifang's attack, but it wasn't nearly enough to bring it to its knees. No, this leader of leaders, demon of demons, this giant of giants has just begun to fight. A loud roar escapes its broken and uneven jaw. And such a roar it is. The sound is loud, booming, threatening and fierce. The sound carries with it a force great enough to topple mountains. It bears no prejudice. All those in the mighty roar's path suffer its mind shattering effect.
Huifang leaps to avoid the brunt of the blast. She does so, dodging to a roll, just barely escaping the force. The minor capcauns behind her weren't so lucky. Their bodies couldn't even maintain a proper form. Pieces of them—their white, chalky appendages, pieces of their being—are littered all about the barren, black ground where they once stood – where they fade to dust.
The giant of giants turns to Huifang and roars again. Huifang erects a large stone dome in front of her. It takes the full force of the blow, but like glass meeting a sharp frequency, it shatters. A thousand tiny pieces. Dust in this pitch black vacuum.
Kevin tosses his rifle to the wayside. In a blipping flash of light, it disappears. In its place, Kevin summons yet another weapon. Another firearm, greater and larger than the one before. Multiple, rotary barrels in the center. A handle and trigger on each side. He aims this monstrosity of death at the monstrosity of death before him, and unleashes all hell on the hell bringer.
The rapid-fire cannon's array of lasers gives the giant pause. Each blast that hits it forces the giant to channel all its energy into healing. It is a forceful and conscious effort. It cannot let this continue much longer. The giant turns its sights to Kevin and prepares another mighty roar. But Huifang isn't done with it, yet.
Now she commands the land to divide. Open up and split apart, for today, today the land shall feast. Feast on darkness, feast on terror, feast on the beasts of mayhem. The ground opens up and the giant sinks. Its once mighty roar is now a loud cry. It struggles and flounders in a desperate attempt to keep itself afloat. But with the hail of beams plowing through its ethereal flesh along with stones and boulders the size of houses falling on it, all its efforts amount to an impasse. It is stuck in a deadlock with the Mystics. Neither falling, nor rising. Neither failing, nor triumphing. The two warriors fight with all their might to keep the giant at bay, and the giant fights with all its might to keep the warriors from doing so.
If the situation were to stay as it is right now, then neither side would emerge the victor. Thankfully, that is not the case. Thankfully, the day is not lost. There is still a chance. There is still hope. And it is hope that lies in the palm of Duke's hand.
He clenches his right fist. All manner of energy and light spark within and around it. Then, aiming his now open palm at the falling giant, he shoots all that wild energy at the beast. It rushes out like a flood, starting out as a beam, then spreading out as a fervent flame.
The light bathes the giant's entire being. One final cry can be heard in this dark, negative space. It is a cry that makes its way to the very ends of this reality. The walls of this dimensional plane start to crack. They start out as hairline fractures, but quickly grow into much more.
The cry dies out, and in its place, shattering glass. The world that they knew returns to the world that was. The image flashes white then fades to black. The Mystics are back in the alley. Nothing has changed. Time hasn't progressed since their departure. The same walls, the same streets, the same people.
But only for a moment. One brief, passing, fleeting moment.
And in the next –
Hell.
