Of Humans, Demons and Magic

The heat on her back was intense, blinding almost, if she hadn't been able to make out the endless plains of sand and the oasis that surrounded her. Her breaths were short and choppy as she waited for the final blow of the boy's sword to sever her head from the rest of her body. At this point, it would have been a mercy. For, even though she knew the pain was imagined, that didn't stop it from feeling just as horrible and real as if it were actually happening. So, it was with a heavy heart of disappointment that she watched him throw his weapon to the ground in frustration. Only a very small part of her was glad that she was still alive, although the benefits of being so were none at the moment, that she could think of anyway. Ashkara began to shiver violently as the burning across her flesh began to mobilize, swarming near the nape of her neck before going around to her shoulder and forearm, manifesting there. It didn't even feel like she had an arm anymore, but the fact that she could see it proved her wrong in that aspect. Part of her mind registered the pacifist thanking the activist, who bluntly told her to shut her mouth if she wanted it to remain attached to her face. The words were then directed at Ashkara as she continued. 'It's not a favor. I'm doing it only because it's personal. You never had to feel Their harsh slap, so, if the weakling can force you to cry, how weak would I be if I couldn't make you hurt? Besides, I'd be lying if I said it was only because I'm under vow to help the male, and not because I would enjoy it.' She gave a harsh, cruel laugh that held no humor.

It briefly occurred to the shaking girl that the pain she was feeling now was probably not that far off from what it had felt like for the crocodile man to slowly bleed to death. The main difference being that he grew colder, while she burned up. Heh... That must be why it had moved to her upper arm and shoulder... Her eyes flicked away from their unseeing stare at the ground and skimmed over Xenel, pain hazing her vision down to a mess of blurry lines and dim colors. "I'm sorry about your friend," she said quietly, a long pause following. "...Sir Greg. If it could have been helped, I would not have... It was not my intention to..." She lapsed into a longer silence, unsure of the appropriate way to continue such a sentence.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A small sneeze came from Saraphina and her eyes blinked to consciousness in the pre-dawn twilight, light traces of ice flakes falling from her body as she began to squirm. The earth demon was laying very still, body spread out in front of her like a sacrifice. She would have viewed it as a waste of a body, but with the creature's spirit being held safely within her chest, it was a new toy for her. Though, it made her frown to see that two or three of her hybrids had been mauled beyond recognition, their skin having been stripped from them somehow with sand stuffing their bodies. They had clearly passed on, their physical vessels no longer fit to contain their souls. The Alpha was panting hard beneath her but, loyal as ever, she was unscathed from whatever battle had come to pass around her. His weight shifted when she started to move, hurrying over to the fallen beast for her to do what she wished. It was unfortunate that they had inflicted such deep wounds because, without a healer present, the demon would just have to deal with being a little less flexible. Saraphina scrambled off of the Alpha's fur coat and crouched down beside the dead being's nostrils and breathed out, letting her tiny breath be absorbed by an unnaturally large one that should not have been possible for one that was dead. It expanded its lungs to their fullest extent and when he breathed out, the demon's eyes snapped open. "Find the boy who passed through here earlier," the young girl's voice commanded.
 
Xenel looked down at Ashkara, "Don't speak of him, you don't have the right to." He murmurred. Looking away from the girl now, the blade on the ground sparked, and an electrical field brought it to his palm, "I'm going now ..." he whispered, and began on his way, to leave the girl, and Greg's carcass.
 
The throbbing in her arm had slowly melted away into becoming a dull ache and, although she knew that it was being done on purpose to gradually lull her to sleep in relief, Ashkara was finding it near impossible to keep her eyes open. They would flutter and open, flutter and open, slowly closing more and more each round until, within several hard won minutes, they no longer opened. Not only was her body tired, but it was mentally exhausting as well to put up with her other selves for as long as she had, even during time spans in which they were silent. However, with her mind as blurred as it was, it was easy enough for Ash to slide herself gracefully into the small slot of consciousness just before her body fell asleep, closing off all exit points to the real world. The first thing she did was snap her amber eyes wide open, her ears suddenly being greeted by the baying of canines the distance, but still too close to be of any comfort. Ash retrieved her sword from the sand and sheathed it quickly before attempting any other movements. She then climbed to her feet with some effort, knees betraying her as she began to fall back down again, numb to her commands in their weakened state. "Move," she demanded fiercely, finding her body more pathetic each time she used it. Twenty-four hours without eating did not give it the excuse to be like this, with or without sleep. Reluctantly, her legs obeyed this time and she stood, soon walking, then jogging from the growing howls of victory that had clearly caught on to their scents. It wasn't long before she caught sight of a lone figure not that far off. "Xenel!" she called, a peculiar accent tilting the beginning of his name with an 'S' and the last vowel an 'I'. Just as quickly as the word came from her, the howling stopped abruptly, within a few seconds being replaced by a shaking of the ground directly below them, a replica of when the demon was upon them earlier that evening. Her eyes widened in understanding. Why, that selfish, stingy, little runt! Didn't she have enough play-things already?
 
Xenel turned around and noticed the girl and the demon, he cursed a bit, were they after him yet again, he pulledhis blade out and spun it a little bit, apparently as much as he disliked the idea, he would have to fight the bkth of them, as it seemed to him at the time being, he prepared for the worst, knowing this could possibly be the last stand he ever made. He could easilly die here, already fatigued as he was.
 
Ash's brows came together in irritated confusion as Xenel seemed to be pointing his sword not only at the newly emerging demon, but to her as well. The ground continued to tremble, a gaping hole opening up some fifty meters behind the girl and growing all the larger as the creatures head pressed through, closely followed by its broad chest. It appeared the same as before, only now there were several lethal gashes across its neck and two, fist sized holes that seemed to have been blasted through its stomach that were, oddly enough, not emitting any form of blood. The turned her head away and slowed her jog down to a brisk walk as she approached the boy. "Don't you dare wave that thing at me," she warned him, smirking with amusement. He looked exhausted and his face was drained of color, blonde hair peppered with flecks of Greg's blood and his clothes in hardly any better of a condition. "You look like hell." She probably did as well, but that mattered little to her, never having been one to care for her outward appearance more than was absolutely necessary. The howling started up again but it was coming from within the expanding chasm now that the demon had fully emerged from its underground tunnels, so the hybrids must have been trailing after the being. Not that strangely, it wasn't attacking yet, just staring at them with a mixture of pleading and hate. Probably still awaiting its new mistress for further instructions on what it should do to them.
 
He looked at Ash, "You tried to kill me ... unless your another one. Either way, it's not good for me to be around someone I always have to watch my back around." he murmurred, now looking away from the girl. Xenel looked at the beast and listened to the howl's of the creature's, he gave a soft sigh, "Unless of couse ... you have a plan."