SEVEN

I no longer control my body ...

I grab the knife from my belt and lunge at her.

-Nooo! -she cries desperately as she dodges my attacks- please stop, you will hurt him!

-hahaha hahaha cry all you want stupid girl, you know perfectly that now nothing can get me out of this beautiful and young body, the only options are to make "the life pact" with this child or kill him and from what I know, you can't do the pact with him in this condition so...

Devil? A pact of life? Killing? This is too much for my head! -Hey you idiot demon! Get out of me! I'm not going to let a disgusting thing like you control me, much less hurt her! - I try again and again to regain control of my body.

-A demon like you able not possess it - his voice fills my ears- I know you're fighting in there! I will be here to help you!

They continue in the fight, at times I can have control but then she takes it from me again, I feel that every time have less strength and she is already tired, she will not be able to endure any longer, I know that she can use magic and that she may easily kill me is holding back, it seems that there is no more way out than this ...

-Let me take your soul, scum of the forest -he says to me as he throws small celestial rays at her- what are you waiting for, girl?" Are you already tired? Well, I'll help you get this over with!

I hit her with one of the rays, she collides with the trunk of a tree and stunned falls next to it -it can't be! my hands cannot do that to she that has helped me so much, stop now, please!- brings my body towards her, I take her by the hair and my knife is very close to her neck, my head is spinning, I cannot bear this, I hear their screams.

-Kill me!! -I managed to tell him- already kill me now!

-I can not! - she answers between sobs - you are a living being, I exist with the purpose of protecting them and I am not going to spill more blood.

-You are so weak that you won't girl, we both know how this will end!

I make a cut on her cheek, I almost touch her neck, she doesn't say anything to me, I can't take it anymore, I feel my blood boil and I gather all the strength I can to resist. I deflect the knife towards me and with all the strength I have I bring it to my chest.

-If I have to die, let it be to save you.

────────────❃ꕥ❃────────────

........................."She Narrates"........................

────────────❃ꕥ❃────────────

He tries to stab himself, before thinking twice I move quickly and manage to knock him unconscious, it worked and now he's lying on the floor. I don't have much time, I have to think about how to save it.

-I cannot purify it because to do it Randall has to belong to this forest -I say as I walk from side to side desperate- and to belong to the forest he has to make the pact of life but after that, he will never be able to leave here again, not he deserves to be locked up here for the rest of his life, although he would lack nothing I know that he would not be totally happy. Still, I can't destroy the demon without removing it from his body first. Now, what I will do?!

I stop my dispute with myself because I hear him screaming.

-Not! You won't get it!

I prepare to knock him out again, if necessary, but I notice that he is still lying on the floor and I immediately know that inside him he must continue fighting not to give up his soul, unfortunately, I can do nothing but wait and trust that he will not be left overcome. I stay by his side until I notice how the dark presence grows and ... I see him get out!

-Where do you think you're going cursed ?!

The demon collapses and looks into my eyes, I can see fear in them.

-Please -he lets out a small mocking laugh- where am I going?... I'm going to look for another soul in misfortune to possess!

As soon as he tries to get up, I stop him with a magic barrier around the two of us, leaving Randall's body out.

-Do you think that after all that I'm going to let you go?

-I am a being that lives in this forest, you cannot do me any harm!

-Well, I inform you that your time in this forest is over, I am sick of seeing how all of you shed innocent blood for no reason and I will not allow you to harm anyone ever again!

Before I could manage to say anything else, I purified the entire area enclosed by the barrier until no traces of its darkness remained.

Immediately I return to where he is, call a moose to help me take him to the cabin and so we walk until we arrive, I lay him on his bed and let his head rest on my legs while I try to give a little of my vital energy.

-For now, that's all I can do for you.

────────────❃ꕥ❃────────────

........................."Narrates Randall"..................

────────────❃ꕥ❃────────────

My head hurts too much, I open my eyes and see her. My head rests on her legs and she has her hand on my forehead, she looks so pale, I can't believe she is that kind of person so warm. Suddenly I remember everything that happened, I sit down and the first thing that comes to mind is ...

-Thank you, I don't know how you did it but thanks for that exorcism.

-I didn't do anything -she replies with a gesture of relief- The demon left your body and all I did was get rid of its existence. I guess you don't know how you managed to beat him, do you?

-For something I thanked you -I say confused, but this is not the time indicated to ask so many questions- I'd better go to rest now, my head still hurts.

-Let me get you something to eat and drink.

-I can alone, it is not necessary - I say as I try to stand up, failing completely in the attempt- seriously it is not necessary, I'm not hungry.

-You can hardly stand up and do you want me to believe you? Put your pride aside at least this time, plus I want to talk to you a bit ...

-...

- Ok stop hiding it, when you were possessed the demon used magic and that can only do it if the being that it possessed can also use magic.

-What?! -It can't be, how I didn't realize it before- I'm not lying to you, if you want, use those eyes of yours to check.

-You should take a magic compatibility test.

- They did it to me when I entered the army and it was negative, I have no compatibility with any element.

-Maybe you didn't have it yet, there are cases in which affinity is shown when you are over the age of majority, how old were you when you were tested?.

-14 or 15 I think.

-You think?.

-Do you really think that an orphan stops to think about his birthday knowing that he must prepare for a very demanding exam and if he does not manage to pass it, he will spend a whole year on the street?

-Sorry ... I'll give you a test another day.

-How you want sir ...

-What happened?.

-You Know? you never told me your name, do you even have one?

-Of course, I have one -she says to me, blushing- Do I need to tell you?

-What do you think?.

-...

She averts her gaze and is completely silent.

-You know, here is someone who is about to pass out from exhaustion, can you say it and already? It's just a name.

-Mell -she says, smiling shyly- my name is Mell.

-Well, it's a nice name -I also smile- and tell me, what did you want to talk about?

-While you were unconscious I decided that I could no longer let the demons walk loose in the forest, I think that my teacher was wrong.

-Bravo! -I say exaggerating the enthusiasm- it took you a suicide attempt to realize it.

-...- she looks at me very seriously- I want you to help me fight them, what do you say?.

-Of course, I have no reason to refuse, I also benefit from that but I need a weapon capable of damaging them, and the piece of metal that I call a knife will not do anything to them, my options are: a new weapon or salt.

-Salt?.

-Demons react to salt, if I cover my knife with salt, I can harm them.

-I have no salt.

-Then give me a dungeon treasure, of course, I guess you don't have one of those either.

-... -She looks at me without knowing what to say- But it is enough for us to use magic.

-If I could use it I would and if I could use it I wouldn't have been a soldier, don't you think?

She just looks at me sadly for not knowing what to do.

-Look, I have more or less an idea of where I can get salt, we will start with that and then we will try to fix it, for now, I want to rest a little.

-Wait for me! -She walks out the door of the cabin and then comes back with something in her hands- Here, my friends brought that for you.

She extends her hands to me and there are many berries in them.

-Friends? -I say very surprisedly- you mean the animals?

-Yes! -She says very happily- I was with them since I was little and I can understand them perfectly, apparently, they like you and by the way, the fish in the river are more than happy that you visit them every day.

-It's a relief to know it hehe, I thought that if I bothered you, you would throw me out of the forest, I also wanted to ask you, can I wash my clothes next to the river? and what are those floating blue flowers?

-hahaha yes, of course, you can, obviously as long as you don't pour the dirty water into the river, and the "floating flowers" are spirits of flowers, they are something like fairies but they have different qualities and don't worry, they don't mind you walking through it Forest.

-Well... thank you very much for everything.

-Don't worry, this is already your home, and thanks for what you did with the Zixtiria.

-Zix... what?

-hahaha that's the name of the shiny stones you placed, they look beautiful, excuse me for doubting you so much.

-Don't worry, now we're both at hand.

-Well, now yes, I'm going -he walks towards the door and turns- Randall rests.

-Mell.

-Tell me?

-It was nice meeting you, see you tomorrow.

-Until tomorrow.