Fight for Survival

“ KRONOS!” Acacius shouted at the top of his lungs, his eyes bulging. He stared at the crater in the ground, unable, unwilling to accept his brother was gone. He felt his knees buckle, and collapsed. Damn it! I had things to tell him! And now he’s gone! Just when I had someone like me, this world took him away! He was so distraught he didn’t acknowledge that Untri was back and rushing towards him.

He was shoved out of the way by Arai, narrowly avoiding the pincers of the predator. Arai turned her head to glare at him.

“ Now is not the time to be distracted!” She snapped.

“ But… but,” Acacius said, unable to say anymore.

“ Stop being so dramatic!” Arai told him, hauling him to his feet. “ Don’t assume he’s dead until you see the body. Don’t forget; he has fought Calypso before. I doubt a mere fall can do him in.” Thora and Aralu soon made their way to them, staring down the Untri while breathing hard. The creature was glaring at them, preparing to charge once again.

“ Nothing we’ve tried has worked, Aralu said, giving the others a steely glare. “ I know not your names, nor do I have the desire to. But we seem to have a common enemy. So I say we form a temporary alliance. What say you?`` Her voice was regal and sultry, her accent making the vowels sound long and drawn out.

“ I’ll die before I fight an ally of Calypso,” Thora told her with a look of loathing.

“ A shame, truly,” Aralu said, her words drenched in sarcasm. She looked past Arai and locked eyes with Acacius. “ And what say you, handsome lad? Are you willing to fight alongside a member of a royal Ishtar house?” Acacius looked at the giant centipede and slowly nodded, activating his Ryuijin.

“ You two can fight as a team. I’ll fight with Thora,” Arai said, activating her Tribal Trait. Thora grumbled as her Kumoijin replaced her normal eyes. Aralu noticed the Abnormals, each awakening their Tribal Traits, and smirked.

“ Well, since this is the style of combat you have chosen, I might as well follow suit,” she said, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, the whites of her eyes had glowing orange wrinkles. The Sclera was an amber color and the Iris had turned white. “ I typically don’t show my Arashijin to just anyone. But I suppose I can make an exception.”

“ If you’re done being a pompous bitch, we’ve got a hideous bug to kill,” Thora growled.

“ Tut tut, how vulgar,” Aralu replied, shaking her head. The Untri let out a screech and charged at Aralu. The Phoenix Half-Breed nimbly dodged out of the way, her face twisting into fury. “ You dare attempt to sink your pincers into me?! I’ll teach you the error of your ways!” She extended her arms, palms facing out.

Several small orbs made of dark Mana rapidly fired out of her palms and collided with the Untri, exploding on impact. The Untri was seemingly unaffected as it charged at her once again, this time sinking its pincers in the leg of Aralu. She howled in pain and fear as she was thrown to the side. She landed on the hard ground, motionless. Blood began to glow from her leg.

“ Well, she didn’t last long now, did she?” Thora sneered before turning her attention to the Untri. A bow made entirely out of black ice was conjured into her hand. She aimed it at the creature and prepared an arrow made of black ice. After taking careful aim, she released. The arrow flew at the Undir and exploded upon impact. The creature shrieked and lunged at Thora, slamming its head into her stomach, sending her crashing into a wall.

Arai placed her palms on the ground while Acacius gathered Mana into his mouth.

“ On my mark!” Arai told him. Several stalagmites shot from the ground and pierced the underside of the Undri, which roared in fury.

“Let him have it!” Arai shouted. Acacius nodded and fired a burst of green fire at the Undri that swiftly dodged the attack. “ How did that thing get out of the way?!” Acacius demanded.

“ It’s barely damaged from my attack as well!” Arai said, her eyes wide. The creature hissed and lunged at the three of them. Thora was bit in the shoulder and tossed high in the air. Her back connected with the ceiling and fell on the creature's back. Arai tried erecting a wall of earth, but the beast crashed through and clamped its pinchers on her lower leg. Arai screamed in pain and kicked at the monster with her other foot. The Untri responded by throwing her across the room, the Kitsune slamming into the wall.

Acacius fired attack after attack at the monster, which seemingly did no good. The beast screeched and flew at him, but Acacius found himself pushed out of the way. Turning his head, he saw Aralu standing up, her leg wholly healed.

“ How-“

“ The Arashijin gradually heals me of any non-fatal injury. Should I perish in battle, it can revive me once a year, but only once a year. Of course, I’d have to sacrifice a year of my lifespan as payment,” she said proudly before turning to face the creature. “ You dare make me expend effort?! I’ll show you the depths of your folly!”

The Untri hissed, venom dripping from its mouth, and lunged at her. Instantaneously, Araou vanished, causing the Undri’s pincers to fail to connect. She reappeared a second later, her hand engulfed in dark Mana energy, and punched the beast between the eyes. She soon realized what a horrible idea that was, howling in pain while holding her wrist.

The Undri, unfazed, towered over Acacius and Aralu. Before it could move to finish them off, it was seized by a giant hand made out of blue Mana. Thora stood once kore, her left eye swollen shut, teeth gritted, sweat covering her face as he concentrated.

“ Arai now!” She shouted. Arai’s eyes flashed, and a large spear appeared in her left hand and a pair of black wings. She flew to eye level with the creature and heaved the spear. It pierced the left eye of the beast. The Untri howled in agony, the anguished cry shaking the walls of the room. It squirmed, desperate to get away, but Thora was able to hold on until it sank its pincers into her Mana hand. Thora shrieked in pain, the hand dissolving. Thora dropped to her knees, screaming while gripping her left arm.

The Undri turned its attention to Arai, its right eye gleaming with rage as it stared at the one who had wounded it. Green foul smelling chunky blood flowed from its impaled eye, spilling on the ground. Before Arai could react, the creature rushed at her, plunging its pincers in her stomach. Arai’s eyes bulged, blood flew out of her mouth. The Kitsune fell on her back, seemingly not breathing. She was soon lying in a pool of her blood.

Acacius tried his Tribal Trait, his eyes meeting the beast’s and flashed. He concentrated as much of his Mana he could, trying to create an illusion in this monster’s mind. Instead, he found himself unable to. He kept eye contact with the creature, unable to break free. He found himself frozen in place, unable to break free of the void that was the mind of the Untri. If it were not for Thora extending her right arm and pushing Acacius out of the way, the beast would have gored him.

“ What were you thinking?” She demanded, swaying on her feet. “ You can't use illusion-based abilities on a creature contracted to a Giant! Their mind has a form of protection that prevents that you Scaleback!” Acacius shook his head, his body feeling numb, barely registering her words. He gasped as his eyes landed on her left arm, swollen and purple.

“ Are you okay?“ he asked. Thora looked down at her arm with a grim expression.

“ It doesn’t look good,” she said softly. “ I may wind up losing it.” She then looked up at Acacius with a stern look. “ Take Arai and the other woman and leave.”

“ I can’t let you face this monster by yourself! Don’t be mad!” Acacius exclaimed.

“ I can hold it off a little longer, long enough for you to escape through the doors Kronos was studying before. That will put you in the immediate hunting ground of the Azvar village. They will help you, my people may have changed a great deal since my step mother became the Great Khan but they still help any who come to them in need,” Thora said softly. “

“ But-“

“ Please Acacius hurry. I’ve already watched someone I care about die once. I couldn’t do anything for my father, but I can save Arai. Promise you’ll make sure she’s safe.” Acacius opened his mouth to respond but paused as he saw the Untri prepare to charge Thora.

“ Watch out!” He yelled just a little too late as the fearsome predator made its move. Before Thora could hope to defend herself, pinchers pierced her back. Thora’s eyes bulged, and she dropped to her knees, eyes staring dully at the ceiling.

“ But… I never…,” she muttered before falling on her face. The Undri growled as it looked at Aralu and Acacius. Aralu gritted her teeth.

“ We should run away while we still can. I have no desire to end up like that.”

“ You honestly think you can outrun this fiend?” Acacius asked her.

“ You think we can kill this demon?” She asked him in return.

Acacius snarled and conjured two large orbs of green fire into his palms, then extended his hands towards the Untri, combining the two orbs into a large one.

“ I’ve lost three comrades to this bastard. I’m not letting it walk away!“ he yelled as he fired his attack. The burst of green flame raced towards the creature. But there was no hope it would reach its target as the beast jumped over the green flame and launched itself at Acacius. Before the Half-Breed could move out of the way, the giant centipede landed on him.

A scream of agony escaped out of his mouth as he felt bones crush. He couldn’t move, couldn’t escape. He helplessly looked up as he watched a pair of fangs descend towards his throat. Before they connected, Acacius found himself out from the Untri’s body; his body healed from its damage. Mere seconds later, the creature landed on the ground.

“ What the-“

“ That’s the last time. Be grateful for my generosity,” Aralu told him. Acacius hurried to his feet and grabbed Aralu’s arm, dragging her away from the relentless Untri. As he did so, he recalled when Aralu had disappeared then reappeared instantaneously. Of course! Her Arashijin allows her to travel one whole second back or forward in time! Aralu and Acacius fired attacks made of green fire and shadow; at least their attacks seemed to be affecting the creature as they landed. Eventually, the animal slithered into the crater it created at the start of the battle.

Everything was still and silent. After the chaos that had just ensued, it was a welcome relief. Acacius fell on his knees and surveyed the battlefield. The ground was covered in the blood of his comrades.

“ What a wretched sight,” Aralu sniffed. “ I don’t know what those two women are to you, but I’d say goodbye while you still can. If you still can,” she said. Acacius glared at her, infuriated by her callous tone. He got to his feet and opened his mouth to retort but stopped as her cold demeanor suddenly changed to one of fear.

“ What’s wrong?“ he asked, figuring he wasn’t the reason for her change. A loud, angry screech was his answer. One moment the screech announcing the return of the Untri filled the chamber; the next, he felt the sharp pain of something penetrating his back. Looking down, he saw two pairs of pinchers poking through his stomach. Blood trickled down his chin, his eyes already closing as the pinchers withdrew from his body. Acacius collapsed, faintly hearing the screams of Aralu and the screeches of the Untri. Coming… brother.

Acacius was unsure how long he lay there on the cold ground, in the blood of his allies. He felt the life drain out of him, unable to do something, anything. No…this cannot be how I die. I will not die here. I refuse to die here! Hot searing began to fill his body. It felt as if his heart had been engulfed in flames. Must kill. Must kill to survive. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Acacius slowly stood up, a giant vortex of green fire surrounding him. His wounds slowly healed. The right side of his body began to turn ash gray with black dragon scales lining his body. He let out a mighty first that shook the very room, causing the Untri to stop in its tracks, its pincers inches from the throat of a profoundly bleeding Aralu. Acacius bared his teeth at the fiend and rushed it.

The Untri was soon on the back foot as Acacius began to overwhelm it, striking it with fierce bursts of green flame. It howled and hissed in pain while trying to bite Acacius. But the Half-Breed was reacting purely on instinct, his mind devoid of any thought except for three words. Attack. Kill. Destroy.

Acacius kept on with his relentless assault, taking a good deal of satisfaction every time his flames connected with the body of the creature. He knew he could kill it; he knew it would soon fall before him. If only it could speak, beg for mercy so Acacius could laugh in its face as he denied the request. With one final roar, he fired a burst of green fire not even a Pure-Blooded dragon could sneer at. The Untri stood no chance in such an inferno.

Acacius looked around the once more calm battlefield. His fire techniques had melted all the ice. He stood ankle-deep in blood-soaked water, the vortex of fire slowly dying down. Fatigue began to set in, his body slowly returning to normal. Smoke began to waft from him, a burn mark now covering the right half of his body. He fell forward, landing on his face, saying beginning to close once again. Before everything went dark, he could just make out someone walking up to him.