5

"What do you mean, we may not be able to stop this thing?" I asked. I didn't even attempt to hide the concern in my voice.

"Vengeful spirits operate under a different set of rules than the rest of the world. For most of us we train our skills and become stronger as we gain levels. For vengeful spirits however, there are no skills or levels. They simply exist to correct some wrong that was done to them. "Bella said.

"Teresa can take this thing, right? She said that the Eros skill tree was the most powerful skill tree." I said watching Teresa trade blows with the spirit.

"That is true, the problem though, is that the spirit is very likely drawing strength from that same skill tree," she said.

"How could something called a vengeful spirit be drawing its strength from the love skill tree?" I asked.

"Think of it this way, the love that is giving that thing power, is so pure and potent that hundreds of years after that person died, it ignored the rules of life and death, so that he could avenge the person he loved." she said.

"Okay so if you know how vengeful spirits work then why don't you know how to kill it?" I asked as the spirit finally landed a blow on Teresa. It was a glancing blow across her gauntlets, but it did cause her to drop her sword.

Bella moved to Teresa's side so fast I thought she was still standing in front of me. She got there in time to block the spirit's next attack with a magical barrier.

"Thanks," Teresa said. Sweat dripped from her face as she kneeled to pick up the silver sword.

"Like I said, if you die here, mom will tear me a new one," Bella said, casually.

"I don't understand how to stop this thing, it seems to have limitless energy." Teresa said through heavy breaths.

"It does, it will fight as long as it needs to, to avenge its loved one. Here, take this stamina potion before it strikes again," Bella said and tossed a small vial of purple liquid to Teresa.

The spirit had vanished, for the moment, but we all searched the area frantically for it. We knew it was going to attack again. Suddenly there was a sound like a rushing wind behind me. Before I could turn or dodge the attack the spirit's blade was at my neck.

"Deflect," Bella yelled just before the blade bounced off the invisible barrier she covered me with.

Teresa came in thrashing her sword wildly next.

"Get your lifeless, decrepit, corpse away from him" she said as she flailed at the spirit.

The spirit caught her blade with his and then roared Laura!

"You're never getting Laura back. I'm keeping her forever!" Teresa said, tauntingly.

The spirit took offense to her words apparently, because it somehow became stronger. It doubled in size before it waved a hand at Teresa. She was suddenly launched across the mine.

"Light as a feather," Bella yelled at Teresa, before she made contact with the mine wall.

Teresa floated gently to the ground as if she weighed nothing. The moment her feet touched the ground she took off after the spirit. To her surprise as well as mine and Bella's, the spirit began spewing a thick wall of flames in her and Bella's direction.

"Torrential Vortex," Bella yelled before a heavy rain started to fall. Along with the rain came powerful winds.

The winds picked up the rain and turned into three 10-foot-tall typhoons. I had to hug the wall to keep from being tossed through the air like a dead leaf. The flames were extinguished in seconds. Once the flames were gone Bella ended the storm. When the rains died down the spirit was gone again.

"This is really getting old fast," Teresa said just before what looked like a green spike erupted from her chest.

She dropped to the ground gagging as the blood pooled around her. I was so shocked I couldn't move. Bella, on the other hand, bolted to her side.

"Heal, heal, heal" she repeated as white light streamed from her hands into the wound.

The spirit became visible again. He was standing above Bella and Teresa. He swung at Bella's back. She threw up the shield just in time for the attack to miss. The spirit didn't back away or stop though. It hacked and slashed at the forcefield repeatedly. Each time the barrier stopped the blade it got a tiny bit closer to Bella's head.

"Please don't die," she said as tears ran down her face. She was somehow holding up the barrier with one hand and healing Teresa with the other.

The exhaustion on her face told me she couldn't keep it up much longer. I needed to somehow do something to help them. I hated that it was my recklessness that had gotten us into this mess. I hated it even more that there was nothing I could do to help them. I was useless in this fight before Teresa had taunted it and made it stronger. Then the thought occurred to me, its strength could change based on what we said to it. I suddenly knew what I was going to do. It was probably going to get me stabbed again but it was all I had.

"Laura, is that who you want?" I yelled.

The spirit stopped swinging at the barrier and dashed over to me. Its massive body would've blocked out the rest of the mine if I couldn't see through it.

"Where is Laura?" It bellowed at me.

"Laura's safe and no one can hurt her anymore." I said calmly. My heart boomed like a war drum, but I hid any sign of fear.

"Laura's free?" The spirit asked, the rage was gone from its voice.

"Yes, and the people that hurt her are all dead. They will never bother her again." I said as the spirit shrank back to its normal size.

"Am I free?" The spirit asked. The expression on his face had become confusion.

"Yes, the binding spell that trapped you in that container is broken. You're free to be with Laura for all eternity," I said.

After I said that, the spirit began to dissolve into a purple mist.

"I'm coming to you Laura," The spirit said. His features had become unrecognizable.

I watched until the mist completely dissipated before I ran over to Bella and Teresa. Bella was still streaming light into, what was now, a tiny slit in Teresa's chest.

"How is she," I asked and took Teresa's hand in mine.

"Her wound is healing, but she still isn't awake, I don't understand this," Bella said, as sweat and tears descended down her cheeks. It made her dark skin shine in the torch glow.

"I'm sure she'll fully recover," I said as the wound completely closed. "Of course, if she doesn't, you and I can always console each other." I said, I was testing a thought I had just had.

Just like I thought she would, Teresa sat up immediately.

"Over my dead body," she said and stared hatefully at Bella.

"What the hell?" Bella yelled and punched Teresa in the face.

"Hey, be gentle, I almost died!" Teresa yelled back at her before they began rolling around on the ground fighting like children. I was so relieved that we survived the ordeal that I just watched and laughed. Until they pulled me into the scuffle.