3: The unwitting saviour.

"Please don't let him have me," the girl said. She shivered as she pleaded with Cole. 

"Which one are you talking abou-," Cole asked as he looked down at her.

He was stunned silent when he saw an all black figure floating above her. The air surrounding it rippled with darkness, as if it was absorbing any light that got too close.

"What the hell is that? Cole asked, staring directly at the dark figure.

Everyone around him, including the spirit and the scared girl, gasped at once. The large man dropped him. As he dropped to the ground, the dark being floated down to him..

"You can see me?" it asked in a voice full of curiosity.

The spirit moved closer to Cole's face with that question. Cole leaned back until the back of his head smacked the tree.

"There is something strangely familiar about you, puny boy," it said as it invaded Cole's personal space.

"Yes, I can see you. I can hear you too. Please back up?"

The bald guy gasped again.

"Are you speaking to Lord Zephiron that way? I won't hesitate to slay you if you are."

He pointed his dagger back into Cole's face. 

"Oh, this guy is so dramatic. Why is he so offended, he can't even see or hear me?"

The spirit crossed its arms over the area that would be a chest on a human. 

"He can't?" Cole asked..

"Who can't do what?" The bald guy asked. Cole could see him getting antsier by the second.

"No, he has no idea I'm standing right next to him. If you ever get your own cult, choose people that can at least see you," Lord Zephiron said. 

Cole tried to imagine what it would be like to have a cult worshiping him. If his followers were like these guys, chasing a naked girl through the woods, he doubted he would like it.

"So if they can't see or hear you? Why are they beside you chasing a naked girl through the woods?" Cole asked.

"She is a vital piece in a ceremony I have to undergo every 80 to 90 years, give or take," Lord Zephiron said, and shrugged.

Cole started doing the math in his head. 80 to 90 years was the lifespan of a person. 

"So you must dwell in human bodies until they are too old and then you move on to a new one?" Cole asked.

Lord Zephiron's face locked on Coles and it made Cole wonder what the spirit was thinking. Having been in the presence of spirits in the past, Cole could tell when he was in danger. Lord Zephiron didn't give off danger vibes. He seemed more curious than anything else. 

"How could he know all of that?" the large man said, panic clear in his tone. He stepped away from Cole and raised his dagger as if he was in danger.

"Calm down, Bowe, the boy was just guessing," the bald man scolded.

"He was until that big clown confirmed everything," Lord Zephiron said and shook his head. "I really need to get a body again so I can ditch these gullible idiots. Would you mind handing the girl over so we can finish our union ceremony? We'll leave you alone after that."

Cole scrunched his face at his words. 

"Excuse me Lord Zep, Zepi... Zee, why do I have to hand her over?" Cole asked.

"No, please." The girl squeezed him again. "He's trying to take over my body."

"She agreed to it!" Zee's voice boomed so loudly, the birds above them evacuated the area.

Cole jerked backward at Zee's sudden outburst. For the first time since meeting him, Cole had some understanding of how powerful he may be.

"It's a technicality. She gave herself to me, then she changed her mind and gave herself to you. If you give her to me, it will make her agreement with me active again," Zee said.

Cole looked at the girl cowering at his side. How had she gotten involved in a situation like this?

"What if I don't step aside?" Cole asked?

Zee took a deep breath. It had to be purely out of frustration since he didn't breathe. 

"We could always just kill the boy," the bald man said as if he had just thought of it.

His statement sent a wave of heated anger racing through Cole's entire body and before Cole realized what he was doing, he was back on his feet, rushing at the bald man. He threw a series of right and left hooks at the man's face. The first two punches caught the man off guard. They both landed on the man's unguarded chin and sent him to the ground at Cole's feet. Bowe and the woman tried to rush forward, but the bald man raised a hand and stopped them. The two cultists stopped in their tracks as the bald man slowly made his way back to his feet.

Cole looked around at the scene. The female sat with her arms wrapped around her legs, shivering. Zee watched the chaos that was about to unfold. The two hooded cultists held their daggers and waited for the bald man's word. 

"Don't move, you two. I want to handle this one," the man said as he began stretching. 

"Kid, in all of my years wandering this planet, I've only seen this situation end one way. You should run now," Zee said.

Cole disregarded the spirit. He was easily the same size as this guy, plus he had youth on his side. He was going to beat the snot out of this bald jerk and then tell them all to leave the poor girl alone.

"Master Edward, I will gladly beat this kid to a pulp for you," the female said eagerly.

"No need Riley, this will be over soon," Edward the bald man said.

He flashed Cole a nonchalant smile and gestured for him to attack. Then he clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward Cole. When he got too close, Cole threw a right hook at Edward's face. The bald man ducked beneath the punch with a speed Cole didn't expect. He whipped his head upward in a swift motion. His forehead connected with the same spot on Cole's nose that the girl's knee had. Cole's vision blurred as tears filled his eyes. He stumbled backward, clutching his re bloodied face.

"That can't be all you have, kid," Edward said.

His nasally voice made Cole forget about the pain and run at him screaming. This time, Cole threw a left hook. Again Edward ducked, this time he stuck out a foot and sent Cole stumbling forward. When Cole regathered himself, Edward was standing behind him. Cole spun around to face him. As he did, Edward stuck his head forward. Cole's nose once again connected with Edward's forehead. The pain forced Cole to his knees. He screamed in agony and anger.

"I'm not even trying yet. Don't you wanna give up and let us take the girl?" Edward asked.

His dismissive tone made Cole see red. Cole figured he couldn't beat the man, but he could at least make him respect him.

"You're a real perv. Get a woman your own age," Cole said as he stood back up.

The pain in his face caused him to see double. That didn't stop him from stumbling over to Edward and trying to swing at him. Edward dodged it and drove a knee up into Cole's abdomen. Cole squealed as he dropped to his knees again. 

"Give up the girl," Edward demanded. 

The casualty in his voice was gone now. Cole took pride in that small victory.

"She doesn't want someone her grandpa's age," Cole said just before Edward's knee slammed into his abdomen and flipped him onto his back.

"Shut up and give us the girl," Edward said.

His voice was full of malice now. Cole had completely broken through his cool, calm demeanor. Now he might be able to make a move of his own.

"Seriously, with that voice, I would've run screaming to the first stranger I could find as well," Cole said.

Edward's left eye twitched before he screamed and raised his right leg into the air to stomp Cole. Cole was ready this time. Or so he thought. He tried to sweep Edward's left leg. The bald man reacted faster than Cole thought possible. He jumped over Cole's outstretched leg and kicked him in the nose with the leg he had raised in the air. A burst of colors and pain erupted in Cole's head. Cole fell onto his back as the pain in his face overwhelmed him. 

"Nice try kid, but I've been trained in wind stance longer than you've been alive," Edward said as he looked down at Cole.

Cole's mind raced as he clutched at his undoubtedly broken nose. He had to come up with a way to get him and the girl out of this situation safely. Even though he had nothing to do with their situation originally, he was part of it now and there didn't seem to be any way to turn back. 

"Let me borrow your dagger Bowe. I guess it's time to end this distraction," Edward said just before Bowe handed him his dagger. 

They're gonna kill me and take her back wherever they came from. Cole thought as he opened his eyes. The world around him was a jumbled blur of color. He was too dizzy to escape. He had to think fast. Dying in the woods was not how this day was supposed to end. A thought occurred to him and before he had a chance to fully think it through, he acted on it.

"Take my body instead," he yelled suddenly.