The men on the ground were shaking and convulsing. The effects of the possession now hitting them full force. Their blood-shot pupils shot here and there as if following someone's rushed movements. The crow glanced in the middle of the circle the two had created.
The girl was now captured within and if the sacrifice were to be made, then considering her magical affinities, she might be regarded as a useful sacrifice in the underworld.
The magic circle started to burn brighter and spin in circles. The men laughed and howled. The girl shook her head and clenched her fists. The crow took this chance to spin around the dome of black magic and shoot attacking spells at it.
'Sentic la perishna,' the crow murmured as it broke cracks through the veil.
Beneath the girl was rigid as stone. The other men approached her with rope and metal trying to bind her to the ground. She stood still as if sensing something.
The crow still flew in circles around the dome, breaking through its defences.
'It's practically useless in this form to use any more mana!' the crow thought furiously.
That's when he saw a bright gold light. Shining from the center of the dome was the girl, holding a palm stick, and igniting everything on fire.
...
-In the middle of a very complicated mess-
SHIT.
The men rolling around on the floor had already created a magic circle using their blood. Now, all that was left to complete the ritual was put me in the middle and sing a ritual. I felt like banging my head against a rock. I was able to tell from the start that they needed a better hostage and without thinking, I volunteered to be their hostage.
They held Leela against me and used me instead. It's better that they don't have Leela but how am I supposed to get out of this situation without magic?
I glanced at everything around me. There was nothing to use! There were only sand and a couple of rocks. After all the fighting, we shifted to the bottom of the hill where the two men had already finished their magic circle. And me being the dumb person I am, I had to walk right into the middle of the circle.
"Kill me already," I sighed into the air.
"Yasss, baby!" one of the men sang.
What the fu-
"Boy, I wasn't talking to you."
"Mew mew- mew mew mew," he imitated, wagging his ass.
I clenched my fist in anger. This nasty ass is ticking me off.
I decided to forget about him and look at my surroundings. The small circle that I was pushed into was only a few feet wide. The blood marks were a bit splotchy here and there but they started to shine and revolve to correct themselves.
I already felt the tug on my limbs and the paralyzation that was going to hit me. If the circle I was in, completely formed properly then it would be impossible to get out of it.
"Well, here goes nothing."
I brought out a few palm sticks and bunched them together. Considering the spell I was going to use, I needed a large medium. I felt my mana gather and I concentrated on spreading that mana into the sticks. The sticks all buzzed with heat and I devised the plan in my head once again. I closed my eyes for a moment.
I visualized the area around me. I need to pivot and swerve at the right times to block their attacks. Considering the effects of the possession and the people I am up against, it would be in my best interest to cause less damage and quickly get out of here. If worse comes to worst, I'll have to subdue them, maybe even kill.
I breathed in and out, I would have to accept it one way or the other.
"Alright, ya mad dawgs, come and get me!"
They growled and charged at me.
"Lavanthos!" I yelled, and my sticks flared up into thick flames.
Ugh, too close! I winced but had to fight against the urge of cowering. It seemed that black magic had loosened its grip on me. I shook free my leg, and it felt like it was ripping it apart from the inside. I didn't realize that the magic had already made it into my veins!
Shit!
I clenched my teeth and ripped myself away from the influence of black magic. I stood huffing with the ever glowing flames and I started lunging at the men, making way for myself. I waved the flaming branches in the air and created a circle to protect myself against black magic.
"COME HERE, LITTLE GIRLY!" they howled.
Their eyes were completely black. Their teeth sharpened and hung over their lips at odd angles. All four of them glanced towards me with strong intensity of bloodlust. Shapeshifters. These Jinns were shapeshifters.
And to make matters more complicated, there were four of them. The veiled dome around us was getting stronger and stronger. My chance at getting out of here alive was diminishing rapidly. My palms felt sweaty.
The men all surrounded me from all sides. Two of the men were still stuck in binds, but they moved swiftly by rolling around. I shouldn't underestimate those two.
I held the branches in my hand and watched as they all made their way towards me. Rolling, running, tongues lolling. Y'all asked for it.
"Argh!" the first man approaching me moaned after getting hit.
Shapeshifters were grader to deal with. They changed forms so quickly, that it was hard to find their weakness early on. The man in front of me was hunched in pain as I whipped a lash of fire at him. It encircled his legs, burning cuffs onto his ankle.
The cuffs held onto his legs and he howled in pain. I threw the man at another approaching me and bound their mouths with fire as well. Flesh burning and black blood mixed with red poured down their faces.
I hesitated, the possession hadn't taken over them fully yet. There was a chance I was harming innocent people. My hands shook.
Rubble, ash, dirt, blood, eyes, cries, screams, fire, love, hate, revenge. My head buzzed with unpleasant feelings and memories.
"How are you any different?"
Who said that?
I turned around and couldn't find anyone.
"Who's there?" I screamed.
My cloak burned at my feet and I shut my eyes against the pain.
"Me."
It whispered from behind me.
I paused.
"Stop, messing with me Jinn."
"Little girly, you need to be taught a lesson," the Jinn flicked a large tongue and licked my back.
I trembled. One wrong move and I might get possessed as well.
I held my wrist up and looked in the reflection of my wristwatch and almost paled. The two bound men from before were now mangled together. Their necks were twisted in such a way, that one head was facing forward and the other was facing back.
The branches were getting shorter. I had only a few more left, I might have to rely on my strength if I run out. The long neck twisted and grew, towering over me. It's bodies on the ground merged to form a long serpent-like figure.
In the midst of burning flames stood a tall serpent with two heads, and a girl trying to control her pessimistic thoughts and anxiety.
Yup, this is when I knew I screwed up.