Frozen in the midst of picking himself up. Flynn could not look away from the woman that had just stepped out of what remained of his front door as the smoke clouded the area.
The woman wore a long coal-black cloak that reached down to her ankles. Although it hid much of her body, one slender arm parted the black lining. Flynn was taken aback seeing what was floating above her palm. A ball of fire was perched above her palm, the woman's equally slender fingers were spread beneath it. Her face was smooth, her eyes a piercing orange, black hair that faded into a burning red.
"Flynn!" Flynn's line of thought was broken as he heard Oriel's voice strained from the pain in her side.
Looking over to her, Flynn saw that Oriel had got herself up. Holding clutching the left side of her body with her right hand. She had taken the brunt of the explosion against the right side of her body.
Taking a step forward, Oriel shouted at the woman. "You have no jurisdiction here Demon Sin of Lust. Leave before you breach the terms of the High Truce even more than you already have."
Hearing this Lust giggled. Flynn couldn't help but feel his attention be pulled back to the demon as she spoke. "Precious. What are you going to do, runoff and go tell on us?" Looking at Flynn, Lust coyly smiled. "He doesn't seem that strong now does he?" Without waiting for anyone to answer she continued. "Suppose you're the only threat here." She commented on Oriel's presence. "That's all the better for me. I think he will look kindly on me if I'm the one to bring him the boy's head."
In a single movement of her wrist, Lust threw the ball of fire directly at Flynn's chest.
Before Flynn could react, a dagger of light originating from Oriel's direction cut across his vision. It pierced the fireball causing it to detonate. The resulting blast knocked Flynn off of his feet.
Landing on his backside, he turned to see Oriel standing ahead of him. Pointing her rapier at where the fireball had just been, a large glyph of yellow light sat motionless in the air alongside her rapier.
Lust's head snapped in Oriel's direction. "I didn't think you'd be this much of a pain in my ass. Damn Angels." She muttered under her breath. "Always getting in our way." Holding out her hands, two balls of fire ignited in her palms. "If you really wanted to die so badly you need only ask." Coiling her arms back, Lust slung the balls of flame towards Oriel.
Recognising this, Oriel dismissed the previous glyph causing it to dissipate, as the light forming it faded away. Gripping her rapier in both hands, she pointed it down stabbing it into the ground. As she performed this action, a large glyph rose from the ground around her.
Just as the fireballs were about to hit Oriel. A dome of transparent yellow light formed around her; this ward protected her as the fireballs collapsed against this shield.
Witnessing the events unfolding between these two, demon to angel. Flynn felt powerless as he felt fear run through him.
Trying to think of how to help, he hit a wall knowing that whatever this confrontation was. He was powerless to help, but as this feeling of helplessness intensified, a burning began erupting within his chest, the same as before.
Clutching his chest, Flynn swallowed a knot in his throat.
Getting onto a knee, Flynn felt a new surge of determination. Chastising himself for his moment of weakness, Flynn tried to calm his nerves. "If Oriel is willing to put her life on the line to protect me. I'd be a coward if I weren't willing to do the same.'
Drawing her rapier out of the ground, the shield faded away as the glyph on the ground dissipated. Stretching her wings out, she dashed across the yard leaving a bright flash of light behind her.
Seeing this Lust aimed her palm at the ground in directly ahead of Oriel. An orange power glowed around her fingertips. The ground bubbled momentarily before a wall of flame burst from the ground blocking Oriel's approach. As Oriel prepared to go around it, the wall of flame began to surround her preventing her exit.
Seeing this, Flynn moved to shout Oriel's name. As he began to form the words in his throat, he was cut off by a flash of cyan light originating from Lust's direction. Turning to face the demon, a tight pain gripped Flynn's throat.
In the time Flynn was distracted by what was happening to Oriel, Lust had summoned her weapon. A whip now choked Flynn. Grabbing onto it to try and free himself. Looking down its length, he could see Lust smiling.
"See? This is why you don't look away from your enemy." She snickered.
Seeing Flynn's continued efforts to loosen her whip, Lust yanked its handle. The resulting force brought Flynn to his knees as his vision began to go blurry from the lack of air.
Feeling his mind start to go dizzy, Flynn gasped for air. "I- I can't breathe." He tried to cry but his lack of oxygen caused the words to come out as faint whispers.
"Enough!" Soaring out of the fire her wings outstretched, Oriel pointed her palm at Lust a barrage of light daggers shot out from behind her, appearing from the dozen glyphs behind her.
Reacting to Oriel's attack, Lust summoned another fire ball and toss a single ball of fire into the barrage.
As the two attacks impacted, the fireball would explode destroying or knocking all of the daggers off course.
Having expected Lust to counter with a fireball, Oriel cloaked herself in the resulting smoke cloud to hide her approach as she closed the distance between them.
Striking through the smoke, Oriel took a stab at Lust.
Relinquishing her chokehold around Flynn's neck, coiling one end of the whip around her left wrist. Coiling one end of the whip around her left wrist, moving to the side, Lust wrapped her whip around the inner part of Oriel's rapier.
The two grappled trying to overpower the other.
Putting a hand on his neck, Flynn coughed as he recoiled from the strangulation he had just been released from. Trying to pick himself up, he staggered as his head spun. Planting his foot in the dirt, Flynn shook his head. "No." Taking a step toward the two women fighting, Oriel had gotten free from Lust's hold and had begun trying to cut the demon down, Lust was adeptly parrying her attacks.
Knocking Oriel's rapier aside with her whip, Lust planted a kick into Oriel's chest, sending her back a few feet. Taking a second to look to Flynn who had picked himself up, Lust swore under her breath. "Damn it. I can't kill him, with her intervention." Ducking Oriel's next attack, Lust summoned a smaller ball of flame in her palm. Flicking it in Oriel's direction. The Oriel quickly ducked it. Looking up the first floor of the house, Lust shouted at the open window. "Pride, get down here. I can't deal with these two alone."
Confused Flynn followed Lust's gaze to the open window. "The window facing the road- that's Brynn's room! -" Flynn's was cut off as the front of his house exploded outwards.
Flynn brought his arms up to shield himself from the raining debris. Looking through a gap between his arms as small pieces of brick hit his body. Flynn's eyes widened seeing who was stood in the smoking remnants of Brynn's room.
"Oh, Lust dear, I didn't want to interrupt you. You seemed to be having so much fun." Pride stood in the now smouldering room, an unconscious Brynn slung over his shoulder.
Seeing the unconscious Brynn, Flynn's legs moved before his brain could think. "Brynn!" Running directly at the man holding his sister, Flynn drew his arm back ready to strike the man.
Seeing Flynn's approach, the man scowled. As Flynn reached him, the man brought his right hand up, deftly catching Flynn's own hand.
"I knew you wouldn't be strong." Tightening his grip on Flynn's hand, he pulled the boy closer. "But I expected a little more than this." Driving his knee into Flynn's gut, he followed this with a roundhouse kick into Flynn's left side. The resulting hit sent Flynn tumbling across the ground.
Seeing Flynn get tossed across the yard. Oriel grew concerned seeing how Flynn stood no chance against either opponent. Ducking a high kick, she flapped her wings jumping back a few feet.
Sliding to a stop Oriel shouted at the demons. "If you want to fight someone, fight me. We all know he has no chance against either of you two."
As he picked himself up for a third time today, Flynn looked away knowing she was completely right.
Looking to Pride, Lust giggled. "Aww babe, those are cute words from an angel but, we both know neither of you are going to be walking away from this. So, I might as well put you down now."
As Lust continued her attacks on Oriel, Pride let out a small sigh. "I hate how it played out like this. She wasn't supposed to be here, neither of them were." He squinted at Oriel as she attempted to kick Lust. "If only they hadn't noticed that angel then maybe-"
"As much as I like to hear you quietly monologue to yourself." Flynn commented interjecting Pride's thoughts. "If you want to kill me, just leave Brynn out of this. She has nothing to do with- with whatever this is!"
Pride would nod. "Your completely right." Reaching up to the passenger on his shoulder, Pride laid Brynn down behind him. Turning back around, the man's arms started to glow with orange energy "Summon your Soularm, I don't want to have to fight you unarmed."
Hearing this Flynn's jaw went slightly slack as he rubbed his ribs. "What's a Soularm?"
Pride pretended that he was wielding a sword. "You know, manifestation of your soul as a weapon. You should be able to summon one as the Nephalem- Oh right." Pride dropped his arms to his side. "You wouldn't know know what that is, do you?"
Bringing his fists up, Flynn shook off the pain as he stared Pride down. "I don't care what Soularm is. But I'm not going to just stand aside after you hurt my sister."
Hearing this Pride faintly smiled. "Good good." Moving closer to Flynn, Pride brought an arm up, spreading his fingers, the orange energy grew forth from his fingertips forming a set of fiery claws.
Swiping sideways, Flynn ducked Pride's attack, punching upwards the boy's fist connected with Pride's jaw causing him to stagger backwards for a moment.
Holding his jaw Pride laughed. "Ah ha! that's a good one, turns out you're not as defenceless as I thought you were."
Tensing his muscles Flynn shook his head. "Don't act like I'm dumb, that swing was slow. It's like you don't actually want to hit me."
Pride shrugged. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. I have my reasons, but for now-" Pride froze seeing something in the skies behind Flynn. "Damn." He casually swore. "Thought we'd have more time." Bringing his right arm forwards, the claws of fire he had just summoned condensed into a ball of flame in his palm. In a quick motion, he shot it directly into Flynn's chest.
The resulting impact did not produce a large explosion like the previous balls of fire Lust has conjured, instead, this one only served to send Flynn backwards.
Propping himself up, Flynn was about to shout something when he was cut off by a creature crashing out of the air where he had just been standing.
As it hit the ground, a small crater was beaten into the earth. As the dust settled from the impact, Flynn's breath hitched in his throat.
Standing up, the creature easily stood seven-foot-tall, it easily dwarfed Flynn who still lay on the ground.
Looking to Pride it grunted. "I saw you. I would have gotten him if you didn't knock him back."
The voice sounded very familiar to Flynn but different, deeper.
Pride took a moment to think of a response. "Oh, I'm sorry Wrath, I didn't see you coming."
Wrath. Flynn's eyes widened as he realised who was standing before him. Turning to Flynn, the boy could see his opponent in even more detail now the dust had fully settled.
The Demon's skin was a dark burgundy, in parts across its armour-like skin was cracked with red veins flowing beneath them. His fingers tightened around the same cleaver he was wielding before, his fingers flexed as the veins of fire in his skin glowed. Piercing orange eyes were set in a scowling face, annoyed that Pride had caused him to miss his target, set atop his head a pair of horns curled backwards, and forked tongue licked his dry lips as he looked at the defenceless Flynn before him.
"What's wrong boy." Taking a step towards Flynn, Wrath swung his cleaver to the side. "You look like you've just seen a monster." Cackling he took another step swinging his sword again.
--
Twisting to avoid a fireball, Oriel ducked as Lust swung her leg up to hit her head. Hearing a loud noise behind her, Oriel forces Lust back with another barrage of light daggers, turning to see what had caused the commotion. she realised they were running out of time seeing Wrath had broken free from the chains, he had even returned to his Origin Form.
Pointing her rapier at Wrath a glyph formed behind her, a piercing dagger of light shot out from its centre. Without even looking in Oriel's direction, Wrath swatted the dagger of light out of the air with his free hand causing it to shatter.
"That weak magic isn't going to work on me now Angel and I couldn't care less about the High Truce, so before you bother mentioning it again. Don't!" He spat.
Oriel's eyes darted around the three assailants. Gingerly biting her lip, she knew they were in trouble now. Two they could have taken, but three...
Watching Pride step closer to Flynn, Oriel leapt forward flapping her wings as she tried to close the distance between her and Flynn.
Turning his attention back from the approaching Oriel, Wrath raised his. "I've had enough talking, just die."
Not having enough time Oriel dropped onto the ground, running her fingers from the base of her rapier to its tip. As the blade began to glow Oriel threw her weapon forward.
As it flew through the air, it passed Wrath. Planting into the ground directly behind Flynn's shoulder. A glyph spread out from its edge.
As the glyph finished constructing itself, a dome of light surrounded Flynn.
Wrath's nostrils flared as his cleaver clattered against the bubble.
Repeatedly he began to strike the light shield. "I hate angels!" He howled.
As Lust was distracted by Wrath's attempts to get to Flynn. Pride approached the now unarmed Oriel.
"Hey angel!" Turning to face Pride, Oriel brought her fists up.
"My Soularm may be indisposed, but my fists aren't. You don't even have one do you."
Ignoring Oriel's words, Pride checked to see if the other demons were still busy, he let out a faint sigh. "Good." Putting a finger up to tell Oriel to wait, Pride reached into his pocket. "Please they may not know who you are, but I do. Especially why you're holding back. You know, well. I'm sure it'd suck if mommy was able to find you."
"I- It doesn't matter if you know who I am. I'd still put everything into protecting him-"
"Yeah, yeah I know. What's your plan on getting out of here." Taking his hand out of his pocket, Pride brandished a small device that fit in his palm.
Seeing the device, Oriel narrowed her eyes. "I don't- It sounds like you're... helping me?"
Pride shrugged once more. looking back to Wrath, he scowled slightly. "We don't have time to deliberate- and I'm not helping you. Just to make that clear. I'm just doing a favour for an old friend. Similar to you no doubt- Catch this." He said tossing Oriel the device. Pride clenched his fist the orange energy starting to coalesce around his fingers seeing Lust begin to look in their direction. "Oh and this."
Catching the device, Oriel looked up confused. From out of Prides fingertips, a blast of fire hit Oriel. It wasn't to hurt similar to the ball of fire Pride hit Flynn with earlier. The impact still threw Oriel back.
Seeing Pride attack Oriel, Lust turned back to watch the increasingly aggravated Wrath strike the shield.
"Why! Won't! This! Thing! Break!" He roared.
Walking up to his side, Lust crossed her arms. "You know. I don't think you're hitting it hard enough." Lightly giggling, Lust covered her mouth.
Hearing Lust's joke. Wrath stopped his assault on the bubble, the fiery cracks running through his rugged skin flared as Lust stoked his anger.
"Fine. I can try a different approach." Letting go of his cleaver, the weapon disappeared in a dim flash of cyan light. Spreading his fingers, Wrath laid them onto the flat surface of the shield.
Seeing this, Flynn moved behind Oriel's rapier for some form of protection. "W- what are you doing?" He felt his legs start to go numb as the demon closed his eyes.
Walking up to the seemingly impenetrable barrier, Lust leant against it as she looked at the cowering Flynn. "Aww, what's wrong Flynny, you look scared." Looking from the demon to the other oddly suggestive demon, he moved further away from the two of them. Looking hurt Lust pouted. "Oh, come on Flynny, pull that rapier out of the ground and I can show you a good time. If you know what I mean." She winked. "Honest I won't kill you, well... Not right away."
Looking at Oriel's rapier and then back up at Lust. Flynn swallowed a knot in his throat. "No thanks, I think I'll be fine in here."
Flynn's response caused Lust to laugh. "Oh, if only that was true." Taking a few steps back from the light. Lust gestured from Wrath to Flynn. "Ok big guy, do your thing."
Grunting, Wrath took a deep breath before exhaling. "From the power of that which is bound to dwindle. From the dead to the living allow me to bear your weight." As he spoke, the red flame that burned within Wrath's skin subsided. In its place, a black flame began to burn.
"Dark fire!" The demon roared a billowing black flame began to pour out of the veins that ran along the demon's body.
Seeing his transformation, Lust took another step back. "Oh well, sorry Flynny. I tried to let you off easy but well." Gesturing to Wrath, the larger demon cracked his knuckles. "He won't let you off as easy as I would have."
As the dark flame wrapped around Wrath's hands, he slammed his hands onto the dome's surface. His black flame enriched claws deftly pierced the shield's surface.
Tearing the barrier apart, it dissipated having been breached, the glyph disappearing with it.
Grabbing Oriel's rapier, Flynn pulled it out of the ground. Seeing the might of the creature stood over him. Flynn faltered tripping over his own feet as he stumbled backwards.
Seeing the fear in Flynn's eyes, Wrath smirked. "What's wrong, you look-" Stretching his fingers, Wrath's raised his right arm over his head. "Scared. Don't worry, you won't be in a second."
Wrath's dark flame began to wrap around his arm, reaching his finger tips it began to form a ball of dark fire.
Starting to tear up, Flynn closed his eyes knowing his death was moments away.
'Thank you, Oriel.' He thought. 'I don't think anyone's ever stuck up for me as much as you have, and no one's ever tried to save my life before. Thank you-'
"Dammit Flynn!" Flynn's fingers closed around air as the rapier disappeared from his grasp. Opening his eyes, he saw the rapier had vanished. Looking up, he recoiled, seeing that Wrath was still standing over him. "Flynn!" Hearing Oriel's voice again, Flynn noticed chains of light wrapped around the demon's limbs, same with Lust and Pride.
"Over here!" Oriel shouted at him.
Looking to Oriel, Flynn saw where her rapier had gone.
Stabbed into the ground, a dozen chains sprouted out of a dozen glyphs surrounding Oriel.
Running over to Oriel, he looked back to Wrath; the chains on him began to fade as the dark flame eroded their light.
"How did you-"
Oriel cut Flynn off. "They were too distracted attempting to kill you to notice me." In her other hand, Oriel held the device Pride gave her.
The device Oriel held was a grey crystal held within dark murky red stone-like material that pulsed with a strange energy.
Holding the item up, she pointed it behind them.
"Gods I really hope this works." She muttered.
Hearing this Flynn's mouth opened slightly. "You wha-"
Flynn was cut off as a loud crack made him turn around. Flynn's eyes widened seeing that Wrath had broken the chains.
Wrath fumed at his prey having been taken from him again. Clenching his fingers, again the dark flame began to coalesce around his arm.
Seeing this Flynn swore. "Shi-" Being cut off hearing a loud whoosh behind him.
Turning around, a swirling vortex had appeared out of thin air.
Seeing this, Lust shouted at Wrath. "Get him before they can escape through the portal you idiot!"
"Portal?" Flynn thought.
"Quickly Flynn." As Oriel's dismissed her rapier it vanished in a dull flash of cyan light. "I don't know how long this will last." Pulling him along, the two began to run towards the portal.
As the duo began to make their escape. Wrath's rage boiled over. "I can't let you escape!" Punching forwards, the dark fire around his arm shot forward like a bullet.
Hearing Wrath's scream, Flynn turned around in time to see Wrath's attack. Not having any time to move or speak, Flynn instinctively pushed Oriel out of the way.
As the attack his Flynn, it tore through his clothes lacerating his skin beneath. Flynn felt cold as he lay on the floor. A pool of blood began to form from the large gaping wound cut across his bleeding back. Flynn's consciousness faded in and out as he was overwhelmed by the pain.
Seeing this Oriel cried. "Flynn!" Sensing the other demon's approach. Oriel quickly picked the semi-conscious Flynn, reaching the portal.
~~
Summoning all his might, Wrath was determined not to let them escape. Sending a barrage of dark flame their way.
~~
Oriel wasted no more time. Leaping through, the portal collapsed moments after the two crossed through.
Wrath's attacks fell against the ground as the swirling vortex dissipated.
Reeling back, Wrath howled at their escape.
"Arghhhh, I will hunt you both down!" Punching the ground, Wrath's black flame scorched the dusty yard as he lashed out. "And I will destroy you! Nephalem!"