Everyone looked at Cynric as though he had lost it. Terror reflects in their eyes as they physically back away from Cynric!
"No way we will agree to that. Fight Evil with Evil!? What makes you think we will agree to this—" Rick screams at Cynric but is intervened by Adi,
"In a way...Cynric might be onto something. Fighting Evil with Evil might be our last resort. Is this why we are here for? To be under lockdown as militants ourselves and die with a crowd that couldn't be strong enough!?" Adi shouts at them all.
"Our fate is not good, I agree. But letting a witch involve into this is as if questioning my morality. It's...not right." Suddenly, Halo speaks up.
"There's nothing such as questioning your morality anymore, Halo. We are using guns, a destructive weapon to kill humans who've had their fate changed without their consent." Gabby says, making everyone question everything now. How ironic.
"Fellas...what we are using for our protection is called a weapon. The witch, or a mage whoever shows up through our summon will be our weapon, too. To protect us." Cynric insists after gathering varied opinions from his companions. He looks around, sighing as he says,
"We can't do this if all of us aren't in it. It won't be fair if I will be the one to summon it by myself and take you all out of misery—" Rick swiftly grabs Cynric by his collar.
"Oi, brat...what do you mean? You want all of us to participate in your madness?" He threatens the lad, eye to eye as their faces are just inches apart. A fight would ensue immediately if not intervened.
"It's all of us or none of us. I don't really care about the civilians in this city. They're a nuisance anyway." Says Cynric, engaging Rick even more.
"Are you even a fucking scout, ranger? What makes you think—"
"Rick. Stop it." Gabby, the elderly person looks at the commotion and speaks up. "We need to think about ourselves first. Who knows how many more lives we will end up saving after this. We all know how common witch summoning had become as a practice in these dire times."
"Are you suggesting that we succumb to weakness and summon a witch, Gabby?" Rick seethes at Gabby who sighs. Cynric falls to the ground at once after Rick releases him from the grasp. Adi and Halo simply spectate.
"That's not what I meant," Gabby was at loss of words as he didn't know how to describe it. Just then, Cynric takes up the opportunity to explain,
"What we all mean is...let's use this weapon to sustain ourselves as scouts. We know it's a world going to shit. One more witch added to tens of thousands already summoned won't change a thing." Cynric elaborated.
"*sigh* Fine. Do whatever you want. Tell me what the fuck should I do." Rick finally gives up. Adi and Halo smirk, knowing exactly why Rick's resolve was so weak.
That's because everyone are fond of their lives. So much so that they didn't want to be caught up in a Shifters' intestines any time soon.
Cynric stares blankly at the wall. It should take a little while to ensure he remembers the procedure. It is a custom in his family of black magicians. For others of his clan, summoning a witch is a child's play. But for Cynric - who doesn't rely on anyone - this was his last resort. Hence, not a practice.
"Are you even aware how—" Adi asks Cynric but Cynric lifts his hand to block his words instantly. Adi sighs, returning to his place between Halo and Rick.
"Tch! Showing off that he's a black magic user now, huh?" Rick comments, feeling spiteful.
"Shush! He's trying to save our lives when you convinced us to give up on it." Halo retaliated to which Rick's expressions became subtle quickly.
"Alright. I've remembered. Let me draw the essentials with a chalk on the ground. It will be—" Out of the blue, there is a ruckus outside the building. They were seeking refuge from a devastated house, of someone deceased by the Shifters not so long ago.
"What is that...?" Adi asks, shivering in his timbers.
"That's a Shifter, of course. We should haste up. We don't have time." Rick motivates the others, especially Cynric who suppresses the urge to do the cross over his chest.
They assemble around the set up swiftly, Cynric begins chanting a mantra, a summon for the ears of a witch.
"No fucking way..." The commotion outside is getting closer, but Rick's reaction wasn't for that. A mystic dark red glow emits out of the pattern on the floor. Rick gulped in fear. As common as it seems to be, the power of a witch could be immense. Anyone could have showed up in disguise as well. It's an unpredictable stance they're sitting on.
The red glow quickly seizes into itself, a small flame emerging. It burns, sparkling up the room softly. Just then, all men scream in terror as the door is broken by the Shifter!
"WE ARE DOOMED!!" Yells Halo, clutching onto Cynric's hand tightly!
Cynric...takes a deep breath in.
'Oh, Hell's beloved, help us.
For we will dedicate our souls and ancestors in exchange of this gift called LIFE.'
That...was all he had to chant in his head.
The flame, crinkling the wooden floor quickly takes form of a woman. Her horns grow with the fire. She looks like a Phoenix, born from the ashes the fire leaves behind. Awestruck, all men stand up and club into each other.
The Shifter growls at the form-taking fire, perceiving it as a woman with its weak vision. In fact, there was no heat from the fire. Just...a bright form which is iridescent enough to blind anyone.
The Shifter makes a sound, a growl that could tear soundwaves transversally. It approaches the fire taking a form and...
BOOM!
The Shifter takes one beam of the fire thrown its way and crumbles into ashes instantly!
"Wait...wait...Wait!
A witch...couldn't be that powerful. What is going on!?" Cynric panics, the surge instilled in others as well as they stare at the woman now gaining skin tone.
She turns around, the hellish fire burning in her matte black eyes,
And she smirks at the five men.