The Holy sword, 'Divine Judgment' stabbed through the skull of an imp.
"...And that's 108! I win!"
Shulia sheathed her sword. "Yup that's the last of 'em." She kicked off a twitching body to the side.
Oriane stepped forward and wandered around aimlessly while Sylvester stood rooted on his spot. Both of them concentrated where the energy of the crack was coming from.
"...not right..." Shulia looked down.
"Do you say something?"
Though he had a grim expression Sullivan shook his head. "...It's probably nothing…"
She moved her head to the side but didn't say anything more.
"In here!" Looking up she saw them going straight ahead into a wall. Or rather one minute they were standing right in front of the wall and the next both Sylvester and Oriane had disappeared behind the wall. Sullivan ran off with a loud yip. In an instant he was also gone.
Anatole fidgeted for a second before walking straight into the wall and like the rest he disappeared too. A second later his head popped out the wall. "Seems safe enough. Come."
With tentative steps she reached out her hand to find any resistance. Her hand passed through the wall like malleable metal. Taking a deep breath she stepped inside.
The hellish dark walls bounced off her skin like oil but she felt like she was stepping inside an icy shower.
She hadn't even gone a yard when the wall spat her out in a bright daze. Rubbing her eyes she followed Anatole's retreating back.
"...Where are we?" she asked.
"Wish I knew too..."
In the dark tunnel the only thing they could do now was to follow the distant shrill voices calling them to hurry up.
Anatole suddenly stopped causing Shulia to bump her nose on his shoulder. "Hey! Why didja stop?!" When he didn't answer she caned her neck up to see only to lose her breath.
A magnificent foyer-like temple was built underground. Tall pillars of gold with deeply studded diamonds. Balls of ether twinkled up, down as soft music of unknown origins filed in and a glass fountain was playing in the middle of the room. Doors made of precious stones lined up the walls with each bearing a golden plaque on their faces. Glittering twin staircases spiral up before meeting again at the top. Hanging from the rails was a flat surface where an imposing stone statue was hidden behind a large red cloth. Dark green vines bearing honeysuckle flowers had crept out the statue's feet.
"Quick, in here!"
The spell of splendor broke with the saints trudging past the foyer and inside a hidden trapdoor.
This place was less of a hidden room and more of a small cave supported by pillars of rough stone. Right at the center was a crack shaped like lightning suspended in the air. Bright light was pouring out of it.
"...We found it…" Oriane whispered.
"Let's get out of here. The sooner the better."
"I'd say sooner." Sullivan shuddered. "This place gives me the creeps!"
Sylvester turned on his heels. "You guys go on ahead. I'll…stay and look for Claudina."
"O-oh, then I am staying regardless of anyone not staying. I'll look for her too." Oriane looked at the others. "I know you aren't fond of her but she's m-my friend so I'll go."
"Ehhh~ Then I won't go either. Without Miss Fairy the journey won't be half as much fun."
"This guy…" Shulia signed. "Now, none of us can go back."
"My goodness, Li-li! You had intentions to abandon a fellow saint!?"
"No I didn't!"
"Oh no! Is the world ending? Noooo! I don't want my lights to go out at the same time as Li-li's~"
A vein popped on her neck. "Alright. You and me now. I'll have you scraping off your face from the floor by the time I am done with you!"
Sylvester cast a sideways look at Anatole who stood by silently. He knew he hated Claudina more than anyone else here.
"...if everyone else is going, then so will I…"
"Because that's a given Ana! You love her after all!"
Anatole stiffened before releasing a murderous aura. "Mind saying that again…" he spoke through gritted teeth.
"Hehe, you can't take a joke now can you?" Sullivan laughed sheepishly before jumping on his back and from there he hung.
"...So you are all going."
The others looked at Sylvester. Shulia stepped forward and collapsed on his shoulder. "Even if the request was to get a hairpin from the Celestial Heavens we would fulfill it because it came from a friend."
"If need be, we will go to war with you," Anatole said, finally wrangling Sullivan off. "Death will be our witness as we head hand in hand to the gallows."
"...Everyone…" tears glistened in the corners of his eyes.
"Tis I see with one blind eye, the sickening sweetness of an abnormal tie," a scathing woman's voice spoke from above.
They looked up in alarm. Calliope was flying in circles like a vulture eyeing rotten meat.
"Do you also gaze upon this feast? Speak, little devil or have you fully reverted to that limbless beast? Hah!"
"Quite, vermin."
Dread sent chills down Oriane's back.
The Inquisitor slithered out from the dark.
His blue iris had slits in them like a snake's. His skeletal snake body had gray scales covering them with more scales covering small portions of his torso and arms. He flicked his out his forked tongue.
"...Pity you found it so soon. I was not done with my preparations."
"...Sylvester, finding the Saintess must wait. We need to tackle one giant snake first."
The Inquisitor met their gaze with boredom. "I could care less for you lot. The Uranus Saintess, that is who I want to kill."
Shulia glared. "Bold of you to assume we will let you kill her."
He tilted his head. "Fine by me."
Calliope flapped her wings wildly. "The final battle of beast and heathens; set foot as you will but see to it that you live."
Claudina felt the wind whipping her face while going against the currents. A particular strong gust of wind had nearly taken her off the ground when Baron grabbed her foot and replanted her back.
"Agh! I think something went in my mouth!"
"duChesS, wE mUsT fiNd sHeltEr. A sTorM Is coMinG."
She signed. "Of course."
"...fArmS haVe bArNs."
"Yes, they do. Excellent on remembering that. But there are none here. And I am sure even if they were present they would be needlessly hostile. We don't want another one of your ears nearly ripped off like last time now do we?"
Baron stroked his ears. "nO, We dOn't."
They kept to the earth trodden trail. The lit pumpkin patch glowed ominously as they went. Dark clouds were quickly gathering. The fog in the patch was thinning out.
Something scraped Claudina's leg. She let out a breath of surprise when suddenly her shoes were no longer touching the ground anymore.
"DucHesS!"
"Whoa!" She was lifted upside down by a red vine with her hands swinging wildly by her head.
Baron opened his mouth and breathed out three streams of fire but the vine simply moved higher and higher.
"DucHesS i WiLl gO fInD tHE puMpkIN tO deStroY iT. YoU wAiT herE." Then she heard the thundering scurrying of Baron as he hustled inside the pumpkin patch. 'Baron, dearest even if I wanted to I can't leave…'
Meanwhile the vine of the pumpkin inched around her leg like a malevolent worm.
Claudina growled. "Disgusting little insect!" she screamed. Clicking her fingers she summoned an ice spear. Hauling it above her head she aimed for the vine daring it to come closer.
The vine popped open a single glassy eye and raked over the weapon on her hand. It hesitated just for a moment before another vine came and bound her wrists so tightly that she squealed out in pain, releasing the spear.
The echoes of ice shattering made her ears cringe before gazing back stonily.
The vine once again started to inch forward but this time it had sharp thorns growing out and it dragged those thorns on her skin. The eye leered at her while swinging another thorny vine.
Wincing in pain Claudina was least bit thankful her Holy powers were still healing her despite overusing it in a previous fight. Sweat ran down her back and she breathed through her mouth. The thorns released rivulets of blood from her wrists and ankles.
"Curses, that stings!" she muttered
A voice ringed in her head. "Milady if you will allow me,"
Smooth, thin and pure as a melody.
"Huh?"
"What do you mean? No, who are yo-"
SNAP. SNIP. SNAP. SNAP
The vines screeched when they were cut off. The glass eye gave one last look of vengeance before its lights went out too.
And just like that Claudina found herself free falling, screaming for Baron.
"AAAAAAAAAAAA!!! BAAAAROOOOONNNNNNN!!! CATCH ME!!"
"Have no fear, milady," the same voice again rang out this time right by her ear. "Simply…close your eyes."
If it was some other time Claudain would have said something rude but since she was almost plummeting to her death she did as she was told.
Warm arms wrapped her back and legs.
All of a sudden the wind stopped yet Claudina didn't open her eyes. A soft chuckle entered her cold ears. "You can open your eyes now."
Blinking bearily she felt the person carrying her put her down and helped steady her feet.
Finding herself alright she stepped back to see her savior. "Thank you…um…I am sorry but I don't know your name…"