"Uh."
What happened to me? I look up to notice Xióng and Ren fighting a hooded figure.
I felt the surge in mana on the hooded figures body, but, I can barely make out any words.
No, I can't give up now. I pushed my trembling hands towards the sword. My teammates are fighting, I can't be one to laze around.
...
Ren looked around as the sudden burst of mana had sent the two flying off. "What... happened?" he grasped his head, and noticed he was bleeding.
"Still not dead?" the man's hood had been torn off, revealing a white haired individual beneath. His red eyes shot through him, as he walked towards Ren.
"You think I have the luxury of dying when my juniors are here?" he plunged the sword into the ground as he pushed himself back up on his two feet.
"I have to ask you, how did you find me, I'm sure the artifac—"
Ren cuts him off, "Left no traces? It left plenty of eonweave traces behind."
"Hm, a miscalculation on my part, no matter. I always wanted to kill you high ranking brats," he opened his palms as gusts of wind gathered around it.
"Too bad, that's not happening today." Ren's eye shone deep blue as pulled the sword out of the ground, pointing it at the ma—, no it was a boy, no older than Ren.
"Gather and spin, the remnants of the air, form the strike," he chanted, the wind around his palm shimmering as it formed a sphere.
"Energy sword: Overdrive," the sword turned to a deep green hue.
"Wind blade." He swings his hand in an arc motion. An invisible arc of wind forms, slicing though the air, heading straight for Ren.
"Heavy Sword Art: Mountain Drop." He brings his sword, cutting through the air slash.
...
Give it to me, Nichole, the voice came in a slight whisper.
This voice, the same voice that I've been hearing since when I was a child.
"I can't do that," I extended a small thread from my fingertips, pulling the sword into my hands.
But you can't do anything now either, the whisper grew louder.
I looked at the reflection on the sword's shiny surface. My eyes had taken a hint of gold, this has happened before.
...
"Wind Blade: Barrage."
Multiple of the air slices headed for him, threatening to engulf Ren in the sea of slashes.
"Energy Shield," Ren held up his sword, forming an energy shield. The green hue extended, covering his body just in time to block all the blades.
SHING
A few cuts got through, leaving small scars all over his body, while other wine blades had bounced off.
"You did well holding on this far, but this is as far as you go," the wind once again gathered around his palm, but the sphere had formed with a slight blue hue, indicating the power behind it.
"You think I'm some weakling? But it is strange, for a mere Two-star to have such power," Ren brought up the sword, widening his feet and taking stance for a thrust. Blood trickled down from everywhere, forming a small circle around Ren.
"Why does it matter, at the end of the day I'm stronger," the sphere took shape, forming an arrow.
The glow around the sword deepened. Coat the sword with your qi and push forward with mana. Ren's grip on the sword tightened. 'I'll strike him when he begins chan—'
"Ho," he laughed. "Are you surprised to see Chantless casting?"
A wind arrow formed as he pulled back his right hand before letting go.
"Wind arrow."
The arrow shot forward, but Ren pushed his sword forward in a single thrust.
"Mountain Piercer." The force from the sword took the shape of a large bullet, smashing the arrow, heading straight for the boy.
"What?!! Block all I deem should not touch me: Two-star Barrier."
The dust cleared and the boy was still standing, but the move seemed to have landed as a large wound was seen on his right hand.
"Ha, how did Chantless casting work-out for you?" Ren chuckled lightly, standing firm.
"You think I can't kill you?" the boy fumed. "I'll fuck you up, right now."
"Silk Sword."
A band of light came out of nowhere, but the boy jumps back in time, the whip-like strike missing his hand by a few inches.
"Nichole?" Ren watched her walk towards him as she sheathed her sword.
"Hey, Senior, can you do that once more?" I couldn't hold the urge to laugh, the senses overcoming my restraints.
"I can, but you should get out of here, he's way too strong for you." Ren watched her laugh manically, still advancing towards the mage.
"Alone, maybe, but I'm not alone, am I?"
"Energy Bullet."
A shot of energy struck the mage in his stomach sending him back a few feet.
Xióng held up a single sword instead of his dual sword, small drops of blood dripping from his forehead.
"Took you long enough," Nichole held us the sheathed sword.
"I didn't get knocked out in one strike, did I?" Xióng pointed his sword forward. "Senior, can you do that charged attack once more, we'll hold him down."
Ren nods and gets into stance, the green hue returning to his sword.
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"Is it because of the talisman? the Marquis pointed at the yellow tag above the bed. "Yesterday he slept peacefully."
"It is, I guess it's effective, it's all thanks to your Force, Sir," Finn said.
"Sir, It'll take some time, but I have to do something, can you take a step back?" Daniela came in, holding the pill in her hands.
"Oh, Yes." The Marquis took a few steps back, Finn getting back along with him.
"Call me when you're ready," Finn said to Daniela.
"So, did you figure out what was wrong with him?"
"Hey there big sister, are you here to heal me?"
"Yes, Jamie." Daniela put her hand on his stomach. "This might sting a bit." Tiny threads extended from her fingertips.
"It's alright," the boy clutched on his pillow.
Finn said, "Sir, it's some of the dark qi that was left in him, it's causing a blockage."
"I could have taken it out using Force, did you have to use the herb?" the Marquis asked, his eyes softening as he saw Daniela comfort his son.
"It's a bit more than that, you could attempt it, but it's a child's life, I'd say this is a much safer option."
"Finn, it's ready," Daniela looked at Jamie. "Finn here is going to put you to sleep, when you wake up, you can run around like before."
"Oh, is that all, then I'll be off." Jamie lays back on the bed.
Thin lines of thread could be seen extending from Daniela's fingertips to Jamie's lower back.
"Slowly melt this medicine, it might taste yucky, but please bear with it," Finn gently smiled before placing the pill Daniela had made earlier into Jamie's mouth.
Jamie nods in agreement, as Finn nods to the Marquis, asking him to put his son to sleep.
"You'll be alright, son," the Marquis puts his hand on his forehead, a slight amount of force flowing into the boy.
Jamie's eyes slowly closed before completely shutting off.
"I'll leave the rest to you," he nods at Finn and Daniela.
"Princess, Dani, whatever, you ready?"
"Sure," she smirked, the threads around her fingers lit up slightly.
"Remember, untangle the cold bit by bit, the pill should do the rest of it."
"Alright," she closes her eyes, focusing on the task at hand.
The pill's doing it, there is a balance of cold and hot mana coming down, if I redirect it to the lower spine, I wouldn't have to do it myself.
"Finn?" the Marquis's voice turned hoarse as the surroundings.got dark before a dark veil appeared around the room, covering everything.
A dark ghostly figure hung above the bed from a rope, a sense of darkness threatening to spill from it, multiple broken chains hanging from it.
"Wh..." Daniela took a moment before opening her mouth, "what's that?" her voice shivering.
"Don't worry, it's not here to hurt anyone, keep doing what you're doing, Princess," Finn reassured her from a distance.
"Really?" she turns to face Finn only to see, "your legs are shaking, you're scared too," she called out.
"Hehe, it's nothing, I'm just feeling a little cold."
"Cold my ass, whatever, this thing is, it isn't doing anything," Daniela looked down back at Jaime, only to notice his face strained.
Damn, hey Zephyr, what is this? she thought to herself.
...
Zephyr? Fuck, he isn't coming out, but the cold has been melting off, I guess the treatment is working, the other energy is also leaving the body.
"Marquis, any idea what that is?" Finn looked over at the man, but his eyes deepened.
"Lalita," he extended his hands forward, "Lalita? Is that you?"
The air chilled before going back to the normal temperature, almost as if it was nodding to the Marquis's question.
Finn puts his hand on Marquis's shoulder, "Marquis, is that your wife?"
He did not reply, but gave a simple silent nod.
"Finn," Daniela called out, "whatever it is, the cold in his body is leaving, is it a good sign?"
"I get it," Finn snapped at the self-realization. "Princess, keep it up, I'll take care of this."
"Alrig—, GAH, at least do it with confidence and not those shaking legs," Daniela panicked before getting back to doing her part.
"It's alright. Marquis, stay here, it's not safe," Finn puts a hand in front of him, stopping him from getting closer to the figure.
"Wha..." he stopped himself, "I'll let you handle this." He took a step back as he forced a small smile
"Yes, Marquis." He stepped forward, opening his palm and facing it towards the ghostly figure.
The temperature in the room fell before going back to normal.
"Guess you're serious," Finn closed his eyes and started focusing. 'Damn this divinity in between, it's messing with the netherane.'
"I offer my body to you, take it, fulfill your regrets and leave, but do not torment the living, anymore," an unearthly aura pulsated around him as the ghostly figure flew into his body.
"Finn!? That's your great idea, possession?!" Daniela watched as a feeling of horror crept up her.
"Finn!!" the Marquis couldn't help but call out helplessly. "Damn it, what should I do?"
Finn twitched slightly as his body raised up a few feet in the air, before coming back to the ground.
"Finn?" Daniela slightly mutters.
His head turns towards her in an unnerving manner, slightly bent tilted as he looks at her.
"Fret not dear," he straightened the tilt. "The boy is alright, he just lent me his body."
"Huh?" Daniela's eyes twitched slightly, unable to absorb the information. She noticed his eyes had turned deep yellow.
He turned towards the Marquis and walked towards him. "My dear, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you so early," Finn's voice fell to a low pitch, a voice mixed with a woman's.
"Lalita, is that you?" the Marquis took a step forward.
The spirit or whatever, the kids condition is getting better, the cold is almost gone, Daniela watched the scene unfold.
"It seems I had some regrets left, not being able to protect you, nor Jamie. I was a bad wife, and an even worse mother," Finn got close to the Marquis, their eyes meeting.
"Lalita, it's not your fault," tears came pouring down.
"No, it's my fault," he placed his hand on the Marquis's chest. "I failed to see your pain, I was... selfish."
"No... don't say that," his shoulders shivered, he couldn't hold back his tears. The streams of tears ran down his face.
"I see you haven't changed, David," his fingers slid through the Marquis's jaw, slightly drawing a line. "Do they still call you Hammer Fist?" his tone was a soft lullaby for the crying man.
"They do," a muffled voice came through the tears, "they still do," he wiped the tears off with the back of his hand.
"It seems like you haven't been eating well recently, take care of Jamie and keep him safe," Finn leaned in, their lips meet, lingering for a moment longer than they had wished, soft and melting.
"What the!?" Daniela's eyes almost popped out from shock. "Bl! This is just Bl!"
_________________________
"What was that?" Thomas couldn't shake off the feeling of unease he had felt.
"I've never seen him react like that to anything," he walked through the bright garden.
Thomas sat on one of the marble benches, slightly pulling the large robe before sitting down.
The memory had etched itself in him, the vuln—no, he pure expression of fear, he had never seen such fear, and he never expected to see it on his face.
He couldn't sit still, slightly crouching forward, "I shouldn't ask, should I?"
_________________________