Transcendance

11

Fear filled my being. I felt like biting my nails.

"What happened to Aricame?" I asked Tsijiari. He looked at me, rather sadly.

"He's become corrupted. That advisor of his....he did something to him when he was burned and now he's a beast destroying everything." Tsijiari was pacing up and down on the floor.

"What are we doing to do, Tsijiari?" I asked him.

"We're going to have to stop him." Tsijiari and my other friends, Arielle who looked like Heather and Maris who looked like Leira, were looking down at the ground, softly. "There's no guarantee that we'll survive an encounter with him. He's unstoppable."

"I know. Let me do it." Everyone stopped to look at me, horrified.

"It's better if I do it. At least he'll die by the hands of the person he loved the most." I could tell my eyes were tearing up. If only there was another way to save him.

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The next morning, we got up and got our daily dose of rations. I dreaded leaving the temple, which had protected us, led me back to my sword and which kept us safe and dry. Leira sighed, looking slightly upset.

"I wish that this wasn't happening." She spoke.

"I know. We would have been in Meryll by now." I spoke. We left the temple. I had left behind some twine that I had in my pack as a thanks to the gods. We continued our merry way into the forest. There looked to be ruins along the trees. I saw a bustling city with children running in the streets, merchants selling from stalls by their homes and a ceremony going on in a temple now reduced to its base.

"I think this was a city." Jackson spoke, looking around.

"I think so." I told him. "Do you remember?"

"I think it was Tziricuaro." Jackson sighed. "I think I'm remembering now."

"Same, isn't that kind of freaky?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I almost killed my own sister." He laughs awkwardly.

"Wait, what?" Brett asked.

"It's a long story." Kyra sighed. "I might be able to tell you about it someday."

"But not today, I'm afraid." A female voice rang out. It was the woman from before, a white wolf and a few orcs and emo looking Fae.

"You again?" I snap at her, my hand going to Sunstone's hilt.

"Yes, me again. I'm afraid Father has changed his mind regarding your death, Tsikiri. He wants you and Princess Leira alive."

"That's not happening." I told her. "You'll have to bring my dead body to him."

"That's not going to work." She drew her blade. My companions instantly went for battle as did hers. She draws out a silver and black sword. I block off her sword a few times. This was a bad idea. I was not good with a sword before and I wouldn't be now. She swung at me and I blocked her a few more times before slashing her across the face. She managed to hit me in the gauntlet which blocked the blow to my flesh. I grab my gun and shoot her straight in the head.

"Don't bring a sword to a gunfight, dumbass." I spit on her body. I notice that the white wolf has stopped fighting against my squad. He's wounded with a piece of his ear missing and he has multiple wounds on his body. He then hits the ground.

"Do you think she was controlling him?" Leira asked, as her hands went from charging a ice spike to normal.

"That would make sense." I spoke. "Also why did none of you go for the head?"

"I did." Kyra spoke. "But the orcs were protecting him." One started to move again and Kyra shot him in the head three times.

"There's no kill like overkill." Heather spoke. I heard groaning sounds coming down from the white wolf. It groaned in pain as daggers and bullets popped out, fur receded into pale skin, and he's naked.

"My eyes!" Heather turns away. Brett throws his cloak on top of him.

"Let's take the Winterhelm kingdom's dog with us. I'm guessing he'll know where Leandrus is and what his plans are exactly." Brett wrapped the cloak around him and slung him on his shoulder.

"Seems fair. Maybe we'll be able to find out if he's actually Brendan or not." Kyra put a hand on his hips.

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"No, Brendan! Listen to me! I am your goddess!" A woman in lingerie screamed at the top of her lungs.

"I've been waiting for you this whole time. I...I can't explain it but it's like I always knew that we'd meet again." Erika was looking right at me, tears running down her eyes, she was pursing her lips and her brows softened. "I knew it was you, that day at the bar when the aliens attacked. I told you we'd meet again before I died." He hovered closer to her, feeling his body relax.

"Brendan!"The angry woman shouted. "Don't you dare!" He huffed, feeling the fur recede, his ears go back to the sides of his head, his eyes dull down, and his teeth flatten.

"Giselle..." He said softly, thinking of the strange dream he'd had lately. "You're back." She nodded, leaning. He never wanted to be apart from Erika again.

"I am. I'm here to stay." They leaned into each other, kissing passionately. He had missed her scent, her smile, her warm embrace. It was his again.

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Alaric awoke by a campfire with his wrists bound together with twine. The group was eating what looked like food from bags and water from strange glasses. Erika was braiding her hair and telling the man beside her a story.

They stop talking once they realized he was awake. He stared down at the small gap between the fabric and his chest. He was still fully naked under it.

"He's awake." Erika spoke, her face slightly flushing.

"Where I am?" He asked, looking around. He wondered if she had killed Selendaria.