Chapter 38: Chapter 38

Zaira's POV

I frantically searched through the trees for Arya, but couldn't find her. My heart was pounding.

Where was she?

I glanced back, the demon was no longer there.

"Arya, where are you?!" Nothing. Then, however, I heard another scream and I charged. I had to jump over a bush and traverse massive roots to get to her. My legs carried me effortlessly and the shock of earlier gave way to the adrenaline that was now rushing through my body.

The jungle became more spacious and the trees were no longer so close together. Soon we would have reached the village.

Then I saw her. Arya screamed and fell from a branch, a Hell Warrior right behind her.

"Arya!" I warned her as another demon came and levitated towards her. Arya jumped up, stretched out her arms and spun her around. The plants did as she was told two demons blocked their way, but they were not easily taken away, they shredded the plants in one fell swoop and their smoke spoiled them instantly.

Arya drew her bow and tirelessly shot arrows from her string that landed squarely in the demons' chests. She swung up on a branch, raised her bow in the air, and shot two arrows at once. She landed gracefully on the ground, raised her bow again, swung it over her head, and slashed at a demon. This fell to the ground and she devoted herself to the next one.

I was almost there when someone knocked me over. My face hit the ground hard and I tasted the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the burning abrasions on my hands and knees, and crouched on all fours.

But the demon's horrid claws stopped me. He put a hand around my throat and jerked me back so that my back was pressed against his chest. He then lowered his head to my neck and blew his stinky breath on my skin. His smoky, foul breath wrapped around my body and held me in his claws. I wriggled my body, slapping my paws at his face and scratching at his sallow skin.

He tried to avoid me and squeezed my neck even harder. I gasped for air and frantically tried to free his hands. I kicked my legs, looking for a root to hold on to, but I grew weaker and weaker. My vision faded and tears welled up in my eyes.

My entire body was tense to the breaking point and my mind swept blank. I was nothing but nerves that threatened to collapse at any moment.

No, I couldn't give up! Not now, not like this!

But the demon was too strong. The mist around me lulled me, cruelly draining all my emotions. I saw a bright, golden ray flow out of my heart into the demon, leaving a dark, cold emptiness inside me. It felt like he was turning my body inside out and ripping it all off. I screamed and sobbed, tears running down my cheeks.

Suddenly I heard someone yell my name. A figure appeared between the trees and I wanted to blink my tears away to get a closer look, but the agony was too great. I bucked and dug my claws into the earth, my body feeling nothing but pain. It was so big that everything in me burned up and a bigger, stronger power awoke in me.

I opened my eyes, pulled his head down towards me and drew in his black mist, straight into my heart and transformed it there... into light.

I didn't know what exactly I was doing. I didn't know how to do it. But it felt like it was the most natural thing in the world. As if that's what I was meant to be. As if I had come home.

The warrior from hell shrieked and his hand jerked away as if burned. But the powerful pull I was using to gut him meant he was bound to me and unable to move away from me. The light in me grew, it took shape and my skin began to glow. The demon's form was fading, its eyes wild as I saw fear flicker in them.

I balled my hands into fists and erupted with all my strength. A wave of light emanated from my body and flooded the infernal warrior and the entire jungle. The plants stretched and became animated, sprouting in every direction and colour, and I heard the trees sing, happily full of life while the warriors of hell screeched. Their figures blurred, but didn't dissolve like they had the last time. No, because their bodies floated in the air and merged into one.

What on earth...?

"Finally!" proclaimed the tall, slender man, arms outstretched, whose body was made of the mist of demons. "Finally I've found you, granted cousin!"

A growl echoed through the jungle and the next moment someone jumped through the air towards the man. My heart stopped.

Aramis!

He wrapped his arms around the man's body and pulled him to the ground with him. But as soon as it opened, the man disappeared and reappeared in the same spot as before. It was an illusion - not real - albeit a successful one.

The man laughed dirty. "Is that how you greet your own cousin?"

Aramis was already on his feet and glowering at him. "What do you want Serdas?"

"Hmmm... let's think." Serdas pretended to inspect his nails. Then he lifted his head and smiled slyly. "I want you to side with us."

"No." Aramis was still in combat stance.

“Hades will rise, and with him Gaia and Luna will perish forever. Together we could create a new world, a world that's ours!" madness dripped from his voice and his sly look made me cringe. "Just imagine what we could do Faruuh ! It would be like back then , do you remember?"

"It's never going to happen and you know it. Hades will cheat and betray you, he would never give you any part of his winnings! So cut the damn shit!" Aramis raged.

Serdas cocked his head to the side and pouted. "Then I want you to die."

"No!" I yelled in alarm, holding out my hand in pleading.

Aramis stared at me in horror.

"Oh, who is this pretty thing here?" Serdas asked, flying towards me.

Aramis rushed at me and covered me with his body. "Don't touch her!" He bared his teeth. "Don't you come one step closer to her."

"You on, you on! She must be something special to take care of her like that." Serdas floated to his side and stared at me. His brown eyes shone and something white poked out.

I struggled to my feet on weak legs, but Arami's arm held me back, blocking Serdas's view of me.

"She doesn't give a shit, now fuck off!"

"Of course it's my business!" Serdas asked, clapping his hands happily. "If it's your business, it's mine. So show yourself, little thing."

I backed up until my body was stopped by a tree.

"I told you to get out," Aramis spat between his teeth.

Serdas paused and grimaced dramatically. "You're spoiling everything Aramis again!"

I heard someone suck in air sharply. Arya stood a few meters away from us and stared at Aramis -or should I say Calvius?- with wide eyes.

Serdas and Aramis both ignored her.

"Listen, Serdas.", Aramis visibly contained his anger with great difficulty. "You don't have to do this, you can still undo everything, it's not too late. Stop with this nonsense and finally come to your senses! "

Any cheerful feelings were banished from Serda's face. "NO!" he yelled frantically and shot up. "The world is mine!" he spread his arms and twirled in the air. His black, straight, shoulder-length hair swirled in the wind. "TO ME!"

Then he shot down at breakneck speed and appeared in front of us. He glared at Aramis "And you won't stop me from that!"

Aramis flinched and extended his claws.

"I know now where you are Aramis and I will come. I will kill you, so cruelly that you only scream.", I hissed in the air and his eyes flitted to me. Slowly the corners of his mouth lifted. "No. No, no, no, no.", Serdas laughed gloating. "First I'll kill her, in front of you. You'll listen to their screams knowing there's nothing you can do about it. Only then will I rip out your soft, weak heart and crush it Faruuh ."

"Not if I kill you first," Aramis ground out, his voice dangerously low and calm.

"Well, you can dream," Serdas said, grinning evilly. "But I warned you Faruuh . I'll come and destroy you all, you can't do anything about it."

With that, Serda's body dissolved and he was gone.