I Hate Them

I stepped foot into the ritual circle and continued forward, heading towards the altar. I heard the footsteps of the others following me, but the sound was soon drowned out by the deafening toll of a bell.

It was incredibly loud, seeming to come from every direction, its vibrations shaking the very stones beneath our feet. The air crackled with energy, and a sense of doom washed over me.

The altar wasn't far, so I kept running, until suddenly, the sounds of cries pierced the air. I glanced upwards and saw three of those monstrous baby-faced bat creatures I had encountered before.

Their eyes, glowing with intent, were fixed on me, the leader of the pack.

Not good.

One launched itself towards me, and I skidded to a halt, raising my arms in defense. But before I could react, my wings instinctively curled around me like a protective cocoon.

The creature slammed against my wings with a thud and was thrown backward. As my wings unfurled, I saw Forsane grab hold of the demon, and plunge a dark, gruesome dagger into the creature's skull.

The demon's blood splattered across the stones, and Forsane tossed the corpse aside without a word. The other two demons were locked in a struggle with Dominil, who was desperately protecting the two sisters.

He lunged at them, claws extending from his fingertips as he let out a snarl. With a swift swipe, he disemboweled one of the creatures, sending its guts spilling onto the ground.

The last demon dove towards the sisters, who seemed unable to defend themselves with their flames. As it closed in, Lanelle unleashed a small blast of fire from her hand, but only managed to scorch one of its wings.

Luckily, it was enough to send the creature crashing to the ground, where Dominil, with a roar, stomped its head into a bloody mess.

"Are we all okay?" Forsane barked, his voice filled with urgency, as he continued towards the altar. There was no time to waste. We all nodded and followed after him.

No other demons appeared before we reached the altar, circling it in a protective formation. We stood there, alert and panting, waiting for the next attack.

And when it came, it was unlike anything we had seen before. A new demon materialized, a horrifying being that chilled us to the bone.

It was a massive skull, half the size of my body, floating towards us, enveloped in a swirling aura of black energy. Its jaws chattered, the sound of rattling bones echoing through the air. The sight filled me with terror.

The skull was heading straight for Forsane. He charged forward, his dagger gripped tightly in both hands, a desperate glint in his eyes.

As he closed the distance, he lunged, attempting to drive the blade into the skull's forehead. But the dagger simply bounced off, the impenetrable bone deflecting the blow. Forsane stumbled, off balance and vulnerable.

I wanted to charge in, but I hesitated. If Forsane's dagger couldn't penetrate the skull, my horns would likely be useless as well.

Instead Dominil sprang forward, running on all fours with incredible speed, a wolf in human form. But he was too slow. The skull opened its jaws, and a black, smoky fog erupted, engulfing Forsane's body and seeping into his pores.

Forsane froze, his body convulsing violently before falling still. Dominil skidded to a halt, fear flashing in his eyes as he watched the black mist work it's magic.

Forsane's eyes rolled back in his head, his body now a puppet controlled by an unseen force. He turned to face us, his dagger raised, a murderous intent burning in his lifeless eyes.

"Forsane, no!" Lanelle screamed, her voice filled with anguish. But her words were lost on the possessed Forsane. He stalked towards me, his movements slow and calculated.

The ritual hadn't ended, which meant Forsane wasn't dead yet. We had to destroy the skull and free him from its control.

"Dominil!" I yelled, my voice cutting through the chaos. "I'll hold off Forsane. Try to find a way to deal with that skull!"

Dominil nodded, his eyes burning with a ferocious intensity, and circled around the floating skull, drawing its attention. I focused on Forsane, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Please, Rade, do something!" Lanelle pleaded, her voice trembling. "We can't lose Forsane!" She and Anabelle huddled around the heartstone, their faces etched with fear. The floating red gem pulsed with a brighter light, growing slowly larger as the ritual progressed.

"Stay back, both of you!" I ordered, my voice firm. Forsane finally lunged at me, his dagger aimed at my throat.

I barely managed to dodge the blow, leaning out of the way just in time. My wounded eye blocked off part of my vision, but I ignored it. He continued his attack, the same strike again, aimed at the same place.

I dodged and I dodged, desperately trying to keep him away from me, but I was being pushed back towards the altar.

On his fourth strike, I knew I had to hold my ground. But how? I needed something to block the attack, a shield...

A shield...

As Forsane lunged, time seemed to slow down. A tingling sensation spread through my back, and I felt myself gain control of something new, like a third arm.

Instinctively, I moved the limb, trying to wrap it around me for protection. As I did, my right wing curled around me like a shield, deflecting Forsane's dagger with a dull thud.

I did it! I controlled one of my wings.

A sharp pain shot through my wing, but the blade had bounced harmlessly off the bones beneath the feathers.

Forsane faltered, his attack broken. His eyes flickered back to life, and he dropped his dagger, his body slumping with exhaustion.

I glanced past him, searching for the skull. Its jaws hung open, detached from its cranium, and it was dissolving into the air.

Dominil stood beside it, his stance feral.

He ripped the skull in half with his bare hands? He might have the strongest curse among us... I'll need to be careful.

"W-what just happened?" Forsane stammered, his voice hoarse, as he came to his senses. His dagger had vanished when he dropped it. He would need to summon it again.

"No time to explain," I said, my eyes fixed on the stone on the altar. Its shape had begun to change, morphing from a circle into something resembling a heart. But it was still only the size of a fist. It still a little while left to go.

"Return to formation. We must defend the heartstone."