Trapped

“Gentlemen, according to Rufus’ information, you now know where your target is located.” The king shouted.

In front of the castle at dusk, the king stood next to Rufus. Before them stood Urui and about twenty strange people. They were all dressed in brown, covered from head to toe, their faces hidden behind masks with only two holes for the eyes and one small hole for the mouth.

“You can go fight them now. I have high expectations of all of you. Urui, prove to me that you can be a serious piece on the chessboard. And you, the Inhuman Sect, I hope you will manage to do what we talked about earlier.” The king continued.

“And what do we really do with them? Do we kill them or just capture them? Alive or dead?” Urui asked, stepping forward and kneeling.

The king looked down him, clicking his tongue.

“Isn’t it obvious, even for you? I already explained it. Kill them and bring me Saya back to me. If she opposes and resists too much, kill her. I want them all dead.” The king replied in an annoyed voice.

The sect’s members leaned forward to salute the king, crossing both arms over their chests.

“What a strange way to salute…” Rufus thought, glancing at them from the corner of his eye.

“Now go, you incompetents. You should already be gone!” The king shouted.

All of them mounted the horses waiting nearby and rode toward the northwest of the kingdom, in the direction of the village of Molia.

They rode rapidly. This journey that would usually take a day would now be just a few hours. The sound of hooves echoed against the ground as rain began pouring from the sky.

The atmosphere was set for what was to come.

******************************

The rain poured heavily outside the cave where Iwao and the others were talking. The sound of it drowned everything, so much that they almost had to shout to be heard.

They were all sitting around a fire to warm themselves. Celi and Saya wore large coats for warmth. They had also bought new clothes for Lo. Instead of the simple sheet it once wore, it now had large brown trousers, a brown shirt, and a warm coat too. But it was still barefoot. Iwao wore nothing as usual – his coat and his clothes were his fur. Summer’s end was coming.

“Well, Lo, I’ve got a question on my mind for a few days. Why don’t you call us “saviors” anymore?” Saya asked, rubbing her hands together to keep warm.

Lo stared straight into her eyes, showing no emotion. Celi laughed awkwardly when she heard this question.

“Well, it doesn't displease me, honestly. Being called ‘savior’ felt great at first, but as time passed it became too repetitive and lost its true meaning.” She replied.

Lo stared at her too, the firelight shining in its eyes. It swallowed and cleared its throat.

“You are right, Celi. That was the main reason I stopped doing it. Calling you by your names was the best choice. “Saviors” sounded too impersonal, and in my search of emotions, I have to know you better – to be much closer to all of you. You always call me by my name, or among yourselves everyone uses their names, so I thought it could help me. Was it the right choice to make?” Lo asked, calm reigning in its voice.

They all smiled warmly at it. Iwao stood up and, instead of remaining seated on the other side of the fire opposite Lo, he came and sat beside it without looking at it.

“You know, Lo. You will understand human emotions, and one day they’ll be in your heart for you to feel. They’re complex, strange, and not always pleasant… but all emotions are here for a reason. Even if one day you feel sad, it’s normal. All emotions have a purpose. Together, they form the human you will be. They will shape your mind. You’re on quite a big quest here, but we’ll be helping you.” He said warmly, weighing every word he spoke, a single tear streaming down his face.

As he said this, he turned to Lo, who was watching him intently. Iwao smiled slightly and gave it a little tap on the back. Saya and Celi smiled happily too.

“Well, well, well. What a warm atmosphere here. Are you happy, princess? What a strange group you form with these ‘people’. I see.” A voice spoke from inside the cave, but nowhere to be seen.

Iwao and the others looked everywhere, adopting a fighting stance. Iwao and Lo raised their fists, Saya readied her spells by making water swirl around her hands, and Celi raised her new weapon, the axe.

“No need for searching, I’m here.”

They all turned toward the back of the cave, surprised and speechless, and saw a strange man leaning against the rock wall. Long white hair, a white beard, a thin body, and a long coat covering his crooked frame. Yet he didn’t seem old. The man laughed evilly as his piercing blue eyes looked upon them.

“Name’s Urui, targets. In the name of the king, I’m here to kill all of you, so we’re going to do this right now, shall we? I don’t want it to take too much time.” Urui said, laughing.

He looked at all of them quickly. His gaze stopped on Iwao, a big smile spreading across his face.

“Well, I’ve been here watching only the princess for a few minutes. Being invisible without invisibility – quite the dream, no? But I didn’t think that you were going to be here, mister creature.” He burst out laughing, his laughter filling the cave.

“What do we do? Do we kill him? Do we run away? What do Celi and Saya want to do?” Iwao thought, scrutinizing their faces for an answer.

They were all speechless, frozen in their fighting stance.

“Why didn’t I see him? My eye can see even the non-perceptible things... so how could he pass through this?” Celi thought desperately, stress showing on her face.

“The great Nightmare Eater is here with us now! You sowed a lot of chaos fifty years ago, didn’t you? How lucky I am to see you in person for the first and last time! HAHAHA.” Urui exclaimed, laughing wickedly.

“So my father really wants me dead… Iwao, what do we do?” Saya thought, desperately seeking Iwao’s gaze.

“And you have quite the jewels, I see! Suits you well! Really! I’m honest, you know, don’t act so surprised and disgusted… it breaks my heart.” Urui uttered, his laughter never stopping.

Yet, Urui’s laughter slowly faded. Iwao and the others stood paralyzed by the situation. He rose to his feet and opened his dimensional reserve on the ground. Dozens of wooden sheep sculptures came out of it, falling onto the stone. He held his hand above them and a purple aura linked him to the sculptures. They started moving, animated by a spell Urui had somehow cast. The sheep walked slowly toward the little group.

“I love sheep. Not too big, not too small, a simple life, all fluffy with their wool, they’re perfect. But what I like the most-”

“LO! FLASHBANG! NOW!” Iwao yelled, panicking, interrupting Urui’s speech.

Without a second thought, Lo cast the spell that could blind with a powerful light. They all covered their eyes and ran toward the cave’s entrance.

“These sheep are dangerous, I can feel it. We must not touch them!” Iwao ordered.

“No need to run, you have nowhere to go!” Urui shouted from the back of the cave.

Outside, it was raining as if a river were falling from the sky. Everything was as gray as the clouds, and it was hard to see far into the distance. But everywhere, behind the trees surrounding them, the twenty men of the Inhuman Sect were waiting. Saya seemed panicked at their sight.

“RUN! THEY’RE TOO DANGEROUS!” Saya shouted.

Too late. At the same time, one of the sect members cast a wind spell that sent Celi and Saya flying away somewhere else. Urui discretely appeared behind Lo and pressed a towel over its face. Lo fainted instantly and fell into deep sleep. Iwao was the only one left against all these people.

“Well, this isn’t my job anymore! Take care of him, little sect members. I’ll deal with the two girls before taking my time with the blue one. See you later, Nightmare Eater.” Urui shouted, waving at Iwao as he walked in the direction Celi and Saya had been sent.

Iwao roared in fury, ready to chase him to prevent him from harming Celi and Saya. But as soon as he moved, the members of the sect closed in and blocked his path.

One of them came up behind Iwao unnoticed. He placed his hand on him and recited an incantation.

“Ô stranger of the minds, be erased, be sealed. Return to nothingness and sleep!”

Iwao collapsed to the ground, saliva dripping from his mouth, his body trembling.

“Since when… has he been here…? What did he do to me…? It’s as if… my soul is leaving my… being…” Iwao thought before fainting completely.

Rain poured on his unconscious body as the sect gathered around him, one of the members holding a large wooden cross.

******************************

While walking, Urui whistled. He seemed to enjoy the situation.

“Rain pouring on me, hair and clothes completely drenched? I don’t care at all! Today marks a revolution in my life – easy job for an easy life from now on!” He thought, laughing.

Behind him, all his little animated sheep sculptures followed him as he walked calmly toward Celi and Saya’s bodies, which were laying on the ground. He leaned between the two unconscious girls and poked their foreheads.

“Come on, ladies, I want to fight a little before killing you. I told the other idiots not to kill you and to cushion your fall, so you’re not dead yet!”

Celi’s hand trembled as she tried to grab the handle of her axe. One eye was slightly open to see everything. She tightened her grip, putting all her strength into it. She prepared her attack.

Something struck her legs. She looked down quietly while Urui tried to wake Saya, his back turned to her. Seven of Urui’s sheep were poking at her legs. She looked terrified.

“If you were awake, you should have told me! Don’t have all the fun to yourself, miss.” Urui said, turning toward Celi with a malicious smile.

In an instant, Celi stood and stepped back. Urui stood too, leaving Saya behind him.

“And what are you going to do? Let me tell you a secret. These sheep are special – if I want, I can make them explode. You have no way of approaching me. And by the way you behave, I also suppose you’re limiting your use of spells. Otherwise, you would already have attacked me with one.” He laughed.

“Maybe I don’t want to use them. But I know someone who can.” She replied with a small laugh.

Behind Urui, Saya opened her eyes suddenly, a smile on her face. She pressed her hands on the ground and cast a spell that made a pylon appear beside Urui, striking him in the chest and sending him flying. After a few seconds, he stood up, clutching his chest.

“I must say… I was taken by surprise here… haha. But don’t think you can win this fight – I’m not even getting started. You should have looked more carefully around you!” Urui shouted, panting, his gaze fixed on Celi.

Celi glanced around and saw all the sheep behind her. They glowed brightly, the wood cracking, flames bursting from the fissures. She tried to step back, but it was too late.

She cast a barrier in front of herself, strengthening it with additional barriers. But when the sheep exploded, the blasts were too many, too strong – the barriers shattered before the terrified eyes of Celi and Saya.

Celi was sent flying away and crashed onto the wet grass. Urui laughed and turned to Saya.

“One down easily. It’s just you now. Look, I have more sheep for you!” Urui shouted, drawing more animated sheep sculptures from his dimensional reserve.

“It… will… not… end… like… this…” Celi shouted, panting, standing up with the help of her axe.

Saya’s face showed fear as she looked at Celi’s body and clothes, covered in blood and dirt. But something else caught her attention.

“CELI! YOUR HAND! NO… NO!” Saya screamed at the top of her lungs.

Celi looked at her hand and gnashed her teeth.

“Well, seems like I can say goodbye to my left hand… But I still have the right hand to fight!” She thought, the rain washing the blood from her face.

She stood, wracked with pain but determined, as Urui pulled more and more animated sheep from his dimensional reserve.

“Saya, we’re doing the Shield Strategy! Right now!” Celi yelled fiercely.

Disoriented, Saya didn’t react at first, her gaze flicking between Urui and Celi, stress and doubt in her eyes. She slapped her cheeks, regained her senses, and nodded to Celi.

She took position and cast an air spell toward Urui.

“You think this is going to stop me?” He said mockingly.

The air spell struck the middle of the flock of sheep, sending them flying everywhere and forcing Urui’s arms into the air as the wind raged.

Celi cast a wind spell to her feet and leapt rapidly in his direction. She was extremely fast, reaching him in seconds while the wind howled. She gripped her axe firmly, preparing her attack with her only hand.

She struck at his arms and cut them, the wind preventing her from slicing his chest. The force of the gust hurled him backward into a tree.

Saya joined Celi and healed the wound enough to stop the bleeding.

“Don’t think I can be easily defeated. I don’t need my arms to fight.” Urui shouted, still on the ground laughing.

Saya and Celi stared at him, eyes wide, speechless.

“BOOM!”

******************************

Near the cave, a large wooden cross had been erected, planted firmly in the ground. Iwao was bound to it, each arm stretched across a branch of the cross.

The members of the sect were all gathered around him, praying and reciting strange incantations as Iwao slowly opened his eyes. He looked around, trying to comprehend what was happening, his gaze slightly half-lidded and tired, as though his mind were dizzy.

The rain had calmed, and a ray of light pierced through the gray clouds, shining down on Iwao. A tall man approached. Gold necklaces hung from his neck, rings gleamed on his fingers. He seemed to be the sect’s guru, as everyone stepped aside to let him come closer to Iwao.

He stopped before him and raised his arms toward the sky. Every other member did the same. Then, in a deep and monotonous voice, he began to recite a prayer.

“Flames to ashes, ashes to flames,

Rising once more from the darkness.

Bind the evil, slay the beast.

Oh, what have you done to humanity!

Relive the pain you have caused,

And endure it for all eternity.”

All the members of the sect repeated the chant three times after him.

Iwao closed his eyes, while at the entrance of the cave, Lo began to stir.

“I have to resist… I have to get out of here and fight… I have to kill these people and Urui… kill…? Yes, kill, they hurt us! My conscience is fading… I… I can’t…” Iwao thought, as a stream of saliva ran from his mouth.

Meanwhile, Lo woke fully and looked at the sect gathered around Iwao. It sprang to its feet without hesitation and rushed toward them, fists already clenched. As it draw nearer, the sect members turned in surprise and immediately attacked, casting mostly water and wind spells.

Lo struck with powerful punches, dodging their assaults, a murderous glare burning in its eyes.

“Don’t touch Iwao, please! Let him go! If I have to kill you for that, I will do it! But… I’ll do as Iwao said. I won’t use my most powerful spells so I don’t tire quickly. I’ll make you suffer only with my fists!” It thought.

A white flame burst to life on its head as the thought echoed in its mind.

“I will kill you all! I won’t let you take the one I believe in the most!” It shouted violently, its face twisted by a mix of rage and fear.