Chapter 4:

Is it a chimera? Or a mythical creature. Or some new species of beast-warrior?

The Aftermath of the Magic Apocalypse


The explosion from whatever crashed landed nearby raised a bit of dust on the rocky plain. After about a minute, most of the dust has cleared and I can see more than just my hand in front of my face. Thanks to Hans covering me, I didn’t suffer much from impact but his back appears to have been hit by some of the debris. I look towards the source of the crash; what used to be the wrecked hovercar is now just scrap, half the car is missing. Thinking how I could have died if I actually stayed in the car is a terrifying thought.

Just as I am getting lost in thought at whatever appeared here, Hans groans.

“Hans, can you hear me?”

“Ma..na...th..ank..good...ness...you...are...o..k”

Hans is losing color in his face. This man was shot due to my carelessness and on top of that shielded me from taking serious injury from the crash. I need to staunch his blood loss in his arm. I can worry about that creature later, hopefully. I look to the hem of my long skirt and tear some of the cloth to use as a makeshift bandage.

Why are my arms so weak that I can’t tear it? I bring the hem to my mouth and use my teeth to rip it. I endure the pain assaulting my gums as I tear some of my skirt, but the rip isn’t enough to use as a bandage.

I feel a hand come over mine. Hans is looking at me. How can he force a smile in this situation? He has every right to be angry at me. It’s because of me he is in this state.

“Fir-”

I lean and bring my ear closer to his mouth.

“First..Aid”

First Aid? There must be a kit in the car. Would it even have survived amongst the wreckage? Still, there may be a chance something in the kit could have survived. And even if I managed a makeshift bandage, there is no guarantee Hans would survive until help arrives with the state of his injuries. Thankfully Hans is still breathing normally but who can say how long that will last. The first aid kit is most likely near the driver seat of the vehicle.

I stand up and scout around to see the site of the wreck. The creature seems to be with the back half of the car which appears as flat as a pancake. I see the other half. Of course, that part of the car just had to wind up near where the raiders are currently standing. I have no choice but to wait and see what happens. I bend down, applying as much pressure as I can on Hans’ wound in hopes I can stop anymore blood from flowing.

The wolfman and 2 men are staring down the creature. The smaller man, Jeice, backs away and hides behind the wreckage of the car. The wolfman, Holdergard, appears to be glaring down the creature. They must be wary of the creature as well. The larger man takes a few steps away to the left of Holdergard.

Holdergard asks “You there, are you an enemy?”

The creature appears to be staring back at Holdergard but doesn’t respond.

Holdergard asks once again “Last chance whatever you are; I’M ASKING YOU IF YOU ARE AN ENEMY?” Holdergard gives a very intimidating glare, much more intense than when he bellowed at rage at me. Just how scary can he get?

The creature looks back and lets out a screeching roar. The roar is so painful I end up covering my ears with my blood-stained hands to block out the sound. Damn, I have to endure. I owe that much to Hans.

“Jeice, suffocate that thing.” Holdergard is wailing in agony

“I’m on it cap’n.”

Jeice swirls his hands. A wind is blowing. The winds are blowing in the direction towards the creature. The wind is getting faster and more intense since I see my ripped skirt is flapping quite a bit. Moments later, I can see a sphere of air current rotating at high speed around the creature’s head that it cuts the roar. To cut off the oxygen the creature would need to breathe. That’s a terrifying thought of what these raiders are capable of. Why can folks who can use magic to this degree raiders in the first place?

“Shinra, incinerate it.”

The larger human, Shinra, ignites flames around his body. His body is coated in bluish-white flames and he runs towards the creature.

“BURN IN HELLLLLLLL.” A powerful yell as the flaming man closes in on the creature who seems to be struggling to breathe.

Right as the flame is about to make contact, the tail whips the flame coated Shinra and sends him flying, crashing into Holdergard. Shortly after, the creature is right in front of the smaller man, roars at him and kicks his side, sending him flying towards his companions. Embers of the flame are resting at the creature’s spiky protrusions from its tail before fizzling out. Should I be worried or relieved that this new arrival, despite being injured, is able to put up such a fight against a well coordinated team of raiders who can use magic? It’s almost a guarantee Hans and I will be killed after the raiders deal with the fellow. But there is no guarantee this unknown monster will not attack us either if it manages to win. I’m going to classify it as a chimera for now.

If Hans could move, we could try running to the settlement. It’s a bit of a distance, but it’s probably our best chance. Logically, the best course might be to just abandon Hans and run away on my own, but it would almost certainly condemn Hans to die. And there is not guarantee I would make it, especially with the wind wielder Jeice who is an adept shot. And if Holdergard came after me, his superior physique and stamina would easily make short work of me if he decided to target me. I’m not even sure if I could make it alive if the fire coated Shinra came after me. Hiding isn’t an option either because Holdergard would be able to find us by smell.

Why isn’t the chimera attacking them even though he has managed to push them back? Is it weary on some counter attack or just exhausted? Upon looking closer, it’s because their ace has joined their ranks. She must have gotten out of the truck to join the fight right after seeing Shinra get flicked hard and fast to Holdergard. Wearing an embroided hooded cloak, holding a wooden scepter with a brown crystal at its tip, she must be the reason the chimera is not acting rashly.

*****

“Alright boys, use your ultimate move. I’ll hold it back long enough to give you the time needed. We need to get an idea of how strong this thing is.” The witch speaks in a commanding presence.

“Ma’am, with all due respect, are we not supposed to serve as your protectors?” Holdergard asks anxiously.

“I appreciate your concern, but that creature sent Shinra and Jeice flying. Holdergard, I know you are strong, but something about our opponent suggests to me our usual approach isn’t going to work this time. Please trust me on this and do as I say.” The witch remains unyielding

“I’m sorry ma’am for questionin’ you. Alright Shinra and Jeice...Jeice, how long are you going to sleep on the job?” Holdergard grabs Jeice and slaps him awake

“Uh, what happin’d cap’n? Why do I feel like I was hit by a truck?” Jeice says groggily.

“What ‘happin’d’ is our opponent beat us one-sidedly and our ace has to get personally involved. We doin’ our ultimate move while she stalls. Now let’s get this done, take out that monster, get what we came for and leave before those goons of Kaiba’s security come and come for us. We don’t have much time and even we may not be able to escape if we get caught up with them” Holdergard lashes at Jeice, taking out his anxiety and frustration on his comrade.

The cloaked woman points her scepter at the chimera. “Now mother earth, heed my call, trap my enemy within your cold hard embrace, [ENSNARE]”

From the barren ground, walls of earth surrounding the chimera rise and close in, trapping him except for his head, as if he were buried in the ground except for his head. The chimera attempts to break free and roars in frustration at being caught in the wall.

“Strange, the spell isn’t working the way I intended. Well, it is enough. Holdergard, Jeice, Shinra, hit it with everything you got.” The witch in the cloak stares down at the chimera, maintaining her magic.

Holdergard draws his large sword from his waist. To his right, Jeice is feeding winds to coat the blade and to his left, Shinra is feeding those winds to his flames, coating the sword in a wave of rushing fire. Markings on the sword glow and the wave of fire surrounding the blade pulses like a living being. The blue white flame becomes a pure blue color.

“Forged from the desire of 3 who embrace the flames of purgatory, heed our plea. Devour our enemy before us, our ultimate attack [FIRE STORM DRAGON]” Holdergard swings the sword unleashing the wave of fire which rushes towards the trapped chimera like a snake darting to its helpless prey.

The barbs on the back of the chimera glow a shade of yellow. It roars, breaking free of the enclosure and finally free to move. It’s tail glows an even brighter shade of yellow and it spins around to use its tail to cut through the fiery attack, extinguishing most of the flames. The flames which were not put out hit the wreckage of the car, creating a minor explosion and setting it ablaze. A small box is sent flying towards the two bystanders a short distance away. Embers and wasps of the flame dance along the spikes of the tail of the chimera and once again are extinguished shortly after.

The trio are stunned speechless from witnessing the spectacle. They never imagined their ultimate attack spell which has never failed them would end up having next to no effect. Only the cloaked witch seems unfazed.

“Holdergard, we need to use fusion. Jeice and Shinra, buy us the time we need. Dawdling for even a moment can get us all killed.”

“...You heard her. Let’s get moving”. Upon hearing his master’s orders, Holdergard snaps out of his stupor and slaps his colleagues on their backs. They too snap out of it. Jeice whips out his pistol and shoots at the monster, aiming for the areas that were injured when they initially encountered. The markings around it glow ensuring the bullets would hit their designated target. The chimera uses its tail to cleave the bullets in 2. Shinra, coated in his armor of flame, charges up flames in his right hand and lunges at the chimera. The chimera uses the tail to deflect the punch coated in flame before the creature responds with a kick of its own to send Shinra flying back.

The cloaked witch approaches Holdergard and places her hand on his back side. Markings in a circular formation appear and glow in response. Both her and Holdergard cast the chant

“Let the witch and her vassal join forces to smite the one who threatens our existence. [BEAST-WARRIOR FUSION]”

The circular markings expand on Holdergard’s back. The flesh of his back-side peel back revealing an empty void for one to step into. The cloaked witch steps in without hesitation and the flesh that peels back has now resealed itself, making it seem as if the flesh was never open.

“Ma’am, are you comfortable? No problems?” Holdergard asks with a look of worry. Even though the fusion between the witch and beastman was not new, Holdergard always feared that one day his body might betray his master.

“I appreciate your concern but I am always okay. And even in the off chance I was not, this isn’t a situation we can afford to worry about my comfort. We have to take down that monster. Shinra and Jeice are getting the life beaten out of them. We are their only chance. Now, let us take out that thing.”

“With pleasure Ma’am.”

Momentie
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Arrhythmia
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