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Chapter 17 - Remember

"Durviuke!"

One of the reptilian girls slammed a hand into the ground, pillars of light extending through the air.

"Sikavan!"

The other clapped her hands together, glittering orbs appearing around her like millions of tiny fireflies. Denzel sprung forward, Elly raising her axe to try to cleave him in half, but he deflected the blow, charging straight into her. The pillars of light grew like trees while the orbs flowed behind them.

Giu snapped out of his daze. He had no idea what was going on, but Elly was paying him so he knew better than to just sit and watch her get swarmed. He looked between the two, quickly picking a target and moving towards them, being sure to stick close to the buildings so he wouldn't be noticed.

"Safe travels!" Denzel roared grabbing Elly and lifting the giant rabbit over his shoulder.

She herself was briefly shocked by the act. By the time she remembered her axe, Denzel was already spinning around to fling her like an oversized toy.

"Olive!" the croc roared as Elly went flying.

The rabbit soared across the streets of Haywire, crashing and bouncing off the light pillars. She fell to the floor, slightly dazed. When she tried to get up, another pillar rose to block her path, the many light structures fusing to create a cylindrical wall with the rabbit in the center.

Crap. Giu picked up his pace. Whatever they were planning, he doubted Elly would just walk it off. He dropped behind a nearby bench, peaking over to his target. Denzel was grinning wide. He gave a signal, the orb caster raising her other hand.

"Diuava-"

Giu's fist colliding into her cheek cut the incantation short.

The orbs of light dropped away, the caster careening straight into a brick wall. Both the pillar woman and Denzel jerked in Giu's direction, sighing as his armored fist returned to its normal state. Great. Made it in time.

He looked the fallen woman over. Though he'd tried to pull his punch, she was unusually still. Crap, is she- Her body twitched. Oh good. Giu relaxed. Though he wasn't sure of the killing rules in the Syndicate, he wasn't too eager to find out. Fortunately, despite making a hole in the wall, the reptile woman would live to fight another day. With any luck, she wouldn't hold a grudge like-

"Canine!"

Giu groaned, his focus returning to the crocodile and his gapping reptilian companion.

"Lucile!" the thin woman screamed. She turned to Giu full of fire. "Monster! How dare you lay a hand on my sister!"

"Sister?" Giu looked between the two. They did have the same bright green eyes and sandy blue scales. And they were both bald. "Ah. Well, if it's any consolation, she's still alive. Speaking of which..."

A crack erupted across the cylinder of light. Denzel and the thin woman only seemed to notice when a second appeared, much larger than the first. They joined and spread over the wall until pieces finally broke away. The whole structure shook, crumpling and flickering away. When it finally disappeared, the lone rabbit stood at its epicenter.

"You alright, chef?" Giu asked.

Elly regarded Giu with a long look. He couldn't tell if it was malice or just her usual scowl. But he knew it wasn't gratitude. As if he could have expected as much.

"Son of a-" Denzel groaned. "Olive, take care of the rab-"

An axe landed at his feet. He looked down at it, the muzzle he wore splitting apart to reveal his pale green snout underneath. A small cut appeared across it.

"Mine."

Elly walked towards the crocodile, a red glow running up her gray skin. It climbed around the edges of her face, snaking around her frame like tattoos. Scarlet tattoos which covered her from ear to foot. They wrapped around her neck.

"He's mine," Elly said, her voice low and harsh.

Denzel wiped his nose, glaring at the approaching rabbit. In that moment, even Giu thought twice about jumping into the fold. But Elly's rage was directed in a single direction. That left one straggler for him to deal with.

"Alright." He looked to Olive, who instantly tensed up, a spear of light appearing in her hand. Giu smirked. "Guess it's just you and me then. Don't blame me if I leave a mark, ok?"

Olive didn't respond, her eyes narrowing in his direction. She tossed her spear, Giu raising a hand to deflect it. But when he looked back, he saw a pillar of light rising under the thin reptile.

"You'll pay for what you did to her," she shouted from her raised platform.

Giu shrugged. Out of curiosity, he looked to see how Elly was doing.

She'd finally reached Denzel, the two staring at each other for several moments. Denzen finally threw a punch, the giant of a rabbit weaving the attack and catching the croc in the chest with one swift motion. Denzel stumbled back.

Huh. Nice one, che-

Giu turned as another spear came rushing toward his forehead. It shattered on contact, Giu letting his magic drift away as Olive looked on.

"Sacoutofo! You're a Phys type, aren't you? Of all the stupid..."

As she continued cursing to herself, Giu glanced back to the fight. Denzel had managed to land a clean hit, but Elly shrugged it off, knocking him back with a punch the croc managed to sustain. Wonder if it's too late to switch opponents. He lifted up a hand to block another approaching spear. Olive threw them out in rapid succession, one coming after the other as the reptile woman refused to leave her light pillar.

"Sacoutofo! Get impaled already!"

Giu felt a twinge. Screams echoed in his mind. He winced. You gotta be kidding me. Not now. The woman burned into his mind. He felt her next to him. Carrying him. Heard her voice. Sharp pain snapped him back to reality.

"Gah!"

Giu dropped to the ground, a spear of light embedded in his arm. Olive cheered from her post.

"Sacre! Take that sister puncher!"

Giu groaned. Alright. Brain. Could you not do this now? He snapped the spear in half, the magic weapon disappearing. Olive swayed atop the pillar, more spears appearing around her. The sensation burned in the back of Giu's head again. He dove forward. Screw it. Just gotta take her out quick. Problem solved.

The spears rained down around him, Giu plowing through as more images flashed through his head. Leafless oaks. Arrows whizzing by. The woman's voice getting louder. Pain shot through his leg, Giu stumbling and tripping into asphalt.

He looked up just in time to see another hundred or so spears falling from the sky. He rolled away, diving behind a nearby house.

"Don't think you can run forever, canine!" Olive shouted. "I'll keep chucking spears until one blows your head off!"

He growled, peaking at the raving reptile. Another image came, but Giu blocked it out by biting his hand. Will you just stay down? Please? He felt the sounds returning almost instantly. How was he supposed to fight when-

Giu dove to the side as spears rained down on the spot he'd just been.

"Raaaugh!"

He threw caution to the side, focusing fully on ending the reptile as fast as possible. Olive was pretty far away, but pain killed the thoughts. He could use that. He bit his hand again, making sure to dig his fangs in. As much as it hurt, it let him make progress.

The spears kept coming down, but he managed to outrun them, closing in on his target. He spat out his hand. Gotcha! Magic poured into his fist before he slammed the construction as hard as he could. The wall of light rocked on impact, cracks running through it.

Pieces fell away. But when he looked up, he didn't see Olive falling to her doom.

"Tsk." He glared at the reptile forming another pillar under her, landing daintily atop it. "Get down here and fight!"

"This is how I fight, canine," Olive said. "Don't think I'm dumb enough to let you get close."

He growled. Another jolt. They just kept coming. Will you leave me alone? For once. Suddenly he wished Tea was around. Actually, where is Tea? Giu glanced about the streets of Haywar. In all the fighting, a few onlookers had stopped to observe, but none of them even remotely resembled the pixie. Despite their client being under attack, Tea was nowhere in sight. Giu flinched. Oh no. He whirled on the broken window of Elly's apartment. They're still up there, aren't they? You stupid- He ran for the building when a pillar of light rose in his face.

"Ha! Gotcha!"

Giu bounced off the wall, another appearing behind him. Around him. A solid cylinder that rose as high as the Haywar buildings, the sky above miles away.

"What the-"

"You're mine, canine!" Olive shouted.

Giu groaned, magic forming in his hands when another jolt of images came against his wishes. Would you get lost? His brain didn't listen.

He saw a pool of black. Shining blue eyes. Grass stained red. Olive was still screeching from outside, but his magic refused to listen to his commands. Now you're taking my form change, too? Brain, why won't you just let it go? I don't want this. I don't. Let me forget. The images didn't fade. Nor did Olive's gloating.

"Hey! Denzel! You want I should jump in after I kill this guy?"

"Kinda busy at the- Guah! Ya! Just kill him and get the pixie!"

The voices around him blended with the voices in his head.

Don't let 'em escape!

Somebody shoot her!

Kill that fox!

Giu growled.

There was no pushing them away. His mind wouldn't let him. And the more he tried, the more he felt his brain revolting against him.

He heard more incantations being recited. Magic approaching fast. Giu shut his eyes. Dangit. You really are a pain, y'know. He took a small breath. A small slightly exasperated breath. Fine. Olive's voice rose, Giu seeing spears at the top of his light prison.

Alright. You win. Hit me with the stupid memories.

His ears twitched, the images flooding his mind. As did he hear the spears of light coming down at rocket speeds.

"This is for Lucil-"

The pillar shattered, stopping Olive's voice dead.

Just don't get in my way, okay?

Pieces of light faded, Giu stepping out as he let the magic wash over his body. Olive stared at him like he was a walking zombie. For a moment, she too reminded him of the woman. He could almost remember her name. But he didn't dwell on it, letting the images stew as he cracked his stiff neck.

"Alright, Olive. You wanna stay up there, fine. But I'm taking you out. Even if I gotta start throwing stuff." He smiled. 'Starting with your sister."

The reptile froze. "You wouldn't."

A gleam appeared in Giu's eye. "Try me."

He made a B-line for the fallen woman, Olive's shock flipping to rage.

"Don't you touch her!"

Spears and pillars appeared. Giu letting the projectiles zip past, familiar sensations washing through him. He saw the forest, but he let it come and go. Platforms rose under his feet, Giu having to leap over and crash through a few but getting closer and closer to his target.

"Gonna have to better than that!" Giu shouted.

As he hoped, that made the reptile more lived. She lifted both hands, thousands of spears appearing just as Giu was within grabbing distance.

Now!

The canine halted, turning straight towards the projectile rain. For a split second, they turned to arrows, but they flashed away just as quick. Giu stretched out a hand.

"C'mon!"

He spun around, a spear of light snatched right out of the air as the others rained down over him. Even with protection, he felt the multitude of attacks wearing him down. Like thousands of tiny punches. But he made sure to protect his prize, bearing through the assault until the last spear shattered.

Olive dropped to the ground, panting heavily.

"Sacoutofo. H-how do you like that?"

Giu spat, standing up with the spear of light still in hand. Olive finally seemed to notice it then, her eyes flashing.

"Very much so, Olive," he said. The gleam in his eye returned. "But you can have it back!"

He chucked the spear as hard as he could manage. It cut through the air, soaring towards its creator faster than she could possibly cast. Yet even in her tired state, she managed to dive to the side, nearly falling off the edge of the pillar but managing to catch herself as the light flew past.

"Gr! Don't underestima-"

A clunk cut her words short.

Giu smiled.

While she'd been diving, he'd been running to Lucile to grab his true target. One of the many bricks that had fallen around her. It had broken on contact with Olive's forehead.

"You..."

Her voice trailed off, eyes rolling before the reptile finally tipped over her pillar. She crashed down into the streets below.