Pandemoinum : Story 1
Pandemonium Story 1 By Behemel
The cold and damp air filled the chambers, as the ruins were buried deep underground. Stone floors and walls built the halls, several broken and damaged from neglect and the course of time. The once holy ground of an earth goddess temple once served to shelter monks and other pilgrims in their search of enlightenment. Now it had become ruins, dark and dusty upon its floors, and stone ebbed away to reveal the soil and rock above. Passing through the old halls, was a tall and large humanoid figured. Using the feint light of fireflies in the corners of the chambers, he walked soundlessly down the hallways. He was clothed in white robes, a hood shrouding his face from view. Despite his size, his footsteps left no sound. He tapped a lone skull with his foot and knocked it out of his path. His pace was unhurried and eerily calm for someone in such a haunting place. Descending down a stone staircase, a sent reached his nose. It stunk of old leather, and mixed of decaying flesh and iron. From behind his cowl, a soft growl rumbled in his throat as he marched closer to the stench. A lone hallway led into a wide room. No lights from stray fireflies were around, leaving the chamber in perpetual darkness. The stench he smelt intensified, the source dangerously close to him. Tilting his head up, the dark shroud of his hood revealed two cat-like yellow eyes, piercing the blackness. Filthy excuse for guard dogs, he thought. The shadows stirred as figures emerged from the darkness. Beastly faces that resembled skulls, horns curved from their heads. Their bodies were thin and bony, their limbs extending to large sharp claws as spikes sprouted from their hides and joints. Their tails were the shaped of spiked maces. As their hungering fangs dripped their saliva, their orange beady eyes glowed with malice. Three of the vicious demons prowled towards the figure in white. The stranger stood, unmoving as the demons began to circle him like a pack of wolves. He then slowly raised his right arm, the sleeve revealing his hand-- the black paw of a large cat. At his gesture, the demons charged. They sprinted on all fours and lunged at their prey. SLASH! His arm made a wide arch across, causing a silver streak to slice through the dark. The demons stood still, as if stupefied by the sickle of light that flashed before their eyes. As his arm hung still in the air, the demons crumbled to the floor. Their eyes faded in color and their bodies rotted right before him. Bone and skin dissolved into dust that was nether sand, rust, nor silver. Lowering his arm back to his side, he heard the hiss of another demon before him. The strangers eyes narrowed. "How dare you ssslaughter my minionssss..." a voice hissed venomously at the white stranger. Out of the darkness, it crept into view. Red eyes showed with a frightening hunger behind them. Black and red scales covered the creature's skin as if it had showered in blood. Like its company, its face was shrouded by an animal's skull that resembled a mask, but that mimicked its bone structure as a serpent. Its body was that of both a humanoid figure, but that turned into a snake from the waist down. Large arms stretched down to the floor, sprouting large claws the size of machetes. It's snake-like maw agape, and hissed while his tongue tasted the air. Towering twice as tall as the stranger, it leered down upon him. "Filthy beast!" it hissed as it slowly slithered around him, "I'll use your carcassss to brood more!" The stranger brushed off the threat and growled. "This place was once holy ground. You have invaded and desecrated this sacred place," he spoke deeply, his eyes stabbed at the snake-demons as it moved slowly around him. "Leave this place at once." The demon screeched a sharp alien word, most likely a curse. It lunged, bearing vicious fangs and stretched its maw wide. The stranger didnt move as the snake attacked, but just as it could strike into his flesh, the snake met only air. The snake's maw struck the stone floor, rattling the creatures teeth with the impact. It reared its head, stunned to find its prey missing. A smirk came to his face, hearing the demon's shout. He had swiftly leapt high into the air and over the snake. Flying out from the demon's coiling circle, he landed and skidded to a stop on the other side of the chamber. As he knelt on the floor, he raised his right arm again. "Spirit Arm..." From his paw, a white light danced at the tips of his claws. The light suddenly grew and flashed, extending out of his grip. "...Chronos!!" he roared aloud. The flash of light was blinding to the snake against the pitch darkness. As it disappeared, sparks fluttered around the instrument the stranger now held. Stretching from his paw was a large scythe. Pole and blade taller than its wielder, it glowed in its owner's grip. A silver rod was attached to the wide sickle blade. The curved blade was of gleaming silver, marked by engravings upon its edge. The base of the blade was marked by a marvelous amber gem, forming an eye-like design upon the scythe. As the amber gem glowed, streaks of light extended from the scythe's blade and base. The longer streak added length and sharpness to the weapon, and smaller, wavier streaks sprouted from the circular base that resembled a sun. The chamber glowed with the weapon's aura, lighting up the disgust on the snake's face. "Y-You!" the demon gaped, a look of realization dawning on it. "That SSSpirit Arm! You're that accursed Behemel, aren't you?! The Beast of Pandemonium!!" Behemel didn't reply, his eyes glaring at the monster. "Now..." He slowly rose to his feet and stood with his scythe erect. "...face your judgment!" A metallic clank echoed through the chamber as he brought his scythe back. He gave a forward swing, and the scythe's blade detached. An iron chain zipped behind the flying blade, coming from the weapon's base. In defense, the snake immediately moved is long body and dodged the blade's swoop. The scythe blade ricocheted off the stone floor and darted in another direction. The demon proved to be sharp-witted, and quickly moved another part of its tail that would have met the blade. The scythe's blade finally struck a nearby wall, burying itself in the stone. Startled by the projecting blade, the snake turned again towards the large warrior. However, just as the snake regained its focus, it gave a start to see the large cat charge forward with his weapon in hand. Behemel gave the snake a hard smack with the metal of the scythe's rod, making the demon's head jerk. Having left his mark, the large fighter weaved over the serpent's body and landed within melee range of the monster. "GRAAAHRGH! I'll eat you alive!" it screeched. It swiped its claws at Behemel, only to have the large warrior a hair's length away from harm. With his chained weapon in his grasp, he dodged and parried the snakes attacks. All the while, he dove and weaved around the demon's long body as if it were terrain. Behemel exchanged strikes with the blunt end of his weapon as the demon attacked, all the while tangling the chain around its long body. After dodging the serpents bite at his limbs, Behemel leapt from the monster's side and landed softly onto the floor inside the demon's circle. "Hold ssstill!" it yelled, infuriated with the cat-creature's superior reflexes. "As you wish." With his words, Behemel brought his scythe's base up. A growl escaped him as he struck the floor hard with the tip of his staff. Suddenly, the chain from the pole's base stiffened. From the wall, the forgotten scythe's blade was yanked from the stone. The chain retracted around the serpent's body, dragging the detached blade with it. The serpent demon gave an unintelligible wail as the blade made its first mark, the saw-like edges of its back ripping into its hide like a saw. Weaved around the serpent's body, the scythe blade followed each twist and turn Behemel's chain had made. The demon's wail filled the halls, the blades slicing at each twist and turn. It danced around Behemel as he stood perfectly calm, like the eye of a hurricane. Leaving a dozen slices into its enemy, the powerful chain whip finally retracted to its base. The blade perched itself back upon the pole Behemel held and locked back into place with a metallic click--the weapon whole again. All the while, the serpent demon twisted in pain. The multiple slices he had caused in such a short amount of time threw the demons mind into a fit of rage and confusion. Behemel then crouched low and brought his scythe back. A growl began to grow in his throat as he drew his weapon back, and released it with a wide arching blow. His strike followed by a mighty roar. A blast suddenly tore outward from the strike, knocking the demon away from its curled position. The shockwave of the blade's momentum tossed the creature upward and sent it skidding across the chamber. Blood smeared the stone floor, left from the long gash in the demon as well as the multiple slices from before. The demon gasped. Its hissing voice was now in exhaustion rather than hunger. Rising back to his full height, the white robed warrior brought his scythe up high. From where he stood, the air began to churn as if the wind had slithered through the deep catacombs. The air whistled, Behemel's robes swaying in the breeze. As he held his scythe high, the amber eye on the weapon gleamed brightly. "You have been judged," he growled, his eyes locked on the serpent. "Grim Zephyr!!" He brought his scythe down, the blade making a loud whistle through the air. In front of it, the air shrieked as the scythe created a vertical blade of wind. The air-blade shot across the chamber, the sheer force leaving a mark on the stone floor. The creature's scream was muffled by the howl of the wind. Upon impact, the air-blade's vacuum tore its target in opposite directions. The resulting shockwave exploded, casting warm air through the chamber. Behemel stood still, his stance firm as he watched the smoke clear. The force of the attack had torn the demon apart, leaving only a large, bloody smear across the chamber wall. With his enemy gone, Behemel rose back up to his feet. He released his grip on the scythe and it vanished in a dazzle of light. As calm as he had before, Behemel turned from his smeared enemy and proceeded into the next room. As he entered the final chamber, Behemel stopped to observe the room. He stood at the foot of a large statue, marking the room as a shrine. The statue was of a human woman, her body sprouting tree branches and her hair as long as tall grass. Her expression a peaceful one, as if she was in a blissful sleep. The dim light of the room casted the statue in a gloomy appearance, its true features concealed. The statue stood on a platform, overlooking a well that had openings both below and above. Behemel gazed upon the shadowed statue, an object of worship to the goddess it resembled. For a brief moment, he knelt before the statue and bowed his head in prayer. After giving his momentary respect, Behemel rose back up to his feet and approached the statue. He extended his paw, reaching out to the smoothed stone. Slowly, he drew a symbol in the air, and his paw began to radiate a gentle glow. As he finished his holy prayer, he gently laid his paw upon the goddess statue. The glow from his paw spread outward. In a matter of seconds, the gentle glow radiated across the statue's stone and lit up the room. The once malevolent shade of the temple lifted as the statue glowed, radiating a green light. From the well above, a white light casted down behind the shrine, its shine rippling as if casted from water from above. Behemel could feel the holy powers flow, the demonic taint exorcized from the temple. As he smirked in accomplishment to liberate the fallen shrine, a swirl of light caught his eyes. Cast at the large cat's feet appeared a treasure chest-- a token of thanks from the temples magic. He only glanced at it in mild interest, more grateful for the goddess's blessing upon him now. He was at peace around the serenity of the shrine, until... "WOW! That was amazing!" a jubilant voice shouted, disrupting the large black cat's meditation. "Did you beat the monsters here all by yourself?" Startled, Behemel conjured his Spirit Arm by reflex. With the scythe in his grasp, he turned, the blade prepared to strike if needed. As he turned to see who was there, his gaze dropped to the source of the voice. He stilled his blade at once. To his surprise, the person was no taller than his thigh. Standing before him was a small human girl. To Behemel's eyes, she looked no older than eight years old. She was dressed in white and blue robes, runes of magic etched upon them. Her hair was a light shade of pink, tied into pig tails that fell to her slim shoulders. She held a worn book close to her chest, the ruins engraved upon them suggesting a sorcerer's tome-- a common tool to most spell casters. She stood still before Behemel, her gaze exchanging between him and the scythe he held. A little girl? Could she be a demon...? he thought, the possibility of a demon portraying as a harmless child was a ploy he was familiar with. No... I had just exorcized the temple. No demons could still be here. She must have entered in after me, or came in after I purified the shrine. Realizing she was no threat, he lowered his weapon and it vanished from his grasp. The little girl gleamed with a large smile. "You look really strong! What's your name?" she asked, sounding as child-like as she appeared. Behemel didn't answer. Regarding the little girl with a nod, he turned back to the shrine. Casting one more look at the shrine, he reached his large paw into his robe pocket and drew a small scroll. "I would leave here if I were you, little girl," Behemel said with a soft growl. "This is no place for children." "Hey! Wait!" She shouted, taking a step towards him. "Aren't you going to take the treasure chest?" "I don't need it," he replied simply. "You take it." With his offer to the child, he opened the scroll. The scroll released a glow and wrapped around Behemel. The next moment, the large white-robed cat was gone. "W-Wait!" the little girl squeaked. For a moment, she struggled, debating to run for the exit to catch Behemel, or grabbing the chest. Acting quickly, she opened the treasure chest, scooped up its contents without looking, and reached into her robe pocket. Finding another scroll like the one Behemel used, she shook it open. "Hold on a minute! Come back!" I need to repay him, she thought as she vanished from before the holy shrine.
***
The sunlight shined brightly into the chasm directly below. A large cavity in the ground opened into a cavern, which revealed an underground lake. The large stone chamber was in the shape of a globe, the water generously hiding the bottom from view. Stalactites dripped water below, echoing through the cave as they splashed. In the epicenter of the pool stood a single island, for which several buildings of stone perched upon it. The city of Bac-Cate: The Sacred Earth City. The island consisted of stone buildings and streets. Many canals ran through the town, in which bridges spanned across them to connect the streets. Ancient runes, known as arcane signs, decorated the buildings and streets that were unique to the city. All the waterways traveled towards the lake that surrounded the island, originating from the islands very center like a fountain. In the center was a large dome building, which the waters originated from. Inside, soft light shined through stained glass windows that decorated the back of the chamber. The whole structure was a single large room, a dais standing in the center. Upon that platform, tiny grooves spun out from the floor, trickling small streams of water into a fountain that ran below the walls and out of sight. Levitating above the trickling fountain was a single statue of smooth stone. The statue was of a cherubic looking girl, her face carved into a peaceful, calm emotion. The statue consisted from her waist up, the rest missing in the thin air. Wings sprouted from her back, stretching up towards the ceiling above, where several crystals levitated along with her. While the statue and the adorning crystals levitated, a constant breeze blew through the room, forever encircling the epicenter. The crystals within the gentle breeze whistled with chimes of various melodies. After a moment of their gentle playing, the crystalline music gave a sharp chime as the air in the room picked up turbulence. Air gusted forward from the goddess statue, and before it, a shape appeared into existence. As if coming out of thin air, literally, Behemel appeared before the statue with his calm and silent demeanor. He dropped to his feet, his robes wafting gently as the gust of air slowly died back down to their calm cycling. No sooner had he realized he was at the town's Shrine of Winds, he proceeded towards the sole doorway leading outside. As he left the shrine behind him, the sharp jingle of the crystals chimed again. As wafting breezes weaved together before the Shrine of Winds, another small figure appeared and landed to the ground. It was the same little girl in white robes. Realizing where she was, she blinked and spotted Behemel marching out of the shrine. "H-Hey! Mister!" She cried out as she took off after him, disappearing into the city streets beyond the doors. "Waaaaiiiiiiit!" The streets of the watery city were lively with the sounds of chatter. People, both humans as well as the animas, half-human and half-beast creatures, chattered and attended to their own business. Many of them were civilians, others adventurers and mercenaries. The shops that were built into the stone walls of the streets rustled with activity and shopkeepers shouted for people to buy their goods. Despite ill feelings that resided between humans and the different tribes of the anima race, Bac-Cate was one of the few melting pots where the two races in one city didn't raise an issue. Legend said it was because the land the city was constructed on was a gift to all those who shared the earth, and how the earth provided for them all. Leisurely walking down the street, Behemel kept a steady pace. He avoided the large crowds as he moved forward. At the same time, the patter of small shoes was not absent to his sharp hearing. He held his tempter, knowing the same little girl he bumped into in the catacombs was still following him. "Are you a knight or templar like the others?" she asked, this being one of the many questions she asked him, and which he didn't reply. He had hoped she would have gotten bored of following him after winding down three streets and went her own way. Unfortunately she was more persistent than the large feline had assumed. "No... They can't slay a whole nest of monsters on their own. I saw how fast you moved through there. I notice you aren't wearing any metal armor. Just robes. So you can't be them because they wear metal armor. Oh! Are you a monk? Wait... no because monks can only heal, not fight...." Behemel let lose another sigh from under his hood. The little human girl was starting to ebb at his patience. Learning much temperance from his training and studies, he had learned to weary the worst of annoyances. However, he never expected to tolerate the persistent questioning of a child. He kept walking down the street, and she kept talking to him, even though he didn't answer. The little girl with pink pigtails looked at the large warrior's back, curious to his expression. It only spurred on her curiosity as she followed him like a lost pet. "I saw your Spirit Arm when we first met," she chimed in, giving a beaming smile. "That was amazing. I never saw one like it." Just then, Behemel stopped. After ignoring her for a while, her new words suddenly caught his interest. His abrupt stop caused the girl to drop her smile, curious to his change in behavior. He turned around and looked down at the girl near his knees. "You know... about Spirit Arms?" he asked, surprised that term came from someone so young. After a second absorbing the large cat's words, she beamed her bright smile again. "Of course!" she said cheerfully. She then raised her finger, as if she was answering a question in a classroom. "Spirit Arms are magical items or armaments infused with the power of ancient and powerful spirits." Her answer was sharp and precise, as if it was a dictionary answer from a textbook. "When the object is infused with a spirit's power, the item itself changes its physical appearance and takes on properties of the spirit used to create it. There are many kinds, from weapons, to armor, to even machines or tools used to help travel. For objects that are easy to carry, Spirit Arms can be called forth at will, disappearing and reappearing whenever the owner wishes." Behemel blinked several times, surprised by the young girl's answer. The little girl then took a heavy breath, forgetting to breathe during her explanation from enthusiasm. "So, am I right?" She asked, giving her cheerful smile again up at Behemel. Something in Behemel's mind didn't allow him to accept that the child was normal. Though he didn't understand humans well, he was certain no human child at her age could know so much. He also still dwelled on the fact how she got into the catacombs with him, and why she was there in the first place. "You're a strange little girl," he said bluntly. With no further word, he turned away and continued down the street. Stunned, she stared at him silently as he walked away. She then shook her head and gasped to see him getting away from her. "W-Wait a minute!!" she cried out and ran after him again. After keeping hot on his heels, she had followed Behemel to a nearby canal. Tired from trying to lose her in the crowd for so long, Behemel sat, legs crossed, overlooking the canal as small boats floated by. Next to him sat the eccentric girl. Finally out of steam, she had calmed down and stopped talking to observe the canal as he was. She sat next to him with her legs hanging off the ledge, kicking softly at the air. Humming softly, she continued to smile innocently as she watched the water below her. "You're fast, you know?" she commented. Her voice was quieter than it had been previously, her constant talking finally taking its toll. Behemel smirked from behind his hood to see that she had calmed down. The sound of her huffing was almost calming to him as he watched the river. "Why do you keep walking away?" she asked. "Because you wouldn't stop talking long enough for me to say anything," Behemel replied simply. The girl looked at Behemel blankly, thinking over what he said. "I wouldn't?" she asked aloud, her face puzzled as if she never noticed before. The large cat nodded as he watched the water, emphasizing his point. "I'm sorry," she said, her tone now pleading. "I was just excited. I never had seen someone like you before, so I wanted to know more about you. You look really, really special to me. Not like the other beastie-men." "Beastie.... men?" Behemel repeated, an irritated look crossing his features. "Can I see your face?" she jumped to ask before he could retort to her last comment. Her energy seemed to glimmer back to life, the spark in her eyes once again visible to Behemel. "What kind of beastie-man are you? Show me." Behemel hesitated, his paw at his robe's helm. "I'm not sure..." "Come on! Please!" she whimpered, her voice rising a pitch and became pleading. "Please, please, pretty please!" With a reluctant sigh, Behemel reached his large black paw to the hood of his white robes. Slowly pulling it down, he revealed his face to look similar to that of a lion's face. He had a flat cat-like nose that stretched into his maw, faint whiskers that sprouted from his face. His black fur was the color of charcoal, standing out against his white robes. His mane covered both his head and the sides of his face, and led down the front of his neck. With his yellow eyes the only indication of color, he turned to the little girl as calmly and slowly as possible. He was well aware how his kind could easily frighten humans upon their appearance. "WOW!" she shouted, her voice loud enough to send Behemel falling over. He showed clear surprise at how exuberant her reaction was. She looked upon Behemel not with fear, but wonderment. "I never met a lion with that kind of fur! It's so pretty!" "Enough," he said clearly as he lifted his hood back into place. Regaining his composure, he faced the little girl eye to eye. "You have some things to explain to me, cub." Her innocent eyes went wide with confusion, surprised to see the lion so serious. "First, who are you? What is your name? And please, answer me calmly." She gave a beaming smile. "My name is Mirei," the little girl chirped happily. "Okay... Mirei, then. Tell me something," Behemel addressed her calmly. "What were you doing in those catacombs? You knew how dangerous they were, didn't you?" Mirei fell quiet for a moment as her gaze came back to the river before her. "I was just looking for some treasure. I find lots of treasure in places like that," she replied. Behemel wasn't satisfied. The girl shouldn't have been allowed to go into that temple. Had she taken a wrong turn and met a demon, she would have met certain death. "How did you get there anyway?" Behemel asked, "Did someone take you to that abandoned temple?" "No, silly kitty!" she cheered, that jubilant smile returning. "I used the Shrine of Winds." "The Shrine of Winds is only meant to send people to places they are meant to go." he explained strongly, his tone stern. "It shouldn't have been able to send you someplace so dangerous." "Well, it did!" Mirei retorted, her tone trying to match Behemel's. "I have been to many places using the Shrine of Winds before." That one confused Behemel. The Shine of Winds was meant to send people to different places they wished to go. However, it was made so that it wouldn't send people into peril unless they could deal with the threat. "I am not convinced," Behemel said sternly, the child looking solemn again. "You are too young to be running around such dangerous places on your own! What would your parents say if they learned of what you did?" His tone was starting to verge closer and closer to growls. At that moment, her exuberance dropped completely and turned into a sad gloom. She turned to the canal, and gazed at the water. "I...I don't have any parents..." Behemel was taken aback, his stern attitude broken to hear her sad confession. "...I have been by myself, since as long as I can remember." This time Behemel turned his gaze away, ashamed to have made Mirei so sad. The two sat in silence for a bit, unsure what to say. After pondering for a bit, Behemel turned to Mirei. "Would you like to see it?" he asked. Mirei looked up at him in question. "My Spirit Arm. Would you like a closer look?" Just as he hoped, Mirei's face brightened with a small smile and she nodded. Holding out his palms in his lap, he simply thought for his weapon. Answering his wish, a flash of light appeared and the elegant scythe appeared in his paws. Slowly, he lifted it up, careful to keep the blade of the scythe away from the small girl, and held it out. "Go ahead. Hold it, but be careful of the blade," he said calmly. With tiny hands, Mirei took hold of the scythe's base. With Behemel steadying the weapon, she looked at it closely as she rested the scythe's base across her lap. Behemel let go of the weapon, allowing her to examine it, all the while his eyes showed amusement. As Mirei looked at the scythe, the weapon suddenly shimmered again with light. Surprised, Mirei gasped as she watched the white resilient metal of the scythe change. The marvelous weapon suddenly transformed into a simple steel scythe with a wooden base. She looked at it in confusion, her expression lost for words. "W-What happened?!" she exclaimed, looking up and down the scythe over and over again. Behemel let out a hearty chuckle. "As you said, Spirit Arms are ordinary items empowered by magical spirits," Behemel explained, his voice now a calm tone. "While many people own Spirit Arms that a spirit is permanently bound to, I can channel spirits directly into this scythe using my own magic. Should it leave my possession, it turns back to the tool it used to be." Mirei turned to Behemel, her face once again bright with enthusiasm and glee. "You're a spiritualist!" she declared aloud. Behemel merely nodded at her, pleased to see her back to her lively self. "I heard about them! They are like priests, but they go around seeking the favor and blessings of many gods and spirits. They even can be blessed by both beast and human gods." "That's right," he told her, "We can channel the power of many spirits and gods using our magic." Reaching back for the weapon, Behemel picked it up from Mirei's lap and held it back in his paws again. "Since we are mediums of their magic, we can channel it, and that is how I create the Spirit Arm you see." At his words, the unimpressive weapon became engulfed in light once again. With a flash, the scythe transformed back into the elegant 'Chronos' and disappeared again. Successful in distracting her, Behemel was relieved to see her sadness dissipate for the time. Taking a deep breath, he decided it was time to return to questioning her. He chose to be more tactful with his questions. "So, why exactly where you following me?" Behemel asked, keeping his eyes on the mysterious child. "Oh!" She exclaimed, surprised. "Well, I wanted to know who you were. Besides..." She paused a moment as she reached into a small sack she carried on her back. Taking the small bag in her lap, she dug out the same materials Behemel had left in the catacombs from the treasure chest. "You did all the work, so you deserved them." Behemel signed. "I told you, theyre yours. I have no use for them," he explained, "I liberate the shrines for the gods' blessings, granting me different kinds of magic. You keep them." "But I can't just take them!" she said in a pleading voice, "It wouldn't be right after you took the trouble to fight all the monsters down there by yourself. I want to repay you!" "Not necessary," Behemel said, turning his gaze away towards the water. "Yes! Yes, it is!" she insisted, her tone once again pleading and annoying. Behemel cringed behind his hood again. "There has to be a way to show my appreciation." With a finger to her chin, she thought. She looked like a she was trying to decide her favorite sweet or toy. Finally, she beamed her smile again. "I know! I can offer myself!" "What?!" Behemel bellowed, nearly falling off the edge of the canal from surprise. "W-What are you talking about?" "Let's be friends!" Mirei cheered and jumped up to her feet. Even at her height Behemel was still a head taller than her as he sat there. "We can go treasure hunting together and help each other out!" "You want to be my partner?" Behemel rephrased the question. Mirei nodded enthusiastically. "I would love to see more of your magic and Spirit Arm! Also I can help you out on your adventures!" Behemel shook his head, sensing dread already coming upon him. "I don't think that is a good idea. What I do is dangerous," he explained clearly," I appreciate your offer, but what I do is no place for a child your age." "Please!" Before he knew it, Mirei had grappled on to his large arm and hugged it tightly. "Please, please! You can count on me! I won't get in your way, promise!" Behemel fell speechless. Every instinct told him to not involve this young girl in his endeavors. However, the fact that she appeared to be an orphan didn't settle well with him. At the same time, he could not guarantee her safety during his travels. Looking down at her pleading face, his will was slowly weakening. He couldn't say no. "Pleeeeaaaasssee?" she slurred, practically begging the large cat warrior. "Alright, Alright!" Behemel gave in, waving his free paw for her to calm down. "Just calm down. You can come along with me." "REALLY?!" she beamed, her grip on his arm tightening from excitement. "Yes," he answered, "but only if you do as I say, and if I tell you it is too dangerous, you will stay behind. Do you understand?" "Yes sir, mister beastie-man!" She cheered, hugging his arm tightly. "Please stop calling me that," he sighed, "My name is Behemel." "Tee-hee! I'll just call you Behe." She smiled so large her teeth seemed to gleam. Ugh... he thought, his sharp teeth gritting in restrained grief. This cannot end well. *** Having passed through the Shrine of Winds, Behemel and Mirei transported to a snow-covered landscape. The fields around them were icy and barren, with bare trees standing on top of the sloping hills. The sky above was blotted out with grey clouds that kept the snow-covered earth cool. The wind sent clouds of powder skidding across the landscape as Behemel and Mirei magically appeared onto the plains. The wind's chill sent a shiver through Mirei, blowing her robes in the breeze. Behemel, with fur beneath his clothing, didn't mind the cold as much. "Brrr.... chilly!" Mirei squeaked, wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm. As luck had it, the Shine of Winds dropped them directly in front of their destination. Standing before them was a large stone castle. The structure was only three stories tall, with stone gargoyles that sat on the four corners of the roof. The large, steel gate entrance into the castle looked like a maw of teeth that greeted them. Putting aside the shivering cold, Mirei had a sudden rush of excitement. She gave a joyful jump aside Behemel, warming her a bit. "Yay! Its treasure hunting time!" she cheered happily. Behemel didn't reply, his eyes focused on his task ahead of him. "Listen to me," he said without looking at her, "This castle isn't supposed to be as dangerous as the catacombs where those demons were. Its only to be uninhabited with the exception of guardians and other smaller monsters. Still, I don't want you acting fool-hardy in there. Understand?" Mirei looked at Behemel with a confused stare. "What is fool-hardy?" she asked. Behemel gave a sigh under his hood. The grief of being the girl's 'baby-sitter' was not a job he was willing to take. "Never mind," he said with a soft growl, "Let us just proceed," With that, the two entered the castle's interior. The shelter of the castle kept the wind out, but the castle itself was still cold from its long abandonment. The walls were worn from the air that wafted into the castle. Its halls were dark, except for the ethereal blue flames that burned on the torches along the walls. The magic fires could burn even in the most freezing of temperatures. A worn carpet showed the way down the corridor along with its turns and forks in the dungeon. Side by side, Mirei and Behemel walked ahead in search for the stairs leading downstairs. "Okay," Behemel said, his tone firm and serious as he looked towards Mirei at his side. "You said you have gone to places like these before. So I assume you have means to protect yourself, right?" Mirei looked up in question. "Of course. I know spells," she replied with a chirp. "Such as...?" Again, Mirei made the innocent gesture of bringing her finger to her chin in thought. "Hmm... let's see. There is fire... water... oh, and I do know some healing spells too." She counted down each spell with a raise of a finger. Behemel was unconvinced and groaned. The way she described her spells, she appeared to be no more than an amateur spell-caster. It was smart of him to choose a location less dangerous than the areas where the demons dwelled. If something did happen that would put Mirei in danger, he could handle the situation quickly with little difficult. "I know it is not a lot," she said, I am still learning, but that is why I am searching for treasure. I hear there are rare spell books that can teach me better spells. So I keep on trying!" "Still, this is not a place for someone your age to be charging into danger alone," Behemel insisted calmly. "You need to know your limits." Right after Behemel finished talking he stopped in his tracks and looked forward. Mirei noticed him stop and looked ahead. In the center of the hall stood a large stone statue. It was built like a suit of armor that would fit three men at once. It had a large green gem embedded to its chest that glowed. "A guardian..." Mirei gasped, seeing the defensive monster in the hall. Behemel glared at the statue. A guardian was an automated guard that attacked unwanted intruders. Many remain active even long past their masters had abandoned them. "Are you ready?" Behemel asked. Mirei just shot a glance at Behemel, confused by what he meant. With his paw extended, a glow of light radiated out. His powerful scythe, Chronos, once again appeared in his grasp. "Let's go." Behemel charged forward. He ran head on with the guardian as its eyes flashed green in attention. Made of stone, the scythe was only able to leave light slashes across its thick body. With Behemel's swift reflexes, he easily dodged the large golem's fists as they tried to smash him against the ground. He was waiting for Mirei to cast her spells to take her share of the fight. However, she remained still at the end of the hall, unmoving. Jumping back, Behemel landed beside Mirei and glared at her seriously. "What are you waiting for?" he growled. "But I can't--" "Just cast your spells! If you don't, you won't be able to make it through the fight!" "Yeah, I know..." Mirei sighed, Behemel's brow furrowed. "You know?!" Mirei gave a small shriek as she looked forward. Behemel turned to see the golem raising his fist high above them. Acting quickly, Behemel shoved Mirei to the side and lunged out of the way. The fist missed them and smashed into the stone floor. Landing on his feet, Behemel glared at Mirei at the other end of the hallway. "Don't expect me to do all the work here!" he growled aloud as the golem slowly followed him. "While I have its attention, cast your spells from where you are, okay?" "O-okay..." she squeaked. As Behemel exchanged blows with the guardian, Mirei stood up and began thinking. "Okay... how did that one go again..." She pondered on the spell, trying to remember the words for it. She then raised both hands out towards the golem and breathed. "Bal rom!" The spell echoed through the hall as a ball of fire the size of a basketball formed above the golem and dropped onto its head. Ash and embers showered the guardian's head, distracted the foe. The moment the fireball broke, the golem's head turned and faced Mirei. The little girl gave a squeak as the golem started running after her with renewed vigor. "AAAAHHH!!" she shrieked in a childish manner as the large golem chased her around the hallway. Behemel looked on dumbfounded to find her flee in such a childish manner. It would be considered comical, if she wasn't at risk of being hurt. "What are you doing?!" he roared, gaining her attention. "Just hit him with a spell to slow him down!" "I can't!" she wailed as she ran, "I can't remember all my spells!" His eyes went wide with shock. "Wh-what?!" Behemel roared. His roar shook the hall, grasping the golem's attention. It began charging towards him again. "What did you just say?! GRIM ZEPHYR!" In the blink of an eye, a mighty slash emitted from Behemel's scythe that cleaved through the golem in a single stroke. Right down the middle, the golem fell to the ground in two equal halves and its green eyes faded away. Recovering from her fright, she approached the golem, and then came to Behemel. "I can tell you are strong," she said, her discussion becoming off-topic and her tone cheerful again. "Strong enough for the both of us. Don't worry." Behemel wasn't easily brushed off with her charm. "Why didn't you tell me that you didn't know your own spells?" he growled. He tried very hard to not raise his voice much, but his frustration towards her was justified by her behavior. She acted completely irresponsible. "There's no reason to shout," she replied, and gave a stiff upper lip. "I knew my spells. I just couldn't get the one I wanted right away is all." "Look, this kind of behavior is going to get you killed if you don't start taking this seriously!" Behemel shouted, this time his voice held back no remorse. "Well I have done well on my own, before! You can't say whether or not I am capable!" At that moment, the animal in Behemel peaked a bit. His paws clenched to reveal his claws in restrained and his feline eyes sharpened, and glowed in the dark. They narrowed with clear anger as his sharp teeth became visible as well. "Listen! I have no patience for a spoiled brat who has others fight her battles!" he roared, losing his cool. Mirei became shocked by the ferocity he expressed before her. "If you cannot be useful in a fight, then you do not belong here! Now just go away!" Mirei was frozen in shock. Her eyes remained on Behemel as he panted. Then, after a long pause, small labored gasps escaped her lips. Tears began to form in her eyes, and her arms trembled with her breath. It was only when Behemel had calmed down to his rational state of mind, he realized the little girl had broken down into tears. She let out a mighty wail as tears streaked down her face. At that moment, she ran back down the hall. Running as fast as her little legs could carry her, she vanished beyond the next bend. Her voice trailed off as well, sobbing. The moment Behemel saw her flee he realized what he had done. Regret dawned on him. She was the one person, anima or human, who didn't see him as a terrifying person. Known for the grim reputation as a demon slayer, many people choose to avoid him. The sins of his past, of his capture by demons and kept prisoner to fight in their arenas for sport, and how he fought to obtain his freedom in a gruesome manner. When he returned, word of his exploit roamed the world, marking him as an infamous warrior. Since that time, the one creature that had not known, nor cared of who or what he was, he had just sent her running away crying. After staring at the spot where she had run away to, he turned away and proceeded further into the dungeon. Feeling she had run back to the entrance to go back to town, he left her alone. *** An hour had passed since Behemel left Mirei. He had just slain a large dungeon worm. The creature lay at his feet, covered in poison barbs and a mouth that was a perfect "O" shape. He had slain many of the weak creatures that scurried around the old castle in hopes to calm his frustration and guilt. It did not help him. It was for her own good, he kept telling himself. He grasped Chronos tightly as he thought. She didn't belong in the dungeons to begin with. My actions gave her reason to run home. Justifying his own actions only gave Behemel more grief as he remembered a simple detail. Mirei was an orphan. The innocent child had no home to go to. He stood there for a long while, his own thoughts debating what the right thing to do was. Then finally, he gave in to his guilt, and the Spirit Arm scythe disappeared in his grasp. Turning around, he headed back to the dungeon entrance. As he ascended the stairs, he came to the hallways in which he and Mirei had separated. He paused, wondering if she was even after the treasure after all. Despite her cheerful attitude, it became clear to Behemel that she was nursing a painful past. Her cheer was an attempt to forget her sadness. I can't worry about that now, he thought as he marched through the abandoned castle. She had left the dungeon, so don't dwell on her now. Just then, his foot accidently knocked into something. Looking down to his furry black feet, Behemel spotted a spell book lying on the ground. Mirei's spell book? he thought as he knelt down and picked it up. Did she drop it on the way out...? No. I left her further behind than here. Which means... Behemel's senses flared with alarm. She never left the dungeon! "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" The scream caused Behemel to jump up to his full height. He recognized the scream. Mirei's voice. Reacting quickly, Behemel listened to the voice and quickly took the nearest passageway that was in conjunction to the scream. Behemel ran, following the scream's echo as it bounced off the stones. With his animal senses, Behemel had already known she was close as he sprinted through the corridors. Finding a lone doorway through the corridors, he stopped before it and looked inside. Towering high in the room stood a large demonic creature. Its height almost made its head even with the ceiling. Its large muscular body was red in color, its hands were claws and its feet were hooves. Pale white hair streaked down its head and back while black runes etched its muscular arms and torso. It wore a long loincloth and golden-red belt that held curved daggers the size of dragons' teeth. Its large wings were spread out wide, eclipsing half the room. "By the gods..." he breathed, shocked to see such a powerful creature. "What is an arch-fiend doing here?" At that moment, Behemel's attention came to where the arch-fiend was looking at. In the far corner of the room stood Mirei. Her white robes were torn around her ankles and her face was dotted with dirt and sweat. With a hand grasped at her chest, she backed herself into a corner, unable to flee anywhere else. She looked up in horror to find the red beast grinning at her. "My, my, what a treat to find such a pretty little morsel." A weak chuckle came from Mirei as she tried to use witty banter to escape. "Oh you don't want me!" She shouted, her childish tone betraying her feelings of fear. "I am not that pretty!" "On the contrary, my dear," the beast bellowed with laughter. He then raised his mighty claws up high to grab her. "You look good enough to EAT!!" The chime of metal rang in the chamber. Shooting through the air, a gleaming metal chain swung across the archfiend and wrapped around its arm. Surprised, the monster turned to his arm to see the blade of a large scythe and attached chain around his limb. At the far end of the room, Behemel glared at the arch-fiend as he pulled tightly on the weapon's base. "What?!" the demon roared in surprise. "Mirei! RUN!" Behemel roared, throwing all his weight in the opposite direction. Under the shock of the interruption, the demon easily lost his balance. As Mirei ran to the far side of the room, Behemel's chain whip yanked the demon's arm. It threw the whole demon into the air and slamming him to the floor. The room shook at the impact, the demon grunting as it was thrown onto its back. With the demon down, the chain whip of the scythe uncoiled from its arm and retracted back. Zipping through the air, the scythe returned to its whole form and locked back into place in Behemel's grasp. "Mirei!" Behemel cried out to her, causing her to look at him from across the room. "I am sorry! Just stay back there and you'll be fine!" She looked at him with panic, clearly spooked by the demon. "B-but.." Before she could speak, the demon suddenly rolled over and got to its feet. Its eyes came at Behemel, spying him with the scythe. The arch-fiend roared as its eyes narrowed on Behemel. Clear hatred radiated from them. "YOU!" he spat with hatred. Then hatred turned into a mighty laugh that shook the room. "Ah! What a treat! Hello, Behemel! Do you remember me?!" Behemel hesitated but didn't answer him. He did look familiar to the large were-lion, but couldn't recall. Nor did he allow the time to. He kept up his guard. The arch-fiend slowly rose to his feet, his tail swinging leisurely behind him. "Oh, I remember you... I recall those years we spent, whipping you into shape. It's such a shame. You had such great potential to my brethren. I should have broken you harder!" "Be silent!" roared Behemel, remembering the days he was enslaved as a gladiator to Pandemonium. "Those days are behind me. I am not the monster you foul creatures tried to turn me into!" All the while, the arch-fiend chuckled as he slowly stomped towards Behemel. "Oh? Then why do I see such rage in your eyes? Yes... I saw that rage the moment I tortured you, slicing your flesh to grant you endurance, and healing you up just so we could continue all over again." Its maw opened with a toothy smile, enjoying the sound of his dark voice. "And when you were introduced to the arena, you fought for the thrill of the kill. You enjoyed slicing their heads off. I never saw anyone with so much bloodlust than you." Behemel growled, furious as the memory began to piece together in his mind. Memories he had longed to have forgotten. Dragged to the realm of demons in his early youth, and tortured by the same demon he now saw before him. He was one of many he despised to take vengeance on. His glare on the demon reflected great rage. "And now... you become a Spiritualist?!" the arch fiend laughed, finding the concept humorous. "How many times had you prayed to the muted voices of the gods to forgive the carnage you had inflicted that day? I'd almost die laughing if it wasn't so pathetic! You should be grateful we turned you into the fighter you are today! Don't worry. I will be sure to get rid of all that sentiment when I drag you back to Pandemonium!" With a mighty roar of fury, Behemel charged with his scythe. The arch-demon only grinned as the beast-man attacked. As Behemel was in mid-air, the demon gave a sharp swing of one of his wings. The large leathery fan collided with Behemel, knocking him in the opposite direction. Before Behemel knew it, he had slammed into a wall and collided to the ground with a thud. "Never charge your opponent head on!" the demon roared, casting a scornful look at Behemel. "Had I taught you nothing?" A cough came from Behemel as the wind was knocked out of him. He raised a paw and wiped his mouth for a second. "I guess not," he replied simply, grasping his scythe again in his paw. He glared at the arch-fiend with a smirk. "Guess that makes you a bad teacher!" This time, the arch-fiend charged. His wings stretched out and became razor sharp points. In a crouch, Behemel dived away from the raining leathery spears. Weaving around them, Behemel rushed for the arch-fiend with his scythe held back. "GRIM ZEPHYR!" he roared, right at point-blank range as the air hummed around his scythe. In the blink of an eye, the arch-fiend vanished right before Behemel. Before he could think, a heavy blow fell right on top of him. The force caused him to collide with the stone floor, followed by the object above him smashing him further into the ground. A cry of anguish erupted from Behemel as the arch-fiend's own claw pinned him down into the floor, causing him to drop his scythe. The powerful weapon Chronos skidded across the floor and stopped several feet away. As it left Behemel's grasp, the weapon gleamed with light briefly and returned to being a simple farmer's scythe. Agonizing pain raked across Behemel's body. He could feel blood start to pool below him as the demon pinned him down. His ears were popping, hearing several cracks upon his impact with the ground. "Ah... I forgot the sound of what your bones breaking were like." the arch-fiend hissed with satanic glee, "Music to my... EARS!" He shoved again, causing another crack of his bones. This time Behemel held silent under the force. "Behemel!" Mirei screamed, seeing him pinned under the demon's claw. Tears swelled in her eyes as she watched in the corner, afraid to move. The arch-fiend grinned at the sound of the girl's voice. Behemel lied with numerous broken bones, the pain so strong he was paralyzed. Satisfied with his work, the arch-fiend leaned in closer to his prized pupil with a wicked smirk. "Don't worry. You will thank me for this. There is no strength in weak sentimentalism. And just to prove it... " he whispered like a snake into Behemel's ear. "... I'll kill the little brat first, and make you watch!" The arch-fiend let go of Behemel and rose to his feet. Behemel remained prone on the floor, his bones smashed. He strained to lift his limbs, but the feel of exhaustion claimed them. As the arch-fiend began to approach Mirei, the little girl began to back up against the wall. Shock was clear in her eyes as she saw the approaching red monster. "Don't worry, lil' girl," the demon bluffed, making an attempt of a smile as he came closer. "You won't feel a thing." He approached closer, his large claws reaching out to grab her only a few yards away. At that moment, Mirei's look of shock and terror melted away into one of peaceful tranquility. Slowly, she raised her arms up high above her, as if in prayer to an unseen force above. "Spirit Arm..." Mirei spoke aloud, her voice ringing as clear as a bell. What?! Behemel thought at the sound of her voice. "Huh! You couldn't--" The demon shouted. Mirei opened her eyes as a bright gleam of light shined into existence from between her palms. "... Nymph's Tear!" She brought her arms down before her, the bright sphere of light blinding before the arch-fiend. Staggering back from the bright flash, the arch-fiend gazed at the little girl with a shocked expression. Levitating before the little girl was a beautiful crystal ball. Its shape resembled that to a water droplet, while still possessing its same spherical essence. A gentle light flickered inside that seemed to ripple like water. Levitating between her palms, it nether touched neither the ground nor her hands. Waves of light like auroras cascaded off the jewel, as if magic was overflowing from the marvelous object. All the while, Mirei held her ground, her eyes fixated forward, unafraid. "Leave... him... ALONE!" Mirei cried out, the gem glowing with her words. "Undea!" At her command, the sound of rushing water appeared in the chamber. Out of thin air, water began to condense and levitate through the air. Drawing on the water vapor from the cavern around her, streams of water gathered before Mirei. The streams of water danced in the air, and then merged together into a single shape. They constructed the shape of a strange looking seahorse. The 'seahorse' was made completely out of water; its body simply levitating liquid that was no higher than Mirei. Two spheres of water floated alongside it that glimmered like sapphire, much like the shape of its eyes that blinked into existence when it formed. Its body trailed off to a watery tail below, followed by wings made out of ice behind its back. The water creature made a small gurgle as it faced the arch-fiend. The red demon gave a scowl at the creature and little girl before him. "Cute trick," he sneered, "but I am not impressed! Come here!" He raised his claws and this time ran at her in a full sprint. "Cascade!" Mirei cried out. Answering her command, the light of the watery creature's eyes brightened. At that moment, the seahorse's body vibrated with trembling water. From the three levitating bodies of water, they all released an unexpected amount of water the size of a waterfall. Unable to react in time, the blast slammed right into the arch-fiend. The sting of freezing ice within the downpour surprised him, causing him to be sent flying backwards. The torrent of water sent him crashing into the opposite wall, and tumbling to the floor. With the demon out of her way, Mirei quickly ran to where Behemel lay and the watery creature followed her loyally. The little girl quickly fell to her knees before Behemel, now face down on the cold stone floor. "Undea, please!" she pleaded to the flying seahorse creature. The Nymph's Tear jewel levitated right beside her. "Heal him! Quickly!" With a squishy gurgle, the watery creature levitated over Behemel. The water of the seahorse began to drip in a gentle spray across the large were-lion's prone form. After fully coating him in its mist, the watery substance gave off a light glow, and faded away just as quickly. Strength came back to Behemel as he swiftly blinked his eyes open. His mind reeled at the sensation of his body. The pain had vanished completely, and his limbs felt movable again. Testing his theory, he slowly lifted his arms, and pushed himself off the shattered floor. Kneeling up weakly, he tilted his gaze to Mirei and the floating water creature beside her. "Mirei.. " he breathed in bewilderment, "... You're a Spirit Tamer?" Mirei only replied with a flash of her innocent smile and a soft chuckle. The roar of the arch-fiend interrupted the moment between the two and Mirei rose up to her feet. "AUGH!!" the red monster growled, his eyes now wide with malice. "No spirit will protect you!" He lunged from his spot across the room and pounced towards where Mirei and Behemel were. "Undea!" Mirei commanded. Answering her, the seahorse water spirit slipped between the demon's and his target. From the two globes of water it carried, whips of water lashed out towards the monster. The arch-fiend stopped as the whips lashed at its arms and body, but it did no more than to sting the monster. Still, the water spirit continued its assault, succeeding to divert the monster's charge. From where she stood, Mirei brought the Nymph's Tear jewel before her. With her eyes on her trusted spirit, she raised her Spirit Arm with a confident smirk on her face. "This is for scaring me half to death!" she scolded. As she raised her jewel above her head, the light inside the Nymph's Tear converged to form a blue runic symbol. "Chains of Ice!" The jewel gave a pulse of its light as the symbol vanished from it. The same symbol then appeared overhead of the water spirit. From where it levitated, small crystals of ice sprouted from the ground and trailed towards the arch-fiend. Upon reaching its feet, the crystals of ice grew dramatically. In the blink of an eye, large stalagmites of ice erupted from the ground and succeeded to pin the demons limbs and body in place. He growled in annoyance as the crystals' chill pressed against his skin. Running up to join her spirit, Mirei raised the Nymph's Tear once again. With an elegant spin for flare, she brought her hands up once more and a magic symbol appeared inside the jewel. "And now, Ice Storm!" The magic symbol flashed above Undea. With Mirei's command, the seahorse gave a gurgled chirp as it raised its mouth-less face towards the monster. Shards of ice suddenly shot out from its face, slicing through the air like knives. The red monster roared in pain as the shards of ice pelted against his hide. The shards dug into his wings and chest, irritating him further. "ENOUGH!!" the demon roared. At that instant, his large chest and arms flexed and muscles bulged. The ice that had pinned him in place suddenly shattered under the physical stress. The ice showered across the chamber, startling Mirei as he broke free. Taking advantage of her fright, the arch-fiend lunged towards the water spirit Undea and grasped it in its large claws. Its grip nearly eclipsed the creature as its head squirmed in the vice. The arch-fiend gave a loud roar and from its maw, flames spewed out onto his grasp. Undea squealed as the flames licked at its body. In a matter of seconds, the flames vaporized the water spirit, leaving nothing but steam. "Undea! No!" Mirei cried as she saw her water spirit vanish before her eyes. No longer breathing flames, the arch-fiend drew heavy pants of anger as it rose to its feet. He marched angrily towards Mirei, causing her to back away in fright. "You ... little... bitch...." he breathed, his tone no longer showing any enjoyment. "To think someone like you possesses a Spirit Arm." Mirei continued to back away to the crater in the room, fright now clear on her face. The arch-fiend licked his lips as he saw the girl's true fear come out. "I'm going to enjoy plucking it from your remains!" At that moment, something caught the demon's attention. As Mirei backed towards the crater, the demon's eyes went wide with shock. Behemel was gone. The crater where his mangled body lied was now empty. He also noticed the lions scythe was missing as well. "Wh-Where did--!" "Looking for someone?" a voice growled. From behind the arch-fiend, the black were-lion in white robes lunged high into the air. With the Chronos fully restored, he brought it over head and delivered a mighty slash to the monster's exposed back. A painful shrieked spilled from the monster as Behemel sliced into its back. The blow left a large gaping wound from the demons shoulder to his hip. Saliva foamed at his maw, indicating his mind going into clear primordial fury. He fell to his knees, weakened by the sneak attack. Fully recovered, Behemel raised his scythe towards the arch-fiend. "Is this how the demons of Pandemonium fight now? They resort to picking on little girls?" Behemel sneered, glaring at the arch-fiend sternly. "And you thought I was the pathetic one." Snorts and growls came freely from the monster, his sounds no longer intelligible. Ignoring it, Behemel cast his gaze to Mirei. "Mirei, don't move," he spoke calmly. Complying with his request, the little girl remained where she was. A deep roar filled the chamber as the arch-fiend sprinted off the floor and charged at its prey. However, Behemel remained still and anticipated the demon's reckless charge. Right as the demon was about to grab him, Behemel leapt out of his grasp and flew out of reach. As the arch-fiend was about to pursue, Behemel raised his scythe high. From it, the amber gem embedded upon the weapon began to glow brightly. "This ends now, monster..." Behemel growled, landing a few yards away. "Be gone-- for eternity!" With his shout, the black lion warrior brought the staff of his scythe down hard against the ground. "Devils' Nightmare!" The chime of metal never came as the light and color around the chamber suddenly changed. Sound no longer existed, as the dull dark setting became grey and bright, the colors becoming inverted. The sudden change in surroundings was enough to snap the arch-fiend out of his fit of rage. Stopping in his tracks, he noticed a strange slowness in his reflexes. The simple movements of his body began to crawl unusually slow. The only normality to his surroundings was Behemel before him. He stood with his scythe in hand, unmoving before the arch-fiend. Unlike the surroundings, his position and color was the same as it had been before. "What... What have you... done?" The demon attempted to run towards Behemel. However, the more he attempted to move, the more he felt the very air constrict against him. His movements were sluggish. What effort it took him to lift a single foot; it took over three minutes to simply take that step. The words he spoke too began to slur as if in a prolonged echo through the air. Behemel however still remained unaffected. "This is the power of the Spirit Arm, Chronos. Though alone it commands the forces of both wind and metal, its true power goes beyond that." Behemel's words were clear and crisp, making clear sense to the arch-fiend. "This is how I escaped Pandemonium." Behemel's yellow eyes gleamed. "The power of Chronos... allows the wilder to control the very flow of time." he growled, his voice restraining his hatred towards the arch-fiend. "What will only be a mere fraction of a second, you will suffer for what feels like an eternity by my hands." The growls of the monster crawled through the air as its body no longer moved. Its limbs were immobilized as if he were a statue. "None escapes the judgment of time," Behemel growled, and raised his white scythe up. The space before Behemel blinked and before the arch-fiend knew it, he was gone. At that moment, a metal clang chimed through the air. A sudden pain streaked across his arm, following the sound. Only his eyes could dart to his wound, his head and neck immobilized by the mysterious magic. A streak of light like that of a blade pierced the monster's arm. The chime of metal was subtle as the first blow was delivered. Suddenly, another streak of light penetrated his other arm. Unable to voice his pain, the monster could only feel the agonizing sensation of the piercing blows upon his body. In a matter of seconds, several streaks of light made their way through the monster's body, passing through him like a whicker doll. The slices moved as fast as light, its streak remaining through the space it traveled. Strike after strike came within milliseconds of each other, becoming a web of light with the demon trapped in the middle. Time between each attack seemed to blur, unable to tell whether it was fast or slow. Space and time seemed to blur to his mind. With what shred of awareness the arch-fiend had left, he saw Behemel's shadow coming down upon him with his scythe raised. It's slash blocked off his sight, it being the last thing he'd seen. *** Mirei blinked for a brief moment, and found the arch-fiend standing in front of her. Something was wrong to her. What was strange to her was that the arch-fiend did not move. It stood silent as a statue. Allowing her eyes to adjust, Mirei peered at the monster closely. She gasped to see the monster was now completely petrified. Its once red skin had become ash-gray. Its face was frozen in an expression of agony. Both tail and wings remained motionless, as if the once powerful and ferocious demon had been turned to stone. "Wh... What happened..." she breathed, a chill running through her small frame. At that moment, she felt a large hand rest on her shoulder. "Aaaugh!" she shrieked and turned around. Standing beside her was Behemel, his Spirit Arm withdrawn. Her mind reeled, realizing he wasn't there a moment ago. "It's okay-It's okay!" he said, kneeling down to calm her. "It's over." "Huh? What?" Mirei stuttered in confusion, unsure how the fight ended so quickly without her notice. She looked to the monster, then back to Behemel. "What... did you do? How did you do that?" Behemel sighed, realizing the girl was way too sharp to know what he did was out of the ordinary. "Do not worry yourself, child. What matters now is that you are safe. He won't be hurting anyone again" At that moment, the arch-fiend's body suddenly gave a creak. Mirei jumped as she saw its body lurch forward from its position. Its arm suddenly fell off, collapsing to the ground. Following it, the entire gray colored body dissolved instantly, falling to the ground in a gush of ash and sand. Ashes to ashes, as humans say. Behemel thought as he kept a hold of Mirei's shoulder. A sense of relief warmed his chest as he held on to her. A sensation he had not felt in a very long time. *** Having left the shattered remains of the arch-fiend behind them, Behemel decided to accompany Mirei all the way to the dungeon's shrine. Oddly enough, though Mirei was still more noticeably cheerful, he found himself more talkative than he had been with her before. "Why didn't you tell me you were a Spirit Tamer?" Behemel asked Mirei, who walked by his side with a smile on her face. "Well, you never asked," she replied in her upbeat tone, smirking mischievously. Playing along with her attitude, he smirked mischievously in return. "And your Spirit Arm then? You neglected to tell me that you also had one." "Would it have mattered?" Behemel shrugged. "Yes, it would. Nothing bad though," he replied, trying to keep the conversation present. Mirei pondered his words for a bit. For the first time, Behemel saw hesitation in the young girl. "I don't tell people about the Nymph's Tear. Many people would try to steal it if they knew I had one," she answered. With a growl, Behemel nodded in agreement. "That is understandable," he replied, "There are people who would go such lengths to gain the power of a Spirit Arm." The two walked silently for a moment. All the while, Mirei had a sad look in her eyes, reflecting on something in her mind. Behemel didn't ask why, leaving her to think things out as she should. "The Nymph's Tear was all I had. It was my only possession..." Mirei spoke up timidly. The black were-lion looked to Mirei in question. "What do you mean?" he asked. "I was alone for as long as I could remember. I don't have any memory of my parents or anyone. Maybe I didn't have any to begin with..." Her tone was sad. Holding out her hands, she conjured her Spirit Arm, and the large teardrop-shaped jewel appeared in her small hands. "This Spirit Arm is the only thing I have that belonged to me at that time..." So, that Spirit Arm is her only clue to her origin... Behemel thought, trying to understand what the young girl was saying. At that moment, Mirei turned and put on a smile again. "Thanks to the Nymph's Tear, I am able to meet many friends," she said cheerfully. Going along with her changes in mood, Behemel just kept paying attention. "Friends? You mean... your spirit?" "Yep!" she chirped, and the magical jewel vanished again before her. "Back then, the spirits took care of me. They kept me company and played with me when I was lonely. I didn't even know they were spirits or what a spirit was back then." "So... you learned to summon spirits and use magic from the Spirit Arm you had?" Behemel asked. "Mhmm," Mirei hummed, "I learned some better spells from other Spirit Tamers who passed by, but I don't know them all." Behemel took the time to analyze Mirei's story, finally understanding more about the mysterious young girl. So, she learned magic as a Spirit Tamer through her Spirit Arm, which also works as an amplifier for her magic, he thought as he watched Mirei calmly. Still... to be so fluent with spirits at such a young age is exceptionally rare. I will need to keep this in mind. Before long, the two approached a lone door at the end of the long hallway. Stepping forward, Behemel opened the door and Mirei peeked in from under his arm. Inside was the shrine. This one however was already aglow with holy light from above the chamber's well. The statue was that of a large bear standing on its haunches. Tattoos marked its face and down its body, its maw open wide in a roar. "I see," Behemel stated as he observed the holy statue. "The arch-demon must have come here to corrupt this castle for his own uses." Behemel and Mirei entered the room and stood before the large bear statue. The warm glow of the statue brushed gently against them, its aura calming. Behemel gave a bow before the statue in respect to the god it identified with. The eyes of the statue slowly glowed with life, and out of nowhere, the sound of a bear's growl echoed through the chamber. A soft glow of light appeared at the base of the statue, catching their attention. At their feet was a chest-- a reward from the shrine for paying their respects. With a happy cheer, Mirei jumped and knelt to the chest. She opened it with the enthusiasm of a child on their birthday. Inside she found a large crystal stone the shape of an obelisk, some gold coins, and a jade figurine of a creature that appeared to be constructed of many rocks. "Yay! Treasure!.. And a totem of summoning for me!" She picked up the figurine and hugged it close to her chest. She jumped to her feet and looked to Behemel, who looked down at her from his towering posture. "Can I have this? Please? I want this so badly," she pleaded jubilantly. Hidden under the cover of his hood, he unintentionally smiled to see the joy on the young child's face. "It's yours. Take it," he replied. Mirei gave a bow of her head to Behemel in thanks. "Thank you! Thank you, Behe!" she chirped jubilantly. "With this new figurine, I can summon a new spirit! I can't wait to meet him!" Behemel cringed at the mention of Mirei's pet name for himself again. "Mirei... please, I ask you not to call me ...'Behe'. Just, Behemel," he said. "Aww..." She said with disappointment. "I liked that name. It's cute. " "Well," Behemel said as he knelt down again before the little girl. "If we are going to stay together, we got to learn to get along. Don't we?" Mirei at that moment looked surprised. With a paw on his knee, Behemel looked at Mirei calmly. Her expression became hesitant once again, as if unsure. "But... I thought you said I was useless...?" she squeaked, and a small tear could be seen swelling in her eye. Behemel shook his head in regret. "Words said in anger, but feelings well placed. I was angry because you weren't being truthful to me," he explained. With his free paw, he raised it to her face. Using the soft pad of his paw, he wiped her tear away. The sensation on her skin was almost enough to tickle her. "If you really meant what you said about wanting to be my partner, you are going to need to trust me. I need you to be honest with me, to trust me with your secrets. What you share with me will be held in confidence. Do this and I promise I will have no complaints. I would be happy to have you around." He then placed his black paw on her head and gentle petted her head lovingly. "Do not worry, little girl who plays with spirits. You won't be alone from now on. Okay?" Behemel said, his eyes showing compassion to her. For the longest time, in what little time Behemel knew Mirei, she didn't speak. She looked to Behemel in wonder. Mirei began to feel comfortable, unsure whether it was cause of the shrine's magic, or the warm paw on top of her head. Mirei's face melted into a smile. Not like the ones she would flash on the drop of a dime. Her smile was not forced, or over-jubilant as the ones she had before. It was gentle, and sincere with her own feelings. Lifting her own hand to her chest, she could feel her heart becoming pleasantly warmer. "Thank you... Behemel" she replied softly.
End to story one! More to come later!