Chapter 14

Arestasia's team had reached the edge of Drowi's area. The area looked exactly like how Abe explained it: The purple trees were distorted, limbs bent and twisted in an unorthodox fashion. The orange grass had random overgrown patches.  

"Looks like this is it." Arestasia stated. 

"Remember, as soon as you step onto that orange grass, get ready for Drowi's appearance." Abe warned. 

"Understood. Let's go boys." 

Arestasia's team walked onto the orange grass. The grass easily crunched into the ground, releasing the sound of shattering glass with each step. Abe reluctantly followed after them. Distorted moans echoed around. Yellow birds flew out of the trees, screaming like terrified little children. The screams sent chills down everyone's spine.  

"Oh my my! What have we here?" a creepy high pitched voice said. 

Everyone suddenly stopped in their tracks. 

"Yes...Such a beautiful sound. The beating sounds so very healthy. Oh how wonderful they must look!" 

Arestasia drew her sword, Lupin drew two of his blades, and Dawnni drew his shield. 

"I must have them. Give them to me. I want to feel the warm blood running through my fingers as hold them." 

Drowi suddenly dropped from the tree branches and landed in front of the team. He lifted one of his bleeding swords to his face. 

"You see...my poor blades are in the mood for some new blood. Actually, I think I agree with them." 

He slowly ran his tongue along the blade, licking up the blood. 

"I'm in the mood for new blood as well." 

"What a freak!" Arestasia exclaimed. 

Drowi quickly glared at Arestasia with his soulless white eyes.  

"Come closer girl..." 

"Hell no!" 

Arestasia slowly walked towards Drowi. 

"What the hell? I...I can't stop!" 

"Yes darling...your heart will be the first in a while to enter my collection..." 

Arestasia had reached Drowi and he raised his sword to level her chest. He slowly ran his dirty hand through her blonde hair. 

"Such a beautiful specimen..." 

Arestasia cringed. Lupin swiftly dashed towards Drowi and slashed at him diagonally towards the neck but Drowi deflected it with his other sword. He then swiftly sheathed it and grabbed Lupin by the neck. He eerily smiled at him. 

"Such haste, little boy...I'll have your heart soon enough..."

Drowi threw Lupin with great force, causing him to crash into a nearby tree. Drowi fixed his dead gaze back towards Arestasia.  

"Now...What does your heart look li-" 

Suddenly there was a white flash that made Drowi fly backward and crash into a tree. Arestasia regained control of her body. Lupin slowly got up. 

"The evil energy...it's so strong here. I can feel it...dead bodies...everywhere..." Dawnni said as he had his hand out directed towards Drowi. 

"Dawn, are you okay?" Arestasia asked. 

Dawnni's eye were wide open as he looked at the neon ground. 

"I can hear the souls..." 

Drowi quickly got up. He no longer seemed happy. 

"You kids annoy me now! You, with the white hair! You'll be my first victim!" He yelled while pointing his finger at Dawnni.

"They plead...they cry...they're trapped here..." 

Dawnni's eyes began to fill with tears. 

"Are you even listening to me!?" Drowi yelled.

"The people...the elderly...even children...babies..." 

Drowi ran towards Dawnni, unsheathing both swords. Lupin and Arestasia jumped in front of the petrified Dawnni and dashed towards Drowi. 

"Out of my way!" 

Arestasia and Lupin suddenly was blown away by his words and fell to the ground. 

"Dawnni! Look out!" Lupin yelled. 

"How could you?!" Dawnni yelled as he quickly glared at Drowi. 

His words stopped him in his tracks. Drowi suddenly began laughing horrifically. 

"How? It's so easy little boy! It's not like they could defend themselves anyway! Oh what fun it was back then! The screams of the little children as I slowly dissected them of their small beautiful hearts!" 

Dawnni stared at Drowi in disbelief. 

"The old people's hearts weren't as fun, sadly. Their hearts seemed as if they were going to burst into dust any minute. But the screams were still music to my ears! I then gave their bodies to my master. If your like that one warrior, you just might meet him." Drowi explained with a giant grin, bearing his sharp teeth. 

Drowi suddenly stood back in shock. Dawnni was emanating a white aura. His eye's flared with anger.

"After I kill you...your master will be obliterated!" Dawnni yelled. 

Dawnni swiftly ran towards Drowi and punched him in the stomach causing him to hunch over. Dawnni then thrust his knee upward, striking him in the head. Dawnni lunged his left palm and struck Drowi in the chest. 

"Repent!" 

A white beam blasted out of Dawnni's palm and blasted Drowi backward, making him fall to the ground.

"That's it boy! I like it!" 

Drowi quickly got up and dashed towards Dawnni. Dawnni cast his weapon transmutation spell and received a katana. Drowi slashed at Dawnni repeatedly, but Dawnni deflected each swing with his shield and katana. Dawnni the kicked upward, striking Drowi in the chin. He then thrust his sword into his body.

"Cast away!"

The katana blasted forward, carrying Drowi with and threw him into a tree. 

"I'll save my power for Noirim..." 

Arestasia ran towards Drowi, changing her sword to its whip form. 

"You monster!" 

She swung her sword at Drowi, slicing at his face repeatedly. She did another swing. The sword then wrapped around his neck and continued to wrap around his body and legs. Lupin sheathed one of his blades and ran towards Drowi. 

"You sick and twisted freak!" 

His blade glowed a bright blue and extended. 

"Fall beneath my blade!" 

Lupin sliced horizontally, releasing a giant wave of blue energy. Rosette swiftly released Drowi and he was struck by the blast. The trees behind him were leveled. There was a deep siline before Drowi spoke. 

"Well done..." Drowi said calmly. 

His smile slowly grew. 

"You've managed to kill me before even getting severely hurt. But no matter...If I can't kill you...my master will." 

Drowi's eyes suddenly grew terrifyingly wide as they fixed their gaze towards Dawnni. 

"And he will resurrect me just like last time! And I will have your heart soon enough!" 

Drowi laughed maniacally before his body slowly fell into pieces. Arestasia, Lupin, and Dawnni joined back together. 

"You killed Drowi!" Abe exclaimed. 

"But this is the final test; now I must create some distance between us. May Respaltia bless you all!" 

Abe ran off into the trees. The grass and trees began changing back to their original color.  

"That was really creepy..." Arestasia said softly. 

"At least it's partially over now." Lupin replied. 

"Yeah, partially..." Dawnni added, still shaken up by his encounter with the innocent souls. 

Suddenly a loud boom was heard deep into the woods. 

"What was that?" Arestasia exclaimed. 

Suddenly the trees and the grass began to die. The leaves were disintegrating. The tree's slumped over. Everything that was green turned into a dead gray. The wildlife suddenly fell over and began to rot. Fungi began growing everywhere. A foul stench rose into the air. The smell of rotting flesh filled the team's nostrils. They all gauged at the scent. 

"What the hell is going on?" Lupin yelled. 

A deep maniacal laugh echoed throughout the woods. 

"More bodies to add to my collection..." a deep demonic voice said.

Reviews

[Zach Ross]

Love it