Chapter 4

The Tainted attack's our heros

Darkness surrounded her "What's going on?" Her thoughts echoed though the blackness that surrounded her. "Mariah!" a voice called to her it wasn't hers. It was distant and sounded familiar. The voice was only recently familiar however. "This is the end!" echoed though her mind. She didn't know where this was comming from suddenly a bright light Pirced through the darkness. Mariah could see the night sky. So many stars were in the sky. A shadow loomed over her as a demonic howl echoed through her ears. The shadow vanished in a flash. The same familiar voice screamed in anger and rage. Light was flashing just out of her field of vision. She laid there trying to make sence of what was going on. She felt as if something really bad had just happened but she was saved. Intense heat hit her body. People with not so familiar voices were shouting. "what was going on!" she demanded in her head "I know I know what's going on but why don't I know! I'm so confused!"

"Mariah!" the familiar voice was gentle now and soft "Your alive!" Mariah strained to look at the dark figure that blocked the light "rest... the fight is over. You've surprised me." 

"I found one left over! You can't hide from a Demon hunter little b***h!"

"No! Stop I didn't do anything! I Don't want any part of them!" A femal voice screamed in distress. followed by a loud audible slap.

"Shut up tainted nobody cares! Your a monster and you will be killed like the rest!"

The figure that was over her seemed to look away and quickly launched over her towards something that was going on. some sort of commotion. "why won't my body turn!" she thought demanding herself to turn on her side at least to see what was going on.

"Stop it! She's refuses to follow in their footsteps! she Denies the demon king isn't that enough!"

"Tainted are tainted and will all bow to their inner demon's will!"

"I said STOP!"

The word "stop" echoed through her head as her eyes snapped open. For some reason she was breathing heavy. Sun light shined through the window of her room causing her to squint as she regained her sense of where she was. "Right I'm in my room at the Inn. I need to talk to Eric and punnish him for yesterday!" she nodded clenching her fist with determination "What had just happened was just a dream. A nightmare caused by what I saw yesterday. She nodded and rolled out of bed. She reequipped her gear and went down stairs.

After turnning the corner she saw a large stack of dishes being pushed into the back on a cart. "Oh good morning! Your Samantha right? Your trainer just left he said something about hitting the town to inquire about the attacks. He told me to tell you to enjoy your breakfast and Meet him back here at lunch. He's really a smooth talker, Hopefully he hasn't fooled you with his silver tounge." She finished speaking with a small blush. Mariah didn't know why but it angered her slightly.

"Don't worry thats the only reason why I'm still traveling right now is because he can't get to me with his perverted silver tounge. Can I get a couple of poached eggs and ham?" The waitress nodded "comming right up!"

Mariah enjoyed her meal. it was the first meal in the past several days that she actually got to enjoy with no interuptions. Upon finishing she told the waitress that she was going to go out into the town looking for Eric. she however used the alias he picked. With that she went outside and looked around. The area was beautiful. She was afraid to go to the allyway that they had visited the night before. She assumed the scene looked much worse during the day then it did at night so instead she wen tthe other way looking around at the diffrent people and into diffrent shops. 

"Psst hey you new girl in town" A man's voice called from an allyway next to her "I heard you were looking for information on the attacks I have some information come back here and I'll tell ya." Mariah sized the guy up. He didn't look really strong and it was the middle of the day she figured worse that would happen is he gives her information that contradicts what Eric gathered. At least she would of been helping. She followed the man into the allyway she heard the sound of somebody landing behind her blocking her exit as soon as she realized there was four other men infront of her in a cut out of the allyway, the size of a typical bedroom. The man behind her grabbed her arms holding them back. She stuggled a little but his lock was tight. The man that lured her back smirked an evil grin at her "You see these attacks are done by the tainted. I've seen them with my own two eyes. I even know where they hide out at and how to get in." The man turned to face her and walked up to Mariah "But to find out that infomation you're going to have to pay" He started to reach out towards her breast.

Anger flashed through her eyes "Your in for it now! YOU SCUM!" Mariah yelled. She stomped on the guy who was holding her pinned's foot he gritted and tightened his grip. "Thats it!" Ice formed in her hands it started as a staff that uppercutted the guys chin, this caused him to let go. She twirlled the staff knocking the small guys hand away and spinning to catch a glimps of a large heavy set man that had grabbed her. "You disgusting pigs! you will pay for touching my you filthy scum!" as she twirled the staff around some more the other four men charged. She slammed the staff down in her free hand as the end turned into a large mallet. She spun around then with one swing hit the four mid sized men that was charging her as hard as she could sending them out of the allyway across the street into the next where she heard them crash into something. She spun around again and uppercutted with the mallet, the man who lured her into this situation and attempted grabbing her breast sending him flying up into the air "your turn porky" She growled and lunged before the man could recover from shock she hit the man sending him the way she had just came tumbling out of the allyway and into the building across the street. The man she had uppercutted came down from his high altitude flight landing in a pile of trash which broke his fall and prevented any death. she walked over and grabbed the guy by the caller "Now tell me or else!"

Eric had finished interviewing the local theives guild about the secrets of this town. A theives guild is established in each town only the in crowd know where or how to get in. He had to use his actual name to actually get the information which Eric didn't like. Word of him amongst the the theives has spread across the land. His infamy came from when he stole his equipment back from the royal castle dungon and released several prisioners while he was down there. He talked to the people in the guild finding out several important things about the attack as well as rumors for his main quest. He was digesting the information he gathered as he walked down the street on the side walk his mind was far enough in the world to avoid people and obsticles, however any other function aside from walking was out the window. He stopped just before an alleyway. Something in the back of his mind screamed "stop!" so he listened had he taken another step forward he would be of been flying with the large heavy set man that came flying out of the alleyway. This abnormality brought him out of his thought. He looked into the alleyway and saw the head of an ice mallet. He knew Mariah was around the corner and was handling her own business. Eric sighed and turned down the alleyway "Gotta make sure the princess isn't hurt that is all I'm doing" he told himself and walked over so he can watch what she was doing and leaned against the wall with his hands still in his pockets.

Mariah shook the dazed man "If you don't tell me I'm going to kill your pervertedness and hang your body by the balls!" The man looked up at her dazed.

"You win please don't hurt me! I've seen how they get in and out and where with my own eyes. Behind the Mayor's mansion, there is a fountain. On top of the fountain where the water comes out there is a hidden button. If you hit that button a passage will open. If you follow that passage it will lead you to a city like this one underground. Th...thats all I know! Please dont hurt me! y..Your like a demon!"

Eric whistled behind her "And here I thought I was the demon." He said with a smile then cocked his head to the side in time to dodge an ice spear shattering against the wall where his head was.

"Wh, What are you doing there!" Mariah said completly shocked as her attention went to Eric. "When did you get there!" she demanded. The man she was holding punched Mariah in the face catching her off guard and sending her back onto her butt. the man got up and started running. Eric seemed to teleport infront of the guy as he moved quickly drawing his gunblade and holding it to the man's throat infront of him glaring into the man's shocked and scared eyes. Mariah couldn't place it but something seemed diffrent about his stare, posture and she could sense the tension he was iminating was great.

"Now, Now is that anyway to treat a woman." Eric said his voice seemed diffrent as well devoid of any happiness and excitement that he normally had "I'll show you who they call the demon if you don't  appologize right now to her for anything that you might of done to wrong her, especially what I saw." he demanded. This shocked Mariah

"E..Eri..." Mariah stammered in shock but was interupted by the man's sudden loud speech that was filled with fear as he turned his back to Eric to face Mariah. "I..I'm sorry for luring you back here with intentions on rapeing you, for calling you a demon, and for hitting you. I also appologize for anything I may or may have not of done that you deem my fault." There seemed to be a large wet spot in his groin area that stuck out like a sore thumb. Eric let out a growl and kicked him in the back of the knees forcing him down to his knees. "now grovel and call her Princess and your mistress, and submit yourself to her every whim while we are here and vow never to do anything of the sort to any other woman. So help me if you break any of these vows you will see the wrath of the demon!"

The man put his hands on the ground infront of him Eric adjusting his gunblade so the point is pointing at the back of the man's neck. "Eric that's enough!" Mariah exclaimed pushing her shock and fear of his sudden attitude change. It was fearsome and she could feel herself shivering slightly in fear from his aura and agressiveness. 

The man screamed a couple tears running down his cheeks "I'm sorry princess! Your my mistress, I will do anything you wish of me during your stay here! I'll never rape a woman or attempt to again, I'll change my ways please don't allow this monster to hurt me!"

Eric sighed closing his eyes. He resheathed his gunblade "such a pain... now she's going to punish me real good once your annoyance is gone" Eric said, the tone of his voice changed again having returned to normal. He opened his eyes and they seem to have more light to them then a couple seconds ago before he closed them. He kicked the man's but causing him to fall over "Now meet us here tonight, just after nightfall. Oh! and don't mention our identities to anybody or else it's your head." He threatened "Now, get out of here before you piss me off again." The man scrambled to his feet and ran down the alley that he had lured Mariah down to get away and away from Eric.

"What the f**k was that!" Mariah yelled at Eric who leaned against the nearest wall putting his hands in his pockets. Upon her cursing he held up a finger and shook it side to side 

"tsk tsk tsk, that language isn't very lady like more over royalty like."

"I don't f*****g care right now! What the f**k is wrong with you?" Mariah was livid at the way he had changed and how he treated the man, It was true he was scum but the violence he had shown, and the amount of degrading he did to the man. It disgusted her and made her really mad. She clenched the mallet into both hands tightly. She was resisting the urge to slam it into him out of anger. "You're aweful and really are a demon! You are a monster and are the worst! I don't want to ever talk to you or see you again!"

Eric just stood there listening to her. "Forgive me Mariah. certain things just piss me off to no end and something dark and violent deep inside of me errupts to the surface. I can't controll it when it comes to those who make me that pissed off. It gets worse and more violent the more pissed I get. It is the reason why they nicknamed me the demon and why I'm still a live. It is a part of me." Eric explained he notice a tear roll down Mariah's cheek as she ran past him. "goodbye." he whispered. Once she was gone he pushed himself off the wall removing his hands from his pocket and clinching his fists he spun around punching the wall full force. The punch created a small creator in the wall with cracks sprawling in all direction from it "D****t!" Eric yelled. 

He was use to people being afraid of his dark side and running away from him except for his squad in the Guardian Force. However, for some reason Mariah running away hurt more then ever. "This is why I travel a lone." Eric said as a couple tears rolled down his cheeks and falling off. He finally removed his fist and wiped the tears taking in a deep breath. "I dont need her. I'm going to kill all the tainted then move on to get all the gems. I don't need her to follow me!" Eric then turned and walked out the alleyway the other direction and started walking back to the theives guild to drink a bit and formulate a plan.

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Night had fallen Eric had gathered a little more information and formulated a plan on getting in to the Tainted's undground society. He knew the secret of several high authority figures in the city and was ready to put an end to the attacks, even if it meant he wasn't going to get the reward. "It's my duty to serve and protect the people of my old kingdom even if they are under a new rule." He thought to himself as he walked down the dark street. He was on his way back to the alleyway to speak with the thug he had scared earlier that day. 

He turned into the alleyway and walked to the cut out to see the man standing in the middle of it trembling and looking around really jumpy. The man almost jumped out of his skin when Eric made his presence known. "Yo scumbag!"

"I...Is it just you?" the man asked fear riddling his entire body

"It is, Princess doesn't want any part in it any more, but your vows are still valid and your under me now. So you are going to have redemption by helping me stop the attacks that are plagueing the city."

"Th..Thats impossible these things are scarier than you! I wont! I refuse!"

"No you will or you will die! You see, All I need is for you to open the door, I will handle the rest."

"Th..The door? You mean pushing the button ontop of the fountain?" 

"Yeah" Eric pulled out his gunblade and pointed it at him "got any issues with that?"

"N...N..No I...I'll do it!" he stammered fear getting the man

"Good be waiting by the fountain in two days same time. Make sure the Tainted is gone by before exposing yourself. Now get out of here before you piss your pants ag..." Eric was interupted as he saw a familiar dark orb hit the man. Instantly the man let out a scream of pain just before his body exploding covering Eric in blood and flesh. He felt his heart start to pound faster as his grip tightened. He saw the teenaged girl's figure appear on the roof infront of him her eyes glowing red, she seemed to be holding something in her hand 

"We've been after this rat for some time now, Thank you for keeping him stationary long enough for us to catch him, His heart will be put to good use in our ritual." She seemed to put the item that was in her hand which she assumed was the man's heart in a satchel. before looking at Eric. "Hey now your that guy from last night who we chased from our first gathering point. That protection spell you did burned really badly ya know. I was on the roof when it went up. If i didn't think fast I would of been toast. Hey guys let's enjoy this one!"

As soon as the girl spoke to the others he saw one pair of glowing red eyes appear on top of the roof tops surrounding him and cutting off his escape. It seemed to be the teenage girl, the man with Eric's own body structure, a middle aged woman, and the muscle bound man. "where's the other two?" Eric asked expecting there to be six. the teenage girl laughed 

"Their working on the final touches for our preperations."

"Preperations for your ritual I assume, Only bit of information I haven't gathered is when you guys plan to start the party, and if it is just to weaken the demonking's seal or to summon a demon hord."

The teenage girl put a finger to her chin after jumping off the roof infront of Eric and facing him eye to eye "Well since your not going to be walking away from here a live I'll tell ya. I mean after were done toying with you and having fun with you, were going to turn you into the pile of organs that sit at your feet." She let out a maniacal laugh that sent shiver's down Eric's spine. "as long as we don't damage your heart we've been told were able to dispose of the bodies any way we wish these next few nights. On the third day from now when the moon is full. Oh! The fun we are about to have! Our leader told us to take both you and the Princess who is with you. We almost had you last night then you some how escaped into that Inn. Oh ya by the way I assume since the princess isn't here she is there. Chef I guess will have to spike her food tonight so not many questions are asked." She laughed her maniacle again

"You will not harm her!" Eric snarled he felt his anger boiling and was ready to slaughter the four of them suddenly Mariah's words echoed through his head which caused him to lose focus on the fight and distracted him from his anger. "You really are a demon! Your a monster. I never want to see or speak to you again!" Pain suddenly went into his right shoulder snapping him back to reality as he flew through the air and hit the wall behind him. The girl was pointing at him he looked to the source of the pain to see a spear made of dark energy pinning him to the wall. The two on the sides of the alleyway cut out jumped off the roof to land beside the girl leaving the muscle guy above him still "S**t! this isn't good. I may be a monster but I'll be damned if I let them hurt the princess" he mumbled to himself.

The girl laughed "The mumblings of a man who realizes his death is near!" another spear formed over the girls shoulder then launched forward pinning itself into his other shoulder and him to the wall with a burst of pain ripping from his shoulder through his body. Eric gritted his teeth and his grip on the gunblade before lifting it up and point it at the girl. "Shut up and die!" he yelled before pulling the trigger.

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Mariah had stormed into the Inn earlier that day the images of what Eric had done running through her head over and over again. How dare he interupt like that. That idiot blew our cover, to a weasle of a thug of all people, and the atmosphere he had. It was horrifying, It he seemed to not care about human life at that point. Then he degraded that sleeze ball even more then he deserved. I had the information and was going to let him go. She had rubbed her cheek where the man had hit her. He didn't flip till he saw me get hurt, and got worse when he heard about the attempted rape. Maybe I over reacted.

She thought about the fact of her over reacting all day and grew to wanting to appologize. She sat infront of his room waiting for him to return as she continued to punish herself for being so harsh on him. She knew she was in the wrong on this, He was doing what any man would of done and even more so him having been a knight before. Maybe he felt obligation to protect me to some degree. A couple tears ran down her cheeks as she reminisced of their short time together. She realized she actually enjoyed that short time they were together. Unlike the other knights she encountered, retired or active they all seemed rigid and stiff around her. Him however, he was relaxed and didn't pressure her to do things in the name of her safety. "I still hate him calling me 'Princess'!" she said as more tears ran down her cheeks.

She realized it was late and stood up "I'll watch for him while I eat." she said figureing he would return for the night soon being that it was getting dark outside. She walked down the stairs having wiped her tears away and regaining her composure she walked to the waitress and ordered her food then sat at the table they both sat at the first night positioned where he was so she could stare at the door waiting for him. The waitress brought her a drink in which she sipped on while waiting for the food and Eric.

After several minutes her food was placed infront of her. Mariah thanked the waitress and went into her own world sipping on her drink. "Where is he!" she thought "It's getting late, if he doesn't hurry he'll be attacked by those things again." Absent mindedly she cut a peice of the meat off her plate and was just putting it to her lips when she heard a man scream. Her eyes widened as a feeling of dread, pain, and fear washed over her. "It can't be him!" She dropped the food back to the plate standing up and pulling off her bow. While holding it in her hand she yelled over her shoulder. "I'm going to investigate, I'll eat when i get back!" with that she rushed out the door her heart pounding in her throat "please don't be Eric" she prayed. She then picked up her pace upon hearing a gun shot.

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The girl's eyes widened as the bullet hit the wall behind her. The distraction caused her to lose focus on the spears that pinned Eric to the wall they dissapeared and Eric slumped to the ground catching his breath from the pain. The ground shook a little as the muscle bound man landed infront of him "show time" Eric thought as he kicked towards the man. "I'm not going to let them hurt a hair on Mariah's head!" he said allowing the anger to flow back through him. To him it seemed as if the world grew brighter and he could see more in the darkness, He could actually make out a lot of details now, Not that it mattered to him right now. There was four of them and one of him, he felt his strength returning and amplifying. The muscle man went fying back towards the trio, who lept over the flying body as the man hit the wall. Eric slowly stood and cracked his neck. The holes where there spears were moments before were glowing from the gem healing them slowly. "I'm not going to focus on healing till I need to" He thought to himself sending the message to the gem. "I just need enough to use my arms and stop the building." He continued his thought. "Let's do this!" Eric snarled to the four as the muscle bound man pulled himself together.

"So you have fight in you huh. Well then Mr. Lee, Or should I say Mr. Carnhart were going to enjoy this!" Eric launched himself forward towards the group swinging his gunblade in a slash. The three in the front jumped in the air. Balls of dark light flew down towards Eric. For some reason to him they seemed a bit brighter than before. Eric jumped back a step then another and another dodging the balls. After dodging a couple more he turned the blade of his sword clutching the handle with both hands he swung the gunblade like a bat hitting one of the balls of dark energy. The Ball flew up to the man hitting him. He let out a shout of pain as his body tensed dark energy rippled through his body giving off the appearance of electricity crawling around his body, he fell out of the sky into a pile of trash.

While Eric's arms were on the back of his baseball swing the muscle bound guy launched out of the smoke that had filled the air from the energy balls hitting the ground. The man Errupted from the smoke full speed. Eric flipped the blade so the sharp end was pointing towards him however before he could swing the man's shoulder crashed square into his chest sending him back into the wall he was pinned into. As air errupted out of his lungs Eric coughed up some blood from the impact. His body was embedded slightly into the wall keeping him there off his feet. He maintained his grip on the gunblade which was in one hand. The muscle man stood there frozen for a couple moments then he to caughed up blood.

Eric had in a really fast motion that even surprised him dropped the hand that was furthest away and sliced at the man's throat. He wasn't sure if the blade did it's job or not because the impact of the man then the wall rattled his concentration but as his vision blurred he smiled slightly seeing the man coughing up blood just before the spray of blood errupted from his neck. "This isn't good" Eric thought thinking of his vision bluring.  the two women screamed in anger

"You will pay for this! Levi stop slacking and help us give him all we got to make him feel our pain!" the teenage girl "Just don't hit his heart! it will be one of the center hearts being so strong. If we let this go by damaging it then I'm not taking the punnishment!" The sound of rustling came from the pile of trash the guy had landed in. Steam was rising off of him as he rose into the air. his body seemed limp till it got to the same level as the two women. The man straigtnened himself up his eyes seemed to be glowing more intesely before he spoke for the first time.

"I won't hit his heart but I'm going to kill him painfully before you take it Alyssa." the three laughed in unison as balls of dark energy formed in both the man's and middle age woman's hands and  several spears made of dark energy formed over the  teenage girl's shoulders "Die!" all three said at once then launched their attack. The balls of dark energy hit him first he felt dark energy travel through his entire body causing his muscles to tighten. It felt like he was struck by multiple lightning strikes at once. He wanted to scream in pain and he would of had the muscles that controlled his mouth and jaw weren't effected as well and were constricted shut forcing him to grit his teeth. Pain as if being stabbed suddenly hit multiple parts of his body and seemed to continue for longer then it should of as the spears followed striking him vanishing and reapearing behind the teenage girl's shoulder and launched forward.

Blasts of dark energy continued to ripple though his body as his vision of the three continued their Assault on Eric. His vision worsened blurring and started to darken. "This can't be!" he thought to himself "It can't end like this! I haven't gotten very far in my quest to seal the Demonking. What about the people? What about Mariah? I need to protect her. I will protect her!" Were his last thoughts as his body suddenly took over, blood running down his mouth. Through nothing short of pure will and determination he started to peel himself off the wall in an attempt to counter attack.

"Oh no you don't!" The teenager said he felt another spear go into both his shoulders pinning him back into his depression in the wall. More blood errupted from his mouth.

"I...I failed" Eric said quietly through clenched teeth "I'm sorry Mariah."

Mariah's was running as fast as she could. She heard sounds of fighting ahead of her. "I have to get there! I have to stop help him! Don't give up on me Eric! I demand it as your Princess!" to herself as she ran. She turned the corner and was hit by horror and shock worse then what she had earlier that day when Eric went after the thug. She heard laughter of the three voices that was pummeling him with wave after wave of attacks. A tear formed in the corner of her eyes as the shock, fear, and remorse for what she had said earlier flashed into to a deep burning eruption of rage. It was deeper and burned hotter then she had ever felt. "This must be what he felt earlier today." was her last clear thought before her mind went blank and she felt like she was watching her body move and act on it's own, as if somebody else was controlling her body more proficiently then she ever could. Her grip on her bow tightened till her knuckles were bone white. "Eric!" she screamed as the tears that had built in the corner of her eyes rolled down her cheeks as the only tears she had at the moment.

Mariah's reactions were lightning fast and suprised her. She let out a loud and feirce battle cry of Pain from her heart breaking, and shear anger. The area around her the temperature dropped greatly and fast. The cold bursted outwards towards the three in the air. The ground and walls  by her froze solid into a thick cover of ice. Sharp shards of Ice formed around her for the first wave they hovered hesitating for a little. The three stopped their assault long enough to look at her. The teenage girl nodded towards Mariah. The middle aged woman and the man turned their attention to mariah. The man moving quickly around the teenage girl so neither was in the line of fire of each other. The two formed dark energy in their hands like they had been. The teenage girl continued her assault.

The Ice shards that formed pointed at the three then violently launched forward towards them. Time seemed to slow to a crawl for everything accept for herself and what she was launching towards the three. In reality before the two could move to throw their dark energy towards Mariah she pulled out an arrow and fired, from her bow. First there was one, then there was another, another, then another, and another. with in a fraction of a second she had launched five arrows the. The first four ripped through the air and hit their targets which was the balls of dark energy. The energy Exploded in the man's and the middle aged woman's hands sending dark energy arching through their bodies and inbetween the two. The fifth arrow struck the middle aged woman in her forehead. Her glowing eyes instantly went as out, as if she had hit a red lightbulb that was in her head.

The teenage girl noticed what happened out of the corner of her eye "No!" she screamed "Mother! You will pay!" she yelled turning her attention and spear attack to Mariah who was still over flowing with rage. The ice shards that had been flying towards them and being replaced just as fast as they were flying were cutting and stabbing the male and now dead middle age woman. They stopped repopulating as Mariah easily dodged the first spear.

Mariah shot an arrow at the teenage girl each time she dodged a spear making her way deeper into the alleyway. towards the cut out that way she would be close to Eric and have more room to fight. Once getting to the cut out she spun to dodge a dark energy spear which landed half a foot into the wall from her just below Eric's feet. Mariah growled and fired three arrows at once at the teenage girl. The moment the three arrows left her bow the two that were being shocked by their own dark energy dropped into the center of the cut out infront of Mariah motionless. The three arrows hit the teenaged girl  one in each shoulder and one in her chest just below her neck. The teenage girl dropped out slowly. Landing on the ground softly then dropping to her hands and knees. "You b***h!" the girl screamed through the blood that ran down the corner of her mouth, she was clearly in pain.

"This isn't over yet!" close to four dozen dark energy spears formed around the teenage girl pointed at Mariah. "I don't care if I rip your heart a part they will forgive me when I bring them your head!" she forced herself to say

Mariah's voice was ice cold, the trail of ice that formed when her anger flared had followed her and was slowly creeping up the wall where Eric remained pinned. "It is over and you will die!" Ice shard's formed around mariah as she pulled out another arrow and nocked the arrow and pulling the bowstring to it's anchor point. The spears and ice shards launched forward cloliding with eachother in the air inbetween the two. Mariah kept the bow anchored then she saw movement out of the corner of her eye that she normally would of missed had she not been filled with her rage and with lightning reflexes turned and fired the arrow towards the movement then fired two more.

The first arrow hit a dark energyball that the man had formed. It exploded with a large explosion. The next two hit the man in each shoulder sending him flying out of the smoke on the other side of Mariah and pinned into the wall. she then turned and fired one more towards the teenaged girl. The girls spears stopped forming  allowing the iceshards forward. Along with the ice shards Mariah's arrow ripped through the air only to embed itself into the wall instead of a body. The ice shards shattered against the wall then stopped as soon as Mariah realized that the girl was no longer there. She turned her attention to the man drawing anchoring another arrow. The girl appeared infront of him touched the man on the forehead. Mariah launched the arrow flying towards the two. The arrow impaled the satchel and embedded itself in the girl's leg before they vanished. 

Mariah launched herself forward still with her mind clear and blank void of any thoughts. She let out a loud scream of pain as she started firing arrow after arrow into the dead middle aged woman's body. Arrow after arrow filled the body like a pin cushion. Mariah reached and grabbed at nothing in her quiver. Her tears returned to her eyes as she let out another scream of rage and pain she put her fingers to the bow string and an arrow made of ice formed. She did this again, and again screaming as tears flowed from her eyes. The sound of metal hitting the ground echoed through the air and even louder in her head. She had an ice arrow at its anchor point when she heard the sound and she froze in the position the moment the sound started echoing through her head. Time once again seemed to slow for everything but her as she slowly turned her head. She could hear her heavy breathing, feel her warm tears on her cheeks and the cold from the arrow inbetween her fingers. She saw Eric's gunblade fall onto its side. Eric was still in his imprint in the wall but was slowly rolling out of it limp his head comming out first, then the rest of his body following.

"Eric!" All her rage vanished as she her mind and thoughts came back to her. The ice arrow vanished as Mariah rushed to catch Eric as he fell out of the wall. She dropped her bow on the way over and caught him. She gently lowered him to the ground. Eric laid limp in her arms, his breathing was heavy blood covered his body and was getting on her from his torn clothes and body. "Stay with me! Don't die! I forbid you to as your princess. You have to obey me d****t! I'm royalty!" she cried "I'm so sorry Eric" she choked out through her tight throught as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Eric stired opening his eyes and very slowly and weakly reached up to one of her cheeks he smiled faintly as his hand rested on her cheek wiping away the current stream of tears. "And... you... call me the... monster" he weakly forced himself to say. The pain screamed through his entire body, he wasn't sure what hurt the most. His vision was blurred and everything had a red tent but he could see Mariah a touch clearly being her proximity. He had watched the entire fight with the blurryness steadily getting worse and vision darkening. Now all that he saw was Mariah's face then darkness, as his hand dropped from her cheek onto his chest.

"No, no, no! Your forbidden from dieing on me Eric! I'm so sorry I didn't mean any of it, I was just scared. It was the first time seeing somebody that mad. Eric? Eric?" Her voice grew more frantic. "Eric? Eric! don't go! You can't! We still have to stop the Tainted!" She clutched Eric tighter and screamed up to the skys as a shooting star crossed the stary sky, her tears now pouring out of her eyes. "NO!"

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Author's Note

please don't mind the Grammar and misspelling. These will be fixed in the future.