The Soul Keeper

The scythe got dislodged moments after I spoke. At the same time, the earth beneath our feet exploded. I felt myself getting dragged up into the air as I lost my grip on the scythe.

Vixia screamed and buried he head in my chest. 

The dark pit of nothingness covered my entire field of view. I closed my eyes shut. It was too much, and nothing at the same time. Having experienced death once before, I was more scared of the stream of memories that followed than the event itself.

I felt something around my ankle, and then that something yanked me back. My eyes shot open as I frantically looked at my feet, only to see a branch of some sort wrapped around my ankle. Like a lifeline, it pulled us away from the black hole.

"What?" Vixia whispered. 

"No way…" I mumbled, could it be? Was it actually possible?

It took us a while to be free of the black hole's suction. The branch disappeared as soon as we were free from it, and we fell to the ground. A few beats of my wings slowed our fall and I landed us on the ground upright.

Vixia immediately let go of me, stepped back and looked around. 

"Lady Vixia!" Delthur's dry, panicked voice sounded. He ran at her and took her hand. "Are you alright?" He asked as he looked at her from head to toe, looking for injuries.

"I'm fine, thanks to Kai and… The young lady over there." 

That 'young lady' was too busy hugging me at that time. 

"You're crushing my ribs!" I exhaled as Mona sniffed. She held me like that for a moment longer, then let go of me and stepped back. She folded her arms and glared at me. "You almost got yourself killed you idiot!" She scolded me. "Aoife almost fainted when we arrived!"

"It's not like I was trying to get myself-" I paused. "Wait, what?" My gaze wandered about, then focused on a particular person in the back. "Why the hell are you here?" I exclaimed as my eyes met with my sister's.

Aoife reluctantly stepped closer. "Most of them broke their block." She said with a low voice. "I didn't want to be left behind, so I came along." She hesitantly reached for my hand. "You're alive." She whispered. "I thought you'd have died. You almost fell into that… thing." 

I swallowed my anger towards Rina and the others. "I'm fine. Thanks to Mona." I glanced at the young druid, who now had a grin on her face. "Thanks. Now I need you to keep Aoife safe though." I added. Mona didn't seem to mind as she chuckled and threw her arm over Aoife's shoulders. "Don't you worry, I won't let anything happen to her."

I would have talked with them more, but Vixia snapped her fingers, enhancing the sound with her magic. "Your Mother's spell is almost completed. We need to be ready. Once the Lord's and the Matriarch's spells come to an end, we need to finish up. They will both be too exhausted to interfere."

I nodded. "Aelith probably still has a few cards up her sleeve." Asher's voice sounded. The middle aged man approached us. He had clearly also arrived with Rina and the others. They had crowded around Inspector John now. 

"Indeed." I spoke in demonic to let Vixia understand my words as well. "I wouldn't believe she hasn't prepared at least something in case she doesn't win that clash of magic."

Vixia shook her head. "She will win it." 

Taken aback at her words, Asher almost choked on his own breath. "Excuse me?"

"She can not lose it unless the Divine Pillar is destroyed. That is why Kai's Mother's spell is so important. If the inquisitors die, the Pillar is within reach. And if we attack it, Aelith is effectively trapped."

My eyes widened. I hadn't thought of it in this way before, but Vixia was absolutely right. "If she ignores us, we win by destroying the Pillar. If she interferes, we win because the Lord can finish her off while she's distracted." 

Vixia nodded as her lips formed a wicked smile. 

"Let's hope your mother doesn't fail then." Asher sighed. "I can't help you – most of us can't. Mona and Laura are the only two who got their powers back. We will stand behind and protect the defenceless. Heal the wounded. So, you can focus on the battle itself." 

"Thanks." I forced a smile. I was happy to hear those two had broken that mental block, but hearing that Asher was unable to do so was more than a bit disheartening. He had always been a cornerstone of our group. Seeing him like this was… sad.

"Let's go." Vixia said, pulling me away from my thoughts. "We must be ready – it is almost time."

I nodded. I motioned to follow her, but Aoife grabbed my arm and stopped me. "Be careful, Kai. Please."

I took a deep breath. "I'll do my best. I promise." I left my sister there and followed the powerful, yet somewhat exhausted demon. 

"This is the last stretch." She spoke in a low voice. "Don't lose focus."

"I won't. Don't worry." We stood a few steps away from where the suction started and watched as Mona's plants rose from the ground, catching as many demons as they could. As she saved countless lives there, I turned my gaze away and focused on the five inquisitors.

Protected by their golden shield, they were standing right by the Pillar, still unaware of Mother's spell. I couldn't see their expressions from beneath their wooden masks, but I could still guess. Awe and fear, I assumed. Just like everyone else on this battlefield, they must have been feeling awe and fear.

As we watched, Mother finally moved. She raised her staff, then struck the ground with it.

What followed was an explosion like none other. The ground trembled with such power that even we lost our footing. If not for Delthur catching our arms and pulling us up, we would have fallen prone.

"Now!" He hissed with a dry voice. 

I dashed ahead, towards the Pillar as the black hole vanished just in time.

When the dust of the explosion settled, there was no sign of the inquisitors. It was almost as if the world had swallowed them whole.