Searing pain etched around Hinori's neck. Her aching heart filled her with a great sense of loss that choked the back of her throat. These men had killed someone precious to her, her familiar. A being she'd created from energy she had saved for the past hundred years. It had only been a single day since she had created Guppy and already she deeply cared for him. He was her friend and shared her feelings. The agony of Guppy's death, the brutal severing of his head, ripped through her. The Hunters had attacked them as they were heading to a place known as Yunirith City. Her small car was torched and completely destroyed by these men. One of them grabbed her tiny wrists, hoisting her up and grabbing her face with his free hand. His gruff hands violated her face, her tears seeping down over his fingers.
"Filthy witch, ya kind should've all been wiped out by that Ravatan." He lifted her up further fastening her to a large post in the middle of some bramble. "No matter. We got a cleansing fire that'll take care of ya right proper."
Hinori hung there limply as the man backed away giving short signals to the other men, who all seemed to go about various tasks. Her sobs continued, robbing the energy to fight back from her limbs, she could kick, she could scream, but she only found herself entrenched in a deep pit that pulled her energy away. An emotional darkness that made her sob, and choked her heart.
Approaching her again, the hunter's hand became flame as he set the pyre beneath her ablaze. Hinori's heart pounded in her chest. Was this it? Was she going to the All-Mother? He then pulled out a sleek black blade as long as his arm. He seemed to pull it out of thin air. The blade sapped at her being, a pulling sensation that reached deep to her very core. It was unnatural. It was a Witch Weapon. An abominable creation that drank Dralth energy from the area around it. Forged from the soul of a dying witch burned on a pyre. Much like the one she found herself on now. This was the reason she could not fight back; it was robbing her of her strength. It all made sense to her now, and an even darker feeling crept up on her, a cold chill creeping across her skin, making tears flow even harder from her eyes. She was not going to the All-Mother in the Great Elder Dralth. her soul was going to be turned into one of those ugly abominations and used to hunt her own kind.
The roar of a motorbike could be heard tearing down the highway towards Yunirith City. The bike was sleek and well-maintained, its engine giving a low rumble as the rider accelerated. It had an all white paint job and a raven painted on its side.
Its rider wore a white trench coat with the word Skyflock written down its back. He had belted parachute pants and a button-up shirt under his coat. His short auburn hair was pressed backward by the wind pressure as he traveled onward. Looking down at the console of his bike he read that his destination was only a hundred miles out. The cool breeze was pleasant on his skin, filling him with a sense of calm. A strong, smoky scent caught his attention. Up ahead a small roadside stop had smoke billowing from it. Concentrating, he refined his aura. He enhanced his senses even further than they already were. The smell of iron and burning gasoline intensely permeated his nose.
"Iron? Is that blood? Is someone being attacked?" he thought internally.
Taking the off ramp he pulled up toward the rest stop. He rolled up to a scene that hardened his expression. Twelve men surrounded a makeshift pyre with a single rugged post in the middle. Tied to it was a young woman with tears in her eyes and an expression of deep agony on her face. She was very obviously in mortal peril here. He again brought forth his Aura, enhancing his body and senses to their limits. That scent of iron once again permeated his nose and his green eyes followed the direction of the scent to reveal a creature on the ground, its head cleaved from its body. The creature was what appeared to be a large dog or wolf with raven-black fur and reptilian wings. Instead of a normal tail, it had a fluke like that of a dolphin of a whale. It was a confusing creature to behold.
The man turned his gaze back to the scene. The men all wore some kind of formal combat uniform, something he had never seen before on Dora, and he had traveled far and wide. Kicking his stand down and dismounting his bike, he strode forward toward the men. Their movements appeared slow to his enhanced eyes as if moving through a thick mud. The closest man had already lit the pyre, his hand appearing as if it had become fire itself. It confused him, because he felt no Soul energy permeating from the man. Whatever power he was using it was not Aura. Beneath the girl, the wet green wood gave off a thick smoke that billowed upward. The entire situation filled him with a searing bubbling sensation in his chest.
Twelve men, ganging on one petite girl who was very clearly outmatched by even one of them. The burning sensation rose to his throat. Rage was not something that could describe the look on his face but it was a start. In an instant the man summoned his Aura, an ability he trained day and night for years. It allowed him to harness the energy of his soul and use it to modify the world around him. For him, this modification came to his bioelectricity allowing him to turn it into lightning. In this instant, he used his bioelectricity to charge his nerves and muscles moving forward, like a bolt of lightning, grabbing the girl from the burning pyre. Her skin was soft and pure, and she was incredibly light. Her floral scent came to his nose over the scents of blood and smoke. These fucking cowards...Ill make them pay for ganging up on someone weaker than them. The strong are supposed to protect the weak. He landed several feet away from the pyre holding her in his arms. She looked up at him with confusion in her tear-filled eyes.
"I- wh- who are you?" She stammered her voice a mix of sobs and pain.
The man set her down gently. His eyes not leaving the twelve men who now focused on him with caution on their faces. "My name is Nico, I'm here to save you."
The man closest to him pointed a black blade at him, "Boy. You don't know what that creature you're saving is."
Nico put his arm in front of the girl and nudged her away from him, "Miss, I nee-"
"Hinori!" She interrupted.
Nico smiled inwardly "Hinori, I need you to stand back from here. It's dangerous to be close."
As she backed away, electrical sparks jolted off Nico starting from his head and arcing down his body in waves. His expression was serious, a seething anger in his green eyes. Just being this close to him made her pink and blue hair start to rise from static build-up. She took another couple of cautionary steps backward.
"That thing behind you needs to be wiped out. Its an abomination and the power its kind and others like them wield is a plague on the universe. I sug-"
"Are you done?" Nico interrupted the man. "I'm not fond of talking during a fight." In an instant Nico streaked to the back of the group taking out the furthest man. His arm piercing through the man's chest up to his elbow, the man's heart still beating in his hand.
Hinori's eyes grew wide, Nico's speed was otherworldly. Even the Witch hunter who utilized an energy known as Essence paled in comparison. She looked at the grizzly fate of the witch hunter slumped on his arm, his lifeless eyes unaware of his own death, frozen in that moment of focus.
The man with the blade turned to the scene, his eyes darting from Hinori's position to Nico's. He moved that far so quickly?! "I-I don't think you understand who we are! We are Witch Hunters! We are authorised by the Diminutive Authority to hu-"
Nico again streaked across the area to the furthest man from him grabbing his jaw and twisting his head all the way around in a mere instant. The chlorine-like scent of ozone filled the air. The Witch hunter felt a wave of panic rushing over him. He isn't listening to me at all.
Nico smiled at the Witch hunter who had been talking. Fill them with fear, shake their resolve. Make the fight as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. Make him question why I would leave Hinori unattended. Nico whipped the blood off his arm in a swift motion sending it to the ground.. One of the Witch Hunters in the back turned on his heel and began to flee. Nico surged his Aura amplifying his power. Bringing his hand up, electricity rushed from his head to his hand gaining power as it traveled and a bolt of lightning erupted from his palm crossing the area and burning a hole in the man's head. Thunder cracked the air as his body hit the ground and every witch hunter's eyes widened. Some of them visibly shaking and their complexions becoming pale as they understood there was no escape.
The Lead Witch Hunter hardened his gaze, He is powerful and smart, I'm sure the others are all panicking right now not even considering he is fightable. I see his game now. He took a stance, the black blade vanishing from his grasp.
"Commandant Vesker Nival of the 77th Witch Hunter Corps!" He shouted announcing himself and his intent for combat.
Seeing his men slowly gain some of their nerve back, he focused on Nico who now eyed him. As Nico started to move forward, Vesker sent his hand sideways across his chest and in an instant Nico was in front of him, his hand blocked by Vesker who had anticipated his attack. Nico didn't hesitate. Striking him in the liver, Vesker endured grabbing his hand and pulling him forward and off balance. Heat erupted across his body as he activated his ability to wield flame. Punching downward at Nico he dragged all the fire in the area toward them. Nico recovered, twisting out of the man's tenacious grip burning the skin of his wrist as he did. He rolled sideways abounding the attack as Vesker slammed his fist into the ground where Nico had been. The flames in the area flowed in and erupted there, exploding in a pillar of fire that shot upward into the sky filling the area with a burning smell and raising the temperature around them.
Hinori could feel power slowly returning to her, the Witch Weapon was not affecting her anymore now that Nico and Vesker were fighting. The other Witch hunters in the area seemed to be regaining their composure as well.
She swallowed hard, the pain and agony that bubbled inside her had to wait, she was not going to just sit here and be the helpless damsel. As if on cue, the other witch hunters began to converge on her, their expressions becoming focused. Nico and Vesker continued their fight, exchanging blow for blow.Dodging strikes, and filling the air with the scent of burning.
Hinori planted her hands together as a witch hunter drew near, brandishing a rifle aimed at her. Feeling the soothing energy of Dralth coursed up through her body harmony and belonging permeated her. It was a warm loving pull that drew her into her chant. "True and straight, let fly the sorrow, take his vigor!" A bolt of energy pierced the man's chest passing through him like smoke. He slumped to the ground in a daze, drool dripping from his mouth. I cannot kill them, I won't seek revenge... The sound of footsteps behind her grabbed her attention as she turned too late. As she tried to chant a bolt of lightning pierced the man's temple, his momentum carrying him past her as he collapsed into the dirt. Nico was standing a few feet from Vesker, a finger pointed toward her direction, electricity still arching off it licking the air around his hand. Even fighting Vesker he can protect me?! Who is Nico?! Hinori thought. Thunder clapped the area, and Vesker's expression hardened his lip turned up in annoyance as Nico continued exchanging blows.
Nico charged forward, slipping under a haymaker from Vesaker and delivering an uppercut that lifted the man off the ground, upon contact Nico let off an electrical attack that sent thousands of volts into Veskers skull. Vesker flew backward regaining himself as smoke came off his head from the attack. He is quite sturdy. Nico without looking pointed at another witch hunter, he didn't need to see the man to know he was trying to sneak up on Hinori while she summoned a ball of earth and knocked out two more on her own. Lightning jumped from his finger to the man he pointed at, striking him through the heart and arcing between two more men, killing them as well. Thunder again ripped the air. Sending out a lightning bolt was not easy for him. Frankly, to use his Aura far from his body, he needed to do countless calculations to keep the lighting on the right path. If he just shot a bolt outward it would follow the path of least resistance. It could even hit Hinori. So he had to control it with his aura and guide it to its target. This is starting to take too long. Vesker shook his head and stalked toward Nico, flames rolling off his shoulder and down to his fists. He swung at Nico and jerked it back feinting the attack, Nico fell for this dodging out of the way of the feint. Vesker brought his other fist up and slammed into the side of Nico's face, burning off his ear and boiling his left eye in its socket. Taking the hit Nico's body jerked sideways, using that moment as he fell Nico twisted into a roundhouse kick slamming Vesker in the arm a sickening crack resounding as Vesker was sent flying. He skidded backward into the final Witch Hunter. Vesker spit blood onto the ground glaring up at Nico, fire in his grey eyes. He countered me, through that pain? He is a monstrous opponent.
"We are leaving," Vesker said, hard focus still in his eyes as he caressed his broken arm.
"But sir the Witch!" Vesker smacked the man upside the head with his good arm. Reaching out he pulled that black blade out of thin air and used it to cut the air. An eerie screaming sound echoed outward from the portal he opened. It sounded almost like the distorted cry of a young girl drowned out by nails on a chalkboard. Vesker and the final witch hunter stepped through the portal and disappeared as it slammed shut with a gong-like sound.
Nico watched Vesker leave knowing he would be back. He righted himself, his vision only half of what it should be, and the left side of his face was cold like ice. He even burned the nerves in my skin. It's almost like fighting Sabrina.
Hinori ran over to him, stopping to gasp in shock at the grizzly injury Nico had received. His eye! It's gone! Her hand covered her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes. She felt a sickly feeling run through her chest. She had caused this to happen to him, because he fought for her, he had lost something important that could cripple his ability to fight. Her heart dropped, the feeling of guilt growing like a wave of nausea.
Nico turned his head towards Hinori, her figure coming into his vision, seeing her worried expression filled with tears and guilt he laughed. "Relax, this isn't that bad, I'm an Aura wielder after all."
He surged his aura and focused on his injury coaxing the cells. In mere moments his flesh began to repair itself slowly, recovering his eye and ear and healing the burn as if it had never been there. Not even a scar was left. For a normal person, this would have been extremely painful but to him, it was almost nothing. He had lost limbs before and had been ravaged by wild animals as they attempted to eat him alive, but compared to that this was nothing. I should have gone for Vesker first, the surprise attack would have ended the conflict sooner... Nico pushed his reflections aside and gave Hinori a warm smile.
Hinori stood frozen in place, her eyes wide and her breath catching in her throat. His healing ability rendered her speechless. She struggled for a moment as if to remember how to speak, the lingering smell of ozone helping to shake her stupor. At this moment the energy drained out of her, and she felt a wave of exhaustion hit her like a heavy downpour. Nico, sensing her distress, reached out and gently touched her shoulder. The warmth of his hand broke through the numbness, and she gave in. Sobs wracked her body as the full weight of her loss crashed down upon her. Nico supported her as she slowly slumped forward entrusting him with her weight. She buried her head into his chest, all the intense emotions spilling out. Nico held her gently, fully understanding the weight of her loss. She did not say it to him directly but the clues were obvious. She cried for what seemed like an eternity, the moment dragging on in her head as she struggled to grasp that Guppy was really gone. It was all so surreal. Like it hadn't happened, but the pain was there, a choking in the back of her throat that made every breath a sob, the stream of tears that gushed forth, and the intense pit in her heart. It took a bit but she finally calmed down.
Nico placed his hand on her head, "Look, I know you lost something dear to you, I'm not sure what that animal was but I can see you cared for it. "
Hinori nodded her head and moved away from him, walking over to Guppy's body. Kneeling she touched his head and his entire body began to shimmer. "Us witches don't have a set lifespan, every hundred years we gain enough Dralth energy to create a familiar. Guppy was supposed to be my first. My friend, my life's companion that would protect me and share in my long life so I wouldn't be lonely..." Her voice choked up as she continued, Guppy's body now shimmering and dissolving into a blue energy. "But those Hunters attacked us and slayed him. I can still..." She touched her neck. " I can feel the pain and anguish of his death. A Witch and familiar share in each others pain and experiences."
Nico stood in silence watching her absorb the energy Guppy's body had become. Initially, he had only wanted to save this girl because he couldn't bear to let someone be hurt before his eyes, but now for some reason, a warm feeling grew in his chest as he listened to her. "Hinori. Would you like to come with me to Yunirith City? I am a fairly high-ranking member of Skyflock. I can give you a safe place to stay."
Hinori did not turn to face him. "Would I not be just a burden to you?"
Nico felt a small pinch in his chest. "Of course not. I will not leave you just because someone is after your life. Come with me, Hinori, let me help you get back on your feet and get a fresh start."
Hinori turned to face him, her eyes closed and a smile on her face. "I'd like that very much."
The sun broke out of the clouds, rays shining down onto the scene as the two of them walked back to Nico's bike. Originally a one seater Nico pressed a button in the side. This bike began to shift and the seat expanded allowing for a second rider. Nico mounted first offering his hand to Hinori. When she took it he noticed the fairness of her touch, her delicate fingers and soft skin, as it sent a jolt through his body. At that moment he was very aware of how pretty she was. He didn't have much experience with the opposite sex, so he was a bit shocked at his attraction to her at that moment. Get a grip you dumbass she just lost someone close to her.
Mounting the bike behind Nico, Hinori noticed how broad his back was. He is very large... Nico reached back and grabbed her wrist placing her hand around his waist. "You need to hang on tight, this bike goes very fast."
Hinori's face burned with heat as she wrapped her other hand around his waist and embraced him. She never thought of herself as someone who would become entranced by another so easily but how could she not. He saved me in such a cool way. I'm being stupid aren't I? She thought of the moment she had looked up at him in his arms, his kind face telling her he was there to save her. Her face grew red burning with embarrassment. She quickly buried her face into his back while thanking the heavens that he could not see her face. "I'm ready!"
Nico grabbed his helmet quickly putting it on to hide the redness of his face. True a battle had occurred, but this girl was testing his emotional fortitude. How am I supposed to react, I am a man after all. Kicking the throttle the bike roared to life. Pushing off the ground they shot forward, turning onto the highway and heading for Yunirith City.
As they sped along Hinori couldn't help but be amazed at the speed. The scenery whipped past at blinding speed and the wind blasted her hair backward like a beautiful blue and pink flag. The road below her zipped past at an alarming rate as well. This cannot compare to the car I was given in the village I arrived in. Hinori held onto Nico tightly, her amazement filling her with curiosity as they sped along the empty highway.
Unbeknownst to them, as they sped towards Yunirith City, watchful amber eyes were already upon them from within its towering walls even though it was still over a hundred miles away. The watchful gaze was not lost on Nico as he smiled pressing forward Hinori clinging tightly to him.