Eyes that bled grief part 14

The following is an original short story and I will upload parts of it as I write it. Enjoy!

(Warning for violence and adult themes. Material for readers over 18years old).

C.T.K.

Ch.14: Powerhouses

‘’We will be arriving shortly.’’, the pilot’s voice was heard over the deafening sound of the propellers above their heads, a female follower of Ikrov. Mainda felt her breath getting caught in her lungs, the nervousness of the upcoming mission was gnawing on the back of her mind. She felt a hand wrap around her knee and squeeze on it and glanced beside her to see her brother, smiling softly. It was as if he could feel everything she felt. Her lips broke into a weak smile as well and she brought the zipper of her black jacket further up, feeling a shiver run through her body from the chill air. They had been flying with a helicopter over lands Mainda had never seen before and the snowy and cold weather was something she wasn’t used to. Thankfully, master Ikrov had provided them with insulating clothing.

‘’Nervous, are we?’’, Tori spoke up and smirked slightly. He was sitting across Koro and next to Issah, who had been silent as always, staring at the characters around him indifferently. The female wished she could read minds. She also wished Tristy had been chosen as her partner. She sighed and faced the fellow apostle.

‘’Shouldn’t I be?’’, was her reply and Tori chuckled. The more she looked at him the more she appreciated his masculine characteristics. He was truly a specimen.

Mainda focused out the helicopter’s window, as they approached the mountain side where the manifestation had built up. The sensation of grief, terror and negativity was piercing her very being with every minute going by, as they approached the location.

‘’Have you mastered the inside out, sis?’’, her brother was heard next to her ear and she turned to look at him, her mind flooding with memories of the training sessions with master Saika. She had managed to use the method, but not during a real battle yet. She nodded positively, recalling that her partner Issah, was supposedly able to use it as well.

‘’Lets prepare then.’’, Tori spoke up and brought his palm near his mouth. He bit down on it abruptly, drawing blood. In a matter of seconds the blood run down his arm and multiplied with an amazing speed, creating a coating around his body, finally making the mask covering his face and going in around his head to protect it. Only his grey eyes and a few strands of his blonde hair were visible.

The female apostle copied the male and bit on her palm as well. As soon as the blood trickled out of the wound, she felt it course through her veins aggressively, burning through her body as a large amount was produced, exiting her and covering her limbs, torso and head, creating the crimson armor. She hoped she would be able to keep it up during battle. The inside out method created a very sturdy armor, but it needed a lot of focus to keep your body producing blood cells of that amount and keeping them in such an intricate shape. The hardening part was the easiest one, as it came naturally to her, as soon as the blood flowed out of her.

She glanced around to see three faceless masks of the people around her. Her brother opened the door at the side of the helicopter, since they were supposed to jump down, into the snow covered valley. The morning sun casted rays over the snowy plains and lines of pine trees, bringing about a feeling of serenity.

‘’Get ready!’’, her brother’s muffled voice sounded and the blades formed over his forearms. He immediately jumped out, Tori following him promptly. Mainda felt her stomach tighten up at the thought of what was going to happen. She was an apostle though and wasn’t supposed to hesitate, considering all her training and powers. She glanced back to meet Issah’s green eyes. They somehow were not unreadable anymore. Concern and even anger built up in them.

Mainda brought her attention to the valley below and jumped. Her brother and Tori had landed before her, causing large craters in the snow. She landed a few meters away from them, creating her own little crater upon impact. The inside out method protected them from all falls. Issah landed right next to her.

Suddenly the air thickened and the female apostle could clearly sense the source of the manifestation. Tori stared at her and nodded, able to feel it as well. They began walking through the woods, towards a mountain side. An opening was visible between the snowy sharp rocks, leading inside the mountain and possibly to the manifestation. It was large enough to fit Mainda, but not large enough to fit the males of the group. They hadn’t planned on that.

‘’Fuck!’’, Koro exclaimed and glared at Tori. ‘’Now what?’’

‘’We can draw it out…’’, the larger male replied and peeked through the narrow opening.

‘’How?’’, the black haired male asked and Mainda shared her thoughts.

‘’I can fit in easily…’’, she began and the glare her brother gave her made her mouth close up. Even through the mask she could guess his expression of disapproval.

‘’Yeah I guess it’s a good solution.’’, Issah spoke up and approached the female.

‘’Forget it.’’, Koro said and the two males stared at each other. Mainda ignored them and walked near Tori and the opening.

‘’Be on the ready.’’, she told him, her confidence overflowing, like a defense mechanism.

‘’Hey!’’, her brother’s voice was heard behind her and she could feel him approach her. She promptly slipped through the opening, taking a few steps inside, knowing well that no one could follow her through.  ‘’Come back out now!’’, he added, his gruff voice echoing through the cavern and Mainda didn’t turn back to acknowledge him.

‘’I am a follower of master Saika and his apostle. I shall do my duty Koro.’’, she spoke and heard him take a sharp breath, surprised by her words. ‘’I’ll probably be running out so stand back and prepare for battle.’’, she yelled back at them and focused on the task ahead, feeling the manifestation stir at her presence.

She changed her armor’s appearance to form the two blades across the forearms and kept on walking in the darkness, her only guide the gnawing sensation of the energy ahead. A shiver run down her spine and she barely managed to squeeze her body around and move. The darkness was tainting her very being, the manifestation had found her and grabbed onto her, the only source of life in its vicinity. Her eyes were fixated on the small crack of light ahead as it got larger and larger. She was weakened by the darkness, but kept pressing on.

As soon as she stepped out in the snow she dashed faster and turned around to face the three men, all of them ready for battle. The darkness spilled out of the crack, still on her tail and in synchronized motion the three males attacked it with their blades, slicing off pieces of the black matter. Yet the source of it, the humanoid creature, was still approaching Mainda, sharp thorns protruding, aiming for her. She ducked to avoid them and run around the creature. All the lessons she had had with her master resurfaced and she attacked the creature from behind, managing to slice off a limb of its source body.

She swallowed hard when the limb regrew. It was possible that the sheer amount of energy it possessed gave it abilities regular manifestations did not possess.

‘’Do not be discouraged!’’, Tori shouted from behind her and she jumped back to avoid another thorn. She glanced to the side to see the tallest of the males, the fellow apostle, run up to the creature, avoiding its attacks and slicing the head off. The darkness tainted his crimson armor as he run through the surrounding black matter to land behind the creature. It didn’t move at all, neither showed any signs of being defeated.

Then the severed limbs took form and two more manifestations popped up. Mainda’s eyes widened and in her head she searched for any previous recordings of this in her studies. It had definitely happened before, but it was extremely rare and the number of copies was related to the energy the manifestation had. Suddenly the three creatures opened their mouths and produced high pitched screams, making her wince in pain. The earth rumbled and cracked, and from the openings in the snowy ground emerged huge thorns. Mainda jumped back to avoid one from beneath her feet. The manifestation stopped moving for a few seconds and the followers looked at each other in confusion and anticipation.

‘’You have got to be kidding me…’’, Koro was heard on her right as the thorns melted away, changing form and turning into countless humanoid creatures, all of them baring sharp thorns instead of forearms. Chaos ensued and the four followers were thrown violently into a never ending battle. Mainda kept avoiding attacks and slicing again and again, and only more of the creatures managed to appear.

‘’We are not making any progress here!’’, she heard Tori somewhere behind her. The female only kept defending herself, hoping the others had been able to do the same. Suddenly, she heard a grunt behind her and turned around, her eyes widening in shock from the sight before her. The pair of grey eyes, belonging to Tori, stared at her and when she lowered her gaze, she noticed two thorns piercing through his armor at the torso.

‘’Tori!’’, he heard her brother’s voice and saw him approach them, to deflect two of the manifestations aiming for them. Time seemed to stop, as the large male, with his eyes still fixated on her, cut the front part of the thorns and paced near her, releasing his body, blood splashing on the snow. He had taken a blow to protect her.

‘’Stay back…’’, he grunted and coughed behind the mask, droplets of blood run from the side.

‘’Focus Mainda!’’, she heard another voice and felt a strong hand pull her aside to avoid another manifestation. It was Issah, who run up to destroy the creature. The woman gritted her teeth and brought her attention back to the battle, trying to approach Tori who had been surrounded by manifestations again, struggling to fight back.

‘’Stay back!’’, Tori yelled this time, his voice rising over the snarls of the creatures and Mainda froze as the manifestations clearly ignored them and run up to the male. Her eyes widened and she went to approach the male, who was now being covered by the dark matter, the manifestations melting around him. It was Issah that kept her back once more.

‘’No we must save him!’’, she blurted out, feeling responsible for the position he ended up in. She was supposed to be the one there. She glanced to see her brother standing his ground, watching over the scene, his fists clenched. The fact that Koro did not move in to attack meant that he trusted the order his partner had given. Mainda focused back on the black mass, noticing that it decreased in size. In a matter of seconds it were completely gone and all that remained was Tori, his body covered by a black film of manifestation, all the dark energy mixing with his own.

‘’I had no idea this was possible…’’, Issah blurted out and Mainda agreed with him. She hadn’t read of such a skill existing and her master had definitely not mentioned it.

‘’I think I get it why the masters paired you up.’’, Mainda’s brother announced flatly. ‘’Tori is an absorber and you are an infiltrator. The attack you did back in Hiuumaa proves it.’’, he added and his blue eyes focused on hers.

‘’Attack him, now.’’, he added and Mainda felt her stomach drop. How could she attack an ally, especially someone who had placed himself in harm’s way to save her? ‘’Do it! I cannot infiltrate that amount of energy. It won’t harm him.’’, Koro added and things began making sense in her mind. She nodded and changed shape of the blade on her right forearm, making it extend. She dashed at the male that stood there, gripping on his own chest with his eyes closed, trying to hold it all in.

When her blade pierced his torso, right where the previous wound had been, the energy exploded from his body. Mainda gritted her teeth and stood her ground as the manifestation escaped in the atmosphere, dissolving, dying away. Sha stared at him as he came to, panting in exhaustion. He opened his eyes to meet hers as she pulled out her blade. Just then something inside her stirred, something in these grey eyes shook her very core.

‘’Good job Mainda.’’