The Hellhound's Demon

Now the Final Fury, Part I

Camille cast her gaze around the Forbidden Room. She could remember it from the stories that Dai Shi had told her over the last year, but it didn't look as foreboding as he had described. It was, to her, just a stone cave beneath a temple.

"What are we doing here?" Camille asked Jarrod.

"I wanted to get as far away from everyone as possible," Jarrod answered. "So, I can't hurt anyone else."

"Dai Shi led many down his dark path," said Camille. "But maybe it's not too late for us to change."

"Change?" Jarrod echoed. "You mean back to the way I was before? A mean-spirited bully." He scoffed and shook his head, turning back to the stone wall behind him. "There's no change left for me."

"Don't say that," said Camille. "I've seen the real Jarrod, and he's not evil! Besides, if my sister can erase thousands of years' worth of evil, then I have faith that we can, too. The Hellhound gave her a chance, she is offering us one, also. We should take it."

But Jarrod was no longer listening.

Camille sighed and lowered her gaze. She still felt submissive in his presence, like he was still the master she had obediently followed all these years.

"I don't deserve a second chance," said Jarrod, quietly. "Not from the Pai Zhuq masters, and most definitely not from the Hellhound."

~X~

Hurrying into the loft, carrying a tray of pizza slices, Fran called out to the training Rangers. "Eat up, guys, you've been in a tough fight and need to recharge," she said.

"Oh, Fran!" Dom grinned, wrapping an arm around her, and taking a slice of pizza from the tray. "What we do without you?" he pressed a kiss to her cheek, and the scoffed the pizza, missing the blush blooming across Fran's face at his action.

Breathlessly, Fran turned away, pausing as she noticed a slice of pizza left. "Hey, where's Kali?" she asked, turning back. "I made her favourite."

"Last I saw, she was in the bathroom," said Lily. "Want me to go get her?"

Fran shook her head and set the tray on a nearby table. "No one eats it," she warned, pointing an accusing finger at RJ, Casey, Dom, and Theo. "It's for Kali."

Dom whined as he stared at the pizza while Fran headed back downstairs.

"I wonder what is taking her so long?" Lily asked RJ.

RJ shrugged. "She did look a little green earlier," he said. "Something about bad milk with her cereal."

"I had cereal this morning," said Casey, swallowing a chunk of pizza. "I feel fine."

"Huh. Could just be stress," Dom shrugged. "She hasn't exactly stopped these last few months. Between Dai Shi, the Phantom Beasts, and Lothor's resurrection, she's finally feeling the heat. Pun intended."

A small ripple of laughter echoed around the group.

"Man, I wish we knew what Dai Shi's plan was," said Theo, sighing.

"Well, he's been gathering fear and growing stronger," said RJ. "If he gets enough power he could raise the spirits of all of his fallen army."

"And start a new Beast War," said Dom.

Lily sighed. "Great, we barely survived the last one," she said.

"Wait, wouldn't he need Kali to open the gate to release his spirits?" Casey asked.

RJ shook his head. "If he gets enough fear then he can do that without her," he said. "Most of his army wouldn't have crossed into the Underworld yet, they're still in the Netherworld, waiting."