Half-Bloods R • 2 : Growing Shadows

C • 17 : Branches of Life, Roots of Death

"Anna! Speed it up a bit, kid!" Vaelan called from downstairs.

She rushed out of her room, which had its walls blanketed by rock band posters big and small, and slid down the banister to the living room below. Everyone but Christopher, who was currently sleeping the day away in his room, was standing and waiting for her. Villin's five wire-tails began to slowly sway back and forth as she pulled out the paper wrapped Root Eye, and the room was quickly bathed in an angry aura. Elizabeth seemed to be spacing out as she stared at the eye.

Anna waved her hand in front of the kerronasen's face and brought her out of her trance, "Come on, let's go!"

They all formed a circle, with Vaelan on his sister's right side, and Elizabeth on Villin's left. Demi walked up, ruffled Anna's hair, and grabbed her hand. They all held hands and were pulled through reality and into the eye. Within moments, Anna was swimming in an endless sea of murky red water, she recalled the advice she had been given the day prior and ignored every instinct telling her not to breathe.

Once everyone was set, she followed the others to a dark pit that gave her the creeps, there they all stopped.

"Whoa, sure is creepy down there," she said.

Villin edged closer to her, "And down there is where you'll be training one day."

"Wait, seriously?" She looked down into the darkness, and for a moment she saw a flash of dark scales slithering in the pitch, "What the hell's even down there?"

"Increased gravity, large groups of what I call root-fish, and a small number of even larger monsters that I call trishmali, which is demonic for steaming toad." As usual her expression was unreadable, but Anna could sense that Villin, for some reason, loved this place and the challenges it brought.

Anna was taken aback, for a moment she thought Villin was somehow making a bad joke, but she eventually realized the archdevil was completely serious when she said steaming toad. She shook her head and looked back down into the depths.

A shiver ran down her spine as Villin droned in her flat voice, "Go ahead and swim above the drop so we can test your endurance and leg strength."

She pushed herself over the edge and was instantly dragged into the depths by the water itself. She kicked her legs and did her best to lift her heavy arms, but she only fell further.

From above, she heard everyone but Villin shout, "Anna!"

She saw a large dark mass form in the light above her as she sunk lower. A wall of silver-green scales appeared before her, and she was met with four wide eyes with x-shapped pupils. Gnarly thin fangs flashed in the darkness as the creature looked at her. Then, as quickly as it appeared, it swam away, smacking her with its tail. Swimming in its place was Vaelan, watching the darkness as grabbed onto Anna.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, was that one of the root-fish?"

"Yes it was," though Anna didn't think that he believed himself when he spoke.

He pulled her back up and out of the pit, Demi immediately rushed over and hugged her. Anna hugged her back, despite the cold itch at the back of her neck. She couldn't help but notice that Demi was surprisingly warm, even without her magic, and she even felt a tinge of annoyance when she let go and pulled back. She smiled at Demi as Vaelan put a hand on Anna's shoulder.

"Unleash it," he ordered, Demi locked wide eyes on him, and even Villin looked surprised when her tails stopped moving.

Anna stared at him for a moment and noticed that parts of his skin were still reddish, he even had a small scar on his neck from Throne: Ophanim's attack two nights prior. She closed her eyes and focused, letting her body taken over by frost, letting white manaskin take over her body until she heard a resounding, "No," from Vaelan.

"Not Nephilim, the hatred demon hiding within you," he growled.

"The demon?" She looked down at her hands, "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. You have a demon pact now, you can't just keep relying on that angel of yours. That demon will be far more versatile."

Everyone was watching Anna now, everyone except Villin, who's cold eyes were locked on Vaelan, her tails wrapped around her leg. She closed her eyes and looked inwards, a cold aura spreading along her neck as she searched inward. Where are you? She asked, Why are you so scared?

Then, in the center of all the cold, she felt a small spark brighten for a moment and focused on it. The spark began to grown into a candle flame, then kept growing, becoming a raging flame that challenge the chilling bite of Nephilim. Something began to build up deep within her, feelings of directionless rage, wild hate, and fury against all disgusting, putrid angels. Her throat began to sting- no, it began to burn, hotter and hotter. She coughed, the taste of smoke and ash laying on her tongue as she continued to cough. She looked up, tears forming in the corner of her eyes as her body turned hot, Villin was watching with still eyes, and Vaelan was wearing a proud smile.

She coughed again, this time a spout of flame leaving her mouth and turning the water to bubbles. I know this feeling, it was you that day, she said as runes formed across her face and body.

She looked at Vaelan who was quietly watching. Her chest began to burn.

"Alright, let's do this," she huffed, "Keep me afloat, Bel Gara."

She swam to the edge of the pit, and then over it. Gravity pulled at her, but she didn't sink, she swam freely.

Vaelan appeared next to her, "Good job, now let's see how well you can fight in this form."

She grinned, "Yeah, lets."