The Goddess Of Salvation

Chapter V

"What?"

"Are you doing this?" Vrex said as soon as he realised we're engulfed in a spheric shadow shield.

"No, wait. I think the real question is: how is this shield still standing?" He reached out his hand to touch the shadow. "Stop! Don't touch it. The shadow is mine and it's not...stable." I stopped him before he could touch them.

"How? Since when? I thought your blood only contained fire?" Vrex's voice is layered with ragged breath.

"Um– you're not wrong, I do have fire. It's just... it appears I have an... extra attribute?"

"Fucking hell– this is serious. You're not hiding a simple second attribute like water or ice. This is a shadow! Pretty sure they taught you one or two about–Argh!" He grunted in pain before he could finish his lecture.

"Grrr! Grrr!" Growls were heard from outside of the shield. The growls didn't come from one direction, it surrounded us. "Shit. Maylea... can your shield hold out attacks from beasts?" Vrex whispered.

'Hell no. It wouldn't.' I shook my head in response. Vrex took a deep breath and whispered "Lower the shield... slowly." I did as he told and a group of wolves surrounding us in the middle of a forest greeted us. It's not just any wolves, it's a demonic beast wearing a wolf skin.

'Oh shi– how did we get here anyway?'

"Should we kill them all?" I asked, looking around us. This could be bad. There's at least five beasts that I could see. But if Vrex could handle at least two of them, we might have a chance at escaping, that is if there really are only five beasts.

"I'm afraid, I won't be of any help."

"What do you mean?" I turned my gaze to him. He's hunched with his right hand clutching tight his left arm.

"The light got me. I'm in no state to fight beasts right now." Oh great. There's no way I could handle all five of them.

I turned back to my surroundings, fixing my eyes on the nearest beasts. The beasts growl, readying to attack us. Their claws clutched to the ground.

In a fighting stance, protecting Vrex, a pair of fire blades is taking shape in my hands. This won't end pretty.

The beast on my right started to launch toward me, baring its fangs and claws. I guarded against its attack with one blade while the other strived for its neck. However, another beast got in my way before I could make the kill. It sprinted toward me and bit my arm. Vrex was trying to scrounge any bits of his power left to help me. But it was to no avail. Looking back, his wings were burned from where they were exposed to the light. His back was probably in the same condition too.

As I tried to shake the beast off, a man's voice was heard. "Enough." The beasts that were growling non-stop before are now silent, only letting out soft whimpers. The man jumped down from a tall tree, landing right in the middle of the beasts. "Back off." The man gave out an order, his eyes were glowing yellow like a beast. The beasts that were attacking me, both withdrawn and took steps back.

'Their caretaker?'

"Why are you here?" The man asked in a tone demanding an answer. His eyes carefully observing my every move. Dispersing my weapons and raising my hands up, I answered "I don't know either. We were caught up in an explosion and somehow teleported here... as a desperate escape I guess." The beasts surrounding us growled in response. Vrex's condition worsened with time.

"My partner is severely hurt, can you help us?" The man didn't respond. His yellow eyes went to observe Vrex. Vrex tried walking toward the man but stumbled on his legs instead. I caught him before he hit the land. "Please?" I plead again to the man.