Another Life in The Grand Library

Chapter 17. Vortex

Dryad ran again with Dervin following closely behind her until she stopped abruptly. Something blocked her way! It seemed the guardian had noticed their presence. That huge demon stood there glaring at both of them.

"Don't move, girl, or I will bite your head off!" The guardian growled in a threatening manner.
That demon monster looked like a mix of black-furred bull with a well-built man. His eyes sparkled dangerously, giving the impression of someone very cruel and merciless. His whole appearance gave a very dangerous vibe. His nose was strange, like a snout, and he had a horn growing from his forehead which appeared to be sharp and dangerous. Dryad looked down and realized that he has bull's feet!
She gasped and quickly stepped backwards. Her whole body shivered at that sight. Her heart beat so fast that it felt like beating against her chest.

"Worry not. We're not here to harm you," Dervin said as he tried to act friendly towards the demon beast. "We only need to borrow... um... someone. I swear, we won't cause any harm. So please let us go, my friend, and we...."

The beast cut Dervin's words off "You bring human's souls here and they are trying to release my prisoner, and you still call me your friend?!" the beast shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice was almost like thunder that shook the entire ground!

Dervin chuckled nervously, "aah.. well.. What if I exchange that ugly prisoner of yours with fresh and delicious meat? A human's hand! How?"

The beast snorted, "Just a hand! I want a whole! That girl looks fine, too! I wonder what the taste would be.."

Dervin hissed and let out a snarl, "get lost!" He growled back at the giant beast as if defending Dryad, one of his future slaves. His tails began wagging furiously. His ears twisted until the back part of it was visible, as if showing his aggressiveness.

The guardian roared angrily. His face distorted and turned ferocious. He stepped forward threateningly towards the both of them.

"No!!" Dryad covered her head with both hands and crouched low.

But before something worse could happen, Brilliant dashed between the big beast and Dryad, knocked the beast away from her. The guardian's claws missed him. And it was fortunate because Brilliant was fast enough, he dodged the demon beast's attacks perfectly. From the right distance, Brilliant raised his makeshift crossbow and shot the beast. The creature screamed in pain as the arrows pierced through his belly and arms.

Dryad was stunned for a moment, noted how intelligent he was for crafting such weapons out of scraps!

"Hey, missy!" Dervin snapped her back to reality, "let's go!"

So, while Brilliant bought some time for them, the pair made haste and hurriedly ran towards Haze and Sir Alvard.

"Boss! Come to us when I give you the signal, kay?!" Dervin yelled to Brilliant while running."Keep that ugly at bay!!"

"Hurry up, then!!" Brilliant yelled back, he was busy dodging, shooting, and dealing with the demon beast.

Soon after, Dryad and Dervin made their way to their friends. Haze was seen cradling Sir Alvard while placing a hand on his forehead to stem the bleeding. His body was also full of scars, as if being whipped or something, judging by the length of its bloody marks.
Haze was visibly worried and gazed down at Sir Alvard as his complexion turned paler by each second. His breathing and heartbeat gradually decreasing to its weakest state.

"Quick! Make a circle!" Dervin ordered Dryad.

"Circle?"

"Draw a circle! You understand? Like this!" Dervin made an imaginary circle with his paw. Magic power should be activated whether by incantation, circles, or drawing symbols in the air. But this one needed a clear drawing on the ground.
"Quick! Draw and make it clear!" Dervin urged her again.

"How can I draw clearly while I have no quills nor ink whatsoever?" Dryad replied.

Dervin sighed then let out his claws. "sorry missy. This will hurt a little." He then scratched her left hand until it bled.

"Ow!!" Dryad grimaced in pain as she clutched her hand. But she understood his intention as the crimson liquid flowed from the wound. She could make use of it as the ink.

"Draw the circle now! Follow my lead!" Dervin demanded. "Make it big and fit for all of us!"

Dryad nodded and touched her bleeding hand with her right index finger. Using her own blood, she drew a big circle on the floor.

"Good! Now make a line, here.. and here.. and then.." Dervin drew other imaginary lines and symbols with his right paw. Dryad tried to copy the cat's movement, kept drawing as instructed.

"No! Not like that! Like this!" Dervin fixed her as she made a wrong symbol. "Wipe! wipe that part again!"

"Guys?!" Brilliant called from afar, expecting a signal because he was cornered by the beast.

"Not yet!!" Dervin yelled back then turned again to Dryad, "Quick! Draw symbols again like this! No, not like that! Look closely at my cute little gorgeous paw!"

Dervin scratched her hands again. Made new marks as her blood from the previous scar was not enough.

Sounds of crashing and fighting echoed all throughout the building.

"Guys?! Hurry up!!" Brilliant yelled again
Hearing his voice, Dryad frantically wiped the wrong symbols and made another after another symbols on each inside smaller circles.

"Keep the beast at bay!" Dervin warned Brilliant.

After some mistakes and errors, Dryad finally created an intricate pattern of symbols. She drew the final shape of an 'X' with the tip of her right index finger. With her thumb, she rubbed the sides to create the curve, which she then used the tips of her nails to trace the circle up to the center.

"Well done!" Dervin cheered while looking at her creation, "Perfect! It's ready now!"
He started reciting.
Once finished chanting, Dervin jumped to the center of the circle and pressed his paws against the floor. The symbols magically started to glow and along with the circle, it moved! It spinned around counterclockwise with a strong magnetic field. Started slowly then increased its speed, creating a small tornado of light inside the room.

"Get inside!" Dervin yelled. Haze lifted Alvard's arm, placed it around his neck then darted towards the vortex.

"Boss!! We're ready here!" Dervin called Brilliant and he immediately realized his signal. He started running towards them with the beast following suit.

"Now, lay him there!" Dervin ordered Haze and he quickly laid Sir Alvard down beside Dervin. The cat then jumped on Sir Alvard's chest, "this one is a whole package of body and soul, huh? So I will take care of him from here. Rest assured, he will also be transported back to your human world. Meanwhile, you, three solid souls, after this, all your souls will go back to each of your body, wherever it might be." Dervin explained briefly while waiting for the last person to get inside the vortex.

Brilliant stopped in the middle for a while, he looked back and shot his final arrow before throwing aside his makeshift crossbow. The arrow stuck itself in the beast's neck. The beast growled in frustration, but he still managed to run and desperately tried to catch his prey. The beast's glowing red eyes focused on Brilliant as if wanting to rip him apart and devour him whole.

"Hurry, Boss! I don't have time forever holding this vortex for ya!" Dervin yelled as the light began to dimmer.
Brilliant jumped inside just in time to catch the portal closed.
Then, they disappeared...