Mari: Year One [Completed]

Chapter Eighteen: Onward and Upward

"Hey, warn a girl next time." Mari mumbled as they crashed into marbled floors, she managed to catch Danilo easily before he was smacked brain first into the ground.

Their location twisted and shook, debris and dust scattered with each tremor.

"Thanks" Danilo said gratefully, adjusting himself, as he prepared to combat a threat he was not equipped to meet.

"Welcome to my world, you foolish imbeciles." torch sconces lip up all around them and Moussamo stood before the pair. He only a bit bigger than the kapre she encountered some time back, yet there was something about him that made Mari worry.

"This one is strong." she mumbled to her new ally, "Be wary."

"Indeed, for we are facing a god." Danilo agreed.

"Follow my lead, it'd really suck if you get splattered into paste after all that you've been through today." Mari told him, and Danilo shrugged, trying to deflect her attempts at humor.

Moussamo snapped his fingers and hundreds of spears appeared out of thin air, floating in the air pointed at them.

"Get close to me!" Danilo warned Mari as he slammed a vial of liquid into their feet, creating a dome that glowed with holy purity. The spears bounced off harmlessly.

"Impressive toys, but they do not match the last champions who came to face me." Moussamo taunted them, as the orb slowly faded away.

Mari vanished and tried to slash at Moussamo from behind, but he immediately caught her and slammed her back into the floor.

"Inadequate." he commented as Mari got up instantly, her eyes glimmered with annoyance.

She tried again and nearly managed to land a blow on his large head, but she was batted away by his amazing reflexes.

"Fast." Mari murmured, "Any ideas, o supernatural hunter?"

"I'm thinking." Danilo told her, "Just hold him off."

"Why does that sound so familiar, oh wait, that's what you told the guards earlier!" she said sarcastically, remembering their grisly fates.

She lunged again, and feinted an attack towards his midsection, only to vanish and try to strike his head again.

"Too obvious." Moussamo commented and threw her at Danilo who was concentrating.

They crashed to the floor.

"Thanks." Mari muttered as she got up.

"You're welcome." Danilo said out of breath, and surprised at what happened.

She honed her senses this time, trying to find something, anything, but she could not find an opening. It's like she hit a wall.

She let out a shriek of anger and charged wildly, both her personalities fusing in one berserker's flurry.

"Childish, you are no warrior, but a brat!" Moussamo said annoyed, as he caught Mari in his hand and slammed her to the ground repeatedly.

Mari managed to roll away, but her insides were burning with rage.

"I'm going to rip his throat out!" she shouted, her aswang side taking over for a split second.

"Calm down!" Danilo spoke out, he brought out two vials and dropped them again creating a thick smoke that camouflaged them.

"Tricks don't work on me." a voice from behind them suddenly spoke out, a spear suddenly impaled Mari, lifting her out of the smoke that Danilo created.

"Okay, this hurts actually." Mari muttered as she felt blood gush from her mouth.

"No!" Danilo shouted, throwing another vial which created a blue flame that made Moussamo retreat warily.