Inferno

Chapter 12

P.O.V- Taryia

They circled each other neither blinking, or making any move in offense. Taryia made the first move; spitting flame at his long, purple, serpent body. He dodged the blazing flames, and made a move of his own. He lunged at her, his serpent body stretched out behind him. She raised a claw and smacked him down midair. He landed with a sickening crunch. She set her paw down on the section just behind his head. He wiggles and squirmed, and snapped his jaw at her impenetrable scales.

"I told you that I would protect my friends," she put her face right in front of his." And I did. You will suffer for ever thinking you could hurt anyone besides me. First you killed my parents, then you tried to hurt Cole, and now you are trying to hurt every person in existence, and I cannot allow that!" She yelled as she pushed down harder with every sentence. His eyes bulged out of his head, and he started gasping for breath. His heart rate slowed, and then it stopped. She lifted her claw to inspect the person she had just killed. A black light spread through the white space. It radiated a black aura, and it shook her to her core. Her mind reeled as she was roughly thrown back into reality, but a chilling threat ran through her head, "you will come to regret threatening me pawn."

She returned to the world, on the floor, doused in sweat. Her hair was plastered to her forehead, and she had a bump forming on the back of her head.

"What happened?" she asked wearily rubbing her sore head. She sat up, and her head started pounding. She messaged her temples with her hands while trying to listen to their concerned questions.

"What happened to you?" said Niomi shaking her lightly.

"Did I cause this? I'm so sorry! Please punish me," Zephyr cried, he held his head in his hands.

"No, I'm alright. Just a little shaken," Taryia said trying to ease everyone's worry. Her head had stopped pounding, and now she could tell who was there. She counted six of the Seven Sages, Cole, and a mysterious person off to the side of the room. She quickly stood up and her hand flew to her sword. Everyone in the circle backed up quickly mostly trying to avoid the weapon in her hands, but also to give her some space.

"Who are you!" She demanded pointing the sword in his direction.

"I'm free! Finally free at last. For all these years I had been trapped by that wizard that I forgot that I was ever even human," he turned around to face them. His face was lit with joy, and unshed tears shone in his eyes. After seeing their shocked faces his expression changed to one of confusion, then morphed to back to joy. "My name is Ryan, and you must be the ones that saved me!" He exclaimed joyfully. He ran over to their group not even noticing the sword until it was thrust alarmingly close to his chest.

"I asked you a question. Who are you and where did you come from?" Taryia grumbled.

"Let's see. . . it's kind of hard to explain, but I'm actually the smoke," he said thinking hard. Several gasps were heard at these words, one even coming from her own mouth. She put her sword away, and walked a little closer.

"How can we be sure that you were once the smoke and not some intruder here to kill us all?" She questioned quite rudely. Her hand rested on her swords hilt, and she was ready to draw it whenever necessary.

"Well your name is Taryia, and his name is Cole," he said pointing to each of them when he said their names. His orange eyes shone with pride because they both wore shocked faces. "Does that prove that I was the smoke?" he asked. When they both nodded their heads and she put her sword away, he continued to approach the group. He greeted each of the sages then walked over to Taryia. "Thank you for saving me," he said holding her hands and looking into her eyes. A bang sounded in the room, and a red faced Crystal was standing in the doorway.