Life-less Dolls

Chapter 8

          Letting no time become wasted, I opened the scroll Kankuro had given me immediately. A cloud of smoke erupted from its open page and when it had cleared, a puppet stood before me. I could recognize Salamander anywhere. He must have given him to me purposely, knowing he was my favorite of his collection. The demon eyed the puppet carefully, “How very odd. Is this a new addition to your collection of friends?” His tone was undeniably mocking as his body shook with a laugh at his own joke, “Your style has changed and I am surprised you made this one so quickly. Unless you didn’t make it all…” His eyes scanned the surrounding area and reached the tower rather quickly.

          A slight jolt of fear ran through me before I recovered. I had to throw him off the trail and fast, “No, it is mine. And just as my craftsmanship has changed, so has my outlook on you.”

          That caught his attention and he turned to face me again, “Oh? Is that so?”

          Sho stepped forward, his wings folded neatly beside him, “Your reign of terror over her is over with. You cannot control her anymore.” Zero’s amused expression dropped at these words and a frown replaced it.

          “The world of darkness you chased her into has become light and there is no way you can pull her back down.” He raised his wings up, screaming, “And so, here is where you with cease to exist, never to return!”

          “You think I will be so easily destroyed, bird!?” Zero roared, “I will never be defeated and one to die here today is you!!” With that, he burst into action. The ground shook as the beast became like a worm slithering across the ground, headed straight for Sho and I.

          Sho lifted off of the ground from beside me and his talons encircled my arms, “Hold on, Maiko!” With that, he soared into the sky, carrying me and Salamander with him just as the Zero Tails surged past.

A flurry of hands shot out from Zero’s back and head up towards us, “I won’t let you get away!” Looking to the puppet I controlled, I moved my hand and Salamander’s frill popped up and blocked most of the hands advances. Some however moved to try and get an attack in from the side. Sho’s wings beat faster, raising us up high and giving those hands no room to make a hit. I climbed up onto Sho’s back, bringing Salamander with me just in time for Sho to dive down towards the ground. Like he’d never a puppet, he moved just a gracefully and quickly as any bird ever did dodging the hands that flew at us from all directions. When the ground finally came close, Sho pulled up and the remaining hands slammed into the ground. I glanced back just in time to see the Zero Tails giving chase.

“Sho, what can I do? Salamander’s a defense puppet and I don’t have any weapons with me.” I called to the Caracara bird as he circled up around the tower with the demon’s hands following.

“I am still your puppet. Anything you think to want or need, I am the one to supply you with it.” He mused, “And as for a weapon…” A feather from his back suddenly became long and pushed out into my hand. Losing connection with him, the feather transformed into a glowing spear and so a weapon was forged. Gripping it, I looked back at the Zero tails and turned towards him and using all my strength, I hurled the spear and sent it barreling through the air at the parasite.

And it struck and ripped him apart.

Zero screamed and looked down to see the hole the spear had made. It pierced straight through to the other side and exposed the dark chakra flowing beneath his skin. He hissed, “My…my body won’t regenerate!! How is this…YOU!!”

“Again, Maiko! Again!” Sho screamed as he slowed and turned, headed straight toward the Zero Tails. Another feather popped up out of back and I took a hold of it and threw it, this time aiming for a different place on his body. The spear once again tour through his skin and created a slightly bigger hole.