Tyler Harisson Chronicles: The Gryphon's Sacred Blood

Chapter 25: Spell Aftermath

"Anywhere around here selling fish and chips at this time?" Amber asked, smiling. Not noticing the deep weird flickers of the moon and the absent stars in clear night atmosphere.

Tyler did not answer. He was preoccupied.

"Do you know any?" Amber asked again. "Hey."

Tyler blinked "Ah? Yeah. What is it?"

"I was asking if you think anywhere here is still selling food or something."

Tyler did not answer. Instead, he just walked through the grass then brushed open the bushes in front of him. The street was cleared and the place was as just as empty as a ghost town.

"Wait. This is weird. Where is everyone?" Tyler asked suspiciously. He looked behind. Amber vanished. The lamppost lights flickered violently as soon panic churned in his gut. It was happening too fast he could not process. The cars nearby exploded and the clouds formed swirls of dark smokes and moulded into several winged female creatures similar to a harpy. But they looked more human rather than birds. Glancing at their eyes, those were bloody red, and their sleek, long, black hair slouched across their lean shoulders and back. They began to act sensually and deliberately licked their long, black talon before slowly cornered Tyler.

He froze. He was too bewildered and abashed of what was going on. "W-what is..." he staggered. He moved a little before realising that his surroundings were falling apart like a shedding painting.

The sensualised harpies laughed in his ears as they began to rip his jacket and tore his rucksack apart.

Tyler's vision blurred. He felt like his knees were melting and his body was trembling. A sudden whiff of rose balm caught his nose .

Tyler... A woman's voice called. Do not be afraid. Your power is much greater than anyone in this world. Remember who you are.

"Alyx!" His voice echoed. "What is going on? I can't move."

Silence filled the atmosphere. "Alyx. I can't... urgh..."

The grip of the harpies around Tyler's neck toughened as he tried to call for Alyx.

A lustful curse would never overcome you, Tyler. Nor your father. Alyx informed. Her voice was still cold and monotonous. Resist, Tyler! Resist! Use your power!

Tyler focused. He could not die right now. Not today. He thought.

A thug in his chest made the hold of the harpies slowly untightened around his neck. He opened his eyes and discerned that his chest and his arms were luminously glowing a gradient of pink, blue, and white. As if like he was lassoed with fairy lights and started to go around and wander.

Use your power. Tyler recalled. What power? You mean this?

Tyler's curiosity took over him. His hands were glowing together with his necklace and pendant. He was clueless, but he trusted Alyx's voice. He lifted his hand and faced it toward the sensual harpy that was taking hold of his neck. A powerful force blasted the harpy off of his face, and the other harpy tripped, face first.

"WH-WHAT DID YOU DO?!" the harpy fizzed confusingly.

Tyler realised what he just did. He was too bewildered but he quickly covered it with a smirk on his face. As if like he had blasting harpies for years. He stood and blasted off again the second harpy. Making the both of them lurch their way back to the portal where they came from.

"TYLER?! TYLER WAKE UP?! TYLER!"

He sat bolt upright. Amber and Pothos were shielding him from the dark souls and darting dark bullets all over them. Hannah was trying hard to shield and protect them.

"This spell won't last. We have to do something!" Hannah pleaded.

Tyler's mind was still occupied. He couldn't take hold what happened. One moment he was with them, escaped and successfully got the first key part, but now he was lying helplessly in Pothos' arms because everything was an illusion.

"Animato!" Amber casted. All the statues, including the metal guards that were served as an aesthetic design in the lobby, came to life. Flexing their arms and swinging their armours and sword.

"Hey! Mister!" Amber called the statue. "Whoever you are – "

"St. George." The statue corrected. Voice stern.

"Brilliant, Sir George –"

"Saint."

"Saint. Yes! Stop that cockroach headed witch!"

With one swing, Laries darted across the room. Everyone cheered. But it wasn't done yet. She rapidly burst out in anger and took down the metal soldiers and statues in one stroke of her wand.

"She's too strong." Amber admitted.

"There's no way we can defeat her," Hannah added.

Tyler examined his surroundings. Everyone exerted their whole effort just to keep him saved and shielded. Which, in return, he did nothing to reciprocate it to them.

He stood. He hasn't gained enough energy, but his heart told him to take a stand. His friends stopped him, asking him to stop whatever he was thinking. But he couldn't hear anything that he approached Laries boldly.

"You have destroyed so much." Tyler said softly, head down. "It's time to end this. We have to decide which one should prevail."

Laries wailed an ear-wrecking sound before charging Tyler. She cursed under her breath that deciphering it was impossible. But, all Tyler knew was she wanted him dead. And that should not happen.

Tyler radiated in a mixture of red, blue, gold, and white light. He reached for his Medvestlos and aimed at Laries' heart. He knew that a witch full of hatred and lust in her heart would never know what love was like.

"I feel so much pity toward you, Laries." Tyler grumbled under his breath.

"You would never know what it feels like to love and be loved. I do not want to say this, but an arrow of the Love god's offspring would purify you. Love is beautiful and you should know that. Anger and lust would devour and consume anything that would go against it." He pulled his bowstring and let go a single arrow of red light. "But Love covers a multitude of sins."

Laries stumbled as Tyler's arrow hit her chest. She plummeted to the hard ground and wailed in agony and pain. Her wand started to decompose slowly in a burst of maggots and green smoke.

"No... No! Noooo!!!" Laries screamed in disbelief. "You will pay for this son of Er –" Her body crumbled and disintegrated in a speck of black dust and ghost winged bats. Dropping a piece of metal to the ground.

Tyler put down his bow. He walked toward it and picked up. He sighed and smiled at his friends. "I think this time we got the real first part of the key."

Amber stood instantly and hugged Tyler tight. "I almost had a heart attack!!! Don't do that again next time! You're insane!"

"That was brave, Tyler." Hannah and Pothos smiled.

From the outside, loud wail and roar echoed.

"Fergus." They shot a nervous look at each other. "Where did you leave him?"

Pothos turned pale. He rushed and opened his lavender wing and flew out immediately. Hannah grabbed Tyler and rode her broomstick. Amber grabbed him, too and followed them outside.