Core Pride and Innocent Sorrow

Chapter 26 - Fall...

In the centre of the forest, an old house sits. The Diavoluli Mansion. Outside the house is completely silent, void of any life. It was like a dense bubble surrounded the house. Brânduşa the gentle giantess gazed at the house, her face etched with worry. She had seen many human lives lost from that horrible place. Yet she was too afraid to fight back. The twisted human now ghost was too strong for her, all she could do was warn the humans. But that wasn't enough.
Brânduşa closed her eyes clenching her fist. 'I'm such a coward.' She said to herself shaking.
A pulse suddenly flowed through the forest. The giantess gasps, her eyes flying open. A strong wind flies through the forest. The cold air brushes past her, disturbing the birds. Brânduşa looks back at the house. The void of death had disappeared.

Almost immediately a tiny little bird lands on the window sill. Completely content and safe.

'They did it.' She said shocked.

There wasn't any time for celebration however. The moment the void around the house disappeared, figures in hoods descended on the house.

'Hell Prince...'

*

"Hee-ya!"

Komlin hits the punching bag in front of him. Behind the black bag Frank holds it in place as Komlin continues to pound the bag. Early morning sunlight filters through the windows, slowly lighting up the training room. Frank and Komlin are in the old training room. Shanon is there sleeping against one of the pillars. They have Komlin's coat around their shoulders like blanket. They are frowning and murmuring something in their sleep.

"Hit it harder you nerd!" Frank ordered.

Komlin nods. He takes a few steps back then runs up and kicks the bag with all his might. The Punching bag breaks off the ceiling. Frank is the only thing holding up the bag. Komlin stops dead in his tracks. Oops.

"Did I say you could stop, Nerd?!" Frank remarked holding the punching bag.

"Right!" Komlin exclaimed.

He goes back to hitting and kicking the punching bag. His kicks seem especially powerful. Frank slides across the floor but he didn't seemed phased.

"Thank you again, HA, for training me." Komlin said throwing a few punches at the bag. The punches are then followed up with a round house kick.

"Its fine." He shrugged. "Watch you're centre. If you want to be buff like me and still be useful in a fight."

Frank charges forward with the bag. Komlin gets knocked to the ground. He swiftly gets up.

"This is a little unfair without my Innocence." Komlin complained hitting the punching bag. "You still have you're Noah powers."

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Our strength has nothing to do with our appearance. Case and point Road." Frank pointed out. "She's tiny and frail looking but I've seen her crush demon skulls in a good mood."

Komlin throws a few more punches. "And in a bad mood?" He asked.

"Fifteen in 30 seconds." Frank responded.

"How did you become buff?" Komlin asked as he kicked the bag.

Frank stops and puts the punching bag down. He pulls something out of his pocket. A folded up photo.

"Before I became a Noah I was from a working class family in New York in the 1920s." Frank said. "We worked a lot of jobs on the docks. I had eight brothers and five sisters and I was the youngest."