The Element Keepers

Chapter 3 Awakening

Eric sat up on the roof of a house painfully. He groaned and held his side. Some of his ribs had to be broken. He looked around and noticed he was on a roof. Ignoring the pain, he quickly got up. 'I have to get back to Seth!' He thought and started running along the roof.

Just as Eric was about to jump to the next house top, he felt a presence above him. He shifted his weight and quickly jumped backwards. One the children came crashing down in front of him. Its daggers were planted in the roof and the tiles of the roof were scattered and broken where it landed. The red head scowled at the child. "Get out of my way!" The child pulled its daggers out of the roof and grinned eerily at him.

"Your grin is really getting on my nerves!" Eric yelled as he slashed at the small figure. His attack didn't make contact and cut thin air. The child had disappeared from the spot it once stood. He felt its dark aura behind him and spun around, his sword following him. "Stop disappearing, dang it!" Again, his sword met nothing.

This pattern continued until Eric started panting heavily. The pain in his side was taking its toll and it was getting harder for him to just lift his sword. He glared at the child hatefully and charged at it again with a battle cry. It didn't dodge this time but lifted one of its daggers and blocked the attack easily.

A menacing grin spread across its face and it punched Eric in the gut. He gasped as the wind was knocked out of him. The child didn't wait for him to recover and sent another blow to his face. Dazed with slightly blurred vision, the red haired boy staggered backwards. He then felt a powerful blow to his back, sending him flying upward. A few meters above the roof, the child appeared above Eric, its eyes glowing with madness. He watched helplessly as it flipped in the air and brought its foot down on his abdomen hard.

Eric crashed through the roof of the house below, sending a large cloud of dust and dirt upward. The child floated above the hole in the roof as the dust dissipated. Eric's motionless form laid in a pile of rubble and debris. It smiled, satisfied with its work and made its way to its twin.

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Seth was being battered by the demon child. It ran around him at an incredible speed that was nearly impossible to follow, leaving cuts and blows all over the teen's body. He tried desperately to parry or defend against the attacks but he couldn't keep up with its movements. The worse part was that he knew it was just playing with him. The monster could easily end his life then and there, but it was taunting him, mocking him.

'If only I could stop its movements somehow...' He thought exhaustedly. His failed attempts to counterattack had left him with no energy. He was panting heavily but he held his sword firm. He had to get to Eric and help him.

Suddenly, the child stopped moving. It looked down at its feet in confusion and pulled at them as though its feet were stuck to the ground. Dumbfounded, Seth quickly glanced at its feet. Multiple vines had somehow wrapped themselves around the demon's feet, locking them in place. Not questioning where the vines had come from, he took the opportunity and sliced through the small form. It let out a cry and disappeared into a dark vapor.

Seth collapsed to his knees, panting heavily. Once he caught his breath, he had to help Eric. Just as he was about to stand, a stabbing pain pierced through his back. He cried out in agony and turned to see the other child jumping away from him. Anger and hatred burned in its red eyes as it stared at the blonde.

It disappeared and before Seth could blink, he was sent flying into the wall of a nearby house. He gasped and coughed as the impact hit his back where he'd been stabbed. He sat against the wall, his breathing haggard and rough. The child started charging toward him. He wouldn't be able to dodge this attack. He was too weak and out of energy. 'Is this how I die...?' A fear gripped him as he watched the demon advance toward him.

Just as the child raised its daggers to deal the final blow, a fireball came flying at it. It let out an ear piercing scream as the flames engulfed it. Simultaneously, it and the fire faded into a dark vapor. Shocked, Seth looked in the direction the fireball came from. His eyes widened in surprise and horror when he saw Eric covered in wounds, blood dripping down his head. His friend held his side with one hand and his other was held up as if he was saying "stop." The same look of surprise was on his features before his eyes glazed over and he collapsed.

"Eric!" Seth yelled as he forgot about his wounds and exhaustion. He ran to the aid of his friend.