"Unexpectancy" - Maru's Story

Ch.7 - "The Fearless Zora"

Aleister, Lyze, and Maru had conversated after Maru's match, deciding what they'll do next. They had decided that Lyze will try to get in contact with Zora.

Aleister and Maru decide to walk back through the woods to Maru's house so he rest after his match. Aleister carefully took precautions when telling Maru his feelings.
"Maru, since we both know we like each other, I wanted to ask you something..."
"Uh...yeah! Go ahead!"
Maru looked over with a puzzled expression on his face. He tried to figure out what more he could ask for other than his help.
"I wanted to know, I mean yeah I know there's a lot going on in your life! I just wanted to...spend some time with you."
Maru looked worried. He didn't know what to think. He had just met Aleister, and they only had one goal.
"I don't think this right time we should be doing this. Yeah I love you, but clearly we've got bigger problems that need taken care of."
Maru was still unsure of Aleister. He had feelings for him, but there's no such thing as love at first site. After all, if they did date, what would they do after they stop Aleister's dad? It was something that Maru pondered on as they walked.

Just then they both heard a nose coming from at least a few feet in front of them. It was a peircing screech that caused the trees to shake, even though it was only the waves of sound.
"No way...he's already started..." Aleister said with a worried, whispered voice.
"Started what!? What was that?"
Aleister looked over, realizing that Maru had heard him. Aleister tried to figure out a way to tell Maru what could be approaching them, but it'd only scare him to the point where he'd freeze up.
"It's a Daemon..."
The Daemons looked like Aleister's dad, but inexplicably worse. He knew that if Maru saw it, he'd only get hurt because he'd never seen a creature as gruesome as a Daemon. Aleister started having second thoughts about Maru.
"Maru, get behind me."
"What for? You asked me to help didn't you?! I'll fight by your side no matter what happens!"
"Look, Maru, these things are way worse than my dad. They won't hesitate to kill you. That's their goal and they won't forget it..."
"Then why'd you make us walk through the woods!"
"I thought it'd be romantic!"
Just then, the Daemon exploded through the trees in front of them. It didn't even glance at Aleister, it's sights were straight on Maru. Maru stared up at the huge being. It looked like had no physical form, the only the thing Maru could decipher was a great, gaping jaw. It's body just seemed to be a deep purple aura. It looked as if when you stared in it, you'd see souls being tortured endlessly. It's aura dragged along the ground, just like Aleister's dad. Maru trembled at the sight of this beast.
"Maru! Stay focused!
It launched at Maru, who was trying his best to move, but couldn't. Aleister barely deflected the attack on his own.
"Aleister! I-I'm sorry! I'll stay focused!"
Aleister was limping from the impact he made with his leg into the beast, but he still wouldn't back down. Maru had an idea. He surrounded Aleister in his feather aura, lifting him into the air from danger.
"What the hell do you think you're doing! You're gonna get yourself killed! Maru, put me down!
"If I wanna help you, I gotta face my fears! I'm a pure assassin right? If he's made of a dark essence, my attacks 'll do more damage."
"Maru you ca-"
The beast launched at Maru, who almost dropped Aleister while trying to dodge. He charged his scythe and rushed at the Daemon. He sliced straight through it, but when he reared around it, he realized it had regained it's shape. Maru striked again, this time surrounding his scythe in his gum aura, hopefully catching the particles of the Daemon. His aura seemed to reflect off the form of the beast, having no effect on it.
"Maru, you can't do this alone! You don't even know how to defeat it!"
Just then, the Daemon landed a direct hit on Maru's side, causing him to kneel. Maru felt warmth on his side, hoping it's not what he thought it was. He didn't bother to look at or touch his side. Thinking of what the warmth was caused by made him nauseous, which was followed by him dropping Aleister. Aleister stood in front of Maru, who was close to tears because of the pain he began to feel.
"Bring it on! I'm not scared of you!"
Maru admired Aleister's braveness. Even though he had made a stupid mistake, Aleister still took charge, never giving up. He envied Aleister.

"Ha! Look who I found!"
A confident, yet sarcastic voice came from seemingly nowhere. Maru could've guessed who it was, if he wasn't in pain. Aleister got frustrated because he thought that it might be another problem.
"Oh what now? See what happens when you don't listen!"
"I'm sorry Aleister! I just wanted to prove to you that I could do something!"
The scratchy voice cut in "Hahaha, you two are not good for each other!"
Suddenly, Maru and Aleister saw the ground grow beneath them. They rised to see a figure standing on another pillar. Maru closely examined the figure, then called out to it.
"Zora?! Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be training?"
She looked beat up. Her hair was still spiky and loose, just how it was when Maru and her were kids, except it grew past her neck. She had a Stern smile on her face. She had a cut on the right side of her face, wore a bandage horizontally on her nose, and her arms were dirty with bruises. She had on a yellow and orange striped shirt that was short sleeved along with a yellow bandana around her neck. Her jeans were rolled up past her ankles, exposing a lot of dirt, hinting that she had been wandering for a long time. She left about two years ago claming she knew of someone who could teach her a new way to fight. Now that Maru thought about it, he realized she must have meant the manipulation of aura.
"Lyze insisted that I come help you! Also, these things are appearing everywhere!"
Her weapon was a whip. It was surrounded with an aura the color of an yellow sunflower. Aleister seemed reluctant to speak to her.
"So you're Zora huh? So what you gonna do? Whip it to death?"
Zora snickered, proclaiming that she defeated one of the Daemons before.
"Watch and learn kids!"
She shot a quick smile at them before she dove head first into the forest. She seemed more brave than Maru and Aleister combined. Since they were up so high, they didn't see her after she dove past the top of the trees. Aleister smirked. He didn't believe she could do it.
"It takes a lot to defeat a demon...I'd be damned if this girl can do it quicker than I do!"
Aleister was getting cocky, thinking he was the smartest and strongest out of Maru and his friends. The pillar that Aleister and Maru were standing on began to descend.
"Maru, ready yourself!"
Aleister was ready to fight, but when they got to ground level, Zora was in the place the Daemon was when it first appeared.
"Where'd it go? What'd you do?!"
"Hey Maru, you alright?"
"Yeah, it's just a scratch..."
"That seems like more than a paper cut." Zora chuckled.
Aleister got even more annoyed and frustrated with the way Zora ignored his questions. He tried to figure out her abilities, but he didn't know much about her. He only knew she could somehow summon pillars.
"Um, I'm kind of hurt too you know..."
"Oh! Sorry! I tend to put the people that I know first when it comes to a situation like this! After all, you don't look too injured."
Zora had covered Maru's cut with her bandana. Aleister was jealous when he didn't get attention for being the brave one between Maru and him.
"Come on let's get you to your place!"
Zora gave Maru a warm smile. That was something she rarely did. She was always more of a tomboy to Maru. He treated her like his big sister, even though she was younger and shorter than him.
"What about me?" Aleister snapped at Zora.
"Your legs aren't broken, you can walk."
Aleister really didn't take a liking towards Zora.

End of Ch.7