The Demon's Travels. Sanctum.

I make my Last Stand.

I was drowning. 

I could feel water going into my lungs, and my eyes rolling into the back of my head as I thrashed about in a panic. There was something gripping my ankles, the rope from before. The rope we used to tie our tubes together, it had gotten caught on something at the bottom of the river. 

The current tossed me around underwater as my body went into full panic mode. I was blind. I couldn't see anything, I needed air, my lungs were filling up with water. 

Suddenly, a hand grabbed my wrist as I felt a blade swing through the water past my face, slashing straight through the rope on my ankles. 

I was pulled out of the water, vomiting and coughing as Medi grabbed me by armpits, pulling me onto the muddy shore next to the port.  His splint was in shambles as he growled in pain, standing on his broken leg while he pulled me through the mud.  "Come on! No time to rest. Come on! To the city gates, we need to get to-"

"WHAM!"

I fell down as Medi was sent flying by a casual kick from Felvy. I watched, still gasping for air as Medi was sent smashing straight through a tree in a cloud of dust. 

"No!" I gasped. "Medi-!"

A set of clawed fingers grabbed my throat, stopping me from speaking as I choked horribly. 

"Ahh, I love this sight, such pain!" said Felvy as she held me in the air by my throat. "Look into my eyes girl! I want to see the pain and hopelessness as the life leaves your very body! Heehee! Come on! Come on, yes that's the spirit!"

"Bang!!!" 

A powerful streak of red energy exploded into Felvy's head. 

Agnese was approaching us, the black gun I had received for Christmas drawn in her hands. She fired multiple shots over and over into Felvy's body without hesitation. But each and every magical bullet merely flattened as it came into contact with Felvy's skin. 

She scowled at Agnese as she caught a magic energy bullet in her teeth and spat it out. "You're ruining the fun!!"

She swiped an arm to her side and a shockwave blasted out, sending Agnese sprawling before her head hit a rock and she crumpled into the mud, blood dripping from her hair. 

"Agnese!" I choked. "Ag.. nese! No!"

"Oho! I think she's dead!" said Felvy gleefully as she threw me into the mud and stomped on my chest. I felt a few of my ribs fracture as she pressed me further into the ground, the mud digging up around my shoulders and spreading it's filth over my shoulders. 

"Coward." I gasped. 

Felvy stopped crushing my ribs. Her eyes went cold and wide.  There was a silence in the air. A silence only broken by the pain I was feeling.  

"You heard me." I rasped. "You can't even fight fair, can you?"

Felvy scowled at me deep enough to melt a volcano.  She took her foot off my chest slowly. "You dare? I am Felvy The Tiger, the greatest Martial Artist Student to ever graduate from the school of the Lion.  We are not cowards! We run into battle, we run with acceptance of death. We run into the fray fully expecting blood!"

"Then prove it!" I spat, blood dripping from my lips as I stood up now, with great effort. "Prove it if you're so grand."

Felvy bent down and picked up Agnese's backpack which had dropped into the mud when she had fallen. She unzipped it and pulled out my shield, my sword, and my armor, tossing them into the mud in front of me. "Fine then."