Heavenly Mortals-Act One

IX-Calum

Calum tried to get up. Using his Chakra to stop their fall was a bad idea, but he had no other choice. He could barely stay awake.

"Qi'ra!" He rasped. He tugged at Aetos' arm, "Go after her, you need to go after her,"

"I cannot leave you and Aella alone," Aetos said, looking back and forth between Calum and the woods Qi'ra disappeared into. In this night, there was no telling what was hiding out there, waiting for food.

Calum tried to sit up once again. He fell back down with a grunt. "We can't leave her alone out there, Usoara said we all need to get to the Sword of the Sky!"

"I'll go," Aella said, "I can get away easy if there's anything dangerous,"

"It is too risky, Aella," Aetos replied instantly, "It could be the Apokle-" something appeared out of the shadows and struck Aetos in the back. He grunted and leapt back.

The thing disappeared, melting into shadow.

Qi'ra, Calum thought. But what...

She reappeared. Aetos barely managed to dodge. He unholstered his whip and its light lit up the surroundings. But even in the light, Qi'ra seemed to be able to reappear near him.

This time, she aimed for Calum. Aella managed to disrupt her with a gust of wind. She blew her up in a spiral column of wind. Qi'ra disappeared and tried to strike Calum again. Aetos stopped her.

It's me she wants, Calum thought groggily. He was still paralyzed with exhaustion.

Aetos and Aella stood around him, their heads darting around for Qi'ra's next attack.

"Why is she doing this?" Calum mumbled.

"I have other suspicions, but I believe the demon has won her over," Aetos replied uneasily, "It may very likely be a heart demon inside her,"

Aetos turned invisible and waited for the next strike. When Qi'ra reappeared, he managed to catch her in his whip. She let loose an unholy wail and disappeared.

Aetos gasped as he looked at his whip. The shining matter that was light was now encrusted with a rocky dark substance.

After a few seconds of steaming, Aetos got his whip back to normal. In that time, Aella intercepted three more attacks and Aetos took another hit to the back.

"Aetos!" Calum called.

"I'm fine, my armour protects me," Aetos fell to the ground. His back started steaming as well. When he whirled around awaiting Qi'ra's attack, Calum saw what it was.

Around a large gash, Aetos' armour had lost its golden sheen. It was replaced by black. Cracks formed around it.

Aella floated to Aetos' side. She was positively horrified.

Calum irrationally hoped that Qi'ra would re-emerge and savour their pathetic state, only to be stricken down by Usoara, or any god. But she was an assassin. Assassins didn't do that.

Qi'ra re-emerged from the shadows, her katana-Calum's katana-swinging in a wide arc, as if it was going to devour all three of them in one go.

Time slowed.

Aetos held his whip with both hands and raised himself to block the strike.

Aella cowered, her hands over her head.

Calum whispered a prayer to the Gods, in the language of ancient Granoa.

"megáloi theoí ton palión, parakaló afíste mas na zís. An i anazítisi mas simaínei káti, afíste mas na zísoume gia na tin oloklirósoume,"