Dogs VS Demons
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Five minutes earlier.
The sound of a distant flute is heard, causing Rose to wake up and move outside.
“Rose, where are you going?” Scarlet asks.
“Just going to the toilet…”
“Okay.”
Meanwhile in the Bloodhound’s wagon, a glowing white bell chimes causing everyone to shoot awake in a panic.
“Taric! Status report!”
Closing his eyes for a few seconds the mercenary with the scarf answers, “Tier 5 Demon up the road. It’s using a sonic type illusion ability…Fuck! And it has charmed Thoma Ahad.”
“Shit, let’s run. In formation! Go, go, go!”
Martin: Greater boost defense, greater boost endurance, greater boost speed, limit break: speed, lesser boost speed, greater boost strength, limit break: strength, minor boost strength, minor magic resistance, minor magic sense.
Cory: Greater boost defense, limit break: defense, moderate boost defense, greater boost endurance, limit break: endurance, moderate boost endurance, greater boost speed, greater boost strength, magic resistance, minor magic sense.
Daniel: Greater boost defense, greater boost endurance, limit break endurance: moderate boost endurance, greater boost speed, greater boost strength, limit break: strength, moderate boost strength.
Susan: Moderate boost defense, greater boost endurance, greater boost speed, limit break: speed, moderate boost speed, greater boost strength.
Taric: Moderate boost defense, greater boost endurance, greater boost speed, limit break: speed, greater boost speed, greater boost strength, trap sense, magic sense, minor magic resistance.
Maria: Greater boost speed, moderate boost endurance, minor boost defense.
Quickly the Bloodhounds charge forward while yelling, “Attack!”
Taric, the fastest of them, speeds past them all and runs towards Rose who is currently approaching a leather skinned 3 meter tall, humanoid goat creature with an additional giant mouth filled with razor sharp teeth coming from their belly. It has four arms and uses two of them to play a flute.
Noticing the Bloodhounds approaching, the demon runs towards Rose causing Taric to throw a smoke bomb at it, grab Rose by the collar and throw her backwards.
At this point the Shooting Stars are all awake and combat ready and running towards the commotion.
Martin, seeing this, runs towards Rayla and yells, “Thoma Ahad has been charmed! Make him eat this! It will help.”
After that all of the Bloodhounds form a defensive line in front of Rose and Martin yells back, “Snap out of it, Thoma Ahad!”
Delirious, with glazed over eyes, Rose asks, “What? What are you talking about!?” then suddenly gets mad and yells, “Hey stop that! Don’t hurt her!”
She then tries to get up but Rayla stops her by pinning her to the ground.
“You need to calm down, Rose.”
The others then join as Rose wildly struggles, trying to get out of Rayla’s grip with a crazed look on her face.
“You need to calm down, Rose!”
John joins and says, “Rose? Can you hear me, you need to relax.”
“Let go of me, monster!”
“Shit, she’s completely out of it.”
“I know what will help.” Putting her arm in front of Rose’s face, Scarlet says, “Smell it.”
“No!”
“Smell it, Rose!”
Taking a sniff, her expression goes from disgust and panic to confusion.
“Wh-What did you do to Scarlet!?”
“I am Scarlet! It’s me!” Scarlet cries out to her.
Seemingly calmed down, Rose begins to cry, “Is it really you? What happened to you? Who did this to you!?”
“Nothing happened to me! Something happened to you! I got this from Martin, he said it will help, eat it.”
Bringing the herbal candy that Martin gave Rayla to her mouth Rose seems to strongly want to refuse it.
“Rose, please! Trust me. No matter what you see, it’s me. Just trust me, okay?”
“What’s my favorite toys’ name?”
“Hoppy of course.”
“Okay, I trust you…”
She then opens her mouth and Scarlet quickly puts the candy inside, causing Rose to fall unconscious.
Meanwhile the Bloodhounds are engaging the demon in combat. Maria begins by holding up her scepter and singing,
“To those wandering the path of darkness,
Heed the call of our Lady,
Her Song a guiding voice,
Her Light a guiding beacon,
The Darkness is but the lack of her presence,
As you feel her by your side you will know bliss,
You will know love and affection,
Oh blessed are we the lost ones,
We did not know of your light,
Your embrace and love,
Now that we feel your light we are complete,
We will from now forever dance in your sight,
Mara our guiding light.”
Serene instruments and dancing lights surround the bodies of the Bloodhounds as the demon charges at them and Cory stands in its way like a bulwark completely blocking the initial approach of the giant goat but slowly getting pushed back.
Seeing as their flute is not working on them, the demon swallows it to free up its other pair of arms and swipes at Cory. Before the attacks can connect though, both Martin and Dalan slam their weapons down on it. Martin severely wounds it and Dalan completely breaks all bones within the other arm. Shrieking loudly the demon takes a step back.
Using this opportunity Susan makes some hand signs and chants, “Sacred geometry, third form. Sealing Pyramid!”
Slamming her hands on the ground a tremor moves towards the demon and three walls, intricately inscribed with different sacred texts, spring forth from beneath its feet all pushing up, pressing down on its neck, leaving the demon unable to move and its head exposed.
Maria then stops her chant and begins to cast a different spell, “Great Helios, I beseech thee,” she says as sunlight rains down on her, starting to burn her skin, “God of the Sun, Ruler of the Day. Destroy the demon that stains this world. Sun Beam!”
When she finishes, the light stops burning her and from the sky a blinding beam of sunlight descends on the demon causing it to burn and shriek in pain, melting off its skin and making the sealing pyramid crumble to dust.
In the fading Sunlight now lies a half dead demon. The entire top of its body reduced to skeletal remains, its lower mouth speaks in a deep guttural voice, “Now evah uoy kniht t'nod. Etag eht tsuj m'I. Lavirra ruoy eveihca ot dlrow siht ni mrof ym pu evig I ,doolb yb dnuob retsam. Etag krad! Giagiagia.”
The demon's body is then engulfed in dark flame and burns to ash. From the pile of ash, a black door starts to materialize causing Martin to yell, “Tier three or higher incoming! In formation!”
The Bloodhounds get in formation again as the door slowly creaks open. From it a famished looking deer creature with glowing blue eyes and a deer skull as a face steps through. Pointing at the Bloodhounds it screeches, “Surrender the seed and-”
Before it can finish its sentence an arrow of pure light pierces through its heart, causing it and the gate behind it to burn and turn to ash.
Turning around in surprise, the Blood Hounds look at the saintess who is wielding a white bow with a string made of light. On her back are a pair of white angelic wings and she is covered in white armor that looks like a dress.
Running at them like a schoolgirl with a weak constitution she asks, “Are you Huff are you all, alright?”
Kneeling down in front of her Martin answers, “Yes. Thank you, your Holiness.”
“Good, step aside, I need to hallow these remains so that they won’t rise again anytime soon. Gods on high, hear my plea, hallow and seal these demons and send them to the holy ground.”
As she prays, two spectral coffins with the circle symbol of the church materialize, envelop the ashes and disappear.
“It is done now, let us return to camp.”
Both her armor and bow then disappear and a white metallic bracelet appears on her arm in its stead.