Kin of Exile

by Tyler Bunyard

  As he approached Angel’s position, Karrel got his first look at what the dark-eyed individual was capable of. The entirety of Angel’s lower body had been replaced with a dense, black smoke. He had enveloped himself within the cloud, and only bits and parts of his body could be seen through it. Everywhere he moved, a trace of the black fog was left behind him only to evaporate into the air shortly after. Angel’s assault was devastating. His arms and hands would turn black as he clenched his fists, and two small spheres would appear within them. He was attacking a group of pyretiffs, lobbing what looked like condensed balls of the dark mist towards his targets. The globes would explode on contact with the ground, erupting into a plume of shadowy smoke. The black bomb’s aftermath would only last for about a second before disappearing into the air, and though the clouds looked entirely non-threatening, the screams of Angel’s enemies said otherwise. Four pyretiffs, bleeding and barely staying on their feet, attempted to get away from the assault. It was to no avail. Angel tossed a few more of the dark orbs and Karrel watched as the opponents dropped to the ground or disintegrated into pieces.

  Karrel caught up to Angel and dipped behind a small, broken wall. Angel let out a sigh of satisfaction and a small puff of black smoke escaped his lips. He glanced at Karrel, who was still staring at the smoky form of Angel.

  “I told you I didn’t have to worry about those cigarettes,” Angel joked. He then jumped over the cover and soared towards his next group of enemies.

  Karrel took a second to focus himself, deciding that it would be safest to stick near Angel. However, his plan was thwarted before it could begin, as two loud thumps shook the floor next to him. Karrel let his thoughts pour through his lips, “That’s not good..”

  Knowing very well what was going to be behind him, Karrel turned to face his new opponent. A large, easily eight-foot-tall, brooding menace stood before him. The towering, bipedal hunk of meat stood on its tree trunk sized legs, and its arms were just as thick and strong. Every piece of this monster was enormous, and the definition behind its muscles would bring a bodybuilder to tears. Two thick wings were attached to its back, though they were not capable of flight; their primary use was for defense. The brownish-red color, and the horns and lumps distributed throughout the body, mimicked that of a pyretiff. However, whereas the pyretiffs had orange-red streaks of what looked like flowing lava wrapped around their bodies, this demon had green. Where there should be eyes, two solid yellow lights glowed down at Karrel.

  This was a zweichar. Named after the gigantic black sword that they all used. The blades were thick, as tall as the demon itself, and were comprised of a metal that Karrel swore he saw pulse and writhe slightly, as though the weapon was alive and struggling to stay that way. Glowing green runes stared at their next victim. Karrel had faced off against one of these creatures before, so he knew a single thing above all else. His next few minutes were going to be hell.

  The zweichar swiped his sword horizontally, attempting to cleave Karrel in two. Karrel ducked beneath the attack and began sidestepping to get behind the enormous hunk of muscle. He readied another “Discharge” attack and quickly unleashed it at point blank range. The crackling sound of the purple and blue energy filled the room. Unfortunately, even for a beast of this size, the zweichar was quite agile. It flung its sword to the side, and Karrel’s blast of energy connected with the blade. Being knocked back only a few feet, and completely untouched, the demon had effectively parried the attack.

  Karrel unleashed yet another streak of purple and blue energy. This time, the creature brought one of its wings down to cover its own body. The blast connected, and as the smoke cleared, there was minimal damage that could be seen.

  It began to charge towards Karrel, sword above its head. Karrel was not prepared for the swift counterattack. In a chopping motion, the zweichar slammed its blade downwards at its opponent. Swearing underneath his breath, Karrel rapidly let go of his green book and made a short flicking gesture with his wrists. The green book rocketed upwards, towards the oncoming attack, making contact square against the center of the sharp blade. A loud pinging noise erupted as the zweichar’s gigantic sword was deflected out of the way, knocking the demon off balance.

  Karrel called his book back to him, having it fly right into his hand. The book was completely unscathed. A wave of relief washed over him. He had never truly tested how indestructible his little green book was. That sort of usage only came up in dire situations. For that reason, he hated risking any potential damage to it.

  I need something bigger, Karrel thought to himself, as he flipped through the pages of his book. He eventually reached a page with glowing red symbols, representing a single word: “Barrage.” Satisfied with his choice he placed a hand on the symbols and began focusing on the book. A copy of the red runes began wrapping itself around Karrel’s hand, but it was taking longer than the other techniques. This was typical for some of the attacks that Karrel had yet to get the hang of.

  The zweichar had regained its posture and howled in anger, revealing hundreds of razor-sharp teeth. It lurched forward and started to swing its sword in short, swift cleaving motions. Karrel began to back-step, dodging each blow as they came. He ducked when the attacks were high and jumped when the attacks came low, still wrapping the red text around his hand. One of the strikes took him by surprise, and Karrel felt the sharp blade smack against the side of his torso. He was sent flying for a few feet before rolling onto his knees, a cloud of dust following him in his tracks.

  Karrel began to breathe heavily, as he examined the damage that had been done. The orange light surrounding him had dimmed slightly, and he felt a bruise beginning to form underneath the small cut that came from the blade. He was sure that, had he not engulfed himself within the orange aura, that strike would have cleaved him in two. He began to stand up, and pain surged through his side. The orange light may be good at physical protection, but it did not stop Karrel from feeling the blows dealt against him.

  The red text had stopped, and Karrel was now clenching an illuminated, bright green sphere in his hand. His attack was ready. The zweichar, infuriated that its opponent was still in one piece, closed the distance to Karrel. It took a deep breath and unleashed a torrent of searing green flames.

  Karrel leaped into the air, over the fire, and with both legs, kicked hard against the torso of the creature. He sent himself flying backwards, somersaulting through the air, as he launched the green globe toward the ceiling of the cavern. Landing, clutching his side, and looking up, Karrel watched his handiwork set into motion.

  Before the zweichar could take more than two steps forward, the green ball split apart into multiple, smaller iterations of itself. They sat in the air for a brief moment before plummeting towards the earth. Every single one of the miniscule green spheres tracked their target as they rocketed toward the zweichar. Upon reaching the ground they violently burst apart, exploding into an eerie green mist. Body parts were flung across the cavern. The series of explosions tore the demon into pieces, and as the green mist cleared, orange blood could be seen splattered along the floor of the now vacant area.

  The adrenaline of a fresh kill ushered Karrel to search for his next target. He scanned the cave. Puck was currently launching large boulders, as if they were mortar rounds, across the battlefield. He was also kicking a pyretiff in the face while doing so. Three of the unknown figures were coordinating their attack against a group of several zweichars. Bouts of black smoke was erupting around them. Angel seemed to be providing support.

  A nearby roar caught Karrel’s attention. Two nearby pyretiffs had caught sight of Karrel and were now bouncing themselves off of nearby walls to get to him. One of them shot out a glob of molten liquid. Karrel easily sidestepped the attack, the sizzling of ground melting away filling his ears. Karrel took a defensive stance and waited. Both of the demons simultaneously leaped towards their target. Karrel, in one brief move, dodged out of the way, whipping his leg around for a roundhouse kick. The f
orce of the blow sent the pyretiff barreling away, knocking its companion out of the air as well.

  Karrel pressed his newly created advantage, scooping up a sizeable rock nearby. He punted the nearest pyretiff, sending it rolling across the ground for a few feet, and, using the chunk of earth in his hand, he slammed down upon the other demon, crushing its skull. With no time to waste, Karrel headed to finish off the other beast. He jumped on top of it, pinning it to the ground, and began smashing its throat with a flurry of punches.

  Karrel felt a wave of hot air wash over him. His heart sank. He wrenched his head around one-hundred eighty degrees. A zweichar, with its sword raised above its head, was standing over him. The moment froze for Karrel. He would not be fast enough to react to this attack. His aura would most likely prevent the lethality of the strike, but the blow would almost certainly take him out of commission long enough for a follow-up to finish him off. Best case scenario, it would be incredibly painful.

  Just as the zweichar started its downward swing, a blur shot across Karrel’s vision, smacking into the face of the mound of muscle. The bulky beast let out a horrendous howl and dropped to its knees. Karrel could not believe his eyes.

  Standing before him was a girl. She was wearing short-shorts underneath a decorated belt that resembled a short, pleated fishtail skirt along the back and sides, yet was open in the front. She possessed sharp, well-kept claws, and a thin, smooth, long black tail was slowly waving through the air behind her, as if to mock Karrel. It was the girl who had knocked him out, back at the parking structure, with her kiss of death.

  She tilted her head over her shoulder and taunted the baffled boy, “You always this easy to sneak up on?” Her voice, even when poking fun at him, was as mesmerizing to Karrel as the rest of her beautiful figure.

  She turned back toward her opponent, who was getting back onto its feet. She quickly swiped the legs of the zweichar, toppling it back to the ground. She stepped hard onto the throat of her victim, and Karrel watched as the light from the demon’s eyes vanished. There was no form behind the girl’s attack, no semblance of training. Just sheer power.

  “Now– let’s finish up here,” she said with a hint of irritation toward Karrel. “I’m hungry, and I have things to do.” She started her way towards Puck, Angel, and the others, leaving Karrel behind.

  Confusion took hold over Karrel. He was certain that that was the girl who had rendered him unconscious only just a single day ago. Yet, she had most likely just saved his life. The questions that Karrel was collecting had become sickening. If his curiosity was not sated, he was sure that his brain would burst. However, for now, there was a battle that needed to be finished up.

  There were only a few more demons left alive in the cave. Karrel and the others spent a few minutes working together and finishing off the last of the demonic intruders. It was quite surprising how well Angel, Puck, and Karrel worked together, with no prior practice. When one would engage, the other would cover. When help was needed, a teammate would always be nearby. Vocal communication seemed unnecessary. By the time a command could be shouted, someone had already acted. There just seemed to be a sort of connection that had occurred in the midst of the fight.

  It wasn’t long before the battle was over, and the heaps of orange-bleeding creatures all lay motionless on the ground. The very landscape of the cavern had been changed by the confrontation. Where there used to be large boulders, there was now vacant area. Charred rock and smoldering ashes emanated an aroma that rivaled the outside wastelands. It had been a perilous battle, but one thing was for sure. They were victorious.

  One of the three elevators, which lead back down to the base, screeched open. Johnny stepped out. Angel, Puck, and Karrel, having finished their respective battles close to the elevator, were first on the scene to greet him.

  Johnny cautiously walked forward, his hand placed firmly over a belt that he was wearing. Attached to it, were several metallic objects all of which resembled cubes, tetrahedrons, and other platonic solids. He looked ready for battle and questioned the group, “Has the battle come to its conclusion?”

  Puck’s answer was divided by his heavy breathing. “Yep!” he said, as he sucked in a large gulp of air. “Looks like– You missed all of– The fun.”

  Johnny relaxed slightly, taking his hands off of his belt, seemingly disappointed at the answer. “Well, that’s a pity. I had a few things that needed some field testing.” He looked toward Karrel, his expression switching to an impressed demeanor. “I did however, get a glance at our new friend’s method of confrontation. It’s strange but seems to get results.” A smile snuck its way into Johnny’s words, “I especially liked the part where you glowed.”

  Puck, ignoring his fatigue, jumped into the air waving his hands around, “I know, right? When you lasered that thing out of the air– I nearly lost my mind!”

  “It was a pretty sick shot,” Angel punched Karrel on the shoulder, agreeing with Puck.

  All the compliments in the world could not distract Karrel, however. He had one burning question in his mind, and now was as good as any time to ask it.

  “Who was the girl that was helping us fight!?” Karrel blurted out. The immediate change of mood brought surprise to Angel. He could only answer with another question. “Which one?” he asked.

  “You know damn well, which one.” Karrel shouted. “The girl with the friggin’ tail and horns.”

  Angel smiled, realizing where the miscommunication was. Once again, he asked, “Which, one?”

  “What the hell do you mean which one!?”

  “I only ask because– Well, you know what? Why don’t you just look behind you?”

  Karrel turned around, his slowly building rage quenched by the sight in front of him. Four women, each exceeding the known limits of beauty, were walking toward the group. Among them, was the dark haired, decorated-belt-wearing individual that had both saved his life in the past fight, and supposedly tried to kill him last night. The tail and horns were still present, and no attempt was being made to hide them. There was no need. The extra protrusions did not look out of place given the company that she was keeping. All four of the approaching girls were equipped with their own set of horns and a long, smooth, slender tail that waved around as though it had a mind of its own.

  Karrel could not believe his eyes. There were three additional tailed females, and all of them had figures whose perfection rivaled that of the girl who had knocked him out. He had thought before that he would never see another woman as beautiful as the assailant from that night, yet, here before him was evidence that proved him wrong.

  They all were wearing various t-shirts and jackets, and they had orange blood splattered across their bodies. All but one of them wore shorts that were designed to cover as little skin as possible. The one that was not in shorts had dressed herself with long, black sweats and a dark hoody that was easily two sizes bigger than it needed to be. Short black hair, with dark-blue highlights that could barely be seen, flowed down to her shoulders. She was the shortest of the group by several inches and was quietly listening to the banter of the blonde girl in front of her.

  The blonde girl’s hair was curly, but neatly tied in a long ponytail, and she was of an average height. Her body movements, while she spoke, were vibrant and she seemed extraordinarily happy to be engaged in conversation. She was expressing jealousy, toward the dark-clothed damsel, of her ability to fight wearing longer clothes without ruining them.

  At her side was a red-headed female who was questioning the blonde, asking why she would choose to wear more, rather than less. She was the tallest of the group yet seemed to wear the shortest apparel. There was no attempt whatsoever at modesty in both her attire and her demeanor. As the girls conversed, it was blatantly obvious that the recent battle did not seem to have any effect on their cheery mood.

  The four girls approached the group of boys, walking past them and completely ignoring the new addition of Karrel. The blonde girl waved at the group a
s she said, “Hey Johnny, the girls and I are going to go wash up. You can introduce us to the new guy tomorrow, yeah? It’s been a long day.” Her voice was strong, yet playful enough to tell that she was trying to be cute with her words.

  Stepping onto one of the open elevator platforms, and smacking a switch on the wall, the four girls plummeted towards the hideout as the huge metal doors grinded to a close behind them.

  Karrel whipped his attention back toward Angel. “Okay… Explain.”

  Angel at Johnny, who immediately nodded his head. “Alright,” Angel began, “Might as well disclose some of the details now and save some time. The thing that attacked you yesterday, was a succubus. It’s an incredibly rare form of demon. The girls that you just saw walk by, are all succubi. In fact, they’re all sisters. Sisters, and demons.”

  Karrel listened intently as Angel explained, but his thoughts were in chaos. He had never seen any intelligent demons before. He had always assumed that they were all feral creatures of some sort. However, the four females he had just encountered were as human as they came, with the exception of the tails and horns of course.

  Angel continued, “Look. We weren’t kidding about helping people, Karrel. It’s what we do. However, saving the occasional city or town is small time stuff. We’ve been trying to work on a larger scale. This bigger picture will hopefully include you in the nearby future, and we can explain all the nitty gritty details then. All you need to know right now, is that the girls have entered an agreement with us. They have information on how all of this demonic stuff works. They help us by supplying info,” Angel pointed out toward the recent battlefield, “and joining in on the occasional brawl. In exchange, we provide them with a hiding spot,” Angel glanced slightly away from Karrel, “and sustenance.”

  “What do you mean by hiding spot, and what exactly do you mean by sustenance?” Karrel was demanding answers at this point.