So, a very long time ago, akagami-no-rae drew Shirayuki, Zen, and Obi as magical peoples. And I asked her if I could write a thing based off of that drawings. And she probably thinks I forgot BUT. I. DID. NOT. HA! The idea grew very slowly and slowly, and the final result took me MONTHS. I do really like where it went however, and now instead of a one shot this is going to be another chapter story. Sorry, Rae! XD Anyways, look forward to more, and I hope you enjoy! Remember, Review!
Shirayuki let her shawl fall back with a sigh of relief. It was a brilliant summer day, the earth was simply humming with the joy of the sunshine. There had been quite a chaotic storm last night. It had halted Shirayuki's travels and put her behind schedule, but she simply couldn't rush through the forest while it was in such a great mood. She stepped delicately, her shoes worn but comfortable. Both her hands held her basket out in front of her. The summer may have been ending, but the earth didn't seem to mind. For now, it was still hot, and so for now, it would still flourish.
Shirayuki stopped when a familiar scent reached her nose. She turned and found a small flower attempting to bloom in between the roots of a tree. It was small, the stem thin and tinted a bit brown. It was leaning to the side, trying to catch a ray of sunlight around a leaf. Shirayuki felt a little bad, so she knelt in front of it. She brushed her fingers against its soft petals, then turned and looked up with a squint. When she located the branch that was covering the sun, she lifted her hand and extended her energy. She could feel the tree's rock hard spirit at first resisting hers. But when it realized she only wished for the safety of another, it lessened just enough for her to push through.
Once that was done, she simply moved her hand. The branch turned just enough to allow a ray of sunshine to break through. Shirayuki stepped out of the way and watched the flower lift happily to taste the light. She smiled.
Then she felt a pulse of energy press against the bottoms of her feet. She jumped and stood, looking around wildly. The earth warned her that something was coming.
She felt another pulse and heard the unsaid message. She turned just in time to see a large shape leap from the bushes and into her. The breath was knocked out of her, and she was shoved off her feet. The back of her head smashed into the tree, and she felt the drop in energy as her arm crushed the poor flower. She slid downwards, her sight a haze of lights and green blur. But in the middle, a dark shadow snarled. Shirayuki could make nothing out of the shape. It didn't seem humanoid, with something like two horns or ears sticking upwards. Shirayuki groaned as the world spun and the dark shape let out a guttural snarl. Another spot of color broke through the shadow-gleaming white.
Before Shirayuki saw more, a magnificent orange flash appeared all across the shadow's form. It howled like a desperate wolf and grew smaller. Something like a head swung to the side, then the shadow bolted in the other direction.
"You're not getting away this time!" Shirayuki felt the pounds of the earth reach out to her as a blur of orange darted through her vision - this one about the size of a human.
Shirayuki's breath slowed and she buried her hand through the stalks of grass, asking for protection and healing as her conscious faded.
Zen was having a weird day, but this was new.
He scratched his head, unsure what to do. He felt out of place in this glade, all the sunlight bright and warm even through the shade of the thick leaves. He flicked his cape out of the way of his arm as he knelt on the grass. He reached forward carefully and hovered his fingers in front of the girl's slightly parted lips.
She was still breathing, which also didn't make sense.
He stood again, and stared up at the tree in front of him. It looked perfectly normal, older than time and covered with moss. But the girl wasn't covered in dirt or dead. He looked down again.
The roots of the tree had the girl entangled. Her head was untouched but a pad of moss grew under it like a pillow. Zen could see her torso faintly through the threads of earth covered roots, and her legs were sticking out. Her one hand rested facing the sky, her other lost somewhere in the tangle of roots.
Zen pursed his lips and looked back to the trail. He could see the faint shimmer in the air easily even in this broad daylight. Frowning, he waved his hand through it. The air felt thicker and responded slower as his skin passed through it. A few trails of orange spots appeared only for a millisecond in the disturbed trail. Leftovers of fire magic.
The daimon was here.
Zen started back at the girl, who muttered sleepily. She didn't seem hurt, but it was rare for the daimon not to attack. Zen had him on the run for days now, he hadn't let the monster stop to eat. Surely he was hungry enough to eat a lone human girl in the woods.
Which reminded Zen that he didn't have time to untangle this girl. He wished he could magically free her, but his magic was weaker without the stars visible. It would take time, and he didn't have much of that.
Finally, Zen knelt again and gently touched the girl on the temple. It seemed like the best place, since her shoulder was currently covered with a root. "Excuse me, miss?" He asked.
She groaned softly and shifted. Her fingers twitched and she curled them into a fist.
Immediately, the roots lifted off over her and multiple slapped Zen in the chest. He gasped with surprise and shock and somersaulted backwards. He came up standing, surprised and ready to fight.
Instead, the roots stayed frozen in the air. All the tips were pointed towards him. As Zen absent mindedly rubbed his chest, the red haired girl stirred. She blinked blearily and reached up to touch her head with a small wince. When she noticed the suspended roots, her green eyes cleared. She rolled slightly and faced Zen with no small amount of shock. "Who are you?" She asked.
"I was going to ask you the same thing." Zen grunted, rubbing his chest. The roots had hit him hard enough to probably leave a bruise.
She took him in, scanning him not too subtly up and down. Zen always felt conspicuous in his royal appointed clothing, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't like them. Even his cape, which seemed ridiculous when he first saw it, was now one of his favorite parts of the outfits. Besides, it was woven from moonlight - he couldn't complain about that. Yet still, it felt like too much - especially now in front of this girl. "I'm Zen." He stated.
"I'm-I'm Shirayuki." She managed. She sat up. He opened his mouth to warn her about the roots, but they bent around her easily. Zen watched in shock as she gently touched her fingertips to the roots. "Thank you for protecting and healing me."
The roots simply lowered down and burrowed themselves into the earth and out of sight. They shook back and forth to burrow themselves. Shirayuki got to her knees and curled over with her back to him.
"Are you alright, Shira-" Zen cut himself off as he walked forward. Shirayuki wasn't crying, like he originally suspected. Instead, the ground had somehow smoothed out again though there were no prints to show she had patted it down. Her hands were cupped over the ground. Slowly, she lifted her curved hands upwards and a small stem followed. As he watched the top of the stem grow a small bud, and the bud begin to blossom, it occurred to him that he had met a Earth witch.
Shirayuki turned and blinked to find him so close. Zen jumped back. "Ah, sorry. I thought you were hurt."
Shirayuki reached up and absentmindedly rubbed the back of her head. "I did hit my head, but the tree healed me." She touched the base of the tree softly. "Thank you." She whispered.
Zen held out his hand for her and she took it. He started to help her up when he stiffened. She froze as well. Her eyes widened in surprise and she looked up into his. "You're a wizard!" She gasped.
"I am." He confirmed. "And you're a witch." A powerful witch. He thought. But he didn't say it.
The slight pulse of each other's magic touching held them still a moment longer, until it was a little awkward. For a tense moment wondered if their magics would lash out at each other. It wasn't exactly the impression Zen wanted to make, but he didn't have a lot of choice over the matter. Magic energies sometimes collided. Sometimes they fused. It was ultimately up to them.
This time though, their magics accepted each other. Both witch and wizard unfroze with a sigh of relief. Zen helped Shirayuki to her feet. She brushed off her skirt and readjusted her shawl. Then she reached down, only to gasp and stand again. She spun around, scanning the ground.
"Did you lose something?" Zen asked.
"Yes!" She looked around again then back at him. "Did you see a basket when you found me?" She held up her hands to indicate the size. "It's about this big. Dark brown?"
Zen shook his head, a sinking feeling in his stomach. "No. But I think I know where it might have gone." He looked out to the trail. It was already starting to fade, the air clearing itself out.
"Where?" Shirayuki tried to follow his gaze, but of course she saw nothing.
Zen refocused on her. "I'm chasing a Damion. It's a being made up of the darkest night, and it's been terrorizing my country for weeks now. You're lucky to have lived - it's known for eating anything in its way."
Shirayuki blanched, but her voice remained steady. "What's a Damion? Where did it come from?"
Zen was getting a little impatient. If the trail disappeared, the Damion would as well. "I can explain that while we walk. That is, if you want to come with me."
"Come with you?" She repeated.
Zen nodded at the tree, which looked like it hadn't moved in thousands of years. "You seem like a powerful witch. The damion has your basket. I don't know how important it is to you, but if you want to continue on I could bring it back to you-"
"No, I need the basket. No one else can touch it." She interrupted, adjusting her clothes and pulling her hair free from her shawl. It tumbled down her back in bright red waves, tied by a small blue ribbon. Zen caught himself staring and jerked his gaze away.
"Why not?"
Shirayuki hesitated. "Um...it's complicated?"
Zen didn't have time to question it more. "Then you'll explain on the way." He lifted his hand to the trail. The air was softer, definitely. "Follow me."
"How do you know where it went?" Shirayuki asked as Zen stepped forward and over a bush. She scanned the ground as they began to walk. "I don't see any footprints, and I can't sense any dark magic."
Zen paused to wave his hand through the air. It felt sticker to the left, so he turned and nearly walked into a tree. He coughed as Shirayuki smiled discreetly. She had never met another wizard before. She knew of them, but had actually been close enough for her magic to test itself against another's. "Um, sorry. I'm a Celestial Wizard. I can sense Night."
"Huh?"
"It's hard to explain." Zen scratched his head. "Night magic is a form of dark magic. It's the oldest and most powerful, and it can't be used by human wizards."
"Why not? I thought Dark Magic could always be harnessed with sacrifices."
"Not Night Magic." Zen ducked under a massive leaf. He glanced at Shirayuki. Jealousy itched at him. The forest was bending itself out of her way. Roots dug in deeper so she couldn't trip, bushes parted their branches, and the sunlight lit her path easily. He bit back his jealousy and focused on moving forward. "Night Magic doesn't like humans. You try to harness it, and it will come back and eat you alive."
"Is it sort of like how each magic has it's own personality?"
"Exactly like that. Night Magic's personality is evil and hate filled. Sometimes it makes these Damions to attack humans, just because it can." He felt the air again. "My magic is it's exact opposite, so it's my job to slay them."
"What is your magic? I've never met another wizard whose magic is so…" She grasped for the right word.
Zen had to smile. "I'm a Celestial Wizard. I use the magic of the starlight and moonlight."
Shirayuki nodded. "Out of this world, I guess then."
Zen smiled. "I've never heard that one before."
Shirayuki gently shoved his shoulder. He felt something in his chest flutter a bit, but he tried to ignore it. "Answer me this then. If you harness the power of the stars and the moon, can you do any magic in the day?" Shirayuki pressed on.
He nodded. "The stars don't go away just because the sun's out. My power is weakened, yes, but I can still do basic spells."
"And you can sense Night Magic?"
"I can sense all magic." He corrected. "The stars see everything, right? I feel everything. The air is always altered in some way around magics."
"What is the air like around me?"
Soft as a flower, sweet and cool. Zen thought. Aloud he said; "Gentle. You're nearly invisible in the forest. If I met you in a city, you would feel like the forest."
"Um, alright?"
Zen immediately wanted to facepalm. He was really laying on the charm today, wasn't he?
"Can you sense your own magic?" She continued.
"In the air?"
"Yes."
"No. Can you sense yours?"
She paused. "Oh, no. I suppose not. It was a silly question."
Zen shook his head. "Don't worry about it."
They walked on for silence for a few minutes, before Shirayuki suddenly stopped. "What's that?" She gasped and rushed in front of Zen, a bush parting for her.
Zen blinked. "What?" Then a small breeze picked up just enough for him to smell smoke. For a moment, his chest tightened with worry. But it couldn't have been the Damion, it's trail led away from where Shirayuki had run.
He wanted to stomp. He couldn't let the Damion rest for even a minute. But this might take up even more precious time he couldn't afford. He took a deep breath, then lifted his hand to the sky. He opened his palm and bent his fingers, closing his eyes. He called out to the closest star he could. The sky shifted slightly before dropping a single ball of blue light - like a teardrop. It landed perfectly in Zen's palm, glowing and spinning. Zen brought it away from the sky and pressed his lips against it. The energy tickled his mouth as he whispered to the star. He pulled back and straightened his hand, and the star zipped through the trees and deeper into the forest, now bent on torturing the Damion until Zen could get to it.
Feeling a little drained, he waded through the bush after Shirayuki and away from the trail. He tried to feel for any magic, but right after he had summoned a star in the day his senses were slower.
"Zen, come help!" Shirayuki called.
Zen turned and followed her voice. He found her by her hair, a bright spot of red in a sea of green. She was leaning over something charred and smoking. Zen ran forward and knelt next to the witch. He gasped at what she was staring at.
It was a man. He was curled over on the grass, not moving. His skin was pale, and he looked like he was barely breathing. His hair was messy, which Zen found astonishing. It was so short, how could it be that wild? His clothes were a matching shade of dust brown but his vest had green and blue coloring down his front. He wore a black shirt under the vest, and he had a scarf tied around his waist.
"Is he breathing?" Zen asked.
"I...I don't know. I can't touch him." Shirayuki reached out cautiously. As soon as her hand went within two inches of him, her skin hissed and steam rose. She pulled her hand back and waved it through the air with a wince.
"Are you okay?" Zen asked.
"Fine, but I don't know how to help him." Shirayuki looked around.
Zen took a deep breath and reached out with his senses cautiously. It took a moment, but when he did finally receive the man's magic, he jumped. He grabbed Shirayuki's arm and pulled her back a little. "Careful, he's a fire demon."
Shirayuki stared at him. "But wouldn't you have sensed him before me?"
"This is a demon. Not a Damion. Not what I'm hunting." Zen lowered his head to stare in the face of the fire demon. His features were relaxed, for all Zen knew he was just taking a nap.
"What's the difference?" Shirayuki asked nervously.
"Fire demons are living beings, they can speak English, and don't eat humans. They're just a bit...well, different."
Shirayuki seemed to relax a bit. "Oh. So, he's safe?"
"Not necessarily. Fire demons have powerful magic and also are known for their deception and trickery. Of course, most of that is rumor, but I've met a few...Well, anyways, what's he doing here?" Zen tried to reach down towards the demon, but his skin prickled uncomfortably at the magic around him.
I can do this. Zen thought. He pushed through the magic and went to touch the demon's shoulder. When his skin connected, Zen's magic nestled. He relaxed only slightly, as the magic was still protective of the demon. But Zen's magic had melded easily with this demon's, it was acting like a cat rubbing against a leg for attention.
The demon moaned slightly, and that's when Zen could feel how weak he was. Zen pulled his hand away and grasped it, hiding the burns. "The Daimon got to him." He informed Shirayuki.
"What does that mean? Will he be okay?" Shirayuki demanded. She thrust her shawl out of the way of her arm, and Zen's eyes noticed her shirt was in tatters - looking as if it had recently been burned. But he didn't ask, as Shirayuki knelt near the fire demon and tired once more to break the protective shield the demon's magic gave off. She hissed in pain as a result and drew back her hand.
"He's alive, so his chances are good." Zen breathed. "I can't tell if the Damion broke skin or not."
"What does that matter?"
Zen leveled himself to look Shirayuki in the eyes. "If they touch the blood of their victims, Damions can destroy their essence."
Shirayuki covered her mouth. "Is the demon's essence gone?" She looked to the tree the demon was nestled against. She pressed her palm against it and closed her eyes.
While she worked her Earth Magic, Zen once more thrust his already hurt hand through the magic shield and to the demon. He pulled the demon from the ground - or tried too.
The demon's eyes suddenly flew open. With a gasp and a startled yell, the demon grabbed Zen's wrist and twisted it as he spun, pulling Zen so his face was inches away from the demon's.
As stated, weird day.
"Who are you?!" The demon snarled. His eyes glowed molten gold, his skin was almost gray - though Zen suspected his skin color was much tanner usually, he was just very weak. His hair stuck up in short, small bits all around the top of his head. His vest looked more ceremonial than anything, and it was slipping off his one shoulder. His torso was littered with scars, and that was only the bits that Zen could see.
Zen grunted as his arm laced with pain. "Not your enemy." He managed. He glanced at Shirayuki, but she hadn't moved from the tree.
When the demon followed his gaze, Zen spoke quickly.
"Neither is she!"
The demon met his eyes again. "Alright, then." He let Zen's arm go.
Zen pulled it back and groaned, rubbing his joints.
"I'm only trusting you because of your magic." The demon said. He pulled his one knee up and used it to rest his elbow on, as if he hadn't just been most likely knocked unconcious. He waved his other in a two fingered salute of greeting. "I go by Obi. I have other names too."
"Uh…"
Shirayuki suddenly unfroze. She opened her eyes, the green in her irises glowing and shifting with power. "No." She breathed. "No no no!" She shot to her feet.
"What's wrong?" Zen asked, standing as well.
"My basket. He's going to use him!" Shirayuki started to pace, so Zen grabbed her shoulder to stop her and make her face him.
"Shirayuki, please. Calm down a minute."
Shirayuki still looked uneasy.
Obi moved to stand as well, making both Zen and Shirayuki jump. "What's the problm, Miss?"
"Oh, uh, sorry. You're okay?" Shirayuki moved a step away from both of them with her hand on her heart. Zen didn't miss how she pulled her hood over her head.
"I think so." Obi shrugged, expecting himself. He didn't seem to notice Shirayuki's unease. "Although I can't access my magic as well anymore." He looked at Zen. "Is that temporary?"
"If you're blood has been touched by the Damion, then no."
Obi blinked. "I'm good then!" He looked at Shirayuki. "So, what's the problm, Miss?"
Shirayuki bit her lip, something Zen couldn't help but stare at. "The forest tells me the Damion is trying to access my basket. We need to get to him."
"I sent a star, he should be kept busy." Zen offered.
Both Shirayuki and Obi started at him blankly.
Obi pointed in confusion, his gloves steaming slightly. "A star?"
"It's my magic. I'm-"
"Talk about it on the way!" Shirayuki demanded. She stomped her foot and the trees all suddenly been around them.
"Whoa!" Obi umped. He looked at Shirayuki as the trees bent inwards on themselves, their tops coming down towards them. "You're crazy powerful, Miss."
The tops of the trees all swooped around them. Zen was jostled around a lot, but his feet found solid ground under a massive branch. Then, he was thrust into the air again. The tree's returning to their normal state...sort of.
Before he knew it, Obi and him were standing on the tops of a tree. Shirayuki was on one as well, looking a lot more stable and comfortable than Zen and the demon. She faced them.
The tree's settled against one another, forming a path in front of them in the direction of the Damion.
Obi was on his one knee, and after exchanging a look with Zen, they both looked to Shirayuki in shock.
Shirayuki offered them a small, half smile. "The forest has offered its help. Now, get up and followed me. We have a Damion to catch."
Shirayuki was in a mad rush, but she never forgot to say thank you. With every tree that
bent for her feet, she sent out her magic through her boot to thank the tree for bending for her. Zen and the demon did their best to chat while they ran.
"Oh, I can hardly remember." Obi said in response to Zen asking how he had gotten there. "The Damion was after me, I think because I'm a demon he was attracted to my scent. But I threw him off with a blast of fire, and then I think he went after you. He was stopping at a tree, but I hit him with another one and he ran off. Only, I think he then got me, because the next thing I knew I was waking up to you uncomfortably close to me."
"I was trying to see if you were alive." Zen argued.
"Thank you." Shirayuki said.
"No need to thank me, Miss. I don't like that thing ether."
"Oh." Shirayuki was actually thanking the next tree, but she let Obi own the thanks.
"Obi, if you don't mind my asking, why were you up here and not in the dimension of demons?"
"I was exiled from that place a long time ago." Obi sounded bored. "But I like to keep moving. I don't like being tied down."
"Okay."
"Stop!" Shirayuki cried, halting in her tracks on a thick branch. Obi and Zen, unprepared for the stop, stopped under too small branches. First Zen fell through, then Obi.
Shirayuki rolled her eyes as they cried out, but knelt and grabbed the branch, sending her request through it.
Zen and Obi popped back up, held up by a collection of branches the tree had to bend to give them footing.
Zen tried to adjust his collar, Obi brushed off his shoulders.
Shirayuki felt a pulse from the tree and pursed her lips. After a moment, she sighed and turned to the two wizards. "Alright, men. I'm sorry to have to rush you through this, but my parcel is holding something very powerful that the Damion nor nothign else can touch."
"So you've said." Zen noted, pulling a leaf from his hair. "That's why we're trying to stop it."
"But the forest tells me Che-I mean, what's inside my parcel has awoken and is trying to reach out for me. I need to get to it before the Damion notices it's magic."
Obi scratched the back of his head. "Then let's go get it?"
"Zen." Shirayuki looked at the Night wizard. "How do you kill a Damion?"
"Blast of high powered Night Magic." Zen responded. "Only issue is that I need it to be night."
Obi looked at the sky. "The sun's not even close to setting yet!"
"This is the problem. I've just been chasing it all day, trying to keep it away from hurting people or places by keeping it's attention on getting away from me." Zen sighed and shook his head. "Hence why I sent the star."
Shirayuki bit her lip. "I need the parcel now. How can I get it back from the Damion then?"
Zen shrugged a little hopelessly. "If this parcel is so important, you'll have to do my job for me."
"Huh?" Obi looked offended.
"I can paralyze it. While I can't summon a full blast of Night's power in the day time, I should be able to stun it. However, it'll leave me very drained. And when the stun wears off, it'll be on the rampage again. I won't have the magic to keep it running."
"Oh." Obi hummed, and sat down with a thump, no fear of falling through the trees. Shirayuki had to smile at that. Anyone who trusted nature like that was good in her books - demon or not. "Well, I can try. It doesn't seem to like my fire magic."
Shirayuki took a deep breath and stood. "If you help me get my parcel, I'll do it."
Zen smiled at her. "Thank you." He smiled at Obi too. "Both of you."
Obi stood again. "So, more tree top running?"
"Nope." Shirayuki smiled. "Try not to scream this time, boys." She tapped her toe boot on the branch twice, and the branches fell away from them.
To their credit, they did not scream. They all landed in the lower branches of the tree. Shirayuki landed on her feet, Zen on his one knee, and Obi hung from it with his hand. Zen offered him his hand, and the Night wizard pulled the demon up.
"I was not ready." Obi glared at Shirayuki, but there was no real malice behind it.
Shirayuki smiled, then put her hand to her lip and pointed.
The clearing was full of tall grass swaying in the gentle breeze. They reached out to Shirayuki in chorus's of hellos and welcomes. She sent them the warning of the incoming Damion, and warned them to be ready to fight.
"The Damion is on his way." Zen breathed. "I sense him coming."
Obi took a steadying breath.
"Is your magic back yet?" Shirayuki asked, kneeling to get a better view of them without the millions of leaves the tree was trying to keep clear of them.
Obi flexed his wrist, then snapped his fingers. Nothing happened. He blinked, then focused a little more and tried again. This time, a spark flew up from his snap, fizzling into nothing in the blink of an eye. "A little at a time. The sunlight helped. I just need more time."
"You won't get it." Zen warned. "At this rate, we have maybe 60 seconds before arrival."
Obi grabbed his shoulder and whistled. "Alright, anyone got a plan?"
"Get the parcel." Shirayuki offered.
"Right. And the steps before that?"
Zen scratched his head, then looked straight at Shirayuki. His eyes were hypnotizing, the blue electrifying and deep. "Do you fight?"
Shirayuki was taken aback by the question. "Um, not regularly."
"No, but can you hold your own against things like the Damion?"
Shirayuki did not enjoy battle. It was a lot of asking for power from the earth, and while it never said no she always felt bad taking it. Then she thought of the little creature she had hiding away in the parcel, and her resolve hardened. "I can."
"Good. I have a plan."
The Damion barreled into the clearing, and just as planned, Shirayuki closed her fist. The trees closed themselves together, barricading the Damion into the clearing in a sharp circle.
The monster was awful. A mass of dark shadows with six legs, all ending in three fingered feet. It had two beady eyes in the alligator-like head it held, and it's shoulders arched up above its neck. It was panting, and parts of its body had turned white. Those parts were steaming. The thing was so not of this world, so malicious and evil, Shirayuki's magic whined in protest.
She held it steady. Sure enough, her parcel was hanging on one of the thing's fingers. She needed to get it back. "Hey!" She shouted.
The thing turned suddenly, giving up it's attempt to break through the trees. It saw her, standing in the middle of the clearing tall grass, and charged without hesitation.
Shirayuki dropped.
When the Damion got to the center of the clearing where she had been, there was nothing.
The Damoin snarled, turning its head this way and that.
"Woohoo!" Obi shouted, suddenly appearing from the tops of the closest tree and landing hard on the back of the Damion. He sat down on its shoulders as if he was a man trying to wrestle a bull for a rodeo. "Giddy up!" He shouted, digging his heels into the monster's sides.
The Damion howled in anger and dropped to its side, trying to roll over Obi.
But Obi was too fast, and he crawled up to it's flank, jumping up and down before darting off of it and running as fast as he could.
The Damion had six limbs, it was no surprise how fast it was.
Obi leaned against a tree, and winked at the Damion approaching quickly.
The tree turned, pulling Obi to the safety of the other side just in time for the Damion to smash its snout against the hard trunk of the thousand year old tree. It howled and backed away in pain. The parcel got close to the tree branches, as the Damion was holding it upwards into the air. The branches tried to reach and grab it, but the Damion had already targeted Shirayuki - somehow still standing again in the tall grass.
It charged away from the trees, leaving the branches to curl around nothing slowly.
Shirayuki dropped again, using the tall grass to teleport.
Obi reappeared around the tree trunks. "Yooohooo!" He called out taunts, but each time the tree turned him away from the monster as it tried to charge him, only for the tree to turn on the other side of the clearing and Obi to call out another threat or taunt.
This game was infuriating the Damion. And so when the star suddenly came down from the heaven and burned it right between the eyes, the Damion lost all control. The Damion screeched, rearing up and swatting at the star. The star zipped out of the way and returned to the palm of its master's hand.
The tops of the trees held Zen up as he smiled down at his prey. "Hello, old friend." He called.
The Damion roared at Zen.
"Two words, my friend. Breath mints." With that, Zen lobbed the star at the Damion.
It crashed right into the Damion's eye, burning it away and blinding the creature of the dark. Zen jumped from the top of the tree. Obi lunged from nowhere, hands ablaze with fire onto the side of the creature. He ran his hands down it's side, ripping the monster open. The monster had no blood, but it screamed in agony as the fire caught onto its skin. Obi lobbed fireballs towards the monster's other eye, but it turned away and instead let the flames attach to it's neck.
Shirayuki appeared again from the tall grass. She raised her arms, and the ground shook.
The small sapling the creature had no idea it was standing on suddenly grew. And grew. And grew. The tree exploded into being, enclosing the creature in a knot of roots. It then launched itself into the sky, branches extending outwards and leaves growing from them. In less than fifteen seconds, Zen and Obi were shaded by a mass of a tree that should have been young when the dinosaurs roamed the earth.
Shirayuki barely looked winded.
The three met in front of the monster, who was thrashing and burning under the jail cell of roots thick enough to be their own trees.
"Miss...you're amazing."
Shirayuki blushed. "Thank the sapling. I had no idea it would grow to that size."
Zen whistled. His star appeared by his shoulder.
Shirayuki stared in awe. "That's really a star, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
Obi blinked at it, then shook his head. "I thought it would be bigger."
Zen rolled his eyes at the demon, then shrugged the shoulder the star was hovering over. The star shot into the sky once more. Zen rolled up his sleeves. "Alright. Give me some space. When I stun it, you'll have about two minutes to get the parcel, and then get us out of here."
"Can we leave it in the tree roots?" Obi asked.
Zen cracked his neck. "If it holds. The Damion might escape however, so be ready."
Shirayuki took a deep breath, then nervously bit her lip and nodded.
Zen opened his palms and closed his eyes. His entire body began to glow. It wasn't exactly a white color, it was more like the color of the moon. Yellow and white and blue, all mixing into their own color. He moved his hands together, and Shirayuki could feel the energy building up inside of him. The air got just a tad cooler, as if the sun had set. The wind picked up, but all of it suddenly ended when the glow around Zen pulled itself into his closed hands.
Zen opened his eyes, which were a pure blue color - the color of the night sky, and then pushed his hands outwards towards the monster. T
A blast of silver light exploded from the wizard, hitting the Damion right in the chest and pushing the burning creature backwards. The blast was so great Zen had to press his leg backwards to steady himself against it.
There should have been some kind of sound, but there was not.
The beam ended quickly, and Zen fell to his knee.
Shirayuki and Obi started for him, but the wizard shouted. "Go, now!"
They ran towards the creature instead.
Obi swung around the top of the roots. The monster was on its back, groaning and obviously dazed. The parcel was hanging limply from the monster's twitching finger, but with each twitch the parcel began to slip.
"Hurry!" Shirayuki cried, panic making her run faster.
Obi launched himself through the air, just missing the basket as it slipped off the monster's finger. He grabbed that same finger and used it to drop himself, following the parcel. A cry of terror came from the parcel, much to his confusion.
He was just about to reach it when a branch suddenly lunged from the tree and caught the parcel, leaving Obi to sail past it and fall onto the ground with an awkward yelp.
Shirayuki slipped between the roots of the natural jail and ran over to the basket. "Oh thank the Earth!" She knelt just in front of Obi, opening her arms as the parcel was carefully dropped into her arms.
Obi sat up from his back, rubbing his head. "I had it, Miss." He crossed his arms and pouted.
Shirayuki gave the demon a relieved smile and wiped tears from her eyes. "Sorry, Obi I panicked and the tree just caught on to my emotions."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." But Obi smiled.
Shirayuki hugged the parcel closer to her. "You're alright now, it's okay."
"What's in-" Obi and Shirayuki both jumped as the Damion groaned and began to move.
"Only stunned!" Zen called out. "Get out of there!" He was so out of breath as soon as the words were out he coughed, needing more air.
Obi helped Shirayuki to her feet and they ran out of the cell just as the Damion's one good eye opened again. "Go go go!" Obi gasped as the monster began to rise again, shoving Shirayuki forward while he spun around. He summoned flames to his fingers and lobbed them at the monster, catching the monster's foot and back on fire. The Damion screamed in frustration and rolled in the dirt, meanwhile Obi jumped for the roots and slipped free, sliding on his knees to get underneath a root.
He landed on his side, looking back at the monster right next to Shirayuki and Zen, who looked up at the monster in fear.
Zen was out of breath. "We need to get out of here." He started to stand, but his knee buckled and Obi had to catch him.
The Damion got to its feet. It snarled at them, its one eye gone and it's mouth open as it gasped for breath.
"Now!" Zen cried.
Obi struggled to get Zen to his feet.
Shirayuki rolled her eyes and tapped her foot on the ground, and it opened underneath the trio.
Zen and Obi screamed as they dropped, and Shirayuki yelled at them. "Calm down!" Before the ground closed.