To any fans reading this story, sorry for the wait. I've been busy with other things, and this story didn't quite grab me like my other stories have. It might be a little while till we get into the good stuff, because later on I really want to show how my Nephalem got together, and changed from a group that hated each other, to one that would die for each other.

Chapter 2: Out of Your League

I groaned as I helped carry Mort down the stairs to wait for an ambulance. Christ, even with Father Vincent helping him, Morty still weighed a ton. Maybe he should focus on some time at the gym instead of with spirits. As I walked along, I could hear some arguing. Probably my fault. But having all that gear break down because of me sent a good message to Ortega about his duel. As I got closer, the arguing stopped with a thud. I looked carefully to see a lady with blond hair place a guy against the wall. He looked unconscious. She was with 5 other people, all wearing long coats. Some looked like they were made from towels. The shortest one, a pretty Asian lady at about 5 feet 12, looked over and tugged her larger companion's arm while pointing at me.

Ah crap. Looks like even more people wanting to talk to me.

"Greetings, Wizard Dresden." The Asian lady said. "We are glad we managed to find you. I am Li-Ming."

"Nice to meet you Miss Ming." I wasn't really trying to be polite, but I just get that way with women. My chivalrous side wouldn't let me be rude. "I'd love to stay and chat, but Mort here is a bit on the heavy side, so…"

Her very large friend snorted. This guy was as tall as me, and ripped like you wouldn't believe. And his grey hair had me putting him at about 60, maybe 70. "I'll carry him." He said with a deep voice, plucking Mort from between us like a bag of shopping. "Where shall I place him?"

"Down by the ambulance." I pointed. The man searched until a dark-skinned man pointed at the right vehicle. That got me suspicious. Sure, you get regular people who are too drugged up or stupid to know things. But something told me these people were not from around here.

At least, not from Earth.

"And I've kinda already got an appointment." I kept going. "I don't usually take on more than one unless I can do them all together."

"That is quite alright." Li-Ming said. "We're not entirely sure what we need of you yet."

"I see. You just wanted to check if I'm available."

She shook her head. "Last night, a…Television started playing your interview with a 'Larry'. From what that man there told us before passing out mysteriously, the interview happened today."

"Perhaps it was a message from God that you were meant to be here today." Father Vincent joined in. "Regardless, I'm afraid that I have pressing issues with Mr. Dresden tonight. But you could try his office tomorrow." He gently, but firmly pushed me onwards. As I looked back, the group were talking amongst themselves, giving me quick glances. Except for the tall woman. She just kept staring at me with dark eyes that seemed to glow. It wasn't the stare of people to people. It was more like a hawk, watching its prey.

I shuddered. She was someone to watch out for. They all were.


"Well this is a bust." Ishtar said, but she still followed the group as they went the way the wizard had gone with the priest.

"It is not a bust." Li-Ming countered, leading the group. "We just didn't try hard enough. We have to sell the idea of helping us, and we can't do that without knowing what we're here for."

"Perhaps we could deal with the priest." Korgaroth mentioned. "The wizard cannot help him if he is 'occupied'."

"I refuse to attack a holy man without a justifiable reason." Serenity said with a final tone. "Perhaps if we help him on this mission, he will be more likely to help us."

"Or maybe, we could do something about the bandits attacking him." Ming interrupted, pointing out the men using 'guns' on Dresden. He was currently crouched over the priest as 'bullets' shattered the glass on the coaches around him. Ming dissipated her suppressor and her magic came flooding back. She created a Time-dilution field around Dresden, who looked up at a snail's pace. Ming ran into the bubble and used a wave of force to send the bullets back at the bandits. They crouched as their own ammunition sparked around them.

But it was all a distraction to let her teammates get closer.

One shrieked a high-pitch scream as Korgaroth charged him, an axe in hand. To Korgaroth it was a tiny thing, more suited for throwing than fighting. But to someone who hadn't seen a battle axe in his life, it was big enough to fear. His scream cut out as the axe split his head in two. Two more bandits charged in, but one was killed with a precision bolt to the head. Poor fool never saw Valla coming. The other was surprised by Ishtar appearing before him and hitting hard enough that his head exploded. The time bubble faded, letting Dresden and his friend get back up. He stared at them in amazement.

"Stars and stones." He whispered. He seemed to nearly get jolted when Ming took his hand. Through it, she could sense his power. It wasn't as high as hers, but many of the Magi she knew would get a run for their money from him. "Stars and stones." He cried out, shaking his hand. "Who the hell are you people?"

"A party of good Samaritans." Ming replied. Korgaroth walked over, having wiped his axe on the bandit's jacket. "And we are willing to help you."

"Dresden." The priest whispered, his face gone pale with fear. "I'm not willing to hire on such an unruly group of killers."

"But you are paying me to find your lost property. And if we've gotten attacked already, then I might need them as hired help."

"Money will not be necessary." Ming assured them. Anything that could help them work with Dresden was very useful. "But we will need a place to stay. I'm afraid we do not have dwellings in this city."

Dresden looked at her with a calculating expression. "I might know a place. Just let me find out what my case actually is first."


I shook my head as I drove along. Sitting next to me was Li-Ming, all smiles considering she had more power than I could dream of. She didn't look all that scary, but I was still nervous about sitting next to the equivalent of a magical nuke. In the back were her companions Valla and Serenity. Valla was the lady I caught staring at me earlier. She had long black hair and actual glowing eyes. I noticed her putting away a small, handheld crossbow and the guy with an arrow right in the forehead. She was a damn good shot. Serenity didn't look any tougher. Hell, with her face and hair, she seemed as much a cheerleader as Murphy. But if she was in this kind of group, then she had to be tougher than she looked. The last three members were driving another car behind us. Well, I say driving. It seemed more like nearly crashing. I doubt any of these guys knew how to drive at all.

And all this on top of the job. A group called the Churchmice. They had stolen the freaking shroud of Turin, the very cloth Jesus Christ was supposedly buried in. Their leader had been killed and deliberately left in plain sight so that people would track them down to Chicago. Something wasn't right.

I sighed in relief as I pulled in at Saint Mary of the Angels. It was a massive monument to God the size of a city block. They'll have enough room for Ming and her friends. The stolen car behind me promptly crashed into the wall. The building didn't suffer any damage. The car, however, was totalled. The three other people crawled out of the wreckage looking perfectly fine.

"For my first personal coach-ride, that was terrible." The tall, white-haired lady said. Her name was Ishtar, and she was some kind of monk or something. The big fellow, Korgaroth, smashed his way out and belted the dark-skinned guy over the head.

"You said you had learnt how to drive that thing." He growled.

"I had learnt." Naziba explained as he rubbed his head. "But would you know how to fire an arrow if Valla merely told you? It is the same with coach driving."

"Save the arguments till we're inside." Valla said. Something about her scared me. She seemed to radiate hatred of something. But I was worried that she'd kill me if I asked. Everyone shut up (shutted-up? shut-upped?), and we knocked on the door. Not long afterwards, Father Forthill opened the door.

"Ah Harry." He said, catching a look of all my new friends. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"Hey Father." I replied. I always felt better seeing him. "These people here want to get my help in something they don't even know about. But they also need somewhere to stay, and I figured this would be a good place. I don't think they'd fit in well elsewhere."

Forthill nodded. "I was actually about to call you." He said, leading us inside. "Three travellers arrived this morning, saying they were from another land and looking for their companions. Normally I wouldn't bother you about this, but I'm certain the woman is a practitioner."

I noticed that everyone gave each other a look. Interesting. Did they know these people, perhaps? It can't be a coincidence that so many people from another land just happen to arrive in Chicago at the same time. As we entered the prayer hall, I saw a man in full plate armour praying at the front. As I watched him, Serenity walked past me.

"Seeing a devout man pray is a wonderful sight, isn't it Kormac?" At her words, he looked up. He was a dark-haired man with a weathered face. I instantly thought of Michael, if he had been fighting nearly non-stop. He smiled as he hugged her, armour clanging as her robe fell off. Underneath it, she had this unbelievably ornate armour that seemed covered in gold. A small flail hung down from her hip with sickles attached to a chain. As they looked at each other, a shout interrupted them.

"Kormac!" Another young lady with blond hair called out while dragging a man in a longcoat. "I caught Lyndon trying to break into the church's wine cellar. What should we…?" She gasped as she spotted us, dropping Lyndon to the ground. As she ran past, I turned to see that the others were also wearing armour. Korgaroth's was massive, built like a monster truck. Naziba was also covered by red armour, but his was lithe. Except for a large mask that he pulled out of a bag far too small for it. With Ishtar, I could now truly believe she was a serious warrior-monk. Valla had bright-red armour with winged shoulders, nearly hidden behind a long red cape. Li-Ming was wearing a fancy white robe, her shoulder covered in large spikes. One hand was covered in a clawed gauntlet, and she held them stretched out as the woman ran into her arms.

"I missed you all so much." She sobbed. "We thought that Diablo had taken you, or you suffered a final revenge from Malthael."

"Don't worry Eirena." Ming consoled her. "We're completely fine. In fact, the first thing we all did was destroy several monster groups." Anything else she was going to say was lost as Eirena kissed her. Kormac looked like his world had fallen apart. Lyndon was staring in drunken disbelief.

"I must be dreaming." He said. "Kormac, hit me so I know I'm not dreaming." As he got kicked, he seemed to be laughing. "At least now we know why she thought of you as 'just a friend.'"

"Indeed." Kormac must've had pretty strong feelings for one of the girls, because he looked torn between horror and anger. "But right now you should apologise to the Holy Father."

"For what?" Lyndon asked. "You heard Eirena. I never even got into the cellar before she found me."

"She caught you trying to lock the door behind you. Your breath smells like mead."

"Well if I hadn't had that last bottle, none of you lot would've noticed." Kormac just kept glaring at him, so he sighed and turned to face Father Forthill. "I am deeply sorry for drinking your wine cellar. Also, you might want to hire a better locksmith. I barely even started when the damn thing opened."

Kormac slapped him upside the head. "Do not swear in the church! You can swear as much as you want when we're outside."

Forthill smiled indulgingly. "It is quite alright, Ser Kormac. I have heard plenty of swearing in my years, and your friend is actually polite compared to other people. As for the locks, well they are the original locks installed when we opened back in 1914. And I doubted the architects back then could've considered someone attempting to steal from the church."

"As they should. Only a vile monster would steal from a holy church."

"Well what about when we looted from the Tristram Cathedral?" Lyndon asked. "Or Westmarch Cathedral? Did you not partake in stealing items of value from its chambers?"

"That was different." Kormac replied, flustered. He probably had some good excuse.

"Yes, neither was exactly holy at the time, so they don't count." Serenity said helpfully.

"Besides Lyndon, as you like to point out we're not stealing we're looting." Ling added.

"Very well." Lyndon said, waving his hands in surrender. "I know when I'm beaten. You both win. I promise not to steal from this church again. Unless of course, a Prime Evil corrupts this place beyond measure but I'd imagine we'd have bigger things to worry about." I yawned as I watched them chat. I should probably hit the sack, then get an early start on the investigation.

"Well, I'm off." I told them. "You guys get comfortable, have some good food, and try not to kill each other. Father Forthill has my number in case you guys find out what your mission is."

"Mr Dresden." Ling said. "Perhaps it would be best for one of us to accompany you to your domicile. You have already been attacked once this very night."

"Ling, I've been shot at more times than I can count. My wards are strong enough to deal with most creatures. I can handle myself."

"Then at least let one of us by your side if you believe you might run into trouble. Understand that you might be our only way home." Ouch. I hadn't thought about that. These guys came from a world where Mankind hasn't chased monsters into hiding. I'm not sure how these guys would react to the modern world, but I doubted it would be anything good.

"Alright, alright. Tomorrow, I'll come and get someone to help me out. But I'm a big wizard now. I can handle myself."


It wasn't much later before the phone of the church rang. Valla nearly misfired in the small room Father Forthill had given them to train in. Her arrow landed an inch from the center of the old board she was using for target practise. To the untrained eye, it was an amazing blow. But Valla knew better. She had always been drilled with the fact that an inch could mean the difference between stopping a demon, and becoming its lunch.

She still couldn't get used to this new world. While Demon Hunters used many gadgets that were advanced for the age, they never had anything like this world. To think Man created a box that could allow you to talk to someone anywhere in the world instantly. And the weapons. Those 'guns' of theirs are certainly different. They were a lot like her hand crossbows, but they used small pieces of metal fired at impossible speeds. She must learn how they do that. Maybe if her village had them, then her sister would still be…

The phone stopped ringing, as either someone answered the message, or it was lost. She started focusing on her hate, but made sure to temper it with discipline. She couldn't lose focus. She had to be mentally ready for anything. As she meditated, she could hear the creak of the stairs, and the rasp of cloth on flesh. A man's breath exhaling, and his almost silent steps grew louder, and louder, and louder…

Father Forthill knocked three times, and opened her door, only to find a crossbow pointing at his face. He paled slightly before composing himself. "I apologise, Madam Valla. But Dresden has asked for your assistance. He remembered how he agreed to call on you if he went into any dangerous situations, and believes that he may walk into some trouble."

"What is this mission of his?" Valla asked, holstering her crossbow. She didn't exactly trust Dresden yet, but she didn't think of him as an enemy. She saw that he was rather like her, standing on the brink of good and evil, always teetering over the side. Perhaps he too lost someone close to him, and always fought to keep the hatred at bay. Perhaps she will ask him about this later.

"An ally of his has an unconventional business that he needs to look at. I'm sure in your world such things are normal, but here they are rather uncommon."

"She got the idea already. "So when someone in your world asks for a wizard, there might be unholy work behind some misdeed." Forthill nodded, happy she understood. "I will need a few moments to prepare. If you still have word with Dresden send him a message telling him that he will have to do the talking for me when dealing with the humans." Though she didn't really like using that term for her fellow man, she couldn't deny that she was very different from the people of this world. Forthill nodded again, before closing the door behind him. Valla grabbed her pack and started loading it with things that would stand out too much. She doubted the explosives would be normal for here, and her shoulder guards stuck out too far. But her armour and weapons were more form-fitting than the others, short of Ming. She could keep most of her equipment on her person, just hidden under the large cloak. Perhaps over the next few days Dresden could help them blend in more. Once she was sure her cloak covered herself and she had all her extra equipment within easy reach in the bag, she walked up to the entrance of the church. She passed Ming and Naziba, who nodded to her as she went past. They already knew. As she reached the doors, she hid her emotions behind a wall of stoicism.

Perhaps this mission will help them find out their goal for being here.


"So who's the lady?" Murphy asked as I walked in with Valla right behind me. Murphy didn't look like much. She didn't look like an officer of the law, or a monster-slaying Valkyrie. With her blond hair, cute face and small height, she looked more like a cheerleader. And Valla made her look even younger. But I've seen her in action enough to know she was definitely a lot tougher than anyone else. Valla must've sensed it too, because she kept her eyes on her at all times. At least she stopped having glowing eyes all the time. It always seemed to come on when she had her hood up. I wasn't too sure. I didn't feel like having a soul gaze with her. You see, when a wizard looks into your eyes for too long, they can see your soul. All the things that make you who you are, or have affected you strongly. Sometimes they're noises, or feelings. Me, I'm more of a visual guy. The problem with soul gazes though, is that they see you back. And it stays with you forever.

I'm not too sure who'd come out worse in the end. Part of me didn't want to.

"This is a possible client." I told Murphy. "Her name's Valla, and she's not really from around here. Valla, this here is my friend Lieutenant Karrin Murphy of Special Investigations."

Valla look Murph up and down for a moment before speaking. "You are the guard captain meant to look for things this world no longer believes in. That armour will not save you from monsters." Murph gave me a 'seriously' look, and waved us on. She made sure to take us the long way around the hospital that housed the Cook County Morgue. Didn't want to blow out any important equipment with my magic.

"Guard captain? Armour? Are you some kind of creature from ages ago, when we lived in castles and stuff?"

"In a manner. I am from another world, one that is still plagued openly by demons. But everything else you described in true." We walked for a bit before she spoke again. "You seem in pain, wizard. Is it the pain of losing a loved one?" I spluttered a bit. How did she know? She didn't look warm enough to know about loved ones. Or maybe that's why she was so cold. I guess I won't know until I find some time to talk to the group. I tried with Valla, but she wasn't really much for words. I gave it a couple of attempts before conceding defeat.

"My girlfriend came back to town. She was with another man." Murphy gave me a look of condolence.

"I am sorry, wizard. Sometimes it is best to find love elsewhere. But were you two still close?"

"Not really. She got turned into a half-vampire about a year ago, and I've been trying to heal her."

"I know you will be against this, but sometimes the best cure is death."

"Well I don't believe that." I said aggressively. "I'm going to find a cure for her. And after I save her, I'm going to marry her."

Valla smiled at me. It was the first bit of emotion I've seen her do. "Good. You do care for her. I respect that. But that still doesn't change the fact that if she fully turns, you will have to put her down. Or the lives of many will be threatened."

"I know Susan. If she ever did turn, she'd want me to stop her." By now, we had reached the doors to the morgue. "Murphy spoke into it, and the door opened up with a buzz. I held it open for the ladies, though Murph gave me a glare. Valla didn't even react. She was already looking around the room like a hawk, identifying anything that might be a threat, or something.

I just hoped our night would be normal.


Valla frowned as they entered a room made of metal. Strange noises that might charitably be called music came from thin air. Perhaps they had a device with a tiny musician inside. At a desk was a little man with scruffy black hair. He was writing on some paper, probably about things in these cabinets, and stopped to wave at our group. He got up and shook the guard lady's hand.

"Karrin." He said. Wow, you're looking nice tonight. What's the occasion?"

Municipal brass are tromping around." Guard Murphy replied. Valla wasn't familiar with guard terms, but she believed 'brass' may refer to her superiors. "So we're all supposed to wear our Sunday clothes and smile a lot."

"Bastards." The man replied in good cheer. He gave her and Dresden a glance. "You're not supposed to spend money on psychic consultants and brooding ladies either, I bet." He held out his hand to them. "You sir, must be the great Harry Dresden."

"That's what it says on my underwear." Dresden replied. That might have been some form of male humour. Laughter was uncommon at the camps in the Dreadlands. The man then complimented Dresden on his coat. A leather coat was likely this world's answers to robes.

"Harry, Valla. This here is Waldo Butters. Assistant medical examiner. Waldo, this lady is Valla, some weird old-fashioned girl from another world supposedly."

"Cool." Butters said, holding out his hand to shake. She just stared at him until he pulled back. It would be so easy to slip a knife or poison with a handshake. "Er, right. I've got to say, meeting someone from another world is pretty awesome. I mean, I know there's more out there than us, but to see it in the flesh is… cool."

"What do you mean you know?" Dresden asked. He seemed curious as to Butter's answer.

"Butters dealt with the bodies from the Velvet Room." Murphy explained to him. Dresden seemed to understand it better now. "His report said that some of the remains were human, yet not-human. His bosses stuck in a mental hospital for 3 months, and when he was let out they tried to fire him. But his lawyers said they couldn't, so instead they just knocked him into the night shift."

"But my fall from grace isn't what we are here for." Butters said. "Put on those masks over there, stay a couple of feet back, and please don't throw up on my floor." He pulled the cover off a man that had been lying on the table in the center of the room. Dresden and Murphy winced, despite their best effort, while Valla just stared at the body stoically. Once you've seen your entire village get slaughtered by demons and your sister go insane and drown, nothing else really bothers you anymore.

The man had been mutilated in a very precise and intelligent way. His entire chest was covered in a grid of fine, deep lines. The grid had been marred by a 'Y' that had been stitched together again. The question she wanted to ask about Butters' work had been answered. He examined the dead, perhaps to find out what had killed the unfortunate people. Back in Sanctuary, they didn't need to bother with that. Something killed people, and it would be clear who did it. Valla could easily identify the work of a brigand, demon, cultist, or even a Reaper now. Valla also noted that the man was missing his hands and head. She wasn't too sure about the hands, but the head could be used to identify the deceased.

"From the looks of it, the man had been worked over with very sharp claws. But there is also intelligence behind the work. This has all the workings of an attack for pleasure, or entertainment. But then again, there would be no need to take the head or hands if it was meant for fun."

"Maybe our mystery killer likes to collect things." Dresden replied.

"Could be." She admitted. "But I am curious. Can your people identify someone with their hands?"

"Oh yeah, we can do that." Butters said helpfully. "But it could be like Dresden said. Some sick bastard might've collected them as souvenirs. But I can tell you this. Those cuts weren't what killed him."

"What was it?" Dresden asked.

"Plague. Or rather, plagues. This guy's come back positive for everything I've run for. Even some stuff we've never come across before." Valla remembered several demons and undead that released foul toxins and diseases into the air and dripped them from their claws. So many things that just wouldn't add up. "And these diseases just all decided to hit him at once. Like, literally. Around 48 hours ago at max. This kind of thing is impossible." As Butters turned away, Dresden seemed to notice something. They crowded around him, spotting a small tattoo on the man's arm. It was in the shape of an eye. Seems as if the attacker missed something.

"What does this mean?" She asked as she pointed it out. Butters and Murphy looked at it strangely, while Dresden was more thoughtful.

"Looks old Egyptian, but with fewer lines." He said as he dazed at it. "Do you have something I can sketch it on?"

"Better." Butters replied as he grabbed a blocky object. He got close to the tattoo, and the box made a flash. While Valla blinked the stars from her eyes, a piece of parchment was spat out. Murphy grabbed it and waved it for a few seconds before passing it to Dresden. On the parchment was an exact drawing of the arm and the symbol. Fascinating. That device would put many painters out of work. And it would make documenting new demons easier than a panicked farmer's garbled description. Dresden studied the painting intently.

"So, guy dies from a zillion diseases all at once in about 48 hours, and then someone carves him up like a new year's dish. Then they chop off his head and hands so we can't identify him, and gets found… Where exactly?"

"Under an overpass of the expressway." Murphy replied. Valla didn't join into the discussion, merely listening to their theories. She had no idea what an 'expressway' was, or how one gets found under an 'overpass'. "He was found like this, naked and got handed it because homicide wanted a high-profile case everyone's getting hot about." The world would be so much easier if everyone didn't compete for prestige. Dresden looked at Murphy and Butters before the little healer got the message. He raised his hands in surrender, before placing his gloves and mask into a box with a red symbol on it, and then exited the room and left the three of them alone.

"Seems rather like the work of an Accursed, or perhaps a Herald of Pestilence." Valla said once Butters had left. "But they are mindless creatures, content to feast upon flesh."

"I'm pretty sure we don't have those things anyway, Valla." Dresden replied. "But you could be right about it being the work of a demon."

"Whoa. Hold on." Murphy said quickly. "You mean an Exorcist demon?"

"Nope. You're thinking of the Fallen. Former angels. Different thing altogether."

"There's a difference?"

"Imagine that demons and angels are from two separate countries." Valla replied helpfully. "The Demons are always evil, and want to hurt others. But the Fallen are merely Heaven's criminals, banished to wander forever." Murphy nodded, getting the idea. "But the Fallen I've fought rarely poisoned people. They would much rather slice you."

"You? You've fought angels?"

"When I have to. But I'm professionally a Demon Hunter."

"Anyway." Dresden said as he got the conversation back on track. "Demons can do what they want when they get to our world, but they're not all that interested in us." Even the demons are different here. How charming it must be to not have Demons out to corrupt your entire race and butchering lone villages. "The Fallen are the opposite. They're very interested in us. But they can't do anything without free will."

"Why?"

"Don't know. Plenty of people have theories, but no one can tell you the truth. But the only lead I've got might, theoretically involve the LaRouche case with Interpol."

"Right. 'Theoretically'." Valla wasn't too sure why Dresden seemed so tight-lipped, but she didn't really care. Her job was to protect him until he could help them with their 'mission', and slay monsters that threaten the world. Butters came back in, Dresden said his goodbyes, and he and Valla left them to puzzle over the body. As they went back down the corridor they came up, they found it blocked by a moving bed with a sick man in it. Dresden nearly jumped away from it, before leading her down into an alley. Her eyes instantly became alert for anything dangerous.

Alleys were popular hiding places for monsters.


"We are being watched." Valla said after a few steps, whispering it into my ear. I had noticed around the same time. I cold chill shivered down my spine, and I got a hand on my blasting rod just in case. "The old man with the cane, and the dark-skinned man with the coat." I looked back at them covertly. They didn't seem interested in us, but then Valla looked like she got where she was by being properly paranoid. She stumbled a bit, and I barely heard something go 'clink' against the ground, and we continued walking to my car. As I tried to unlock my door, I heard footsteps getting closer and heavier. I turned around, my rod already alight, to see a grizzly bear charging down at us. I hit it with a burst of fire, and I realised I was wrong. It wasn't a grizzly. Not unless Grizzlies had six legs and curling ram horns. Not unless they had two sets of eyes, one orange and one green. Not unless they suddenly got swirling glowing tattoos and slime-coated teeth. It managed to shrug off the blast, but it never saw the device Valla had planted as we walked.

So it never noticed the trap until it lost a leg.

As it stepped on the device, it exploded with razor spikes that shredded the leg like confetti. That was enough for me and Valla to move away, while she planted another device by my car. As the bear stumbled into it, the new device also exploded. But the spikes were littered all over the path, stabbing its feet and slowing it down even more. While it crawled closer to us, Valla threw aside her robe and pulled out her crossbow. She threw some kind of rune at it, and I could see weak spots as the bear lit up. She threw a dagger at its head before firing chain-trailing bolts at it, slowing it down again. At the same time as all this was going on, the two men from before were running down to meet us. But before I got ready to blast them, I noticed that they were carrying swords that glowed with a bright light. I sighed in relief. The Knights of the Cross. They were on our side. You don't get to carry a weapon that holy by being ready to cut down innocent wizards. As I turned to smile at Valla, to tell her they were friendly, I gazed right into the bear's eyes.

The Soul Gaze began almost instantly.

I'll admit, I expected something monstrous or evil in there. But instead I found a ragged man pressed against a stone wall with that strange rune on it. His arms and legs had been fused into the rock, causing him pain as his shoulders and legs were forced to take the strain of his body. He looked at me, and then laughed a Joker-ish laugh. I stepped forward, my first instinct to help him. Then the ground crumbled as a giant pair of glowing orange eyes glared at me from the cliff face. A voice like a rock concert growled at me, bowling me over more with hate than volume

GET OUT!

The sheer force behind that voice severed the Soul Gaze, throwing my physical body back into a pile of cardboard boxes. Valla pulled a spider from God-knows-where, and it had trapped the bear with its webbing. She rushed in close, before firing off a splintering arrow that peppered its face and vaulted back towards me. As she saw me, she quickly grabbed me and dragged me away from the beast. While she did this, I saw the two men with the swords approach it. The old man spun behind the bear, smashing several teeth out with his cane as he passed. "Ursiel!" The old man yelled. "Let him go! You have no power here!"

The bear-creature glared at him, and did the most unsettling thing. It spoke, with a smooth melodious voice that would've been impossible for any bear to make. "Shiro. Look at yourself, little fool. You are an old man. You were at the peak of your strength when we last met. You cannot defeat me now."

Shiro narrowed his eyes, holding his sword in one hand and the sheath in the other. "Did you come here to talk?"

"No. Indeed I did not." It whirled it's head towards me and Valla, apparently determined to kill me. It stopped short as Valla pulled out a large crossbow from behind her back and fired a chain with two balls at each end. The Chain wrapped around his throat and gagged him, slowing him down from the force. Then, the balls exploded. Half his face was gone, and Valla responded again with a black arrow down his exposed throat. Black tendrils writhed out of it, ripping away at his flesh until his whole head and most of his neck had gone down his throat. The bear fell over in a heap and started shrinking. It didn't take long, and then there was only a thin man dressed in rags. Without his head it was hard to tell, but I imagined he was the man from the soulgaze. Michael dropped down from overhead, looking at the body with sorrow. Then all three knights glared at Valla.

"You didn't have to do that." The Russian growled angrily. "He still could've been saved."

"He was possessed by a demon." Valla replied coolly. If she was affected by their glares, she didn't give any reaction. "He was ready and willing to kill all of us. Anyone claimed by a demon can only be stopped by death."

"And what if there was another way?" Shiro asked quietly. His anger wasn't visible, but I could tell it was there. "What if he had been ready to repent, and you took away his chance?"

"Then I will accept that. I will not stand by and watch a monster kill people. No matter how important his soul may be to someone." We all looked as the body dissolved into green goo. I would've lost it then, but I think I went past crazy when Valla and her friends showed up and Li-Ming used magic even I couldn't do. We watched as a small coin rolled by Valla's feet, and she picked it up with her gloved hands. Michael produced a cloth from somewhere and walked over to her. He looked at her with sadness.

"I can see that you have suffered greatly." He said. "But that does not mean you should be like the monsters you hunt."

"Spare me." Valla replied. "I have heard that speech many times. All Demon hunters have. 'We are powered by hatred, but we must always temper it with discipline. Or we will become mad, and be the very creatures and demons we hunt.' I do not a Templar to tell me to be wary." She placed the coin onto the cloth before holstering her weapons and walking back to my car. Michael looked at her with more sorrow.

"So, anyone going to tell me what's going on?" I asked, annoyed at everything. I was the powerful wizard. I fight monsters and win. But all I did was lie on the ground and watch as everyone else fought Ursiel. "Could someone at least tell me what that thing was?" Shiro looked at Michael and the Russian, before turning to me.

"I think it would be best if we head to the church. We need to rest, and deliver the coin to safe-keeping."

"I was already heading there. Valla and her friends are staying there. Now, will you guys answer my question? What was that?"

Michael looked at the others for a while before speaking. One of the Fallen. One of twenty-nine. And they are after you."

Oh. Hell's Bells.

There we go. Hope you like it. I thought I'd try and show everyone's personality tonight, but I might have better luck later. And yes, I know that Eirena might not be gay, but that was what I got from her, and I thought it would be funny.