Chapter 21

The Priestess and the Prophet

The summer wind rustled the leaves on the trees and caressed her face. The sun was setting and the heat rose from the ground through her paws and she wiggled them with pleasure. There was soft laughter behind her and she turned around, her eyes meeting the pale gray eyes of a large black tom with white stripes on his face. His whiskers twitched as he chuckled; the necklace around his neck was tossed about by the wind.

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, only silence. The big tom walked right passed her, and the smile on his face faded as he looked towards the darkening sky. Grief came off him in waves and she instantly knew something was amiss. She tried to speak again, but still there was no sound.

The tom sighed and whispered to himself, "I hope you are alright out there-"

She could not make out the last part of what he was saying, but darkness clouded her vision. Dim light illuminated a pool of something flowing from beneath her and pain enveloped her. But there was strength…

Pyanfar felt the strength run through her body. It was exhilarating and she slowly pushed herself to her feet. The demon cursed as she rose and his eyes were wide in amazement. He did not seem intimidated however, instead he sneered,

"Still trying to win Starchaser?"

Pyanfar felt the strength flow to every corner of her being and she watched in wonderment as her hand was surrounded with pale yellow light. Her wounds were healing at a fast rate and she smiled evilly at the demon. Then she said,

"I don't know exactly what this is, but I LIKE IT!"

The demon's eyes were wide in horror and he took a step back. He whispered, "Impossible!"

Pyanfar leapt forward faster than the demon could blink and slammed the heel of her hand into his chest. He was knocked clean off of his feet and was thrown into his own ring of fire. Screaming in pain and rage he flapped his enormous midnight wings and lifted himself from the flames. He hovered above the battle field for a second and as he landed, the ground shook and he roared in with anger. Pyanfar kept her footing this time however and she charged him. The energy that surrounded her body formed into a sword and she swung it with all her might.

Blood splattered the air as a slash opened on the demon's chest. He took a step back and threw his spiked tail forward to block the next blow that Pyanfar aimed at him. Pyanfar allowed him to block the strike and then she thrust the blade into the ground and flipped over the beast's tail. She struck him again and he was thrown back.

Pyanfar suddenly noticed that he was growing smaller, almost to her height. He was losing power. The girl smiled and taunted her opponent,

"King of Darkness, I think not!"

The demon rose to a kneeling position and snarled, "Don't get cocky girl! You haven't won YET!"

Suddenly, huge arms of dark energy sprang from behind the demon. Pyanfar had little time to react and was clawed. She shrank back in pain, but was then grabbed by one claw. Then another grabbed an arm; the two threatened to her rip apart. With a cry, Pyanfar forced a serge of energy from her body and the dark limbs withered away. The wounds she had received from the clawed hands instantly began to heal and their pain lessened.

The demon choked back a strangled cry as he whispered, "C-Catish Power!?"

Pyanfar flash-stepped and before the beast could move, his throat was in her grasp both flew backward until they slammed into a wall of darkness. She kept him pinned there and suddenly she was aware of three other presences behind her; they were mere ghosts of their former selves, but it was obvious it was her Zanpaktou. She knew she had won.

Pyanfar tightened her grip on the demon's throat and snapped, "I told you a hundred times that you would not take control of me. Now you will die knowing you were wrong!"

"S…So I …was." He gasped. "I…will…make…make you…a deal."

"Why should I bargain with you, damn bastard? You tried to kill me!"

"I will let you use….my power when you need….and I will cause no trouble…I have been beaten…and by law of…demons…I must listen to the one who is…stronger."

Pyanfar loosened her grip on the demon's throat, but did not let down her guard as she responded, "What do you mean."

"By law, if a demon is defeated by the host, he must then follow them. It has been law since before time began. I am bound to the law as much as any other, and thus I must listen to you." He explained in a hoarse voice.

"I don't trust you." Pyanfar growled. The demon closed his eyes and said,

"You have heard of exorcism, no? Have you heard that if you know a demon's name, you can weaken it and command it?"

"Yes…"

"Then perhaps you can see the proof. My name is Eesiffer. EE-si-fer. Go on, see what you can do now that you know my name."

Pyanfar let go of the demon and was ready for him to attack, but he crumpled to the ground and stayed there. She then said, "Eesiffer huh?"

He twitched and she pulled back to a defensive position. She was surprised when the demon shifted to the same position. Curious, she pointed and called forth the energy that still flowed in her, though it was waning in strength. The power sparked at the tip of her fingers and a blast crashed into the wall above her foe. Eesiffer's movement copied hers, but his power frizzled out into nothing.

"You see?" He said. Pyanfar nodded, but was still wary of the demon. Then he said, "You have little choice but to accept this bargain. If you do not….you will most likely die."

"Why!?"

"Because it is my power that keeps the dark heart from rotting its surroundings…"

Pyanfar started, cursing under her breath. "Very well…"

The demon suddenly kneeled before her, his crumpled wings folding to his back. "I will serve you Lady Pyanfar until you release me."

"I want out of here. And if you cause trouble I will kill you, no second thoughts. Now let me out." Pyanfar commanded. She was bluffing about being able to kill the demon for she did not know if she could re-summon that power that had granted her the strength to win.

"I have no command over your mind any longer. You can leave when you want without my help." Eesiffer responded. He did not move from his crumpled position even when he tried to rise. "I will give you no trouble. I am too weak and I told you I am bound by the law."

Pyanfar almost decided to stay in her mind and make sure he wasn't lying, but weakness began to retake her and she knew she could not stay here much longer. The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath…



Pyanfar opened her eyes to the dark gloom of her cave. She blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the darkness, and then turned over and rose to her hands and knees. Using the last of her strength, she drug herself to the pool at the back of the cave and then collapsed next to it. Her injured body ached horribly and she lay still for quite some time.

She finally forced the hand she had cut with her blade into the water and she watched with fascination as the liquid was stained red. But she knew she would not die and she had not allowed her insanity to hurt others. She had won and succeeded. Relief flooded her and she closed her eyes with wariness. She thought as she felt herself slipping into the void of unconsciousness, I'm coming home soon Byakuya…Izuru…Brit…