Hello all you lovely people! I hope you had a good holiday season. Or maybe you still have plans to celebrate today? Well either way, I'm back from my holidays with another chapter of Truly Sacred. And what better way to add to a story about angels and heavenly forces...

Then to raise some HELL? Hope you got seatbelts on, because now I'm throwing in some red hot action for this story now. Full disclosure, this is probably where the story is going to get a lot more interesting.

Also, stick around a bit after the end. I have a bit of an announcement to make.

Chapter 7

[Lincoln's P.O.V.]

The final bell of the day rang through the halls and classrooms, and everyone immediately started barreling out of their desks and making their way for the front door. I, on the other hand, was taking my time. My plan had been working so far with how I got Ronnie Anne to agree to a fight. Though now that I was actually set to engage in a confrontation with her, I couldn't help but feel nervous. What if we accidently hurt her?

Stop it, Lincoln! You have to trust your instincts. You could be the deciding factor between a soul's salvation… Or their damnation.

I eventually reached the front door and reached out to open it. But a hand reached out and grabbed my wrist. I turned to my left and saw Clyde staring at me with terror glazing his eyes and a hardcover notebook wrapped in his arm. He then pulled me around a nearby corner. "Clyde, what are you doing?"

"Lincoln, I did some thinking and figured out the perfect way to get you out of the fight with Ronnie Anne." Clyde then opened his notebook to a pair of pages showing various stick figure doodles of me and him running from Ronnie Anne. I couldn't help but be impressed with how much thought he put into it, especially with how hastily it looks like her drew it. "All we have to do is keep moving and not stay in one place for too long. It might ruin your social status at school, but you should be safe."

"Clyde, my well being and pride have nothing to do with this." I stated firmly. "She was going to hurt my little sister. I can't just do nothing after that." I turned around and walked away, passing through the front door. As I did, I overheard Clyde call out to me.

"Lincoln, I get it. But a private fight in a place like the dump? That's suicide!" I turned back towards Clyde and sighed.

"My mind is made up, Clyde. I'm nipping this in the bud." I turned away from the school and started walking again. All while Clyde kept calling out to me.

"Please, don't do this. You're too young to die!" I couldn't help but subtly shake my head as I continued onward, pretending not to have heard him. As I was walking toward the street, I felt someone grab my arm again. I was expecting it to be Clyde again, but was surprised to see it was Ronnie Anne this time. My confusion definitely didn't go unnoticed if Ronnie Anne's reaction was any indication.

"There you are, Loud! Don't think I was just going to let you slip away." I paused of a second as Ronnie Anne's words started to sink in.

"Slip away?" After a little bit of thinking, I remembered what she said back when Lana helped me set this all up. "Oh, right. You said you wanted to go to the junkyard with me."

"That's right. Now, come on." Ronnie Anne grabbed my arm and began practically dragging me behind her. As she did, I looked behind me and saw Clyde, my other 'friends', and my younger sisters watching Ronnie Anne pull me away. I could hear a few of the other boys shouting as the distance between us continued to widen.

"Dead man, walking."

"We won't forget you, Lincoln!" I let out a silent sigh as I regained my footing and starting walking behind her, trying to keep pace with their footsteps. Honestly, it was rather astonishing a human so young could be so strong and so quick. Was the demon inside her affecting her body as well as her heart and mind? Or was this all natural for her? I pushed the questions aside for the time being and kept following Ronnie Anne. I found the silence between us very unnerving, her conduct and body language were so menacing and cold. I wanted to speak up and say something, but considering the circumstances that brought this all together, I felt that it might be best to just keep my mouth shut.

Still, I couldn't help but hope and pray that my plan works and I could save this girl from eternal suffering.

…

The minutes passed by at an agonizingly slow rate as we continued to walk down the street. The town was rather lively and preoccupied with other manners as people went on with their daily routines, ignoring both me and Ronnie Anne completely. Eventually, we managed to make it downtown and spotted the junkyard amidst the sea of buildings. "There it is." I said as I pointed towards the fenced off area filled with garbage and scrap metal.

"Alright, let's go in so we can start your funeral." We crossed the street and made it towards the junkyard gate. Peering inside, there was nothing but trash and broken scrapped cars. Ronnie Anne walked behind me and shoved me in the back, propelling me forward. "Get moving!" As I walked forward, I glanced around for any sight of my sister. Amidst the garbage I spotted Lynn's ponytail sticking out from behind a worn down yellow car that was covered in dirt. I smiled and stopped walking, turning to face Ronnie Anne. "I have to hand it to you, Lame-O. You could not have picked a worse place for a fight." She taunted me.

"Secluded. No one around to call to for help. And lots of things to improvise with as weapons." As the young Latina listed off the hazardous details, she unzipped her hoodie and took it off, revealing a white tank-top underneath. She took the hoodie and used its sleeves to tie it around her waist like a belt. "You must be either really cocky or really stupid to go through with all of this." I shrugged while glancing back over at Lynn's hiding spot. Her ponytail bobbed slightly up and down as she drew closer, until eventually I saw her peak her head around the corner and give me a nod. "Any last words, Loud?"

I closed my eyes. Took a deep breath. Then, without missing a single beat, I looked Ronnie Anne in the eyes.

"I forgive you."

Before Ronnie Anne could respond, Lynn jumped out from her hiding spot. She wasted no time in screaming out a war cry as she charged towards Ronnie Anne. As she roared like a valkyrie, I saw her take out the bottle of holy water and open the cap. Ronnie turned in confusion just in time for my sister to greet her face with a splash of the water. Ronnie Anne let out a quick scream as she tried to rub her eyes. "Woo hoo! Score one for the forces of righteousness!" My sister cheered before patting me on the back. "Gotta say, bro. Your plan was a total success." She congratulated me.

"Thanks, but we aren't finished yet." I reminded Lynn while pointing to Ronnie Anne, who was recovering from Lynn's surprise. They growled and looked up at us, with water still dripping off of her face.

"Cheap shot, you little bitch!" She growled furiously while pointing at Lynn. Ronnie Anne then turned to face me again, her anger growing by the second. "And YOU! I didn't take you for a wuss that has others do their fighting for them. Both of you are DEAD!" Ronnie Anne started to stomp over towards us and cracked her knuckles. However, after a few steps, she started to lose her balance and fell onto her knees. "Ugh… What the?" Ronnie Anne clutched her head in pain and groaned. She started to shake and sputter as the holy water began to cleanse her.

Though, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. An exorcism such as this is never seems to be a pleasant experience for those who go through it. And based on her reactions, it seems the demon hiding in her did not want to be evicted. It seemed to be doing everything it could to keep itself inside her. And seeing Ronnie Anne go through such agony because of its persistence started to put my stomach in knots. Her moaning eventually gave way to violent gasps and coughs. It was almost like they were having an asthma attack. Lynn bumped my shoulder and got my attention. "Get ready, Lincoln. Here it comes." Taking my sister's advice, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my pen.

Then, Ronnie Anne's coughing and gasping led to her spitting up a dark, inky bile. She continued hacking it up little by little, leading to a gross black puddle forming on the ground. The sight of the substance didn't sit well with me, especially when it was mixed with all those painful sounds she was making. I started to cautiously walk over to her. "Hey, are you okay?" Ronnie Anne's response to my concern was to let out one last gasp and vomit onto the ground before flat out collapsing.

That was when we saw it.

Amidst the sludge Ronnie Anne regurgitated was the demon corrupting her. It started off as small as a toy car at first, but it started to grow in size as it let out a series of horrid shrieks. Its body was a crimson red, with a shape similar to that of a mole. It had six legs, the front and back pairs were reptilian, but the middle set was just a pair of spikes. Eventually, it stopped growing, becoming the size of a house cat. It then turned to look at us, causing Lynn and I to click our pens and turn them into daggers.

"Lynn, that's…"

"A rancor."

I shuddered at the mention of its name, remembering the stories I was told by Lynn and other angels very clearly. Rancors were very dangerous demons despite their low rank in status. They were often described as silent killers of sorts with how they look for people who are already suffering from some kind of emotional or psychological stress, then worm their way into the soul. From there, the rancor fools their poor host by feeding them thoughts and ideas in the host's voice. Slowly nudging them into depravity while feeding on their negative emotions for strength.

Now, Lynn and I were staring down one who had tried to corrupt a child. The demon gargled and reeled back, as if it were a lion staring down a gazelle in the wild. "Lincoln, stay back and leave this to me." Lynn insisted as she raised an arm in front of me. "I've dealt with my fair share of demons before. And even ones lower on their totem pole can be pretty tricky." She explained. I gave Lynn a thumbs up and took a few steps back, confident Lynn would take the rancor down without any issues.

Then, it let out a pig-like squeal and ran straight towards us. Lynn jumped forward and tried to slice it with her knife. "Come on, you unholy freak! I've got a one way ticket back to hell just for you!" My sister and the rancor then entered a ferocious battle for dominance. Truth be told, this was actually the first time I ever saw Lynn fight with my own eyes, and I was certainly surprised and amazed with what I saw. Lynn was like an absolute storm with how intense and dominating her fighting style was. Every attack she tried launching was ferocious, as if she were trying to give the demon a taste of its own medicine.

All the while, the rancor had the exact same plan as Lynn. I watched their battle for a long time, cheering my sister on with the occasional shout. Eventually, they got into a struggle up close and began wrestling each other. Lynn managed to pin the rancor on its back. I could only assume how triumphant she was as she raised her dagger upward with the blade facing down. "Alright, demon. Time to make you pay!" Lynn thrust the knife down in an attempt to kill the rancor through a strike to the thing's face, but it managed to wiggle its head to the side just enough for Lynn to miss anything vital. Before Lynn could ready herself for another strike, the rancor jabbed the middle pair of spike legs into her stomach. I couldn't help but gasp in fright as I saw a small amount of blood leak out.

"LYNN!" The rancor raised its front legs up and kicked her off with a strike to the head, throwing her onto the ground. I wanted to check on Lynn to make sure the wound wasn't immediately fatal. But if I didn't stop the rancor now, it could either blindside me or escape. Besides, Lynn probably… No, she definitely would do the same. Seeing no other alternatives, I ran towards the demon and drew my knife to a swing at it. As I swung my dagger, I could feel the blade lightly cut into the demon's skin and I clearly heard its pained screech. I was about to attack again, but then the demon tackled me a very far distance.

I grunted in pain repeatedly as I rolled across all the trash and collided with a broken washing machine. My head stung from the impact and my whole body felt thoroughly tenderized, but I still shook it off and climbed back to my feet. Or rather, I tried to, but immediately lost my balance and fell down again when the rancor charged into me again. I looked up and saw it raise one of its arms upward, blocking the sun under its claw. They flung it down at a blinding speed and sliced across my face. I screamed in pain from the savage strike, and felt the blood dripping down my left cheek.

I growled and swung my blade again. This time, the strike was a lot more effective. I could feel it slicing deep into the beast's body to the point where it leaped backward in pain. The rancor growled and ran for me again, but this time I was able to counter it with a cut into its back and a strong kick to knock it away a very far distance. I could see it was finally starting to get worn out from all the fighting it did with me and Lynn, its legs shaking from the fatigue. It then started looking around the area as if it were looking for an escape route. Then it stopped looking and turned into another direction.

I glanced to where it was facing and saw Ronnie Anne, still laying on the ground helplessly. Panic shot through me as the rancor started running towards her. Was it going to try and possess her again? Was it going to steal her soul and run? Was it going to try and kill her out of spite and anger? The possibility didn't matter to me, it all ended badly. I started to run after them to intercept the rancor and keep Ronnie Anne safe. My mind raced the entire time as I started to get closer, but not fast enough with how the demon was so close to Ronnie Anne.

"STOP!" I couldn't control myself as I impulsively spread my wings to try and propel my self forward at a faster rate. The white feathers let out a radiant light as they appeared that blinded the rancor right as they actually reached Ronnie Anne. Seeing the creature dazed, I wasted no time in kicking it down onto its back and plunging my knife straight into its heart. The rancor let out one final long screech in agony before going limp. As the life left its body, the remains started to turn black and slowly collapsed into ash.

Seeing how the fight was finally over, I let out a sigh of relief and started walking in the opposite direction. I saw Lynn sprawled out on the ground, her forehead bruised and a very small puddle of blood coming from her waist. "Lynn? Are you okay? Please, say something?" I pleaded. I then heard Lynn moan and hold both of the wounded areas in pain. She slowly got back up and looked at me. "That... thing really hurt you badly."

"Relax, Lincoln. This is nothing compared to what other demons did to me. That pest didn't even stab me that deep. Still, might need Leni to patch me up. Good thing she's one of the best healers around, right?" She laughed before getting a closer look at me. "Uh, Linc? Your wings…" My eyes widened as I realized my error. As Lynn kept talking, I wasted no time in tucking my wings back in. Lynn's expression then became more dark and serious. "So, what happened to the rancor anyway? Did that freak slip away?"

"No, I slayed it." I answered simply. Lynn looked at me in stunned silence for a moment. As if she was still trying to comprehend what I just said. Then, her face lit up as bright as the sun itself.

"Really? Aw, sweet! Nice job, little bro. Maybe I should try and get you enrolled as a warrior, eh?" Lynn joked while nudging my arm with her elbow. "And what about the girl? Is she okay?" I nodded in response and turned around.

"Yeah, see? She's right over there. Safe and sound." I beamed proudly while pointing in the direction of Ronnie Anne's location. However, rather than be met with congratulations, I instead felt Lynn poke my shoulder. I opened my eyes and saw Lynn pointing in the same direction as me. I turned around to see what the issue was. And what I saw made my lungs deflate completely with one horrified gasp.

Ronnie Anne was nowhere to be seen.

"Uh oh."

Well, good news: Lincoln and Lynn successfully took out a demon. Unfortunately, the absence of the soul they were trying to save might be an omen of things to come. One way or another, their actions are certainly going to snowball into more complicated manners.

Now for that announcement.

See, I have been getting really REALLY into this story lately. So much so I want to make it one of my bigger projects on this site. I'll still work on my hero stories a little bit every now and again. But after the current episode in Guardians of Great Lakes is done, expect nothing but mini-sodes for a long time. I hope this doesn't upset too many people, but hopefully I can keep you entertained with whatever I write.

That's all for now. Be sure to leave a review and share your thoughts on this story. God bless you all and have a Happy New Year!