I said I would reveal who Ekaj is based off of last chapter, so here it is now. Look at the name backwards: Jake. For those of you who saw the movie, Rango, Ekaj is based off of Rattlesnake Jake. You'll see more of the resemblance later on. With the reveal done, back to the story.
The area around the mine caves that secretly housed the gateway chamber were crawling with Sabyrs and Zombiemen, these ones freshly made due to Olivia Pierce's "volunteer project". They were put there with only one purpose; nothing gets in…or out.
Well…no one told Julius that, not that he would have cared otherwise.
A Sabyr suddenly picked up a new scent and only had time to turn its head before a silver motorcycle barrelled over it, killing it instantly. As the other creatures became alerted to the sound, Julius gunned the bike, all while playing a very fun game of Hit-the-Demon, which Summer took part in.
Five point for that guys with the helmet! She shouted.
POW! A zombieman's torso achieved liftoff.
Bonus points if you can get those two at once! Summer shouted, laughing in glee.
Julius swung the bike into a drift. POW! POW!
Summer was gleefully cackling as Julius proceeded with his vehicular grimm-slaughter rampage. Julius himself was feeling satisfaction as well with each Grimm and Demon that turned into roadkill. Soon, he reached the tunnels and barreled down them towards the chamber.
…
The Monstra Grimm was concealed within a massive storm cloud, flanked by Dactyl Grimm and demon Gargoyles. It seemed like it was well protected…sort of.
Hiding behind a rock on a nearby cliff, the four maiden sisters, along with Anton, whom they had caught up with, watched the cloud. Khione observed it with techno-binoculars while the other three waited for a response.
"So, remind me what we're doing here again?" Spring asked.
"When I battled Cinder" Khione explained, "I felt that she was more powerful than she realized. I was able to overpower her, but it was only because she was reckless. You can bet she's improved over the past few days. If we're going to have a shot at Salem, we need to take her down. Plus, it'll keep Salem distracted while Julius opens the portal."
"If we can't" Autumn offered, I might be able to take the power from her. It's my power, after all."
Khione nodded. "You may have to if it comes to that."
There were a few more moments of observant silence before Khione announced. "Okay, you three, follow my lead. We'll need to make a straight shot for the whale and kill anything that gets close. You all know what to do?"
Spring summoned a pair of green, holographic whips, Sandra summoned a shimmering, yellow dragon mount, and Autumn deployed her own hair of orange, shimmering, angelic wings.
"We're with you, sister." Sandra said. Khione nodded in return before deploying her wings.
"Anton" she then ordered, "Julius may need assistance with the gateway. No doubt it's under heavy guard."
Anton hefted his hammer, saluted, and ran off.
"Let's go!" she shouted, and the four took to the skies towards the cloud, Spring lassoing the tail of Sandra's dragon.
…
Salem paced her throne room. She was used to waiting at this point, but with her being SO CLOSE to invading Atlas, she still ended up getting a little antsy. Tyrian also felt this same way, with his tail twitching nervously at the prospect of a new kill. Just then, Cinder ran in.
"Salem!" she shouted.
"What is it?" Salem asked.
"I sense something." Cinder replied, "I feel like the Maidens are close by."
("Death Battle-Thunder Shroud" plays)
Salem raised an eyebrow in interest. "Are you sure?"
Just then, an explosion could be heard from outside, Salem and Cinder whipped around to see Sisters appear through the cloud, blasting every Grimm and demon that got close.
"They're coming for us!" Tyrian shouted.
"Let them" Salem reassured, "We have a Maiden of our own."
Tyrian then chuckled and stepped towards Cinder, who raised her hand to stop him.
"I can handle this, Tyrian" she said, "don't waste your time."
Meanwhile, after a few minutes of fighting their way through monsters, the Sisters landed on top of the whale.
Khione raised her sword, "Let's bring this thing down!"
Suddenly, a fireball slammed into Khione, sending her sprawling. The others turned to see Cinder hovering nearby, a devious grin on her face.
"Well," she said, "I suppose I could do for a Round Two."
Spring reacted first, shooting her whips forward, the tips wrapping around Cinder's wrists as she yanked Cinder down, causing her to crash face-first into the Monstra's back. Autumn then lunged forward; a spear drawn. However,, Cinder recovered lightning quick, standing back up and catching the spear point in between her two swords.
"You don't deserve my power" Autumn hissed.
"I deserve it ALL!" Cinder shot back, channeling a blast of magic through her swords that sent Autumn back a few feet. Cinder stood back up, only to get trampled by Sandra's dragon, picked up in its jaws, and thrown off the Monstra. As she fell, Cinder caught herself using her magic and flew back up to meet Khione and Autumn, who dove down to meet her. As the three collided, they began free falling toward the earth as Cinder grappled with the two Maidens.
"I told you" Khione said, "You're too arrogant."
"Am I?" Cinder asked, burning Khione's arm and shoving her away Before Autumn could react, Cinder used her free Grimm arm and stabbed Autumn's chest as she began to absorb the magic.
"Now I can truly finish what I started" Cinder said with a grin as she could see the shimmering aura of the Maiden power. Suddenly, she noticed something else; Khione was hovering nearby, but she wasn't swooping in to the rescue. Sandra and Spring also flew down and merely watched.
Back on the Monstra, Salem looked briefly puzzled before her eyes widened in shock; she understood the Sister's true plan. Immediately, she called every Dactyl to attack the Sisters.
"What is going on?" Cinder asked, "I don't feel any stronger."
"Salem never told you?" Autumn asked, her eyes glowing a bright orange, "I decide where the power goes."
Suddenly, a flash of energy appeared on Cinder's Grimm arm as Autumn reversed its effects and drained the Maiden power right out of Cinder, who began yelling in a mixture of pain and anger. When the flash died down, Cinder felt weaker than she ever had and the last thing she saw was Autumn's fist, now wreathed in fire, raise up.
"Sweet dreams." She said. The fist came down, and Cinder's vision went black.
…
Both Julius and his bike were splattered with blood by the time he reached the chamber, which was, thankfully, empty.
Summer gave a whoop of delight, Nothing like a good slaughter to start the day, am I right?
"The more time I spend with you" Julius replied, "The more Ruby's love of fighting makes sense."
Why, thank you Summer chuckled. Julius simply smiled at the comment; Summer was a bit overly excitable, but she made a pretty good mom and companion. As he dismounted his bike, he could see the two poles he had channeled his magic through the last time he was here. He walked up to them now and grabbed them.
"Ok" he said, "Here goes nothing."
Wait Summer warned. Julius hesitated for a few moments before Summer suddenly shouted, HIT THE DECK!
Instinctively, Julius jumped out of the way as the floor he had been standing on burst into flames. Julius immediately stood back up; his sword drawn. His eyes then widened in shock as his eyes came to rest on a hideous figure, walking out of a hole in the ice wall. "What…is that?"
Two words Summer replied, her voice grim, BIG trouble.
If Imps had an Alpha variation, it would look like this. It was hideously skinny with large, three-clawed hands and a back and shoulders full on bony spikes. The head was ovular and disgusting with beady yellow eyes, filled with malice. These eyes stared at Julius now as the creature let out a roar.
Julius hefted his sword. "Alright. Let's go!"
The demon's hands became wreathed in fire as it lifted them to the sky, causing the ground around it to erupt into flames. Accepting the challenge, Julius raised his sword and charged the creature head-on, ready to fight it to the death.
Let me know what you think so far!