CHAPTER 14:
RETURN OF BAAL
The group stared in disbelief at the object Sethylos held in his hands. It looked like a green, slimy grub, about a foot long, wriggling about. The disgusting creature looked at them with two large, red eyes bulging out of its round head. Justin recognized the little creature very quickly.
"B-Baal?!" Justin stammered.
"Yes, Justin," the creature replied in a chilling voice. It didn't have a mouth, but it could still speak telepathically, which amazed everyone. Baal squinted his red eyes sinisterly. "How do you all like my new look?" he chuckled.
Feena began to stir on the table. She peaked her eye open and looked around. When she noticed Baal, her eyes popped wide open, and she screamed out. "You!!" she exclaimed, terrified.
"Well, well," Baal mused. "It seems as if both the Hero and the Icarian have escaped Gaia with their lives. Impressive. Very impressive, indeed."
Justin untied Feena, and scooped her off the table and onto her feet. "You're right about that, Baal!" Justin burst out. "You may still be alive, but you can't win, now! We've caused you to regress, and now you're too weak."
Baal only chuckled. "Fools! That is where you are wrong, for I have evolved even further, and I have you, Justin and Feena, to thank for that!"
"What are you talking about?! Now, I can easily slice you in two!!"
"Well, if you're so confident, boy, then I'd like to see you try! Sethylos, place me on the ground!!"
"Yes, Master," Sethylos replied, grinning. He set Baal down in front of Justin and backed away.
Justin immediately lifted his sword high above his head and, with a shout, swung it down at the evil worm. Baal didn't even seem worried as the blade came flying towards him with deadly accuracy. However, before the sword had even halfway reached its target, it stopped. For some odd reason, Justin was just holding it in the air above Baal.
"What are you waiting for, Justin?!" Feena exclaimed. "Kill him, quickly!!"
"I-I'm trying, Feena! But...I...can't...move!!" Justin then screamed as he was thrown across the room by some unseen force.
"Justin!!" Feena screamed, running to his side. She helped him to his feet as he gasped from the air being knocked out of him.
Baal laughed wickedly. "Oldest trick in the book!!"
Justin charged at him again, and was suddenly pulled upwards and suspended in the air by nothing!
"Try this on for size!" Baal exclaimed.
Justin then flew towards the wall and, shielding his eyes, collided into it face first. He plummeted to the ground next to Feena, blood pouring out of his nostrils.
"Justin!! Are you all right?!!" she asked, bending down to him.
"F-Feena," he replied through the pain in his face, "I think we're in trouble." He was right. Although Baal could no longer harm them physically, he had mastered the power of telekinesis!
"So, you still wish to kill me, do you?" Baal taunted as Justin staggered to his feet. "Well, then, here's your chance!!" Everyone in the room, except Justin, Feena, Baal, and Sethylos, suddenly fell unconscious. "It's a fight to the death," Baal challenged. "Just the Hero and Icarian versus me and my servant!"
"Fine!" Justin accepted. "Come on, Feena!" They both stood before the deadly worm, readying their weapons. "Blast 'im, Feena!!"
Feena shut her eyes as if in prayer. An iridescent pair of beautiful, green wings of light sprouted out of her shoulder blades, filling the entire shrine with warm, green light. She opened her eyes again, and her wings faded away. Usually, this was very effective against anything 'Gaia', but, to her horror, this had no effect whatsoever on Baal!
"What the..." she stammered. "That should have vaporized him!!"
"I'm afraid that little trick of yours will be of no use to you, anymore!" Baal laughed. "Sethylos! Show these vermin your little trick!!"
Sethylos laughed evilly, and a pair of wings of light sprouted out of his shoulders. He had wings of light, just like Feena and Leen! However, unlike the twins' wings, his were black, hideous, and bat-like. The purple light that filled the room was not warm at all, but chilling to the marrow of Justin's and Feena's bones. Feena suddenly emitted an ear-piercing scream, and dropped to her knees.
"Feena!" Justin shouted. "What's wrong?!"
"So...much...pain!!! Aaahhh!!! Whole...body...in...so...much...pain!!!"
Justin wrapped his arms tightly around her as she screamed like someone was murdering her. The sensation that she felt right now was like knives being stabbed into every inch of her body. Finally, the purple light faded, and Feena quit screaming. She was panting heavily in Justin's arms.
"Had enough, mortals?" Baal chuckled. "You can't win. In fact, I pity you!"
"We'll never give up!" Justin shouted. "We'll keep fighting you, no matter what!"
"He's right!" Feena exclaimed, standing up. "And I'll keep fighting, also! We won't let you win!!"
"You imbeciles! Haven't you figured out that I can make you do anything I want?! You haven't even tasted my wrath yet!!"
Suddenly, Justin grabbed Feena by the throat and slammed her to the ground. As she stared up at him, he held her down and placed the blade of his sword under her chin, looking down at her menacingly.
"J-Justin?!" Feena stammered in fear. "Wh-what are you doing?!! I-it's me, Feena!" He stayed in his current position. He clenched the hilt of his sword tighter. "J-Justin, I...I know that you don't mean to do this!!"
"He isn't doing this," Baal explained. "I am!"
Then, Feena understood. Baal was controlling Justin! "Justin, fight it!! Don't let Baal get into your head! Fight it!!" Justin continued to glare down at her homicidally. He raised his sword up over his head. Feena looked up at him sadly. "I...I shall forgive you, Justin." She closed her eyes, waiting for the blade to cut through her.
"Run," she heard Justin say. She opened her eyes. His sword was still held above his head. "Run, Feena!" She then noticed that Justin wasn't holding her down, anymore. "I said, run, Feena! Quickly!!" She then kicked out from under him just as he swung his sword down. It missed her, but kept in motion. Justin let go of the sword and let it fly out of his hand and towards Baal.
"What?!" Baal cried in disbelief as he watched the sword flying towards him. "NNNNNOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed as the sword pierced through his worm-like body, shooting his body fluids all over the shrine.
TO BE CONTINUED
RETURN OF BAAL
The group stared in disbelief at the object Sethylos held in his hands. It looked like a green, slimy grub, about a foot long, wriggling about. The disgusting creature looked at them with two large, red eyes bulging out of its round head. Justin recognized the little creature very quickly.
"B-Baal?!" Justin stammered.
"Yes, Justin," the creature replied in a chilling voice. It didn't have a mouth, but it could still speak telepathically, which amazed everyone. Baal squinted his red eyes sinisterly. "How do you all like my new look?" he chuckled.
Feena began to stir on the table. She peaked her eye open and looked around. When she noticed Baal, her eyes popped wide open, and she screamed out. "You!!" she exclaimed, terrified.
"Well, well," Baal mused. "It seems as if both the Hero and the Icarian have escaped Gaia with their lives. Impressive. Very impressive, indeed."
Justin untied Feena, and scooped her off the table and onto her feet. "You're right about that, Baal!" Justin burst out. "You may still be alive, but you can't win, now! We've caused you to regress, and now you're too weak."
Baal only chuckled. "Fools! That is where you are wrong, for I have evolved even further, and I have you, Justin and Feena, to thank for that!"
"What are you talking about?! Now, I can easily slice you in two!!"
"Well, if you're so confident, boy, then I'd like to see you try! Sethylos, place me on the ground!!"
"Yes, Master," Sethylos replied, grinning. He set Baal down in front of Justin and backed away.
Justin immediately lifted his sword high above his head and, with a shout, swung it down at the evil worm. Baal didn't even seem worried as the blade came flying towards him with deadly accuracy. However, before the sword had even halfway reached its target, it stopped. For some odd reason, Justin was just holding it in the air above Baal.
"What are you waiting for, Justin?!" Feena exclaimed. "Kill him, quickly!!"
"I-I'm trying, Feena! But...I...can't...move!!" Justin then screamed as he was thrown across the room by some unseen force.
"Justin!!" Feena screamed, running to his side. She helped him to his feet as he gasped from the air being knocked out of him.
Baal laughed wickedly. "Oldest trick in the book!!"
Justin charged at him again, and was suddenly pulled upwards and suspended in the air by nothing!
"Try this on for size!" Baal exclaimed.
Justin then flew towards the wall and, shielding his eyes, collided into it face first. He plummeted to the ground next to Feena, blood pouring out of his nostrils.
"Justin!! Are you all right?!!" she asked, bending down to him.
"F-Feena," he replied through the pain in his face, "I think we're in trouble." He was right. Although Baal could no longer harm them physically, he had mastered the power of telekinesis!
"So, you still wish to kill me, do you?" Baal taunted as Justin staggered to his feet. "Well, then, here's your chance!!" Everyone in the room, except Justin, Feena, Baal, and Sethylos, suddenly fell unconscious. "It's a fight to the death," Baal challenged. "Just the Hero and Icarian versus me and my servant!"
"Fine!" Justin accepted. "Come on, Feena!" They both stood before the deadly worm, readying their weapons. "Blast 'im, Feena!!"
Feena shut her eyes as if in prayer. An iridescent pair of beautiful, green wings of light sprouted out of her shoulder blades, filling the entire shrine with warm, green light. She opened her eyes again, and her wings faded away. Usually, this was very effective against anything 'Gaia', but, to her horror, this had no effect whatsoever on Baal!
"What the..." she stammered. "That should have vaporized him!!"
"I'm afraid that little trick of yours will be of no use to you, anymore!" Baal laughed. "Sethylos! Show these vermin your little trick!!"
Sethylos laughed evilly, and a pair of wings of light sprouted out of his shoulders. He had wings of light, just like Feena and Leen! However, unlike the twins' wings, his were black, hideous, and bat-like. The purple light that filled the room was not warm at all, but chilling to the marrow of Justin's and Feena's bones. Feena suddenly emitted an ear-piercing scream, and dropped to her knees.
"Feena!" Justin shouted. "What's wrong?!"
"So...much...pain!!! Aaahhh!!! Whole...body...in...so...much...pain!!!"
Justin wrapped his arms tightly around her as she screamed like someone was murdering her. The sensation that she felt right now was like knives being stabbed into every inch of her body. Finally, the purple light faded, and Feena quit screaming. She was panting heavily in Justin's arms.
"Had enough, mortals?" Baal chuckled. "You can't win. In fact, I pity you!"
"We'll never give up!" Justin shouted. "We'll keep fighting you, no matter what!"
"He's right!" Feena exclaimed, standing up. "And I'll keep fighting, also! We won't let you win!!"
"You imbeciles! Haven't you figured out that I can make you do anything I want?! You haven't even tasted my wrath yet!!"
Suddenly, Justin grabbed Feena by the throat and slammed her to the ground. As she stared up at him, he held her down and placed the blade of his sword under her chin, looking down at her menacingly.
"J-Justin?!" Feena stammered in fear. "Wh-what are you doing?!! I-it's me, Feena!" He stayed in his current position. He clenched the hilt of his sword tighter. "J-Justin, I...I know that you don't mean to do this!!"
"He isn't doing this," Baal explained. "I am!"
Then, Feena understood. Baal was controlling Justin! "Justin, fight it!! Don't let Baal get into your head! Fight it!!" Justin continued to glare down at her homicidally. He raised his sword up over his head. Feena looked up at him sadly. "I...I shall forgive you, Justin." She closed her eyes, waiting for the blade to cut through her.
"Run," she heard Justin say. She opened her eyes. His sword was still held above his head. "Run, Feena!" She then noticed that Justin wasn't holding her down, anymore. "I said, run, Feena! Quickly!!" She then kicked out from under him just as he swung his sword down. It missed her, but kept in motion. Justin let go of the sword and let it fly out of his hand and towards Baal.
"What?!" Baal cried in disbelief as he watched the sword flying towards him. "NNNNNOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed as the sword pierced through his worm-like body, shooting his body fluids all over the shrine.
TO BE CONTINUED
