Lian's Peculiar Journey: Starlight Paladins
Chapter 28
THE CHILD OF NIGHTMARES, SERICA
PART II
Serica snarled as she made slowly made her way towards the stairs, her injuries making her take many minutes to do such an arduous task.
"You better be waiting outside to kill them all, brother…" she murmured to herself and stopped, "Stupid rats!" she looked at her exposed, bleeding wrist.
The woman ripped off a piece of her tunic and quickly tied it as a temporary bandage to stop the bleeding.
"Stupid me! I probably put him to sleep too!" Serica told herself, "And my sister too… Ah well at least I'll get all the glory in killing those animals myself!" she murmured and limped down the stairs. Partway down she called out her stand to help her continue descending.
"I swear I will tear them all to bits… I will watch them suffer one by one and wait for them to cry out my name as they writhe in pain."
The woman stumbled on the last step but recovered, then made her way towards the hall.
"No guns, but I don't need them." She murmured and picked up one of the axes from the suits of armor strewn about.
"I will watch their blood run out of them… then find joy as they cast it all out from their diced bodies!" she gave out a shriek as her eyes turned a sickly purple.
Nearby, a small surviving group of zombies clambered out of their coffins and walked to the source of the shriek, eventually meeting up with Serica in the hall.
"Follow me, and we shall have whatever we desire…" Serica whispered to one of them as she held his chin, then decapitated him with the axe.
The other zombies were unaffected by the event and mindlessly followed their leader's daughter without hesitation.
"There they are…" Serica mumbled as she saw the bodies of the Paladins fast asleep outside the door, "In mother's garden too… Perhaps they can join the others planted under it." She said and picked up her step.
The zombies could hardly contain themselves and some even tried to run ahead of Serica, only meet their untimely second death at the hands of her axe.
"Calm yourselves!" the woman yelled at her allies and gave a devious grin when she stopped at the foot of the door.
"Oh which one to go first…" she looked at The Paladins while putting her wrist on her cheek.
Her eyes darted over to Moji's body.
"If I remember correctly, the princess must be in that body- Wait, what am I thinking." She shook her head, "I should kill auntie first, since she is the biggest threat seeing she can use that fire energy or whatever you call it." She talked to her stand.
She walked over to Zhin's body.
"Even though you're in a foreign body, if it dies, your soul perishes with it." Serica spoke as she raised her axe.
"So long, sweet auntie…" she cooed and brought it down to the neck.
SHROOOO!
The axe was immediately repulsed by a surge of Pyre Energy and overcome as it channeled through.
Serica's eyes widened as the energy was set on running down the handle and into her body, and fearing more injury she threw the axe at a zombie.
"RAH!" that zombie screamed as she disintegrated into burning ash.
"That-" Serica screeched as she saw Pyre Energy course through Zhin's body, "She must have built some up before I put her to sleep! Her breathing must have helped maintain it! Enough of this game! I'll sap it right out of you!"
She grabbed a nearby zombie by the back of the head and rammed it into Sarah's chest.
"URAHHHH!" the zombie roared as Pyre Energy ran through its body and turned it to ash.
"How much did you save!?" Serica growled and then remembered something her mother told her.
"Wait a minute…" she smirked and unbandaged her wound, "Ah ha!" she quickly swiped her wrist over the Pyre filled body.
The Pyre energy that did channel through was only enough to heal her injury.
"Thank heaven that's out of the way…" Serica chuckled and went to pick up her axe, which was stuck on a nearby tree.
"For the rest of you!" she told the zombies, "You can destroy the others!"
The zombies could hardly contain themselves.
"It has been 15 minutes since I put this whole forsaken town to sleep." Serica spoke to herself and yanked out her axe from the trunk of the tree, "Perhaps I have been too light on these animals."
The zombies pounced on their victims and started to scratch their bodies.
"Hey! No fun without me!" Serica yelled, ran, and cut the zombie that was attacking Moji's body in two. "You savages! Have you no class?" she told them and then turned back to Sarah.
"Now, I doubt you have anymore Pyre left to defend you, so we can start the fun!" she cackled and brought down her axe.
Zhin's right hand came clean off.
"Oh… Everyone Dies In Their Nightmares, wake her up." She told her stand, "But before I do." She slammed down on Zhin's chest with the broad end of the axe.
The stand giggled and snapped her fingers.
"AYYYYYYY!" Sarah woke up with a hideous scream as the pain got to her, "Ha… Ha… Ha…. Ha…" she started to pant and wheeze as she took in her surroundings.
"My my… Auntie…" Serica smiled and caressed her chin, "Looks like it's time for you to die... alongside all your friends."
Sarah turned to see that the zombies were attacking her friends.
"No… No… Lian…" Sarah murmured.
"And I'm going to wake them all up so you can hear them scream." Serica laughed and her stand snapped her fingers again.
Immediately all the Paladins woke up and started yelling.
"Oh how beautiful…" Serica moaned, "And the most beautiful part is my stand put everyone in this town to sleep, so no matter what you do, no one can hear you scream…" she licked her lips.
"You… Monster…." Sarah groaned, "I… can't…"
"I broke your body's ribs so you cannot breathe as effectively." Serica told her, "I don't want that pesky Pyre to harm me again."
"Sarah! Get these things off me!" Lian yelled.
"I can't concentrate!" Zhin groaned, "I'm trying to take out my stand!"
"Mr. Zhin!" Moji cried out.
"Lian…" Sarah wept as she heard the woman's cries of help.
"Don't you just love it?" Serica chuckled and looked at her axe, "Oh look, a bit of your body's blood." She looked at the red liquid on it.
Sarah was repulsed when the enemy licked it.
"You're disgusting…. Just… like… her…"
"I would do all I can to be like dear old mother…" Serica mumbled, "Now, Auntie, it's time to finish this!" she laughed and raised her axe.
"OH MY PYRE!" Sarah screamed, "LIAN I'M SORRY!"
"YES THAT'S IT!" Serica cried out, "NOW DIE, AUNT SARAH!"
KAPOW!
KAPOW!
KAPOW!
KAPOW!
KAPOW!
The zombies surrounding the Paladins were knocked into the air and destroyed by an unseen force.
"What the!?" Serica stopped her attack when she saw a hulking red figure standing before them.
"L-Li… an…" Sarah panted as she saw a familiar stand.
Power Khan.
"Sarah… I can't… let you die…" Lian growled as Moji's body stood up.
"Impossible! Everyone Dies in Their Nightmare!" Serica called out her stand.
But too late.
Power Khan grabbed the enemy stand by the neck faster than it could activate its ability.
"My stand is the Fastest in The World!" Lian responded, "Now taste this, you bitch!"
"RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH!" Power Khan raised its fist then immediately released an absolute fury of punches at Everyone Dies in Their Nightmare's head.
"RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH!"
Serica screamed as that same damage translated unto her own head, bringing out blood and teeth from her body.
"And this is for Sarah!" Lian yelled and gave one final punch with Power Khan before it disappeared.
"UWAAAAH!" Serica cried out as she was sent crashing into a tree.
Her stand disappeared, then a soft breeze came across the land.
The Paladins suddenly felt a jerking force that tugged at their very souls, then blacked out as the very thing happened. White spheres came out of their bodies and settled back into their original hosts.
Slowly, all the people around the fortress started to wake up again, the people on the next block over, then on the next street, then the next.
Eventually all the people and animals of the town woke up from their slumber.
The Paladins as well, relieved to be back in their original bodies.
"Finally…" Lian sighed as she felt her arms.
"Is it over, Ms. Sarah?" Moji asked.
"I think so…" Sarah mumbled as she looked at her scratched thighs, "Furious Flame!" she called out her stand, and so it came out.
"Power Khan!" Lian did the same.
"The Law!"
"Notorious Po I. Li!"
"Agh…" Zhin gave out a sickly groan as he held his detached right hand in his left hand.
"Oh my! Zhin!" Sarah ran to his aid, as did all his allies, "Furious Flame!" she directed her stand to pick up the hand and then bring out a surge of Pyre energy.
"It burns!" Zhin gnashed his teeth.
"I have to use a lot of Pyre energy to do this, I'm sorry…" Sarah said as she focused on the job at hand, "This isn't your simple fix of cuts."
Zhin groaned as he felt a burning sensation race though his body.
"Final Pyre!" Sarah called out and stretched out her hand, "Haaaaaa!" she took a deep breath and placed it on his chest, causing more Pyre Energy to surround him.
"Furious Flame, take care of the others!" she directed her stand to start healing her allies.
"Thank you, healer." Lex said as all the cuts and gashes on his body where gone.
Zhin gave out one last exhale and opened his eyes to see his hand was back on his body, "A miracle…" he said to himself.
"Just hit the ground to get rid of the excess Pyre." Sarah informed him and breathed in deeply, then started to heal herself.
"HAH!" Zhin karate chopped the ground and watched as some Pyre energy came out of his hand, "Now this is what I call great." He stood up and was filled with new life.
"Thank you, Ms. Sarah!" Moji squeaked, "I feel all warm and happy now!"
"I'm glad to hear that, Moji." Sarah gave a smile, but it was a sickly smile.
A weak and an exhausted smile. One that soon gave way to a deep huff of air and a collapse.
"Sarah!" Lian yelled as she clambered to her aid, "Sarah!" she shook her.
Sarah was on the verge of passing out, but recovered and took in some deep breaths, "This old body… Took a big toll just now…" she chuckled and sat up with the help of Lian.
"Are you ok, Sarah?" Lex as he placed his fingers on her neck, "Your pulse is rather slow…." He told her.
"I'll be fine. Just need a breather." Sarah responded, "Maybe even a little sleep." She smiled.
"She's well, alright." Zhin rolled his eyes and chuckled, "There's nothing more like Sarah that always joking around."
"Are you sure you're alright?" Lian asked as she helped Sarah stand up, "Listen, I don't want you falling apart in the face of these new freaks."
"Thank you… Lian." Sarah said and hugged her, "But rest assured I will never let them get to you."
"Uh…." Lex saw the unusual closeness between the two and turned to Zhin.
"Niiiiiiiice." Zhin grinned and turned to see Lex looking at him, "I mean…" he cleared his throat, "How touching, yes, very emotional." He dusted off his tunic.
"My thanks." Lian nodded and looked at Sarah, then saw she was crying, "Is there something wrong?"
"N-N-Nothing." Sarah stammered, "It's just… been a while since I've really appreciated you… and all of you." She turned to her allies, "For joining me on this mission. I know you all have risked your lives for my problems, and you may not get much out of it… yet here you all are."
"We're too invested into this to give up now." Lian responded, "At this point I'm just dying to cave Seris' face in with Power Khan."
"I've said this once and I've said it again, I will not stop until Seris is brought under the strong arm of the Law." Lex added, "There is no way I will let her go after all the crime and evil she's done."
Sarah smiled.
"Thank you everyone. Well then, we should get going." She pointed to the fortress, "We saw where the carriage containing Seris was, perhaps if we go around, we can see that giant portico and patio were." She pointed to the avenues that went around the fortress.
"It think we have enough mettle in ourselves to investigate." Lex told her, "I believe everyone's had a good rest." He chuckled.
"Haha…" Lian rolled her eyes, "Regardless, didn't that miserable Serica say she had siblings?"
"You're right!" Moji interrupted, "That means we should be really careful, right Ms. Sarah?" she asked.
"Absolutely." Sarah gave her a thumbs up.
"What will we do with her?" Zhin pointed to Serica, who was slumped over by the tree she struck completely motionless.
"Is she still alive?" Lex asked.
Sarah focused and saw that Serica's soul was near colorless, a black void with dark blue patches that vaguely dotted it.
"She's dying." She informed.
"Not quickly enough." Zhin stepped up and walked towards her, then called out Thousand Hands.
His allies stood behind him as he slowly raised the stand's blade.
"Shall I do it?" the swordsman asked his friends.
"I think we shouldn't." Sarah responded, "The light inside of her is fading fast, there is no way she can even think of activating her stand lest she dies."
"Hmmm?" Lian turned to the woman.
"Stand requires the user's stamina to use, does it not?" Lex told Lian while looking for confirmation from Sarah, "So being that it uses that, using it too much in a weakened state should be impossible without some detriment."
"And sometimes that detriment is death." Sarah added, "Your body will die from exhaustion."
Zhin grunted, then picked up Moji.
"Don't Look, Moji." He covered her eyes, "ZYAH!"
Lian stepped back when Serica's only remaining hand came clean off.
"I should at least repay her back for what she did to me." Zhin commented and looked at Lex, "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, no?" he smirked and set Moji down.
Lex shook his head.
"I don't disagree." He shrugged his shoulders, "I guess we should continue onwards." he led the group across the garden and towards the side of the fortress.
"Let us know if you smell a foreign person, Moji." Zhin told the leipori as they walked.
"Will do, Mr. Zhin!" Moji clenched her fists and stayed alert.
The Paladins walked down a winding sandstone path that led through the continuation of beautiful garden in the front courtyard. The walls of the exterior walls were to their left while the walls of the fortress proper were to their right. Thankfully for them, they reflected enough of the full moon's light to give them ample visibility on their trip.
That and Seris had apparently placed crystal lanterns to dangle from the fruit trees that hugged the path.
"Is everyone feeling alright?" Lex asked them, "Sarah?"
"I'm feeling much better now that I stopped using the Pyre to heal everyone." Sarah responded, "As I said, all I need to was cool off for a bit." She smiled.
"Glad to hear that." Lian told her.
"Say, Lian." Zhin piped up, "What occurred that Power Khan came out with such life and force?" he asked her, "I was struggling to even bring up Thousand Hands against those dead guys."
Lian pondered for a moment.
"I actually don't know… I just felt, threatened… I felt like we all were." She answered, "Like… we were all going to die, especially Sarah. When I saw her about to have her head lobbed off, something inside my soul just stirred."
Sarah looked down and gave a small grin.
"It…" she interrupted, "Must be your stand's nature." She informed.
"Huh?" Lian turned to face her.
"You are a princess, a ruler of a kingdom." Sarah looked back up, "It's in your nature to care for others, regardless of how high and mighty you present yourself to be. If you didn't, Aico would be in ruins and your people would suffer. From the very first day I met you I saw that your concern was not for my mission, but for Aico. That's why I had to tell you that Seris was going to take over your lands, it was the only way you would join me. Perhaps that wish for preservation is reflected from your soul into your stand… perhaps your stand seeks to preserve you in kind."
Lian went silent.
"It's a rare trait to have in a stand." Sarah continued, "Primarily they act on what their user tells them to do and only that. It won't seek to protect its user unless specifically directed by them. Your stand may seek to protect you regardless if you will it or not."
"Crazy." Zhin commented.
"I thank you for your words." Lian spoke, "But I wasn't acting over my own safety, but for yours." She told Sarah, "As I said, I felt a strong impulse in my soul seeing you being thrown about and hacked like that."
"I wouldn't doubt you felt that." Sarah mumbled, "Regardless, it is all of us who must thank you for saving us from Serica's wrath."
"Thank you, Lian." Zhin said.
"Thank you, Ms. Lian!" Moji squeaked.
Lex turned and stopped, then embraced Lian with open arms.
"Thank you very much, Princess." He said and held her tight.
Lian blushed and hugged him back.
"You're welcome, Lawman…" she responded.
Sarah gave a warm smile as she saw the two embrace.
"Alright lovers." Zhin crossed his arms.
Lex and Lian separated and chuckled.
"You should have invited Yamina if you were going to be so jealous." Lex joked and looked at the swordsman, who chuckled in return.
"Ha ha." Zhin responded, "Nice joke, pal."
"He's right, Zhin." Lian said and patted his back, "You wouldn't be such a grumpy pumpy wumpy lumpy if you weren't such a lonely wonely." She teased him.
"I think Ms. Yamina really liked you, Mr. Zhin." Moji hopped in his arms, "Why didn't you invite her?"
"This is adult stuff, Moji, do you really think you should be butting in?" Zhin told her, "Let the grownups talk and beat each other up." He glared at Lian.
"Also, on that whole bit with the fastest stand in the world-"
"Enough everyone." Sarah chuckled, "We need to get ready just in case another one of the horror brothers comes to stop us from getting to Seris." She said and continued walking.
"You're right." Lex said and took the lead again.
They walked for 5 minutes before they reached the end of the trail, which in turn led to the back courtyard and the extravagant portico.
The courtyard was filled with bare sand and had some broken down stables to the left of it and a small corral for horses and other animals to the right.
"Horse dung." Lex pointed to the middle of the sand area and saw brown mounds of manure, "Someone surely had animals here, and recently."
Zhin looked at the back of the fortress.
"That must be the window we saw the events from." He pointed to an open window in the middle of the fortress, but when he turned he saw that Lex was already in the middle of the courtyard investigating the sand.
His allies walked up to catch up to him but he stopped them with a raise of his hand.
"Stop!" he alerted them, then pointed to the sand.
There were straight indents that ran across all the way to the massive gates that lay at the end.
"Carriage tracks." Sarah observed.
"Not only that…" Lex murmured as he saw hoofprints scattering all about, "Take a look at these tracks." He pointed them out, "These are not going away from the fortress like the ones by the tracks, but are scattering all about and even heading towards it." He pointed to the portico that allowed entry to the massive building.
"These must be Serica and her siblings." Lian said.
"This is all we need." Lex told her, "If we look at these, we can tell there are three horses." He knelt by the hoofprints.
"How can you tell that?" Lian asked.
"All of the hoofprints have varying depths in the sand, indicating three horses."
"And possibly three riders." Zhin hypothesized, "Which is why Serica would claim Siblings… But wherever they are."
"They may still be inside-" Sarah stopped when one of the stable doors burst open with a violent crash and two riders with three horses came storming out.
"Watch out watch out!" Zhin yelled as the horses came straight towards them, forcing him and his friends to jump out of the way as they did so.
"That must be them!" Lian lifted herself up and called out Power Khan, but then noticed as shocking sight.
"Do not interrupt me!" a familiar scream sounded.
Serica was fumbling down the trail pointing at them with her right arm, "I will kill them all!" she screamed, but stumbled and fell on the sand.
One of the riders jumped off their horse and landed nearby.
"Enough of this." The voice, male, responded and its source walked over to Serica.
"Silence, Sereno! I will have my revenge!" Serica screamed as she tried to stand up, "Look! They took off my hands!"
"You have no ability to fight, sister." The rider on the horse, a female, answered, "Leave with me and we can fight them some other time."
"I won't!" Serica yelled, "Not whe-"
"There is no argument." The male rider grabbed hold of her, "It is my duty to protect both of you for father's and mother's sake. You will not fight in your state, dear sister. It is not safe! You will leave now!" he picked her up.
"No no! I want to- no I need to kill them!" Serica continued screaming as she fought being put on a horse.
"You must ride out with her and get her to mother and father safely." The male rider told the female.
"And what will become of you, brother?" the female rider asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
"Nothing, these men will not touch me. I will leave as happy and healthy as I am now with them dragged behind my horse." The male rider responded, "Now listen, you will take Serica home to be safe, and I will bring them to you and mother and father."
The female rider nodded and grabbed hold of the reins of Serica's horse.
"Hold on there!" Lex pointed at the female rider as she started to take off, "You can-"
"Your fight is with me!" the male rider spoke as he removed his black cloak, "Not with them!"
The Paladins turned to face the newcomer.
"Brother! Turn them to bits!" Serica screamed as she was taken away.
"Good luck, brother!" the female rider added as she led the two out of the courtyard.
The male rider nodded and fixed his leather belt, then hopped on his horse but stayed put.
"Running away?" Zhin asked as their new opponent shuffled in his saddle.
The rider did not respond, but only pointed at them.
"You will not win, for the pride and honor of my family!" he exclaimed.