Those who Favor Fire
Disclaimer: Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.
Chapter Thirteen: Chafing Oaths
Rin remembered Sato-san's broken Oath and his older brother's notion of a learning experience. 'At least Mephisto-ni had enough sense to send Bon to stop me.' He remembered afterwards, Bon had stopped studying in their room and started sleeping in Kyoto, using the gateway in their shared dorm room to leave Tokyo after Rin had gone to bed and only returning for classes long after Rin was up and out in the mornings. He remembered:
The clatter of cans being knocked over by the closet door openning woke Rin. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, "Something goin' on?" he mumbled seeing Bon had opened the gate to Kyoto.
"Council stuff, you'd be bored," Bon replied. "Go back to sleep, I didn't mean to wake you."
Rin sighed disappointedly as he lay back down. His eyelids felt like they had weights attached. 'Could have just said he didn't want me to come,' he thought as sleep claimed him.
Later that summer Rin and Angel hiked out of the Academy's forest looking tired, dirty and generally content with the world. Rin had progressed to the point where they were too hard on their surrounding even when Angel only wanted Rin to work on his sword technique rather than his powers.
"I'm sending you and Suguro to San Francisco, Tamer-Adept Durov has requested your help," Angel informed Rin. "You have forty-eight hours to prepare… Try to use some of the time to make arrangements with your other tutors for the next two weeks," he added as he handed Rin a stack of tourist brochures.
Rin started flipping through the stack, grinning broadly. The junior high trip to Kyoto that he'd missed felt a long time gone. "I'll ask Itamae-sensei who he knows there, he knows people everywhere."
When Rin stepped out of the Saints Peter and Paul Church two days later and spotted a lone circular tower atop a hill that looked out over the city his face lit up with excitement. "Coit Tower! We're here! Can we go see the Golden Gate Bridge? I want clam chowder in a bread bowl. And- and- Do we have time to see Disney World?"
Bon rolled his eyes. "Disney World is in Floridge, the United State's east coast. Even Disney Land is hundreds of miles from here and we're working."
"Sorry," Rin said, eyes downcast. He didn't think to call Bon a stick in the mud, even though he had Angel's implicit permission to do a little sightseeing.
"But we are crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and I don't see a problem with stopping off at Fisherman's Wharf for a quick lunch before we head north," Tereza Durov said as the Tamer Adept followed them out of the church. "We won't get many good pictures though, too much haze from the fires."
"Angel told us there were a bunch of Raiju causing problems around here," Rin said, suddenly all business. "You wanted Bon and I 'cause it's Iblis causing trouble again."
"Raiju-like," Durov corrected. "Lightning-beasts yes, but not the ones you may be familiar with. We've identified Binesi, giant eagles with lightning tails, Pukwudgie, porcupine-like trolls that start fires and shoot poison arrows and Ani Hyuntikwalaski, a less spiny relative of the Pukwudgie." She handed Bon a note card. "Fatal verses for Ani Hyuntikwalaski and Pukwudgie," she said. "We have half a dozen Shamen from the Northwest trying to find a verse for the Binesi. I want you and Rin… well we'll see when we get to the fires, but the Binesi aren't going to be your focus."
Bon accepted the cards with a puzzled look. "Binesi, all Thunderbirds really, are somewhere between benevolent and indifferent toward humans."
"Pukwudgie were friendly toward Assiah once," Durov replied. "Before Iblis came to power, but times change. And this was anything but a spur of the moment attack. Iblis has had his Ifrit harassing the region's native rain spirits for several years now. The whole of Northern California stretching up into Oregon is a drought-stricken tinderbox this summer."
"Why didn't the True Cross go after the Ifrit if we knew about them?" Rin asked.
"You know I'm not the Grigori's biggest fan but the Pacific is a big, uninhabited place to patrol," Durov replied. "And even when we did manage to stumble across them it didn't end well. Exorcists standing on boats against winged fire demons… The demons tend to burn the boats then laugh as the survivors drown in the ocean."
When Durov let them off at the wharf while she went to park Rin quickly lined up at the first food booth he saw.
"I thought you wanted clam chowder," Bon said. He pointed to another stand a half block away.
"The line's longer," Rin said.
"By two people," Bon said frowning.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Rin agreed.
Durov looked surprised when the two boys met her coming from the car with take out. "Take a deep breath you two, we have plenty of time," she said. "The rest of the team is out scouting the area. They aren't expecting us until mid-afternoon."
Bon scratched his head and looked away, embarrassed. Rin sighed as he felt the tension that had been twisting in his gut slip away. They listened to a street performer while they finished their lunch then started the drive north. Rin gazed, slack-jawed at the Golden Gate Bridge as they drove across it, craning his neck to watch it falling behind them until the highway passed through a tunnel and the mountain spur hid it from view. But as the road wound northward the skies grew increasingly dark with smoke and Rin's expression turned grim as he began to get a feel for the scope of the damage Iblis' minions were doing.
"Greece is a long way from here, most Americans believe the Cult of Gaia are a bunch of kooks and the Greek president was a wimp to submit to their demands," Durov remarked as they pulled off on a hiking trail. "Local officials aren't co-operating with us and firefighters on site are likely to treat us as civilians if they see us. I hope you boys don't mind a hike because this is as close as we can get by car without being turned back."
"We're good," Rin said and Bon nodded.
Five miles in they met up with the rest of their team: The six Aria Durov had mentioned, Shamen from various regions in the Americas, three Tamers, two with Water Affinity like Durov and one with Earth Affinity, four Knights and a Doctor. Durov pointed them toward a trail and they started off at a ground eating pace that they maintained for several hours. The trail wound up a narrow valley. Massive redwoods, the likes of which Rin had never seen before, towered above them their tops lost in a fog of smoke.
As they got closer to the fire site Rin heard the sound of roaring, he noticed that he was the only one not dripping with sweat. In the distance he saw a helicopter with a water bucket suspended below it flying toward a column of black smoke rising from the neighboring valley. Then they crossed a ridge and the light changed, daylight turning a muted orange, sun filtered through a thick haze of smoke. The opposite slope was alive with fire, flames stretching over a hundred feet in the air.
Durov pointed at what looked like a ball of spikes crouched on their side of the creek. There was a burst of sparks and the sound of wicked laughter. The creature turned, from the front it was a greyish troll thing, about three feet tall but stout with a bow slung over it's shoulder. It sneered at them, quickly unlimbering it's bow and firing an arrow. One of the knights darted forward and knocked the arrow out of the air with his sword. The Pukwudgie leapt across the stream and vanished into the depths of the fire.
"Okumura-kun, take control of the fire," Durov ordered. Rin looked at her questioningly. "Send your flames into the fire, make it yours," she instructed. "When my brother, when Veles enters any body of water it becomes his. I'd betting you're the same."
"I'll try," Rin said. He walked up to the blaze the Pukwudgie had started and thrust his hand into it. In an instant the flames on their side of the brook turned blue and wrapped themselves around Rin.
'I knew you could do it," Durov encouraged. "Now try to be subtle, don't let it spread but don't take it over completely."
Rin bit his lip, gradually the flames turned orange again and returned to the underbrush instead of clinging to him.
"Very good. On to something bigger," Durov pointed across the brook. "Like before, don't be obvious but let it become you, spread your senses through it, then tell me what you feel."
Rin put out the Pukwudgie's fire, hopped over the brook and walked into the wall of flames. He closed his eyes, he let his perceptions leak out into the surrounding wildfire. Concentrating fiercely he tried to follow Durov's instruction to be subtle rather than giving in to his impulse to spread his power as far as he could and order the fire to stop burning. Gently he reined it in, cooling the flames so they didn't threaten the trees and structures, turned it back in on itself, away from the firefighters he could feel trying to extinguish it. Then his mouth popped open. He raced back to the edge of the brook. "I can feel them!" he exclaimed. "The other demons. I can feel where the fire doesn't obey me, it's the other fire demons!"
Durov gave him a predatory smile. "So, you and Suguro here, do you feel like going hunting?"
Ignoring the flames raging around him, Bon raised his radio, "First concentration was three Binesi flying southeast, about a hundred yards ahead of our current position," he reported.
"Next one's that way," Rin said leading Bon through the blaze. They continued on through alien landscape of orange flames and blackened tree-trunks stripped of their foliage for another twenty minutes. Peering through the flames they spotted a gathering of Pukwudgie and Ani Hyuntikwalaski. Some of the small grey skinned beings were trying to build the flames higher while others argued with each other gesturing agitatedly to the flames. Rin snickered, it looked like the two demon tribes were blaming each other for the limits he'd placed on the fire.
They pulled back several yards then Bon reported in, "Group of twenty, mixed Pukwudgie and Ani Hyuntikwalaski."
Durov took a moment before replying. "That's… well, pretty damn close to my limit for you two. Do you think you can handle them? Remember, that fatal verses lose effectiveness on mobs: Suguro, you won't take out more than three demons with each recitation so there's a good chance they'll try to swarm you."
"Rin?" Bon asked.
"We can handle it," Rin decided. "I saw a group of boulders at the west side of their position, you use them for cover. I'll go in and start a fight. You start chanting once they're focused on me."
"Sounds like you've got a plan," Durov replied. "We're moving east to try to intercept the Binesi if you need to fall back."
"Don't shoot unless they find you," Rin instructed as he and Bon split up.
Bon sighed. "Does Konekomaru have everyone convinced I'm that bad at tactics?" he asked.
"You are that bad, you want to take all the risks yourself," Rin teased, comfortable about pointing out Bon's flaws when it came to a fight.
"Like you're any different," Bon muttered.
"I'm a knight, you're my Aria, taking the risks is my priviledge," Rin informed Bon. "But don't worry, you set the course and we'll steer the boat. I don't tell you how to manage the High Council."
"No you leave it to Koneko," Bon grumbled.
Rin flashed a quick grin and gave Bon a light shove in the direction of the boulders. He waited five minutes for Bon to get into position then, leaving Kurikara sheathed, he drew his katana and wakizashi and strolled into the clearing.
Rin's easy relaxed air kept the fire demons from really noticing him until he was right in the middle of them. "Exorcist!" one of Pukwudgie exclaimed and Rin attacked. The two nearest demons died before they could react to the warning shout, gouts of flame exploding from their bodies in the place of blood. Then Rin was in the middle of the crowd. The tactic was less effective than normal as the tallest of his opponents were not quite three feet and the archers simply aimed over their allies' heads to target him.
As Rin wove and dodged around the arrows the fire around them took on a blue hue.
The Pukwudgie and Ani Hyuntikwalaski gave the blue flames a wary distance but they were quickly regrouping. The Pukwudgie archers fell back while the knife-wielding Ani Hyuntikwalaski moved in to harass Rin.
From concealment, Bon fixed his eyes on the back-most archers and started chanting. A couple minutes later three of the Pukwudgie vanished into small puffs of smoke. Bon focused on a second grouping and began the verse again.
There were six bodies on the ground at Rin's feet but the archers were starting to get his measure. Blood was trickling down his arm from where he'd been grazed. Rin leapt high into the air, somersaulting over the Ani Hyuntikwalaski and impaling one of the Pukwudgie archers on the south side of the clearing as he landed. Rin quickly twisted and his wakizashi took another in the throat. "Adept, arrows are poisoned," Rin reported over an open mic. "Fast acting but it burns easy enough." He kicked the body off his sword and resumed fighting. "I thought Insect demons were the poisoners."
"Kingdoms rise and fall, loyalties shift," Durov replied. "Do you need support?"
"Naw, Bon just took out another trio and I'm only scratched," Rin answered. As he spoke he saw a flash of movement in the dirt and whipped his sword around, the blade rebounded as if he'd hit steel. A large snake reared up, it's scales had a metallic luster, it's head was a sharp-edged wedge and when it hissed lightning crackled out of it's mouth.
"New demon," Rin reported. He backed away from the snake warily, his eyes scanning the ground and he quickly picked out several dozen more of them. "Snake, sharp head, lightning tongue."
"Get out of there!" Durov ordered. "Haietlik, water-snake!" It was easier said than done. The snakes had surrounded Rin before making their move.
"Pretend to the Throne of Flames," hissed the snake that had attacked Rin.
Rin gave it a blank look but felt a measure of relief as Bon took out the last of the archers. He slashed at the snake with his sword. There was a metallic clang and the snake was thrown several meters away, it shook itself and slithered over to fill a spot left open as other Haietlik moved forward to confront Rin.
Rin continued to defend himself against the snakes' attacks but it was like fighting animated swords: He could block but they were too light and their skins too tough for him to do more than knock them away when he attacked in turn.
Bon switched his focus to the five remaining Ani Hyuntikwalaski, the only demons left of original group. He didn't know a fatal verse for the Haietlik.
Rin was growing frustrated. When one of the Haietlik lunged at him, he side-stepped its knife-like head and, putting all his weight and strength behind it, drove the point of his katana through the back of it's skull. The snake was driven to the ground, Rin's sword crunched through scale, bone and deep into the earth beneath. Before he could pull his sword free three more snakes attacked him and he was forced to abandon the sword.
There were only two Ani Hyuntikwalaski left, as Bon started his last recitation he drew his gun. He traded a holy water clip for one with sacred soil on the assumption that water snakes with fire in theirs mouth were more likely to share a Water Demon's weakness than a Fire Demon's. As he chanted he drew bead on one of the snakes. With the last word of the verse Bon pulled the trigger. The snake's head exploded in a spray of gore.
Rin drew Kurikara and started working his way toward Bon. Up to that point Rin had deliberately been keeping the demons between himself and Bon to prevent Bon being hit by a stray arrow as much as to keep the demons' attention away from the Aria's hiding spot. Now, with Bon out in the open, Rin felt an urgent need to get to Bon's side.
Bon continued firing, trying to target the snakes between himself and Rin but without the luxury of time to aim him hit-rate dropped sharply. Bon gritted his teeth, trying and too often failing to predict the direction the Haietlik were going to move in. For a moment Rin remembered his first day at the Academy, goblins swarming the classroom after he'd broken a vial of blood and Yukio firing shot after shot, taking down the goblins as they reached for the students, never missing, never faltering. Bon was steadily improving as a Dragoon, but he had a long way to go before he'd come close to Yukio's level.
The Haietlik looked between Rin and Bon, they started slithering toward Bon, picking him as the easier target. "No!" Rin shouted. He swung Kurikara and an arc of flames scattered the snakes, the three that took direct hits were incinerated. Then he dashed across the intervening ground to plant himself in front of Bon.
Bon clapped Rin on the shoulder as he raised a barrier around the two of them.
"You know we're stuck now?" Rin murmured quietly, his soft voice blending in to Bon's chanting. Bon grimaced and resolved to start working on mobile barriers.
"Rin!" Durov exclaimed over the radio, "What happened the flames just turned blue for miles around."
The snakes slithered around around Bon and Rin until they had the pair completely surrounded. "Adept, you know that retreat you ordered?" he sighed.
"We're enroute," Durov replied.
"We'll hold out," Rin said. "We're down to around thirty snakes and Bon's got a barrier on both of us." He watched one of the snakes bounce off the barrier. "It's as tough as always."
"Keep the mic open," Durov ordered. "We'll be there soon."
"Got it," Rin said. "Borrow power from me if you start getting tired," he reminded Bon. Then all they could do was wait and watch while the Haietlik tried to batter down Bon's barrier.
"Hault, Nakuset commands you." An old man appeared out of the fire, the walking stick in his hand was topped with a shining sunstone larger than a human fist, his stark white hair hung loose over his shoulders. The Haietlik paused in their assault but kept Rin and Bon surrounded. Similarly Rin and Bon remained on guard but made no move to take advantage of the lull.
"Iblis will not forgive a disruption to his plan," one of the snakes hissed.
"The Trickster whispers that a time of change is upon us," Nakuset replied. "The thousand broken pantheons are coming together to become one whole. The gods of this land will no longer be subservient to the Sons of Satan."
The snakes hissed to each other for several minutes. It was apparent that they couldn't reach consensus among themselves.
"Sedna has gone to Egyn to declare her independence," Nakuset added, sparking a new round of debate among the Haietlik.
"She should talk to Gaia first," Rin said as he sheathed Kurikara. "Egyn'll do whatever she says and Shiemi, Gaia's host will listen to you."
"You are truthful young Fire Prince," Nakuset acknowledged Rin. He turned back to the Haietlik "Will you do Iblis' work for him? Or allow the Fire Prince and Ucchusma's people to continue drawing Iblis' ire away from the rest of us?" Slowly the snakes withdrew. A Binesi dropped out of the sky, shrinking as it descended until it could perch comfortably on Nakuset's shoulder. The old sun-god turned to leave.
"Wait," Bon called allowing his barrier to drop. "The Myo'o Dhari are offering refuge to anyone from the Fire Kingdom who won't knuckle under to Iblis."
"No thank you," Nakuset replied firmly. He offered Rin a shallow bow. "Good things are said of the Assiah-reared Fire Prince but you are so very young. In another five hundred years, if you continue as you've begun, we may be willing to treat with you. But not yet."
Rin looked down at the ground. " 'Cause I'm a 'Son of Satan' too," he guessed.
"Your older brothers tore our pantheons to shreds, claimed us for their various kingdoms as if we were chatel and killed those who refused to submit," Nakuset stated. "Come back when you are older and have proven that you are not cut of the same cloth."
"Well, I guess I'll see you again in five hundred years," Rin replied as the sun-god turned again to leave.
Nakuset glanced back at Rin, "Realize we waited for your arrival Fire Prince," he said. "You'll take both credit and blame for the collapse of Iblis' plan today."
"I can guess who suggested that," Bon muttered.
"All I care is that Iblis' war on Assiah and him murdering his people if they don't go along with him stops," Rin said.
Nakuset nodded gravely and then he was gone. Rin stretched out his senses, "They're all gone," he reported. "There's nothing demonic about the fire anymore. I'm telling it to itself burn out.."
"Okumura, Suguro," Durov's voice came over the radio. "Get to cover. There's a storm coming in fast. The region's storm-spirits are returning with a vengeance. Rin, this stuff is going to be a weapon targeted against the Flame Kingdom."
Rin winced as the first drop of rain struck him. "Jacket over your head," Bon ordered as he pulled off his own coat. He wrapped the longer Exorcists' coat around Rin's shoulders while tugging Rin's Exwire jacket to cover Rin's head more completely.
"It's okay," Rin told him. He allowed his flames to manifest and the rain evaporated before it was within a half meter of him. But Bon didn't take his coat back and Rin didn't take it off. Rin did extend his flames to keep Bon dry as well. "Cut that out!" Bon exclaimed and Rin wilted.
"It won't hurt me to get wet," Bon clarified. "I don't want you running out of power before we get back to the van. You've been keeping the fire away from me for most of a day now, plus fighting, and you said you just turned off a whole forest fire, you've got to be running on fumes." Rin didn't say anything, he just trudged off in the direction of the van.
They met up with Durov's team on their way back. "Good job today, now get back to the van." the Tamer-Adept said clapping Bon on the shoulder then hesitating and giving Rin a thumbs up rather than touching him while he was wreathed in blue flames.
Rin gave her a strained smile in return.
"Once the rain clears up we've got some sightseeing to do, right?" Tezera offered as an apology.
Rin's expression brightened, "Right. So, um, is there anything else we can help with?"
"Rin!" Bon snapped. "You've got to get out of this rain!"
"Yeah, yeah," Rin sighed and started walking again.
"Wait," Durov called.
Rin just kept walking until Bon called, "Rin?" Then he stopped and turned back to see what Durov wanted.
"You did great," she reiterated. "I was hoping to use the two of you to scout and take out smaller groups of demons. Instead you resolved the whole situation. So both of you get back to the van and take it easy while the rest of us do something to earn our paychecks, okay?"
Rin flushed. "We didn't really do so much, just showed up and gave Nakuset and his friends their cue to rebel… and we didn't even know we were doing it."
"Nakuset is a Grand Duke of Hell, Ucchusma's peer, and you made a good first impression, don't belittle that," Durov said. "The Grigori won't say it, but Assiah needs to win back support from the Fire Kingdom and we're not going to manage that by force."
"I-, um- well I should get out of the rain right?" " Rin stammered and practically fled Durov's praise. Bon hurried after Rin.
When they got back to the van Rin grabbed Bon's arm, in a moment the Aria was bone dry. "Don't tell me how much power I've got," Rin said as he handed Bon's coat back to him. Then Rin plopped down in the rear seat of the van and stared out the window at the rain pouring down.
Bon sighed, "Sorry Rin, I… It's just you have a history with holy water."
"You don't have to worry about me," Rin said, still looking out the window. "Between all the work I've done with Ucchumsa on controlling my flames and my promise to Mephisto-ni I'll never come in contact with more than a few drops of holy water. As soon as I realize it's there I'll burn it away."
An uncomfortable silence settled over the pair for several minutes.
"Trickster is one of the other names that Sir Pheles uses isn't it?" Bon asked casting around for a topic when the silence became too suffocating. "I'd bet it was him who suggested waiting for you to get involved before making their move."
"Yeah," Rin sighed, giving in to Bon's desire to smooth things over between them. "Maybe big brother's old enough for them to trust."
"Or he never told them that he's also Samael," Bon speculated disapprovingly.
Rin shrugged. "So what do you want to see in San Francisco?"
"I was planning on just heading home," Bon said. "You know, Council stuff."
Rin wrinkled his nose. "I only see you when there's work," he complained.
Bon glanced away, "Isn't that for best? Look at what just happened. Wouldn't you rather I wasn't around to give you orders?"
"No!" Rin exclaimed. "You promised to be family and maybe family is just people keeping you at a distance and not telling you stuff for your own good but… But that's not what I want!"
"I… guess I wouldn't mind seeing the Mission Dolores," Bon said reluctantly. "We could stop at the viewing area before we cross the Golden Gate Bridge on our way back, so what else is on your list?"
"Alcatraz" Rin declared. "And Itamae-sensei recommended the Restaurant Gary Danko if we can talk Adept-Durov into it for our post mission dinner."
"Sounds good to me," Bon said. "I could put off the Council for a couple of days."
"You're lousy when it comes to making excuses," Rin said, rolling his eyes, "This was supposed to be a two week mission, I got a special extension on the test for my summer recitation class. No one is expecting us any time soon."
"Wasn't like I put much effort into it," Bon muttered. "I figured you were just asking to be polite. About that test of yours…"
They ended up spending three days sightseeing in San Francisco with Durov and her team. When the chef realized that Rin was Itamae's protege he was quickly swept away to spend most of the evening talking shop. In addition to the list Rin and Bon put together they were directed to little hole in the wall restaurants and a used bookstore Bon was only pried out of with threats of violence. They saw the Redwoods and Lombard Street. Rin filled up the memory on his phone with pictures and filled a backpack to overflowing with souvenirs for everyone: Alcatraz tee-shirts for Mephisto and Renzo, a book on supernatural San Francisco for Konekomaru, a bag of Giant Redwood seeds for Shiemi, coffee cups for Angel and Lightning, Ghirardelli chocolate for the rest of the dorm, a variety of the strangest candy he could find for Amaimon and a necklace for Izumo.
The test came and went. Rin got an A-minus and missed a date with Izumo because he was studying with Bon.
Izumo clutched her naginata tightly with a clawed hand. Her face felt oddly stretched, her mouth and nose shifted into a muzzle by the depth of power she was drawing from Inari. The sulfur smell filling the air was too strong, the sounds of battle too loud but it was the only way she could possibly venture into Gehenna proper with the rescue party. She knew the humans were almost certainly dead, that only made it more imperative that she reach her mate's side soon, they were precious to him and he'd bleed with their loss.
The main front of the battle looked like a flood fighting a volcano. Ryujin's forces had taken point and were sweeping away Iblis' footsoldiers. There were outcroppings of lava breaking up the flood waters were higher level Flame Demons were providing bulwarts for their allies to rally around. The Myo'o Dhari Naga joined Wani and Kappa in laying siege to those points. Izumo's, Inari's foxes darted about, faster than almost anything else on the field, providing support where they could, digging channels to allow water into the Flame Demons' defenses, fighting directly with the enemy forces. The Salamanders and a number of the other Myo'o Dhari allied fire demons hung back, shielded from the flood waters by earth banks thrown up by the platoon of Hobgolins sent by Amaimon. They were waiting for Water Demons' mass attack to abade and individual battles to become the rule of the day. In the air above the battlefield Iblis' fire-drakes and soucouyants clashed with Ucchusma and the refugee sun birds, they filled the skies with fire. Mephisto strolled about the battlefield like a spectator at a sports match, no one there showed the slightest inclination to challenge him.
Izumo's large silver fox ears twitched. "You hear it too My Lady?" Mike asked. Izumo nodded, "Beneath us." She and her familiars spread out, warning the Salamander and Hobgoblins away from the point where they could hear burrowing. When a cherufe's front claws poked out of the ground, followed by its snout, Izumo lunged forward and drove her blade deep into it's eye-socket.
A horde of pukwudgie clammered over the cherufe's corpse, quickly throwing up a wall of shields around the tunnel creating a base for their archers to fire on Myo'o Dhari Alliance center. Izumo shouted an alarm, several hobgoblin responded by throwing up earthen breastworks of their own.
"Stop the arrows!" Izumo commanded Mike and Uke. The two byakko leapt into the air, snatching arrow after arrow before they could find their marks among the Myo'o Dhari forces. Then Ryujin arrived, he pointed his fists at make-shift fortress and blasted it with a massive water-spout, washing away the shields and flooding the tunnel. A number of salamander quickly fell on the disordered pukwudgie and tore them limb from limb.
As the Hobgoblin set about sealing the tunnel a hush spread across the battlefield. Ucchusma landed near Izumo and Ryujin. "Rin and Iblis have called a truce," he said. "The two of them are going to settle this in single combat."
"Then we should hurry," Mephisto said, appearing out of nowhere. "Wouldn't want to miss the show."
Izumo bared her teeth at him.
"Someone should take over keeping Suguro-kun and the Paladin alive so Rin can focus on his battle," Mephisto amended giving her a pat on the head. She swiped at his arm with her spear and he laughed at her. Then he sauntered off leaving the others to hurry after him.
Notes:
Haietlik - Nootka legendary creature (British Columbia)
Binesi - Ojibwa thunderbird (Great Lakes)
Ani Hyuntikwalaski - Cherokee legendary creature (American Southeast)
Pukwudgie - Wampanoag legendary creature (Massachusetts)
Nakuset - Mi'kmaq sun god (Newfoundland)
Sedna - Inuit sea goddess (Greenland, Northern Canada, Alaska)