16 AFTER WE COLLIDED.

LOCATION:STREETS OF ZENARLI, VENDARYA.

* A magic signature is different for every being, even non-magical creatures. The magic signature determined how powerful a creature was. Demons have powerful magic signatures, it's depicted by spilling dark green auras.*

The shock at seeing Anlai rams Adriana's body still and before she could fully process the situation, dark green orbs of energy were hurled at her. Adriana threw her arms over her head and threw herself at Kali, using whatever portion of her body to attempt a mild defense for Kali who was lying helpless on the ground, her eyes screwed shut as she anticipated the full brunt of the attack, only it didn't come.

With a hint of hesitation, Adriana peeled one eye open. It seemed the whole world was plunged underwater, the light around was blue, a cool blue. Pulling both eyes to focus as she turned back to face the supposed direction where the energy balls were launched from, only to see the strange dude. His back was towards her, his arms outstretched, hands glowing, and a blue sheened shield of some sort, enveloping them, the energy balls nowhere to be found, green mist steaming around the edges.

Anlai's nowhere to be seen.

" Are you okay?" Abaddon asks, not bothering to turn around to look at her.

" Y-yeah, I'm o-okay" Adriana stutters, her breath coming out in short puffs. Her eyes dart to Kali who is staring at her with an indescribable look in his eyes.

Probably fear.

" Good, because I'm gonna need you to do something for me," Abaddon said, still not bothering to look back. His attention was directed at the space where the energy balls came from, his supernatural eyes scanning through the smoke, locked onto Anlai who was waiting patiently for the mist to clear away.

" What?" Adriana replied abruptly, too quickly for her liking. However strong she was, or strong she tried to be, she just couldn't come to terms with dying at the hand of a hater. She believed in the saying that 'the threatened lived the longest' and she hoped to live longer than Anlai, but it seemed Anlai was hell-bent on proving her wrong.

Gods above she needed help.

" More for yourself than me but all the same..." Abaddon continued, his voice never wavering. " Once the smoke clears, he is going to want to come for you, I need yo-"

" Wait, how do you know he's after me?" Adriana cut in. She knew this wasn't the time for questions, but she just couldn't help but remain distrustful of this demon's motives.

After all, he was a demon. And folklores never lie, or do they?

" Now's not the time for this," Abaddon retorted, his patience was thinning. " Once the smoke clears, you have to run as far away from here as possible, got it?"

" Kinda, but running won't be possible," Adriana replied.

This time, Abaddon looked back." And why's that?" He glanced back to see that Kali's left leg was bleeding, the leg would probably last another hour or two before he lost the feel of it. But Abaddon had no time for pitiful fancies, besides, he hoped to end this monstrosity before that long.

" I'm sure your friend can limp on one leg, I'll buy you time, just run!" Abaddon said, a bit patronizing and at that moment he dropped the force field, the winds immediately began to stir the mist away, giving a clear view of their grounding.

" Now!" Abaddon whispered and yelled as the smoke cleared a fraction and his position was revealed.

Just as Abaddon expected, Anlai's eyes scanned immediately for the half limp, half run duo and that momentary distraction was all Abaddon needed to call unto the energies from his supernatural being.

Bunching his legs in a crouch, Abaddon lept off the ground, his body shooting in a direct trajectory for Anlai. With his body drawing magic from the environment, he sent a whirlwind spinning at Anlai.

Without time to defend himself, Anlai threw his arms up in mild defense, a counter shield conjures up throwing the whirlwind away from its course but not before spinning him some distance back.

The result of the attack becomes evident as Anlai realizes that his prey was missing. Damn this demon! Anlai thought angrily.

" And who are you?" Anlai asked through gritted teeth.

" I might have asked you the same thing, only I know who you are. But I have a counter-question," Abaddon replied, letting a small smile grace his lips before regaining his mask of indifference.

" Why are you here?" Abaddon asked. The question in itself wasn't what it implied. Cifaro was trying to fully grasp the magic signature of the being inside his former contractor.

A repelling force slammed fully at Abaddon, causing a groan to escape his lips. What demons were at play here? A demon without a signature? It was impossible. Every creature had one, Abaddon being one of the strongest race of magical beings, not to talk of being a royal demon, who had access to energies that could only be dreamed by a few. He should have been able to feel this creature.

What was going on?

" What are you?" Abaddon groaned as he gained part control of his mental state.

Anlai let out a cackle that became a cacophony of laughs all at once, various distorted voices laughed all at once.

When he finally replied, a shiver of fear ran through Abaddon. " Your doom" Anlai replied eerily before he lunged fast at Abaddon.

Ramping up his magic defenses, Abaddon conjures up two sabers with his hands and rushed to meet Anlai.

The battle was truly on.

As they collided, Anlai thrust his hands forward, and two whips of fire appeared in fiery fashion, lashing out at the black-skinned demon. Abaddon reacts instinctively and side swerves the onslaught of the whip, drawing him closer to Anlai, his swords aiming for his chest, only to be whipped aside from its desired point. And a retaliatory whip cracks on his chest, causing Abaddon to reel back in response.

The whiplash left a scarring red mark on the barest surface of Abaddon's skin, causing a few inky blue drops to seep through his skin. Abaddon hissed, his attention focused on his opponent. One of the first things he learned as a demonette that he was to never lose focus from his enemy...or enemies as the case might be.

Not being of the waiting type, Abaddon shot forward once more and was glad to see that Anlai wasn't relenting in his fight. Demons loved a good brawl and Abaddon made sure not to disappoint, adrenaline-rushed into his veins blazing his skin lit, and with the terrifying speed, he began a series of slashes, and feints, sending his sword aiming for critical points of his attacker's body. He was more than glad when he got the better of the exchange and knocked Anlai to the ground with a powerful burst of energy combined with a well-timed headbutt.

But relief was a long way from where Abaddon stood and Anlai surged right back, with searing hot flames, lashing out at Abaddon. Telepathically, Cifaro was losing energy fast and was near collapse but he was drawing from the crust of the earth, and still, he wasn't at full capacity. It was only a matter of time before he collapsed.

" Cifaro! we need to do something, and fast" Abaddon groaned as he re-enforced his energy shield against another one of Anlai's relentless assaults.

Cifaro roared a response and before Abaddon could process what was happening, he was soaring and away from Anlai.

" What are you doing?" Abaddon questioned, he could see Anlai staring at his retreating figure with confusion.

" Running away," Cifaro replied in a breathless tone. His energy was fast seeping away and he definitely couldn't keep it.

" Nice thinking," Abaddon replied equally breathless, he enjoyed the little brawl but he couldn't deny, that the brawl was a knife on the edge for him. Whatever powered Anlai was dangerous and seemingly unstoppable and something told Abaddon that he hadn't seen the full might of the beast.

And he wasn't wrong.

Anlai was not to be perturbed by anything. He would get what he wanted. Today, he would rise above all and nothing was going to stop him, not even an arrogant demon prince. The beast in him was yet to be unleashed and the demon prince flees from him, wait until he sees this. With that in mind, Anlai raised both palms as if supplicating, the result was instantaneous.

Abaddon made to search for Adriana when he felt a sudden surge of magical mana in the air, and the clouds darkened considerably, lightning flashed in numerous patterns forming a skull in the sky and thunder followed in threatening cracks.

" Abaddon!" Cifaro growled a telepathic warning. Whatever spell Anlai was casting was

" I know, "Abaddon replied and levitated back to the ground, his body hurriedly conserving his body heat. Using his powers, he scanned for heat signatures on around and was pleased to find one coming straight at him.

Adriana?

She was coming towards him, running, something was chasing her from behind. Another magical beast.

What was going on here? He thought before running towards Adriana determinedly.

Could he make it before it was too late?