Flame Radiant

Hector sits on the steps, watching the forest surrounding them as his heart pounds heavily in his chest.

"How much longer?" He asks softly, turning his gaze toward Ironna, who stands close beside him.

They are both sitting down, their backs pressed against the trunk of a tree.

"We should be close to Erith by now." She replies quietly, watching the dark sky in front of them. Her eyes drift toward Hector. "Are you nervous?" She asks, smiling softly, trying to ease his nerves as best as she can.

"No…" he lies, refusing to meet her gaze. "Of course not. You're just making me nervous."

Ironna rolls her eyes and turns her attention forward again.

Her eyes wander across the area, searching for any trace of movement anywhere on the horizon.

"Don't worry... There isn't anything coming at us, and it'll be okay." She tries reassuring him.

"Yes..." Hector nods absentmindedly, keeping his eyes fixed on the forest in front of them. After several minutes pass, Hector looks to Ironna.

"Do you think we're almost there?" He asks her.

"We're almost there," Ironna confirms, trying to comfort him while she waits for their arrival.

Several minutes later, Ironna spots it. She raises an eyebrow curiously.

"What is that? It looks weird." She frowns, her tone serious.

"Maybe it's a wild animal," Hector suggests.

"Yeah, maybe." She responds hesitantly.

"But, I've never seen anything like this in the woods before. They're bigger than the bear." Hector said, watching the monster.

Neither of them makes a move toward it. It could mean danger; if they attack it, they risk having to fight something big enough to eat both of them. It stays where it is.

"Let's wait a little bit longer," Hector adds.

They sit silent and oversee the forest to see if it moves again. Several minutes passed, and the monster started to move, its glowing yellow eyes staring at them. It starts to inch closer to them, and both of them suddenly stand up, drawing their swords and preparing to face whatever threat will attack them. A low growl echoes throughout the forest. The two quickly start backing away as they continue observing the creature, trying to decide what to do.

"Should we run?" Hector whispers, looking fearfully behind them.

Before Ironna can respond, another monster bursts through the trees behind them, appearing slightly larger than the one in front of them. Its bright golden eyes stare at both of them, showing its teeth threateningly. Its claws and fangs are dripping blood. Suddenly, it rushes toward the both of them, ready to strike, and they barely manage to avoid its attacks. They dodge each attack it throws at them, barely able to prevent its sharpened claws, and it keeps throwing its feet.

It is fast. Very fast. Hector and Ironna's swords get scratched multiple times while they are constantly dodging the monster, and it takes every ounce of energy left inside their bodies, yet they somehow manage to fight it off.

Then, the other beast started to make its move too. Its claws slash at them, trying to catch both off guard.

It cuts Hector's arm once, causing blood to drip onto the ground beneath them as he drops his sword with a loud clang.

As he lowers his sword, the other monster jumps onto him, knocking him back onto the ground and sending him flying backwards.

"Hector!" He hears Ironna scream as she fights off the second monster.

In a split second, he grabs his sword and gets back onto his feet. When he picks it back up and faces the second monster, the beast is already rushing toward him again, ready to take him down.

With all his strength, he swings the sword wildly in a high arc. He manages to slice the beast's shoulder, and blood immediately spits out of the wound. The monster roars, avenging its injury, and charges toward Hector, launching itself toward him.

Hector tries blocking, but the monster is way too fast, and he falls backwards, landing harshly against the ground.

The monster falls upon the top of him and begins to try and bite his neck open, its teeth sinking through Hector's tunic and grazing his skin.

He yells out in pain, grabbing the monster's neck tightly, and attempts to push it back a little with his hands. Unfortunately, that didn't work, and instead, it began to sink its jaws deeper into him, pulling out some of his skin until it finally bit him, cutting his hand open. His grip loosens, and his hold on the beast falters. The beast manages to free its jaw from his hand, and it lunges forward, aiming for Hector's throat.

"You won't!" Ironna screams as she charges toward the monster.

Her sword flashes as she swipes at the beast, cutting it open. The beast stumbles backwards and releases Hector, allowing Ironna to slash its throat, killing it.

"Grant me your power, flame spirit!" She cries loudly.

As a bright light emits from her body, she raises her sword to attack the other monster. Instead of striking her weapon downward, it rises upward toward the sky. Flames burst as the beast rises into the air, rising higher and higher.

When she finishes, the firestorm disappears, leaving behind the scent of sulfur, ashes, and burnt flesh. Everything around them has become quiet, and the only thing still echoing the last noise was Ironna's angry voice echoing across the forest.

There is silence.

Hector breathes heavily, looking down at his injured hand.

"That hurt…."

His voice sounds hoarse as he speaks.

"Hector!" Ironna runs up to him worriedly, dropping her sword and kneeling next to him.

She helps him pick up his bloody hand, holding it gingerly and inspecting it with worry. She notices his hand has started bleeding profusely, and quickly he's his hand with her healing magic. Soon, his entire hand stops bleeding, and he lets out a sigh of relief.

She smiles softly and continues healing.

"Ironna..." He smiles weakly. "I'm sorry for not being strong enough…." He apologizes.

"Don't apologize," She assures him, wiping away some blood from his wounds. "Those monsters attacked us first, and I don't know why." She explains.

She pauses briefly and shakes her head. "It was probably waiting for us, and we must be careful here and watch our backs. These monsters are capable of terrible things."

She glances around, glancing over their surroundings and checking for any threats. The silence returns instantly.

"Having this monster roam around must mean there's magic somewhere nearby." She mutters, "It's not safe to stay here... Let's keep moving." She tells him, placing her hand on his arm and helping him back to his feet. He nods, accepting her help and slowly getting on his feet.

Suddenly, the sound of leaves rustling in the distance. Both Hector and Ironna freeze.

"Stay calm." She whispers as she glances around.

Suddenly, two giant monsters appear in front of them, both standing upright. One is much smaller than the other, and its yellow eyes glare menacingly at them.

"Hector, stay back. This one's stronger than the last one." She warns him, turning her focus to the little monster.

She lifts her hands in front of her and starts chanting an incantation. The more little monster starts growling. Then suddenly, a ball of fire comes charging at the monster. In the blink of an eye, the fireball hits the beast squarely between the eyes and staggers backwards, letting out a piercing wail. Immediately afterwards, Ironna turns to Hector.

"Move!" She yells, grabbing his hand and leading him behind her.

The monster roars again, chasing after them as they run through the forest.

"Come on!" She calls as she runs.

"What do we do?" Hector asks anxiously.

"Run faster!" She yells, and they begin sprinting faster through the woods.

Their breaths come out heavy as they run. Sweat drips from Hector's forehead.

"Can't we stop for a moment? Just let out some gas or something?" Hector huffs, running as fast as he possibly can, hoping they won't lose their speed.

Ironna doesn't answer. She looks ahead as they continue running through the forest, looking for anything to help them escape these monsters.

The wind suddenly blows harder, and the whole forest seems to shake, making them both stumble, losing their balance. Then, they feel the ground underneath their feet vibrate, and a roar rings through the air. Another monstrous animal appears in front of them and opens its mouth with a wide smile. Its large white-fanged grin spreads widely across its face, revealing rows of razor-sharp canines.

"We've got company!" Hector shouts as he reaches for his sword.

They are now facing three monsters. They're giant, powerful monsters. All of their furs are red and black, resembling the colour of blood. Each of them looks like a mix between a lion and a bear. They stand almost 15 feet tall, towering over them and giving off a ferocious aura of power. They have long tails and horns protruding from the sides of their heads, and their faces cover with long, jagged fangs. They look very dangerous, and they seem almost to be smiling maliciously.

"Do you think we can win against them?" He asks, staring at her, his eyes pleading.

"I may be able to defeat them, but it will require a huge chunk of my mana and energy. They are more dangerous than the previous ones..." Ironna states firmly, turning to face him.

Before she can say another word, giant monster roars, shaking the earth around them. A massive wave of energy shoots straight toward Hector and Ironna, nearly throwing them both off their feet.

They manage to get back on their feet, but before either one of them can react again, the massive creature charges toward them, slashing its substantial clawed hands toward them. Both of them dodge the incoming blow easily. However, when it attacks a second time, the two barely manage to evade it. Once it passes, both Ironna and Hector fall onto the ground. Their bodies slam against the earth, knocking the breath out of them.

As soon as they can catch their breath, Hector takes in as much oxygen as he can, which isn't a lot considering how tired he feels now. After seeing his breath, he pushes himself up, using his arms and legs.

"Are you okay?" Ironna asks, looking at him.

He nods. "Yes..."

They both look at each other with concern.

The other monsters charge at them and try to crush them with their huge paws. They leap high in the air before slamming their feet into the ground, sending giant waves of dirt flying toward them. Before the dust settles, the monsters rush forward and swipe their claws at them, trying to knock them off their feet.

Hector and Ironna quickly jump out of the way just before their weapons are hit by the giant paw, sending sparks flying everywhere. The monster continues swinging its gigantic claw to land a hit against Ironna or Hector, and they both duck and roll away, avoiding the feet.

When the two finally stand back, they glance at each other.

"Stay back!" She orders.

Hector looks surprised as his gaze darts at her.

"But-" he starts, but she cuts him off.

"Don't move from where you stand!"

He frowns but obeys her, backing away cautiously.

As he watches, she starts chanting and forming balls of flames around her fists. She tosses one ball at an enormous creature while the other balls up at another beast.

The monsters dodge and retaliate, roaring.

The three monsters are attacking from three different directions now, trying to surround the two of them.

Ironna throws another ball with a determined expression, launching it directly at another monster. Suddenly it bursts and explodes, sending debris and flames everywhere. As it does, the second ball is thrown at the miniature monster, knocking it to the ground. While it's distracted, Ironna swiftly jumps toward it. Her sword raised, ready to strike.

Once above it, she drops down onto the creature's neck, plunging her sword deep into the monster's neck. The beast screams as she pulls her sword out of its neck, killing it instantly. Blood spurts forth, coating her blade in dark crimson. She drops the body and stares at her sword covered in blood. She turns to see the other two monsters to ensure they are dead. Satisfied that both monsters are deadly, she turns and walks toward Hector.

She walks past the dead monsters when suddenly, one grabs her by her leg, causing her to drop down to the ground.

"Ironna!" Hector exclaims, running over to her.

The monster stands up, holding onto Ironna tightly, lifting her, and then throwing her down hard. Her back slams against the ground harshly. She grunts in pain.

Without hesitating, Hector runs to her aid.

As he approaches her, the monster raises its claws threateningly at him.

"Hector!" He hears Ironna yell frantically.

He ignores it.

The monster raises its paw, ready to strike.

"No!" Ironna cries as she tries to get back up, fighting against the monster's grip.

"Ironna!" Hector tries desperately to reach her, but the monster swings its claws right toward him, striking him on the shoulder. He falls and clutches his bleeding shoulder. Blood seeps through his fingers as he stares at the monster's clawed paw.

The monster throws Ironna aside before starting to attack him once more. As he struggles to get up, the monster's claws slash him, drawing blood all over the place.

"Hector!" Ironna screams as she gets up and dashes toward the monster.

The monster glares maliciously at her before lunging forward with its jaws open wide.

"Incinerate!" Ironna chants.

Her sword is ablaze with a brilliant crimson light. Then she vanishes into thin air and reappears right in front of the monster. Using the momentum, she swings her fiery sword downward, cutting the monster's head clean off its neck. It crashes to the ground, lifeless and burning, a black trail of smoke following it. With a sigh of relief, she runs over to Hector.

He's still sitting down with his hand clutching the wound in his shoulder. His blood flows through his fingers.

"Hector..." Ironna says, kneeling beside him.

"Sorry...." He mumbles, lowering his hand slowly.

"Don't be sorry," she answers with a small smile.

"Your wounds need healing."

She places her hands gently on his injured shoulder, closing her eyes briefly before chanting something under her breath.

Instantly, crimson flames surround her palms, spreading across his arm and wrapping themselves around it completely.

His body relaxes as he leans back and breathes deeply, feeling the intense pressure of the wound beginning to lift. The cut is no longer bleeding.

She opens her eyes, still keeping her eyes closed as she focuses her attention on the wound. Then she lifts her hands and releases the flames. The damage disappears, and the pain fades within seconds.

Once the fire disappears, she stands up and stares at him sadly. Tears begin to well up in her eyes. Her heart breaks seeing him lying there wounded. Seeing his injury made her realize how dangerous this path could be and how vulnerable Hector was.

If it hadn't been for her help and healing magic alone, Hector would already be dead. Fighting in these dangerous battles is the last thing they should be doing. If Hector had been more robust, they wouldn't be so far behind everyone else in strength. But unfortunately, Hector is a human. Not only did he struggle with the dangers ahead, but they also encountered obstacles in every aspect. There was no room for them to relax. They can't afford any mistakes, and not after everything they've endured. If they do anything, they risk losing all of their progress, if only for a little while.

"Hector..." She whispers, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I change my mind. Let's go home, please."

"What? No. We've got to keep going! We have to win!" He says, his voice filled with determination.

"You know as well as I do how dangerous it is here! You can barely hold yourself together, let alone go up against those monsters!" She snaps angrily, glaring at him in the process. "Look at your wounds! They'll only get worse if we keep fighting. You can even die!"

She doesn't expect him to answer, but he does, surprising her.

"And if we leave, more people could die!" He yells angrily.

"Hector, you've lost enough today. Please. Let's end this." She pleads.

"No. Not yet, and we have to keep going until we defeat those witches." He mutters stubbornly.

She stays silent for a few moments before shaking her head and letting out a frustrated sigh. He doesn't listen; she can tell that much just by watching his facial expressions. She knows that nothing will convince him.

"We're not safe in here. Even you have to understand that."

"I'm not leaving."

"Hector..."

She glares at him, knowing she won't be able to convince him. "I'm sorry..."

She whispers something under her breath, and her right hand begins to glow. Her right arm shines brighter as she clenches her fist. Then, without warning, she punches Hector in the stomach, knocking him out.

Hector lies motionless on the ground.

Ironna's eyes flash in frustration. She doesn't want to hurt him, but she has no choice; she wants to protect him. And right now, the best way to save him is to knock him unconscious. If he wakes up, then things will only get more complicated.

She shakes her head again. She's wasting time arguing with him. He's stubborn. Sometimes, she may not agree with his choices, but she has learned to compromise. Right now, however, she's having none of it. Hector has caused enough trouble already, and she won't allow him to add to it anymore. He has to learn how to take care of himself. If he keeps pushing her like this, she might lose her patience sooner or later and lash out at him. That is the last thing she needs.

"He's sure stubborn." A voice says behind her.

She catches her breath and spins around, swinging her swords forward, ready to attack whoever was behind her. To her surprise, she is confronted by the cloaked stranger once more. Her eyes widen in fear and anger as she realizes who he is.

Last time, he attacked her and Hector. Now, he stands before them, looking amused, his arms crossed over his chest, staring at her calmly. He gives her an infuriating smirk.

"It seems that you're not as weak as I thought." He says smugly.

She grits her teeth. She didn't like the sound of his words, especially coming from someone like him. He sounds arrogant and condescending. And it pisses her off even more.

"Stay away from him." She warns.

He chuckles in amusement.

"Oh, don't worry. Your little friend here isn't going anywhere." He replies, glancing over his shoulder at Hector lying unconscious on the ground. "And neither am I."

She narrows her eyes in annoyance as she takes several steps closer to him, her sword held tightly in both hands.

"Get away from him right now before I make you." She threatens.

She takes another step closer to him, preparing herself for action.

But he laughs, mocking her.

"Make me? Do you think you can defeat me?" He asks in a cold tone.

"I will if I have to." She growls, gripping her sword tighter.

"So arrogant." He says, rolling his eyes.

"Let's see how confident you are." She challenges.

"I did warn you two about the danger of this journey. Yet you two insist on making your own decisions. Stubborn humans indeed, don't they?" He mocks.

With those words spoken, the clocked stronger summons a swarm of dark butterflies which swarm her all at once. They hover in the air between the two of them. They swirl menacingly around, ready to strike if given a chance. They approach close to each other, prepared to launch attacks at the slightest provocation, waiting to attack.

She swallows hard as she glances between the dark butterflies and the cloaked stranger.

"You've got some serious nerve showing your face."

The cloaked stranger smiles in amusement as he summons a series of daggers. They float slowly before him as if moving on their own.

"Well then. Shall we start?" He offers, flashing her a sinister smile.

She doesn't say a word and grins at the cloaked stranger maliciously, raising her swords. Her eyes dart over to Hector, who is still lying unconscious on the ground. She frowns and doesn't want to leave him in such dangerous conditions.

"Hector..." She murmurs anxiously.

She closes her eyes. Concentrating hard, she raises her swords above her head as she feels the power rising in her. She takes a deep breath as she brings the hilts of her swords together, holding them tight.

"I'll protect you, Hector. Until the very end." She promises firmly.

"Set my sword ablaze,"

"My blood will boil with fire,"

"Flame, Radiant!"

-Will Be Continued in Part 2-