Chapter : 4 STAND DOWN

There were twenty-four sets of pews in this hall. It took a while, but thankfully, with Rizzo helping him out, it didn't take too much of his remaining time, and after a few more wiping and polishing activities, it was time for dusting.

"Now, 'dis one's reeeaaal important-like, capiche? You's gotta get up on 'da ladder, and climb up real high so you's can dust da light fixtures up 'der. Don't worry 'bout it tho', ol' Rizzo'll be holding 'da thing steady for 'ya 'da whole time."

Vin gulped, he never was very good with heights. But nonetheless, he wasn't getting paid to be scared of heights… actually he wasn't getting paid at all… focus Vin!

He climbed up the ladder, duster in hand, slowly ascending up the ridiculous distance to the light fixtures above.

Stupid tall church roofs.

At long last, with sweat, stuffed-down fears, and all too many uttering of the phrase 'don't look down', Vin reached the top, and primed his feather duster to sweep off the massive fixture above.

All he had to do was reach out a little…

Vin… Remember… The… Crystals… Light…

A sudden pulse went off in Vin's head, as the worst headache he's ever experienced blossomed forth like an ugly flower of pain.

Vin...

The pain was all-consuming, as his vision swam, his eyes dilating the reflecting colors of the artificial lights off of the stained glass like a kaleidoscope of a million colors, colors he couldn't even see before.

Awaken me, Vin!

And before he knew it, a pain welled up in his fingers, as if the base of all his fingers were simultaneously set on fire, dunked in acid, and were rotting off. The combined pain made his stomach heave uncomfortably, as if he wanted to throw up.

VIN!

His sense of balance was lost, and soon enough, he was falling.

He couldn't see, he couldn't hear, he could barely stay conscious. Rizzo watched in horror, as the boy began to fall down the equivalent of three stories, the only ending being wood and marble.

The fall would kill him, no doubt about it.

But then, as Vin blindly waved his arms around in an attempt to grab a non-existent hand-hold, something incredible happened.

One second, Vin was falling to his imminent death.

The next, a wall of crystals burst forth from the ground, thick as a truck, like a tidal wave. It caught Vin's falling body safely, as it swung so far, it embedded itself into the adjacent wall of the room, crystals spread around the point of impact like a bloody stain around a flesh wound.

Rizzo gawked, witnessing how the wave of foggy-clear crystals had kicked up pews and completely ruined the room.

He cared more for the potential life at risk.

"Mudder of gawd… KID! Can you's 'ere me!" Rizzo screamed, as he raced over to the crystals, and clumsily tried to climb up the structure.

As for Vin, his barings finally returned to him, groaning, he sat up, wincing at the bruises already forming on his body.

"Rizzo? I'm alright, I just-YEOW! I, I think I just busted my ass."

"No kidding kiddo, what da hell was 'dat?!"

"What the hell was wha- Oh holy fuck."

Vin looked down at the crystal below him in rapt fascination, running his hand across the glossy side of the crystal that caught his fall. Wait a second.

"What the shit?! What's with these rings?"

On each finger of Vin's hand, excluding his thumbs, resided a dark bronze ring, studded with a band of crystal around the middle. Absolutely befuddled, Vin lifted his hand up to get a closer look.

Only to cause a sudden spike of the same crystals to shoot up from the ground a few feet away from him in the same arc he raised his hand in.

"Geez!" Rizzo leapt back from the crystals that sprouted just a few feet from where he stood, "Watch were you's aiming 'dat kid!"

"Do… Do I have super powers, Rizzo?!"

Rizzo nervously chuckled, "I's uh… I's 'dink you's might, kid."

The two stared at each other for a second, before both of them broke out in uncontrollable laughter. The nerves, pressure, and the scare of what had just happened somewhat shedding away as the two laughed without reserve.

If only that moment of peace could last, however.

"Intruders! STAND DOWN, NOW! HANDS IN THE AIR!"

The set of massive oak doors were kicked off their hinges, as a woman, maybe in her twenties or thirties, led a group of costumed figures, each carrying weapons from swords, to bows, and even some kind of energy surrounding their hands. Looks like he wasn't the only one to have magic, after all.

Instantly, Vin and Rizzo shrieked from the noise, and in a quick attempt to comply, Vin threw his hands into the air, which caused the rings to glow, causing two massive spikes of crystals to shoot up from the floor to the ceiling.

"I SAID CEASE YOUR ATTACKS!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Vin screamed.

One of the figures in the back perked up, "That voice…"

Vin looked closer at the group of people, and as he did, the gears in his head turned, until.

"IRINA?! WAIT, XENOVIA?! WHAT THE FLYING FUCK IS GOI-"

Vin never got the chance to finish his sentence, as the woman had somehow vanished in an instant, appearing directly behind both Vin and Rizzo, and with a quick chop of her hands, knocked both males completely unconscious.

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