The Second Fight

"Marybeth!" Sophie yelled as she watched her sister get taken high into the air. A giant red slime, covered in cattails, grass, mud, and earth rose underneath her. Inside its massive body were logs, grass, leaves, and even what looked like human bones. The giant slime lurched forward much quicker than the others. It let out a deafening groan as it did so causing everyone to cover their ears.

"Sophie run!" Marybeth yelled back.

"Sophie come to me," Aer called out as he sprinted from the trunk he was sitting on and towards the younger sister. "I make an oath that I will protect you." As Aer called out those words the chain around his body whipped into the air. It swung around like a living snake and out towards Sophie. The chain gently wrapped itself around the young girl and lifted her into the air. The giant red slime let out another roar as its body stretched and reached for Sophie.

As the slime lifted its body, its large shadow covered where Sophie stood, it slammed down. Marybeth cried out for her sister but at the last second, she saw her pulled out from underneath the slime and towards Aer. The giant red slime smashed the ground where Sophie stood, shaking Marybeth and causing her to fall from the side. As she fell Marybeth reached her hand out and found a hold on a rock embedded into the body of the slime.

"Hold on Marybeth." Franklin came flying down and hovered in the air close to Marybeth. "You need to just. Hurry. The ground isn't hard here. I can distract it so it doesn't come after me."

"I can't." Marybeth cried, her body shaking. "I'm afraid of heights."

"You can do this. Trust me. I can never tell a lie," Franklin said.

"I… I… I don't know."

"Listen to me, Marybeth. It's not that far. I know you can do this. When I count to three you need to let go. I will distract the slime at that time. When you can run to Aer. Do you understand?" Franklin's voice continued to echo in her mind. It was firm, tough but also gentle and caring.

Marybeth shook her head in agreement.

"Good. Now on the count of three. One… Two… Thr…" Franklin didn't have time to finish his count as the giant slime contracted its body together and then flattened it. Marybeth clenched her fist tight on the torn earth and embedded rock. The slime rebounded its body like a stretched rubber band and then jumped. The enormous slime lifted off the ground ten feet as it headed towards Aer and Sophie. It hit the ground hard causing Marybeth to lose her grip and fly off. She landed on the ground front first and felt a pain shock her right arm. Her face was covered in muddy water and her robes were now stained by the marshes.

Franklin swooped down in front of Marybeth and back up in front of the slime. A low grunt came from the red slime as it caught sight of Franklin.

"Run Marybeth," Franklin called out. The big red bird flapped, cawed, and flew back in forth trying to distract the slime. It worked. The great beast, using the same technique as before, turned its body, pressed itself together, and jumped towards the bird. It impacted the ground hard sending out a shock wave that caused Marybeth to duck down into the earth to prevent herself from rolling over.

The red slime continued after Franklin who was trying his best to keep a safe distance from the creature. Marybeth raised her head and looked around, as she did Aer made his way over to her and started lifting her from the ground.

"We need to go," Aer said. "This is too much for you to handle."

Aer was right. She needed to run. To pull herself up and do what she was best at. To run.

She planted her hand into the ground and winced in pain. Her arm was broken. She could tell right away. At least it wasn't her feet. As long as she could still run she was going to be fine.

"Let's go," Aer said again pulling her along. Marybeth ran with Aer till they reached her sister Sophie who was hiding behind a large rock. "Listen you two. I'll get the bird, you head for the gate. We got what we came for. Now go." With that Aer turned around and ran back towards the marshes. In the distance, Marybeth and Sophie could see Franklin flittering about continuing to direct the red slime away from them.

"Sophie come on." Marybeth grabbed her sister's hand and started pulling. The two started up the hill when Sophie turned back.

"What about Franklin?" Sophie asked.

"He is going to be fine. He can fly. There is no way that the slime is going to get him."

A loud rumbling caused the two of them to turn around. Looking back the red slime had launched itself higher than it had before causing it to come soaring down on top of Franklin. The giant slime hit the ground with a shake and trapped the bird deep inside its body.

"No!" Sophie yelled out and pulled her arm from Marybeth's grasp. Sophie started running down the hill.

"Sophie, come back here," Marybeth yelled. It was too late. Sophie had gone full sprint back towards the marshes, her small blade pulled out ready to fight.

The marshlands were now nothing more than long flat patches of mud from the crawling and jumping of the red slime. Aer had followed its path and was now striking it with his chain. There was little to no effect from the lizard-man's chain weapon. Aer would pull it back, whip the chain around his body in an arc then slash it through the beast. It would make a long gash in its gelatinous body but soon after the cut would seal itself as if nothing happened.

Sophie had reached Aer's side and looked up at the lizard-man.

"Sophie what are you doing. Get out of here," Aer said.

"It's got Franklin. I need to help." Sophie rushed forward with her sword and slashed at the body of the slime. Her attack had little effect on the giant slime but to anger it. The slime let out a rumbling growl and twisted its body towards Aer and Sophie. Marybeth caught the pattern before it happened. The slime contracted its body and released jumping toward Sophie.

Marybeth yelled as the red creature rolled forward and as quick as a flash Aer was there standing next to her sister. He whipped the chain around him again, loosely took hold of Sophie, and flung her away at the last second before being consumed. Aer and Franklin were stuck inside the massive jelly-like body of the red slime. Sophie had fallen to the ground, her sword falling from her grasp. She was whimpering to herself and holding her arms out, hands facing the slime as if to stop it in its tracks.

Marybeth felt that urge again. That fear clenching at her heart forcing her to move to run away. She wanted to use what she knew to run. To run from the monster, from the sudden responsibility of having to take care of Sophie in this strange new world. It wasn't her job to take care of her. She was still just a kid. She hadn't even graduated high school yet and somehow she was now expected to be an adult. That was supposed to be her mother's job.

Marybeth shoved that thought deep down. No, it wasn't her mother's fault. It was never her mother's fault. It was her father's.

The fear disappeared and was consumed by anger. Anger at everything she and Sophie had to endure these last few years. Of what Sophie had to endure her entire life. Now was not the time for her to run and hide. Now was the time to run to her sister. To save her.

Marybeth's feet moved before she could even think. She ran towards Sophie. Her feet swiftly landed on rocks and hard ground avoiding the soft mud that would have trapped her. Faster and faster she ran and closer and closer she got. Sophie was so close only a little bit farther. Then Marybeth saw it again. The giant slime's pattern. The contraction of its body, the low groan of its hunger, and finally the jump.

The slime was in the air as Marybeth finally reached Sophie. She grabbed her hand and then it happened again. The light. The light had returned. In a moment of awe, a powerful burst of light shot forth from Sophie's hand. Like a wall of lightning and fire and wind, this incredible power shot forward pushing the slime back and burning away at its body.

Marybeth could feel it. She could feel the power coursing through her body, her heart, and her mind. The power moved and swirled through every fiber of her being until it left her hand and to her sister and then back again. The power continued outward growing ever bright until Marybeth could no longer keep her eyes open.

When Marybeth opened her eyes again the red slime was everywhere. Its body was torn and dispersed across the marshlands. Slowly its red jelly-like body melted away. In the center of that red mess laid Aer and Franklin. Both of them passed out but alive.

"Marybeth," Sophie said as she turned to her sister. "What… what happened?"

Before Marybeth could answer, Sophie had fallen to the ground. Shortly after Marybeth laid back and fell into a deep rest.