Chapter 22: Cut Short

She drew back her bow string and a giant purple flaming arrow appeared.

"It's time for you to die die die!!!"She screamed, releasing the arrow, I threw Ambrosia out of the way and blocked my face as the flames crashed into me.

"I'm an exorcist, of Heaven's Order."She grinned again, drawing back her bow string once more. "I'm here to exterminate you."She released her flaming purple arrow. "But first show me those blue flames of yours!"She yelled with an evil smile.

"How dare you!"I dodged the arrow with ease. "How dare you bring my friends into this!"

"Huh? Your friends?"She looked taken aback. "You cannot possibly have friends, for you are the spawn of Satan and a Devil."

"I do have friends! And I'm nothing like my father!"I yelled, lunging at her.

She laughed. "How could you, a devil even think that you have the right to have friends! Pierce the sky!"She pulled back her string and dozens of purple flaming arrows formed in the sky, she released and I weaved in and out of the raining weapons.

"I'm gonna defeat my father!"I yelled, glaring up at her.

"So there's no way in Hell I'm gonna die here especially not to the likes of you!"I ran, jumping up into the sky, and swung at her.

She disappeared and reappeared behind me.

"You're sloppy kid."She glared. "You could never hope to defeat me with that poor performance."She laughed.

I swung at her again and she disappeared.

"Let alone defeat Satan."Her voice echoed in my head.

"Listen up Hell spawn. If you stray from this chosen path of yours, you will surely meet a brutal end. And even then, your fate is destined to be a twisted one."Her voice echoed in my mind.

And with that the world was silenced again.

I ran over to Ambrosia, checking to make sure she was ok, but there wasn't a scratch on her. Then I remembered Zeke. I raced towards him and wrapped my arms around the large arrow and pulled it out. He fell to the ground, a gapping hole in his chest. I put him on my back, slung Arabella on top of him, neither of them had much time left. Then scooped up Ambrosia as well as the bags. I headed towards the direction where I sensed my family.

"Hold on...Wait for me."

Finally I made it to the building where my family resided. Then I looked up, seeing 12C. I had walked non stop to get here, instead of two days, it took me a day to get back to them. I wanted to collapse, but my pride wouldn't let me.

"Fenrir!"I called out, "Alistair!" But no one came. I jumped up onto the balcony, and banged my head on the door. "Guys! It's me Kaiser!"

Then the door swung open and there stood Shira. Hair cut to her ears and blood shot eyes. She was trembling, she latched onto me and began sobbing.

"Kaiser! Kaiser!"She cried.

I had a bad feeling something was wrong. "Shira...Where are the others?"

She sniffled looking up at me from those ruby eyes. "Gone!"She yelled. "Every single one of them!"

"What! How?"I said frantically.

"They were taken by a group known as Heaven's Order."She sniffled again, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"How did you manage to escape?"

"They wanted me to deliver a message and they knew you needed a healer, so they cut my hair which diminished my power, it was so they could torture you with something that was so close, within your grasp, and yet unattainable."She looked ashamed of herself.

"What was the message?"I steeled myself.

"We are always watching... If what you said is true then come find us."

"Shira you have to be able to heal!"I yelled, not at her but at the severity of the situation.

"I can't!"She looked down, "Can't you understand! I'm useless without my hair!"

"No you aren't! Your power lies within you! Within you!"I poked her chest. "You have the power to heal, so heal already dammit!"

She stepped back, "Kaiser..."

Everything hit me at once and I collapsed.

When I came to, I was laying on the floor. I quickly sat up, "Ambrosia!"

"She's alright."Shira's voice was calm, she turned, looking at me. "Thank you for snapping me out of it."She smiled gently. "I managed to seal their wounds..."She looked at the ground for a moment. "You were right, the power to heal lies within me, but I don't have enough power to properly heal them. Only enough to close their wounds, not enough to rid them of their injuries though."She seemed disappointed in herself.

"You did good Shira."I smiled, patting her head, she blushed.

"Kaiser don't flirt with me. You have Ambrosia."She puffed her cheeks.

"I don't wanna catch feelings for you and suffer like Ali."She looked off to the side, her cheeks still puffed.

"Quit pouting."I said nonchalantly, rolling my eyes.

"Hmph."

"We're gonna find our family, okay?"I smiled.

"Kaiser? Who are they?"

"New members of the family. That one is Zeke and that one is Arabella."

She looked gravely at the pair. Then spoke in Latin.

I don't know how I knew it was Latin, but I did. "More sorrow shall fill the earth."I blinked at the words that came from my mouth

"How did you know?"She looked up at me surprised.

"Umm I don't know."

"It's something the facility taught me. They tried to see if I had the powers of a Magician, since I had such an aptitude for healing."

"Well? Do you?"

"I'm not sure. I think, maybe if I try to put those lessons and magic phrases into practice I'll be able to use magic too. Then I can help you."

"You already help."

"Without my healing I'm nothing."She said bitterly.

"You know that's not true."I tilted my head to look at her, with a smile.

"S-stop it."Her cheeks puffed up again.

"You seem to be acting more girly."I chuckled.

"H-hey what's that supposed to mean! Are you saying I'm not feminine!"She growled, eyes that could scowl in the face of Heaven glared down upon me.

"Scary."I murmured, looking away from her.

I heard the crunch of glass, I raced to the door and peered out of it. But nothing was there.

"Kaiser, are you ok?"

"Yeah."I said holding my head, I had a splitting migraine. "I think I just need to lie down for a bit."

I laid down and stared at the ceiling.

"Arabella!" Zeke called.

"She's ok."I sat up.

"Shira's powers may have been dampened, but she still managed to heal Arabella enough to where it's up to Arabella if she lives or dies. She has to want it. She has to fight."

Zeke held Arabella's head in his lap.

"Arabella."He said softly, caressing her hair. "I promise to always be by your side."

That was the tie that bound them. Love and friendship.