Chapter Bravery
Roisin and her team finally arrived at Camp Almost Heaven. The citizens looked at them wearily as they entered the town. There were signs of failed crop farms nearby, and the dust covered pre-fabricated camp had seen better days. At the far end of the camp, stood the ruins of Una Academy.
Syl gazed at the remains of the structure and frowned.
"So that is all that is left?" He shook his head. "Hundreds of students went there, and now only I remain..." Syl frowned. Dex put his hand on Syl's shoulder.
"We're here for you, Syl..." Dex smiled faintly. "I know what its like, seeing the ruins of somewhere you called home" He added.
"It's just... I feel, I don't know... guilty?" Syl asked Dex.
"That's survivors guilt, Syl" Ariel nodded. "Something I feel almost every day, as I imagine you do too" She added.
"Right" Ashe smiled. "But you shouldn't feel guilty for living, Lumina did this, not you" She nodded.
"We should head to the temple, before Treleva... or whatever that thing is, finds us" Roisin said, as she walked ahead. Ashe looked at Ariel, slightly worried at Roisin's attitude lately.
"Is she okay?" Ariel asked Dex.
"I don't know" Dex sighed deeply. "She's become slightly withdrawn since the teleporter incident" He frowned. Ruby sat on Roisin's backpack, watching the others from the distance and frowned, Syl gazed sadly at Roisin, knowing what she was going through.
"She is correct though" Ariel nodded. "Infernus' arrival may be imminent, he will want to stop this process by any means necessary, we should be prepared for combat" Ariel suggested.
"Perhaps we should split into two teams, someone to go with Roisin to the temple, another team to stand guard in this village" Syl nodded.
"I'll go with Ros" Dex smiled. "You three should stand guard here, and delay him if you can, if you can't take him, fall back, and we'll fight inside the temple" He continued.
"Right" Ariel nodded. "Good luck" She smiled.
"Hopefully we won't need luck, but same to you" Dex nodded and grinned, before running after Roisin and Ruby. Syl turned to the others and sighed.
"We'll do our best to delay Infernus, but like Dex said, don't give your lives to give us time" Syl stated, the others nodded in agreement, suddenly, the townspeople began running away from the pathway out of the camp.
"I guess that's our cue" Ashe sighed deeply, as she summoned her Celestial Rapier. The others nodded as they summoned their Celestial Weapons and walked toward the town gates.
Infernus was stood waiting for them, in the body of Treleva.
"Where is the anomaly?" He asked.
"None of your business" Syl shrugged.
"She is your sister, yes?" Infernus asked.
"Wow, clever you, aren't you supposed to be some sort of god? Because you seem kinda stupid" Syl shrugged.
"Insults will not work against me" Infernus replied.
"They help me though" Syl smirked.
"Interesting" Infernus nodded, as he summoned an Infernal Greatsword. "I will find out where your sister is, and I will kill her. Slowly" Infernus stated. "How is that for an insult?" He asked curiously.
Syl's eyes burned red as he charged and swung his warhammer at Infernus, who blocked his attack and kicked him backwards, sending him scraping across the ground. Ashe ran to him and helped him up, as Ariel cast a fireball and shot it at a gas tank that was hooked up to a nearby building, it exploded, sending Infernus flying backward.
Syl regained his composure and ran toward Infernus once more, as he neared Infernus, he saw nanomachines crawling across his skin, turning flesh to metal instantly.
"What the hells?!" He exclaimed, as he jumped backward in defence. Infernus got to his feet once more, as most of his body was now covered in metal, from his wrists, two metal fangs protruded.
"He's some kind of... cyborg thing" Ashe gasped.
"I am formed from the hubris of mankind, yes" Infernus nodded. "The hubris of the man named Rychard, who thought he could claim the powers of our kind for his own and rule this miserable planet" He added.
"Why would you tell us this?" Ariel asked, as her eyes narrowed.
"Because it makes no difference, you will either die here, today, or die in two years" Infernus admitted.
"Hmm" Syl grinned. "That's not really true is it?" He asked.
"I do not follow your train of thought, brother of the abomination" Infernus shrugged.
"Treleva explicitly told us that you are afraid. That you are accelerating your plans for this star because you are afraid" He laughed.
"I do not fear or feel" Infernus replied.
"Are you sure about that?" Syl asked.
Infernus' face turned to a frown for a moment, before he shrugged.
"I do not follow" Infernus repeated, as the group watched him, with their weapons at the ready.