Yuri: Harbinger of the Otters 11

I had a dream that night, in it, I watched three brave souls facing down what felt like an army of monsters armed with scythes and various other weapons and black wings. They were cloaked in shadow. 

We were surrounded by trees, on two sides, it was the ideal kind of place for a battle, it meant that we couldn't get flanked from either side very easily. Visibility was fairly low, the moon shone over the area in front of us which was a very minor blessing in a sea of disadvantages.

"Stand down. If you submit we wont harm any of you." I told them, "One way or another, we shall cleanse this place."

"These creatures wont listen, brother." The warrior at my side told me, he was clad in a natural armor and had wings like a dragonfly. That was about all I could make out in the quick glance however.

When they didn't back down, my scales began to harden, they formed intricate patterns all over my boy until I seemed to be wearing some sort of armor that looked like it was on fire, I could tell because I caught my reflection on a nearby body of water.

"Count yourselves among the lucky. Yes, you are about to die this day, still though, your opponent is me." The winged one explained casually. "You have lived your lives with your backs turned on the divine light and without any artistic flare whatsoever. As an act of mercy, I shall sing you the Alkanost's Requiem, a song so beautiful it shall shake your very cores until the deaths soon to follow." He flicked a sword with two blades instead of one, almost like a tuning fork.

"Perish beautifully." He directed them, slashing his blade through the air and creating a shock wave that hit at least a dozen of them head-on.

"Jeeze, you and speeches Vincent, Its like you picked up dads worst trait. What's with using such a powerful attack as an opening anyway? Now if I don't follow..." I realized some movement behind me and grabbed the arm of the creature responsible. I pulled him in front of me and noticed he was one of the scythe wielders. 

"That scythe looks really vicious..." I observed aloud, "You were moving towards my sister... I think its a safe assumption that you would have used it on her." I assessed, before continuing to observe, "I don't think you're dumb enough to be unaware that that kind of thing KILLS PEOPLE." I slammed him onto the ground and stomped my foot on his throat. "SO I THINK ITS PRETTY DAMN FAIR THEN IF I TAKE YOUR LIFE THE WAY YOU TRIED TO TAKE HERS! RIGHT?" I stomped on his ribs, HARD. "BET YOURE NOT THINKING OF TRYING TO KILL MY SISTER NOW, ARE YOU?" I grabbed him by the neck and tossed his nearly lifeless body as hard as I could at a cluster of his friends. I laughed derangedly, "WHO ELSE WANTS TO TAKE A SHOT AT MY SISTER?!" I challenged.

"You guys really shouldn't have tried that. I know targeting the healer is a solid strategy in most cases, but it'll just get you guys killed." Vincent claimed, I was so lost in my rage as I jumped at the next one, tearing him holes where he didn't previously have any before moving on, kicking him away before leaping at my next target. 

The battle raged on against these creatures, I took quite a bit of damage. It was too dark to really make out much. I was mostly using my senses of smell and hearing though I could feel their locations. I went over to the one I had referred to as sister. She placed a wet hand over most of my wounds, the liquid followed that hand and briefly would sting before delivering a feeling of relief as the wounds closed up and became less painful. 

"Comeon, comeon, comeon, is there really not a single one of you that can make a decent dance partner. Here I am laying down some beautiful beats and you guys don't even have the courtesy to jive to them. You guys are pathe..." A roar of thunder sounded and suddenly Vincent had a gaping hole near his shoulder. Several more roars sounded, each one accompanied by a new hole in his body. 

"That's enough!" The woman who had healed my wounds shouted, a wall appearing between Vincent and whatever was the source of this strange and loud magic. "You creatures who have no respect for the sanctity of life, who invade our home, who bring darkness upon all that you touch."

She stood up and walked to Vincent, leaving some creature on his body that I could only presume was to treat his wounds. It seemed blob-like but I could barely make it out. "Food heals the soul and my treatments sooth the body. I am perfectly content to heal their wounds, I'm their doctor and sibling after all. That said, I refuse to let you inflict pain and suffering on them at your discretion. As a doctor it is my duty to do everything within my power to protect the lives of my patients."

"Well said Mira, still though, I won't let you fight alone. Our parents taught us better than such a thing." I told her.

"Man, you really are straight laced" She taunted me. Day was starting to break and I saw her holding a very small sphere in her hand, she threw it and it exploded. The ones who presumably breathed in whatever gas it seemed to release into the air collapsed. "What a bunch of wimps you guys are, are you even Reapers? That was only a mid-level anaesthetic."

"You are quite observant." A massive creature creature, at least twice my size suddenly appeared behind Mira. He reached out his hand to her shoulder. "People like you have to killed before they become problematic."

I didn't think, my body just reacted and I was on him in a second, my fist lit with the flames. He wasn't like the rest, if he made contact any number of horrific things could happen to her. My fist didn't connect though, in a split second he was several feet away from us. I looked around, first at Vincent and then at Mira. I then realized that there were no longer any other creatures around, had they retreated when he came?

"I believe that armor that is on you is part of your ability. What was it called now? Paladin?" The giant inquired.

"Who knows?" I replied evasively. I tensed my legs and got into position to leap at him.

"Your armor is breaking though, it seems, have you really burned through that much energy?" He asked.

"It seems that the situation just got Critical." I lept at him, my right hand pulled back until I was within range, I struck out the moment I was in range but he just blocked it like it was nothing. I swung my leg at him, aiming for the his side but he blocked that too, I jumped away from him.

"Critical... Is this another stage of your ability? Or does that mean you are on the ropes. Given that you aren't harming me, I have to assume you've gotten much weaker. Are you in mourning?" He asked, looking at Vincent. He was trying to get under my skin.

"Who knows?" I replied once more.

"I see, your magic is based on your morale. It enhances your reflexes and strength. Which means if I were to kill the healer..." I screamed and was on him nearly instantly. It was way faster than before, I think my speed had increased somehow. Was this what the other one called 'Critical'?

"You are full of openings." He said as he moved to the side at the last second. He grabbed my wrist and tossed me at immense speed. I couldn't move or react or anything. Suddenly I heard a snap, the sound of bones breaking.

I got up shakily and looked back. It was Mira. I had probably snapped her ribs. I covered my face for a moment, tears running down my cheeks as my armor cracked even further, it was chipping off piece by piece.

"Not so brave now that your partners are gone, are you Iggy?" I looked up at him, the tears streaming even faster.

"Brave?" I ask him numbly, "Who told you such nonsense..? I'm such a coward I could laugh..." I began walking towards him. "You assume that I'm brave enough to put my life on the line for these people I care so much about? That isn't true at all though. I am putting my life on the line because I'm afraid of living in a future without them, the thought terrifies me. It is a terror that I will now share with you"

Before I knew it, I was in front of him, I reached my arm slowly, he seemed frozen, "One way or another, we have reached the Terminus." 

I reached out and grabbed his arm. An ear piercing scream hit my ears, I had no idea monsters like him could feel the kind of fear he seemed to experience. He batted my arm away desperately after escaping my grasp. He tried to back away, "Monster, what the hell are you?"

"I told you, didn't I? I am afraid. So... very... afraid."

"Don't you realize you've just made it so that you're completely reliant on these people You can't handle life without them? That's really pathetic." He was begging and pleading at this point as my arm reached out to his throat. There was no sympathy to be had for him though.

"I do rely on them, heavily at that." I told him as I grasped his neck. "But what's so wrong with relying on family and the people who care about you?" The bones snapped and he faded away. "I guess he wasn't as giant he seemed to be."