Concrete spider webbed beneath his fist. A trail of wavering heat showed the demon's swerving route of escape. It screamed something loud and high pitched. Brrda's eyes flicked to the side, watching the beast carefully. Before his feet hit the ground there was a chunk of broken roof in his hand. There was a crumbling sound as his toes finally touched something solid, then another as they were dragged by the weight of his spinning body. His chest twirled, his ribs released, the anchored arm lifted away from the surface. His stony glare was set firmly on the flaming beast. His arm came around, cold chunk clenched tightly.
All at once his fingers flipped up, opening the cage around the rock. His palm pushed forward slightly, nudging it in the right direction. It broke through the air like a meteor, tossing wind off its sides. The demon's panic was clear. It hovered left, then right, up a little, back down. Brrda was sure it would hit. Sure the demon's movements were because it couldn't move quick enough in any direction.
Thunder rumbled from the dark clouds overhead.
The stone hurtled through the air.
Brrda held his breath. Winced at the first few drops of rain on his burned wrist.
Retsis clawed at the ground and ducked, watching the stone fiercely.
There was a great crash. This time not thunder.
The ground smashed, raining small pebbles into the air.
To the left was a tail of flame and smoke, the dying remnants of a sudden burst which had jettisoned the demon out of the rock's trajectory. Brrrda snorted as his eyes flew to their target. His beefy hand snatched another stone. Too slow! With a similar crackling burst the demon rocketed forward. It reached up with a blazing arm, as though reaching for the ball of fire that jumped to life in its hand. Flame fell through the air like a whistle, burning on Brrda's abs. He roared in pain, dropping the chunk of rock. Refusing to go down but in too much distress to counter, the Savage Savior tensed his muscles, splaying his fingers like claws. Another ball sparked on his chest. This time he was pushed back by the pain and the heat.
It was not the end of the demon's barrage. Fire after fire exploded on Brrda's bare body, some generously missing more vital locations to make roast of his toes. He howled, stumbled back on his raw heels. Lightning cracked across his eyes as his skull met with the sharp edge of a building banister. The fall dropped him out of the way of a deadly blast which had been directed at his face. Colored bubbles popped before him, dizziness swept over him. Something wet dripped down his neck.
Rain or... or blood?
A low growl came into his ears. It was feral and familiar. He hard Retsis' claws cut away as they leapt over the concrete. Heard her spring into the air. The angry cry of the demon. The light yet devastating puff of fire. The slump of a six-hundred pound cat falling to the ground.
Brrda weakly opened his eyes. Several feet away his companion writhed, the fur of her belly ablaze with the demon's handiwork.
Several drops landed on his forehead, reminding him of the approaching storm. His vision returned to normal as he gazed up into the sky, a hopeful glint in his eyes. The clouds began to weep, as though they had heard his plea for help. Though he was in pain, Brrda couldn't help but to smile. That was all he needed to turn this around. The water to put out the fire.
But his heart sank when he turned back to face the demon. Steam rose off its body in towers. The licking flames had grown smaller, and taken on a blue color closer to the demon's solid body, but they were still not extinguished. Not enough to ground the flying hellion, not enough to prevent it from balling up another heated burst. Brrda managed to roll away, taking the opportunity to tumble his seared flesh through a newly formed puddle. A few small sparks landed on his arm, but they hurt no more than the bites of jungle mosquitoes.
His smile returned. The rain would not win the battle for him, but it had granted him the use of his greatest asset: his strength. With a triumphant cry, the savage was in the air. He soared towards the demon, who drifted back a bit. Drifted back right into position. Brrda willed his body down, crashing into a large puddle which had formed in the crater he'd made earlier. A wave washed over the demon, putting an end to any orange that fought its way off it's body. Now Brrda could see the demon more clearly for what it was. Blue embers still struggled for life, but their heat was not enough to hide the monster's body in blaze.
Brrda pounced, pressing forward with his fist. It took but one punch. One punch filled the sky with the sound of cracking bone. One punch threw the demon to the ground. One punch sent it skidding across the surface of the roof. One punch put out what few fires remained. One punch left it unable to move. One punch revealed its true form.
One punch uncovered the girl beneath the flames.
Brrda loped over to her. At once he felt guilt rush into him. The feeling of her arm's bones crumbling beneath his knuckles still tingled in his hand. The sound of her cracking humerus haunted his ears. He fell to his knees beside her, scooping her delicate head in his arms. Blonde hair strung through his fingers. Her chest did not move with life, but a look at her lips showed that they puckered slightly with small breaths.
Not a demon. Remorse brought tears to his eyes. Not a demon. Just possessed by one. I should have known. I should have been more careful.
Mournful eyes looked over their kill. Her body was covered in bruises from the conflict, and it seemed as though Retsis had gotten at least one good scratch in on the girl's hip. Carefully he rolled her onto her side, inspecting her back for damage. Though he still seethed at the conflict, he knew better than to blame the girl for possession. And now, he had decided, she was his responsibility.
But a strange feeling came over him as he looked down her naked back. The same feeling which had taken hold of him when he had seen the picture of the woman outside the city limits. His heart throbbed as his eyes followed the contours of her body. As if on their own, his fingers gingerly traced a path down her spine. A shiver lashed through him, but it was quickly overcome by a powerful heat rising in his cheeks. Fire surged through his veins. It brought to life every inch of his being. His heart beat a mile a minute as it, too, seemed to burn.
"No!" He cried, grabbing at his head. "No. Stay out of me, demon!"
Brrda screamed, tossed his head from side to side. Behind him, Retsis perked up. She eyed her master with caution, not sure what to make of his flailing and screaming. Without warning he was off, dashing across the rooftop as though death were on his heels.
It was hours before he stopped. Hours after he had run out of breath. Hours after his limbs had lost all feeling. Hours of tumbling through puddles and bathing himself thoroughly in cold water. Hours until he was certain the demon had not taken hold of him.
And at last, at the foot of a staircase to the sidewalk, he collapsed to the ground and succumbed to the desire for rest.
It was there that he slept, unaware that he would awaken elsewhere.
Unaware that he had collapsed on the doorstep of Lady Killman.
