Rushing the group while letting out a small laugh, Sonnia's hands glowed red. She smacked one of them in their face. A loud thud rang out and the cultist fell to the ground. Her staff bruised him but he didn’t react to the metal. The other two immediately tried to grab her while more thorns started to erupt all over their skin. One of them managed to latch their arms onto Sonnia and hugged tight. The thorns each pierced her skin and made her skin feel feverishly hot. Quickly prying his hand off Sonnia backed up looking at the little trickles of blood going down her arm and back.

  Her body started flaring up as she got a little woozy. Her legs felt heavy, Sonnia used her staff to keep herself standing. Her face grew annoyed.

  “What did you do to me? Poison? Did you infect me? Talk now, what happened.”

  The first cultist got up, rising up in a slow mechanical manner. Each inch he rose off the ground gave an odd crack noise that could be heard from inside his body. He and his group stayed silent and walked forward to Sonnia ignoring her words. They walked as one with their bodies sounded almost empty as each step made a small echo noise.

  “Ignoring me then are we? Hah hah hah. Fine, let's do this again!”

  She stuck her staff in the ground and propelled herself off the ground going over them. The air made her hair dance which made Sonnia let out a childish laugh. Landing behind the cultists she kicked the back of one of their legs. He fell on his knee and immediately got smacked in the face by Sonnia and her red magic shield she made with raised open palm. The magic made a whoosh noise as the man collapsed on the ground. Yet only a hollow snap was heard from him.

  The others immediately turned around jumping at her while their arms swiped at her. Sonnia used her mana shield to deflect the attack of cultists into each other. Grinning once their arms struck.

  “Now we are all poisoned.”

  Her left leg momentarily gave out before she caught herself. She pushed a hand on her chest letting her red glow heal herself up. Now taking a step forward Sonnia watched as all the cultists recovered as if no damage was done. Her face turned sour now. One held up his hand at her and immediately thorns started shooting from his hand in a rapid manner.

  She ducked low and darted across the street feeling disturbances in the air around her. Running atop of the rubble she heard the attack finally stop. Her back felt like a pincushion, her robe started to slowly dye itself reds. Putting her hand against her chest she tried healing herself back up to no avail. Whatever happened to Sonnia seemed to outpace her magic.

  Sonnia still though dawned a poker face hiding her exhaustion. Two cultists immediately ran towards her. One launched himself off the ground with amazing height. Black roots could be seen from the bottom of his feet as leaped in the air quickly closing the distance between him and Sonnia. The other ran forward while thorns coated his body like a bush. While the third watched, keeping his hand up, aiming at Sonnia.

  Sonnia watched then broke into a smile as they got closer. In her mind she called on Kaelith’s power to help her. She glowed red and stabbed the top of her staff into the ground. Then flexing the muscles on her small arms she swung the staff like a golf club shooting a wave of loose rubble at them that covered dust all over the ground. The rocks coated the cultist full of thorns. He collapsed on the ground making no noise as he tried to free himself by prying himself against the rocks.

  The one in the air landed next to Sonnia ready to put his hands on her neck ready to tear her skin off with his thorns. Sonnia quickly ducked low and countered with an upper cut. It forced him off of his feet but not before a small puff of dust exited his hands into her face. She let out a cough as it instantly stinged her mouth and lungs with a sour tasting dust. It felt like it clinged inside of her refusing to leave.

  The man landed on the rubble, his neck bent in an unnatural way that should’ve killed him. Yet he only glowed a shade of magenta before his head pulled itself into place. With the sounds of stepped on branches being heard as it happened. With the other ripping its arms off of the rocks, then standing up slowly. Grabbing his arm he shoved it back into place while black roots grabbed and stitched it back.

  Compounded with the venom from her first injury , Sonnia was left defenceless now on her knees. She again tried to heal herself but it didn’t help. Before she could think another barrage of thorns were launched at her. She was forced to roll out of the way darting to the left and using the rubble as a rough slide. The rocks pushed the thorns in her back deeper. Each one felt like a rough nail. The pain kept her conscious while her body slowly gave out. She looked at them now angry while damp with sweat.

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  “What did you do to me? It’s unfair! I can’t hurt you and you are just trying to poison me away. It’s boring. You're stupid. How can we play properly if you can’t feel pain? You are full of stupid roots.”

  Sonnia growled low before saying more. An enemy tried jumping on her. She narrowly dodged by doing a front roll before she could be pinned. Still his thorns grazed her side. Finally Sonnia had enough, she wanted a break. Sonnia forced herself up using her staff to keep her off the ground.

  “Kaelith I have a need for your fire. These guys are annoying.”

  Sonnia smacked her staff on the ground and out of a purple portal Kaelith walked out. His head tilted over while looking at Sonnia.

  “You seem exhausted, Sonnia. It’s a surprising sight given your tenacity. Are these men giving you such troubles? I would think you can handle three men easily.”

  Sonnia fell to the ground, her breathing felt more forced. She tried healing herself with her red energy, the spell bathed her in energy. Though her health drained as quickly as it came. The smell of wine filled the air as it seeped through her magic.

  “They put something in me, Kaelith. I feel so tired and drained. I need to rest for a few minutes. Kill them please!”

  Kaelith turned his body to the cultists and walked to them. Each step he took burned the rocks below him. His eyes resemble white orbs that stared calmly.

  “You appear to be infected by a status of some sort. Your magic is too brutal and feral to get rid of such ailments. Perhaps my lady would be better suited for such a thing.”

  Kaelith spawned a great hammer and ran forth cleaving one in the chest. It immediately caved in revealing no blood or organs, just a hollow space that seemed like its own ecosystem. Black roots wiggled around a black pulsing rock. Another man tried stabbing Kaelith with his arms. Before the needles could reach, Kaelith's body ignited with a blazing hellfire. Sonnia caught her breath and in protest called out to Kaelith.

  “NO! I’m in control, me! Not her!”

  Kaelith’s fire made the cultists back off. Although they gave no visible reactions, they seemed to have a primal fear of fire that seeped deep within. The demon looked back to Sonnia.

  “No need for that Sonnia. You are in control, that was our deal. But if you don’t heal then you’ll die and end up like them. Dying would be an unfortunate circumstance for us.”

  Sonnia tried standing up using her staff but her legs wobbled and she collapsed back down onto the dirt. At her own body's mercy, she laid there against the stone.

  “Dying would be inconvenient. That weird void stuff isn’t very fun either. Mmm fine. Paladin come out now, play for a bit please heal us.”

  She closed her eyes and a surge of mana hit. Briefly Kaelith’s fire paused and pulsed. He turned his head back, his voice purred a little.

  “Welcome to the real world my lady. How does it feel? Does the air feel better out here?”

  Sonnia looked up at Kaelith. Her grin has fully evaporated now turning into a tired somber frown.

  “Demon don’t talk to me like we are friends. I should let this plague kill me. Take you all down with me. Even if it isn’t permanent it’ll delay you and her.”

  Kaelith approached the Cultists. They back off but Kaelith got his hands on one and slowly fire engulfed him. Though no screams were seen leaving his mouth, a small hiss was heard before going silent.

  “I suppose you could, my lady but it would be you who pays the price. A Paladin leaving a town to suffer at its climax. You’ll be responsible for so many deaths. Is denying her some fun really worth all those people turning into this? If so then lay there and die. I'm sure Freeg will be safe when you pass.”

  Sonnia looked down and slammed the ground with her fist into the ground. The stone formed a small crack. She looked up at the sky and then closed her eyes. She put a hand on her chest, a glowing golden energy formed around the slowly engulfed her body. The fever seemed to vanish slowly being fought away by her magic. Slowly the Paladin rose to her feet and felt all around her skin like it was a foreign feeling. Her magic emptied her quickly, her head already hurt. She stared at Kaelith with hate. As he continued.

  “Thank you my lady for cooperating. It makes my soul happy to see you caring for yourself for once. I hope you and her can be more agreeable in the future as well.”

  Sonnia calmly walked over slowly to the remaining cultists. Kaelith’s fire made them keep their distance. She stared into their eyes trying to find any way to justify sparing them.

  “They are dead Demon. I’m scared to think of what pain they went through to become like this. It’s heart breaking. They didn’t deserve this. We need to put their bodies to rest. —-“

  Sonnia paused suddenly, taking a gasp of breath she collapsed to the ground. Kaelith immediately reached and caught Sonnia before her head hit the pavement.

  “My lady! What happened! Are you still sick? SONNIA! SONNIA?”

  Her eyes opened now looking more playful. Sonnia talked in a goofy voice.

  “Heheh hii Kaelith. I got bored watching. She is boring so I’m back. I don’t like her being in control. Kill them all and let’s continue. I have to find Gar.”

  Kaelith took a light sight then nodded his head, he walked towards the two remaining cultists. One tried to hit Kaelith but the thorns brushed off his armor. His hand was grabbed and fire trailed up his body before shriveling up. The demon stared at the body.

  “Sonnia, they are more plant than human now. It’s interesting. I wonder how long it takes for such a thing to happen.”

  The last cultist turned around and retreated leaving a puff of dust behind as he ran. Sonnia ran ahead and smacked the back of his heel forcing him to the ground. She grinned now, aiming her staff at the downed plant.

  CRACK

  A smack hit his arm as he squirmed. He tried moving away.

  CRACK

  Another on his thighs. Sonnia grinned more.

  “Where’s your weak spot? Come on, come on! Scream for me!”

  Then a barrage of attacks on its arms, shoulders, chest, head. Nothing made the man change expression. Sonnia frowned a little.

  “There must be a way to kill you. Hmmm”

  She took the end of her staff and stabbed it deep down in his chest. She saw the black glowing stone reinforced with vines while it pulsed slowly. She grinned and stabbed it more. The beast let out a scream not from its mouth but from within. Sonnia her palm pressed harder and harder until it went silent. The roots grew more thin and stopped reacting. She let out a small giggle while looking into the cultists eyes. Kaelith watched from a distance while his hands crossed around his chest.

  “Is that all you are needing from me Sonnia? If not I’ll be returning. I rather not watch you strangle a plant to death.”

  Sonnia got up and continued walking down the street. Her robes in ruins while she wore a smile.

  “Bye bye Kaelith. You're a good tool to have around. Hehehe.”

  Kaelith opened a portal momentarily and he looked back at her.

  “A tool. Not very nice of you.”