Chapter 36 The Call of the Wind (2/2)

”You-You're not Rassa”.

”Clever too I see,” he smirked. His grip loosened, and she dropped to the ground, coughing loudly as air was allowed back into her lungs.

Jane looked up as the boy's eyes closed, and he shook his head.

”Your little friend has one strong will,” the monster admitted with a smile that seemed almost proud, ”He hasn't stopped fighting, not even when I took a detour to wash the filth from his skin. Another moment with those foul smells attached to me and I might actually have slaughtered this whole pathetic village just to spite them”. His eyes opened as he looked down at Jane, ”But where's the fun in that?”

”Jane!” Phillip called as he approached, chains in hand.

The monster hissed in rage.

”Naive man,” the monster said, then he knelt before Jane, holding her neck once more, but more gently this time, ”Seeing you like little Rassa so much, I'll do you a favour. It'll be better this way”.

The moster leaned forward and Jane panicked.

”No! NO!”

In her panic, Jane felt something inside of her just...click. It was like she'd never realised that there had been a part of her missing and now...now it was just there, filling her and making her whole. She grabbed a hold of it, hugging it close for her own security, and it responded in kind.

The Monster was thrown back down the street with an immense burst of wind magic, and it rolled nearly 40 metres before digging its claws into the ground to stop its momentum. The magic had blown Phillip and Turney away as well, and the chains lay down on the ground, in the middle of them all.

There was an instant for everyone to pause in shock as the wind fell quiet. Then, the Monster dropped down to his knees, clutching at his head.

”Not yet boy!” it shouted.

Jane watched curiously as the monster struggled for a moment.

Rassa, her Rassa. The monster was holding him back, struggling for control. Jane's gaze locked in determination as she got to her feet, clutching onto that part of her soul again. She ignored it as her skin over her shoulders and arms burned and lit up with a silvery-white light. She simply stepped forward, and thrust her arms towards the chains.

The Monster's red eyes snapped up, and it began to move out of the way.

”Oh no you don't, give Rassa back!”

Jane thrust her arms forward and the chain lifted off the ground, shooting towards the Monster. It tried to dodge, but from within, at that important moment, Rassa crashed down the wall inside his soul. His body was caught on one end of the chains which whipped around to entangle him and he fell to the ground hard, shouting in pain as the Anthrite chains irritated his skin painfully.

Jane fell to her knees, suddenly exhausted, she watched as Rassa gritted his teeth in pain, then opened his eyes to look back at her, the red slowly fading.

She could see the apology there, the sincerity. Then, her job done, Jane surrendered to the weakness overwhelming her body, and fainted.

Rassa didn't fight the chains despite the pain he was in, he could feel them sapping his strength at an incredible speed. One second he was in full control, his hunger satiated and abilities restored, the next, he was no better than a mere human.

Rassa breathed heavily as he came to terms with what had just happened, then looked over at his father who appeared to be nothing more than shocked.

Rassa turned away again, and let the tears fall in his relief.