Storm's Break (Completed, Editing)

chapter 11

A/N sorry for the long ass wait for an update!!!

Luke

    I frown, thinking through what happened in the conversation. Malakai... Luthier. Malakai... Luthier. Malachai – dammit! The last one was my familiar! Now my head hurts! I rip out of the school parking lot (on my motorcycle) and head towards my home. The driveway is long. Very long. I chose that purposefully. No spying eyes.

    Normally.
“Quit Hiding Jasper.” I call out.

    I hear a complaining sound and am greatly amused to see Jasper and Lizzy drop out of a tree.
“What can I do for you?” I ask them.

    I catch Jasper subtly note the harpy eagle on the railing of the house and the falcon perched in the big old oak tree by my window. I shrug.
“Animals gather here.” I say by way of explanation.

    As if to prove the point a fox trots past and a wolf howls. I snort.
“Showoffs. All you damn animals!”

    Esté chirps as though agreeing.
“I do also mean you ya know.” I say to him.

    He has the nerve to look insulted. I chuckle in amusement.
“Uh… Ren wanted your help. He’s hiding somewhere….” Lizzy shrugs before her and Jasper disappear in smoke.

Now I’m confused. Clearly Lizzy and Jasper were never here… so where is Ren? I sense him a second before he lands behind me. Instinctually I drop into a crouch and hook my leg behind his to drop him to his knees. He, in immediate response lashes out and catches me in the stomach. ‘I taught him that move…’ I think to myself as I double over.

But in return, when he leans over me, I shove upwards with my shoulders, knocking him backwards and off balance. It’s instinctual to snap a glowing symbol into the air and rip the fabric of the world to retrieve my sword. This isn’t Ren. Not anymore.

… That was a Shinra thing to do, drawing my sword from a rip zone… oops. Ren’s eyes are white. Solid white. As opposed to the normal whiskey gold sort of colour. He launches at me, baring his fangs in a vicious snarl. The knife I gave him, with the diamondite Roseblood hilt appears in his hand.

I barely deflect his knife off my sword. I step back allowing me to drive my sword forward, flicking the blade at the last second so that the flat slams into his ribs. The motion causes my own sword to cut into my hand but I ignore that and duck under a blow then jump a spell rod.

With no other options I yank to leather thong off my neck and toss it to este. He catches it in his claws as a bright purple and gold flash fills the surroundings.

When it clears, I’ve reverted back to Shinra. The demon currently possessing Ren looks mildly shocked before it growls low in its throat, hissing ‘Vampyre’ and lunging. It’s considerably easier to block the attack in this form, no longer confined to the slowness of a human body, with nine centuries of experience to save my life.
He growls and attacks with a flurry of slashes. Even with all my speed and experience I only just barely dodge the blows. But it’s easy to hit him. Aside from a couple of nasty bruises I don’t hurt my friend.

Why would I? Hurting a friend goes against everything I am – even if that friend hurts me.

Ren growls when I’m unable to dodge a blow, opening an old – and nasty – scar on my shoulder. The wound he causes is thankfully shallow, seeing as I was able to pull back in plenty of time.

Esté screams. I just remain silent and strike back, catching Ren’s shoulder with my open palm. His skin is uncomfortably warm. A demon that relies on heat then. Purple ice frosts the clearing as Aizen picks up on my intent. Hoarfrost fills my mouth as my eyes glow purple.