The Otherworlders Academy - An Original Teen Fantasy

Ep. 4.17 (R) - The Debrief

Previously on "The Otherworlders":  Ava, Inez, and Fiona face off against a terrifying Manticore after completing their mission at the Enchanted Chancellor's Annual Ball. 

The monstrous creature, summoned by Gabriel, unleashes chaos, with Ava first shifting into her Pheonix form, engaging the Manticore in a fiery aerial attack. When Ava is injured, Fiona and Inez are left to battle both the Manticore and a frenzied Gabriel. 

Inez cleverly employs her magic to create a protective water barrier, while Fiona, in a display of vampiric prowess, scales the tower to lead the Manticore on a deadly chase.

As the battle reaches its zenith on the tower rooftop, Fiona and Ava combine their unique abilities in a spectacular finale. Ava's fiery onslaught distracts the beast, allowing Fiona to deliver a stunning, acrobatic finishing blow, obliterating the Manticore as it tumbles to the ground and turns to ash.

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By the time Fiona makes it back down from the tower and onto the ground and Ava has landed, shifted and changed back into her dress, Inez has Gabriel, passed out, propped up against the wall and is fanning him in the hopes of bringing him back into consciousness. They're both surrounded by a powdery pile of demon ash.

Fiona kneels next to Inez and reaches out with two fingers to check Gabriel's pulse.

"How's he doing?" Inez asks.

"I think he's okay," Fiona assures her.

Ava kneels next to them and looks over at Inez. "What happened?"

"Well," Inez says as she nudges her glasses up her nose. "The Manticore crashed to the ground, blew up into ash, and when it all settled, Gabriel was just lying there, writhing and pretty pissed off, actually. So, after a few tries, I was able to knock him out with a sleeping spell. But then, after that, I wasn't sure quite what to do with him. So, I dragged him over here, and set him up against the wall. As his breathing became more shallow, his fangs and claws began to slowly retract."

"So, what, the demon possession got knocked out of him when the Manticore died?" Fiona asks.

Inez stands. "I guess so. I mean, when he imbued the Manticore statue with his magic, some of the demon essence that possessed him must have passed through."

Fiona stands as well, clapping her hands to brush off any trace of the demon. "This is good. Now, we can take him someplace where he can wake up comfortably; and hopefully, he won't remember a thing as far as the demon possession is concerned."

"Sounds like a plan," Inez says.

Ava pushes herself up from the ground. "So, do we just..." She shrugs. "Go back to the ball then?"

Fiona looks down at her completely tattered dress, then rubs her hand over her now drenched and frizzy hair. Oh, good gods! She's a hot mess! And in a fair bit of pain if she's being honest.

Then, she looks over at Ava and Inez whose appearance is just as disastrous as hers. She shakes her head. "We can't go back in there, looking like this," she concludes. "Um... 'Nezzie do you think you can fire up a little magic and maybe clean us up a bit?"

Inez looks down at her ripped dress and sees that she's also missing a shoe. She laughs. "I'm kinda over this whole ball thing, to be honest" she admits. Plus..." She reaches up to tie her sopping wet hair into a frenetic bun and winces as her fingers hit a sore spot on the side of her head. "I think the Manticore gave me a knock on my noggin!"

Annoyed, she scrunches her nose up. "I say we just take the limo home." She lets out a slow breath. "I can text my father saying I was feeling under the weather, so we cut out early. He'll understand."