Fallen Division : Reincarnate

Chapter 6: Solarflare

It wasn't long before the fight started to catch up to me, my arms grew tired with every wolf I took down. And I could see Leo tiring too, maintaining those claws must have taken a lot out of him. The claws glowed a fainter golden, and flickered with every strike, his young face was scrunched up with the effort. Valentine was moving slower too, her strikes not as swift. And Iro was still nowhere to be seen. And the wolves didn't seem to end. They just kept coming. Their corpses piling up around my feet, making it hard to move. 

One wolf lunged at my face, and I lifted my arms to block it when another jumped onto my back. Its fangs tearing my shoulder, my blood staining my tattoos as I threw it off. Khan had finally fought his way out of the wolves, and fought alongside Valentine, swinging his sword like a whip, the heavy blade cleaving the skulls of any wolf unlucky enough to be too close. His left arm had a deep gash along it, and sweat glistened on his forehead. Iro still hadn't showed up, and I don't want to think about what happened. 

I fought through the swarm till I came up next to Leo, he was breathing hard. And his claws were almost faded completely now. He looked up at me as I threw wolves to my left and right. He was scared. And he had every reason to be. The wolves didn't end. Khan and Valentine looked like small dots of light in a black sea. 

Leo slashed another wolf down, and that did him in. He collapsed at my feet he wolves swarming us. In the distance. I could see Will and Luna, Both perched in a tree, Will had lost his tools, and blood coated half of his face, while Luna seemed to be getting as high as possible, clutching her staff. Wolves circled the tree. And I could her Luna yelling for someone, anyone who could help. Khan and Valentine had fought their way closer to us. But as they ran, Khan was jumped by another wolf, and fell to the grass, wolves piling on top of him.

It was in that moment something in my broke, I felt not anger, but determination. I picked up Leos thin form from the grass and held him to my chest as I ran. My feet making large imprints in the earth as I ran. Valentine saw me and shouted something. But whatever it was was lost in the din of the wolves assault. I charged at the swarming mound on top of Khan and threw my free arm forward. Putting as much strength as I could muster into the swing. I struck the wolves, and the blew apart like a mound of dirt. Khan was bloody from head to toe, his glasses smashed. But still alive. He pushed himself to his feet and readied his blade, which had never left his hand.  And resumed fighting as if nothing had happened. His eyes looked blank almost, like he was just going through the motions. 

Valentine swooped in next to Khan and the three of us turned to face the pack, which had stopped their wild attacks and now stood in a wide ring around us. Their red eyes all fixed on us. Never blinking. 

I risked a glance at the trees for Luna and Will, but the tree where I has spotted them before was gone. A splintered stump in its place. 

Leo had started to move in my arms. His eyes opened a crack and his ears drooped. "Sorry... Guess I'm in the way..."

"Don't apologize, you fought bravely." As I spoke I racked mt brain. How could I get him out of here? Once he was safe I could fight and die bravely.

Die...

I felt something, a kind of tingling across my back. coursing through my tattoos. The markings told mt story. I know that already. Each one a tale of my victories. But this was a memory of the one fight I lost.

The day I died.

The earth felt like it was slipping away under my feet. I felt dizzy. I heard Khan call my name, but it sounded far off. Like I was underwater. I could see the wolves, and Khan and valentine, but over all of that I saw something else. A towering monster, fire and magma rolling off its massive shoulders. And a voice, one that rumbled like a volcano. Saying my name. Darian.. Darian..

"Darian! Get moving!"

I snapped back to reality, the wolves, Khan, Valentine and Leo. The wolves were snapping and snarling. But not at us. Among the wolves own pack. They were locked together in combat. All of them piling over one another and snarling in fury. And as the wolves fought, a few more started to fall. Not by attacking each other. but almost by magic, I heard a sound like an explosion, and a zziiip! And wolves at random would fall.

"What the hell?!" Valentine pointed out at the sea of wolves and I almost dropped Leo, William was out there. And he was running on top of the wolves. dodging and ducking with precision and grace, every time their fangs got too close he would take them down with his metal tools, another explosion, and they would fall dead. hanging onto his shoulders, clinging for dear life was Luna.

William ducked another wolfs jaws and landed lightly next to Khan, who seemed to be the only one who didn't seem shocked at what Will had just done. William leaned over and Luna slid down off his back. Her eyes wide. 

The wolves had gotten a hold of whatever was driving them crazy, and swung it between their jaws, all of them trying to bite into it at once. The wolf with the thing in its mouth swung it forward. And it flew through the air and slapped to the earth at my feet. Luna gave out a cry, and Valentine let out an involuntary "eww!"

Lying at my feet, was the torso and head of Iro, his left arm had been ripped off. and his lower half was gone completely. His chest was a mess of cuts, and his eye stared up. it's sparkle still there. in fact. His eye was fixed on me. Like he was staring into my soul.

Then he blinked.

Luna screamed. And Leo gave a little shudder in my arms. Iro lifted his torn neck and blinked again. I have to admit. I was tempted to kick him. He looked around. taking in the situation. Looked down at his missing legs, and then up at our horrified faces, "Sooooo.... How's it going?"

"Wha- What the hell are you!?" Valentine stared in shock at Iro's disembodied head, her glowing eyes wide. Leo had fallen unconscious in my arms again. And Khan had turned his attention back to the wolves. Which had stopped circling us. And stood in a wide circle around us. Not one of them moving. All of their eyes fixed on us.

Iro sighed, "Well.. Nice knowing some of you guys." He rested his head against the grass. "Wake me up when it is over."

I swallowed. Even I didn't see a way out. Leo was spent. Khan was injured. Valentine seemed out of tricks, Iro was nothing but a head and chest, Will didn't look like he stood a chance, and Luna was trembling in fear.
And I couldn't fight and protect thee guys all at once.
Some king I am.

The wolves growled. And in one motion. They charged. their paws thrumming the earth. Their howls had changed to ones of victory. I grabbed Iro, Luna and Leo and pulled them close to me. Putting my back to the wolves. I waited. I heard Khan and Valentine draw their weapons again. And I prepared for the worst. 

But the thrumming stopped. I froze. what happened?

I lifted my head. The wolves had all stopped. And a new figure stood with us in the circle. A smoldering circle of grass around him. A double edged broadsword in his hand. I couldn't see his face. but I could see the angry scowl clearly in my head. 

He lifted the sword. He had left his armor this time. And his tunic was smoldering at the shoulders. The wolves snarled again. And charged. The thrumming resumed. And the boy brought his sword down.

The next few seconds were chaos. Fire erupted from his sword, circling around us. I could hear the wolves yelping in pain. And the fire got hotter as I watched. the flames going from red to orange, and tinged purple at the bases. And the boy just stood there. The flames pouring from his arms into his sword. And into the flaming ring around him. Valentine and Khan both watched with the same look I think was on my face. How was this boy doing this? And why?

The fire got hotter. the purple fading to white. And the boy never moved. Not till the wolves cries had all died out. Then he lifted the ring of flame. As the flame faded. The destruction was fully visible, the grass and earth had been scorched to nothing. And blackened bodies littered the few remaining patches of grass. All the wolves had either fled or were dead. The boy sheathed his sword across his back, and turned to look at us. his eyes glowed red now. And it didn't help to make him look any less deranged.

"I didn't get the chance to introduce myself before." The boy glared at us, one by one, "I am Solarflare, and I want to know why I am here."