Paladins' Parabellum

Chapter Six: For Better or For Worse

"Kaioson, get over here," Haleema yells.

"Coming!" I say, jogging over through the smoke over to everyone. "What's up?" Hayden points down into the crater, where Olly's half-chared-up body lays. He's still breathing, but it's slow and clogged.

"You two really cooked him up good," Hayden says while laughing between his words.

"That's not funny," Zadock says.

"Ah, come on, man. This dick deserves to be laughed at." Haleema pries Olly's weapons out of his hands, tosses them over to our right, then kneels over him.

"It's over. You and your whole legion of scum shit cultist are finished," Haleema says.

Haleema's declaration of being the victor brings a fat smile to my face. Olly's vision of a world dominated by a jealous goddess and his willingness to be a servant is unbelievably insane. Ulrika will be so happy to know that we won't have to endure this cause in the long run.

"You think you've won?" Olly says, coughing up some blood.

"Well, you lost here. Soon Nite will dwindle throughout the Inaubiraian continent," I say.

"You're very wrong,... boy!" He leans up towards me. Some of his burnt skin peels off his arm. "My defeat won't stop us. I am just a small yet significant part of our grand revival of Zadione. Ivaran will bring you to your knees!"

"Ivaran?" Haleema says.

"Oh yeah...he'll destroy all of you..."

"We'll see about that."

Olly's injuries begin to take their toll on his fading life. He lays back dazed, blindly staring into the sky, mumbling words.

"Kaioson," Haleema says in a monotone voice.

"Yes?" I say, glaring at her.

"Kill him."

As I look down at this piece of filth of a man, I concede to Haleema's command to rip his soul from his body. I hover my sword over his heart, using one finger to conjure it. Right as I flick my finger down to send it in, he throws a small needle at my face. I move out the way just enough that it grazes the left side of my neck. My sword slams through his chest, going all the way to the handguard.

"Whoops," I say, calling it back to my hand. I ignite the blade to burn off his wicked blood.

"Good riddance," Haleema. She rolls her boot over Olly's face, making it recoil to face his right. "Excellent work Kaioson."

"The world can breathe now."

"Only for a moment. Now we got a new target to hunt. Ivaran sounds like he could be worse than him."

"We'll be prepared." I clench my fist out in front of Haleema. My offer gets fist pumped with a soft yet solid hit that stings with pain. "Ouch."

"Hmm? I'm sure I didn't hit you that hard." Her jab leaves a bruise across three of my knuckles. "Whoa, what's going on there?" She takes my hand into her hands to view the knuckles closer. My veins dispersed from the wound like roots in a dark purple color.

"Is that-?" Zadock says before Ulrika cuts him off, screaming my name. I turn around and see her charging me with open arms.

"Ulrika!" I say. She slows down to give me a gentle hug. My body, for some strange reason, aches from her hold. I flinch from the pain yet try to keep my grip on her. "Are you okay?"

"Rhyndac checked me off. I'm good," Ulrika says, grinning. "Damn, I really missed all the fun. I would really love to kick Olly's ass." Her statement makes me laugh, but I start coughing. "Hey, are you alright?" She tilts her head to her right, then her eyes track something below my face. "Kaio, your neck."