Euphoria Blake: Infernally Divine

Chapter Five: When The Light's Out, The Dogs Will Play

Vincent had led them to a make shift cabing he was building. "Did your house burn down or what?" "No, only living things crossed over. My homes in the other world, so is the entire village. With no homes, everyone scattered to find a safer place... Even all my friends..."

Euphoria could see the sadness in his eyes, he was alone. Only a sense of duty to keep him company, a feeling she knew all too well. The only thing keeping her from total isolation was shadow, who's been there for her since birth. "If you want... We can help in building your new house."

"I don't need your pity." Euphoria crossed her arms and glared at him. "Who said it was pity? I don't recognize the word." "Because you're a murderer..." "*Sigh* Look, you can be a dick or you can let us help tomorrow." "I don't need your help."

"*Sigh* Just put your damn pride away, think of it as an upfront payment for lessons." Shadow yawned as Euphoria drew the summoning circle. "I guess I can live with that, and its late already..." As she took out camping gear she'd stolen.

"You know the cabins got a roof and theres room for two-" "Yeah... Not sleeping with you." "I didn't mean, I... Was just saying its better than a tent." "All right, but try anything funny and I'll have shadow rip your throat out." "Hahahaha wouldn't have it any other way."

They headed inside for bed, but he couldn't sleep. He hated her brash and violent side, but he admired her strength. She was invading his mind, how her smooth light brown skin brown skin shined in the moonlight. Her short black hair accenting her beauty- GRRRRR- "Shit." Shadow had noticed Vincent staring at her sleeping. Pulling the blanket Euphoria gave him over his head, he hadn't felt kindness in a while.

The next day they woke up early to finish the house, shadow slipped away to go hunting for a snack. She didnt seem interested in construction since thats a humanoid problem. Vincent took a break to meditate and do a weird chant. Euphoria took this time to draw up a blueprint, since Vincent had been winging it. "You done? Because I think we have a lot of work to do." "You know, you can't always plan everything." "Don't you think I know that?!" He knew he was standing on thin ice, and one step could be the difference between being beaten to a pulp....or getting to know her better...

"I... I'm sorry, but to fair I don't know much about you." The time passed quickly as they conversed about their similar childhoods. The,difference being vincents father was killed by a powerful demon and his mother of an unknown disease. It was cancer, but they didnt have the technology to know what the disease really was.

Hours had passed and the sun was beginning to set. They hadnt eaten for a while, because of the deep and personal conversations. "I think we should stop... It's getting late and we need food." Shadow appeared from the bushes dragging a large deer, freshly killed. Sure, she could've let Euphoria and vincent hunt, but she also liked cooked meat.

"I don't think that'll be a problem haha" Euphoria summoned utinsils for preparing the deer, while Vincent began gathering wood for the spit. An hour passed and they sat down to eat, only that things were weird now. They had shared so much, they didn't know what to say.

Through the awkward silence, the chilly night air augmented the situation. The fire of the spit had gone out and a howl could be hear. Nine wolves came out of the thick woods, hungry and ready to kill. "You know... For a forest guardian, these wolves REALLY respect you." "It's a thankless job." With a smirk on his face and a sword in his hand, he analyzed the enemy. Euphoria drew her bow and arrows she had made while vincent had been cooking.

Shadow lept onto a tree and readied herself to perform an aerial takedown if need be. "Don't attack unless they do, control your homocidal tendecies." "Bite me." "Poor choice of words, given that we're surrounded by wolves." " I repeat, bite me."

It seemed the alpha wolf barked for attack, and the wolves charged. Euphoria let fly three arrows, fatally injuring three wolves at the left. Vincent charged full of zeal at the two wolves on the far right. He accidentally let one pass by, catching Euphoria off guard. As the wolf lunged for an attack, Shadow skillfully performed an aerial takedown. Tackling the wolf in mid air, and ripping it's throat out on the ground.

Vincent was having trouble, while short of breath. Successfully fending three of them off, he stabbed the fourth in the ribs. Unfortunately the sword became stuck and he was too tired to pull it out, and three wolves in mid air pounce. Unarmed and frightened of death, he saw them fall down with arrows sticking out of their torso and skulls. "I hope you can handle yourself, because I'm out of arrows!"

Only one wolf remained, the Alpha. It slowly began to walk towards them, its dark fur covered in dry blood. "It's a worg, they're evil creatures. Go nuts." "Gee... Thanks..." Euphoria took three arrows from the closest wolves and shot arrow after arrow, but it didn't even faze it, it just kept advancing. "I've got one last spell for the day, but it's not ready. You'll have to keep him busy while I finish the spell." "Fine, shadow guard him till he finishes."

Euphoria drew a survival knife and a dagger she found in Vincent's cabin. "Flames of war hear my cry, ward off evil that be nigh..." Euphoria charged, hoping he would take his sweet time. She found herself in front of the worg twice the size of a regular Alpha. She evade his bites and slashed, but it did not cut deep as it normally would. "Trial by fire judge thee. Incandescent Ordeal Level Two!" White flames rained from the heavens, pelting the worg with relentless fire. "Guilty." Euphoria was only glad she had to stop dodging, she was at her limit.

"Now... Why didn't you start with that?" "Because low level divine magic only targets one foe, my spell is a judgement. If he were innocent... Let's just say I wouldn't be standing here." "Whatever, we just need to dump these carcasses before weird scavengers pop up." On the walk back from the river where they dumped them, Euphoria noticed blood running down his arm. A small steady stream.

"Theres nothing you can do about it, when the moon is out I'm much more vulnerable..." "But-" "Its a long story, let's just turn in. It'll heal in the morning like always." They headed back to the cabin, and vincent spent half the night trying to mask the pain.