tex

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Jumino went flying into puffs of smoke left and right until Jenso leaped to safety, several yards away, onto the face of Mount Aldri. The Jumino continued after him, using their stubby little claws to keep up, but one after another, they fell from the wall, and to their inevitable demise. Jenso continued to scale the mountain until every last Jumino fell, or was kicked from its grip.

"Oh poo! My poor little imps couldn't keep up... What a wretched little creature- Ah, but this yellow boy.. Why does he seem so... Enthralling? Ahohoho~"

---

~ End Of Chapter 33 ~

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Jenso found his arms under attack as he moved towards the boulder. Three.. No, four Jumino clung to his pants and bit into his lower leg muscles like little piranha. As he climbed the rock and kicked them off, as well as any others who approached him, they were flung into the side of the mountain and turned into smoke, as well as a small chunk of the attackers. But they just kept coming and coming. If Jenso couldn't escape, or find some way to dispatch them all quickly, he was doomed. But the mountain had no caves, and his abilities wouldn't allow it.

Looking closely however, it seemed that the Jumino had trouble climbing the vertical rock face of the boulder he had just mounted. Were they terrible as climbing? It seemed too strange to be true, but right now, it was all he had to go based on...

A Hero Tale: Oswald

"If you had just allowed me to take that book-" Zelrian paused when Oswald tossed up a substantial amount of dust, and his eyes widened, scanning for Oz's movement as aptly as possible. Once he found his location again, pulling up a pole from the ground, he began inching towards him, "-None would have died. But now!"

With another palm thrust, Zelriane did indeed move to disarm Oswald, but his movements suddenly changed from futile attempts at precise counters, to a wild tornado of strikes. Zelriane sighed and weaved past one of Oswald's swings with his left hand pulled close to his mask, and aimed his left palm to strike his target directly in the gut with a much more powerful blow. The time for holding back was long gone. Zelriane had grown impatient, and moved to end it as quickly as possible. "All shall perish!"

A Hero Tale: Oswald

Zelriane rose his left palm up to block Oz's blow, but as he got closer, the green warrior faded from view again, this time completely. "You have no power?" Zelriane mocked from behind Oswald, "You face me with a mundane human body, and attempt to grapple with me?" He'd seen it coming, but how? Zelriane disappeared moments before Oswald's intentions became discernible by the naked eye. "I will tell you now, you will die here. Today. You will die, and your name will be forgotten. I will kill everyone in this village to make sure of that, right after I snap your neck." Zelriane explained, still holding his stance firm. "There's no hope to be bargained from your miserable body. My eyes do not fail me, and my speed will make any strength advantage you hold rather insignificant."

"Do you understand?"

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Jenso's flames stopped a large chunk of the Jumino in their tracks, and then they began to spread, albeit at a slow pace. Several Jumino couldn't stop their momentum, and dove into the flames before poofing into a few clouds of purple smoke. As Jenso dashed forwards, several Jumino lunged at him, but ended up striking air as the speedy golden-boy weaved past them. Several more lunged at him from behind, but were met with Jenso's foot, promptly poofing into smoke on impact. He continued further, but the horde chasing him began to grow in size, and speed. Eventually, the trenches became more shallow as he reached the end of the bridge-like path, but not before even more Jumino blocked his path, pooling into his way from behind two equally large boulders on either side of the pathway, mere minutes before the base of the mountain where the elementals lived.

Far off, in the smaller mountain from earlier, a woman watched eagerly, biting her thumb. "Yes yes, oh yes! Smash my little imps, golden-boy! Show me what you're made of! Ohohohaho such finesse~"

A Hero Tale: Oswald

"I will teach you nothing," Zelriane responded curtly, "But if you really lack any sort of approach, I will demonstrate further-" The last word faded, along with Zelriane's entire body, into an afterimage. The short-standing man was now crouched at Oswald's feet, knees low to the ground. With a mighty push of his legs, he thrust his left palm towards Oswald's chin at lightning speed with his entire body's weight behind the blow. Despite leaving the ground for a split second though, Zelriane seemed to have total control of his momentum in midair, keeping his feet parallel to the ground as best he could.

A Hero Tale: Oswald

Zelriane paused and narrowed his eyes again. With another quick step forward, he hopped into range and reeled his left palm back before twisting it into a forward thrust, aimed to disarm Oz's weapon with the base of his hand. Zelriane's eyes followed Oswald's own eye movements carefully, almost appearing immobile in their sockets. He lifted his right fist ever so slightly above his waist, and braced his back foot.

A Hero Tale: Oswald

Zelrian's eyes narrowed as Angelica and Joshua rushed to escape. Joshua looked back to Oz for a moment in horror. What good would bravery do against a demon like that? Angelica pulled her father out of his stupor and rushed after the rest of the villagers, disappearing over the horizon. Zelrian only watched as they escaped, not bothering to pursue them, and instead turning his attention to Oswald. The green-clad man hopped down from the second story and landed softly on his bare feet.

"They stood in my way, so I decided to move them. Is that not obvious? As for the book, I do not know, or care, what lies within. I was asked to retrieve it, and retrieve it I shall, even if I have to plow through that old man's bones, and pry it from the corpse of his little girl. The lives of any who oppose my actions are forfeit. You challenge me, knowing this, I'm sure," Zelriane mocked, pulling his right foot back several inches. He rose his left hand out towards Oswald, palm facing outwards, and pulled his right hand close to his stomach, closing it into a tight fist. It was an unfamiliar combat stance, but no doubt, inspired by a martial art. "But I will honor your stance with my own. Your will is strong, but for the sake of your village..." Zelriane paused and his fully jade eyes flashed with a green light before he finished his sentence, "I hope you pose a challenge." Zelriane paused and loosened his stance. "I hadn't actually caught your name. 'Ozzy', was it?" Before allowing Oswald a chance to correct or affirm his guess, he tightened his stance again, and stepped towards Oswald, extending his palm towards his chest with very little strength. It seemed very out of character for a man who'd just moved faster than the eye could follow. Perhaps he was weakened? Or maybe he was just testing the waters? Was this some honor-bound restriction?

"Nevermind. I don't care."

A Hero Tale: Jeff

Jeff's quick manuever paid off, and sent the two blinded hyenas crashing into one another like wild animals without a sense of direction. As the dust cleared, the white Hyena held its ally, dead, in its jaw. He spat out the corpse and backed away from Jeff in fear. "NO.. NO! WHAT ZOZO DO TO FRIEND? MONSTER! YOU MONSTER!" It shrieked, darting off into the distance.

A Hero Tale: Oswald

The men around him ignored Joshua's command and heeded Oswald's order, quickly filing away from the farm. Joshua struggled out of the grip that held him back though, and stood at Oz's side. "The 'ell Ahm Goin' Anywhere wit'out Angie! I'm wit you, Ozzy!" He said, not budging an inch. The man that assisted Joshua initially had gone already, fearing for his life. Two men hauled Bobby away, while another two took the remaining injured men with them towards the village housing complexes.

Angie looked down at Oz and her pa, but didn't jump right away. She pushed the windows open wider and looped her legs around the windowsill. "I... You'll catch me?" She asked, not getting any time for an answer as her bedroom door swung open.

"Give me that book," Zelrian ordered, suddenly phasing into view at Angelica's side. Was he just that fast!? It didn't matter, because in that moment, Angie swallowed her cowardice and fell forwards towards Oz with the book in hand. Zelrian Grit his teeth and climbed up onto the windowsill. "I am not going to ask again. I will also not hesitate in sending you all to the lord's void."