Bounty Hunter Bash Unlocked Part Thirteen

 Freedom!

The moment that Bash woke up, she felt heavy. Almost like there were weights all over her body. Yet there was nothing on her other than her uncle’s cloak. Then she saw his arm before she saw the landscape moving. She looked up to see that he was carrying her.

“Are you alright?” He asked.

“Y-yeah.” 

“Why didn’t you use your magic as much as you needed to?”

She looked to the side.

“Bash!”

Her eyes narrowed, suddenly reminded of the way her father would act.

“You have to say it.”

Suddenly her mind was flooded with their first meeting and to all the times that they talked about all the royals born out of wedlock that he killed. All of those that could ended up like him. Now that she felt this dark joy whenever she would use magic, she was concerned that she would end up back on his list.

“Bash.”

“It’s nothing!”

“No. It’s not.”

“I said, it’s nothing!”

“We both know that that’s not quite true.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll try not to use it.”

“Why?” He asked, pulling her in. His eyes narrowed.

“What?”

“When did you get so heavy?”

“When did you get so rude?”

“No. I think that you have grown!”

“Yeah. How long has it been?”

“A year passed when we were first put under this spell. Then we met Zarry and Strena and we were asleep for a year. After another year passed when we were traveling to Animéga where we spent another year. So four. Which means that- wow! You are eighteen dear niece!”

At this she felt a ripple of shock. She then did the calculations and realized that he was right! Which meant that once Wolfox, then they would have to start putting their plan in motion.

“Not quite yet. I have a week before then. But still, we might need to start thinking about the preparations!” She spoke out loud.

Then it was his turn to feel the ripple of shock run throughout his body as he realized it. He looked at his niece knowing that, in a fortnight, she would be married to his best friend. Yet he also felt a bit of cringe knowing that he might just have to call him nephew in law.

“What?”

“Nothing! Just a bit of cringe.”

They walked on a bit.

“You know, you don’t have to go through all of this.”

She looked to the side.

“I think so. After all, it hardly matters if I take him down, mother will end up finding another and another. She’s always been like this. That’s why I ran in the first place. I don’t want to be some bargaining chip. A pawn to be used in her game of alliance. No. Father understood me and understood that I never wanted that. Guess I was too much like you. Yet I think that’s why mother never saw eye to eye with me, nor even tried to know or understand me.” She admitted.

Maybe there was a side to her that secretly hated me because of it…

“Not to mention that I don’t have anything of her in my looks. No, looking at me and you and father, I guess I look like you and father.”

He nodded.

“Is that why you tried not using too much magic back there?”

“No. It’s because ever since I over did it with my magic - I don’t know why but I feel this dark joy in me and I am scared of it!”

He nodded.

“I’m scared that that dark joy will make me someone like you were or worse! Someone like Grasharlo. I don’t want Zaryb to escape her only to end up with someone like her. It just won’t be fair! It wouldn’t be fair on him, nor would it help him.”

“Then maybe, once you do, you could have him keep you accountable. Maybe that feeling of not wanting to let him down to let him down like that could be turned into a conviction? Or an oath!”

She frowned.

I didn’t think about that.

They soon regrouped with the rest. Strena and Zaryb were sitting next to each other as Leonardo sat next to Cerpheres as he healed the rest of the injuries. He got up and placed a hand on both of their cheeks and soon they too were healed. After that he played a joyful tune as Leonardo was teaching Strena his native tongue. (Italian in our world.) Suddenly their energy returned to them. It was followed by their aches fading away into nothingness. Soon it was like the fight never happened.

“Now everyone’s all better, we should get ready to run. Regardless of how much we want to beat up Kitsuné Ryu and Wolfox.”

Bash climbed down.

“Why?”

“Once both Demon Kings are out they’re going to start fighting. So you’re going to have to start running, as fast as your pretty little legs can carry you.”

“Oh? And why not you?”

“I can’t afford to miss that opera of greatness like that!”

Leonardo opened his mouth to protest.

“Just leave him Leonardo.”

“Why? He is your friend!”

“White Mage! Yet he has been clear about his intentions and for the sake of Strena and Bash, it would be better if he stays. Hopefully we will be able to get another!”

“Without my charm?”

He rolled his eyes.

“And then will you and Uncle Zaryb still marry?”

“Yes.” Both said.

Bash looked at Zaryb. She let out a deep breath.

“Zaryb, if what I suspect about what Grasharlo did to you is true, we will consummate the marriage when you’re ready to take the power away from what she did and learn to enjoy it.”

He nodded.

“Thank you.” He said as a flicker of a sweet smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“Now-”

“Get the flasks and can we take these cuffs off?”

He nodded as he pulled out a key and gave it to Chashathrophogh. He placed it over the X in his cuff and walked over to Strena who looked pale as death and almost panicked. He took her hand and placed it over the yin yang and it fell. Then he raised his hand. She closed her eyes and flinched when it landed on her head. He shook his hand and gave her a smile.

“It’s alright. You’re about to be free! And after that you can do whatever you want.”

She bit her lip before turning to Zaryb and did the same.

“Time to get that Wolfox out of you!”

He nodded as both took their flasks as Chashathrophogh walked to Strena. She took her sip and so did Zaryb. Bash and Leonardo walked to Zaryb and he took his sip.

Soon they were on the floor. Chashathrophogh set the rest of the potion on fire. The next moment black shadow burst out of their mouths as their bodies convulsed. Steam rose from their bodies. Soon he used his magic to cool their bodies down to realize that the heat was not coming from them but the smoke of darkness. As more and more left their bodies, it became hotter and hotter. Yet as their bodies continued to convulse their eyelids opened and closed rapidly. Their faces became as scarlet as his was in the heat of the desert sun. Their breath was deep as the black smoke erupted out of their nostrils. Almost like the smoke could not get out of their bodies fast enough. 

Then their bodies started to rise up. They went higher and higher. Leonardo and Chashathrophogh reached out and took hold of their clothes from going higher and higher. Then the trees around them started to cast fire. Quickly Chashathrophogh cooled the aria and focus to make it cooler and cooler, yet it did nothing. Then the last of the smoke left and they fell and were caught.

The smoke started to form and a giant claw slashed down and a humanoid arm blocked and a wolf head appeared and let out an eruption of electric blue fire shot at the fox forming. Which was blasted back, crushing the trees beneath his body. Yet the fire was so hot that they could feel it and the fire land and the trees around caught fire.

“What beautiful flames!” Exclaimed Leonardo.

“Shh! We need to get out of here!”

The sky went dark with the only light being the blue fire and the green lit horns on Wolfox’s head. He snarled as they looked on to see eyes that looked like fire emulating from a draconic slit.

On the other side was a set of draconic scarlet eyes and took the form of a giant fox with her black scales instead of fur. On its back were a large set of dragon-like wings the size of a village with many tails that started out as poison green which led to neon green at the and with poison purple hooked arrows at their tips. That led to poison pink at the edges.

He let out a loud roar as he released a blast of emerald lightning. That was when Wolfox flicked up a weapon and struck the lightning far away, causing an explosion where it landed and rain started to fall as the clouds became dark gray.

They all looked at the weapon as lightning struck. It had a long crooked blade in the shape of a forked tongue with long sharp spikes the size of long spears on the guard going up parallel at either end of the blade.

He dived on and the ground shook as lightning went to strike down to Wolfox. He swiped left and right, deflecting each and every strike with great power. He released more and more green lightning at him and he let out lightning blue fire at him. Causing deafening explosions where they collided and protruded out causing a line of giant neon green and electric blue flames to spread out between them as they ran on and on. 

He struck and with a deafening roar and the black blood flick out, hitting trees, birds and deer. Causing them to fall and die. Then their eyes opened in the trees and let out a roar and dived to the nearest tree and took chunks out of the trunk, devouring it all hungrily. Then the deer woke and dived to the nearest bunny and bit their heads off and ate it. The birds hunted and dived to other birds. Quickly Bash had to shoot at each and every one of them.

This whole display caused them all to run as fast as they could as Azkook took hold of Cerpheres by the scruff of his clothes as they ran and ran. Then a ball of fire hit in front of them. They ran to the left and then right as lightning hit the ground in front of them, setting the trees on fire. They all had to look back as they saw the blood hit the trees in front of them. Bash shot at the trees as Chashathrophogh set them all on fire. Then they ran on and on.

Suddenly a wall of fire cut off the path in front of them. This forced them to run to the left and then lightning struck, forcing them to go back and they ran as fast as they could. They took a glance at the Demon Kings as they ran on and on.

Wolfox slashed to the left and was hit by the nine tails, causing him to bleed. He drove his leg up and slashed the side of the scale as Kitsuné Ryu hit into the hip and Wolfox stabbed down.

Quickly they tore their eyes away as they ran on and on and on. Then they came to the edge of the wall of fire and carved on and behind the flames and kept running and running. They could feel like their legs started to feel like jelly. Then they felt the tremors as the ground beside them separated and they looked back to Wolfox on the ground as he raised his weapon up and the next moment Kitsuné Ryu pounced and fell over the other Demon King. The next moment Wolfox but deep into his throat and the battle was over. The next thing they saw was Wolfox eating the other Demon King.

They got up and ran on as fast as they could. Then they saw a river and they dived into it.