Chapter 5 - A Time To Fight 

 Read Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

Content Warning - Contains Violence, implied death, gays in peril 

​

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

People say “violence doesn't solve anything.”  But if you don't fight, why would the people in power listen?  Because you are very sad?  People fight because they have something they are fighting for.  The revolution is won not by talks, but by a brick through a window and your comrades by your side. 

There are days where you must fight or die.  There is not always a choice.  Fight on to live, fight on for the communities oppressed, fight on.

----------

Trucey

Darn… darn drat ding dong fudge!  The Paladin's were attacking these peaceful people.  Perhaps I could convince them to stop?  I had to make a choice before my girlfriend tried to fight the whole group on her own. 

​

Wait.  ‘Girlfriend’... Oh my gosh we are girlfriends.  I'd never considered that as a possibility, but yes, we are girlfriends!  Not like ‘girlfriends’ like I'd call her before, or I like I’d call my other friends, but like girlfriends like who do kisses!

​

Wait, Paladins are attacking, right.  Do something, Trucey.  Say something, Trucey.  You can do it, Trucey.  My hearts racing, Serena’s magical aura was intensifying.  Making peace… would that work?

​

I run in front while raising my sword and shield, calling both them and my armor forth. It felt strange, the spell is something I had used many times before.  After all, Paladins are bound to their armor and weapons, so as to never be caught off guard.  Yet, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to bear this armor any longer.  Still, I didn’t have time to think on the ethics of my actions or anything, I just had to act.  The commander, Silvia a woman who was under Serena and I, looked shocked. 

​

She gasped.   “Trucey, are you really going to stand in our way?  That vampire wiped out a whole base, and we finally managed to track her to this disgusting hole of sin. “

​

I stand my ground, and tell her firmly.  “The holy light doesn't want us to kill people for no reason. These are honest people.”

Silvia scoffed.  “Monsters.”

​

Serena stands in front of me.  “So, you'll stand by me?  Like old times? I don't think we can talk sense into them, and I get a feeling they have backup coming.  This will get serious.”

​

The people of Clawz were gathering and grabbing their own during the stand-off, still making evaluations of the wounded.  The villagers weren’t attacking yet, perhaps hoping somehow we could talk this out and avoid blood spilling.  

​

I look to Silvia.  “Serena and I won't turn our backs on these folks. Monsters are not soulless beasts, they are like us.” 

​

Silvia was dressed in her signature red armor.  Painted red to avoid the blood stains bothering people, and to show herself in the dark, proving she is not afraid of any monster.  Her holy blade raised, she speaks in rage and shock.  “Serena.  This fiend is Serena… How could this be?  And I wasn't able to crush her yet. You two were always ahead of me.  So, now you further insult me by standing up for beasts. Taking a fiend’s form...  Wait, of course.  Trucey must be under Serena's spell, that explains it. ”

​

Silvia turns her Commander cap, bellowing to her comrades.  “Kill everyone.  I'll handle these two myself.” 

​

Silva dashes forward, swinging the blade.  I didn't care if I was a Paladin anymore, about the holy light, I just wanted to help these people, to stand by Serena.  I counter with my shield and match her blows, but I was distracted with everything going on, and weakened with the blood loss. I couldn't keep this up for long.  

---------------

Serena

​

My trail shouldn't be followable.  How did I fuck this up?  People got hurt because of me again.  I have to fight.  I have to look strong, to be strong, be stronger.  I would win here. 

​

I had to admit though when Trucey stood up for me, I almost forgot how serious this all was, she was so cute. Yet there was no way she could bear Silvia alone, and while the people of Clawz are strong, this many Paladins, when kids and those not fit for battle were in the crossfire, it would be nearly impossible to come out on top.

​

When Silvia and Trucey's Blades clashed, I took advantage of the chaos and jumped into the crowd of Paladins, summoning a “Holy Flare” - a spell for stunning a foe.  It threw them off guard.  Paladins did not train to fight their own magic often, let alone expect it from a demon.  As it binds the ground, I charge a flame spell and kick down one Paladin, grabbing his blade.  I unleash the flame, and the fireball breaks into smaller fiery projectile that could pierce that pesky paladin armour and leave holes for my dark magic to strike them down.  Their shadows move forward filling their armors’ holes and binding them to their spot.  That would be enough for now.  Now, to help my beloved. 

Silvia hisses.  “See her demonic magic!  Be careful.  She may cast a hex on you - like she did to them!  Avoid her, and kill the other fiends!”

I didn’t exactly have a lot of time before backup arrived, so I swung the blade I stole from the last Paladin, straight at Silva, who manages to dodge me with the grace of a sparrow.  Somehow, Trucey just smiles at me.  “We can do this together!”

I laugh a bit.  “Me and you, versus a bunch of evil creatures?  Indeed, just like old times.”  While my magic combat was still rather strong, I had spent years as Trucey’s team mate with the blade and holy magic, we would have more synergy with the blade, the last thing I wanted was to hurt her accidently.  I can’t let her get hurt for me - I can’t hurt her.  And then I… got smacked in the face by Silvia’s shield, and fell back.

I wobble, trying to get back into a combat stance, but was then blasted back by a wave of light magic, and thrust into the wall of a nearby home.  My skin was singed by the holy light’s fire.  From here, I could see the people of Clawz fighting back.  Freia and Jasmine, my wolf -woman and golem friend respectively, were fighting back Paladins.  I could see them doing their best, but the people of Clawz weren’t ready for an invasion of this scale when caught by surprise.

Trucey counters and parries Silvia with expert skill, trying to get to me, but being held back by her foe. I see a surprise blow send Trucey to the ground.

Paladins surrounded me.  Like roaches, there were too many to kill, and they would just keep coming.  It was my fault, everyone was gonna die, Trucey was going to be taken back to that place, I... I failed again. 

-------------------------------------------------------

Jillian

What the hell was I supposed to do here!?  If I attacked a Paladin, they might send a messenger back.  If it wasn’t for Serena jumping into this fight, I’d probably have just turned around and left the village by now.  But now here I was, between a holy nun, a war for Clawz, my maybe-still-brainwashed daughter, and her probably-girlfriend or whatever - there was way too much to handle!

As I watched the Paladin’s attack, a slime woman grabs me, and ushers me towards the shelter.  I couldn’t hear her exact words, I was so lost in my own thoughts, but that random act of kindness really was the last straw.

​

I have had it with this - I’d had enough of under their thumb!  I had to save these people, Serena. If we took out all the Paladins, there would be no worries.

I shoot a sparkling green magical firework into the sky, and I see my owl Iris fly back towards the Capital, where she would go to warn the kids without me.  No exit for me, I was going to fight for my daughter.  I see the crowd of bastards around her, and dash forward summoning forth a stream of fire like I hadn’t done for so many years - blasting away the enemy gathered around her.

I grab my staff and declare myself fiercely.  “You all now face the Owl Witch Jillian!  I’d tell you to back down before I kill any of you, but I can’t really let any of you escape now - can I?”

​

Serena looks to me in confusion, probably wondering if it was really me.  Even before she was taken by the holy light, I was slowly becoming a woman I wasn't proud of.  A hollow shell of the great witch I was.  No wonder so many people left me.  I had to take down their reinforcements - that would be the biggest blow to them.

​

My thoughts are interrupted as I see a wave of holy magic being shot at Serena that I couldn’t stop, and could only throw my own body in front of.  I didn’t know for sure it was really her in there, but my heart knew. I fall flat on the ground, was this how I die?  Finally doing one good thing, only to fuck it up this bad in the end?

Then, before I could be finished off, Kat runs up me and begins healing me.  She mutters to me in that strange, bitter way, even in the midst of battle.  “AHHH, you wicked witch!  So wicked, making me betray the holy light, just to stop you from dying!  Come on and get up, before they shoot us!”

Her healing was good.  No wonder they put her in the party for that quest.  Before I could stand up though, Serena suddenly jumped over the pair of us, swinging her sword overhead!  Bring it down with her, she manages to get a blow into the woman, protecting her girlfriend.  Well, with her handling that, it was time for me to play my role then!

I turn to Kat.  “I am going to rush past them, and go into the forest they are entering from. I can fight the reinforcements there by myself without a real problem, they won’t be able to see me in the trees. Go heal the people around here - or just go to the shelter, it’s not really my bussin-”

Kat punched my side suddenly.  “This town's been nothing but nice to me, I owe them a bit of healing.  Go, get going.”

Silva and Kat’s eyes meet, and then Silva growls.  “The Nun too?  Just who hasn’t  been put under Serena’s spell?”

My ever-so-witty daughter rushes forth, quickly jabs her with the blunt end of her sword as a surprise attack, and quips.  “Well there’s yoou… for now.  But we can change that.”

​

Playing into the role, she was a lot more like me then she would probably like to admit. Oh no, she was a lot like me. No time to dwell on that, gotta go kick some Paladin ass.  I jump into the air and have the winds carry me past everyone and into the forest.  I would protect them. 

​

---------------------

​

Trucey

Silvia and Serena clash blades.  Silvia was clearly out matched - “The Mystic Blade” of the Paladins wasn’t going to be defeated, even by someone as skilled as Silvia.

​

Silvia finds herself  placed in check, with Serena’s blade resting against the small of her armor. The stunning vampire laughs in her face.  “Watch out!  If I was a demon, you would be dead now.” 

​

Silvia brushes her hand against her sparring partner’s gauntlet.  “Haha, when I’m around the fiends I am stronger than against you.  You’re quite distracting - with all that armor, yet all that grace...”

​

Serena winks.  “Your grace is equally distracting, and yet here we are again.”

Gee wasn’t it nice when two friends got along so well, and could bask each other in platonic compliments?  I run up to report to the two after the match. Serena grabs my hand.  “Ready for your own training? I promised you I would help you be the best Paladin in the whole order.”

I was so excited… wait.

---

The marsh was so cold, ice in the floors, the ice elementals were rather strong. Silvia was being frozen solid, we could just do nothing about it.  Me and Serena struck with our holy blades together, killing the elemental attacking her. She looks as we embrace hugging each other. Was she jealous of our great friendship?  People could have more than one friend.  Was it that we saved her, and her pride was going off? I didn’t get it. 

---

Back in the Paladin’s training hall, I was sparring against her.  I was actually going to beat Silvia, after training so hard with Serena, I was finally going to get a win against one of the coolest Paladins ever. I side step her slash and take my hit and - by the light, I win!

There was fury in her eyes like I had only seen towards monster, as she reaches for a weak handshake with me, and a soft smile towards Serena.  “Looks like your little trainee has caught up to us.”

Serena put her arm around me.  Oh, I loved when she did this - wasn’t friendship the best?  Then she declares something that made me happier then the world.  “She is my partner, not a subordinate.  Without her by my side, I couldn’t handle half the missions we do.”

Silvia walks away, what a strange thing for a friend to do.  But, whatever, I wasn’t gonna let it defeat this huge moment with Serena!

​

---

A fog lifts from my mind.  Oh, holy… I was fighting to defend the monster village. I had to protect Serena.

I grab my sword and stand up.  Together me and Serena could make this happen.  We were best friends, closer than even when we were Paladins together. We may have lost the words for it, might have lost the ability to express it clearly, but we were close.  I knew it now and Silvia saw it.  Well, at least, I could show her that closeness.

I swing my blade at Serena who winks at me and swiftly dodges, doing a backflip over my blade, and letting me hit Silvia’s armor cleanly.  We throw her off guard, but she manages to gain back her composure, grabbing another Paladin’s discarded blade. She was amazing, her steps were so fast and she had total mastery of her blades.  I knew I couldn’t take her lightly.

Serena and I would have to think outside the box, but luckily I had been doing a lot of that lately.   We don’t say any words, but we knew what the other was going to do.  Serena smashes the ground using some witchcraft, to make a small area of raised earth behind Silvia.  We dashed forward, wildly swinging our blades, sending her further backwards, before we took advantage of her slumbing to both charge up magic.  Serena with her dark magic, and I with my light magic, striking in unison.  We make a final push forward, Silvia trips ever so slightly and - BAM, a massive wave of magic, the darkness and light combining in a dazzling show before smashing against her armor, shattering it.

Without the armor protecting her opponent, Serena swept in and grabbed the woman. She lifted her into the air, and I deployed a holy shield spell, to hold back any light spells the rest of the Paladin’s might cast to rescue her.

Silvia weakly groans.  “You... you left me behind, for her…  And then left her for this life, but made her your thrall.”

Serena purrs softly yet clearly.  “I’ve never done that one before.  But there is always a chance to try now Silvia. ”

She pushes her past the Barrier and against the wall. Serena caresses her face softly, Silvia  blushes in retaliation. Their bodies against each other, Serena in the dominant position as she pulls in closer.  Silvia wants to say something but just can’t bring herself to. 

I watched as Serena sank her fangs into the other Paladin pulling her into submission.  I wasn't jealous. I was excited.  The moans of joy and bliss as Serena drained her, her dark magics circling around her as she sends them inside of Silvia. I didn’t know how to describe the warm feeling I had below my heart, but I wanted more of this.