DILEmma

The moment the savage broke through the earth barrier surrounding it,a sword ran through it's back, emerging from it's chest.

General Fushin pulled out his sword and appeared beside Zero.

The Chief knight's eyes were closed,his pale face lay against the ground, partly concealed by his messy black hair.

From the moonlight's soft glow,General Fushin could clearly visualize his chapped lips.

He shook his head at the site.

He picked up Zero's cold body,resting the knight's bare chest against his back before pulling him all the way back to where his group was.

Zero was growing cold by the minute,it would have done him more good had he maintained his conciousness.

In his condition,supplying himself internal heat would have warmed him up faster.

He would have to set up a fire.

**********************************

Gerald was flying deeper into the woods when he perceived a scent of two demons,one of which he recalled was part unfriendly lot he was running from,the other a familiar presence he could barely lay his fingers on yet.

He teleported further into the forest and for a while he didn't percieve the scent any longer till it suddenly reappeared.

Some Demons were trailing him.

A shiver ran down his spine as as he recalled the words from the anonymous letter at the meeting.

'...Do not leave the emperor's side'

He felt his heartbeat racing.

Deep down he wished he had ignored Zero's call and never left Tyran but he couldn't,that is if it wasn't one of their tricks.

The same Zero he tried to save was fine until he had risked his life to save him.

These people after him,they had to be one part of 'them',the people luamisa warned about before she was killed.

What baffled him the most was how they were able to know every location he teleported to.

Just then,his mind flashed backwards.

The girl he locked eyes with for a brief moment ,made him feel dizzy for a couple of seconds.

That must be her bloodline gift, Spirit trail.

An ability he had once come across as a student while reading at the imperial library.

It allowed the caster to see what ever the victim was seeing and to know their exact location at any point in time.

His sight had been trapped and they were trailing him.

Having Soulsight must mean she was already a formidable foe,he couldn't help but wonder who the other person was whom he was probably the demon who blocked his telepathy.

Sadly enough he didn't know his way though the forest,all the trees and paths seemed alike.

If the universe would bless him with the faintest trail of smell of demons or blood nearby he would make his way in that direction,knowing someone else would aid him in battle,the more the merrier.

Gerald stopped and shot two balls of flame In the air to alert any demon close by as facing both alone would be a battle he wouldn't win.

He heard a savage growling some distance away.

It growled and howled as if tormented then Gerald heard it's dying whinnes and finally the sound ceased.

He concluded it a trick,seeing savages hunted in parks.

He looked above at the night sky before ascending upwards as fast as he could until someone caught hold of his leg.

His attacker moved fast and a feet appeared Infront of his face in an instant.

Gerald managed to avoid it at the last second, reappearing at the forest floor,his eyes fixed upwards at the same place he had been attacked.

The next instant a female demon about the same height appeared in front of him on air.

Her black wings were spread out on her sides the most of her black long hair tied in a ponytail tossed carelessly in the wind along with the few strands falling freely on both sides of her face.

She wore a blue well embroidered gown slit all the way up her left thigh with a gleeful grin on her oval face as her dark lash stared down at him.

Gerald stared back into the eyes of the woman who had trapped his sight.

"Who are you?"he questioned.

Her smile broadened.

"I marvel not in the slightest way that you know not who I am....Afterall I am no royal"

She placed a hand to her chest and the other on her waist.

"Kaugra of the wind, daughter of Lord Zhu who is a well known general in the imperial army"

Gerald's wide eyes conveying his surprise.

General Zhu was indeed a very famous general in the imperial army,the only one besides the emperor he had seen used the blood technique.He had joined the hunt and was somewhere in the forest.

He wondered if he was one of 'them'.

"You might be wondering why I have been following you all these while...if you aren't that dumb you should have the answer by now....it's simple,I am here to kill you"

"To kill me?...Hilarious"Gerald didn't know why he laughed.

Indeed she might be general Zhu's daughter but from where he stood he could sense the magic energy emanating from her and it was nothing compared to her father's,at most she would be a middle tier demon Just like he was.

He shouldn't laugh in a situation such as this one but he was glad he did, it somehow managed to fill him with some measure of self confidence.

"My lord run.... she's not who you think she is"Gerald heard ju whisper in his head.

"What do you mean ju? and what in the world are you doing here? spirit guards were to wait back in Delvin..."

"Run!"

Ju warned again then he went off.

"I don't know why you laugh Knight....it's a good thing corpses don't laugh"

Gerald eyed the demon and without another word teleported but he reappeared at the same spot.

He tried again and the same thing happened.

"Don't you get?...I have your vision and now you are in my own loop.... attempting to escape is fruitless".

Kaugra laughed.

Not did this demon use spirit trail,she also used the same ablilities as her father.

The Trapper, provided it's caster with the power to trap your victim in your time loop making teleporting impossible.

Since he could no longer run,he had to stay and fight.

Defeating her would make him able to at least flee from the other demon's presence he percieved who was hiding in the shadows.

For some reason his presence bothered him.

He was probably waiting till he was weak from fighting her before finishing him off or was sitting closeby aching to be entertained by his screams and dying plea,but Gerald wouldn't let that happen.

"You see knight.....it's my place to laugh not yours...your plea should be to spare your life...but of cos I wont_"

"When you are done talking,come at me!...and make it quick, you're wasting my time!"Gerald snapped.

"You mean I should make your death quick...interesting!"

"Tsssskkk!!"Gerald smirked as he pulled out his sword before motioning for her to come.

Kaugra pulled out a spiky metal chain whip which elongated till it floated around her,it's tip pointed and sharp as it's whole length glistened under the moon light ray.

The whip reached out for him.

Gerald swung his sword at it but when his sword touched it,it divided into two,spun around him and reached for him, coming from opposite directions.