Unchained Bonds: Penny for Your Thoughts

Unchained Bonds Arc

Penny for Your Thoughts

"You humans should've heeded our warnings!" shouted a smug Regana from his liquid throne in the sky. "Your archangels have already decided to swim and have left the weaklings to sink! You deserve it all!"

He continued to strum his magic infused guitar and watched amused as the civillians scattered around like ants to avoid the rapid currents of water he was producing. It was true he hated getting his hands dirty like this, but doing his job would save both his hide and it would keep him out of that god-awful book.

Appreciatively, he breathed in and exhaled deeply. It had been so long since he had been exposed to actual oxygen and he was allowed to free-roam. He had no doubt in his mind that the other creature from the book who had also been released were also pissed off at being freed from capture only to become a slave.

"This is so tiresome." he thought to himself as he strummed his guitar in boredom. "''But anything's better than being on boss' bad side." ''He shivered when a memory flashed through his mind about the last time someone foolishly angered his master. But he would admit it was also an educational experience for all of the witnesses.

''"Now I know you can still move even if your limbs have all been removed." ''

Suddenly, a orange and red trail of flames appeared below him and surrounding his violent streams. Scoffing, Regana sat up in annoyance at this person's audacity and stupidity.

"Idiot human, don't you know my water extinguishes your puny flames?" he shouted down from his place. Instantly, he strummed a sequence of notes across the strings of his guitar until a blue glow appeared around him. "Ballad of Waves! Whirlpool!" he called. Immediately, the flames were quelled and the cause of his irritation was swept away.

"Literally." he mentally groaned as he saw the mage behind the stunt in the eye of the whirlpool. He strummed his guitar strings in a downward motion and the make-shift water throne he made slowly went down to just above the whirlpool's eye.

Putting on his best "I'm-sick-of-your-shit" look, he mentally prepared for a confrontation and a possible battle with the man in red. "Hey dude, what's your damage?" he demanded. "That is not how you ride the waves."

"My damage is that you shouldn't even be doing this!" shouted the Fire Master. "Were you spying on us?! Did your boss run back to Hell? Answer me!"

"First of all, waaayyy too many questions bro." Regana said, rubbing his temples. "Second of all, there's nothing wrong with being early Blanca. We didn't agree to a specific attack date."

"My name is Blanco, thank you very much. For the record, my flames would absolutely cook you if I was being serious." he spat angrily. "I knew Alejandro would do this, I just didn't believe he would be this stupid to do it so soon."

Regana laughed heartily at his enemy's claims. "Alejandro? Stupid? Those words shouldn't even be in the same sentence!" he stated proudly. "Cook me? I'd like to see you try. Or is your arthritis acting up, old man?"

Blanco growled and attempted to prove himself correct by frying him, but was sucked back in by the whirlpool. "That's what I thought." Regana taunted. "You're way outta luck here, pops. Any kind of flame you produce will be put out by either my streams or water clones. I've got your city tied down. Checkmate."

Suddenly, he heard a loud crashing around him and immediately whipped his head around to find the cause. With devastation in his eyes, he watched three of his large water figures collapse and dissolve back into regular liquid. "My art!" he shrieked, now standing atop of his throne. "Who is responsible for angering The Creature of The Deep?!"

As if on que, he was blasted from behind and fell atop of a building. He groaned in pain as his guitar fell on his ribs and was too caught up from the blast to notice a red haired man standing in front of him.

"If those ugly creatures were your idea of art," began Abraham, dusting off his shoulders. "Then you should take up a new hobby. Knitting perhaps?"

"Y-You! That is so not cool!" Regana growled, his eyes flashing red in anger. "Who the hell are you?"

Abraham closed his eyes and chuckled. "Me? Just someone you won't live to talk about." he declared darkly, opening his eyes to reveal a murderous gaze.

"Miss Quell, I still don't understand why you can't defeat your brother for us." Haru asked, supporting his head with his hand. "You are the strongest sibling, correct?"

"I think there's more to it than that." Gia said, sipping on the warm tea Blakeley had made for them. "Am I right, Miss Quell?"

The three of them had decided to move the conversation to Blakeley's cottage near the garden. It was a cute little home, just the right size for her needs in fact. The walls were dusty pink and the floors were a dark purple.

"Yes, yes it's true," she began sadly, staring down at her glove encased hands folded in her lap. "Alejandro was never much trouble for me growing up. We actually got along quite well until our father died. Then both he and our youngest brother just...changed."

"Is there a reason you can't face him?" Haru said, his voice growing concerned. His fists clenched at the thought of her being harmed by her brothers, or anyone for that matter. "Has he harmed you?"

"Yes, but not in the way that you may think." she assured him and took a deep breath, preparing herself to re-tell the story. "When my father died, all my youngest brother thought about was the next heir to the throne. At first I didn't care about such things, but when I saw that he was growing more vicious by the hour...I couldn't allow him to become king. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let him succumb to dictatorship."

"He became extremely angry with me and naturally I stood my ground. He then challenged me to a battle for the right to be heir to the throne while Alejandro watched. Alejandro was promised an immense power that our father had discovered by our youngest brother if he beat me, but he wasn't on board with the idea of us battling. Yet he didn't interfere."

"We battled for quite sometime and it was clearly in my favor, which annoyed him to no end. Suddenly, he began swearing and shouted out one of our father's spells that are forbidden of even mentioning. Unfortunately, I was too late to realize what it was and I was hit. Alejandro couldn't believe our brother had done it, not even our brother realized he had did it until he saw the damage."

Haru and Gia's eyes widened in shock as they saw tears fall down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she said wiping her face. "Anyway, he didn't express his remorse at all. Instead, he declared himself the winner and banished me from our home realm for defying the king. I expected Alejandro to defend me, seeing as he helped me up and consoled me about my injury after the battle...but he didn't. He walked away, but not before telling me I was supposed to be gone by the next day."

Haru's jaw clenched in anger as Blakeley continued to sob. He stood up from where he was sitting and sat on the couch next to her. Gathering her in his strong arms, he comforted her as she cried. "I'm deeply sorry to hear that this happened." he said slowly. "I swear we will defeat the both of them for you. I won't let you cry about it anymore."

"These injuries of yours," Gia said, not showing she was shocked by Haru's actions. "Are they really that permanent? Maybe my father can help you."

"Trust me, I've tried everything." Blakeley despaired, removing her gloves. She squeezed her eyes shut as collective gasps filled the room. Gia's heart rapidly filled with anger. The woman's hands were completely stained with darkness up to her elbows!

''"Is...is this what humans see when they hear about us?" ''she thought to herself, remembering all those times she was looked at funny. No wonder everyone was scared to death of them! They did things like this to their own kind! Gia's eyes widened as she realized something very important about all of this.

"She's just like me."

"I-I can't face him...I'm sorry." Blakeley sobbed into Haru's chest. "He broke my heart when he even allowed that battle to happen!"

Haru shushed her but it only made her sob louder. Suddenly, Gia stood up which captured both of their attention. They watched as her fists clenched along with her jaw and her eyes squeeze violently shut.

"I'll defeat him." she declared. "I won't put you through that again. I won't put anyone through that. Demon or not, it's inhumane."

Blakeley shook her head rapidly and wiped her face. "But...without my power he's untouchable, I want to help you both, I really do...I just can't-"

"Then teach me."

"W-what?" Blakeley gasped, standing up. Gia nodded, confirming what she said. "Teach me a spell to defeat him. I don't care how long it takes. I'm going to show him not to ruin people's lives."

Slowly, Gia kneeled before the demoness and looked down causing her bangs to cover her eyes. "Please, teach me, Master." she whispered.

Shaken to her very core, Blakeley held her hands over her heart and looked down at the young girl. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed of herself that she was unable to help them, but she couldn't help her irrational fear. Being traumatized forever wasn't something that just dissappeared overnight.

Collecting her thoughts and exhaling deeply, she put on her serious face. Her loud exhale caused Gia to look up at her in expectance for an answer.

Smiling, Blakeley rested her stained hand atop of Gia's wild mane of hair and nodded. "Very well, we've got a lot of work to do if you're going to avenge me."