"You cannot stop me. I'll turn you all to ashes and then finish this abomination once and for all." The flame shot from the sword toward the young man and the car with Kyle and Marisa. When it reached their defender the flames spread up and to either side as though they had hit a wall. "What!? You dare to use unholy magic after being consecrated in the chapel of the order?" "As you said, old man, I AM a heretic." A slight smile played on his lips. "No matter. I shall cut through your shield and remove your head. My faith has made me invincible!". "Really?" The young man steped toward the templar and he fell back a little. "Seems your faith is a little weak." Another step and again the templar fell back a little more.
That last step backward proved the old man's undoing. Kim, not yet dead and sensing a threat close by, lashed out with one of her tentacles catching the old man in the back of his legs causing him to stumble and fall. The younger man quickly kicked away the sword, pulled the old man clear of the tentacle and tied his hands behind his back.
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Yuriko, having watched her sister demoness crash, the arrival of the templar followed quickly by another man and the ensuing duel decided it was time to go back and report to Jennifer. She was not going to be happy.
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"so, what do I do with you now, old man? If I leave you here you might get run over by a car, unless the demoness' sisters return to take their vengence. Then you'll just wish you'd been run over." He picked up the sword and walked over to the car, handing the sword to Kyle. "Keep a good grip on this. Its not as easy to control as it looks. Oh, my name's Cedric. Seems my manners have just gone to seed since I hit this town."
Cedric turned towards the woods and gave a piercing whistle. After about a minute a group of small figures emerged from the woods, none bigger than 3 feet in height. "My friends will see that you are comfortable untill I can get a message to your fellow Templars to come get you." The little creatures easily picked up the old man and started to carry him into the woods.
Cedric turned to Kyle. "Ever seen creatures like those before, Kyle?" "They look like ugly dwarves. Hey! How did you know my name?" "Names are easy, kid. Ugly dwarves." Cedric chuckled. "Kyle, those are..." "Gnomes! Guardians of the northern watchtower.", exclaimed Marisa. Both Kyle and Cedric turned toward her. "Looks like you've decided to take part in the conversation after all", said Cedric. "I got tired of sitting there drooling on myself. Its not very ladylike." "Indeed," said Cedric. "I take it you are a follower of the old ways." "I am Strega. My family lineage goes back to the time of Aradia."
At that moment the broken and burned body of Kim shuddered as a moan escaped her lips drawing everyones attention. "A decision must be made," Cedric said, "and you, Kyle, must be the one to make it."