I glance over at Nugget to see steady, even breaths and the ease of her form as we run. She`s kept up surprisingly well. We come upon a small guard shack. It`s nothing but a charred wooden frame. A guard hides behind the remains and a Blaze demon prowls the perimeter.

　　"Help him." I command Nugget as the hiding guard runs our way.

　　Her mouth opens and closes and I wait for her protest. I keep my eyes on her, daring her to argue. I`m a full-fledged warrior now, my rank is on my uniform. It takes everything in me to keep my eyes from rolling upward the longer we stand-off. With the guard almost on us, she gives a slight nod and huffs in agreement.

　　I roll my shoulders a few times to release the fight I was prepared to have with her. Now that she`s occupied with the guard, I can kill the Blaze.

　　"Thank God you guys are here." The skinny disheveled tunnel guard says.

　　I leave Nugget to deal with him and make my way behind the Blaze. I summon my blades. The familiar handle rises out of my forearm and I pull the blade loose. I give it a twirl before retrieving my second sword. The ring of my weapons manifesting from the ether draws the demon`s attention.

　　I give Nugget a quick check over my shoulder to see her backing away from the guard`s animated speech and wild gestures. Her hands are fisted at her sides, jaw clenched. Good, let`s see how she likes being stuck with an out-of-control warrior.

　　Her head snaps in my direction as if she senses I`m watching. I can`t believe I feel a smile drop when I`m caught enjoying her frustration. Where`d that come from?

　　The Blaze`s large paw-like claws drag across the gravel as it stalks closer, getting my attention. I turn my back on Nugget to track the demon. It`s about ten feet away. My powers beat in my chest, the pressure to let loose is so strong. A pulling, drawing sensation tingles through my limbs. I close my eyes, using all of my concentration to suppress it. The pull dissipates but I`m unsettled about how close I was to being overtaken.

　　"Warrior!" Nugget calls from behind me and I turn to see her wide open stare past the Blaze.

　　An oceanic wave of fog rolls from out of nowhere and blankets me in seconds. My eyes flare bright and I check my rear. All I see is fog. It`s thick, more concentrated, than being in the Mist beyond the wall. It swirls around me and the Blaze. Nugget and the guard can`t see through this even with their goggles.

　　"Keep your position. I`ve got a clear line of attack." I say to keep them back.

　　With this coverage, I can release some of this energy to ease the ache when I take out the Blaze. The muscles in my legs warm and tighten. My eyes flash brighter and my vision clears. I`m ready to go.

　　The plan is to race behind the demon, leap over and sink my blades into the soft area of its nape. Before I can take a step, that prickling tingle pulls from inside my chest like someone fisting the front of my uniform. A swirl of fog circles me, forming a spinning vortex. My lungs expel a whoosh of air and my body lurches forward on its own.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

　　Just as fast as it started, it stops. I`m staggering to regain my balance and find myself standing right in front of the Blaze`s runny snout. His square meaty head jerks back into its thick veiny neck, surprised to see me appear out of thin air. I`ve never run that fast before. My legs are a little shaky, still full of energy, as if I didn`t run at all.

　　The warrior marks on my forearms glow bright blue like my eyes. I swallow hard, my marks only glow white and only when I call my weapons. My blades start trembling when my hands glow blue. A clang rings out as my swords hit the gravel floor, breaking me and the demon from our shock.

　　I ball my fists to stop the shaking and the glowing stops. The demon`s chest expands with a raggedy intake of breath. The razor sharp tusks of its protruding lower jaw distort as the heated air shimmers.

　　The Blaze is preparing for a fire breath attack. I hit the deck, face down in the gravel. My knuckles scrape the rocky ground when I pull my blades close and I hiss at the loss of skin. A blast of dry, hot air blows my hair around before the stream of orange flame lights above me.

　　Gravel bites into my cheek when I make myself as flat as possible. The stream of molten flames singe the back of my uniform and some of my hair from the smell of it before it crackles to a stop. Time to move.

　　I push off the ground and launch myself upright. The Blaze rears back on its powerful hind legs and makes his own launch toward me. I squat and force my energy into a high jump and shoot into the air, landing about twenty yards behind him. I`m getting good at this. The fog is thinner on this side. But luckily, I landed away from Nugget`s position.

　　The Blaze turns its leathery body around to track me. It chuffs, stomping its four clawed paws in irritation. With a snarl, its body burst into the protective shield of flames. I twirl my blades at my sides and move to attack. It`s a good thing I heal fast because I`m definitely about to get burned.

　　My legs pump hard, racing to close the distance. My swords paint streaks of glowing light at my sides. The Blaze`s chest rattles and the demon throws its head back for a deep inhale. I aim my blades at its exposed throat, sinking my weapons through its neck before it can finish.

　　Black ichor oozes thick from the gaping puncture wounds. My arms are on fire from it`s protective hide. But I force my submerged blades wide to each side and slice through the demon`s neck. Its head hits the concrete with a wet dull thud.

　　Its thick leathery body stands a few seconds more before slumping into a heap. Tiny embers dance along it`s spine in retreat before wafting into the air to die with the demon. I drop my blades and grit my teeth as my arms radiate white-hot pain and pulsing blisters. The black demon blood turns into a thick goopy coat on my arms. I`d be worried about infection if I couldn`t already see angry blackened skin turning pink.

　　My weapons are on the ground before me. I carefully pick them up, inspecting them for change, but the blue glow is gone. I give them a spin, splattering gore off their sharp edges. The ethereal energy cleans, repairs, and sharpens warrior weapons, but I practiced spinning my blades to create a habit, a reflex. I practiced what my father always did. I practiced to keep the unfaded memory of him and my brother`s training.

　　A crash in the distance snaps me back to the present. I boost my senses and take in my surroundings. I can`t afford to let my guard down with my powers going wild.

　　A tunnel guard staggers away from the main guard station. It`s a large square concrete building several yards from the burnt shack I left Nugget at. In the opposite direction, a heavy metal gate swings unevenly on squeaky hinges.

　　It`s the tunnel gate where the breach occurred, about a half mile away but still intact. The stone barrier wall has web-like cracks radiating from where the gate imprinted its shape into it. It takes more than one demon`s forced entry to cause that kind of damage.

　　A gurgling yell pierces my ears and I race back to the shack.