The earth quaked as the witch's magic took effect, and people screamed as the ground beneath them rocked and shifted. Several lost their footing, and, desperately grasping those around them for balance, took others down with them.
A couple of light projectors fell from the trusses at the ceiling, crashing into the crowd, and a blood-curdling cry of pain rose from those wounded by the impact. The panicked masses swarmed for the exit, trampling over each other with reckless abandon.
"Vira!" Kai yelled.
"I'm here, Kai," she appeared in a flash, a tiny pixie glowing with red light. "But there's not much we can do, we have to—"
He did not hear the end of her sentence, as a man tackled him to the ground. Assuming it to be an accident, Kai stared up at the stranger apologetically, then frowned as he noticed a set of rings on the man's tight fist, bulging like brass knuckles.
"What the hell are you—ugh!" The punch cut the Oathless short, striking his nose.
"This is for Nancy, you asshole!" the hooded man yelled and drew back for another punch.
"Kai!" Vira channeled her magic and threw it at the Oathless's yellow jacket.
The stranger guarded his eyes from the bright flash of red light, and Kai felt the weave of the vest spread throughout his body and wrap tightly around him. When the light died, the stranger lowered his arms and was struck straight in the face by the Oathless's gauntlet.
Gauntlet? He thought, as the man rolled off of him, holding on to his bloody lip and moaning.
It wasn't just a gauntlet.
As the Oathless rose unsteadily to his feet, the floor still shaking beneath him, he scanned himself through the visor of his helmet.
His entire body was donned with a smooth golden plate armor, which was hard as iron, and light as a feather. It's a paladin's armor, he noted the insignia embossed on the plate. Like something out of B2B. He smiled. Thanks, Vira.
The stranger, blinded by pain and rage, lunged at the armored Oathless, but his punches did no more than clang against the plate and send Kai's ears ringing.
"Enough!" The Oathless, reasonably taller than the stranger now that he was clad in armor, placed his gauntleted hand on the man's forehead and held him back like a child. "What the hell are you doing?"
"You betrayed her!" He foamed at the mouth, his hands flailing. "And I'll kill you for it!"
Her? Nancy? Who the hell is— he grimaced as the penny dropped, and he looked to the stage. The witch glared back at him with a wicked wide grin. I'm the woman of your dreams, Kai, she had said. You can call me whatever you want.
She had made that offer to every Oathless, and who knew how many more of her familiars were here in the convention. But why? Kai wondered. What's the point of all of this? What is she hoping to gain with all that power?
Holding his gaze, Hexaphalia began to channel her magic, then flung it toward him with a sharp flick of her wrist.
He flinched, shoving the stranger back to put some distance between them, and almost fell as the quaking floor threw him off balance.
But her magic wasn't meant for him.
The mark on the stranger's hand began to sting and glow, and he held it, grunting through gritted teeth, feeling it burn. Violet light spread quickly over his skin, from the mark to the rest of his body, until his entire frame glowed with the eerie light.
Kai shielded his eyes as the man shone with a sudden, blinding flash. When he looked again, his brows shot up, and he took a step back.
The stranger's pained grunting turned into beastly growls, and thick black fur grew to coat his skin. Before the Oathless, where once stood a man, now was an enormous, fang-baring dire wolf.
"V-Vira?" he stammered, taking another step back. "Any ideas?"
"Yes," she said. "Run!"
***
The wolf was closing fast on the paladin, snapping at his heels, both struggling to navigate through the milling, panicked masses—though the wolf, unlike the Oathless, made no effort to skirt around those who got in his way.
As they passed through a corridor, Kai caught another flash of violet, followed by a bellowing roar coming from the direction of the convention center's entrance. The earthquake was settling down, the floor becoming more stable, but Hexaphalia seemingly arranged other ways to keep the crowds in a panic.
"Vira—" Kai turned, entering the East Wing. "She enchanted another one at the entrance."
"I noticed," she flew beside him, keeping pace. "She wants to keep everyone inside."
"Why?" As he reached the booths, he grabbed the first thing that came to his hand and threw it behind him.
"Sacrifice, for a spell," she turned mid-flight and threw her magic at a spider plushie, which the Oathless flung at the beast. It became a metallic muzzle, wrapping around the wolf's snout, locking his jaw.
"What spell?" He kept on running through the maze of booths as the beast behind him rolled to the ground, pawing at the spider muzzle.
"Best guess? A magical veil," she winced as the wolf's claw caught at one of the spider legs and broke it, then another; then the rest gave in, and he opened his maw with a snarl. "She will cover the entire world, prevent any other fairy from coming here."
"Damn," Kai jumped over a line of tables that had been turned over by the earthquake. If she pulls it off and takes us out in the process, there would be no one left to stop her. He glanced over his shoulder to see the wolf scampering to its feet and returning to his hunt. One thing at a time, he continued running. "Can't you do anything about the wolf?"
"Magic can only be undone by those who cast it; it's why I couldn't remove your mark, remember?"
He clicked his tongue. "Your magic system sucks."
"It's not like it's completely impossible," she protested. "Undoing a spell takes thrice the effort it took to cast it."
Kai slid under a booth, narrowly avoiding the wolf's bite, then turned and punched the beast's snout. It withdrew, whimpering, and the Oathless continued onward. "So, even if we fail here, your sisters will be able to do something, right?"
She frowned. "There are thousands of people here, Kai. If all of them were used as a sacrifice…"
He shuddered. They'd have to match her three times over.
"Don't worry, I have a plan," she said as he made a sharp turn around a corner. "But you'll need a weapon."
He chuckled. "Where do you think I've been running all this—" he stumbled over something strewn in his path and fell to the ground, rolling.
"Ow!" He heard a woman complain, and as he looked back, he recognized her instantly.
Gabriel crouched over the unconscious form of Catherine and sent the armored Oathless a resentful glare. "Watch where you're going; she has been hurt enough."
He scanned the knocked out businesswoman and noted the trickle of blood descending her forehead. "Is she… going to be alright?"
"She fell during the panic and got trampled. I think she'll be alright, but I need to get her out of here, and I can't carry her on my own without risking another—"
The wolf slid to a halt as he turned the corner, standing face-to-face with the Oathless, only a dozen feet separating them.
"What… is that a wolf?!" the doctor cried.
Kai looked around, his mind racing in search of solutions. There was a table beside them, and Xena's spear was down at his feet. It wasn't what he had hoped for, but it would have to do.
"Vira, can you transform the table into a stretcher?" he asked as he bent down to pick up the spear. As soon as he touched it, the magic of his armor extended to wrap around it, changing its form and material to match his gear. He took a moment to admire it and smiled.
The fairy godmother followed his instructions and channeled her magic into the table. The doctor squinted at the flash of light and looked in stunned awe at the stretcher the table had transformed into, then turned to the paladin. Did he just say 'Vira'? What the hell is going on?
He stepped past her and fell into a combat stance he recalled from an old HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) video. "The entrance is probably blocked, so get her somewhere safe and hide until this all blows over."
She stared at his armored back, dumbfounded. The wolf's growl snapped her out of it and drew her attention back to Catherine. I don't understand what is happening; even the theories about the Omen of Death can't explain this. She lifted up the unconscious woman and placed her on the stretcher. All I can do is focus on what I do understand. Catherine is wounded, she needs my help. She began rolling the unconscious woman away. "Good luck, whoever you are, and thank you."
Kai spared her a glance. 'Whoever you are' ? He thought, then realized that she couldn't recognize him with his helmet on. I guess that's not the worst thing. Saves me the trouble of explaining all of this later. He returned his attention to the wolf.
The beast lunged at him, fangs bared, but he managed to roll out of the way. His legs started to tremble as he rose to his feet and realized what he was doing. He was fighting for his life against a legendary beast twice his size. Swallowing, he fell back into his stance but couldn't stop his legs from shaking.
The dire wolf began slowly circling the paladin, a series of huffs coming out of his nostrils, as if he were chuckling. "Think that little stick can save you?" he snarled.
Kai thought up a clever retort, but his jaw was locked with nerves, and he couldn't speak.
The wolf lunged forward again, snapping its maw, but the Oathless dodged with a backstep. Then, with great hesitation, he sprang forward to counter, thrusting his spear. The reaction was too slow and overextended, causing the paladin to expose his flank.
Sharp fangs closed on the Oathless's greaves, straining the magical metal, then lifting him off his footing and flinging him away like a discarded toy.
Kai hit the floor and rolled over for several feet, barely hanging on to the spear. He managed to rise to his knees, dizzy and hurting, when the wolf lunged at him once more.
"Quick! Head down, spear up!" Vira ordered.
The Oathless caught a single glance of the beast leaping at him and followed the fairy godmother's orders, leaning forward with his head down and holding his spear up at an angle against the ground.
Unable to change his momentum, the wolf fell into the spearhead—the enchanted metal piercing through his chest. He whimpered and snarled, flailing his mighty paws on the paladin's back.
"Hold!" Vira commanded, and Kai gritted his teeth as a warm liquid spilled through the cracks in his armor, rolling over his shoulders and sticking to his clothes. He felt its weight on his smooth helmet and saw it drip to the ground, dark red.
He shut his eyes tight and swore he could feel the beast's racing heartbeat pounding through the spear shaft.
"Hold!"
The beast's movement slowed, and Kai felt more of its weight land on his back as it was drained out of life. Hot, heavy breaths filled the inside of the paladin's helmet, and his head pounded so hard, he could hardly hear the wolf's dying whimpers.
Light flashed, and all at once, Kai felt the burden on his back ease.
"It's alright, you can let go now."
He shoved the spear off of him and drew back from it, opening his eyes. The stranger lay flat on the floor, back in his human-form, a deep, bloodied hole in his chest. The Oathless gagged, swallowing vomit, then started coughing. I killed a man, the thought haunted him. I was protecting myself, he tried to reassure himself. He was a beast, a monster; what was I supposed to do?
Done with his coughing, he took in a deep breath, and his gaze fell once again on the stranger's corpse. He felt his bile rise again and looked away. I killed a man.
"You did good," Vira said, standing over him in her human-form, her wings folded behind her, her expression grim. "Now rise, my godchild."
He looked up at her but did not move.
"People are still in danger. We are still in danger," her eyes narrowed mournfully. She knew he wasn't ready, but there wasn't any other option. "The entire world could be in danger if we fail… we have no time to waste." She looked past him, and he turned to follow her gaze.
"Lightgrave…"
The sword lay discarded on the floor, fallen out of its shattered display case, which had toppled during the earthquake. Kai tried to rise but slipped on the pool of blood beneath him and fell back to his knees.
"I can't do this, Vira. I'm not a hero—I'm just a normal guy."
"That's how all the great heroes start, as simple farmhands, humble stable-boys, or blacksmiths' sons… normal is what heroes are made of."
He tried to rise again and found his footing.
"You have the capacity for courage and kindness; all you need is the will."
He walked over and bent down to pick up the sword.
"The will to act, the will to fight for something greater than yourself."
As he touched it, the magic of the armor wrapped around the blade, causing it to shine with holy radiance. He held it up, as he had earlier that day, staring at his bright reflection within the shining steel. Trails of blood ran down his helmet like rivers, and his brown eyes looked back at him, shaded by the visor.
Something greater than myself? He pondered for a long minute, feeling a surge of anger build within him at the suggestion. "Me? Save the world?" he sneered. "Why should I?"
"Kai!"
"And the people? Screw them! What have they ever done for me?"
Vira scowled, tightening her fists and spreading her wings wide. If Kai turned against her now… then her failure as a godmother would mean the end of the world.
"If I'm going to fight, then I'm going to fight for myself," he turned to face her, and she was surprised to see the radiance of his blade flare with conviction. "And for you," he pointed at her, causing her jaw to drop and her wings to fold. "And for my mother," his voice cracked, and his grip tightened around the golden handle. "And John, and Catherine, and Mason, and…" he trailed off as the list in his head grew longer, thinking of all of the connections he had made since he met Vira. "And for Nekoko," he finished, hanging Lightgrave on his back harness as he made his way to the corpse of his enemy and recollected his spear. "You said you had a plan?"
The fairy nodded.
"Good," he struck the butt end of the spear into the floor. "Let's hear it."