Black Magic

 

Dana gasped, her eyes shooting open. Moira looked at her and smiled.

“Well, hello there!” she said.

“No, no, you need to put me back in!” Dana said, trying to sit up.  Her head hurt and her body ached.

“Oh, I’m afraid I can’t do that right now!  You need a rest and some juice!”

“LOOK, LADY!” Dana yelled at her.  “Shit is getting blown up and I need to get back in there and help!”

As Dana was yelling, Moira was typing what Dana was saying into the computer.

“Alright.  I’ll put you back in, but after a IV drip and a protein bar, alright?”

“Fucking…. Fine!”

Dekinai came in a half hour into Dana’s 2 IV drips and protein bar.

“The town blew up?  What happened before then?”

Dana stopped chewing, recollecting what happened.

“This… woman was being chased by some people, she called them the Dogs.  They were firing guns at us!”

“Interesting,” Dekinai said, his hand to his chin.  “You’re going back in, I take it?”  he asked.

Dana tossed her wrapper in the trash.

“Once this drip is done,” she said.

He looked at Moira and nodded.

“Drop her back in while the drip is still going,” he said.  Moira looked at him horrified.

“But, sir, we–”

“Do.  It.”

Moira looked defeated before nodding.  Dana leaned back in her seat, her head rolling forward and Moira sent her back into the game.

Dana started to cough.  She opened her eyes, Yetunde looking down at her.

“Oh, gods, you’re not dead,” she sighed in relief.  “Your body just went limp and your heartbeat just… stopped…”

Dana slowly sat up, rubbing her head.  She blinked.  The alcohol was still in her system. Souta entered the room.

“It’s not safe here, we need to go.”  He looked at Dana.

“Now.”

The building shook.

“NOW!”

Souta pushed them out the room and outside.  The 6 Dogs from before stood before them.

“Oh, son of a bi–”

The opened fire on the 3.

Dana and Yetunde ducked down and Souta started chanting to himself, a force field protecting them.  Yetunde waited for the hail of bullets to stop for a split second, before rushing from being Souta and taking a big swipe at the 6 with her sword. She managed to cut one down and wound another before jumping out the way of another round of gunfire.  Dana was still behind Souta, who was now chanting something else now, his body glowing.  As Yetunde swiped and dodged at the remaining 5, her body started to glow as well.  Dana stood up and ran from behind Souta, not sure of what to do.  She started humming to herself, her body warming up even more.  She took off running toward the Dogs, still humming some tune, before she pretended to she throwing a bowling ball.  A big ball of fire left her fingertips and rolled into 2 of the Dogs, catching them aflame.  Dana blinked and grinned, running around the 3 that were left with Yetunde.  The glow around Yetunde and Souta was almost blinding now.

Yetunde stood a good distance in front Souta, her body and sword lining up against the 3 Dogs in front of her. Souta finished his chant with a shout, causing Yetunde to rush at the Dogs.  A gust of wind helped carry her forward, some of swirling around her sword.  Dana kicked sand up and threw a blast of fire at it, causing a small smoke screen.  Disoriented, the Dogs tried to bat the smoke away, only to lose their limbs from a hidden sword swipe.  They screamed and fell to the ground, writhing in agony.

Yetunde’s body was still glowing as she walked up to one of the dying Dogs.  She kicked them before ripping the dog-faced helmet of their head.

It was a pale-skinned man, his facial features long and pointy.  He stared up at Yetunde and spit, talking to her in some language Souta and Dana didn’t understand; but Yetunde did. Yetunde’s blade sliced through the Dog’s neck before she turned to look at the other two.

“We need to talk to the elders,” was all she said.