James found himself walking down a highway, no clue where he was headed or how long he would walk. This might have alarmed a normal person, but James was used to it by now. He glanced at his watch: Midnight.. Good, he liked the night, and midnight held a special place in his heart.

His first ritual had been on a clear night like this, commencing at the stroke of midnight. He remembered that night, a year ago on the day, like it was yesterday.

The elements had bound themselves to him, wind, earth, water and fire. Everything had been with him, in perfect unison, they breathed, they consumed, they existed. That ritual had seemed to last an eternity, but in reality, only a few hours.

A scream pulled him from his reverie.

He looked around; dark alley, drunk women being stabilized by two men. He was in the shadows, and saw no reason why he should shed this cover. How he had gotten there mattered not, all that mattered was his purpose now that he was there.

This was his seventh �night excursion.� He would wake in the middle of the night, covered in sweat and adrenaline pumping through his veins. The energies would draw him, out of bed and to wherever and whomever the goddess willed.

He would meet things�spirits, creatures of myth, common animals�whatever it was, it had some effect on him, present or future. In these times, the goddess would lend him strength, if he needed, to heal, shield�What was needed was there, always.

And it had always been with animals, never humans. But, this would soon be a thing of the past, or so it appeared. The people were the only thing in sight, and the force that drew him was gone. This was where it would happen, whatever it may be.

His eyes sharpened at a slight mental command. The lady was not stumbling, but being dragged. She was gagged and her arms appeared tied. This was his purpose tonight.

�Hecate, guide me,� James called to the night.

He stepped from the shadows in a bold, daring moved and turned to the men.

�Let the lady go,� he stated calmly, trying to mask the youth and immaturity so evident in his voice.

He knew they�d not let her go at a challenge from a single, 15 year oldish boy, who was completely unarmed, but he had to try.

The lady immediately stopped struggling, a glimmer of hope shooting into her eyes, and the men turned to James.

A moment passed as they looked him up and down, trying to discern a reason why this boy dared to challenge them. The hope in the lady�s eyes had turned to tears.

Finally, the men decided that the challenge was comical, and began laughing.

One of them glanced behind James, unintentionally laying his cards on the table.

James began to feel something behind him, some presence�but it didn�t feel human. Not entirely, at least. He felt something un-humanly evil in the aura, but coupled with human life.

The other two were simply humans, and the lady gave no signs of any energy, nor life force. Shields? he wondered. He�d never encountered someone who could shield against such that effectively.

Another surge of adrenaline and energy reminded him of where he was. Analyze later, fight now.

His focus snapped to the thing behind him, which was now within a few meters of him. One of the men tried to hold James� attention by saying something, but it was no use to attempt to distract a warrior of his caliber.

He felt the thing tense for its strike, and jumped to the side.

A shabby, middle aged man with a long beard drove a knife through the air, exactly where James� heart had been two seconds ago.

James snapped out his right leg, catching the man in the side, a mere second before his left foot caught the thing�s throat.

He turned his attention back to the men holding the lady. One had pulled a knife, leaving the other to hold the lady.

Idiots, he thought. Draw a blade against me?

His hands went limp, open and relaxed. His entire body relaxed. Zen took him over; There was going to be death.

�Give up now, mortals, or learn the wrath of the goddess,� James stated, tonelessly, emotionlessly.

�Still two on one, boy,� one of them called, as James noted his beard, mustache, and normal, city-goer clothing.

Don�t kill the two, a voice in his mind instructed. The voice, old yet young, strong yet sweet, beautiful�What was it? The true ancient spirits spoke like that, but not to the same degree�

Who are ye? he thought back, clearing his mind with all his might; they can�t read what doesn�t exist.

You know me as� the voice changed to a young, distinctly feminine tone, The Mother.

Goddess! he exclaimed. What have I done to warrant this? Have I angered ye?

No, my child, you have not, Hecate responded. Far from it. You have not long, so I shall make haste. Defend yourself and the lady, but worry not, and slay not.

As you will, my goddess, he thought back.

He was thrown back into his body, and immediately fell to his knees. When did I leave it? James wondered curiously. He hadn�t noticed that he had�The grace of the gods was unmatched, he supposed.

The bearded man was charging, apparently falling to his knees was weakness enough for the man to get past any troubles he�d had with killing a boy.

The knife was held at James� head level. The first mistake.

James grabbed a metal bar laying next to him, and went to one knee.

As the man drew closer, James fell back on his back, raised the bar and struck Beardy�s knife arm, while bringing both legs up and rolled. The man was caught in the chest and groin, and was thrown over James.

Jumping up, James turned to the other man.

�And now it�s one on one,� he stated, slowly walking towards him.

�Sta-stay back! I�ll-I�ll kill her, I swear I will!� the last one responded, fear and panic streaming from him.

�Go ahead,� James said. �I�m not here to save her. I�m here to kill you.�

Though it wasn�t true, he knew it would scare the man even more, and when in fear, one makes mistakes.

He looked the lady in the eyes. She had beautiful blue eyes�he could stare into them for years. But not now, he screamed to himself.

Her hands were now clearly bound, but the fierceness in her eyes left no room for interpretation; She was a fighter, no matter.

I hope she acts fast enough.

He threw the bar at the couple, hoping his aim would be true�It was.

It hit, and likely broke, the arm around the lady�s throat. She immediately elbowed him, spun and kicked him in the groin, before turning and running toward James.

He caught her in his arms and started untying the gag. She was not a lady at all, merely a girl, no older than him.

�Are you alright?� he asked her as he finished removing the gag.

She collapsed into his arms, crying and trying to speak.

�It�s all right, everything is going to be fine,� he comforted, stroking her hair and holding her.

They stayed like this for sometime, her sobbing into his shirt and him trying to comfort her.

Finally she drew back, and he untied the bonds holding her hands.

�Are you injured?� he asked. She was still beyond speech, but managed a �no.�

�All right-� there was a huge energy surge from behind him.

He turned and saw the first of the men start to rise. The humanity he had felt in him before was gone. This thing was completely evil now.

He set the girl down against the wall, saying, �If things look bad, run. Don�t interfere, no matter, please, I don�t want you getting hurt.�

He prepared to fight this thing, flexing his shoulders and all his muscles.

�You would dare to stand against ME? Surely you know who I am!� the thing called. �Run, mortal, that is all that can save you from me.�

�What you are�� James started, �let�s see; Dark, evil, weak, oh, and, over-dramatic. Close?�

�Insulent mortal!� it screamed, energy radiating from it.

James gave a half smile as the thing lunged at him.

It was faster than he�d thought. The distance was covered in seconds. It had both his arms and was crushing the bones before he could react.

�Weak, am I?� it said.

James threw his hands out and circled them back with all his strength, breaking both its arms. He followed up with a jump-spinning back kick to its chest.

The thing flew back into the wall behind it, laughing even while it shattered brick.

It stood and said, �Do you truly think you stand a chance, mortal? You have not faced the slightest of my wrath�yet.�

Swords appeared in either hand, the blades covered in a black flame.

James said flatly, �In the goddess� name I fight. In her name�I�ll die.�

His magic gathered around him, and he prepared to focus it.

�Force of will, force of magic,� he began. �Shield the girl with Her light. My blood shed, the spell fed. So mote it be. Hubbkia!�

A ball of light flew from James to the girl, settling into an orbit around her head.

It was a decent spell, but it was all the magic he had. It was incredibly focused, and had enough practice in that one spell that it was decent., but the magic involved was miniscule in comparison to half the cantrip of a good mage. It was what he was born with, though.

He faced the thing again, it was still laughing. It had surprised him by not breaking his spell. It must think it can break my magics with ease, James realized, glad that he had chosen that spell.

�You�ve less magic than a dead fly!� it taunted.

�I have a favor to ask, if I�m to die today,� James called. �Your name. �Tis most dishonorable to die by an unnamed man.�

�I am not a man!� it spat. �But you may know me as the Master and Last of the Dark; I am Tulan!�

�So be it. I am James Onuh,� James said. �Let it begin.�

It ran toward James with both blades raised and poised to skewer him.

He side-stepped at the last second, and tried to kick the creature�s leg. It moved so fast, James didn�t know what was happening. He was dodging slashes and stabs without thought.

He was beginning to become truly afraid of this Tulan�s skill. He wanted to trick it earlier, he had no intention of dying�today.

It seemed like hours of dodging before, finally, he failed. The blade dug into his stomach, the flames burning and cauterizing. The agony was unimaginable.

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