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Ingram and Aleron were left to defend themselves alone, but at least Ingram could see him now.

Despite how much the sight before him shuddered his insides with revulsion, there was a comfort in seeing his kindred. Aleron’s black wings were both twisted and lay the wrong way as they dragged upon the ground.

Every time Aleron managed to rid himself of the parasites upon him, he was dragged backwards by a Demon grabbing his feathery tail to yank him back into chaos.

His kindred gave a long cry, one that had a purple, blood-filled mist puffing from his maw.

“Aleron!”Ingram roared, managing to crawl out from his own attackers to leap forward.

He crashed into his kindred’s back, ridding him completely of his attackers, before knocking them both to their sides. Aleron whimpered as he rose on three limbs.

His kindred was desperately trying to flee.

“Run!”Ingram roared, nudging his behind so he could move quicker.

There was a gap, a way out. They just needed to dart for it.

Aleron shook his skull, as though he didn’t have the capacity to sprint. Just as Ingram noted that one of his legs had been clawed to bone, he ran forward to cover Aleron’s body with his own.

He didn’t get the chance to protect Aleron. The stump of his tail was pulled back and a blanket of shadowy beasts was upon him.

His orbs flared red, rage took hold, and he called for the remaining strength in his body. He stood, spun in a circle, and with claws tensed and threatening, he bellowed out one of the most ferocious roars he’d ever conjured.

The beasts warily stepped back, fear startling them – only to remember that he and Aleron were cornered.

He readied himself to leap to his kindred’s side. He couldn’t see Aleron underneath the pile of beasts upon him, but his panicked and distressed cry echoed through them.

Just as he leapt, a weight slamming into him from above shoved him to the ground so hard spittle burst from his mouth as his beak separated.

Then, the pressure was gone, and he faced his opponent.

The Witch Owl?Once more, she was in her human form.

On one knee, covering her midsection and leaning against the ground with a hand, she looked up at him. Her features were twisted into a mix of sympathy, pity, and... something else. Something that had his hackles rising.

Her face had been split apart by multiple claws. The bones of her forehead and cheek were visible, with one eyelid gaping open. The arm across her stomach was broken.

There were too many wounds for him to figure out how else she had been harmed. A sickly sweet aroma was cascading from her skin, hiding the scent of her blood.

Her singular brown eye met his orbs. It crinkled in anguish that looked as though it had nothing to do with the physical pain she was in.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Help us!”he snarled, turning to Aleron when he heard a harrowing yelp.“Merikh’s ward is nearby.”

It was so close he could smell Merikh’s lake. He could even hear the waterfall that streamed over the Veil’s cliff wall right next to his cave entrance.

It was there, not far past the trees. Just there, but out of reach or sight.

“It’s too far,” the Witch Owl wheezed out.

Ingram head butted an invisible wall. He slammed his fist upon it, unsure of it what it was. Actually, it wasn’t invisible – at least, not completely. It was black and dusty, but a protective dome had formed over him and the Witch Owl. It was thin, but no less effective in keeping him from the fight.

He clawed at it, slammed into it with his shoulders, and even roared at it. He tried everything in his might to get past the wretched dome, confused as to where it came from.

Demons attacked it from the outside, but they couldn’t get through.

“Let me out!”Ingram wailed, staring at Aleron, who continued to try to crawl away despite his attackers.