Sparks flew as Lyra's daggers were met with the serpent's fangs. It sprang from Aiden's body, biting at the cage and protecting the vessel from the three priestesses.
"Ugh! Surely there has to be an easier way of doing this, right?" Lyra slid a few meters back, cleaning the blood from various cuts across her body. The serpent was ferocious, its gales cutting like razor blades.
Meilin looked back at Ryn, who stood motionless, her eyes filled with contempt and sorrow. "Unfortunately, we will have to rely purely on your strength and my basic talismans. But her presence amplifies our powers a little...and I have an idea on how to beat the wendigo spirit." Meilin brushed her hair back, bringing out the blue light of the fox spirit along with three tails.
"Take my tails, summon the purifying flames around the cage. Seven should do fine, and the last you must place directly on Aiden. I will drop the cage soon, so be ready, Lyra. This plan depends on you to work." She promptly nodded as the vulpine smile carved into her cheeks. The glow of six tails illuminated the darkest night. But one more set of tails remained.
"Wait, wait! What are the seven flames even meant to do? You seem to know a little more than we do, Meilin." Lyra glared at her comrade, a fiery glint of rebellion flashing briefly before turning to Ryn.
"Give them to me now." The Korean's eyes shifted back to Meilin. Her green eyes widened as Ryn's words clung to the air. "But he will die if we do this."
"You didn't mention that part, Meilin!" The slits of black in her eyes dilated.
Meilin stood quietly; there was nothing to say on her side. It wasn't that she didn't care about the outcome, but this was the most positive ending she could think of. "Just do as I say."
"Tch. God damn it!" Lyra ripped the tails from Ryn's frame, speeding across the battlefield, placing down blue flames that rippled through the fabric of space. Aiden's movements seemed to slow with each burning flame. The creature inside him wailed in agony as the tattoo burned from his skin, biting holes into Aiden's body to ensure mutual destruction.
"AHHHH-"
Lyra braced herself as the final flame lit atop a small pyre of paddy reeds. The wooden cage fell onto the ground. Finally, the wendigo was freed to slither around, dragging Aiden's body at its tail. This was the most disconnected they had become since the incident.
The venomous beast bared its fangs. Violet gleams clashed against the black iron daggers. Lyra's speed was not even comparable to a human anymore; the power of nine tails brought a semi-teleportation level of speed. Her figure blurred through the air as each attack was met with equal force from the serpent.
"Stupid snake! I will cook you up after putting you down!" Lyra cut through its spine. Loud, demonic screeching echoed through the mountain, and murders of crows circled the battlefield upon the beast's command.
Aiden weakly opened his eyes, his head struck against a large rock again, and blood stained his face. In the corner of his eye, a familiar silver glint shone under the brilliant moonlight.
"It's slowing down! Strike now! Burn the abomination!" Meilin sang from the side with worry as the creature mysteriously began slowing down in agony. Aiden twisted his blade into the serpent's tail, searing pain shooting through his own abdomen.
Iron ignited. Flames danced through the air. Its body grew tumorous as each fragment of the blue flame grew, gnawing on the wendigo's spirit essence. "AIDEN. SEVER THE TAIL!" Lyra screamed while plummeting to the ground. The flames quickened toward his body. Without a second to waste, Aiden slashed what remained of their connection with the silver blade.
For a single second, the sound of glass shattering froze the world. A glimpse of tentacles flashed across his gaze. But it was over. Everything was now...safe? The last remnants of the wendigo burned across the paddy field, and the three priestesses heaved as they neared the end of their energy, just like him. But now he felt weirdly empty. Alone.
He wandered toward the girls, a slight limp in his step. Picking up Lyra in his arms and offering his shoulder as a crutch to Meilin, who had expended most of her spirit essence when creating the strong cage for the weindgo. Only Ryn was walking normally, but to call it normal was putting it too lightly. Her gaze was downcast, and the blood in her hands refused to turn into any sort of talisman.
Condensation had built up along the cracked windows. The floorboards that had been distorted by the wendigo's spirit returned to normal. And despite what the girls had put him through, Aiden felt compelled to prepare a sort of thank-you meal. Cooking was one of his single talents, and it was not like any of those three were in any condition to prepare anything.
He wandered into the kitchen, the light refused to turn on when the switch was flicked, so a candelabra would suffice. Aiden took a bag of rice from the cupboard, measuring an appropriate amount and filling the rice cooker with some water.
But something felt odd. His mother was there; he could see her yellow goat eyes pursuing his every movement. Still, that wasn't it. For a millisecond, he saw his tired eyes in the reflection of a glass panel. The scar throbbed, and the reason he had been saved that day was now dispelled from his body. 'Maybe that's why I feel so empty...goodbye, old friend.'
==============================
So, though it took only a few minutes, he emerged from the kitchen with four plates of omu-rice with a crudely written 'Thank you' in ketchup. He lit a candelabra to at least allow them to see each other.
They stared at him in disbelief, Meilin in particular. She wasn't sure if he had heard everything she had said, or even the outcome she was expecting to come about. Tears welled in her eyes. Her bones creaked, but she lunged forward to hug the startled Aiden. A slight blush flashed across his cheeks before pushing her back into her seat.
"You guys...helped me. This is the best I can offer. And you can live here...I guess. We can have a proper discussion regarding my mother another time. Rest for now, tomorrow will be tough." Before any of them could, Aiden began chomping down; in an instant, the food vanished as if that was the last meal he would have for the foreseeable future.
"Pfft You really are an interesting one! My. Dar~ling." Lyra put a spoonful in her mouth, licking the spoon clean.
"You are kind, Aiden. Don't let the nickname Rabid Dog get to you. Those people just haven't seen this side of you." Meilin smiled softly as she enjoyed and appreciated Aiden's food.
"What is that meant to mean?!"