Reia woke up and got dressed. She slipped on the sheathes, fastening them around her thighs and sheathing her daggers. They sat flush to her skin, and you wouldn’t even guess that she had them under her uniform. She left her bag where it was, but grabbed her book bag and the folder with the info in it. She pushed her black hair from her face, her eyes scanning the address of the place she would be meeting with everyone. She breathed out softly to focus her mind, and let her bare feet press into the ground as she made her way to the church. She wanted to feel as connected with her affinity as possible.
It didn’t take too long to arrive, and she looked at the doors of the church quietly before pushing through them. Father Douglas was there to greet her, and she figured Jax was with the other woman. Reia wasn’t sure how this would go, and she was anxious to get started.
“Good morning, Father.” she said gently, her ice blue eyes on his.
Father Douglas eyed the new woman with kind eyes,
“Reia! Pleasure to see you. I can read the soul so don’t be surprised that I know who you are. Jax will be with you in a moment. The situation is quite critical I am afraid...and we appreciate all the help we can get.” Jax spoke up behind him,
“Yes we most certainly do. Hi Reia! I’m Jax Kariana, the two lugs over there are Morthos and Roxas. The other members of my team.” Jax was a mess, her clothes were dirty her hair was greasy but most of all she looked exhausted. She was friendly and held an air of authority but her eyes and body language looked rigid.
“I assume you have already read over the mission statement. It is a very serious situation, and your affinity is very important during this exorcism. Have you done one of these before?” Reia eyed Morthos and Roxas gently, and then turned her attention back to Jax. Jax’s tone was completely business, and she looked a mess. She wondered who the woman getting the exorcism was in relation to their group. It didn’t say in the statement.
“I’m Reia Stone. And absolutely. I read it over more than once to ensure I had my information correct. I have not assisted with an exorcism before, but I have been told by both Master Kalona and yourself that I could be of great use. What will you need me to do?” she asked curiously, her eyes soft. She could feel Jax’s aura felt stressed and dark. She was worried, Reia thought.
Jax looked at the young woman before her critically, sizing her up. She was short, shorter than Ophelia even and that made her feel a tinge of sadness. She clenched her fists and spoke evenly,
“Mostly you just have to make sure that you can hold the soul of..my sister together.” She eyed the boys pushing her hair back from her face,
“Performing an exorcism is never generally easy and this is my first time performing one on this grand of scale. We can’t wait though..not when it is as bad as it is so getting help from a third party is the best we can hope for.” Jax turned to Douglas,
“I’m gonna take her up. Please keep watch over the boys. Especially Roxas if he goes into that room they could hurt him too.” Douglas spoke up evenly,
“Be safe my child...and let your God guide you.” Jax gave him a false smile then turned to Reia,
“I think it’s best that you see her before I tell you exactly what I will be doing. Come on.” She walked over towards the door touching Morthos’ hand for a few moments before heading into the hallway towards her room.
Reia followed Jax down a hallway. At the end of the hallway she could see a door. She considered what Jax had said. This was her sister. Reia felt suddenly sick and sad the closer she got to the door. She let out a slow breath and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to create a neutral feeling in hopes it would keep the others calm. She knew these things could go south in an instant, and would try her best to do whatever Jax needed of her. After all, there was not only one life, but two on the line here.
“Alright, I’m ready when you are.” Jax stopped, gritting her teeth as she reached for the doorknob preparing herself mentally. She closed her eyes for a second then opened the door her will strong and her soul extremely confident. She walked in leaving Reia to follow her as she stared at her sister, no weakness in her eyes. She couldn’t be weak. The demon would use it against her, so she couldn’t let it see anything. She spoke evenly,
“Hey...sister.” Reia could feel Jax’s unwavering will and love for her sister. It made her heart full, but also sort of sad. She quickly pushed the sadness away though, and followed Jax into the room. She shut the door behind her, and her eyes came to rest on Ophelia. Her hair was drenched in sweat, and fell down her chest and back in tangled strands, though the parts closest to her face were pinned to the side. She was extremely pale, almost grey looking. Reia looked closer and she took a few steps toward her, and noticed the color of her eyes was taken over by the black of her pupils. Reia’s eyes continued downward, noticing a small bump beneath the shirt that Ophelia was wearing. She looked to be just over 21 weeks pregnant, and Reia ground her teeth together. Finally though, Reia noticed that Ophelia was chained down with pure silver binds. She looked as though blood dripped from her wrists from trying to escape, and Reia kept her expression blank. Her ankles were bound as well, and the chains lead to thick metal hooks.
Just as Jax spoke, Ophelia spoke. But it wasn’t Ophelia at all, Reia figured.
“Get fucked,” she said. Reia turned her attention to Jax, but she could feel Ophelia’s eyes come to rest on her face. She inhaled softly and then turned to meet Ophelia’s gaze. She looked horrible. Not something anyone wanted to see, or experience no doubt. It was time to begin.
Jax gave a small smile at Ophelia her confidence unbending,
“Such words...I’m gonna enjoy ripping you apart.” She took a step forward, her eyes turning a vibrant green as rune like shapes began to appear underneath her eyes and down her arms,
“You feel that demon. It’s fear. Enjoy it.” She turned to Reia, her expression serious,
“Now that you see our situation, be mindful of a few simple rules. Stay in the corners of the room. If what comes out of the mirrors touches you it is going to seriously hurt, not to mention if you get close to her she will bust you faster then you can say, ‘help’. You also see that she is pregnant, the baby is just as important as the mother. Focus your energy on both souls, ignore mine. Even if it looks like mine might break keep your attention on theirs. Do you understand?”Looking at Jax, Reia simply nodded her head, heading toward one of the four corners of the room. She could very strongly feel the babies’ soul, as well as Ophelia’s. Ophelia’s was a little weaker and harder to locate though. This
demon must be very strong. Once she was standing in the corner of the room, she unclipped the cloak from her uniform and placed it on the ground beside her gently. She had her daggers still, just in case. Without a moment’s hesitation, Reia focused all of her attention on Ophelia and the baby. She was physically and mentally prepared for this, knowing it would probably take hours. She would be exhausted by the end of it, that was for sure.
Reia then felt her pupils shift from circles to slits down the center of her eyes, and she forced her own spiritual aura outward, casting it over Ophelia’s body. Technically, any type of white spirit could ward off negative energy. It didn’t have to technically come from someone of God. Reia smiled faintly, feeling her Aura tether itself to Ophelia’s, which in turn attached itself to the baby. Reia breathed out slowly, her eyes unblinking. If you looked close enough too, you could see blue and silver smoke like strands moving in small waves between the two women.
As soon as Reia’s aura attached itself to Ophelia though, her body arched very slightly, as though trying to reject it. But Reia pushed a little harder, forcing the bond to keep.
Jax let Reia get into position and took off her gloves, throwing them to the side as she pulled out a small dagger from her boot. She cut her palm slightly blood seeping out over her pentagram. She took a few steps forward and drew an intricate pentagram on the floor and then reached up drawing another one on the roof. When she was done she licked at her wound to clean it slightly before taking out a small cloth to wrap it up. When she was ready she turned to Reia with with a confident look,
“I wish we had more time to learn how to trust each other. Just know that I will not let any demon hurt you okay. We’re a team right now! So do your best and let’s crush this thing.” Jax let out a breath moving to stand in front of Ophelia, but just out of reach,
“Let’s begin!” She pulled off her long black jacket and chucked it over by her gloves. The tattoo’s that sprung up when she talked to the demon began to glow, her cross growing the brightest as she began to speak at first very quietly. Her whispers were Latin, the room turning dark apart from the green glow that erupted from Jax’s tattoos and eyes. Her fingers twisted slightly so it looked like she was holding something. She reset her footing then grit her teeth her words now quite loud as she began to pull, her arms turning rigid as she began to put pressure on invisible wheels. Quite slowly the words on the walls began to glow as well as the newly drawn pentagrams. When the light began to fill the room, the blood began to fade away into a dark blackness. Like a mirror the walls around her echoed the shapes of the figures in the room letting whatever was hidden visible to the occupants. It was as if the room was fading into the black, but you could still see the walls in the mirrors, the truth was visible but only if you looked at the opposite image. Jax stopped the incantation for a minute,
“THEY’RE COMING. PREPARE YOURSELF!” Suddenly Jax pulled her hands towards herself, her head cocking to the side as her eyes locked on Ophelia turning from green to a terrifying red,
“I see you. YOU BASTARD. I SEE YOU NOW! YOU SON OF A BITCH! LET HER GO NOW! BEFORE I RIP APART YOUR FUCKING SOUL!” Reia peered into the mirror like openings on the four walls, and her eyes widened slightly as the demons’ true form was revealed. It made her sick to her stomach to look at, but she needed to keep her focus on Ophelia and the baby. Not only that, she could see how truly bad this was, because the demon was curled around and between the baby and Ophelia’s soul. Suddenly though, the demon looked up toward Reia and grinned, flicking it’s long pointed tongue out toward her. Reia’s eyes narrowed then, and in one quick movement she brought her hands out in front of her, her fingers curling around the threads of her Spirit. She pulled back, the strands gathering in her hands like a rope, and she reached forward again quickly, similar to how someone would use a whip. As she did this, the strands spread out and there was a loud snapping sound through the air.
Ophelia’s head turned to the side quickly, her eyes boring into Reia’s as the snap echoed through the room.
“Is that supposed to hurt, you stupid little slut? I could snap you IN HALF!” Ophelia’s voiced contorted into something much more gruesome and guttural, and then she began to laugh.
Jax watched as the creature spoke to Reia and kept her expression neutral,
“Ignore it! It is going to say whatever it can to make you angry. You get angry, you get sloppy. Stay in control! You got this!” She lifted her hand towards the demon,
“Look at me, fucker. NOW!”The demon snapped its head over to look at Jax it’s expression cold. Jax took one step closer, as figures began to shift within the dark mirrors. Jax spoke evenly, her voice almost melodic,
“I walk the valley of the dark and the light. Choosing no path but the one I build myself. I worship no god but the job. The duty of my faith. You have forgotten the face of your creator. I invoke his punishment as a means to know your name. What is your name demon? By the grace of lucifer’s rage and the fury of merciful GOD tell me your GOD DAMNED NAME?”The demon continued to laugh again, Ophelia’s face twisting up into something unrecognizable. Inwardly, she was being tormented. All she wanted was to be free and to continue on with Roxas and her unborn child. But this fucker had other plans. Suddenly, Ophelia lurched forward as far as she could, the binds digging down deep into her wrists again, cutting and slicing at the flesh. Blood dripped down her fingers, which curled up into balls, her nails slicing into the meaty palms of her hands. Her voice returned to normal then, and she cried out slightly, the sound weak. She looked up at Jax and with a shaky voice began to speak.
“Jax, please know that… I love you…” Ophelia began to convulse then, her lips parting. As she continued to convulse, the demon spoke.
“Oh I bet I could love you too, lil Jaxy… You’d like it too.” A wide grin spread across Ophelia’s face, the demon referencing what had happened to Jax long ago.
“Maybe get those other boys in here and they can help me out. Come a little closer girly, so I can taste that cunt of yours…”Jax didn’t move a millimeter as Ophelia pulled at her chains. She twitched slightly as Ophelia’s true voice broke through the control of the demon. She spoke evenly to Ophelia,
“Don’t worry honey. I love you too.” Her eyes filled with hatred as the demon continued mentioning her rape and then offering to get the boys into the room. She blinked once, her unbreakable will her strongest weapon,
“I walk the valley of the light and the dark. My faith in Etro makes me strong, but my belief in his work makes me stronger. I walk on the bridge of mirrors, looking at two worlds and two beginnings. Your words are evidence of your fear. NOW I SAY IT AGAIN! BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE FURY OF YOUR FATHER! LET THE FIRES OF HELL MAKE MY WORDS STRONG AND THE GRACE OF A PRAYER MAKE MY WILL PURE! WHAT IS YOUR NAME!”Instantly without a skip, the demon responded, and Ophelia’s back arched, cracking being heard from her spine,
“Ask me my name again, and I WILL MURDER THIS INFANT WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT!” As the demon spoke, he reached out and curled his fingers around the baby’s throat.
Jax paused knowing that things could go very wrong if she wasn’t careful. She spoke softly to Reia,
“I can’t remove him unless I get his name. You need to increase your power to make sure he can’t touch the baby. He’s weakening. I can see it, but he’s not where I need him yet. Can you do it?” She kept her eyes on the demon, her hair beginning to lift off her shoulders as the figures within the mirrors came forward, long thin scissor like fingers lightly reaching out to rest on the edges of the room. Jax set her footing, her palms rising as the pentagram tattoos on her hands started to spin. She prepared herself waiting for Reia to prepare the child.
“Okay. I can do that!” Reia said to assure Jax. She could see the demons hand around the baby’s throat and an instant burst of anger rushed through her entire body. Kids was one thing she refused to fuck with. She let out a low growl and forced her Aura outward in one huge burst, and a bubble type of sphere made it’s way to surround itself around the baby and Ophelia’s souls. She focused her attention mostly on the baby though, ensuring it was completely consumed in her Spirit.
Jax could feel Reia amp up the spiritual energy in the room. Her soul even felt a little lighter. Jax set her blood red eyes on the demon her voice filling the room,
“I walk the valley of the light and the dark. I fear neither Hell’s coal’s or Heaven’s beauty. I take the road of the traveller. The road that leads to both death and love. I Invoke the wisdom of Etro, but my faith lies in myself. I AM THE MASTER OF MY OWN DESTINY. I AM THE MASTER OF MY OWN ROAD. THE MASTER OF MY WILL. BY THE POWER OF GOD’S GRACE, AND THE FURY OF YOUR FATHER I DEMAND YOU SPEAK YOUR NAME. MY NAME IS JAX KARIANA, THE EXORCIST OF BOTH WORLDS! NOW GIVE ME YOUR FUCKING NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”Ophelia’s body stopped convulsing. Her body was drenched, her clothes stained from it. She sat completely still for a moment, her eyes closed. Reia watched closely. She wasn’t dead. But just as Reia thought that, Ophelia’s left arm lashed forward. The sound of metal breaking sounded through the room, and the chain that held her arm down broke in half. She reached out, her hand wrapping around Jax’s leg. But the demon wasn’t able to keep from speaking, the combination of Spirit and Jax’s words cracking him.
“GEMINI!”As soon as the true name of the demon left it’s mouth Jax slammed her hands together, a violent wind blowing up from the ground, as suddenly hordes of
soul rippers slammed into the room, brushing past Reia and Jax to slam into the demon. Jax could feel Ophelia wrap her hand around Jax’s leg. She gasped, screaming in pain as she felt Ophelia clench violently against the muscle. She increased her power, blood beginning to drip from her eyes, nose and ears. The pain in her leg was so strong she felt she was going to collapse but over time she felt Ophelia release her. The demon’s screams filled the room as the soul rippers went to work. There long black bodies bit and clawed the demon violently, black blood spewing around the room. Jax began to speak in latin demanding full control of the soul rippers,
“Dimittis me in mortem animam ad vincendum conferunt ex eorum petendi GEMINI ad festum. Exterminabitur anima eius serviat renascuntur iterum duos mundos ligula. Benedicamus Patrem et animam fiat pauperum. Ut caritas vestra sensit. Aritas vestra sensit.”Jax kept talking, her demands strengthening her magic, but her limit was coming, and every part of the demon must be removed for the exorcism to work.
The sound of the demon screaming could be heard from Ophelia’s mouth, but the sound faded from his voice to Ophelia’s. By the time the demon was expelled, Ophelia’s voice was gone. Reia’s eyes focused on the demon as it was being banished and destroyed, noticing very clearly it still had a slight grasp on the baby. With the destruction of it, the baby’s heart stopped beating. An intense cramping burned through Ophelia’s stomach, and blood began to drip down her legs at a decently rapid pace. Ophelia leaned forward, placing the free hand palm side down on the floor beneath her, she was extremely weak, unable to speak, and knew something was very very wrong. Before she could pinpoint what was wrong, blackness surrounded her and she fell into a deep unconscious sleep state.
As soon as the soul rippers had taken all of the demon Jax fell to her knees, her palms outstretched as she began to close the gates. She grit her teeth unaware of her surroundings or what was happening to her sister as she forced the creatures back into their mirrors. The door behind her was fully clear, the blood on the walls untouched.
Before Reia could react to the death of the baby, father Douglas entered the room slightly. He motioned Reia to come to him, and she did as she was told. She knew that Jax needed to recoup, and they would need to deal with Ophelia and the baby, something she wasn’t trained in at all. Tears began to spill from her eyes and her breathing became uneven. She was guided by father Douglas to where the boys were waiting, and she stopped just briefly in front of Roxas. She could tell he was the father and the lover of Ophelia due to being able to see their bond.
“I’m so, so sorry…” was all she managed between sobs. She tried her best but it wasn’t enough. Once she was outside of the church, a carriage was waiting to bring her back to SPA. She cried the entire way there and collapsed into her bed before falling asleep, exhausted.