Shape-Shifter

Gisa

Gisa gasped for breath as the blood bond roiled inside of her, hissing and screeching. The creature stared at her, grinning. "They're on their knees. Just blast me. It's all you need to do." The creature hissed.

Gisa's anger rose inside her, but she bit it back. The gleam in its eyes. It was mad. Sadistic. She couldn't fight mad. If she learned anything from the pits…

Instead, she calmed herself, imagining Emma's cool touch that had always kept her from lashing out. Don't look at them. Just look at the creature. Gisa recited a spell under her breath, sending a little ball of flame from her hands. The creature hissed something back, blocking it with her… with his? Its own magic…

Gisa traded fiery blows back and forth, shaping them into shields as the creature came on the offensive. It threw a clumsy shot, shattering a potted plant. Gisa took the opportunity to throw a bright white light at it. The creature hissed at her, shrieking curses.

Gisa tried to throw another one, but the creature dodged out of the way with a laugh. "Can't use the same trick twice, it's so predictable." It's voice slithered along her bones like a finger of ice. She shuddered involuntarily and the creature saw its chance.

Fast as lighting it was upon her, a spiny and clammy hand wrapped around her wrist. Gisa tried to break its grasp, but the creature just gripped tighter. She used her free hand, punching it square in the chest, but it barely budged, swatting her hand away with practiced ease before digging iron-strong black nails into her skin.

Pain like she had never known seared her. Her ears rang as it whispered something under its breath, its pointed smile growing wider by the second. Her strength was draining, her grasp on magic was draining. With a gasp, she flung her arm towards its face, piercing its left eye. They both screamed. Gisa for the liquid now running down her arm, and the creature for the loss of its oozing black eye.

It immediately let go, bringing a hand to its eye, ragefully screaming at her. "What have you done?" it hissed, its tongue slithered like that of a snake. The black liquid slid from the empty socket down its hollow cheeks towards its lipless maw. "You'll pay." It swore. And with a cry of pain, two leathery wings began to unfold from the bare skin of its back.

Gisa took the creature's momentary distraction to run to where Emma was still collapsed onto the floor. Her chest was heaving, tears dried on her face, but she gasped out, "I'm okay, it's over. Just… just go get that thing okay? I'm okay."

Gisa nodded, fighting back her own tears. She squeezed Emma's hand. "If you get the chance, you go find someone okay?" Then she bolted back to the center of the room, just in time for the thing to stand up straight, its bat-like wings spread out. The light from the chandelier made them look purplish, illuminating the veins running through them.

"Gisa!" Jamsion slid a silver sword from the arms of a suit of armour on the wall before he leaned heavily against the wall. "Get him." he gasped, his legs shuddering from the effort it was taking to stand.

She picked up the sword, "Aeriel Machti." She whispered, the sword igniting in flame. The creature smiled in return.

Then with an ear splitting screech, he flew towards the ceiling, snapping the chain holding the chandelier. The massive structure careened towards her. Gisa stumbled out of the way, the crash blasting her across the room. The creature's hands formed a fireball, and with a short breath, Gisa jumped as high as she could, the sword simply an extension of her arm. She pierced part of his leg, but it did little to hinder him. He just dove at her, grabbing a fistful of her hair and using it to fling her to the ground. She rolled, gritting her teeth. The creature sent the fire towards her, but she dodged to the side, colliding with a polished suit of armour. The fire charred the rug on the floor before fizzling out.

She hurled herself at the creature's back as he landed, jumping on top of him. They skittered to the ground, the sword flying from her hands. She grabbed one of his deathly gray arms, violently pulling it behind his back until she heard the crunch of bones. A dark liquid spewed onto the side of her face when one of the bones pierced the skin near his elbow.

The creature grabbed her foot with his other arm, draggin her off his back onto the floor. Her head bounced off of the hardwood. But somehow, she felt calmer. This was like the Pitts. She'd done this since she was a young girl. And while it stood at six feet and seemed as if it was sent from hell, it fought like any other man. They were both too drained to use their magic. If Gisa pulled on the strand of magic in her she felt as if she might throw up or pass out. But this style? This was how she really fought.

The creature took a tiny step, but before he could kick her with his incredibly long legs, she jumped to the side, shoving his leg, causing him to stumble. He gave away his motions as if he were telling her out loud what he was about to do. He stepped before his fist came towards her at an incredible speed. She blocked it to the side, countering with a knife hand to his temple. It flinched, but didn't inhibit the fist coming down towards her collarbone. She had no choice but to drop to the ground to avoid what would have been a bone crushing impact.

"Your mother…" it seethed as they engaged one another with a flurry of kicks and blows, "Sent me to remind you…" Gisa ducked out of the way of his left hand, flying from the side towards her ear. "That the bond doesn't wait for anyone. It is growing impatient." Gisa caught a knee in her gut, throwing her to the side. She jumped back onto her feet as it ran at her. "You have been here two months and have made no progress." Gisa punched its jaw hard enough that it should have fractured it, but the creature barely grunted in pain. "This is only one of many coming warnings."

"Gisa!" Her head whipped around to where Michael was flanked by a few dozen men all dressed in black. Ron and Emma were beside him.

She turned back to the creature in time to see its fist, now covered in black spines, careen directly into her face. And she fell.