Cinder’s expression darkened to the mere thought of Azura going up against that monster. The amulet around her neck almost seemed to pulse briefly, as if brought to life by the girls negative energy.
“So what… We just… WAIT?! Hope for the best? Hum a little la-dee-dah as Azzy puts herself in a life or death matter?!”
A fist the size of a van crashed down beside the girl, causing the earth beneath her feet to quake and small cracks to form. Suddenly Aku’s massive jaws and fangs were just a few mere feet from her face, close enough that she would feel the heat radiating off of his flaming brows.
She hadn’t expected it, and it over took her faster then she could react anyway. It was cold, leaving her body to shiver, arms and legs pinned heavily down as she felt all breath escape her. Though her mouth was open, she couldn’t suck in a single breath of air.
It was like water but thicker, worse then water, heavier, pushing her down. Casper tried to move her hand up, but it was no use, realizing just how trapped she was and without air.
Casper closed her eyes despite it already being so dark.
The viscous black tar continued to move, sweeping Casper along with it and dragging her down into the depths of the pit. But just when she thought she might pass out from lack of oxygen, she was forced suddenly upward. A black spike burst from the surface of the tar pool and rose higher and higher, piercing upward into the darkness above the pool.
Somewhere near the top of the spike, Casper was bound with arms spreadeagled in the center of a cross and held in place with tendrils of black coiled around her wrists. As she hung there on the stake, the pool of darkness below began to bubble as if someone had turned on a stove beneath it. Soon the bubbling grew louder and the air above was heating up rapidly.
Before long, the bubbling tar was starting to glow a dull red and then orange. Flames arose on its surface and licked the base of the stake on which Casper was mounted. More and more flames followed suit as the fire began its ascent, climbing steadily higher.
The yokai turned to look at Sixer, twisting at his narrow middle as he did so.
“I understand your concern but there is something you must understand about Azura,” he spoke. His rough voice had taken a softer tone but was no less serious. “She is a traveler by nature. She is one who wanders between worlds. It is, as they say, her ‘calling’. She will not settle in place for long.”
Sixer looked back at Aku with a more serious expression. “I know. I did something similar when I was on the run from Cipher for 30 years, before he caught up with me.”
He motioned back to his tails. The fur had settled completely by this point, and they flicked in response.
“I never stayed in the same place for too long; I never wanted innocent lives to be brought into my troubles. I just hope that she understands she has a safe place to come back to, if she is capable of it.”
Sixer paused, then added, “I share the house with an android who calls herself a World Jumper; I know what it’s like to play host to someone who doesn’t stay still for long.”
Was any place truly safe for Azura? Aku was doubtful even this place was secure despite the shield of protective magic placed upon it. He turned back to the staircase, hesitating briefly as he considered Sixer’s words.
“Then you know how difficult it is…” he said wearily.
Without saying another word, the demon’s shape morphed smoothly and suddenly as he ascended the steps in the form of a flying arc of blackness. It streaked to the top of the staircase, turned a corner and then disappeared down the second floor hallway.
The Shogun of Sorrow 