The Djinns leave their hideout in the dead of night. They race through the streets like ghosts undetectable to any untrained eyes. Karic led through the streets quickly until they made it to their target's home.
"Woah! This is where that brat lives?" Leroy quietly exclaimed. Joana turned to him," Where did you think she'd live? In some run down shack?" Leroy shrugged. "I don't know honestly. I just didn't expect it to be so...big, I guess?"
"What's that huge side part that they have. I don't see it on any of the other houses on this street?" Narie pointed to a big extra building connected to the girl's house. It looked completely solid and didn't even have any windows so they couldn't see inside.
"Maybe it's some sort of torture room." Ed voiced. Narie looked at him with a hinge of disgust. "What is up with you two and torture?" Mund came out and answered. "It's just a fun little hobby. What? Are we suddenly not allowed to have hobbies?"
"Would you guys shut up!" Karic slightly raised his voice. "We came here to avenge our honor. So how about we stop talking about the target's house and start trying to find out where she is in the house!" Karic spoke through gritted teeth becoming trying to control his anger. The rest of the group nodded and turned to Narie who entered her original tiny form.
"I'll go find her and see if there's anyone else in the house. Though I doubt that her parents or parent would just let her be along seeing as she is still just a kid. I just think-"
"Just go!" Karic exploded silently.
"Okay okay." Narie flew toward the house shaking her head. "It's not like we're on a time limit or anything. It's the middle of the night!" Narie complained to herself while surveying the house. She entered through the keyhole and searched for any sign of the girl.
The rest of the group waited outside. Leroy and Joana were sitting down now. Both incredibly bored. Karic yawned struggling to stay awake. They waited for around fifteen minutes before Narie returned and entered her larger form. "I found her. She's on the second floor right side." Karic nodded.
"Any others in the house?" Narie nodded. "Down the hall is another person. I think it's her mom. They look pretty similar." Karic rolled his eyes. "Was she asleep or not?"
"Which she?" Narie tilted her head.
"What do mean which she?" Karic slowly clenched his fist as he became increasingly annoyed.
"I mean, I just told you there were two women in the house and you just asked if she was asleep. Do you mean the girl or the mom?"
"Does it make a difference?" Karic asked with a forced smile on his face. "Well not really since they're both asleep. I just want to make su-"
"Then let's just go! We've wasted enough time already!" Narie leaned back offended. "Fine, let's just go then. You never like hearing me talk anyway." Karic turned to the fairy with his fists balled tightly but did not act.
'Save it for your revenge, Karic. Save it for your revenge.' The group crossed the street carefully and quickly scaled to the second floor of the house. They moved toward the window that Narie mentioned. Once there they looked through it to survey the room. Within the room, they saw a familiar figure laying in the bed just a few feet away. Karic nodded to Ed.
Ed moved toward the window and used what could only be described as telekinesis to lift the window silently. After it was opened enough Karic pulled out a bow and aimed it at the girl. "The Djinns have just granted your death wish....uuuuhhhh...girl."
"Girl?" Joana questioned brazenly. "I never got her name alright!"
"You guys take so long to try to kill someone." Karic rolled his eyes. "It would be faster if these idiots didn't waste so much time."
...
"Wait. Who said that?" Karic looked back through the window. The girl laying the bed had turned to him with her eyes open. She seemed different from how he remembered seeing her last time. She was more...mature.
"So you creep to the window of my daughter's room, then waste time bickering instead of getting the job done. Alix was right..." Sala Ren stood up from Alix's bed full dressed in her guard uniform.
"...you really are idiots." Sala grabbed a whistle that she had around her neck and blew into it as she dove through the window and tackled Karic. Within an instant of the whistle sounding out guards flooded the streets. The Djinns looked around panicked.
"WHAT THE HELL!"
"IT WAS A SETUP!"
"HOW DID THEY KNOW WE WERE COMING!" The group readied their weapons while Karic was struggling in the grip of Sala Ren. "You idiots are just too predictable." Karic eyes widened. That voice.
That annoying, condescending, petulant voice!
Karic turned to the window again. Standing in the hall with her long hair undone letting flow freely stood Alix Deminal. The brat that they came to kill.
"You actually mistook my mother for me. Her hair is obviously way shorter. Though, you probably didn't even bother to check. Karic tried to break free of Sala's grasp while shouting at Alix.
"You brat! You think you're so smart, huh?! You think the Djinns are a joke?!" Alix pretended to ponder for a second before stating flatly.
"Yes." That was the last straw. Veins started to become visible on Karic head as his face twitched. The rest of his group turned and smiled. "Looks like you guys have gone and done it. You made the boss blow his gasket." Leroy smugly smiled while readying his morningstar.
Joana brandished her blade, " I guess it is also our fault. Let's do our part as well." Karic's gray skin begin to radiate with some sort of chilling energy. Sala kept her grip strong but felt herself being pushed back by the strange force.
The Djinns gathered around Leroy as he also emitted an energy his seemed different. Leroy's energy expanded out to cover the rest of the group. Down off of the roof stood Captain Geon.
"Resistance is futile! You punks should just give up! We have you surrounded!" Sala began to sweat as she was quickly being pushed back without being able to do anything. Alix stared at the scene astonished as she had never seen her mother struggle no matter how hard she tried during their training.
"Mom are you-" At the sound of her voice Karic head quickly twisted to face her and in a deep, gravelly, and dark tone he threatened.
"You're next, brat!" Then like some sort of trigger Karic roared causing the energy to expand explosively. Sala Ren was sent flying off of the roof being pushed by the energy. The energy did not stop, however it continued to expand. When it made contact with the rest of the Djinns it slid right over Leroy's little barrier keeping them intact.
The energy continued moving, ramming into the rest of the guards pushing back and knocking them down against their will. Finally, the barrier stopped expanding but it didn't dissipate. The barrier seemed to morph around the buildings completely closing off the space.
Within the confines of the barrier now only stood the Djinns and a stunned Alix. She had witnessed how the barrier sent her mother flying off of the roof so she was prepared for it to possibly crush her against the wall but all she felt was the strange energy wash over her and then nothing. She watched as Karic slowly stood up, cracking his neck to alleviate his discomfort.
"Ahh, much better. You know, I've been so backed up recently that I couldn't even hold a normal conversation without exploding." Karic pulled his hood down allowing Alix to see the smile on his face. "You surprised brat." The rest of the Djinns emulated Karic removing their hoods as they approached Alix.
"I think she's stunned into silence boss?" Leroy stated with a sinister look in his eyes.
"Look at the poor girl. She terrified!" Joana mocked.
"We did try to warn her. She's the one that refused to take us seriously." Edmund stated with a pitying shrug.
"I kinda wanted to see her crushed against the wall. It'd help me overcome my trauma of a pair of giant fist slamming into my delicate stomach." Narie lamented.
Alix composed herself as best as she could trying to understand the situation. "What was that?" She asked Karic who turned to her innocently.
"What this old thing?" The orc gestured to the energy around them. "This is just a little thing that I can do. It isn't really something to brag about." Alix was a bit confused. Karic seemed to have completely mellowed out all of a sudden. It was like all of his frustration was ejected from his body. She frowned while continuing her questioning.
"What kind of magic is this?" Karic tilted his head feigning look of confusion. "What do you mean magic?"
"I mean this magic barrier that you made. Is it magecraft? Sorcery? Spirit Savantry? What is it?" Karic shook his head. "It's none of those."
"Then what is it!" Alix was becoming increasingly frustrated at the orc's playful attitude. "Simple, it isn't magic."
"What?" Alix's eyes widened. "You heard me. I guess it's more like magic-adjacent. I discovered that I had this ability many years ago. Now I can confidently say that it isn't anything that some one could learn." Alix contained her excitement. The way he described this technique.
It was just like the pink threads that she could see. She shook her head and steeled herself. "I guess that's enough info gathering. You guys seem ready to get this started." Alix's eyes glanced over to the rest of the Djinns. They each had their weapons at the ready and their posture alone told her that they were ready to pounce.
Karic looked to his group and smirked. "You're right. Djinns?"
"Yes, boss!" Karic drew back his bow and aimed it directly at Alix.
"Let's grant this girl's death wish."