215 Air Ritual

"You both take out the one ahead, I'll deal with the other two," Paul instructed us as I looked up seeing what I can best describe was a localised tornado slightly bigger than a normal human that seemed to be moving on its own with the two arms and its own sentience.

"It's that mini tornado thing right?" I questioned just to make sure.

"Yes, that is the Air elemental," Paul answered.

"Any idea what spell we should use?" Jay questioned.

"A good Scorch Ray just focus all three beams on the closest one, I'll attack on your go." He instructed.

In unison, Jay and I held out our wand blasting out to intense scorch ray straight at the first tornado without warning. Instantly with unfathomable speed, Paul dashed passed the first elemental we attacked, touching the second elemental a little further above us making it vanish instantly and proceeding to the 3rd elemental punching through it dissipating it entirely. Finishing off the one we aimed at with a back kicking flinging a firebolt into it dissipating along with our scorch rays burning through it.

"Right let's go," Paul said as his invisibility faded and began quickly ascending to the top.

"Are you sure we can clear the room?" I asked.

"I should be able to clear the majority, so as long as Jay gets through to Jennifer I'm sure we'll be fine," Paul answered.

"Ohh wait for before we go in, we'll need to do some preparations," He informed us.

"More rune stuff?" I questioned holding out my arm to him rolling up my sleeves,

"Yeah, I'm gonna draw some runes to make you both a little more resistant and stuff." He answered.

"We don't have time we need to go now!" Jay objected.

"Look I know you want to save your friend, so do I but we need to be prepared, besides we need to wait a minute for one of my spells to come," Paul answered.

"Fine." Jay reluctantly agreed, holding out his arms to Paul.

"She's gonna be okay right?" I questioned.

"I hope so," Paul answered and proceeded to draw several runes on our arms resembling cool glowing tattoos.

"Okay, you both should now be resistant to most forms of damage, as well as adverse effects that might affect your state of mind or body," Paul informed us as he finished the last rune on my hand. Paul looked at me directly in the eyes, "You both need to be careful, I feel an immense amount of Arcanum, she's verging on the edge of S-Rank now, I'll try to make the area as safe as I can for the both of you, but you need to look after him, if Jennifer tries anything you need to save him, I think he's too invested in her safety to see sense." Paul spoke to me telepathically. "Are you both ready?" Paul asked both of us quickly.

"Yes," we both nodded.

Paul slammed his hands on the floorboards causing tiny black runes and lines to spiral out from his hand on the floor and in an instant, almost all the elementals instantly vanished except a larger elemental beside Jennifer which emitted small arcs of lightning with wrist bracelets and a more humanoid made of a tornado.

The larger elemental looked at us and pointed its hand directly at us, Jennifer turned around breaking away from her ritual and held out her wand. "S*IT!" Paul yelled turning to use holding out a hand towards us as Jennifer unleashed a large spiralling tornado with arcing lightning and huge chunks of debris flew out of her wand.

"Jennifer STOP!" Jay yelled as Paul's golden barrier erected barely in time to save us from the spell.

"Paul!" I yelled noticing he wasn't in the cube with us as his body was blasted by the spell pinning him to the wall the debris cutting and bashing him as it slowly began to give way to the immense pressure of the spell of the tornado. "Paul! drop the shield!" I yelled to him banging at it, as the wall cracked and crumbled till it ultimately gave way and Paul was blown away plummeting into the night sky.

"Jay do something!" I yelled to him as Paul's barrier maintained keeping us safe from the spell.

"JENNIFER WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! STOP THIS!" Jay yelled out trying to reach her.

Either Jay's plea reached her or her spell ran its course but eventually, the tornado dissipated along with Pauls barrier freeing us to act. "Paul!!" I yelled out running to the edge looking down into the dark looking for signs of his body.

"Now you guys FING pissed me off!" Paul yelled as he appeared out a red portal above the large elemental. With a crushing motion of one hand, he instantly made another air elemental dissipate instantly and opened a red portal beneath the large one with his other hand and forcing it through with himself closing both portals behind him.

"PAUL ARE YOU OKAY?!" I asked him desperate for a reply.

"I'm okay, I think I took away her power source, stop the ritual!" He replied.

"Jay, get through to her, I'll deal with the elemental," I instructed with my wand casting a flame orb on it and with my other hand blasting it with three scorch rays using my gloves. Despite being hit directly and letting out a weird howl of pain, it survived holding out a hand towards me. A familiar gust of wind began coalescing in its hand, reacting faster then I expected, and recognising the spell Calista's clone would use often, I dove behind a nearby pillar blocking me from the brunt of the attack.

"Jay, you okay?" I shouted out to him.

"Jennifer you need to stop this!" Jay yelled out trying to reach her as the whole room filled with gale-force winds.

The wooden support pillar began to crack and splinter very rapidly under the pressure of the spell. Popping out my wand around the pillar I began shooting off firebolts towards the origin of the tornado until is hit it directly interrupting the spell, using the opening I popped around the pillar pointing out three fingers at it again blasting it with three more rays of scorching fire and with my wand I began launching firebolts at it while mentally pulling the flaming orb into it again.

"Just die already!" I yelled out as it dissipated along with the gale-force tornado winds. I instinctively look at Jay as he cautiously approached Jennifer, the pure whiteness of her eyes reminding me of possession in a horror movie.

"Jennifer, what are you doing?" He questioned her as I stood up and began making my way to make sure Jay was safe.

"Can't you hear him? Master is calling us, guiding us." She said sounding soulless and emotionless like she was utterly under the control of something.

"What are you talking about?" Jay questioned utter confused.

"We are the chosen, we will become the vessels for the princes." She answered as she went back facing away from Jay and the gale-force winds began to start up again.

"Jay! whats going on?!" I yelled out unable to bring myself to harm Jennifer.

"I don't know, she's spouting nonsense," Jay yelled back unsure what to do.

"Guy's what are you doing? You need to stop this ritual! no matter how many times I kill this thing, it won't stay dead. I think the ritual is its anchor!" Paul yelled at us.

Cautiously making my way to Jay. "We need to stop this if she finishes the ritual, who knows what will happen!" I said to him.

"I know! but what can we do?" He questioned looking lost.

I began to look up and down Jennifer closely, "It must be that." I pointed out a glowing dagger tied to her belt with glowing white runes inscribed all over the blade.

"It must be!" Jay nodded and battled his way to Jennifer and pulling it out from her belt.

"Nooo!" Jennifer yelled like the dagger was something important to her or the ritual.

"Emilia catch!" Jay yelled throwing the dagger to me the tornado suddenly vanished again allowing the dagger to fly undisturbed towards my hands.

"You need to see our destiny!" Jennifer yelled grabbing Jay's face forcing him to look into her eyes.

Jay froze instantly as if suspended in animation his eyes slowly becoming pure white like Jennifers.

'This can't be good." I thought to myself and quickly began making my way to the door of the room. "Paul I need you here now! She's doing something to Jay!" I pleaded for him.