Damn it! Dylan forfeited the initial plan and decided to look around—he's figuring out the positions of the major players in this chaos!
What is she doing? Is she...
Isabelle was going after the Mother Tree!
At first Dylan was confused, he held the last dynamite he had with an even greater grip as he stands in daze.
Isabelle wouldn't do something like this.
She should know by now how to escape!
Regardless, it also reevaluated something in Dylan's thoughts. He was rattling on how to ignite further chaos, trigger the veins within the Head Pastor and the four St. Madam's skin, only then can his plan succeed.
Hence, Dylan collected himself and turned away. His eyes were glued to the tree's dark-twisting bark.
If Isabelle were to set it aflame, she has to strike at a critical point!
Then suddenly, Dylan slowed down right next to where a massive bonfire of flame coming from a tent. It was blistering with sparks.
Amid the intense light and the swirling smoke and ashes, dusts from the steps of the erratic believers. His eyes across the trunk, to the tree's side facing away from Isabelle's direction.
Dry grass.
Low branches.
Enough fuel to allow the flame to climb the canopy.
There.
The trunk's tinder!
...
Isabelle gripped the hems of her robe and tightened her hold of the torch. She ran without hesitation.
"Ahh! Help!
"P-Please! Let us go!
"What you going to do with us!?"
Cries of despaired wailed from the fifteen women being restrained. Some were driven until their hands touched the Mother Tree.
"Waaa!"
An illusory whimper of a child reverberated in the chaos. Isabelle, as she sprint, saw an image of a ghost child descending into the woman. The unsuspecting mother fainted and something glowed on her abdomen.
The spontaneous heinous glow was emitted from within, creating a complete infant's shadow within her stomach.
Suddenly, every believers turned their heads to her stomach, that had bloated noticeably.
This is it! Once they touched the amniotic fluid, they will receive otherworldly powers! The mother would give birth within an hour!
Like tides, the Primordial Moon believers rushed toward the lady. They began to thrust the other women toward it in excitement!
"Finally! I'll become beautiful!
"Finally! I'll succeed in inheriting my father's land! I'll beat my brothers!
"Finally! Finally! Finally!"
Their choir resounded in a twisted polyphony. Each of their dark desires compelled them to throw or push the women to the bark.
But within just five women who had succumbed into the corruption of gestating something unknown. A plume lit up.
One of the hooded people held a torch by their hand, and they're next to the Mother Tree!
Come on, come on, come on...! Isabelle's hand trembled while she search for a spot to lit up. It was her right next to the tree!
She almost stumbled and scrape herself, briefly losing the torch on her way. But luckily, due to the distractions of the rest of the believers, she managed to reach her destination!
However, blending in to accomplish her goal is impossible. The torch in her hand emits light that in stark contrast to the tree, expels like a beacon.
"That guy is going to burn the tree!" almost instantly, one member noticed her.
Following his voice was a flock of believers turned to where he was pointing. The three St. Madams above then peered to see her with the torch, they retract their wings and dived in the air.
Isabelle is in grave danger!
In a panic and desperation. Isabelle unfurled the bark pelt around her waist, then lifted off her robe. She threw it to the tree and was about to light it when dark swarms of bats engulfed her.
"Ah!" she screamed.
The torch was flown away and the fire it contains depleted significantly in energy.
Reflected in her eyes is a grayish robe, with a giant bat wings attached to the person's behind. When the hood came undone, a woman with a curly dark-brown hair, embellished nose and a rugged nose and chin.
St. Madam Lorma!
Lorma didn't spoke. She extended her hand and dark-crimson claws grew. In her rigid expression, she launched herself to Isabelle!
Torn between running away and finishing what she came here for. Isabelle froze on the spot.
At that moment, a figure behind her composed of refracting, myriad of lights appeared and took hold of her shoulder.
Woosh!
In her frail state, she was dragged away from Lorma! Lorma hit the ground, and poised back up. She saw Dylan, cloaked with the robe but beneath the darkness and casted by faint light, was his piercing dark-brown eyes!
"Light the one next to you. That patch of grass." muttered Dylan very closely to the dazed Isabelle.
Without allowing the moment to pass or even gave Isabelle the time to reply. He withdrew his hand, stood up and walked slowly toward Lorma.
"Old hag." Dylan grinned. "You had something I believe to be my mother's. I would like to have it back."
He used the flame of the torch that he picked up to ignite the dynamite in his hand. Then, he threw it back to Isabelle, without looking away from Lorma.
The torch landed just below Isabelle's foot.
His mother's locket! Isabelle recovered and she saw the necklace dangling from Lorma's waist.
I have to help... no! I have to burn the tree! Get up!
She forcibly propped herself from the ground, picked up the torch and finally she dash and stopped behind the tree, behind the fifteen ladies.
Hiss!
Dylan smiled audaciously. "I thank you for keeping it safe for me."
"You spoiled brat! Look have you've done!" Lorma abruptly lashed out and extend both her hands their bright, crimson-dark claws.
Then, Dylan's expression faded and he took Isabelle's wrist. Right as the St. Madam reach them, the poker card in his hand became translucent and ethereal, with a myriad of colors.
Both of them phased out in the Spirit World, leaving behind a large fire on the tree.
It proliferated rapidly due to the properties of the magical tree itself. The dark barks lost its luster. Soon enough, the whole tree will be in flame!
...
Massive plague of bats from the sky came to swarm the Mother Tree, encircling it into a ball of darkness.
They're smothering the flames!
Dylan and Isabelle appeared on an isolated tree up north. He let go of her, and said, "Here." while handing a ring.
"Are you... confessing to me?" Isabelle was horrified and shocked.
"What? No!" Dylan creased his eyebrows upon hearing her bizarre thoughts. "Do you know a place far from here? Preferably in the North Continent?"
Isabelle clutched the ring and nodded, "I know a place. I-It's near Backlund bridge."
It's where my grandfather usually took me to for finding exquisite beyonder materials in gatherings... It's also near the history club I had joined...
"Good. Picture that and travel the Spirit World to get there. In your hand is a Traveller's ring, usually very pricy in beyonder gatherings and are in demand. Most were forged deliberately with one gem, use it once I tell you to." Dylan explained in detail.
"I'll have to return. As long as those voodoo dolls exist, they'll always be able to find us. Stay here!"
Dylan disappeared, denying Isabelle a chance to reply again.
Under a lonesome tree far from the "blessed land". Isabelle watched as towering flames engulfed a festive event at the distant.
...
The shadow bats failed and the crown of the tree was consumed in a burning fire!
The scene shocked and placed the believers of the Primordial Moon in a temporary daze. Dread and anger rushed into their veins while their face contorts.
"Just kill them! Kill the Blessed Mothers!"
At that moment, Dylan appeared behind St. Madam Lorma. He quickly clutched the necklace tied on her pelt and snatched it forcibly.
Lorma's spirituality was triggered. She formed bat wings from fragments of the swarm and used it to attempt to throw Dylan.
But Dylan evaded, and the necklace on his hand was thrown off.
Lorma picked up the locket. She balled her hand. Flames grew from where she held the locket and the bats produced from her wings ignited into flames.
An ability of a Pyromaniac! Fire ravens!
The rest of the flying St. Madams locked onto Dylan, who appeared before Lorma. They extended their claws, and flew toward him!
This time, Dylan didn't escape. Instead, he waited until they're all just meters away before he phased out.
Wooosh!
The momentum of their attacks went toward the ground, causing the earth to burst, creating a thick smoke that spout pebbles, rocks and dirt everywhere.
Somewhere in the venue. Now held in Zelfafa's hand—A ragged doll. It had a sewn button of dark-brown for its eyes and slightly messy dark hair.
It reflects a person's image. The image of Dylan's!
The rest of the St. Maidens flew up from the smoke, scouted the vicinity. However, they failed to spot Dylan or Lorma, as both are inside the smoke.
Within those time window. A figure in a myriad of illusory colors appeared inside the smoke of war.
Dylan didn't attempted to teleport behind anyone, he figured to camouflage him until he located Lorma and Zelfafa's location.
He exited the fog, appeared right to Lorma who's already conjuring her attack and clearing out the smoke. A flock of flaming bats greeted Dylan.
Boom!
An even large smoke was created from the fire bats that locked onto him. It seems he's trying to defeat the St. Madams by their own attacks!
Trying to retrieve the locket of his mother's!
But by the last second, he pivoted. Dylan appeared behind Zelfafa and locked his gaze onto the Sequence 5 beyonder.
He did not intend on defeating the St. Madams, rescue the Blessed Mother or even burning the tree!
The locket wasn't considered as well! A locket forged from his father's Beyonder characteristic that grants the user flame powers!
His intent are directed to the patterns, behaviors and powers of the priest officers of Aldesh town! To escape, and to hunt!
And hunting, is a Hunter's specialty!
During that moment, Dylan was still being chased by the flaming bats. But he wasn't about to waste them. He allowed them just enough rooms across before he dashed toward Zelfafa.
He revealed a dagger strapped on his chest! Beneath the robe!
The Mother Tree's crown fell apart. Branches turned to coal and the believers fell into a frantic. Some of the Blessed Mothers leveraged the chance made by Dylan to carry themselves away from the crowd, but the circling fire surrounded them!
Bang!
A delayed explosion resounded from a corner of the entrance! Dylan had prepared for when the time comes for Isabelle to run!
It also acted as a gateway for the remaining Blessed Mothers! They aimed to run and escape!
Meanwhile, the fall of the Mother tree had consequences. Since during the ritual, it requires collective spirituality of the believers, it also anchored their Astral Bodies near it, thereby getting "closer" to the Primordial Moon.
They were made unaware that someone within their circle would deliberately hijack it. Even Dylan himself didn't expect for Isabelle to plan to burn the tree.
It came with a positive result. Disorienting the lower Sequence beyonders and normal believers of the ritual!
Whoosh!
Dylan got near Zelfafa. The Head Priest's deep-red eyes glowed heinously as he turned to look at him.
Then, Zelfafa's index finger sprouted a crimson-dark claw, it was from the hand holding Dylan's voodoo doll!
Rip!
Dylan's eyes bulged, veins appeared with blood in the whiteness around his pupils. Argh!
"Trying to escape? Even using the archeologist girl?"
Amid the pain searing into his mind, the excruciating bent that he felt gnawing at his stomach and heart. Dylan had a glint of craziness in his eyes as he spoke, "No."
Then, he phased into multiple colors. A barrage of flaming bats was hurled at Zelfafa.
The Head Priest turned into a condense moonlight that made the following bats pass through him. They landed to a tent, setting aflame and producing an explosion.
Bang!
Zelfafa reformed, now he gripped the ragged doll tightly, all of his fingers forming large nails slowly submerging deeper into the doll.
His intuition was soon triggered again!
A large portion of the swirling bats acting like dark clouds went toward a specific spot! Zelfafa also appeared next to it with large claws, leaving us with two Zelfafa at the same time!
Dylan phased out. He was wincing in pain, but he caught right where he needed Zelfafa!
That is because right now, they're very close to the destroyed tall platform, and...
Whoosh!
Dylan somersaulted when he appeared, used the chance to get close to the vanishing Zelfafa when the latter arrived. He quickly slid his hand to the Head Priest's pelt during a split-second!
Bam!
A swarm of bats and chains erupted to where Dylan stood. But he was already gone thanks to the poker card, finally burning its last diamond mark.
At the same time, one object was thrown.
...
On the destroyed platform, a ragged doll was burning. It had brown eyes, chestnut-brown curly hair and was dressed in a girdle.
...
Isabelle's eyes lit up as she saw a detonation at one area of the event venue. This explosion led to a separation of cargos that denied the fire from engulfing the path.
One... Three... Seven... Eight. Only eight of the previous fifteen Blessed Mothers exited with minor bruises, scratch and scrapes.
They did not dared slowing down and continued to lift their gowns to sprint.
A weight in Isabelle's heart vanished.
At that moment. Dylan appeared behind her and called, "Hey."
Isabelle was tearing up when she turned. This meant he succeeded in destroying their dolls in the flames!
But right as she thinks that. The plague of bats in the sky loomed as it slowly got closer, following behind are four dots with giant bat wings.
They found us! Dylan's eyes froze.
"Praise the Maiden! Quickly! Let's go and..." Isabelle suddenly stopped, her hand holding the ring clenched. "Where are you...?"
"Okay!" Dylan forced a wide smile as reassurance. "Let's go escape!"
But his voice was trembling.
Isabelle noticed this, and fear coiled her heart. Slowly, she asked, "Did you... managed to destroy your own voodoo doll?"
Dylan fell silent. The dark swarms are getting closer. He grit his teeth and answered, "Just use the damn ring!
"Ack!" Blood spurted out of his mouth. His hearing grew faint and his vision was blurring. His voodoo was destroyed!
At the last pinch, he grabbed Isabelle's wrist and have her touch the ring with the other hand.
Dylan, his face a bloody mess, panting for a lifeline as he said, "You're now free.
"Teleport!"
With a look of surprise, terror and horror, Isabelle's body turned hazy before blending into colors. Her face was the last to vanish.
Pant... Pant... Pant...
Dylan's weakening body collapsed under the tree, swaying gently. He smiled one last time before closing his eyes, "Praise the White Maiden."