Chapter Seven The Finally

The town of Sobrio burned in the midnight air as people ran screaming and monsters roared in the streets. Demons flew threw the sky, their wings beating to the tune of fear. Higher in the sky a black moon loomed over the town, and in the ruined remains of the town hall Isla McCraken groaned as she removed herself from a pile of debris, and looking at the destruction around her, threw off her fox mask, knowing the bounded field was gone.

"Ian, David, Diane where are you guys?!" She yells trying to find her friends.

"They aren't here Isla." A voice behind her says causing her to whip around and draw her gearblade, the fire inside flaring up for the first time since she walked into the mansion. Behind her Orla was tiredly standing up a large gash running down her right side from her armpit to her hip.

"Where are they?" She asks, a dangerous edge to her voice.

"The warlock yelled in pain and ran to the other side of the mansion before everything went to shit." The clockwork mage says. Behind them a demon road as the tell tail voice of Saber laughed joyously, and from the distance a hail of arrows flew into the city pinning monsters and Merrymen to the surround area. Isla, seeing this as her chance for reveng readys an attack but Orla quickly holds up her hands.

"Isla wait… I know you're mad at me for Gearfree and for the Assassin Servant but we all have to work together to get out of this alive!" Orla yells causing Isla to hesitate.

"And how do I know you won't just double cross me?" Isla asks, and as if on cue a large arrow flies millimeters from Orlas face before imbedding itself into the wall next to her. On the arrow was a small note reading 'I got your back' written in sloppy handwriting.

"Good enough for you?"She asks with a raised eyebrow. Isla nods and together they run through the ruins of the mansion trying to find other masters. Running through the halls they find a group of Merrymen and Callgirls wearing different masks and among them Isla recognises a Call Girl in a owl mask. For a few second they two groups simply look at each other, and before either Isla or Orla can react the Call Girl in the owl mask turns to the rest of Jack's henchmen and casts a high level shatter spell knocking the others unconscious.

"You," The Call Girl says pointing to Isla, "you know Talon right, not gonna lie I may not know you but no way in hell am I just gonna work for a madman like Jack." She says.

"Minerva right?" Isla asks.

"Gladys actually. The field is down so we can use real names." The bard answers as she throws of her mask showing her pale green eyes and letting her black hair fall to the middle of her back..

"Yeah name's Isla this is Ms. Bitch lets go." Isla says before rushing off ignoring Orla's exclamation and Gladys's giggle. Rushing down the hall they run across a demon, ready to fight them. However a loud bang stops them and the demon as it falls forward bleeding a black ichor.

"Isla you're alive." A familiar nerdy voice says. Turning around Isla is more than relieved to see Ian shouldering Peacmaker.

"Ian, where are David and Diane?" Isla asks quickly.

"They are a few rooms away with Yuuno, Noriko, and Jiro." He says as he points to a room a few doors down.

"Is Caster with them?" Orla asks getting a glare from Ian.

"Why is she here Isla?" Ian asks keeping his iron sights trained on Orlas head.

"Archer has an eye on her and we need her help. We deal with Jack and Dad then we can deal with her." Isla explains.

"And who are you?" Ian asks.

"Names Gladys but you may know me as Minerva." The green eyed bard says with a small smile as she recognises the messy red hair of Talon.

"Oh uh… hey." He says blushing as he looks at her.

"Fluster later McCraken we have work to do if we are going to take down Quantavius." Orla says as she marches past Ian snapping him from his stupor.

"Right come on Isla… may want to take a breath though it isn't pretty in there." Ian says as he walks back to the room.

It was at this moment that Isla noticed that the screaming that had blanketed the city had a particularly strong source coming from the room, and that screaming was very familiar. Running to the room she say Jiro and a Diane holding down a thrashing David, smoke rising from his right hand and arm. Rushing over to him she slides to her knees.

"What the hell is happening to him?" She asks as she pushes down on his shoulder to keep him from moving.

"Support his head or he his gonna smash his own skull open." Jiro says to Isla. She nods and moves around so she can put his head in her lap.

"He said something was happening at Kestral… to his patron, and this his arm started to smoke and he screamed bloody murder." Diane says as she places a cold rag over his forehead. From the corner of the room Caster and Suzume walk forward.

"It seems that his patron has either been killed or has abandoned him." The old swordsmith says in his calm tone, which was punctuated by the pained screams of David.

"There has to be a way to help him?" She asks a slight tear leaking from her eyes.

"There is but… it won't be pleasant." Suzume says.

"What do we do?" She asks in determination.

"We have to simultaneously sever his arm and his connection to the patron. We can sever the patron but you will have to sever the flesh." Caster says as he quickly forges a blade from magic.

"Alright Ian take the-" Isla begins to say but is cut off by Caster.

"No girl you must do it. If anyone could do it, then it would have been done by now. It must be you." Goro says forcing the blade into her hands. With a shaky hand she took the blade and moves around to the side. Placing the edge to just the end of the black corruption on his arm, just below the elbow, she looks back up to Caster and Suzume waiting for them to start.

In a low whisper the duo started to chant. And around them purple lines began to spread out making a magical circle similar to one used to summon servants. The magic bent and twist around David and Isla, forcing Diane and Jiro to back off. The still air around them bagan to whip up and swirl kicking up dust and Isla's hair. Listening to the chanting Isla waited as David's screams grew louder and more pained. Blood spat from his mouth, and just when Isla couldn't take it anymore, she heard the soft calm voice of David in her mind.

"Do it Isla, do it now." His calm voice said, pushing out the noise of screams, chanting, and whirling wind. With a deep breath she brought the sword down hard, pushing past the muscle and bone, she feels the blade hit the floor and just like in her mind the outside noise stopped.

"It's done we can heal him but we need to go." Suzume says as Jiro picks up David in a fireman's carry.

As the go to leave, Gladys casts a quick heal spell on David, closing the wound on his arm, and in a large group they all leave picking off Call Grils and Merry Men as they go, Caster and Suzume in the back. As they travel, every few minutes they would notice a hail of arrows fly in from the south giving them more cover.

"Orla where is Saber?" Isla asks as they continue to run.

"Knowing that man and his damn battle fetish likely off fighting demon or Rider, or both." She says as she blasts a Merry Man trying to attack them.

"Not quite boss." Saber says as he slides up next to the group, a large gash across his chest. Raising his sword he points to a large black mass walking towards them.

"What is that thing?" Gladys asks voicing the question everyone was thinking. From the shadows an armored boot steps into the light, and like a stage light moving up the form of Lancer is revealed.

"Lancer? Orla tell Saber to back off, he is with us!" Isla yells.

"I told him not to fight the Lancer servant! Saber what are you doing?" Isla asks confused and angry.

"I told him what was up but he started swinging at me before I could open my mouth." Saber says as he readies his sword to strike. Lancer doesn't wait and dashes forward and readies his to swiped down on the group. Saber is quick to parry the blow and pushes Lancer back.

"Lancer what is wrong with you?" Diane yells hoping to get the heroic spirit to talk.

"There is nothing wrong with him, he is simply, as you mortals would say, under new management." A woman says as she appears from the tree line. She is slender and seems to be normal mines what seem to be horns coming from her head. Everyone in the group however could see past the disguise and quite literally feel the wave of demonic power coming from the woman, covering them like a weighted blanket.

"Alquam… what have you done to Lancer?" Ian yells.

"I game him a choice, win with me or die." She says simply.

"Shit, who is Lancer?" Yuuno asks as she draws her rapier.

"Galehaut, A king during Arthur's legend, friend of Lancelot, has a deep hate for Guinevere." David says as he slumps from Jiro's shoulder. Standing up the half elf clutches his now missing arm and growls.

"Oh you are awake… Lancer change of plans, let David live… and kill the girl." Alquam says as she points to Isla.

Time slowed down for Isla as Lancer shot towards her. From behind her she could feel someone trying to pull her back and she watched as Saber tried to fly past her to intercept Lancer. However a red glow from Alquam illuminated the darkness and arrows slammed into Lancer sending him flying. The hand left her shoulder, and just as she turned to see who grabbed her, a deep cold emanated from her stomach. Looking down she sees the edge of Lancer's halberd embedded and leaking blood from her body.

"Isla!" She hears multiple voice well from behind her. Lancer scoffs, and wrenches his halberd away leaving Isla to fall to the ground. The world darkened as her head hit the gravel, and she felt cold creep down into her bones. Her eyes felt heavy, and she was exhausted. Closing her eyes she could barely hear a booming voice in the background, she couldn't hear the words, only the very angry tone. Pushing the voice from her ears she took a deep breath and let darkness take her.

AN

I can't believe Isla is fucking dead. Or is she… Keep you eyes open folks.