"Alright, I'm going in." Azkadellia said. She turned and headed towards the hole.
Jeb stood in front of her, "We don't know if they need our help."
"I don't care. They've been gone for nearly a day. If they haven't come back with news, then they need help." Azkadellia replied. Raw growled off on the side.
"You got that right." Everyone turned. Cain was walking through the dense forest.
"Cain!" Ambrose said.
"Where Aislynn?" Cain asked.
"You didn't find her?" Jeb asked.
"We were caught before we could find her." Cain explained.
"What about DG?" Azkadellia asked.
Cain paused for a moment. Long enough for Azkadellia to realize something had gone wrong. "The witch has her."
Everyone was silent. Azkadellia covered her mouth with her hand. She staggered backwards.
"That's not all. She's bent on avenging all the past witches and seeking revenge against Glenda's heirs." Cain explained.
"What do we do?" Jeb asked.
"Azkadellia, where's the emerald?" Cain asked.
Azkadellia reached into her bag and retrieved the gem, "It's right here."
Cain took the Emerald from her. "We need to keep from her at all costs."
Raw stood, growling menacingly.
"Raw what's wrong?" Ambrose asked.
"Not Cain. Imposter!" Raw answered.
Right before them the emerald disappeared from Cain's hands. Jeb reached for his gun, but the imposter sent him flying back. Jeb flew back into a tree, falling to the ground.
A single shot rang through the silence. Jeb looked up to see the imposter fall to the ground in front of him. His father stood behind with his gun.
Cain put his gun back in his holster. Jeb pulled his out and pointed it at the other man. Cain raised his hands.
"It's me." he said.
"Prove it." Azkadellia demanded. Her hands her up, ready to produce magic if necessary.
A small head peaked out from behind his legs. "Aunt Az?"
Azkadellia dropped her hands, "Aislynn!"
Aislynn ran from behind her fathers legs and ran into her aunts arms. Jeb dropped his gun back into his holster.
Azkadellia looked up at Cain, "What about DG? Is she-"
"The witch." Cain said.
Azkadellia held Aislynn tighter.
"We need to get Aislynn out of here. The witch still needs the last gem." Cain said.
"How do you know Aislynn has it?" Azkadellia asked.
Cain knelt next to Aislynn and pulled up her necklace. "She's always had it."
"So what's the plan?" Jeb asked.
Cain inhaled. "Someone needs to take Aislynn back home. The rest of us are going back for DG."
"How are you going to chose who goes back?" Ambrose asked.
"I already have. Azkadellia, you're going-"
"Hell no. I'm staying here." Az replied.
"What?"
"I'm staying! You're fighting against a witch, you'll need magic against her! If anyone should go, I think it should be Jeb. Between the Ambrose, Raw, Jeb, and I, I personally trust Jeb to get her back home." Azkadellia explained.
Cain looked at Jeb and sighed. "It's not that I don't trust him. I want you to go because of your magic."
"Well it won't make a difference either way will it?" Cain spun around. Zero stood thirty feet away, gun ready. An army of thirty Longcoats stood around them.
"There's no chance of survival if you fight. And your daughter might not survive it either." Zero said.
Cain glared at Zero. Aislynn held onto Azkadellia. Ambrose and Raw moved closer to help protect Aislynn.
"Just surrender." Zero said.
Reluctantly…Cain agreed.
--
TBC
yesh, nothing's ever easy for them.
i own nothing.