Chapter 9: Freeing the King
Dust prys open the earth above the group as they found themselves inside the king's quarters. "We're here,…but I don't see my father anywhere."
Blaze looks at the ground seeing singe marks and sand residue. "He's likely been encased in glass. Depending on what he was captured, he'll suffocate without ventilation."
Tangle sees marks along the ground. "They must've dragged him out for some reason."
"Display." Marina adds on.
"Display?"
"The Chimera Legion wants to show how they have the upper hand by showing off the fallen leader. Follow the marks, find the king."
Marine nods in agreement. "Then let's find us the king." She charges out the quarters with the others tagging along.
In the center of the kingdom, Tetra was standing on top of Marl's encased prison looking at his men and his prisoners. "Enjoy this view of your king for now. He won't be alive for much longer." He hooks a harness to the glass as an airship above was prepared to take off.
Marine runs up to Tetra and slams him down onto the glass with an air strike. This causes the glass to crack significantly. "I was hoping for the goat, but you ought to do for now, snake boy."
Tetra hits her with water sending her off the glass.
Tangle catches Marine as she blows the snake off with her own gust of air.
Blaze runs up behind him striking him down with her flames. "Stand down, Tetra."
Marina approaches the glass and slices it with a swift water strike causing it to shatter.
Dust runs up and catches his father in his arms. "Father! Are you okay?"
Marl looks up at his son smiling at him. "Thank you, my son. I knew you could live up to the task."
Tangle smiles standing beside Blaze and Marine. "I guess this means the Chimera Legion's plans are at a standstill."
Tetra chuckles at her statement. "Actually,…this is all according to plan." He leaps up as a metal cage surfaces from the earth trapping the three girls.
Marine looks at the harnesses attached to the cage as they start ascending. "What are you doing!?"
"You three were the first responders to the Earth King's fall. With the bait in place, you let your guard down for us to capture you."
Blaze looks down at the ground as they got higher starting to tremble. "So…high…up…"
"Aww. Is the little kitty afraid of a little fall? So pathetic."
Marine then focuses on the top of the cage ripping a hole in the metal. She leaps up out of it and onto the top of the ascending cage.
"What!? You can control metal too!?"
"I'm just full of surprises." She blasts air at him as he leaps from harness to harness avoiding her attacks.
Tangle holds Blaze in her arms as she sees the airship guide them away from the Earth Kingdom and over the ocean. "Where are you taking us?"
Tetra splashes water on her. "Shut up!"
Marine strikes at Tetra only to miss and cut a harness causing the cage to go off balance.
Blaze screamed as she held the cage bars tight.
Tetra slips nearly falling off as he holds the edge of the cage.
Marine holds onto the harness as she reaches for Tetra grabbing his hand. "Hold on."
"So innocent. You think you can sway me by keeping me alive."
"You may be a tyrant, but I won't kill you."
Ardin looks down from the airship seeing them. Without hesitation, he fires his flames down on the cage causing it to rock violently.
Marine looses her grip on Tetra. "No!"
Tetra looks up at the airship seeing Ardin looking down on them.
Ardin closes his eyes. "I'm sorry, Tetra."
Tetra yells as he falls landing in the depths of the ocean.
Marine looks down slamming his fist against the cage as it is docked on the airship.
Blaze looks up at Ardin angry with tears in her eyes. "You strike down one of your own for your cause?"
Ardin kneels before them. "Tetra's sacrifice will not be in vain." He leaves the dock as his men tag the girls rendering them unconscious.
Dione approaches Ardin. "Where's Tetra?"
"The multi-mover let him fall."
"No." She looks down holding her bosom.
"This pain will not go without purpose. She will be joining him sooner than the thinks." He smiles deviously.
