Coming Under Fire
The sun fully peaked over the mountaintop, as a rush of cold brisk air swept through forcefully. Morning had officially arrived and the trek toward the top continued. The higher the altitude became, the lower the temperature dropped. The air was thinning, making it more difficult to breathe. However, Mount Varra was finally in sight and close.
The large group stood still momentarily, taking in the sight before them. A red glow was appearing from the top of the volcano, most likely churning hot magma inside. Lava swept down the sides, looking like veins of a beating heart. Ashes rained down like water from the clouds, and a spiral of black appeared over the peak. It was actually a mysterious and stunning sight to behold, but each of them knew they'd have to venture into the caves within the volcano to find the Stone of Destruction.
Orube looked into the sky and noted that morning was still on their side. She looked back at the volcano as if studying it. "We need to pick up the pace. We still have six miles before we reach the caves." She turned toward them. "And the crows have not been spotted, which means we don't know the exact location of Nerissa's whereabouts." She turned to Aina and Haruto and sent them ahead of the group. Ronin stuck close to Orube, staring at the volcano as if he was daydreaming. He walked alongside her, remaining alert.
Lillian's eyes remained on his back, noting how graceful he was even when he walked. Her crush had solidified last night when he taught her to feel her powers. He taught her what to do when no one else had. He was there for her. Naturally, she was smitten. She sighed longingly to herself.
"Lil."
Lillian turned to her sister walking next to her, who noticed her head over heels expression. However, Cornelia looked very serious. "Caleb told me what happened last night…" Cornelia began. "…Between you and Ronin."
Lillian suddenly became very defensive. "Nothing happened! He was teaching me things, that's all."
"I know that look, Lil. I had the same one when I was falling for Caleb."
"What's your point?" Lillian spat.
"My point is, it's a bad idea to be falling for Ronin." Lillian heard the words, but she didn't want to. She knew Cornelia was going to criticize her.
"You don't even know him…"
"And neither do you…" Cornelia responded. "I get that he's the knight in shining armor you've always wanted, but you don't know the kind of lives the Basiliadians live. They are strictly professional and don't have any time for love. It's most likely one of the reasons why none of them won't talk to us or show us their faces. The vows they take are severe and taken seriously."
Lillian was listening, but didn't want to hear it. She already knew all of this. None of it was surprising to her. "You act as if I don't know any of this. Do you really think I can control how I feel about a person?" Cornelia remained silent. "I know it's a bad idea, and I know it's completely stupid, but I can't help it. He's saved my life and taught me how to feel my powers. I can feel my powers now, Cornelia. No one has ever given me that kind of attention before. Ever."
Cornelia could see where she was coming from. Ever since she told Lillian about her powers, she's been desperate to learn how to use them. No one could really teach her besides Elyon. Cornelia would have tried, but Lillian had greater power than she did. She was somewhat intimidated. So she was surprised Ronin was able to teach her, despite having minimal powers. Cornelia wondered if it was because he knew how power ran throughout the body, like chi. He was just knowledgeable, she supposed.
"I just want you to be careful," Cornelia admitted. "I don't want you to get hurt."
"I know… and I'll try not to," Lillian said softly. The best Cornelia could do was tell her how she felt about Ronin. He was an intense man who fought hard for what he believed in. Everyone admired him for that. However, Cornelia knew pursuing a relationship with him would become negative. As far as she was concerned, Ronin didn't have a life. He was a Basiliade puppet who did everything he was told to do. That wasn't a life… It was a prison. Cornelia hoped Lillian's infatuation would cease as soon as this was all over. Lillian would never see him again, and she needed to realize that. However, Lillian's teenage hormones were probably driving her in the opposite direction of what Cornelia wanted.
With a huff, Lillian walked a little faster, walking alongside Irma instead of her sister. Cornelia shook her head, leaving her to her own thoughts. A strong hand touched her shoulder gently, knowing it was Caleb before she even looked. Cornelia stubbornly crossed her arms.
"Am I right?"
"Yes," Caleb affirmed. "But no matter what you say, she's not going to listen to you. She's going to have to find out the hard way."
"That's what I'm trying to avoid…"
"You can only guide her, not tell her what to do," Caleb offered.
"But she's being dumb…"
Caleb chuckled lightly, "You know, dating me was probably a bad idea too."
"That was different. You don't wear a mask to hide your life," Cornelia countered.
"Just give her time. She'll make the right decision someday."
The conversation ended there, as Cornelia sighed once more. She didn't want to listen to Caleb, but he was typically rational about things. Cornelia figured she better stop thinking about it before her head exploded.
Hay Lin, walking closely and quietly behind the two, silently listened to the conversation. Love at Lillian's age was hard and easy. Love as a young teenager is enticing and addicting, which is why she was so careful when it came to relationships back then. However, when she met Eric, she was lured in like every other girl. It just couldn't be helped. So when Cornelia began playing the mother role in Lillian's life, Hay Lin couldn't help but find it amusing. Never did she think Cornelia could be so mature and matronly. It was a whole new side that Hay Lin actually admired in Cornelia.
Perhaps it was her deep thinking or blurred thoughts, but Hay Lin stopped in her tracks when she finally noticed the air around her buzzing. An object was coming in fast towards them, and she didn't have time to locate it. With wide eyes, she looked up at the group, still focused on the journey, and panicked. Just at Caleb looked back at her curiously, she screamed as loud as she could, "Get down!"
However, it was in vain. Just as the words escaped her lips, a black mass of energy hit the rocks directly below them, crumbling the trail and part of the mountain. The ground beneath the group fell, leaving everyone to also fall. The Guardian's wings automatically began fluttering, as Lillian also managed to levitate. Conversely, the rest of the group was incapable of flying. Orube dug her feline nails into the mountain's wall and managed to slow herself down and hold onto a piece of rock sticking out of the mountain. Ronin followed her lead, only he took out a small knife and stabbed it into the mountain. It managed to stick, but he limply held onto the knife, praying the others would find some way to stop falling.
Matt transformed as soon as he was able to focus, flapping his mighty wings and catching Aldarn and Muriel in his arms. Eric's eyes glowed white, spreading his hands and creating solid white platform that caught the remaining group. Each hit with a thud painfully, but also relieved they were no longer freefalling to their deaths. Eric managed to land gracefully on his own platform, as he looked up to figure out where the attack came from. He cautiously raised the platform, his eyes scanning the area. Moaning that sounded like death was echoing within the mountains, but Eric ignored it and focused on the attacker. With wide eyes, he raised his hands and put up a shield that surrounded him and the others beside him, as another black sphere of energy quickly raced toward them. The sphere sizzled when it made contact with Eric's pure light. Eric grinded his teeth in frustration, finally reaching at the same level with the girls. By the looks of their faces, Eric knew exactly who it was.
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" With a cocky smile and crossed arms, Darius was next to his brother in the sky, grinning from ear to ear. Cornelia glared violently toward him, remembering lying in her own pool of blood and slowly dying. "Guess I'll have to try harder." His hands glowed black, as Tobias's hands glowed a sharp silver. Darius's eyes turned dark, as he flung another attack, this time toward the Guardians. Each dodged quickly, but the energy slammed against the mountain's wall creating more loose rocks to fall. Orube and Ronin desperately clung to the wall, avoiding boulders as best they could.
Orube gritted her teeth, "Guardians! Get to the stone as quickly as you can! We can manage."
Will's expression looked torn, watching the two warriors struggle. If they didn't act fast, more attacks from the two Shadow Men would be imminent. Will frantically looked at the broken path and back to Orube.
"What about the path?" Will called out.
Orube shook her head gravely, "It's too late for that now."
The moaning that was previously heard suddenly became louder, as ghostly slender arms stretched out from the mountain's wall and attempted to grab them. Two arms grabbed Orube's leg, trying to pull her down. She held on as best she could, but the ghosts were strong.
"Go!" Orube yelled. Will didn't give it a second thought. She flew fast, as the rest of the Guardians followed closely behind her. Orube was relieved for a second, but turned her attention back to the spirits. By this time, two spirits were on top of Ronin, scratching his back and legs. He pulled out his katana and made a slice right at their arms, but the steel went right through. "Attacks won't work, Ronin. We just have to climb." Orube was getting dizzy. She faintly saw Alistair fly off with the Rebels and Adelaideans on his platform, followed by Darius. She gulped when she realized Tobias was still hovering over them. He was ready to kill them and eliminate two more players that were against him. Orube tried to scream at Ronin to protect himself, but a ghost was attempting the choke him.
Suddenly, a vine sprouted from underneath them and grew upward toward the path that still remained. Matt flew down quickly punched Tobias downward, shooting beams from his eyes in an attempt to finish him. Matt then turned toward the two warriors and shot smaller beams from his eyes toward the spirits. The moaned even louder and managed to shrink slightly from the attack.
"Climb!" Lillian yelled, levitated in the air above them. The opportunity was finally available, as Orube jumped onto the strong vine Lillian had created. Ronin closely followed, much to the ghosts' dismay. They shrieked and tugged on the two more, but Orube and Ronin were determined to get to the top. Orube finally reached over the ledge, hopping over and helping Ronin up as well. However, it wasn't over just yet. The spirits wouldn't stop attacking until they were off the mountain. Orube and Ronin knew they had to run the rest of the way in order escape the angry spirits. Ronin nodded to Lillian and Matt in acknowledgment, as the two warriors sprinted toward the volcano that held the stone.
The volcano was finally before the Guardians. The flight over gave Will time to think, noting how Nerissa sent Darius and Tobias in order to wake up the ghosts on purpose. That meant Nerissa and Oxana were already inside the deep caves… And it was going to be even more difficult trying to get there with the irate spirits. Will cursed under her breath, realizing Nerissa had the upper hand yet again. She looked behind her to see Eric was not far, carrying the majority of the group. She looked at the rest of the girls.
"We can't wait for them."
The rest nodded their heads, understanding the circumstances. With one more breath, they flew directly into the cave at top speeds, just trying to the main area in which Keziah described. The ghosts automatically sensed their presence and poured out from the walls, flying right behind them. Will's Quintessence flew from her hands, but the energy phased right through them, only hindering them slightly. If Quintessence wasn't working, Cornelia and Hay Lin figured Earth nor Air would wouldn't succeed either. Irma spewed water from her hands, but just like the Quintessence, it phased right through he ghosts.
"Let's try fire," Taranee stated with hope, as her body became warm and her hands ignited and burned. Fire spiraled from her hands, as the ghosts screeched in pain.
"It's working! Keep going, Taranee!" Will encouraged. Taranee gave a mischievous smile, turning up the heat even more.
"As if it wasn't hot enough in here already," Irma panted, sweat dripping from her skin. "Kind of ironic their weakness is fire when they live in a volcano. Not the best idea."
"Wait, then that makes sense!" Will called. "The main room must be the hottest in temperature. Once Nerissa and Oxana were inside, she sent Darius and Tobias to distract us and unleash the spirits."
"If they are already inside, then we have to hurry," Hay Lin suggested.
"Fly ahead and check out the scene," Will ordered. "We will get there as quick as we can." Hay Lin nodded and began to fly twice the speed as the other Guardians. She rushed passed the ghosts attempting to snatch her, but she was much too fast. She finally could see a light at the end of the tunnel, gaining even more speed. When she finally arrived into the main room, the light that was brightening up the cave was hot magma churning in a crater below her. Sweat was seeping from her pores as the temperature rose. Quintessence was flying in all sorts of directions, watching Oxana fight the two other Basiliade warriors, Aina and Haruto. Nerissa was still trying to find the stone, touching every wall and crevice with no prevail. Oxana looked up and was actually surprised to see her.
"Nerissa!" Oxana called, shooting Quintessence and hitting Haruto directly in the chest. He fell backward and slammed into the wall, disoriented. Hay Lin rushed forward toward Nerissa, sending a gust of wind in her direction. Nerissa put her powerful staff in front of her, as the gust of wind directed itself around her.
"Your powers are weak in this environment," Nerissa chided. "There's hardly any air as it is in these caves."
"Haven't found the stone yet?" Hay Lin responded, ignoring her previous statement. Nerissa only stared back, somewhat annoyed. She hadn't found the stone. The Stone of Destruction was proving to be a little more difficult than the prior ones. Instead of giving in to Hay Lin's taunts, she decided to throw another blow.
"Tell me, is the Warrior of the Stars close? I could use a man of his definition and power on my side," Nerissa stated smoothly. Hay Lin said nothing. She honestly didn't know what to say. "You two are intimate, are you not?" The relationship between Alistair and Hay Lin was meant to be platonic in every way. However, Nerissa had clearly seen something different between the two and now Hay Lin had to wrestle with the idea that someone outside of group knew… And Nerissa was most definitely the worst person to know. "I think he has much more potential on the side of evil than good, wouldn't you agree?"
Hay Lin barely had enough time to dodge a string of Quintessence headed her way. She looked and saw Oxana had defeated both Aina and Haruto, as the two lay on the ground lifeless. Hay Lin only hoped that they were unconscious and not dead. Considering Nerissa wasn't having any luck locating the stone, she instead swooped in toward Oxana, slamming her two feet right into her stomach. Oxana's slim body slammed into the wall. Hay Lin twisted, spiraling out of the way from another attack from Nerissa.
"You've gotten faster," Nerissa noted, curious. If the Oracle did what he was supposed to do, then Nerissa definitely had no idea about her, Joel, and Nigel. As far as Nerissa knew, Hay Lin was still the Guardian of Air and nothing more. "A new trainer, perhaps? There's no way your Guardian friends could have taught you anything useful."
"Sorry, but it's all me," Hay Lin responded, knowing her friends would be there any second. Nerissa eyed her carefully. There truly was something different about her, but Nerissa wasn't going to waste time to figure it out. Hell, she wasn't worth her time either.
"As much fun as I'm having with you, I'd rather not be distracted," Nerissa hissed, gripping her staff. She pointed it at Hay Lin, "Stone of Suffering." Hay Lin's eyes went wide, as the world around her went dark. She collapsed to the ground, suddenly feeling small and inadequate. Her back cringed and stiffened, as the worst pain imaginable flowed through every cell in her body. She screamed out of instinct, wishing she was stronger to fight Nerissa's power… But she wasn't. Instead, her body felt as if it was on fire. To make things worse, she heard Eric's voice belittling her and demeaning her in every way.
"You're a monster…"
The voices in her head were strong and powerful, as she clutched her hands to her head in desperation. Suddenly, the rest of her friends' voices sounded, including the Guardians, Caleb, and Elyon. She listened, still writhing in pain.
"Did you really think we'd accept you? After all that you've done?"
"You're disgusting."
"You're evil, Hay Lin."
She had no voice to defend herself. All she could do was curl up into a ball to drive the pain away, while only Eric's voice boomed the loudest in her mind, as the bashing continued…
"I don't love you."
This truly was torture.
Nerissa watched in amusement, as Hay Lin curled and cringed on the ground. It must have been something dark, because desperate tears began streaming from her eyes.
"Not so brave now, is she?" Oxana commented, walking up next to the sorceress.
"Everyone has their breaking point," she replied, enjoying her squirm.
"Shall we kill her?"
"Not yet. I want the Warrior to witness this first," Nerissa stated eagerly. Oxana eyed Nerissa carefully, knowing she was becoming attached to the glorified hero. "Are they dead?"
Nerissa was referring to the Basiliade Warriors, as Oxana shook her head. "Only knocked out. Shall I kill them instead?"
Nerissa nodded, "Yes, but quickly. We need to find this stone and leave as soon as possible."
"I apologize, Nerissa. All the other stones have been in the open. The Stone of Destruction seems to be hidden."
"That is why we need to find it before the other Guardians arrive."
"Too late..." Oxana snarled, looking up and seeing the Guardians before her, followed by the rest of the large group. All but Lillian, Matt, Orube, and Ronin were present.
"Where are those two?" Nerissa mumbled to herself in anger, referring to Darius and Tobias. Oxana shrugged her shoulders, knowing Nerissa shouldn't rely on the Shadow Men so much. They were complete idiots, according to her.
That's when Oxana laid eyes on him. She hadn't seen him in months, but there he was, standing before her, staring at her as well. Her heart automatically beat twice as fast as it was originally. She thought maybe she had eventually killed him since their time in the Ruelle Mountains, but that was evidently incorrect. To prove a point, she was going to make sure she'd kill him today and cut off the strange emotions she was feeling.
"Hay Lin!" Eric exclaimed, running to her. Nerissa grinned from ear to ear, knowing that was going to be the first thing he did.
"What did you do to her?" Will demanded.
"Nothing the Stone of Suffering can't do," Nerissa continued to smile. "I suppose long exposure will make the effects permanent."
"Witch," Irma growled, as water encased her hands. Oxana narrowed her eyes, as sparks of Quintessence enveloped her own. She remembered that her and the Water Guardian have a quarrel together, and that was not going to be left on hold any longer.
"Keziah, you and Muriel try to locate to the stone, while Semira checks Aina and Haruto," Will instructed, noting both Quintessence women were empty handed. Keziah nodded. "The rest of us will take care of these two. We have the advantage." Darius and Tobias were still nowhere to be found, and that was irritating Nerissa like no other. In a dash, everyone separated. Both Keziah and Muriel began scanning the walls, while Semira ran for the two fallen Basiliadians. The rest separated into two groups, as Eric kept by Hay Lin's side, wondering if there was a way to break the spell.
Irma was the one who struck first, taking out her aggression on Oxana rather than Nerissa. A tidal wave of water came from her hands towards her, as Oxana was pushed into the wall. Most of the water sizzled and evaporated due to the extreme heat of the cave they were in. Oxana growled and hurriedly got to her feet, noting it was Irma and the Meridian rebels versus her. The rest of the Guardians were fighting Nerissa.
"Should I be honored that you would choose me to fight?" Oxana said with a grin, knowing taunting Irma would provoke her to do something reckless and impulsive.
"Bitch, please. If we take you out, Nerissa has no guide. Don't flatter yourself," Irma shot back with rage.
Oxana glared, "Then let's see who wins!" Her hands glowed with Quintessence, as she ran forward. She knew Irma had no fighting skills and only relied on her powers, so Oxana kicked Irma straight in the stomach to knock her off balance. With the wind knocked out of her, Irma took the next blow, as Oxana did a spectacular spinning back kick directly on the side of her face. Irma fell helplessly onto the ground, knowing that was going to hurt the next day. Oxana could have easily finished her off if the rebels weren't there. Unlike Irma, they knew how to fight. Of course Caleb was the first, stepping in front of Irma before Oxana could do further damage. She easily dodged his sword that was going to slice her head off, bending backwards. She kicked forward, but he blocked it easily as well.
Aldarn picked up Irma, as she massaged her face with a growl. Aldarn sighed, "I don't know why you keep picking fights with her. Anything electric is your biggest weakness."
Irma spat out some blood, "It's a girl thing." Aldarn rolled his eyes. "She did that on purpose. I'm totally going to drown her now."
"But…" Before Aldarn could get some more words in, Irma was back on her feet, stubborn as ever. Caleb was barely dodging her quick attacks while she summoned the water out of her fingertips. Gallons of water suddenly came out and smacked the young Quintessence girl into the wall. Irma narrowed her eyes, continuously pouring water onto the girl while pinning her to the wall without any oxygen. Drake was suddenly worried that Irma did intend to kill Oxana. He didn't know what to feel at that moment in time. Despite this, Oxana's eyes began to glow in fury, as she put her hands up and managed shoot energy. The Quintessence traveled down the flow of water and toward Irma's hands. Irma stopped the flow immediately and jumped to side, barely escaping the attack. The water sizzled and evaporated instantly, almost potentially killing Irma. Oxana dropped to the floor, coughing and glaring at Irma.
Caleb briskly came to Irma's side and helped her up. "What is wrong with you? You know she can easily kill you, right?"
"I had her," she hissed.
"Your stubbornness is going to get you killed," Caleb spat back. They heard more fighting, as they both looked to see Oxana and Drake now engaged in battle. Caleb's attitude completely changed as he suddenly became worried. "Oh, no…"
He had never seen Hay Lin in so much pain before. Tears were streaming down her face like waterfalls, as she arched her back and contorted her body. He was afraid to touch her. He never felt so helpless. The Stone of Suffering was stronger than he thought, especially since Hay Lin was in so much physical and mental pain. He knew the only way to stop the pain was to get Nerissa to cease the curse.
At the very thought of Nerissa, Hay Lin disappeared from his sight and Eric's world suddenly became foggy and cloudy. He instinctively got up, checking his surroundings. It was obviously some sort of spell, but he didn't know why someone would trap him here. He probably should've paid more attention, but Hay Lin was his priority.
"The relationship between you and the Air Guardian fascinates me."
He automatically growled, knowing that slow and sly feminine voice anywhere. He turned around and of course Nerissa was standing there, casually holding her powerful staff and looking sultry as ever. Her eyes were filled with hunger.
"Take the curse off. Now," Eric commanded, secretly freaking out that Hay Lin was no longer in sight.
"Does she know your true identity? Does she know who you really are?" Nerissa pressed. It was a game of cat and mouse.
Eric sneered, "Take the curse off."
"Does she give you what you really want?"
"Take. The. Curse. Off."
Nerissa shut her mouth and glared. He was smarter than the other Warriors she ever met. He wasn't giving her any leeway. "I'm going to assume it is yes to all three of my questions. Alistair, is it not? She must be special if the Warrior of the Stars gave up his secret identity, a law that must never be broken among your people."
"Why am I here?"
"I wanted some time alone with you. You… interest me," she stated slowly, sauntering closer toward him. "There's so much power within you, and you are wasting it fighting me. Imagine what we could accomplish together."
"My magic is the purest of light. What makes you think you could ever change who I am or what Star could do? Your plan to claim me is illogical," Eric reasoned. "Very unintelligent, Nerissa."
"Everyone knows I want what I can't have. It's in my nature. I can't help if I desire you, Alistair," she cooed, wanting so badly to touch him. "Join me, and I will take the curse off poor little Hay Lin."
Eric did think about it. Saving Hay Lin's life was the most important thing right now, but he also knew Hay Lin would be disappointed in him. His thoughts were once again interrupted.
"I could give you the power to control worlds, Alistair. You and I claiming the universe as our own and ruling it together. No one would stand in our way, not even the Guardians. I alone could give you the satisfaction for your every desire. Join me, and we could rule the universe. Say yes and I will spare Hay Lin's pathetic life."
She went to touch him, but he pulled away quickly, "Your jealously over Hay Lin is only going to grow, Nerissa, and that alone makes me happy." Her affectionate face suddenly turned sour.
"Jealousy? How dare you insinuate that I am jealous over that-"
"And I know Hay Lin would rather die than me ever joining you."
Nerissa was visibly shocked, "You'd let her die?!"
"No. I'd rather save her," Eric's eyes glowed white, as Nerissa was suddenly blinded by the intense light that surrounded her. Her illusion was gone, and he was back in the volcano with Hay Lin sobbing on the ground next to him. He looked over and saw the Guardians fighting Nerissa, who seemed instantly more distracted than before. He shots beams from his hands, hitting her square in the chest. Her body hit the wall, shaking the volcano violently. The girls looked at him with surprise. "We take her out, we save Hay Lin."
"Right," Will confirmed. "Don't stop fighting." Nerissa came out of her own crater with a snarl, eyes glowing with ferocity. Cornelia quickly took a boulder from the wall and smashed it into her, grinding her deeper into the ground.
Taranee was hesitant in attacking the sorceress. Not because she didn't want to harm her, but because of the deep connection between her and the volcano itself. Her bond with fire was currently making it possible for her to feel what the volcano was feeling, and vice versa. All this fighting was continuously weakening the volcanoes walls, which would ultimately collapse and eventually cause an eruption. She knew she needed to tell the others, but she also knew retrieving the stone was also important. Nerissa and Oxana had been searching the walls hours before the Guardians arrived, and they could not find it. This gave Taranee, as bright as she is, a clear indication that the stone was hidden in a more treacherous place inside the volcano.
Taranee slowly looked down beside her and stared into the pit that was filled with molten magma. There was her answer. She knew the Stone of Destruction was hidden inside the pit surrounded by the magma in order for trespassers to fail. Because of this particular stone's great power, it was concealed in a more protective environment.
Taranee also knew that she was the only one with the power to retrieve it…
The ground shook from underneath her, causing everyone to stumble. Taranee took one last glance into the pit and swallowed hard. She was afraid, but she knew what she had to do. She turned to Will, "Will! This cave is going to collapse any minute! We need to get out of her!"
"But the stone! Nerissa will just find it later," Will responded with a shout, as the ceiling above them cracked and slowly began to fall.
"I know where it is…" Taranee breathed, catching the attention of Nerissa. Will was confused, but nodded all the same. Taranee and Nerissa made eye contact. "You have to keep her busy. I don't know how long I'll be down there." Before Will could even ask, Taranee ran and dove directly into the pit. In a matter of seconds, her body caught on fire and then disappeared into the magma.
"Taranee!" Cornelia called, eyes wide and ready to cry.
"She knows what she's doing," Will called. "We need to keep her busy."
"Easy enough," Eric nodded. Nerissa growled with fury, as she slammed her staff into the ground, causing the walls to shake once more.
"All of you will die before she gets out!" She purposely slammed her staff onto the ground multiple times, wanting the caves to crash on top of them. The volcano shook violently beneath them. The caves were going to collapse at any moment.
Cornelia grabbed Will's arm, looking at her with desperation. "Will, we need to get out of here." Will looked around her. Despite everything crumbling before them, Taranee was still in the pit, Hay Lin lay on the floor, writhing in pain, Aina and Haruto were unconscious, and there was still no sign of Lillian and the other warriors.
Will turned back to Cornelia, shaking her head solemnly, "We can't…" Nerissa laughed violently, knowing she could survive, but everyone else would most certainly die.
Drake's sword made contact with Oxana's small knife, as she desperately blocked her flawless face from his blade. She ducked under another attack, sweeping her leg right under his feet, making him fall onto his back. She growled in frustration, throwing her knife toward the center of his chest. He rolled over quickly, missing the blade and kicking forward right into her stomach. He didn't know how long they had been fighting, but it seemed forever. All outside distractions were erased from his mind, his only focus was trying to kill this woman. He briefly heard Caleb yelling at him, but he ignored it. Both Aldarn and Caleb were the least of his worries. Her eyes glowed with ferocity, running towards him with much might. Their blades connected once more, as they stared into each other's eyes with hatred.
"Who do you think you are?" Drake grinded his teeth. "What do you hope to accomplish by killing all of us?"
"You are in my way!"
"Shut up!" Drake snarled. "You think you've had a hard life? You believe life is hard? You think life has delivered you shit? Guess what? You're not the only one!" Her hard features softened slightly. "I've had shit handed to me throughout my entire life, but I made sure I wasn't going to stop me."
"You know nothing of my life," she spat.
"I know everything! Despite what you may think, this isn't the way. You can still change."
"Says the filthy man trying to kill me," she stated, swiping backward to get away from him. A ball of Quintessence formed in her hand.
"I'm only trying to kill you to erase you from my mind!" he yelled, drawing his sword upward defensively. "But I can't…" He dropped his sword instantly. Her eyes widened slightly, the ball of energy wavering. "There is still time to change. After seeing you now, I know you are capable of it, Oxana." She visibly faltered when he said her name. He looked at her curiously, wondering if she was really going to stop or not.
A boulder suddenly fell from the ceiling and crashed right in between them. Coming back to reality, the volcano was falling apart. The magma in the pit was now rising, ready to fill the room.
"Drake!" Caleb called. Drake turned towards him, now realizing the damage all their fighting had done. Drake looked back at Oxana, still somewhat defensive.
"Leave the bitch to me if you can't handle her, Drake," Irma stepped forward. Oxana automatically became hostile. The hatred between them made them both furious. Before either of them could attack each other, Lillian, Matt, Ronin, and Orube came sprinting into the opening, followed by Darius and Tobias. The ghosts that were chasing them stopped immediately, unable to enter the cave. Tobias continued to fight Matt as soon as they entered the cave. Nerissa glared at them with anger, wondering where they had been since the Guardians entered the cave. Unfortunately, now that her Shadow Men had finally arrived, the volcano was erupting, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Eric's fist connected perfectly across Nerissa's face, slamming her into the ground. He took the opportunity while she was distracted, as her head hit the ground hard and broke all concentration. Immediately, the pain that consumed Hay Lin stopped and she ceased contorting. Her body remained lifeless, as Eric ran over to her. Her breathing was shallow, but she was still breathing nonetheless. He picked her up in his arms and turned to Will.
"Will, I need to get her out of here," he stated, brushing her cheek softly.
Will nodded, "Go." He created a shield around both of them and exited the cave, wanting to get as fast as he could to the Adelaide healers as possible. She then ran to Orube, who had cuts and bruises all over her body. She was aiding an unconscious Aina, while Haruto was finally waking up.
"Get the princess and her servants out of here. Taranee is getting the stone right now," Will told Orube. Orube stared. She didn't want to leave the Guardians, but her job was to protect the princess more than anything. Reluctantly, she nodded.
"Understood," Orube confirmed, as Haruto picked up Aina in his arms and was ready to carry her out. Ronin stepped forward. Orube always knew how to read him perfectly in every way. "Ronin is going to stay here to help you." A sudden attack lashed out and hit Orube, sending her across the ground. Will barely dodged the second attack, flying in the air to see Nerissa still fighting. Orube got up quickly, grabbing Keziah's hand and fleeing the destructive cave. Muriel and Semira followedrapidly behind her, more than willing to escape the continuous falling boulders ready to crush them. Will turned to Nerissa, who had Oxana, Darius, and Tobias standing next to her, ready to prolong the fight. Will landed on the ground; Cornelia and Irma were right beside her, followed by the rebels, Matt, and Lillian. The odds were lowered, but still in their favor.
The magma suddenly rose even higher at a rapid pace. The girls suddenly had to use their wings to fly, as the hot viscous liquid slowly spread onto the ground. The rebels backed slightly, feeling the intense heat across their skin. Will looked up and could see the opening of the volcano. Her apprehension subsided momentarily, as a womanly figure plowed to the surface of the magma, her whole body on fire. Oxana stared in awe, truly believing the Fire Guardian died in the pit.
Taranee's body was still on fire, so she took advantage, sending flames in the direction of her enemies. Each of them jumped out of the way, sweating from the intense heat.
"Let's go! It's going to blow any second!" Taranee yelled to her companions, muffled from the flames around her. Will didn't waste another second, as she flew as fast as she could through the opening that led to their exit. The others ran after her, as Taranee put up a wall of fire, blocking Nerissa, Oxana, and the Shadow Men from exiting as well. Nerissa glared at her enemies, glancing up at the volcano's opening and knowing where to go next.
With the ghosts still attacking them inside the cave, Will kept flying as fast as she could. Irma, Cornelia and Lillian were right behind her. Matt, using the large arms that he had, picked up the rebels and Ronin in his two hands, flying at top speeds with his great wings. He could feel the heat from Taranee behind him; she looked like a speeding comet.
The next few moments seemed like a blur. One minute they were trapped in the cave, the next Will saw herself fleeing down the mountain's wall, no longer caring about the trails that led them safely to the ground. It no longer mattered now that the spirits were chasing them to their deaths. Will briefly looked back to make sure her whole group was still with her, all while trying to shake off a vile-looking ghost trying to cut off her leg. A flurry of ghosts were right behind them, now realizing that the Fire Guardian did indeed had the stone. They were even more furious than before. Will could finally see the ground miles beneath them. As soon as they touched the ground, she knew they'd all be safe once again.
"We're almost there! Keep going!" Will called out to her friends desperately. Matt automatically pumped his wings faster, seeing the ground now so close. When the world around them was just about to cease, the ghosts cried out in severe anger and stopped following them. Will landed on the ground roughly, exhausted. She flipped onto her back and saw the sky above her, feeling a sheer sense of relief. She heard cries of joy all around her, but she was too tired to get up. Her eyes drifted to the Adelaideans, Irma and Cornelia embracing Taranee, as she held out a small little stone in her hand. She then looked toward Ronin, who was holding up a wounded Orube. Ronin looked damaged himself, but he was too proud to let it show. Two strong arms helped her up, as Matt held her close. "Is everyone okay?" Getting a good look at everyone, she saw they were all present except Eric and Hay Lin.
Like a leader, Orube gave her report, "Eric helped us out of the cave and down the mountain. He teleported back to the castle for Hay Lin to receive treatment. We waited her to make sure all of you survived." She winced as she straightened herself up. "It seems we have won yet again."
Will looked up and saw the volcano spreading lava and earth as far as it could. Nerissa survived. She always did. She was a survivor. "We better get back too. We need to rest and get that stone to Eudora." With that, Keziah opened her golden arch and they were within the castle once again.
Your stubbornness is going to get you killed…
Chapter 11:
Hmmmmm it has bee a while, hasn't it? My apologies. In other news, I did graduate college... Finally. That was probably what took most of my time up.
R&R
Silver Shadow