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Chapter Fourteen:

Ash:

We arrive at the camp at a full gallop. We have re-saddled our horses so we have no balance issues as we ride through the narrow alleys.

"Stick together." I say to Paul who nods in agreement. We turn to the right in time to see a massacre occurring. Not in our favor.

I bite my lip in frustration. "What brought this on?" I ask quietly.

"No idea…"

"It was a rhetorical question."

"Oh. We should help.'

"I don't want to add to the confusion…"

"I don't want to just stand here." He replies coolly before turning Chance around. "We could climb to the top of one of the buildings and shoot arrows down." I nod in agreement before leading the way.

Halfway there, several people from the other team on horseback fine us, chasing after us.

Arrows wiz past us but we try and ignore them.

"Cowards! Fight back!" one of them shouts. I grit my teeth, about to do just that when Paul shakes his head at me and tosses me Chance's reins.

"Don't let me crash." He says calmly before turning around on Chance so he's riding her backwards. Loading his bow, he fires several shots at them, each one hitting different men in the arm.

"Kill shots…" I mutter. He glares at me. I sigh, looking over at him sympathetically. "Paul…" He turns away from my gaze, aiming another arrow, this time for a man's chest. He sees this and looks up at Paul with tears in his eyes.

"Please…. I have a wife and children…. I promised I'd come back to them…" Paul's hands are trembling.

"Paul! Shoot him!" Cynthia's voice rings out from on top of a building. "They don't deserve to live! They're bloodthirsty barbarians!" Paul ignores her, simply watching the man.

"Please…." He releases his grip on the string, hitting the man dead in the heart. He drops to the ground, lifeless. The rest of his group doesn't follow, turning in the opposite direction.

I turn to him again. He's readjusted himself on Chance so that he can ride again and is ignoring my gaze. His hands are still trembling.

We turn a corner to where we planned to climdb up the roof. Out of nowhere, a rope suddenly finds its way around my neck. I yelp as I am pulled off my horse, hitting the ground hard. Paul pulls back on Chance and holds Birch back, glaring upward at my attackers.

Paul 3 and Ash 3.

Ash 3 smiles at the shocked looks on our faces.

"Long time no see." He smirks. "Don't worry, neither of you are going to die today. We have special orders for you two." I glare at him openly before turning to Paul.

"Get out of here." He looks down at me, frowning.

"No."

"Good choice…" Paul 3 says quietly. "Your movements and choices decide how tight this rope is." I feel the rope tighten slightly on my neck. "You know what happens when it gets to tight…."

Paul growls slightly at them. "What do you want?"

"Get off the horse." Ash 3 says. He slips to the ground without a second thought. "Good, now don't move." Ash 3 begins walking towards him. Paul 3, holding my rope, smirks at Paul's frustration. Ash 3 is holding a small medical bag. "Hold out your arm." he says calmly.

Paul does as he says, though reluctantly.

"Paul…" I say warningly. "Get out of here!"

"They'll kill you."

"I don't care! You have no idea what's in that thing!"

Four arrows come flying at Ash 3 and he drops the package, shielding his face-

They all stop an inch before they hit him, dropping to the floor harmlessly. Paul and I stare at Paul 3. His eyes are glowing and his hand is outstretched.

"Dare'th does not translate to psychic…" I mutter under my breath. "What the hell are you doing?"

Paul 3 smirks, his eyes returning to their normal color. "Very simple, I've been practicing." He turns to where the arrows came from. Reggie, Maylene, Dawn, and Gary are standing there; shocked.

With another wave of his hand, Dawn, Maylene, and Gary go flying backward into the wall, where a metal pole bends around them tightly.

"You're crazy," Reggie mutters. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I am the strongest Dare'th in all of the universes."

"Dare'th's have the ability to jump universes. Not…. this…" Reggie says worriedly. "What are you doing?"

"I have developed past that. It does not take much to learn how to manipulate the universe you are in… especially when you have the right amount of power…"

"Then, for whatever reason you want my brother and his bond, take me."

"And me." Maylene says. "If you need a bond, don't use Ash."

Paul 3 shakes his head. "Our orders are for these two."

Ash 3 turns to Paul again, opening the box.

"We don't need you doing any kind of fancy escapes." He says, removing a shot from the box. It is filled with a pure purple liquid that is not see-through. "Your arm." Paul does as he says.

"You won't hurt Ash."

"No more then we'll hurt you."

He is about to take Paul's arm when another voice rings out.

"Paul! Get out of the way!" Cynthia shouts. Paul pulls back immediately, kicking Ash 3's legs out from under him. I take the moment to use my dagger to slice through my ropes leaping to my feet to help Paul.

Reggie can only block so much of Paul 3's power, so we still every once in a while are thrown backwards, or hit with items laying around. And he's not a bad physical fighter, so getting in a match with him is not a good idea.

Cynthia has joined the fight, and to my surprise, she pulls me and Gary aside.

"I want you to listen carefully. I want Paul." I raise my eyebrow.

"Paul my bond?"

"No. The other teams Paul. I want him studied." She smirks, handing us a dart gun. "If you can get him by surprise, this will disable his Dare'th abilities." She smiles. "Go."

We run along the back alley ways until we spot Paul 3, leaping away from Dawn's powerful attacks. He is alone, with the rest of his team on the other side of the battle field trying to handle Cynthia.

Gary looks at me as if to ask if I want to do the honors of shooting it. I shrug and prepare the gun before aiming it quickly.

I hit him in the left ribcage area. He yelps and jump forward, looking down at his side. I surprised to see that the liquid it is emptying into his bloodstream is dark purple…. That's what they wanted to give to Paul.

Regaining his senses, he yanks it out but it has already done its job and there is no more liquid. He glares at us before calling out.

"I've been hit!" Ash 3, his bond turns furiously to us.

"Retreat!" Cynthia 3 shouts angrily. Paul 3 manages to form a portal, but he struggles. The medicine has not yet taken its full effect. Hundreds of soldiers run through, and we let them, to exhausted and relieved for them to leave.

Finally, when it is down to just him and Ash 3, he struggles, nearly dropping the portal. Ash 3 reaches forward to help him but he shoves him away.

"Go."

Ash 3 looks at him for a moment before leaping into the portal, just as it collapses.

Paul 3 hits the ground hard, glaring up at us.