Raven – Veteran Commander

Elesis – Blazing Heart

Damn. It felt like his ribs were cracked.

He gave himself his standard two seconds to catch his breath, then inhaled deeply and flipped away from Kelaino's knives. One stabbed into the ground right where his face had been and he shivered, realizing that could have been the end of him.

"You okay, Raven?" Elsword yelled from where he was perched on top of a platform, eyes slitted against the wind. Raven had to shout over the screeching wind to confirm that yes, he was fine.

"Ancient Fire!"

A burst of heat and light made Raven look away. The roaring of Elesis' fire drowned out even the noise of the wind, light glinting off the random piles of gold and jewels strewn about the cave. Kelaino shrieked and flailed in the middle of the pillar of fire.

The flames died down. Elesis pulled her sword out of the ground. Kelaino took off, struggling into the air with her singed feathers, laboring toward the platform which Elsword was standing on.

Raven ran over to Elesis. She waved him off before he even said anything.

"I'm fine. It's going according to plan so far," she panted. Raven nodded.

"Don't get distracted by the wind attacks. The most important thing is to grasp the movement of the attacks after the wind," he reminded her, and Elesis nodded back.

"I know."

The wind stirred up as Kelaino hovered over Elsword, spiraling and spreading her wings. Giant spears materialized in the air. Raven and Elesis darted to the one spot where there wasn't a spear, constantly fighting the wind to stay in place.

Three, two, one...

The spears dropped, thudding into the ground. Elsword's yell was louder than that.

"Shining Rune Buster!"

Kelaino squawked. Gigantic, glowing runes formed up around Elsword, blazing in all their deadly glory.

Raven shielded his eyes before the runes imploded and sent yet more bits of reflected light dancing on the cave walls. If Rena was correct about harpies, that should have made barbecue out of Kelaino.

But then what was that enraged harpy scream?

(The sound of everything going wrong, that's what.)

Kelaino soared up, screeching in agony. Many of her feathers were on fire or just plain burnt up, but she still managed to writhe and struggle into the air.

One of her giant flaming wings knocked Elsword off his platform. He screamed as the wind caught him up, tossing him like a rag doll to hit the cave wall and slide down limply. Raven watched in horror as he landed on the dirt.

"Elsword!" Elesis choked out, and she started running against the wind to get to Elsword. Raven followed at a dead sprint. Please no, please let him be alive...

Their young leader was unmoving, a smear of blood on a rock where his head had landed. Raven stared down at him, blinking back the memories. This was how his comrade Miran had looked when he was dying...

"He's breathing. Els!" Elesis sounded frantic as she put one hand on Elsword's shoulder, shaking him gently. Raven fumbled in the canisters at his belt for one of the nasty-tasting healing potions that Pesop had made for them.

And then then the wind hit them both forcefully from behind.

Raven managed to brace himself in time, but Elesis was far lighter than him. The wind picked her up almost spitefully, slamming her against the cave wall with a crunch before dropping her to collapse on top of Elsword.

The flash of deja vu was uncomfortably strong. This was how Seris had looked, collapsed on top of Miran...

But no, Elesis wasn't fatally injured. Her eyelids fluttered. "Rav-"

A harpy squawked from behind him.

Raven snatched up his blade, stood, and turned in one movement, watching Kelaino flutter to the ground and raise her fiery wings. One more blast would send him tumbling and let her kill them all, and Raven couldn't do anything about it.

No.

Never again.

That's what he had promised himself as he lay dying, the shadowy figure bending over him to offer power and revenge. Never again would he be helpless. Never again would he be unable to protect those he cared about. Never again would he be defeated, so long as he had strength in his limbs and blood running through his veins.

His Nasod arm hummed with life. He glared at Kelaino, feeling powerful rage rush through his body, encouraging it, welcoming it.

Later, Elesis would tell him that he shouted two words. He thought it was just a wordless cry of rage toward the thing that had nearly taken his comrade and his love away again.

A flock of burning crows formed up above his head, then dive-bombed Kelaino, forcing her to stagger back with a cry. Raven's anger burned hot, fueling the fire in his arm as he punched forward, connecting with Kelaino's plumage and locking her in place somehow.

Then the fire exploded.

Flames whirled around him, scorching his uniform and buffeting Kelaino mercilessly. Her agonized scream was wonderful. He reveled in the power, the rage, because he wasn't helpless this time and he could save the ones he cared about.

The fire shut off. It was easy for the wind to disperse it and for Kelaino to fall to the ground in a stunning imitation of fried chicken.

"Raven..."

His eyes, Elesis told him that night, were scary as he looked over at her. Filled with fierce fire and protectiveness, and she had feared for a moment that he was going to turn on them.

Then the look died. Raven turned away from the harpy, sprinting over to where Elesis was already trying to get off of Elsword.

"Burning Buster," she whispered, repeating the words she had heard just before the flaming conflagration. "Raven, what..."

"Never again," Raven murmured, and a flash of understanding crossed Elesis' face right before she collapsed painfully into his arms.